“You need to claim the events of your life to make yourself yours”. Anne-Wilson Schaef
It may seem ironic that I title this series of blogs a “sabbatical”, and am still blogging. However, this will be a different kind of blogging than what I normally do. I will not be taking any shoots or blogging any past weddings or portrait shoots for the next six weeks (unless I shoot something here that I want to blog). I am truly taking six weeks away from my life as I know it, to find my heart and fall in love with photography again. It’s not that I don’t love what I do–or somehow think that wedding and portrait photography isn’t art—it is indeed and I am quite confidant that I am an artist in this “industry”. But I shot close to 40 weddings this season and probably doubled that number in portraits. I’m pretty tired. Please know this— I do love what I do and feel very blessed to be able to make a living as an artist. I love all my clients and I love blogging their sweet stories everyday. However it’s only natural that any extended period or piece of work draws heavily on our artistic wells. Julia Cameron says this, “Overtapping the well, like overfishing the pond, leaves us with diminished resources. We fish in vain for why, ‘just when it was going so well!’ The truth is that work can dry up because it is going so well.” And that pretty much sums it up for me at the moment. I’m out here for six weeks to stock the pond!
I’m staying in what the Parisians call a “Rabbit Cage” in Montparnasse. My flat is no more than 300 square feet–no TV, no bathtub, no back yard or washer and dryer—just the bare basics, and (aside from no bathtub) I’m totally excited with this. It’s currently 1:30 am in Paris and I’m spilling my heart out…. I forgot to eat today, so I found a can of peas in the cupboard at my flat, and and am chasing them down with cheap red wine and cigarettes (it’s Paris)! I’m feeling pretty bat shit crazy, but will say that I am already starting to taste rejuvenation and rest (despite the not eating, smoking and drinking thing).
I plan on blogging pretty intimate snip bits during this little adventure, as well as posting some of my daily images—Please feel free to follow along on this journey with me, and know that after 6 weeks in Paris, I will surely come home ready to conquer the world—As a refreshed and fiercely creative Julie Harris.
These next few images are me warming up—they are images of or around my flat, and an exploration of Monparnasse and the cliche’s that I have held about Paris—-Yes. Cafe life is the life here and I love it! With no itinerary or daily agenda, I find that sitting at a Cafe is a daily ritual for me—two or three times a day, even!
I went over to my dear friend juli’s house the other day so that she could help me figure out some major computer issues that I was having (she is a genius). I ended up staying for pizza and to watch the debate. All I can say is that I am so grateful for my girlfriends…. I know that I could be going through anything in my life and have a solid support around me. Juli is one of those very special people in my life—and she has a gorgeous family. I took these images of her two daughters Luci and Merci while we were out on her front porch in five points waiting for pizza. I just wanted to share these….
I love you jules!
Sara and Gregg’s wedding in Keystone was traditionally and symbolically, a continuation of the wedding that took place back in January…. This was the second time that I had the honor of photographing Sara and Gregg’s wedding. The first ceremony took place at Sara’s parents home in City Park back on January 12th—it was truly the most intimate wedding that I have ever had the opportunity to photograph—I think there were all of twelve people there. Needless to say, I was very excited to get to reunite with these two families once again this fall, and participate in the continuation of this union—this time with all of their friends and family. I want to make note that Sara and Gregg have the greatest families—rarely do I get to work with two families who embrace each other like the Stracks and Seligs do—their support system is truly a treasure.
Thank you Sara and Gregg, for once again allowing me to play a part in this incredibly beautiful time in your lives…. you have truly taken a place in my heart and I wish you all the happiness and health that this life has to offer.
Let me first start out by staying that I don’t just make up nice things to say about my clients to make these posts sound more romantic or interesting. I think long and hard about what makes each wedding/union special and stand out from others so that each wedding post is as unique as the couple that I work with. That being said, I know that I often say in my posts, that “this couple is so in love”, or that “they belong together”, etc, etc. These things are true—and let’s hope so, because these are weddings that I am blogging, afterall.
However, there is something so amazing about the love between Julie and Ryan. I felt so completely hopeful and amazed by them that I actually left feeling like I wanted to fall in love all over again with my husband. This love that exists between Julie and Ryan is true and once in a lifetime and totally magic— seriously what girls dream of all their lives—- TRUE LOVE! The way they kissed each other and looked at each other and cried over how wowed they were with each other…. it was simply a fairytale wedding, and is a fairytale love.
To top it off, these are two of the most beautiful and kind people I have ever met. Julie is a sweetheart. Just a complete doll, and Ryan adores her. There are really no words to describe how much I loved being a part of this day. I actually think it may have changed my perspective of love forever. Truly.
…wow—hope these images can live up to this rave!
Julie and Ryan decided to see each other before the wedding to share a private moment. I love this when my couples let me share this moment with them, and allow me really key into the moment when the groom first sees his bride—Ryan’s reaction was, well, stunned.
Julie is actually clutching her heart here…. what emotion!
I love the emotion that spills out in these next two images…. Julie and Ryan could not hold back their tears.
….and joy!
I did not set up this shot—this was taken right after the wedding party recessional. Everybody was cheering and celebrating—-for good reason! Look at these two!
Carissa and Rich had a beautiful wedding the the Elk Ridge Ranch, just 20 minutes outside of Breckenridge. It’s hands down one of my favorite venues– not only because the views during the ceremony are simply breathtaking, but also because you feel like you’re on top of the world and away from everything else—-it’s quite intimate.
After the ceremony I drove Carissa and Rich down to a small lake for 10 minutes alone—I love this moment between the bride and the groom—it is the sweet spot for making images with true authenticity. Carissa and Rich just melted together and payed no attention to me…. which is exactly what I want when I’m shooting a wedding….
Sometimes an image can speak 1000 words…… I’ll let these do that, but if there is one thing I can say about Amy and John, it is that these two are the most adventurous, cool cats! They made me want to take a year off and travel the world with the man that I love—-and simply to live life to its fullest. As cliche as this sounds, Amy and John have found love and life in each other, and this I admire.
I must confess that this engagement shoot was my very favorite of the summer—not only because I got to shoot at one of my favorites locations, Chautauqua Park but mostly because Jamie is one of my very close friends whom I only get the pleasure of seeing every year or two. Jamie and John live in Boston while I’m super excited to fly out to shoot her wedding next Labor day, it was such a treat to have the two of them on my turf and on Jamie’s old stomping grounds (to bad Jose Muldoon’s is closed)….
And really— are they not the cutest things ever???
I love you guys!!
Oh, Rainy Day! It was beautiful none the less. While I was devastated to arrive to Keystone to find snow on the ground, I couldn’t have been more pleased with how beautifully and smooth Julia and Matt’s wedding went—and I think they were as equally pleased to say the least! Not only did Emily Campbell of Bella Design and Planningdo a fabulous job coordinating the day, but I don’t think Julia and Matt noticed the weather for a second. I don’t even think they blinked about it…. they were walking down the aisle for one reason—to get married, and while they were so happy to be with their close friends and family, their romantic union was clearly the beauty and magic of the day. I loved this authenticity, and I have to say that it speaks wonders for their future….
Paulina and Issac are so much fun! I can’t believe I get to work with people like this for a living! It reminds me of the song by Mark Knopfler “Money for Nothing”… We started out at the Meadow Lark Lounge where we listened to live music and had beers, (Pauline and Issak danced) and then we crossed the street to my friend Josh’s studio (which is for rent by the way, if you’re interested), and spent some time shooting up on the rooftop overlooking Denver and 5 points. I left Paulina and Issac grateful for my wonderful clientele and my life…. really.
As some of you may know, my husband, Jesse, is the founder of an awesome photographers’ directory called photographik. They just launched their first ever Wedding Photography GiveAway! The winner of the contest will win $1500 towards their wedding photogaphy package from the photographer of their choice (the photographer must be a member of photographik, of course!).
The theme of the contest is creative, fun, and/or romantic engagement stories. Only engaged couples who are getting married after December 15th, 2008 qualify for the contest. As Jesse’s wife, I, unfortunately, am not eligible to win. However, I’ve come up with my own little workaround. To any of my couples who are getting married in 2009, I will give you $750 off your wedding package if your entry finishes in the top 5.
For more information, click on the banner above or head out to this page.
And for all of my former brides and other clients, tell all your friends about this great contest! I can’t wait to read some of the stories. Blog it if you have a blog, etc. I think this is going to be a lot of fun!
Ciao,
Julie
It was such a treat to get to work with the Bozarth’s again. I shot Nicole’s sister, Danielle’s wedding exactly a year earlier…. I think it’s quite adorable, actually that they share the same anniversary! It will certainly be easy for Diane and Howard to remember when to send out those cards!
Nicole and Jeff are two of the most genuine people. What you see is what you get from them—which is always kindness and warmth. Jeff seems fiercely loyal to his friends and family, and his love for Nicole radiates…. I love the last three images from this post—I think they speak more than any words that I put down here….
Check out this runway, yo! Diane, Nicole’s mother completely coordinated this wedding herself. I thought I had seen all the “bells and whistles” of a well coordinated and decorated event, but this runner takes the cake for the best one yet!
I feel like I’ve photographed and blogged so many families, that I’m starting to run out of things to say without sounding insincere. But the Hehn’s were a family who made this shoot easy for me. Not only were they happy and fun loving, but they were very natural and authentic in front of the camera. They truly just enjoyed being and playing with one another as if they weren’t even aware of me being there. They are the picture perfect little family….
So I’m pretty sure that I have been officially banned from “Stonebrook Manor”. The managers were so offended at the way that I covered this wedding, that they actually came up to me and asked me if this were the last time that I would be shooting there.
Let me backtrack a bit…. Ashley and Dub are not the type of couple to take their photos posed formally on a landscaped bridge in the middle of Stonebrook Manor. That is not to say that there aren’t some beautiful aspects to Stonebrook, but when I get hired to capture the emotions, moods and personalities of a couple, I get full creative rights. Ashley and Dub preferred that we do their group formals across the street at at warehouse. If you look at the two of them, it was actually far more fitting. They are totally rock and roll, super laid back, and just damn cool! I think that Stonebrook just couldn’t grasp that we chose to do photos in front of dumpsters, instead of their gardens. They were probably mostly worried that these images would get out and that they would poorly represent the manor. However, I signed a contract with Ashely and Dub, not Stonebrook. It was one of my better “wedding party sessions”, and I loved that we did the tired “resevoir dogs” shot with the ladies, instead of the guys. There are only so many women who can really pull this shot off. Ashley and her girls rocked it!
One of the things that Ashely and Dub incorporated into their ceremony, was the drinking of life…. Each time they said a vow, the best man or the maid of honor would pour water into their glasses. When they were done withe their vows, they drank from “the cup”. Very cool, I thought. I also loved that Ashley put it down like a beer!
This was one of those weddings where I walked away feeling refreshed and ready to get through the rest of my season. It’s easy to get swept up into the work of it all, but for some reason with Shelby and James, I acted as though I was a guest and documented the wedding from that point of view. It was hands down the most emotional wedding of the season. Shelby cried all day—I’m such a sucker for emotions that are so strong, that they can only be manifested in tears—especially when the emotion is true love. Sappy, I know, but these emotions show that there truly is a gravity to the events of a wedding ceremomy.
I loved this wedding—loved the tears, the laughter, the decor, but I especially loved being a witness to such a great love story. Did I mention that Shelby is American and James is from Australia? There really is a great love story behind these images, that I just can’t even begin to get into… Too many events on my plate to edit and blog!
…Yep. That’s me. Shelby took this photo of Rachael and I right before the reception…. This is a very rare thing for me to do, (ask to have my photo taken) but I really just wanted to feel a part of things, so I asked her to take a shot of us with this Australian brew… I can be so needy sometimes!
I couldn’t stop smiling while I was going through Jen and Matt’s photos today…. I guess smiles are contagious. I don’t know if I’ve seen a happier bride—but not because she had the perfect lipstick or the flowers turned out beautifully, but because at just the mention of Matt’s name, Jen would grab her stomach and smile from ear to ear. I didn’t get the chance to know Jen and Matt as they booked me from out of state, but what even a complete stranger could see about these two, is that their love is solid and mature. And to top it off, they are two super cool individuals. Very grounded. Very empathetic. And very much full of life. Congratulations you guys!
How rad is Jen, for walking down in these?
Sometimes, as an artist I find myself in love with an image, but have no idea why. This is one of those images that I couldn’t stop looking at. I’m intrigued by it somehow—-It’s very pj and simple.
Jen, her brother and her dad all had to wait out in an aspen field while guests were being seated…. not a bad place for Jen to wait, and be with the other two men in her life. I thought it was precious.
Right as Jen and Matt’s little ring bearer was about to walk their dog down the aisle, “nature called”. All the guests got to see the “hold up”. Giggles were still sneaking out five minutes later from the guests. It was too funny.
