Colorado Springs Daily Photo

Antique train engine

2012-02-02T00:17:00.001-07:00

Back to our regularly scheduled programming! Here's the antique steam engine that lives across the street from Giuseppe's Depot, in Antlers Park. I periodically get requests for senior portraits in front of it. And although I've always complied with said requests, I must admit I've never really taken a good look at it until now. It's pretty cool! To me it looks like something out of Harry Potter.

Theme Day: animals

2012-02-01T01:58:00.004-07:00

It's the first of the month, which means it's theme day for CDP bloggers! This month's theme is animals. I had every intention yesterday of photographing a very specific animal statue for the blog, but got caught up in a photo shoot that took up most of my day. By the time I was finished the light was gone and it was dinnertime! So instead I've cheated a little and pulled out this 2009 image of my sweet cat, Lilo. Isn't she adorable? Usually the night before I have to shoot a wedding, I get all my gear together and take a few test shots. Lilo is always at the ready to lend me her modeling services for these moments. Even though they're supposed to be test shots, I can never delete these cute pictures of Lilo! Of course I'm a little biased, but I do think she's very photogenic! :o)

If you would like to see more animal pictures, check out City Daily Photo blogs all over the world! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

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2012-01-31T00:39:00.000-07:00

As an accompaniment to yesterday's post, a Union Pacific train engine that was idling next to Giuseppe's while I was there photographing the building.

Giuseppe's Depot

2012-01-30T00:18:00.009-07:00

This is Giuseppe's Depot, a popular local restaurant for at least 40 years. It's housed in the old Denver & Rio Grande train depot, which was decommissioned in 1971 (before that Giuseppe's was on Pikes Peak and Cascade). The Denver and Rio Grande passenger line may now be defunct, but the tracks that run by the depot are certainly still in heavy use. In certain dining areas in the restaurant you're right next to the train tracks, so you can watch the trains roll by as you eat.

When I graduated college I got a job at Giuseppe's as a busboy* (or busgirl, I should say), and I lasted about two or three weeks. It was really hard work. In other restaurant jobs I'd served mostly as a hostess. Busing tables is a lot closer to the lowest rung on the ladder, that's for certain -- just above dishwasher! But working at G's was a rite of passage for my generation it seems. Many of my friends were employed there at one time or another in their salad days.

As of last fall, Giuseppe's has transitioned from restaurant to events center, so now they host parties and events (such as weddings), rather than daily dining. I didn't know about this change in format. If I had, I would have taken the time to visit Giuseppe's for lunch one last time.

*[ For those unfamiliar with the term busboy: it's the person who cleans the dirty plates from the tables after the diners have finished eating. It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it. ] ;o)

Here's a look at the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad depot in its heyday (this shot is taken from the back side of the building, so you can see the trains):

The happy pig

2012-01-29T01:08:00.003-07:00

Well she looks happy to me, anyway! This large bronze sow lives on S. Tejon Street, across from the Plaza of the Rockies. I couldn't find the name of the piece or the artist. I like her. She reminds me a little of Wilbur in Charlotte's Web -- she has a certain joie de vivre!

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2012-01-28T00:22:00.002-07:00

The night life in New Orleans is CRAZY, and it's a great place to go if you love live music. I did hit Bourbon Street with some friends on my first night there. Let's just say it was indescribable. Insane! Later in the week I passed this colorfully painted bar on the street while hurrying back from lunch. Next time I'm in New Orleans, I am going to find time to hit more of the music hot spots, especially the jazz ones.

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2012-01-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

The resident cat at the French Market Inn, the nearly 300 year hotel where I stayed in New Orleans, in the heart of the French Quarter.

Sunset over the Mississippi

2012-01-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

My second day in New Orleans, I was treated to this incredible sunset over the Mississippi. Wow!

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2012-01-25T00:18:00.001-07:00

Another wrought iron fence. I love how the fleur de lis motif can be found all over New Orleans.

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2012-01-24T00:26:00.001-07:00

Shadows cast by an ornate wrought iron fence in New Orleans. I love the light there, it reminds me of Paris.

The French Quarter

2012-01-23T00:26:00.002-07:00

My first night in New Orleans, some friends and I went out to eat at Napoleon House in the French Quarter, a couple of blocks from my hotel. After dinner we rushed back to the hotel to change clothes to go out dancing, but I had to stop every few feet to take pictures! Here's what the French Quarter looks like by night. Dark and romantic and a little dangerous. Man I loooooooove New Orleans! What an amazing city!

I'm back!

2012-01-22T00:14:00.002-07:00

I know, I know, I've been pretty lax about blogging since the turn of the new year. I actually didn't have any great pictures to show you, and no time to go out and shoot any. But don't despair, I've just come home from five days in the wonderfully photogenic New Orleans! It was my first trip there and I had a blast. I was actually there for a big photography convention that I attend every January; this year's just happened to be in NOLA and I was very excited about that. I stayed right in the middle of the French Quarter, and although I didn't have a lot of time to wander around and photograph the city the way I would have liked, I did manage to get a few good snapshots that I'll be sharing with you here over the next few days.

Let's start with this one of Denver International Airport, taken while I was waiting for my connecting flight to New Orleans. DIA has a very unique architectural style. You can see that the roof is actually formed in peaks, to mimic the snow-capped mountain ranges of Colorado. It's also an incredibly enormous facility, at 53 square miles (I'm assuming that includes the runways). I can tell you that to get from Point A to Point B at DIA often involves taking a subway. It's huge! You can find all kinds of fun facts about the airport HERE.

