james christianson - the blog

Lindsey and Kirk engagement

some of you might know that i used to be a high school teacher and coach.  Lindsey was one of my students and played volleyball for me for four years.  she was one of those kids that had it all.  she was a leader, a good student, pretty and just a great person.  after four years, it was easy to view her as a little sister, so i was automatically a little protective when Lindsey called me to tell me she was getting married.  my first thought was "i'm sure he's not good enough for her."  then, i met Kirk.  not only is he good enough for her he is perfect for her.  it was so much fun to photograph them and see how in love they are and how much Kirk adores Lindsey.  the way Kirk looked at Lindsey when she wasn't looking still makes me smile.  Lindsey and Kirk, i know you have found your happily ever after, you are truly blessed with each other.  this shoot was so fun and so easy that i had a difficult time choosing my favorites, so i got a little carried away.  i hope you have as much fun looking at them as i did shooting them.  you can also see a slideshow by clicking here: Lindsdey & Kirk

this was the very first shot i took of them...we just stepped out of the car and click...we were off.

there is a fun story about this vespa.  i saw it sitting outside this cafe we were walking by and i really wanted to use it.  so i went into the cafe and yelled, "who's vespa is outside?"  it turned out to be one of the employees and he came out and moved it around for us to use. 

i thought this yellow wall was fun and it turned out to be one of my favorite series of photos.

Kirk has some serous hops.

how cute is this couple?!

don't forget to check out their slideshow.  CLICK HERE

Tereza and Jason Engagement

my first photo shoot in California was with Tereza and Jason a great couple whose wedding i will be shooting this september.  let me say that it is clients like these that make me absolutely love my job.  Tereza is warm, kind and is one of those people that makes everyone around her feel special.  Jason is a debonair gentleman with a great english accent.  he is adventurous and a little mysterious and knows how to make people feel welcome...and he absolutely adores Tereza.  we met at one of their favorite spots in hermosa beach, where we played in the alleys and on the beach.  we then headed up to palo verdes to a great beach that Tereza had scouted for me.  i think we made some great images and had a lot of fun in the process.  here a few shots from the day.

heather & michael engagement

right before i left for california for all the festivities, i got together with Heather and Michael for some fun shooting.  after a few warm-up shots in front of the cowboy in LoDo, we just let the wind blow us whereever it wanted to snap shots all over downtown.  heather and michael were an great reminder of what's it's like to photograph a couple when they really let their guard down and just have fun.  i'm sure that some of the silly things i had them doing made them wonder if i was crazy but in the end i was so pleased with the results.  so remember, even if you are nervous or unsure in front of the camera, just let go and the real you will come out.  here's a few of my favorites.

graduation- the most important reason for my travels

i would love to shout this from the roof tops but my blog will have to be good enough.  i did many photoshoots while in california, but the main reason i went was for two graduations.

first, my sister graduated with her DOCTORATE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY!!  she has been working towards this for many years and her final stop was Loma Linda University my alma mater for my master's degree which i no longer use for work, but that is another story...  my sister Shannon, has an incredible drive and determination and has really worked so hard for this and i couldn't be prouder of her.  she graduated on the same day as her 37th birthday, one she will remember as being momentous i'm sure.  here she is in all her glory.

the second gradation was for Charlene's brother Bryce.  he graduated from Pacific Union College with a Bachelors of Business Administration.  he will be living with us here in Colorado for the next couple of months as he does an internship out here.  Congrats Bryce.  We are proud of you.  Here he is.

here's Bryce with his girlfriend Georgie...what a cute couple.

Bryce graduated on Father's Day.  i was able to spend my first father's day with my son Ian, he is such a joy, we love him sooo much.  I love to eat cereal, so Charlene bought me a new cereal bowl and a miniature matching cereal bowl for Ian...can't wait to have breakfast with my son.  : )  Here we are playing together (charlene took these photos...i'm going to have to start putting a camera in her hand more often!)

Zoe

I just got home from a 12 day trip to both southern california and northern california.  ian saw all the grandparents, we went to two graduations and i somehow managed to do nine photo shoots.  needless to say i have a lot to blog about.  it will all be coming soon so keep coming back.

first is Zoe.  I photographed Zoe and her parents a couple days before i left for california.  what a cutie and such a trooper.  she fought through swarms of misquitos, recoverd quickly from a minor mishap and braved a hot and humid day all on a fairly short nap...now that i have a 3 month old i know what an amazing feat this really is.  she was so cute and it was easy to see how much her parents love her.  thanks guys for being so brave shooting in a new spot.

i love bernadette's hat in this photo

priya & josh

last Monday I was able to get to know a cool couple from New York.  they are getting married here in Colorado August 4, 2006.  this couple had the most natural smiles and fun personalities.  i honestly think they laughed during the entire photo shoot, which made the shoot so much fun.  it's great to see a couple that is so in love.  thanks guys for the great shoot.

some photos of the day: