Adam Welch Photography

Sunset, Petals, Limo.

2009-09-25T04:30:00.003-06:00

I am going to sheepeshly put up a blog post, and politely gloss over the silent three or four months with no posts. The problem is, I dont want to post from some weddings and not others. I am afraid that may imply that I like the photos from the posted weddings better. So I then try to post from all weddings, and then it just becomes this whole chore... rather than a "hey look at this cool shot" kinda thing. I get amazing shots from all the weddings I attend. If they dont make the blog, that is only because I did not have the sort of week that finds me sitting at my computer itching to publish. This week, I am a bit itchy, so I am going to post this:

Hey, look at this cool shot.

You cant loose with a sunset, flower petals, and a limo. Congrats to Joanna and Kirk, married last weekend. ;)

Julie + Craig at the Arvada Center

2009-06-25T19:14:00.017-06:00

Julie and Craig were married in at the very same church as Julie's parents (though, in a whole new part of the church), with reception following at the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts. Tons of fun had by all...

Jenn + Jeff in Golden

2009-05-27T14:29:00.017-06:00

Jennifer and Jeff, married in the Chapel at Red Rocks last Saturday. Amazing weather... Amazing tunes.

Why thank you sir, I believe I do need help getting down from this limo.

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere....

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on...

Don't stop.

believin'

The Suddenly Everlasting

2009-05-20T15:55:00.003-06:00

I have been working over the past few months on a photography resource for all those folks who may be interested in taking better candid photos. Taking candids is a bit different than traditional photography, and I think this has lead to some confusion about how to best use the latest and greatest equipment. People go out and buy good cameras in the hopes of creating more emotional images, only to have no idea how to use the camera. Or, even many professional photographers may have become great portrait and landscape photographers, but were never able to capture something as it unfolds. I would like to fill in this gap of knowledge with the new website. Anyone and everyone is invited to join, share their photos, learn from each other, and hopefully we will all come away as better documentarians of life's little magical moments. Follow the link below for more info:

TheSuddenlyEverlasting.com

WPJA Awards

2009-05-06T15:40:00.004-06:00

As always, I am very happy the WPJA exists, as its really nice to have an organization that supports and rewards the type of work you do. I was able to pull out an 8th place and and 1st place win in the most recent contest. I mention the 8th place first, because it is my personal favorite. If you have a few minutes and want to view some incredible work, go on over to WPJA.com, scroll to the center of the page, and view all the contest winners.

Zhanna + Scott in Denver

2009-03-05T20:16:00.022-07:00

These pics are from the wedding of Zhanna and Scott last weekend. The equation is pretty simple: Great Couple + Great Location = Amazing Pics. The locale was Mile High Station under Colfax Ave. I have actually been there a couple times before, but never as a photographer for a wedding. So I knew going into it that we would have good opportunities for photos, but was surprised at just how good MHS turned out to be. The texture and unique feel of the location is hard to beat, and Scott and Zhanna were perfect relaxed and charismatic subjects. I had a lot of fun here.

prepping the chuppah

the moment they saw each other just prior to the ceremony

Hey, what are you looking at? The action is the other way!

kiss...

post ceremony celebration

This is one of my favorites, it is the moment right before the official photo, and shows how each personality preps for the shot.

This shot shows of Mile High Station a bit, from the upper balcony, you can see the cool floors and great table layouts.

entering the reception

great dancers.

End of the night slow dancing in the glow of the DJ lights.

Kate + Dante in Vail

2009-03-04T15:08:00.028-07:00

Congratulations to Kate and Dante who were married last week in Vail, on the birthday of Kate's mom no less. The ceremony was held at the Vail Interfaith Chapel, and the reception held at the Donovan Pavilion. I have been to the pavilion several times before, and it is always an impressive location -as it was for Kate and Dante. I also had the good fortune to work with Shane Macomber as a second shooter. I rarely work with second shooters, but when they are requested it is nice to have a professional on the team. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Her bridesmaid takes care of the wedding dress moments before Kate puts it on.

This photo I like because of the expression of the hand by the make-up artist.