I think that DIA is probably the coolest airport I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot of airports. You should travel through and check it out sometime!

Alex

2012-01-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. This hip kid, Alex, was in the waiting room with me. Check out how much style he's got packed into his look: neon green Vans, black shoelaces, grey socklets, black on black plaid pegged jeans, contrasting plaid hoodie, retro tee, neon green fingerless gloves (the better to text with, my dear), mock-hawk knit hat. And it all looks great. Alex, I salute you and your miles of personal style!

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2012-01-13T01:12:00.004-07:00

Yesterday I posted about the old Antlers Garage. Today, I give you... the Antlers parking garage! Across the street from yesterday's picture is the rather ordinary parking garage that sits below the Antlers Hotel. Frankly there's nothing photogenic about it except the graffiti heart. I see that someone has tried to sandblast it away, but I'm kind of glad they didn't quite succeed. A building this nondescript can always use a little love :^)

The Antlers Garage

2012-01-12T00:35:00.006-07:00

This is the facade of the old Antlers Garage, which is on the little dogleg of Pikes Peak Avenue that feeds westward off of Cascade Avenue and leads down to the train depot. I remember loving this building in the 80's because it was pink! (Actually that's one of my least favorite colors, but who can resist a pink building?!?) I always wanted to do a fashion shoot that featured its cool old architecture, but I never got around to it. In the mid-1990's it was torn down with only the facade left intact. The space behind the facade is now a parking lot servicing the library. And alas, as you can see, it is no longer pink :^(

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2012-01-08T00:36:00.001-07:00

On my birthday last month I went to Black Forest (the northeast corner of our city) to make portraits of a 100 year old woman, Charlotte. I like to photograph people's things too. Here is one of the many birdhouses that follow the long driveway up to Charlotte's home. She has been an animal lover all her life.

Matt P.

2012-01-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

While shopping for supplies for a photo shoot yesterday afternoon, I came across this guy at the hardware store. His name is Matt P. and he let me take his picture. I like to grab photos of people that have an interesting sense of style. Now I know there are a lot of guys out there with full sleeve tattoos, black t-shirts and knit hats, but this guy really owned his look and was completely comfortable in his skin. He wasn't a fashion victim -- he just looked cool.

Thanks Matt for letting me take your picture! You're my first post of 2012!

January 2012 Theme Day: 2011 Photo of the Year

2012-01-01T02:17:00.005-07:00

Happy New Year! It's Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers. Every year on January 1st, we blog the best photo of the previous year. I never can narrow it down to just one image, so this year I'll do the same as I always do and blog a handful. I should mention that upon reviewing all my posts of the last year, there wasn't any particular image that I'm enamored with -- I just don't feel like I took any standout photos in 2011 for this blog, and for that I apologize! In 2012 I plan to remedy that situation by taking lots of killer photos for you.

The photo above was originally posted on October 24th. It was taken on the campus of the Colorado College during a photo shoot. I chose it as my photo of the year because it was such a beautiful Indian summer evening, the light was incredible and I was really enjoying myself. It really exemplifies life in Colorado Springs for me. The images below are captioned for your convenience. Enjoy!

All over the world, City Daily Photo bloggers are sharing their photos of the year. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants!

Originally posted on April 22nd; Prospect Lake at twilight with Pikes Peak in the background.

Originally posted on May 16th: willows coming into bud at Rosemont Reservoir.

Originally posted on June 2nd: a splashing fountain at Hillside Gardens, near my house.

Originally posted on July 17th: sunset over downtown.

Originally posted on August 7th: a water-filled pothole in the parking lot at my studio in the Old North End.

Originally posted on August 20th: a vintage RV photographed by Pat at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, during Speed Week 2011.

Originally posted on November 1st: November's theme day photo. The theme was fences.

Originally posted on December 14th: a winter sunset over Pikes Peak, captured from Black Forest on my birthday.

A last look at Christmas

2011-12-28T02:27:00.005-07:00

Last night Pat and I finally took a few minutes to drive around and appreciate some of the great Christmas decorations adorning the homes downtown. This little house on Dale between Cedar and Custer is a perennial favorite. I've blogged about it before, but this video is a little better than the one I posted a couple of years ago (see the end of THIS post for that video). This time we approached the home from the alleyway and drove slowly around to the front. I absolutely love how the Knull family decorates their house every year, and every year I look forward to it eagerly. It must take a lot of work, planning and upkeep, but I'm sure they understand the happiness they bring to anyone who sees their home during the holidays. It's impossible to drive past this scene without smiling!

Boxing Day

2011-12-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

On December 22nd we got quite a bit of snow. In my neighborhood it looked to be eight to twelve inches, in fact. Beautiful! I actually had a portrait shoot that day, and after braving the snowy streets to get home, I really couldn't put my cameras away until I had captured a few images of the pretty whiteness all around. Here's a photo of the stone maiden head in my garden. She wears a tall chapeau, below which you can see the curls of her hair and the beginnings of her eyebrows. Alas, her eyes, nose and mouth are smothered in fluffy white snow. She doesn't seem to mind, though. Next spring I'll plant something nice in her chapeau and take a picture for you.

Christmas Greetings From Colorado Springs Daily Photo!

2011-12-25T03:16:00.000-07:00

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Here's wishing you a beautiful and joyful Christmas day, wherever you may be!

Christmas Eve in Colorado Springs

2011-12-24T15:49:00.005-07:00

Ah, Christmas is nearly upon us! In a few short hours, Santa will alight upon the rooftops of the world, dispensing toys and goodies to nice little girls and boys. And hopefully nice adults as well ;^) My mom, brother and I had our annual Christmas Eve lunch earlier today at Mimi's Cafe on the north end of town. There were plenty of last-minute shoppers out and about, and Mimi's was doing brisk business. We were seated across from this table of Christmas sweater clad couples.* I thought they were so adorkable, I had to take a picture. How's this for guerilla photography?!? I very slyly set my camera on the table, crossed my fingers and pressed the shutter. They didn't notice me at all. Whew!

*Please note that faces have been blurred to protect the fashion-challenged ;^)

A rather strange diversion

2011-12-21T01:09:00.003-07:00

Pat and I were at the Citadel Mall last night doing some last minute Christmas shopping when I noticed this large kiosk. At first I thought it was a photo booth, but as we approached it I saw that it was actually a "hurricane simulator". Yes, a hurricane simulator. Although it's probably not wise to make light of real hurricanes (see THIS very recent news story for grim proof of what a hurricane can really do), I do think it would be a riot to actually try this thing out. I'd love to get a picture of someone in there getting the hurricane "experience"! Ha ha!

Domino

2011-12-19T04:40:00.006-07:00

Only a few more shopping days to go! Yesterday I stopped in at Domino, an extremely groovy shop in Old Colorado City that specializes in all things Midcentury Modern. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that Pat and I are fanatical about Modernism. So is my brother Chuck, Pat's brother Gene, and my best friend Jenn. So who was I shopping for yesterday? Well since all of the aforementioned loved ones read my blog too, I can't tell you! But I can tell you that I bought something really, really cool for them!

Thank you for shopping at locally owned businesses this holiday season!

A thing of the past

2011-12-17T02:39:00.006-07:00

When is the last time you used one of these? I can safely say it's been years, probably a decade or more, since I've used a pay phone.

Lucy and Louise

2011-12-15T02:25:00.006-07:00

Only nine shopping days until Christmas! I'd like to recommend this fabulous boutique, Lucy and Louise. I went in there the other day with my mom, and I just about died. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING in it! Beautiful, unique and stylish clothes, jewelry, accessories and goodies for the home. The best I can describe it is that it's like Anthropologie, only ten times better. And it's not a chain -- it's a locally owned business, which is my point. Take a look at this fabulous coat, for example. There is no way you're going to find something like this at Target or Macy's. Totally unique and dead chic.

Please buy at least one gift this year from a local business! You can find Lucy and Louise in the Shops at Briargate, or visit their website at http://lucyandlouise.com/.

Birthday sunset

2011-12-14T00:26:00.005-07:00

Just like last year, I got a beautiful sunset for my birthday yesterday. I had a wonderful, memorable day, including the fulfillment of a long-held desire to photograph a certain elderly friend of a friend in Black Forest. (When I say elderly, I mean she's 100 years old!) On the way home from the portrait session I was rewarded with this spectacular view, so I pulled the car over for a few quick snaps. Beautiful!

Birthday bears

2011-12-13T03:39:00.003-07:00

Today is my birthday! Yesterday my mom took me to lunch at PF Chang's to celebrate, and afterward we did a little shopping at The Shops at Briargate. This adorable, life-sized bear was stationed in front of Williams-Sonoma. I just love that he has his own little teddy bear to cuddle.

Seascape Aquatics

2011-12-10T00:46:00.012-07:00

I mentioned in THIS post a couple of weeks ago that I would be blogging about local businesses this holiday season, in an effort to make everyone more aware that there are far, far more options than big box stores for your Christmas shopping. If you happen to have an aquarist on your shopping list, get thee to Seascape Aquatics right now and pick up a gift certificate! I love this place. They have everything for the aquarium hobbyist, both freshwater and saltwater. Not only does Seascape Aquatics have a large selection of fish, they have coral, live rock, and tons of plants, plus every kind of fish food you can imagine. It goes without saying that they also stock tanks, filtration systems, hoods, pumps, decor, substrate, and all the other doodads and gewgaws that make an aquarist go ahhhhh! Oh and the staff is extremely knowledgeable, of course. I go there frequently and they are always so nice and helpful! Here's a little video I shot for you yesterday while I was there buying water for my tank.

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2011-12-09T00:39:00.002-07:00

Along with a handful of other professional photographers, I have a small selection of photographs hanging in the atrium of the posh Antlers-Hilton hotel dowtown. I haven't been there in ages to check on my artwork, so the other night Pat and I dropped in to make sure everything was still there and in good repair. As we were leaving, I looked up and saw the the traditional double Christmas tree decorations that adorn the entire front face of the building. I had to snap a picture for the blog. Happy holidays, everyone!

I will never get it

2011-12-08T01:12:00.004-07:00

This beast of a truck has been parked near my studio almost every day lately. It's absolutely enormous. I think it belongs to one of the guys that work in the establishment next door. Sigh. I will never understand why anyone would want a vehicle like this. It's just so.... obnoxious. Truly, it boggles the mind. But I won't bore you by repeating myself -- you can read my feelings about ridiculously macho-fied trucks in THIS post from July of 2009.

Go Spartans!

2011-12-07T00:26:00.001-07:00

One last image from the Festival of Lights parade. When the Doherty High School marching band went past, I had to take pictures -- it's my alma mater after all! Doherty has a great band that routinely wins huge competitions. I thought they all looked very fetching in their natty uniforms strung with Christmas lights. Oh and they sounded great too!

Olympians on parade

2011-12-06T00:39:00.001-07:00

As you know, the US Olympic Committee is located in Colorado Springs, as is the Olympic Training Center. Thus many of our Olympic teams are centered here as well. I thought Team USA had the best float in the Festival of Lights parade on Saturday night. You can tell they're well-funded ;o) The float was followed by dozens and dozens of athletes smiling and waving. It was very cool to see our Olympians marching down Tejon Street!

A very punny name

2011-12-05T02:33:00.002-07:00

I got a laugh out of this participant in Saturday's Festival of Lights parade downtown. It's the blood drive vehicle. Notice it's called the Blood Vessel. Ha!

The Festival of Lights Parade

2011-12-04T00:35:00.004-07:00

Every year there's a big holiday parade that runs the length of Tejon Street downtown, usually on the first Saturday in December. It's called the Festival of Lights. Years ago I worked at a camera store called Shewmaker's located at 30 North Tejon, so of course every year we'd watch and photograph the parade as it went past -- and when we got too cold, we'd run back in the store and enjoy a nice cup of cocoa (or maybe a beer, depending on the boss' mood). I quit working there a long time ago, and in the intervening years I've taken in the parade once, maybe twice. Every year I make a resolution to go, then somehow I manage to talk myself out of it. Not this year, though. My friend Angie convinced me to go the the Festival of Lights with her, and along with thousands of other Colorado Springsians I stood on Tejon Street and shivered, cheered and waved as the parade passed by. Yes, it was cold! It was 21 degrees (-6 Celsius) and windy. But it was also very fun. I smiled the whole time! I took a few pictures for you. Here's a funny snowman sauntering down the street to the delight of the crowd. He seems to be enjoying himself immensely!

Arrested motion

2011-12-03T04:45:00.005-07:00

This shot was my #2 choice for Theme Day (see previous post). This is my friend Jennifer mid-swing at the bowling alley on Thursday night. I think it's an interesting picture. Take a look at the other bowlers behind her, and that bright orange ball which was just at the right point of its arc to be frozen by my flash just so. Very cool!

December Theme Day: Action Shot!

2011-12-01T11:59:00.004-07:00

The first of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers. Admittedly it's 12:15am on December 2nd as I type this, but I was so excited to participate in Theme Day that I am going to cheat a little and backdate this post to 11:59pm so it'll be dated the first of the month. Shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone! ;o) This month's theme is action shot. I'm on a bowling league, so naturally I decided that bowling would be a great candidate for an action photo. I'm a lousy bowler but it's fun to try anyway, week after week. It's a good thing my teammates are all excellent bowlers. They make up for my lack of natural ability!

This is an animated GIF so it may take a few seconds to load -- it's a combination of six photos sandwiched together. It was actually my teammate Jennifer's idea, so let's give credit where credit is due. Thanks Jenn, you're brilliant!

If you'd like to see other action photos from City Daily Photo bloggers around the world, click here to view thumbnails for all participants!

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2011-11-30T00:16:00.001-07:00

One of our gorgeous downtown Victorians. This one's a beauty! Don't you just love the mint green, cream and black color scheme?

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2011-11-29T03:11:00.003-07:00

A self portrait taken in a circular window on Tejon and Willamette a couple of days ago.

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2011-11-28T01:40:00.002-07:00

The bell tower of First Congregational Church, seen through the last vestiges of autumn color.

Let the madness begin

2011-11-26T23:47:00.008-07:00

Well, we survived Black Friday. Actually I stayed home that day, since the thought of battling it out with thousands of other shoppers does not appeal to me in the least! I do have friends who go crazy for Black Friday and spend weeks planning their assault. Yikes!

The problem with a national shopping day, I think, is that it never occurs to people to go anywhere but the big box stores. Did you know that yesterday was Small Business Saturday? I own a small business, and I strongly believe in spending your money locally. Pat and I decided this year to buy as many gifts as we can from local businesses rather than huge corporations. So on my blog for the next few weeks, periodically I'll be sharing local shopping ideas with you. Think outside the big box store! I'll start with one of my favorite antique stores, Repeat Performance (829 N. Union Blvd., 719-633-1325). I have been shopping there since about 1983 or '84. Seriously, my addiction to vintage clothes, jewelry and accessories was born at Repeat Performance, way back in college. They don't just have the best vintage clothes in town, they have tons of amazing vintage kitchenware, furniture and tchotchkes. It'll make your head spin. The above photo only shows about a zillionth of what is actually packed into that small pink building. I love it. No matter what you end up buying there, it'll be 100% unique!

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2011-11-23T04:18:00.002-07:00

The last vestiges of autumn cling to a tree near my studio. All they need is a stiff breeze to help them fulfill their destiny.

The leaves are leaving

2011-11-22T03:55:00.002-07:00

Soon it will be winter. I notice there are more leaves on the ground than on the trees now.

There's a sheep in your truck

2011-11-21T03:28:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend Stephani downtown, and as we were walking from my car to the restaurant we passed this truck with a life-sized, carved statue of a bighorn sheep in its bed. Well actually I blipped right past it (how did I manage to miss it?!?) until Steph brought it to my attention. It was so odd, it made me laugh! I had to get a picture for the blog. Definitely a weird thing to see on the street!

Jose Muldoon's

2011-11-19T23:59:00.003-07:00

There are a couple of Mexican restaurants downtown, most notably El Taco Rey and Jose Muldoon's. El Taco Rey is more of a lunch destination (and it's awesome -- huge helpings of traditional Mexican), and ever-popular Jose's is where to go for dinner and margaritas. Yum. I've been going there since college and I still love the place. They've recently opened a second location on the east side of town. I'm sure it's great, but I prefer the original location on Tejon Street.

