Hello! 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.
Molly and Robby dogsledding
Breckenridge, Colorado
February 25, 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!
My niece Kenna, and my nephews Timmy and Robby
Breckenridge, Colorado
February 24, 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.
Kenna and me
Breckenridge, Colorado
February 24, 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!
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.
Mike and me
Breckenridge, Colorado
February 1, 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.
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.
My mom and me at the Olympic Training Center
Colorado Springs
January 22, 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
Here 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.
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.
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!
Carol singing in the village green
Easton, Somerset, England
December, 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.
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.
We live in an adorable Victorian town just west of Colorado Springs. Manitou Springs sits at the base of Pikes Peak and is filled with cute cafes and art galleries. Every year I look forward to Christmas shopping at the local artist co-ops. This time I brought a camera… why didn’t I think to do that sooner?
All these photos were taken with my Canon 5DMkII and a Canon 35mm 1.4L that I rented for the holidays.
Ally hates getting ice stuck between her toes when we go walking, so Mike and I decided to experiment with doggie snow boots. There’s no way she’ll agree to wear them in public, but at least we got our money’s worth in laughs tonight.
A very happy Ally, frolicking in the snow
December 8, 2009
We’ve accumulated about nine inches of snow over the last three days. The temperature hasn’t gone above 15 or so during that time, so we have no ice and only fluffy powder. When the sun came out this afternoon, I bundled up and took our eager dog into the canyon.
Mike and me with Ally
Garden of the Gods
Photos by Holly Pacione
Over the weekend, my friend Holly Pacione photographed Mike and me with our dog! Holly is a fantastic photographer here in the Springs, and we we are so grateful. Thanks, Holly!
Ally and me
Red Rock Canyon Open Space
Colorado Springs
November 15, 2009
It snowed here all weekend, so when the sun came out this afternoon, Mike and I hurried to Red Rock Canyon with the dog. The frosty blue sky and snow-capped evergreens were as beautiful as we’d hoped. Ally was even happier than usual, because it was her first snowy walk of the season. She makes me smile.
