Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is a cathedral serving Roman Catholics in Denver, Colorado. It is located at the corner of Logan St. and Colfax Avenue in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood in central Denver , and has a capacity of 800. This is one of the iconic wedding venues in Denver. This is the place were we photographers wish we could travel back in time a few generations and have unlimited access to the grounds. Like the bell towers, and patios, and etc. Unfortunately, the Basilica has grown too busy and serves many people for me to wander the corridors with unlimited time.In fact, the main challenge here is just time, the cathedral holds many masses and weddings throughout the day so a bride and groom have limitations. Also consider that a full mass with communion often takes about an hour.This being said an organized and experienced photographer can create awe inspiring images here. Arrive early and ready for photographs for three reasons, one, take advantage of the outside of the cathedral, the stairs, and towers, and the gardens on the east side. Secondly, the preparation rooms are small, and lastly, get as many photos done beforehand as possible due to the time constraints.Make sure the photographer has an assistant here, because leaving photographic equipment lying around might not be the best idea, in fact, this is the only venue where I have been specifically warned by the wedding coordinator about a potential theft problem. The assistant helps organize equipment while the bride and groom and photographer working together.Another idea for a bride who wants a more urban look to her photographs to consider is taking a short walk around the streets of Denver with the photographer; alleyways, cafes, skylines, columns, and unique backdrops are just a few steps away.For more information on my wedding photography including galleries and coverages go to http://www.ep-photo.com/

Cherry Hills Community Church

Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch is a beautiful venue. The wedding chapel is specifically designed to hold wedding ceremonies, it is equipped with good lighting, good sound, great rooms for preparation, a balcony, raised altar, and modern Gothic design. Photographers can create fantastic photographs here with ease. Along the entire south side of the chapel is an arched corridor with colorful stained glass windows, this is repeated outside and makes unlimited photographic possibilities. The front entrance has huge 10 ft high iron doors, and potted flowers; and the views looking to the west are some of the best in the whole Denver metro area.

I can think of just a couple of suggestions you might want to consider if you are planning on having your wedding here. One, make sure the photographer arrives plenty early-during your preparation, because inside the brides room the stained glass windows make the best dress shots. And second, if possible, have the staff turn down the lights a little for the ceremony-because i have found that the lighting is so good that we can't "burn in" the chapel as well as i like during the ceremony. The brink wall behind the altar is dark, with a huge stained glass cross, the problem is the brick will be all black if the light are turned up too high because the altar is lit up so well. If the staff turns down the light just a little, then photographers can capture detail in the dark brick and rafters of the chapel as well as the bright white of your dress.

Overall, the Wedding Chapel at Cherry Hills Community Church is fast becoming one of my favorite venues in all of Colorado.

For more information go to http://www.cherryhillschurch.net/

or to view information on my coverages and packages go to

http://www.ep-photo.com/

December 31st, 2007

The Mormon Temple, Littleton Colorado

If there is any one place in all of Colorado where I think a good professional wedding photographer can separate himself from a average wedding photographer it is here. Wedding photography at the Mormon Temple in Littleton Colorado seems straight forward enough- just take the photos outside in front of the temple right? This is just simply wrong. And every Saturday I see photographers doing this, without thinking, and just plain messing up the wedding photographs horribly-and the worse part is that they don't even know what they are doing wrong.

I will begin by a simple rant on courtesy. Wedding ceremonies happen for the good part of the day at the LDS Temple, it is a busy, busy place. It is our job as wedding photographers not only to capture and create fantastic images, but to create stress free situations that consider families and couples. The Temple faces dues east and has no shade trees in front of it for shade, so this means that it is hot. The temple is brilliant white, and has cement all over the front, the entryway, the stairs, the parking lot,- cement reflects heat! photography 101; always have your subjects with their backs to the sun, so they don't squint, and sweat. Every time I shoot at the LDS Temple in Littleton notice photographers posing people in the heat of the sun, on cement, staring into the sun, during the heat of the day!

Not only is this rude, but now we have created a technical difficulty. In the studio this is referred to "white on white." With controlled lighting an exercise like this works, but outside with sweating hot irritated people, in white dresses, against black tuxes, on white stairs, in front of a white building, film or digital cameras just can't capture that many stops of light, detail is going to be lost.

Every couple who gets married at the Mormon Temple wants to have their photos taken in front of the Temple, and understandably so, but there are some very common problems I see when other photographers do this. The Temple has a very high steeple, it is a big building, and every single photographer I have ever seen shoot poses the couple on the stairs here, and then uses a wide angle lens to capture the building in the background. now this is fine for a few photos, but for a nice wedding photograph it is very wrong. first of all, a wide angle lens distorts the image, so whatever is in middle of the frame appears larger and the sides get scrunched down. So, a woman, in white;shooting from below her; making her look bigger- need I say more! The other technical problem is a misunderstanding of the properties of lenses. A wide angle lens pushes the relative distance of the perspective in the frame apart, where as a telephoto lens brings the relative perspective of the distance in the frame together. So in essence the best way to take a photo of the Bride and Groom in front of the Temple, the way to make the Temple look closer to the couple, is to have them stand down by the end of the parkway next to the parking lot, and use the longest lens available and stand in the driveway. use a radio slave or have an assistant hold a shim up to block the sun from their eyes.