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2011-11-19T00:18:00.001-07:00

The cupola and weather vane of a Victorian home on Pikes Peak Avenue.

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2011-11-16T00:26:00.001-07:00

The restaurant next door to La Baguette on Pikes Peak has been remodeled with a New Orleans theme. This is the new gate, which effectively blocks off traffic to the alleyway between the restaurant and the Independence Building. I think it's a good fit for the existing architecture.

The watcher

2011-11-15T02:06:00.002-07:00

A mannequin at the Colorado Co-op surveys Tejon Street from her vantage point in the shop window. I went in there with my friend Linda yesterday and immediately found about ten things I can't live without. I managed to restrain myself to one item, but I can definitely tell you what I want for my birthday now! (Pat are you reading this?) ;^)

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2011-11-14T00:11:00.001-07:00

Lately a strange old truck has been parked behind my studio. I wonder who it belongs to. It reminds me of the old bookmobile vans when we were kids. Here's a picture of one of the headlights.

High winds in Colorado Springs

2011-11-13T00:24:00.001-07:00

Colorado can be a very windy place! Yesterday we had extreme gusts, up to 81 miles per hour (heck, 86 MPH at the Air Force Academy!), and it felt like my house was going to blow away. I looked outside and saw that our neighbors' carport actually had blown away! Well, sort of. More like it got picked up and thrown back down in place. Bummer! I'm just glad it didn't connect with those wires. It looks like there's going to be some cleanup to do all around the city.

Windy Mountain

2011-11-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

Another Art on the Streets piece, this one entitled Windy Mountain, by Boulder artist Joshua Wiener. It sits near the entrance to the Pikes Peak Center on Cascade Avenue. For those more interested in our Art on the Streets program, visit www.artonthestreets.com/, and for a walking tour map click HERE.

The Pikes Peak Center

2011-11-10T00:29:00.004-07:00

The south face of the Pikes Peak Center, photographed from the plaza that separates it from Centennial Hall. Late afternoon winter light really brings out the texture and contours of the structure.

The friendly horsewoman

2011-11-09T00:26:00.003-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I was in Red Rock Canyon doing some family portraits, and it was such a nice day that we saw several people on horseback taking advantage of the beautiful weather, including this friendly lady and her spirited steed. Perfect day for a ride!

The landlocked seagull

2011-11-07T00:15:00.001-07:00

I'm always bemused to find seagulls anywhere but the coast. This particular bird was photographed in Casper, Wyoming, over the Platte River. Sure it's a body of water, but the association with the ocean is too strong in my head -- I can't help but think, "How did that crazy bird get here?" It's a real head scratcher for me whenever I find a seagull so many thousands of miles from the coast.

Unexpected fall color

2011-11-06T01:57:00.002-06:00

Yesterday the maple tree in front of my studio caught my eye because the leaves had turned an unusual color. It seems to me that in past years it's been like any other tree and just went a nice golden color, but this green and magenta combination is much more fetching, don't you think? It's almost like rhubarb!

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2011-11-05T00:56:00.005-06:00

An overlooked picture from my Wyoming trip last month. I was in Casper to shoot a wedding. In sorting out the final edit, I came across this photo that I took specifically for the blog and had forgotten about. Love all the bright colors! So cheerful!

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2011-11-04T00:21:00.002-06:00

The Art Nouveau swirls that border the roof overhang of the City Auditorium. Such a nice touch, and I imagine it wasn't easy to craft this. The building was erected in 1922-23. I'm so glad it has survived with all its details intact. The City Aud is much beloved by us downtowners!

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2011-11-03T00:28:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday as I was voting (see yesterday's post), I noticed this moving sculpture in front of the Pikes Peak Center. It was such a sunny, happy moment that I had to capture it on video for you.

Another day, another election

2011-11-02T02:19:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was another election: School District 11 director (vote for up to four), Proposition 103 (yes or no), and Issue 2B (yes or no). I like that we have these ballot drop-offs now. It makes it even easier to vote -- just drive up to the curb and the nice election volunteer comes up and takes it from you. Easy peasy!

November Theme Day: Fences

2011-11-01T00:32:00.002-06:00

It's theme day for CDP bloggers! All over the world, City Daily Photo bloggers are posting their interpretations of this month's theme, fences. Here's my contribution, shot on October 30th on the corner of Espanola and Cascade in the Old North End. These beautiful old homes have such graceful wrought iron fences, and this one looked particularly beautiful in the afternoon light.

To see more fences from all over the world, click here to view thumbnails for all participants!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:15:00.001-06:00

Here's a photo I took in Evergreen Cemetery on Saturday. I know it looks like it's 100 years old, but I swear I took it two days ago!

Hope you get lots of candy and other delicious goodies. Trick or treat!

An angel named Debbie

2011-10-30T00:28:00.003-06:00

Halloween is nearly upon us! In honor of all things macabre, I made a visit to Evergreen Cemetery for a little photo expedition. I quite enjoyed it. In fact, it's the most quiet, peaceful afternoon I've spent in a very long time. I tried unsuccessfully to locate my grandfather's grave, but I did find a number of interesting, poignant things to document. And a few things that made me feel unspeakably sad. For instance, this melancholy angel has the name Debbie inscribed at her feet. Lovely and sad.