Dante's father helps one of Dante's groomsmen with some cufflinks.

The girls celebrate on the limo ride to the ceremony. The ceremony started at 7pm, so it was dark while headed to the ceremony.

Sepia tone here, I liked Kate's expression and felt that her veil and the gentle gestures of her bridesmaid made a good soft antiqued photo.

This shot is probably the most "American Style" photojournalism --clean and clear, contrasty BW shot capturing several expressions, or stories, in one shot. It hopefully gives some insight into the thoughts of each girl during the same moment just before Kate is about to head down the aisle.

Ubiquitous but always very important shot telling nearly the entire story of the wedding in one image, the moment the bride and groom meet at the altar. And following, a few more ubiquitous but very important shots during the ceremony.

Celebration after the ceremony.

Then we headed out to get some portraits in downtown vail. It can be somewhat chaotic to move large groups around, especially at night and during a celebration, but I think all photojournalists thrive on chaos --this is when I can make some of the most interesting, truly candid shots.

These next two are close to my favorites from the whole day, just because the tree lit up in downtown Vail had such a unique light. It has enough blue and violet and green in the coloring, that it does not give the impression of a christmas tree, yet still has a very magical quality to it. I also like how the branches vaguely form the image of a heart. Not so much as to be overbearing, just the subtle hint at the shape.

Looooooong shutter drag, just for fun.

First dance... good stuff.

2009-01-02T17:38:00.014-07:00

Blog! Yes, it does still exist. The holidays have kept me from posting... that, and, winter would be the down season so I dont have nearly as many wedding photos flowing through the studio. I have to say that this is sort of a shame, of the few weddings I do have in the winter, they are always every bit as good as the warmer season weddings. A winter wedding is different, no doubt, but what you loose in daylight and warm summer nights, you gain in coziness and that certain winter magic.

Here are few pics from Jessica and Justin married Dec. 30th at the Peaceful Valley Chapel and Mary's Lake Lodge in Estes Park.

Gretchen and Bill: Abstracts

2008-12-10T14:47:00.010-07:00

I have always loved abstract photos. By that I mean, an photo that is not immediately obvious in its subject matter. At first, you may even think it is an abstract painting, then your realize that it is, in fact, a photograph, and it sort of flips your mind around. I think they speak to the type of world we live in, help you see the same old world in a different light. Just like the minimalism movement in modern art, the idea is to capture an emotion with as little actual compositional elements as possible. Breaking a visual emotion down to its most basic elements, so we can better understand what it is about the visual image that is evoking feeling.

eh hem.

If your not into debating modern art, I think there is a very practical and very often unnoticed major plus to these images as well. I learned from my own wedding, that you often dont want super large photos of yourself hanging on the walls of your home -even super large photos of your friends and family can get a little weird. The thing that often looks best on the wall is... you guessed it, abstract art. The lines and colors of a good painting can really bring a room together in a way that no wedding photograph can, unless... it is a photograph like one of these. You can print these large and hang them on the wall, then you'll have a constant reminder of your wedding day that plays very well with the design of the room. And, even better, you'll know who the little girl in the red dress is, or who was the tiny head peaking over the stairs. It is abstract art that has a story and a memory associated with it, so it is really the best of both worlds.

IMHO

Gretchen and Bill in Denver

2008-11-20T22:04:00.014-07:00

Here are few favs from the wedding of Gretchen and Bill in Denver last week. We had great architecture throughout the whole day, coming to a close at the immaculate University of Denver. The weather was amazing, and an early ceremony meant we had plenty of sunshine to play with. I think we made some great shots, and I hope to have more coming soon.

One Wedding: Rachel and Jay

2008-11-09T02:15:00.002-07:00

I've just put up a new online gallery of images from the Wedding of Rachel and Jay last weekend. I had originally planned on making a blog slideshow, but I could not really find the right music. There were quite a few images, and I decided to go with a web gallery instead. The images just work so much better when they fill your screen. The new gallery can be seen here: AdamWelch.Net, then click on "One Wedding".

