Tourists, we've got 'em!

We've got lots of 'em! For instance, this cute lady patiently posing for her husband in front of the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. I don't mind tourists at all. After all, especially in the last couple of years with all the traveling we've been doing, I've certainly been a tourist myself many times!

A familiar sight

I was at the Air Force Academy yesterday morning, to do some engagement portraits at and around the Cadet Chapel. I got there before my clients, so I took a picture for you. One of the doors is open because some tourists wandered in (and back out) and left it ajar. That actually bothered me, so I walked up all those stairs to close the door, but my clients showed up at that moment and there was no time for me to take another picture with the door closed. So today you get a picture of the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel with its door open. Cheers!

It's wedding season!

I shot a military wedding at the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel on Saturday. Coolest looking church in town, hands down! Here's a shot of the chapel that I captured at a full trot as my assistant and I were rushing from the parking lot. Pro tip from someone who's been there many times: if you're ever invited to be a guest at a Cadet Chapel wedding, get there half an hour early. It's a LONG hike from your car to the chapel, and once you get there, be prepared to walk up a million steps to get to the front door. And bring water -- this giant metal sculpture of a building has no air conditioning!

April Theme Day: Triangles!

It's the first of the month, and that means it's Theme Day for participating City Daily Photo bloggers! This month's theme is triangles. As I explained yesterday, Pat and I went driving around looking for good triangular subjects and ended up at the Pioneers Museum, where there is a large pyramid-shaped sculpture on the Nevada Avenue side of the building. But it's still winter here, and that means the planters in front of the sculpture are filled with dirt and dead vegetation -- not exactly photogenic. I took a few pictures of it but wasn't happy with what I got. Then I had a bright idea: the US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, of course! Talk about a giant triangle!

You may be wondering why there is a bride and groom in this picture. It's because I'm a wedding photographer, and I cover weddings at the Cadet Chapel all the time. For today's post I didn't have to go the Air Force Academy and take a picture; I simply picked out a favorite shot from one of the many weddings I've done there. (This one was from Morgan and Mark's event in 2011, and if you're curious to see more of their wedding pictures just click HERE.)

To see more theme day photos from City Daily Photo bloggers all over the world, click HERE!

April 3, 2013 edit: I had a comment on this post a couple of days ago from fellow blogger Revrunner, who mentioned that he had a photo of the Cadet Chapel while it was still under construction. Today he posted that picture on his blog! To see it, click HERE. It's a view of the south side of the building, and it would have been taken around 1961 or '62. Thanks so much for posting it, Revrunner! So cool!

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While at a wedding rehearsal at the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel on Friday, I snapped this picture of the enormous, elegant cross on the east wall behind the altar. No matter how many weddings I shoot there, the stained glass never fails to take my breath away.

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One of the many sculptures dotting the plaza next to the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. This one honors WWI overseas flyers.

All dressed up and somewhere to go

It's that time of year again: wedding season! I've got weddings stacked up for the summer, starting with one this weekend. Yesterday afternoon I was at the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel for a wedding rehearsal, and as I was leaving I saw dozens of cadets and their dates, dressed to the nines and posing for pictures in front of the impressive architecture. They must have been on their way to the traditional Ring Dance. I paused to snap a picture of this handsome group, (who were in turn posing for what looked like a couple of proud, camera-wielding moms), and they jokingly gave me a hard time for my paparazzi reflexes. Of course they didn't know that they'd soon become famous for being featured on my blog ;^)

The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel ceiling

Looking at yesterday's picture, you can see why a person may forget to look up when they're visiting the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, but oh you should definitely take in the ceiling! I was there a couple of weekends ago shooting a wedding, and I remembered to look up so I could capture this image for you :o) Isn't it amazing? I stood where I reckoned was dead center and shot straight up using a 19mm lens. The Cadet Chapel has 17 spires, all of them adorned with sapphire blue stained glass. It's simply glorious -- like standing inside a jewel. And yes, it's an amazing place to get married!

The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel interior

I captured this image of the interior of the USAFA Cadet Chapel a couple of weekends ago as I was shooting a wedding. It looks empty here, both because the wedding hadn't started yet and because the space is designed to accomodate 1,200 people, if you can believe that! I've shot many weddings here and never seen it even 25% full. It's really an amazing space, beautiful and bright, with floor to ceiling stained glass, and rich with all the great hallmarks of midcentury design. It's always a treat to cover weddings at the Cadet Chapel!

The US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel

I was at the Air Force Academy (USAFA for short) shooting a wedding a couple of weekends ago at the famous Cadet Chapel, and captured a few images that I thought would be nice for the blog. Here's the exterior of the chapel, designed by Walter Netsch and completed in 1962. You can see why it's a big tourist attraction. It's one of the most interesting structures I've ever seen, and it's truly an icon of modernist/midcentury design. Tomorrow I'll show you the interior.

[And if you'd like to see pictures from the wedding, click HERE!]