Katy + Brantley Harrington

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Katy + Brantley Harrington

So many dreams were fulfilled on December 14th, 2019!

Katy and Brantley met during a game of truth or dare over six years ago. Ever since living in a dorm, a crazy apartment, and a cute little house north of campus with Katy + other girls, we’ve pretty much been dreaming about this day…

The Ratcliff and Harrington families are some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet in your lifetime. I was able to document the whole weekend, including the rehearsal dinner, and witnessed firsthand the outpouring of love this couple is surrounded by. From Katy’s first look with her Dad (that brought tears to many eyes!), the way the sunlight illuminated the alter during the ceremony, to the glorious sparkler exit, there’s no use picking a favorite moment or photograph.

Many thanks to the wonderful people who made this wedding so memorable.

Wedding Coordinator

Venue

Hair/Makeup

Florist

Band

Baker

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Berthoud Pass Ski/Snowboard Engagement Session

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Berthoud Pass Ski/Snowboard Engagement Session

WINTER PARK, COLORADO ENGAGEMENT // NOVEMBER 2019


And the winners for THE most Colorado photo session I’ve shot to date are…

MISSY + DAN!

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These two rad people fell in love here in Colorado and decided they love each other and their prospective snow sports so much, they should get married. Oh, and their two adorable dogs, Riley and Ullr, came along to celebrate their humans engagement and join in on the photos.

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Since they ski and are planning their wedding to be in Winter Park, we decided to meet on Berthoud Pass, which used to be an old ski resort with a functioning chairlift in the 1930’s and decades after. We started the session by hiking around in the snow, trying to stay warm and taking in all the views. Missy, Dan and their dogs kept my boyfriend, Cole and I laughing the entire time we were taking photos. Riley fought to steal the spotlight in just about every photo, but I’d say it just added to the cuteness.

The sun was setting fast but I knew we had a bit more time for some final photos. Missy mentioned how they were on their way to Winter Park for the weekend, and actually had all their gear in their car ready to go. With an opportunity like that, I asked her and Dan if they would want to take the final photos of the evening while skiing down the mountain. They happily obliged and Cole and I started planning out how we were going to best document this unplanned but extremely fun set of photos.

Missy + Dan quickly threw on their ski clothes and boots and we set up the mountain, through deep snow and glowing trees. This was one of the most beautiful evenings I’ve ever been on a mountain for; glowing peaks and sparkly snow added to the magic of the night.

We got back to our cars with cold hands and feet but agreed to meet at the brewery in town down the pass to warm up. Missy and Dan, we are so excited you chose us to document this fun time in your lives. This April wedding cannot come soon enough!!

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2019 Fall Family Photos

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2019 Fall Family Photos

This past fall season I am grateful to have photographed new families, families I’ve already met, and especially families I’ve gotten to meet BECAUSE of the ones I already know. I’m establishing connections all over the state of Colorado, and it feels so amazing and rewarding.

As a photographer of families and kids, word of mouth is kind of my best friend when it comes to advertising. Establishing a connection from the get-go with families like mutual friends is one of my favorite parts of the session. Another great part of this “job” is seeing kids grow up right before my eyes when we’ve spaced out the photos by a year or more. This past fall I had the pleasure of meeting with a family in Denver I previously photographed in Telluride over two years ago! A great friend from high school and college helped me take photos of her adorable niece and family over Thanksgiving while I was home in Houston. Also, I’m shooting a wedding this summer for a friend of a family I photographed in the fall. It’s also pretty common for me to babysit for families who were previous clients… So fair warning, if we work together, I might end up watching your dog while you’re out of town or playing Barbie’s and Lego’s with your kids.

There’s no better feeling than walking through a house and seeing the portraits I took hung on the walls, or receiving Christmas and holiday cards featuring smiling faces I got to photograph. It genuinely warms my heart! 2019 was a year of growth and progress, I’m hopeful for all the opportunities this new decade will hold. Big thanks to all the wonderful families and kids who let me document their stories this past fall! Here are a few of my favorite shots from the season.