Totally Awesome Photo of Horse

2008-11-08T12:55:00.004-07:00

Snapped this at a wedding last weekend up at the Stanley Hotel. This is Nick (I believe) from Tender Grass Carriage, who often give folks rides around the Hotel.

Obama-mama-mi-mana-fe-fi-fo-fama OBAMA!

2008-11-06T20:12:00.006-07:00

Some ladies in my neighborhood celebrating on election day.

Third Quarter Entries - Rough Edit Slideshow

2008-10-27T23:33:00.007-06:00

Those who follow this blog may be familiar with a few of my behaviors that are now united as one in this post.

1) I enter the WPJA quarterly contests fairly regularly.
2) I am frustrated with the process of editing down all my favorite photos to a small enough number to fit in a simple blog post, sample gallery, or contest entry.
3) I have been trying to make slideshows.

So, put all those together, and you have a slideshow of all the photos I have been considering for entry in the latest WPJA contest. I finally got my slideshow software to work, and this then, is hopefully the first of several slideshows I can post to the web. Here is the link:

3rd Quarter 2008 WPJA Possible Entries

You can think of it as something of a "Best of the Third Quarter 2008" only there are several portraits and other types of photos that would probably fit the "Best of" category, but not fit within the specific categories for the WPJA contests. If that is too complicated, just think of it as a bunch of photos I thought were good, put to music.

Which brings me to the Music. The song is "Human" by one of my all time favorite bands, "The Killers". Here is a link to buy the song.

"Human" by The Killers on Amazon

You should go buy it. Though I have taken some steps to procure the rights to this song, I have no idea if they are, in fact, the correct legal measures and I would be much more comfortable if everyone just went out and bought the song. Why not, you know you like it, and really, its only .89 cents.

WPJA - Brides Magazine Awards

2008-10-27T19:59:00.002-06:00

Brides Magazine announced the winners to their 2008 Wedding Photojournalism contest. I was happy to see that two of my images did place in the contest. Follow this link to see them, and all of the winners.

4th Place "Bride and Groom"

6th Place "Kids"

All the Winners

I like to see Brides Magazine partnering with the WPJA for contests like this. The WPJA is really the only group (that I know of) that really sticks to the strict ethics and standards of newspaper and magazine photojournalism. The more press groups like the WPJA can get, the better. As people figure out that real photojournalism, at a wedding, is an absolutely amazing combination.

Denise + Phil in the Highlands

2008-10-20T23:27:00.004-06:00

Here are just a couple shots from a small ceremony for Denise and Phil held in the heart of the Highlands neighborhood. The ceremony was actually a couple weeks ago, and I have been meaning to process more images from the day. It looks like I am not going to have much time to do that anytime soon, so I figured I'd go ahead and make the post. Dinner was held at Patsy's Italian Inn, only a block from the church. I am going to return for some meatballs someday soon.

Ann + Patrick in Denver

2008-10-17T00:57:00.012-06:00

Here are just a few of my favorites from the wedding of Ann and Patrick --married earlier in the month at The Church of the Good Shepherd and the The Oxford Hotel. I have worked at both of these locations quite a few times before, and there is still plenty new to find. As you become more familiar with a location, you can start to explore a bit, and try to get something a bit different. It was all the easier to explore a bit because Ann and Patrick were great to work with, and everything was organized to a tee by the consummate pros over at Sapphire Celebrations.

Cinderella to Stall

2008-10-02T01:52:00.003-06:00

The slideshow software I was working with has gone kaput, so that may kill any plans for future web based slideshows. I knew mentioning it on the blog was not a good plan. But that what blogs are for right? The unscripted, day-to-day, real life stuff? This is reality programming here. Raw. ;)

In an effort to keep posting despite the lack of a slideshow, I am decided to put up another shot from Brooke and Tyler's wedding. This has sort of a Cinderella aspect to it... If the bridesmaids were magical singing fauna.

Brooke + Tyler Downtown

2008-09-29T01:25:00.003-06:00

Saturday brought the wedding of Brooke and Tyler, in the classic downtown setting. The ceremony was held at Trinity United Methodist Church, right in the heart of Denver, and the reception followed accross the street at the Brown Palace. I may have gone a bit too arty on this shot, but the walls of the Brown sort of scream out for an antiqued photo.

