BLOGHello! I'm a Colorado Springs wedding photographer and portrait photographer. I travel all over the country to document the important moments in people's lives. My blog showcases some of my favorite photos of my clients and adventures. I update this blog several times a week, so please visit frequently to see my latest images. Costa Rica vacation, part 4: Mangrove tourAugust 9, 2010
Here’s the final set of our photos from Costa Rica. On our last day of the trip, we took a boat tour through a mangrove forest near the town of Damas. The tour gave us a close-up view of snakes, birds, and lots of monkeys. One of the monkeys even jumped on our boat!
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Costa Rica vacation, part 3: Manuel Antonio National ParkAugust 7, 2010
Last Sunday Mike and I spent the day at Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. The park is famous for its gorgeous beaches and abundant wildlife. Of course I loved the monkeys! We saw capuchins and squirrel monkeys, as well as iguanas, raccoons, and lots of other animals.
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Costa Rica vacation, part 2: Rainmaker parkAugust 6, 2010
Last weekend Mike and I spent an afternoon hiking through Rainmaker Park, a series of trails and rope bridges through the rain forest. It was one of my favorite days of the trip, and certainly a great one for beautiful photo opportunities.
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Costa Rica vacation, part 1: The Blue Banyan Inn
Mike and I just got home from a week on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. July 30th was our fifth anniversary, so we decided to take a vacation/babymoon to celebrate. We wanted to go someplace warm and tropical, and completely different from our normal daily routine. Mike wanted a beach, and I wanted monkeys. So Costa Rica it was! We stayed at a miniature resort called the Blue Banyan Inn, near the town of Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. The Blue Banyan is a bed-and-breakfast owned by an American-Canadian couple named Jim and Barbara. The Inn has just four cottages, a pool, and a restaurant where they served a delicious breakfast each morning. It’s quite a bit out of town, nestled in the rolling hills of the rainforest. The only sounds were those of the birds, insects, and frogs. The peaceful tranquility was divine, especially during a rare break from my busiest time of year. One of the greatest aspects of the Blue Banyan Inn is that is also the site of an animal sanctuary operated by a non-profit organization called Kids Saving the Rainforest. Barbara and Jim and the volunteers take care of 22 marmoset monkeys at the sanctuary, including these four orphaned babies. Every morning they would bring the four babies to the hotel, and let me keep an eye on them as they prepared breakfast. These baby monkeys were absolutely adorable, and one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. I’ll be posting our Costa Rica photos in four sets, starting with these photos of our hotel and the monkey sanctuary. Stay tuned for more!
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Our big announcementJune 29, 2010Mike and I have some wonderful news!
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Camping trip in Moab, UtahApril 29, 2010
I spent the last four days on a camping trip in Moab with Mike and our friend Betty. As I mentioned in my last post, Betty’s beloved dog, Idgi, is suffering from lymphoma and doesn’t have much longer to live. Last weekend the three of us decided to take Idgi on an adventure this week, which could be her last. Sunday morning we packed up Mike’s Jeep with three people, two dogs, and camping gear, and headed west. Eight hours later, we were in a vast desert wilderness with towering red rock cliffs. We set up camp next to the Colorado river, and spent our days hiking, 4-wheeling, and sightseeing. The dogs loved it, of course, and we loved making them happy. My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to spend in Moab. We’ll definitely be back.
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Our trip to Lake TahoeApril 23, 2010
Mike and I traveled to Lake Tahoe last weekend for Amanda and Stephen’s wedding, and decided to turn the trip into a mini-vacation. We flew out a couple days early, and splurged on a lovely room at a lakeside resort. We drove all the way around the lake, and enjoyed several stops along the way. My favorite part of the Tahoe area was that it offered the best of all seasons. In one day, we saw people skiing, snowboarding, sledding, sailing, scuba diving, and lounging on the beach making sand castles. It must be a wonderful place to live.
