this is my job.

One evening in late July I found myself sitting on the floorboard in the back of a car, in a dress, juggling two cameras and a few lenses as I shot out the back of an open hatchback for three miles in the pouring rain. I was shooting a wedding and Colorado "monsoon season" had come early, but it didn't rain on our parade. Well, it did, but we marched on anyway. All I kept thinking as I tried not to fall over with every turn of the car was: "Wow. This is my job."

I've had a lot of "this is my job" moments over the last few months. I've been on countless airplanes, shared tears with couples over their vows, leaned into the wedding cake to get the shot, explored new states, new cities, a beautiful botanical garden, a fancy chocolate shop, had some great food (maybe the best ice cream ever), and yes, even shot 30 people riding their bikes down a hillside in the rain. Next month I'll be flying to Florida for yet another adventure (aka job.) So, if I've been quiet around here, my apologies. I've been struggling with balancing everything lately, but feel grateful for this life, this career, and the genuine love from every single couple I photograph, near and far.

More from this Durango, CO. wedding soon. Stay tuned!

a quiet moment.

A couple of Saturdays ago, at the end of a really great day, I snuck away to one of my favorite spots with my camera and my dog. Instead of hiking, like we'd planned, I found myself struck by the light, the silence, and how at peace with myself I was in that very moment. The bugs danced in the glow above the trees like fireflies in the daylight. The earth beneath me crunched, dry and calloused from the sun. The air was still- no wind, no birds, no people. I walked slowly, stopped often, and found myself standing there in that quiet moment wanting to remember, always, exactly how it felt.

August.

August. It's a bittersweet month and I can't believe it's already here. Autumn is peeking around the corner and it literally feels like just yesterday that I left work and immediately went to the grocery store to buy a pineapple. I brought said pineapple to a BBQ where it then was grilled, tossed into a fruit salad, and topped with fresh whipped cream. I don't know if it was that moment in early June that I bought the pineapple, or later that night when I was sharing it with friends over kabobs and beer on a country back porch, that I realized, "Wow. It's summer."

I've spent more time doing summer than sharing summer. So to get us back up to speed, here's a little of the doing I've been doing: (Oh yeah...and happy august to you and yours.)