Jennifer + Eric at the Botanic Gardens

2008-09-29T01:13:00.005-06:00

I wanted to post just a few images from a busy weekend. Jennifer and Eric were married at the Botanic Gardens and Maggiano's Little Italy in Denver on Friday. They were a great couple to work with, and I think we made loads of good shots --these were just the first few that struck me. I am still recovering from the heaps of amazing food served at the reception.

Veilplay

2008-09-25T02:20:00.004-06:00

I have too many photos right now. This always happens in September, when the weddings come at me fast. I have loads of weddings that I hope to turn into blog posts. The problem is, I have about 100 photos from every wedding that I think deserve to see the light of publication. In the process of trying to find just ten or so to make a blog post, I usually end up bogged down in the edit, and not posting at all. I am going to try and put up slideshows of recent weddings, and I hope to get the process nailed down, and cemented in my regular workflow so I can get regular slideshows of all my weddings posted on this blog. We shall see how that plan turns out. I am right now working on a slideshow from Carolyn + Jason, the wedding last weekend up at Estes. In the meantime, here are some very cool shots from Sarah + Erik downtown Denver affair. There are several more from this wedding that are I think are great... and I hope to have a slideshow soon.

Best Photo Ever

2008-09-24T12:07:00.002-06:00

Had an amazing wedding this past weekend --again up in Estes Park, Colorado. It rained as usual! Though this time the rain was mixed with scattered sunlight. You know what that means; rainbows. One of my earliest weddings was up in Estes Park, in September, and we had a rainbow then as well. I know it sounds cheesy, but it does seem like God, or the powers that be, are watching over Estes Park to make it one of the most amazing places on earth. I have yet to go up there and not find something fantastic.

Leica's New Gear

2008-09-23T15:51:00.006-06:00

A friend of mine just informed me of some recently annouced new cameras offered by Leica of Germany. Back in the film days, Leica was regarded as the best camera for photojournalists. Only, we all used Nikon and Canon cameras because Leica was ridiculously expensive. Enter digital, and Leica nearly went out of business because they could not keep up pace with the new technology. Now, they have announced a new digital system which, I hope, makes them a major player again.

Leica S-System on Engadget

Leica has my number. I was just discussing the new Canon 5D Mk II with some photog friends of mine. They were excited by the addition of a few bells and whistles, but I was pissed. (HD video --gag me with a spoon.) I am so sick upgrading every 4 years to the next slighter-better-but-still-not-what-you-need "modern" cameras. Canon and Nikon are producing cameras based on a software engineers idea of what is good. The last thing a proper camera needs is more options within nested menus, they already have too many with just shutter speed and aperture. Auto focus will never work as well as manual, if we could just buy a digital camera with a decent focusing screen. I spend all my time trying to get my 5D to act properly, as it is constantly trying to screw up my shots. But I have to deal with that, because the 5D is the only decent sensor on the market. Even the four-thirds ratio of the Leica makes sence, as that is much easier to work with for final printing. Also, a four thirds sensor is going to use much more of the available light circle provided by the lens.

I am waiting for someone to come out with a digtial Nikon FM (film SLR from the eighties). That was the only decent camera I have ever owned.

Here is a photo of my ego when dealing with camera manufactures.

Face on Glass

2008-09-18T23:26:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple kiddos with similar ideas.

"I have found face on glass to be a decent distraction from this boring adult mess."

"This is pretty good, but it could be so much better with a glass plate. sigh..."

Feets

2008-09-16T21:33:00.005-06:00

Sarah, married on Saturday to her longtime beau Erik, wanted to make sure we documented her bridesmaids footwear. I knew it would make a compelling shot, because photos without heads have such mystery to them. You just cant help but wonder what the heads are up to. I would bet a good number of photo students go through a headless photo phase, after they first stumble on this interesting trick of composition. (I did)

Bonus points if you know what famous Denver landmark provided the green stone background.