While I was wandering among the graves, I couldn't help but notice a high number of stones with death dates in 1918 and 1919. I realized that these individuals must have been victims of the Spanish Influenza epidemic that swept the country during those years. If you'd like to read about how Colorado Springs, Denver and other Colorado towns were affected by the Spanish Flu, read this interesting article in the Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/perspective/ci_12268042

A man in a skirt

2011-10-29T00:15:00.002-06:00

After watching THIS great documentary the other night, and having been an avid follower of THIS blog for some time now, I've become inspired to photograph any interesting-looking and/or well-dressed, stylish people I come across. Less than 24 hours after I resolved to do this, I found this fellow, Jeff, at McCabe's Tavern, where you can usually find me on Wednesday night for pub quiz. I saw him pass through the bar a couple of times and I couldn't help but notice that he was wearing a skirt! He wore it with absolute confidence and aplomb. As I was leaving, I asked him if I could make a photograph of him. He was standing outside by the door, so I took his picture where he stood. It was cold out there! And yet he was perfectly comfortable in his kilt, hiking boots and fisherman's sweater. Thanks for being the first of my "interesting people" subjects, Jeff!

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2011-10-28T00:31:00.001-06:00

The border next to the sidewalk in my front yard is filled with river rock. I thought it looked pretty the other day with a layer of snow filling the crevices between the stones.

First snow of the season

2011-10-27T00:28:00.003-06:00

We had snow on October 8th, but it wasn't much to get excited about (less than an inch, and that was a good thing because I had a wedding that day). Yesterday, however, we got about four or five inches in my neighborhood. It was pretty. I ventured out of the house for a few minutes to grab a couple of pictures. Here's one of the gardens in my front yard. It looks totally different in the snow.

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2011-10-26T00:58:00.007-06:00

A parking garage downtown, off Cascade Avenue. I think this photo has a perfect balance of light, dark, pattern and texture.

Corpus Christi Catholic Church

2011-10-25T01:48:00.005-06:00

Here's Corpus Christi Church on North Cascade Avenue, captured last week. I've done many a wedding here! It was built in the 1950s, and if you're a regular reader of this blog you know what a fan I am of midcentury modern architecture. But for some reason I usually don't like a midecentury modern church. It probably has something to do with all those art history classes I took in college. When it comes to churches, I prefer something like THIS or THIS. Still, Corpus Christi is very impressive in its own right, don't you think?

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2011-10-24T01:20:00.005-06:00

During a photo shoot at the Colorado College the other day (see yesterday's post), I grabbed this quick shot of the afternoon's last golden moments. What a beautiful day. Indian summer is my favorite time of year.

Fountain VFD fire truck

2011-10-23T00:24:00.000-06:00

My regular makeup artist, Pamela, was invited to a Halloween party, and she thought it would be fun to have me do a few portraits of her in costume. So yesterday afternoon found us at the Colorado College, in front of very gothic Shove Chapel, with Pamela dressed as Wednesday from the Addams Family. This beautiful antique fire truck was parked in front of the church. What a gorgeously restored vehicle! You can see the proud driver standing at the rear of the truck, giving me the stink eye. (Hey, I did ask for permission to grab a shot!) In my defense, I actually took the picture for Pat, since he was once a firefighter on the Fountain VFD. I thought he'd appreciate it :o)

A few minutes after I took this, Pamela and I moved off to another area to continue our photo shoot, and it's a good thing we did because a bride and groom soon emerged from the church and posed for a series of portraits with the truck. What would they have thought if they'd run into Wednesday Addams? Ha ha!

We built this city on... tuberculosis?

2011-10-22T00:23:00.005-06:00

Look at this cute little building! What can it be? Is it a gazebo or tea house? Perhaps it's a tiny play cottage? I hate to break it to ya, but this is a tuberculosis hut. That's right, tuberculosis! What on earth...? Colorado Springs is known for many things, but I'm sure disease isn't the first word that comes to mind for most people! This is a part of Colorado Springs history that I'll bet you didn't know about: many early residents, especially the wealthy, moved here because of the sunny, dry climate, in hopes of being cured of the dreaded consumption. At one time, these little huts were commonplace outbuildings in our downtown area and in the many sanatoriums in the Pikes Peak region. There are still a few to be found here and there. And if you take a close look at the beautiful Victorian mansions that line our downtown boulevards, you may notice that quite a few of them have sunrooms on their second floors, especially on the south and west sides of the home. That's a sure sign that a tuberculosis sufferer once lived there.

This particular TB hut was put in place in the Margery Reed Memorial Park, right in front of Penrose Hospital, in July (BTW the giant smokestack belongs to the hospital, not the hut!). It's only a couple of blocks west of my studio. Take a minute to look at this rare film I found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yft_uoglRzM . It shows the Woodmen Sanatorium in 1933, and you can see the many huts they had for all their patients, all exactly like this one (there's also really cool footage of Colorado Springs way back when!). And did you know that the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, my alma mater, started its life as a sanatorium too? The building we know as Main Hall was a fancy TB clinic for the well heeled long before it housed classrooms. I remember attending classes there, knowing full well the history, and wondering if it was haunted by long-dead tuberculosis patients!

The trees they are a changin'

2011-10-21T00:20:00.002-06:00

My sweetie Pat took this awesome picture yesterday afternoon from the overlook at Palmer Park. Isn't it gorgeous?

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2011-10-19T00:29:00.000-06:00

This nice moment brought to you by Mother Nature :o) I snapped this photo as I was doing a senior portrait shoot in Green Mountain Falls about three weeks ago. So pretty. This is my favorite time of year. Are you getting nice fall colors where you live?