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My family at the Scottsville Museum in VirginiaApril 15, 2010
We got to see our niece and nephews last week! My mother is the president of a local history museum in Scottsville, Virginia, and my whole family came to support her for the opening of their latest exhibit.
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Our family vacation, part 3: DogsleddingMarch 1, 2010
Here’s the final set of our family vacation photos! This last set includes pictures from our dogsledding adventure with Good Times Adventures in Breckenridge. We had such a great time together last week. I wish we could do it all over again. These photos are by Molly, me, and my mom. Thanks for all the wonderful pictures, Mom and Molly! And thanks to all of you for coming out to visit us. It meant so much to Mike and me to have you here. Come back soon!
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Our family vacation, part 2: Skiing in BreckenridgeFebruary 28, 2010
Here is the second set of our photos from last week’s family vacation! After a day in the Colorado Springs area, my family spent four days in Breckenridge. The nine of us rented a huge condo right across the street from a ski lift. We spent our days playing in the snow, and the evenings playing Wii with the kids. The highlight of the week was teaching the kids to ski. I guess technically we didn’t really “teach” them — we just stood them up at the top of a green slope, and let go. It was beyond adorable to see them on skis, especially my two-year-old nephew, Timmy. Here are several photos of the adorable mini-skiers! All pictures are by me, my mom, and my sister-in-law, Molly.
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Family vacationFebruary 25, 2010
This is the week that I’ve been waiting for all winter! My entire family came out to Colorado to visit us! My parents, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew are all here with me and Mike, which is the first time we’ve all been in Colorado together. We are spending several days in Breckenridge and teaching the kids to ski. It’s every bit as fantastic as I’d hoped it would be. Here’s a photo of me with my six-year-old niece, Kenna, on a ski lift this morning. Stay tuned for many more photos!
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Photo tip: Taking pictures of the snowFebruary 6, 2010
Here’s a pretty snow picture from my archive, in support of my friends and family on the east coast who have been buried alive this weekend. After you dig yourselves out and curl up under four blankets to read blogs by candlelight, think of me here in 50-degree, sunny Colorado. Yes, I’m taunting a little. Yes, you can come visit. Now is a great opportunity for a photo tip. When taking photographs of snow, keep in mind that your camera is designed to expose photographs with an average tone of middle gray. If a scene is dark, it will brighten the photo to middle gray. If a scene is bright (like snow), it will darken the photo to middle gray. So if you are taking snow photographs this weekend, you might notice that your camera is creating dark photographs. That’s normal and part of the camera’s job. Your job as the photographer is to tell the camera that the photo is supposed to be mostly white, not middle gray. To do that, you’ll need to set the camera to overexpose by a stop or two. You can probably find that in your camera settings as +1 or +2.
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It’s ski season!February 5, 2010
I love living in a state that is full of fun things to do in every season of the year. Last weekend we went to Breckenridge and stayed for a couple days. Friends of ours from Colorado Springs were there, too, so it was great to have dinner with a big group of friends at the brew pub Sunday night, and then ski all day Monday. After five years of living in Colorado, I’m getting pretty good at this skiing thing. I love to rush down hills that used to scare me when we first moved here. I’m still a slow and cautious skier compared to most people, but I like to think of myself as a badass daredevil. At least my fitness is pretty good, because I didn’t get tired nearly as quickly as I used to. Now I can’t wait to go back next week! On a random note, I discovered Monday that if you type “breck” into an iPhone, it auto-corrects it to “Breckinridge.” That would be really cool, if it wasn’t spelled wrong. Technology is funny.
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Janie and AllyFebruary 4, 2010
My lovely Janie is turning eleven this spring, but she’s still a playful, cuddly, and happy kitty. She loves to sit on the back of the couch behind me, and rest her paws on my shoulder. If you’ve ever met Janie, you know that she’s a cat of, uh, substantial girth. The poor kitty is a little big-boned. Just like most people, Janie’s most flattering angle is from above.