Besides being rude, making everybody hot and uncomfortable, making the bride look bigger, and creating a lighting situation which losses photographic quality, the other problem I have with taking all the photos right up front of the Mormon Temple is that it is a super busy place. There are always cars and groups of people, and other brides standing around so if you want other people and bright red Jeep Cherokees in your wedding photographs then go right ahead. I prefer to take the whole group of people around to the north side of the building, it is shaded with beautiful trees all day long. You have perfect lighting, comfortable people, and eliminate all the other difficulties mentioned above. Besides, the formal photographs are supposed to be focused on relationships, not backgrounds anyway. Then, once all the formals are taken, take the bride and groom around the Temple to get the photos with the steeple and Temple in the background.

For more information about professional wedding photography by Epiphany Photography please visit us at http://www.ep-photo.com/

December 31st, 2007

The Reserve of Cherry Creek, Denver Colorado

Wedding photography at The Reserve at Cherry Creek is simple and elegant.

The building itself is an old private city club. The interior of the club has some grand backdrops, the staircase leading up to the second floor is an obvious place to start. On the ground floor I like to have the guys gather around the pool table in the billiards room-put the camera right on the rail of the table and have the groom "break; " if you pose the other guys in the background casually and light them with a separate flash on a radio slave, you'll create a fantastic photo.

I like to take the couple around to the back patio, and try to capture some of the architecture of the building. The only thing to really watch for here, is that the vast majority of the photos here will be inside because the exterior of the reserve isn't grand, and there isn't many places to take any photos except right in front of the building.

Another plus to this venue is the second floor patio. This is great and not as common as photographers would like it to be. I usually have the every guest stand outside with the bride and groom in front; and when I am standing up on the patio I can frame the whole group at once.

For more wedding ceremony or wedding reception information at The Reserve of Cherry Creek click here.

To learn more about professional wedding photography by Epiphany Photography go to http://www.ep-photo.com/

December 29th, 2007

The Vineyard Chapel, Littleton Colorado

The Vineyard Chapel is just off of C-470 and Bowles Ave, in Littleton. It is a romantic little chapel that is easily accessible from anywhere in the whole Denver Metro Area.

The lighting inside the chapel is pretty good. There is much available light so shooting inside here is fairly easy to do. Every time I shoot here I take photos inside and outside just to create a little variety. For all the intimacy this little chapel offers the downside is that it is plain. So a creative photographer needs a little time to produce outstanding images here. The windows are the first place to start, make an unforgettable available light bridal portrait with the bride looking outside and the veil covering her face. When you take the wedding pictures outside make sure to focus on relationships and close ups. The downside to outdoor pictures here is that there is no shade, and power lines are visible. So, again, a little time for the photographer to find the right angle and right pose is often required.

For more information on professional wedding photography by Epiphany Photography go to http://www.ep-photo.com/

and to learn more about the Vineyard Chapel click here.

December 29th ,2007

Fox Hollow Golf Course, Lakewood Colorado

The Den at Fox Hollow is consistently one of my favorite outdoor venues to shoot weddings at. This is because Fox Hollow offers a wide variety of backdrops, and locations, every wedding had a different feel here-which is an accomplishment by the staff. The Den isn't huge so the indoor facilities aren't the best, but, the patio is great, and also they have a separate covered veranda and patio for bigger wedding receptions.

The stone bridge just outside the Den is a obvious place to start taking photos; but a must do here is to get a golf cart and drive the bride and the groom around the course-you'll have limitless places to create beautiful and natural wedding photos. They have ponds, and charming fences, and, not to mention, quite a lush spot considering it is still in the Denver Metro Area. If you are a bride who is just a little willing to try some fun poses have a couple must takes.

the first pose can be done anywhere on the east side of the course. This side has fields of tall wheat like grasses, and when the sun is setting or low in the sky the grass makes a remarkable romantic setting. The other pose, is next to the east pond, there is a huge cottonwood tree with a fairly low branch. A very fun bridal portrait is taken with a bride barefoot sitting on the branch. Don't forget to take some open shade bridal portraits on the porches either; the rock pillars are quite charming.

One thing to keep in mind here, is Fox Hollow advertises there outstanding mountain views-well they do have some views of the foothills, but I personally wouldn't consider the view mountainous-but beautiful nonetheless.

For more professional wedding photography including prices and coverages go to epiphany photography at http://www.ep-photo.com/

December 24th, 2007

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison Colorado.

Located just a few minutes west of Denver, Red Rocks, has just recently, added a reception venue. Red Rocks is famous for its outdoor concerts, and now, I think will also be known for its wedding receptions as well.

Red Rocks has had a small chapel for decades, and countless couples have been married with the sandstone rock formations framing the essential Colorado scene. But now that a couple can have a ceremony and a reception all at Red Rocks is simply outstanding!

There are a few things to keep in mind while planning your wedding or wedding reception here. shade is limited here, so the best light is closer to sunset as possible, make sure you plan your pictures around this as opposed to shooting at noontime. The common misconception is that we can see the city lights of Denver at night. We can, but keep in mind it is a tiny view, due to the hogback, and it seems even smaller thru a lens. The reason you never see this shot, is because it is usually a disappointment- the view of the lights is just too small.