Occupy Wall Street protest continues in Acacia Park

2011-10-18T00:37:00.000-06:00

I took this photo on Saturday, October 15th. One of the blogs I follow, The Big Picture, featured photojournalistic coverage of protests worldwide yesterday. Click this link to view it -- there are some stunning, emotive photographs here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/10/occupy_wall_street_global_prot.html It's pretty amazing how much traction this movement has gained in a such a short time. Hopefully it will bring about positive change, and soon.

The Cherry Cricket

2011-10-17T00:10:00.003-06:00

On Saturday night, my brother Chuck and I went to Denver to see Howard Jones in concert (it was great!). Before the show we stopped for dinner at the Cherry Cricket, a Denver institution. They make the best burgers in the world, seriously. And there's a dartboard to help you decide what toppings to have on your burger. Fun! They also have a great selection of beers to go with your burger.

If you happen to be a fan of the TV program Man v. Food, you might have seen the episode featuring the Cricket in 2009. In the photo below you can see where Adam Richman, host of the show, autographed the ceiling.

The Modbo, Part II

2011-10-16T01:43:00.004-06:00

Another image from the art opening at the Modbo on Friday night (see yesterday's post for details). This musician is named Rence (a.k.a. Dear Rabbit), and I would best describe his music as gypsy nihilsm ;o) I loved it! He had such great energy. Below, by suggestion of Randy at Santa Fe Daily Photo (thanks Randy!), a snap of the artwork I bought, a small acrylic called Happy New Year by local artist Phil Lear.

And here's a video snippet of Rence doing his thing.

The Modbo

2011-10-15T00:56:00.005-06:00

Last night my brother Chuck and I went to an opening at a local art space called the Modbo. (And I bought a painting, yay! I love collecting local art.) One of the bands playing the opening was the Bottesini Project -- improvisational jazz. And it was great. I haven't had the pleasure of hearing live jazz in such a long time, and these guys blew my mind! I grabbed a few snaps of them while they played, and for you jazz lovers out there I snatched a few seconds of video (below; warning, not for the faint of heart!). Enjoy!

Self portrait

2011-10-14T00:29:00.003-06:00

Well hello there! I couldn't resist an opportunity to photograph myself in this doorway in Casper, Wyoming.

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2011-10-13T00:21:00.003-06:00

I found this cool building in Casper, Wyoming while I was there to shoot a wedding. Upon closer inspection I realized that the entire "exoskeleton" of the structure is poured concrete. Wow! It must have been quite an engineering challenge to design and build. Very 1960's!

P.S. I'd like to give a shout out to my trusty assistant Allison, who walked through the frame on cue, oh so casually, to complete the shot ;o)

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2011-10-12T00:20:00.001-06:00

A shot I took in Casper, Wyoming while I was there last week to shoot a wedding.

Casper, Wyoming

2011-10-11T00:39:00.001-06:00

A couple of weekends ago I traveled to Casper, Wyoming to shoot a wedding. While there I had a chance to hang out with my friends Russell and Sara, longtime Casper residents. They insisted that we dine at the World Famous Wonder Bar, as I understand it the oldest bar in town. I liked it! The food was great, they had my favorite beer (Fat Tire), and the joint was jumpin'. I highly recommend it!

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-10T00:19:00.001-06:00

I haven't blogged in over two weeks! Sorry faithful readers, but my wedding and portrait workload got so heavy that I basically had to temporarily give up All That Is Fun in order to get caught up, including my beloved Colorado Springs Daily Photo. I'm still not caught up, but the good news is that I can pay people to help me get there ;o) So I'm back! I may not be able to blog every single day until I'm in the clear, but I'll do my best.

On to today's photo. I shot this a couple of days ago, actually. You may have heard of the Occupy Wall Street protests that are going on all over the country. Generally when there are protests and street demonstrations going on in Colorado Springs, it's happening in Acacia Park, and this is no exception. Pat and I were downtown on Thursday and spotted these guys on Bijou and Tejon. I thought it'd make a good picture for the blog. I admire their tenacity and strong belief in their principles, so much so that when we saw them still out there late Friday night while we were out on an errand run, we bought them some hot coffee -- it's cold out there!

The protestors are still there. In fact, they were just featured on the local news. Good for them!

Nothin' but net

2011-09-24T00:42:00.002-06:00

Or not. I took this photo of a decrepit basketball net a couple of days ago, behind a building on 8th Street.

The Peterson Air and Space Museum

2011-09-22T00:32:00.003-06:00

Did you know that there's a museum on Peterson Air Force Base? It's called the Peterson Air and Space Museum, or the Edward J. Peterson Museum. There are a number of really cool aircraft in the airpark, from bombers to fighter jets to cargo planes. There's even a missile launcher! I had completely forgotten about it until recently, when some clients requested to do their engagement portraits at the airpark (he's an Air Force pilot so it made perfect sense). We went there late one Saturday afternoon and I snapped a few pictures of the beautiful deco building for you. I didn't get any pictures of the individual aircraft, or at least not any that didn't include my clients. I'll have to go back when I'm not working and get a few more pictures one of these days. Maybe in the winter when I'm not so busy!

IKEA -- yay!

2011-09-21T01:41:00.002-06:00

On Monday my mom and I spent the afternoon at IKEA in south Denver. We waited a long, long time to get an IKEA in these parts, and when it opened in July it was a big deal! This was my second trip to the new IKEA. Honestly, I could go there every week!

Summer wanes

2011-09-18T00:16:00.001-06:00

As summer slowly fades into autumn, I find myself doing more portraits of all kinds in lovely outdoor locations. During a portrait session in one of my favorite parks a couple of weekends ago, Mr. Squirrel paid us a little visit, hoping for a snack. Since he posed so nicely for me I rewarded him with a cracker :o)

A room with a view

2011-09-17T00:29:00.002-06:00

A view of Manitou Springs, that is. Yesterday I spent most of my day at the Cliff House, a very large, beautiful Victorian hotel, doing a series of boudoir shoots. I had reserved a posh room at the top of the hotel for my boudoir marathon -- the Clark Gable Suite, to be exact. I'm told Mr. Gable actually slept there! How cool is that? While I was waiting for my last client to have her hair and makeup finished (cute/funny aside: my 23 year-old makeup artist did not know who Clark Gable was and had barely heard of Gone With the Wind), I peeked out the window and saw this nice view opposite me, which I captured with a telephoto lens. You can see how hilly Manitou is, and how quaint. It's a nice place to live.

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2011-09-15T01:50:00.001-06:00

A row of coffee mugs at the East Coast Deli on Tejon Street.

Shall we dance?

2011-09-12T00:57:00.001-06:00

This rotating sculpture of a life size, waltzing pioneer couple sits on the corner of Tejon and Colorado downtown. I've been trying to research what it's called and who created it, but so far have been unsuccessful. I like this sculpture. The first few times I saw it, I didn't notice that it was revolving. When I finally did take note that the couple was slowly twirling around and around, it reminded me of a jewel box.

The Cheyenne Mountain Country Club

2011-09-11T02:59:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I shot a wedding at the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club. Did you know that it's the oldest country club in the U.S. west of the Mississippi? It's a beautiful place! Here's a close up shot of the ornate front doorknobs.

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2011-09-09T00:39:00.001-06:00

Another image of PPCC, captured on Wednesday, September 7th.

Pikes Peak Community College

2011-09-08T00:28:00.004-06:00

Pat took an online class from Pikes Peak Community College recently, and yesterday we had to pay a visit to the campus. I've never been inside there, although a few of my friends have taken classes at PPCC over the years. Every time I enter an institution of higher learning I have a strong urge to matriculate. Somehow I resisted the urge to enroll at PPCC yesterday, but I snapped a few pictures for ya ;o)

What the heck is this?

2011-09-07T00:13:00.003-06:00

I spotted this creepy crawly in the park the other day as I was finishing up with some family portraits. I had a big telephoto lens on so I had to stand pretty far away to capture this shot -- amazingly it's somewhat sharp, considering the lens situation and the fact that this critter was moving at a pretty good clip! Anyone want to venture a guess as to what it is? I have no idea!

Dale Chihuly at the Fine Arts Center

2011-09-06T00:34:00.002-06:00

I took this photo last fall while covering a wedding at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (and I of course promptly forgot to blog it until now). This enormous blown glass chandelier is by famed artist Dale Chihuly. Imagine putting this together -- look at all the parts! It must take days! The FAC has two or three large Chihulys in its permanent collection, and they never cease to amaze me. Beautiful.

What's going on?

2011-09-05T00:40:00.004-06:00

While shooting some engagement portraits at the Garden of the Gods on Saturday, my clients and I noticed some kind of gathering happening on the formation above us. I had to take a picture, even though I still can't figure out what the heck was going on up there! I once shot a wedding in that spot, I'm serious. It was definitely a "wear your sturdiest shoes" kind of job.

Run, rabbit, run!

2011-09-04T00:39:00.002-06:00

So sorry to have been away from the blog for the last week or so. Weddings and portraits are taking my full attention at the moment. I was doing some engagement portraits in the Garden of the Gods yesterday afternoon, and as my clients and I were walking back to the car we saw this cottontail rabbit jumping through the brush. Very cute! I just managed to snap off a few frames of him before he disappeared.

Kickin' it old skool

2011-08-28T02:55:00.003-06:00

Captured in Denver on June 4th... gotta love this guy kickin' it old school style in his 1970's Cadillac. Smoove!

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge

2011-08-27T00:17:00.002-06:00

Another photo by my friend Walt Palmer, who was among the throngs of cycling fans watching the Prologue of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado Springs on Monday. This image was captured on the corner of Colorado Avenue and Walnut Street. The Challenge has six stages after the Prologue; today they should be on Stage 5, which starts in Steamboat Springs and ends in Breckenridge. What a route! I'm so glad the Colorado Springs is part of such an epic new tradition. Hopefully next year I'll be able to attend the Prologue and take a few pictures myself. Thanks Walt for guesting on the blog!

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Prologue

2011-08-26T01:51:00.003-06:00

On Monday the USA Pro Cycling Challenge kicked off in Colorado Springs with the Prologue. It was a very exciting event for our rabid local cycling community! Hordes of fans turned out and lined the route to watch some of the world's biggest names in cycling whiz past at astonishing speeds. Since I shot two (TWO!!!) weddings over the weekend, I spent most of Monday on the couch, recuperating. Thankfully my good friend Walt Palmer was out and about with his camera that day, taking tons of great pictures of the action. He graciously loaned me two for the blog. Here's the first one, taken under the I-25 bridge on Colorado Avenue.

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2011-08-25T00:13:00.000-06:00

Some late summer flowers captured at the Briarhurst Manor while I was there for a wedding rehearsal last Friday.

Wendover Will

2011-08-24T00:26:00.001-06:00

One last image from Pat's adventures at Speed Week at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats last week. The flats are situated near the town of Wendover, which straddles the Utah/Nevada state line. This image was taken on the Nevada side -- this is Wendover Will, a famous landmark since 1952. He's 64 feet high and uses over 1,100 feet of neon tubing! You can read more about Wendover Will HERE.