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I love my January down time.January 25, 2010
I’ve been neglecting my blog lately, but it’s been for a good reason: I’m in the middle of my slow month of the year, and loving it. Every year I work hard through November and December to prepare holiday orders, and my schedule picks up again after Valentine’s Day. That leaves me with January to catch up with friends, family, exercise, hobbies, and sleep. I love the seasonal nature of my job. Last week my mother came to Colorado Springs to visit. We had a relaxing week together, spending most of our time chatting over coffee, watching girly TV shows, and going out to eat. On Friday, Mike and I took her to the Olympic Training Center for a tour. I can’t believe we’d never been there before! It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the world of Olympic athletes. I had no idea that some of them live there for a decade or more! The week before, Mike and I went to Nashville for the annual convention of the Digital Wedding Forum. We explored the city, spent time with friends, and took zero photographs. It must sound ironic not to bring a camera to a photography convention, but occasionally I need to spend time socializing at parties instead of working at them, and exploring a new place without seeing it through a camera lens. It invigorates me and helps me to see the world differently. Give me a couple more weeks, and I’ll be missing weddings desperately. For now, I’m loving my down time. It’s been several weeks since I picked up any camera other than my point-and-shoot or my iPhone. Here are some snapshots from our trip to the Olympic Center, and one from Breckenridge. I don’t normally post personal snapshots here on my blog, so if you’re interested in seeing them, feel free to add me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charlotte.geary
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A decade in the life of CharlotteJanuary 1, 2010Here we are on the first day of a new decade, wondering where the last one went. It doesn’t seem as though ten years have gone by since we greeted a new millennium with fanfare, paranoia, and Robbie Williams songs. The decade ended much more quietly than it began, which parallels the peaceful contentment I’ve discovered during the same time period. I started the millennium as an enthusiastic twenty-five-year-old who was confused about careers and relationships. Ten years later, I’m happily settled with the love of my life, in a house of our own, with my own successful business. Allow me the indulgence of celebrating the last ten years of my life.
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Edinburgh, Part 2: NighttimeDecember 27, 2009
The second half of my Edinburgh photos are my night shots. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I love twilight skies, so I was excited to walk around the city at night with my Canon 5DMkII and a 35mm f1.4 lens. The combination of a high ISO camera and a huge aperture enabled me to take these photos without a tripod, even in really dark locations. Mike was so kind to walk around in the cold with me while I had some fun.
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Edinburgh, Part 1: DaytimeDecember 26, 2009
Earlier this week, Mike and I spent a day in Edinburgh. Mike went to grad school there at the University of Edinburgh, and he wanted to show me around the city that he loved. It’s a labyrinth of narrow paths and hilly streets with spectacular medieval architecture. We spent our time walking around, enjoying the views, and sampling the pubs. Here’s a random collection of photos from Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. I usually blog chronologically, but these pictures are in no particular order. Check back tomorrow for photos of Edinburgh in the nighttime!
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Merry Christmas from jolly old EnglandDecember 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from Mike’s family’s village in England! We’re having a great Christmas here with his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. This afternoon we’re enjoying our new toys, eating chocolate, and relaxing in the sunny, mild weather. I hope your Christmas is great, too. I’m so grateful for you, my friends! Your friendship, support, and cheery comments brighten my life. I wish health and happiness for you and your loved ones today and always. Tomorrow I’ll post photos from Edinburgh! A few more photos of Christmas carols with the people of Easton
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Easton, Somerset: Mike’s family’s villageDecember 18, 2009
Mike and I are in England right now, visiting his parents for Christmas. Today we had beautifully sunny weather, so I spent the afternoon walking around Easton, the village where Mike grew up. It’s a small town of only a couple hundred people, near the city of Wells in southwest England. I walked around today and took pictures of all the cool-looking old stuff in the village. Of course the people here are just as contemporary as everyone else, but I’m American and therefore I love English old stuff. After six years of visiting England together, Mike is learning to accept that about me.
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