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Breckenridge Engagement Session

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Breckenridge Engagement Session

Fall in Colorado is truly a miraculous season. Mountains and valleys explode with shades of gold, orange and crimson while the temps drop to puffy-sweater weather. Saying yes to Shelby + David’s summer 2020 wedding was the easiest and most exciting decision. We planned for fall engagement photos, and Breckenridge was just the spot to be this October.

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Shelby + David

Breckenridge, CO 10/6/19

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We started out hiking around Mayflower Gulch (they even brought their cute doggo, Bert along!) and watched as the sun painted the mountain tops pink. We then jumped in our cars to head to Clinton Gulch, where we cracked open some beers and strolled around the reservoir. My boyfriend, Cole came along to shoot some 35mm film in addition to the digital photos. My editing style emulates pushed film, so it’s fun to see his photos intertwine seamlessly with mine.

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Exploring this area around Breckenridge with our new friends was so rewarding. All we could talk about on the drive home was how fun our time with these guys was and figuring out how to make a living off of shooting adventurous Colorado couples for years to come.

Shelby + David (and Bert!) we can’t wait for July!

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Telluride, Colorado Engagement

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Telluride, Colorado Engagement

Alta lakes, Telluride engagement session

In the summer of 2018, my beautiful sister was proposed to by the best guy. They’ve since gotten married and started a wonderful life together, but I thought I’d share their engagement story, since I got to play hidden photographer and surprise Lindsey with Daniel :)

These two met in Fort Worth, Texas, but after two years of running marathons, cooking delicious meals and growing together, Daniel decided to pop the question in one of my favorite little spots near Telluride. The three of us camped out for the night with the plan of taking an early morning walk before I had to get to work. Yawning at the 5:45AM wake up call, we stumbled out of our tents and put on our shoes for the short walk around the lakes. What felt like an ordinary early morning hike to my sister left Daniel and my’s hearts beating fast as I peeled off without them to “take some shots of the nature.”

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Daniel lifted Lindsey’s blanket off her shoulders and she instantly caught a feeling of what was actually happening. Without skipping a beat, Daniel got down on one knee and proposed to her lakeside while the alpenglow slowly started running down the mountain. Lindsey’s screams of excitement probably woke up everyone fast asleep in their tents as she tried on her ring and kissed her future husband.

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I’m so thankful I got to be apart of such a special day in their story! I love walking around Alta lakes with new and old friends showing them the spot my now brother in law proposed. Congrats Lindsey + Daniel, I hope we can go back to this spot for years to come and laugh about how it was the farthest thing from an ordinary camp out Lindsey was expecting.

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SUMMER 2019 FAMILY PORTRAITS

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SUMMER 2019 FAMILY PORTRAITS

TELLURIDE FAMILY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER


The snowfall into late May in Telluride made the summer season go by in a blink. Staff training began at my favorite camp in the world as inches of snow crunched beneath our feet. Thankfully, temperatures started rising and the snow started to melt just in time for my family portrait season to begin in June. I photographed 29 awesome families and even got some couples sessions in as well throughout the summer! The snow stayed on the jagged mountain peaks surrounding Telluride well through August, and it made for the perfect backdrop every evening, no matter the location! 

The evening hours I spent photographing awesome families (+some dogs!) were filled with miraculous rainbows, sunset colors and fields of flowers. Mother Nature surely decorated town and its surrounding areas this summer. 

I’m so grateful for the wonderful families who met me in various scenic spots around Telluride. Since it’s a small town, I would usually reconnect with the majority of the people I met while out and about. My favorite memory I have to share is when a former client emailed me saying his daughters spotted me running on the river trail and were so excited to see me. That excitement reassures my hope that every photo session be fun and relaxed so that genuine emotion shows thorough for everyone.

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Flagstaff Mountain Sunrise

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Flagstaff Mountain Sunrise

Boulder, Colorado Anniversary session


Jordan and Boris once met me at a park in Austin and paid $40 for photos of them smiling through the mid 20’s temperature. I still have a few of those pictures on my website, and after all these years, they’re still letting me take portraits of them in the cold!

I was pretty bummed about losing a client base in Texas I built up over the years when I moved to Colorado, but these guys made sure to save a couple hours for me in Boulder on their vacation around the state. This December means seven years together for Jordan and Boris. While the majority of their relationship was spent traveling back and forth between America and Holland, they’ve finally been able to be together in Texas, and Boris officially moved here! They’ve spent the week traveling around different towns in Colorado, soaking up the amazing winter we’re having and playing in the snow. There was no shortage of snowballs and throwing of the fluffy stuff during our shoot too :) We decided to meet to watch the sunrise on Flagstaff mountain, hitting up all the best spots along the drive.

After waking up before the sun to ski the day before our shoot, I knew exactly when the mountain magic would start, so the three of us hopped from rock to rock while watching and waiting for the hot pink light to strike the peaks.

This is kind of cheesy, but when I first moved here, I posted a goal of mine was to do a snowy shoot with mountain backdrops and these two. Four months later and we all made it a reality!! Thanks so much Jordan + Boris for letting me show you my favorite little scenic drive, and HAPPY SEVEN YEARS!

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TELLURIDE, COLORADO FAMILY PORTRAITS

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TELLURIDE, COLORADO FAMILY PORTRAITS

From the moment you drive into the beautiful box canyon, Telluride fills your mind with peace and your lungs with fresh mountain air. I'm amazed I found a way to pull off a third summer up here surrounded by new and old friends, as well as a job as staff photographer at my favorite camp in the world. 

Telluride Academy first hired me back in 2015 for a few weeks as an intern. I had no idea what was in store at the time, but I'm so glad I came back another summer to build on that foundation. The sense of community in this town is unparalleled; everyone looks out for each other and cares for the environment around them. 

In addition to running around Telluride + beyond snapping photos of fun-loving kiddos, I hosted some family portrait sessions at some of my favorite places around the box canyon. Meeting each family and getting to know the unique personalities of each kid might be my favorite part of the job. 

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Moving to Colorado has been a nine year long dream of mine that I finally made a reality. I can't wait to take portraits of amazing families + kids all around this state for years to come. 

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University of Colorado Boulder Graduation

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University of Colorado Boulder Graduation


CU GRADUATION SESSION // BOULDER, COLORADO


My sanity in college is sustained by quick but adventure-packed trips to Boulder on the weekends every once in awhile. I met my best friend Claire in the mountains when we had just finished our freshman year of college. Texan-native but transport to Boulder, Claire is everything you could ever want in a friend. She’s bold, brave, determined but goofy, and at any time you can find her on a trail run crushing her thirteenth mile of the day or pointing out a cute dog she spotted on the street. I strategically plan my Boulder visits in the midst of grad season madness to take a little break and have some fun hiking in nature. This trip, however, was the MOST FUN exception.

After a bit of location research and stalking amazing Boulder graduation photographers, Claire and I picked a few spots around the CU campus for some portraits. I peer pressured her into having a cider and it was way more fun than work.

We ended the day with a little romp around Chautauqua park and watched the sun fade over the flatirons. Congratulations senior Buffs! I can't wait to be back next year for hopefully a whole lot more of these. 

Disposable cameras for the win :)

Disposable cameras for the win :)

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The University of Texas 2018 Graduates

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The University of Texas 2018 Graduates


SPRING GRADUATION PORTRAITS // AUSTIN, TEXAS


This semester I’ve had a few moments of overwhelming gratefulness for photography and the people it’s allowed me to meet. Who knew registering for a photography class my first semester of college would turn into all this. Lots of time has passed since my rookie days. But when I’m walking through campus wondering just where the time went, I can look back and see the life in my years through the photos I've collected. 

It’s been an especially nostalgic few months. There’s nothing like fiddling with your camera for a second and looking up to see some of your best friends all decked out in their official cap and gown. From March to May, I spent early mornings and gorgeous golden hours searching for good light and having some great conversation with over 40 grads on and off campus. My external hard drive is full, but my heart is fuller. Here are some of my favorite shots from the semester. 

Art was always my favorite class as a kid. The best thing ever was when the teacher would hang everyone’s work on display and we could point at ours and show it off to friends and family. Not much has changed since the art class days. That feeling of accomplishment and admiration is still with me when I see all my wonderful new and old friends sharing/posting their graduation portraits from our time together. You guys are all art and make this job so incredibly fulfilling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to document your last chapter as a longhorn. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Hook ‘em forever and ever. 

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