This is my favorite image from the wedding, simply because there is such a great story behind it… Jen’s mother passed away a few years ago, which needless to say heightened the emotional and spiritual elements to the day… but right after the ceremony, Jen and Matt went up to the aspen grove for a few minutes alone. While they were walking though the woods, they found a random pink heart lying on the ground. What gives me chills and what makes this simple find so mystical, is that Sally, Jen’s mother used to collect heart shaped stones….
I really just want to know what is in the blue cooler….
I already knew Mike from doing some corporate photography for his company Stratavia but was super excited when he asked me to do his engagement photos…. What Mike didn’t realize, is that there would be much more involvement here with this shoot, than with the typical office photojournalism…. hee hee! It was a good time though, and so great to meet Farrah, his stunning fiancee. We started the shoot at the St Julian where we had a couple of cocktails (actually, beer for the ladies and Mike had a cocktail) and then went over to the Boulder creek to take in the beauty and heart of my old home town…. Check out the colors! Wow!
I only wish that I was as cool as Nicole is back when I was in high school. Her originality and eye for the arts transcends mosts 18 year olds… and did I mention that she is the biggest sweetheart ever? Stellar girl! We met up a month or so before her shoot to look at a bunch of vintage fashion magazines and books of portraits and Nicole decided that she wanted to do her senior photos kind of vintage and Audrey Hepburn. She really didn’t want to do “tree” photos! It was really refreshing and fun to work with this idea in mind…. we spent the afternoon in Potter highlands—my hood!
….No, he is not my husband. I was actually editing a wedding about 2 minutes ago and found this image. I had to stop what I was doing and pay a little tribute to all those “uncle bobs” out there who have an undying appreciation for photography. I’m really not even being sarcastic. I get a kick out of the small things in life!
This is just a sneak peak at Carly and Rob’s wedding. I plan on uploading about 30 more images and am officially going to make this wedding the new “featured wedding” on my website! I couldn’t even begin to narrow down the images to post on my blog! There was so much to photograph at this wedding—from the quirky venue, The Colorado Moutain Ranch and all the beautiful details, to all the emotion. And of course Carly and Rob had a kick ass party with a blue grass band and car bomb toasts! So, these images here will have to suffice for now, but please check out the featured wedding on my website to see more in a couple of weeks! I’m very excited to show off this wedding in all it’s glory. http://www.julieharrisweddings.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=8
Carly and Rob, you are two of the coolest cats I’ve yet to work with–I love that we share a very similar taste in art, music, life and cocktails! I hope to see more of you in the near future (pixies in November)?!
Looovvveee Carly’s shoes!
There was this great sitting area upstairs at the Colorado Moutain Ranch with random images and fabulously bad furniture. I couldn’t resist doing some quirky shots in this room…
I was lucky to have captured this moment between Carly’s mom and brother, before they walked down the aisle. So sweet.
I love the expression on the groom’s face when he first sees his bride. Sometimes it’s tears, and sometimes it’s the intensity of trying to hold back the tears. In Rob’s case, it’s clearly the latter, which in my opinion is even more emotional.
It stared to rain during the ceremony—-and then it started to pour!
and it was very, very windy!
Another quirky shot in my favorite sitting area!
I love faces… especially when it’s the face of a cherished family member. This is Carly’s grandfather.
What is so wonderful about Britt and Neil (aside from the fact that they are fabulous people), is that they are completely comfortable with being themselves in front of the camera. I don’t think I ever saw one cheesy smile come from either of them…. if they smiled, it was authentic. If they just kind of looked right through the camera, that was ok too. Point is, they really seemed enjoy the shoot and had a fun time with each other and their two dogs. This session was about playing and allowing me to capture the authenticity of their love.
Stay tuned for Britt and Neil’s upcoming wedding! They are flying me and my assistant Rachael out to Iowa—I’ve never been there and I’m super excited about it! It’s supposed to be beautiful that time of year (or so I hear)….
I had the pleasure of working with the incredible stylist and entrepreneur Lauren Searcy on a project for the debut of her new salon, “Rebelle“. Rebelle is the sister salon of Tootsies, and Lauren is branding the space to be very “Marie Antoinette” with big hair, pink walls, gold chandeliers and of course, cake….
Shield your eyes or skip over this blog post if you don’t like things a little racy and on the edge. I really debated whether I should post it on Julie Harris Edge, but then realized that, oh yeah, this is the “life and times of Julie Harris”, I can post whatever I darn well please…
This last image is purely PJ—-One of the models lost a hair extension and I’m not sure why, but it was freaking hilarious. I belly laughed for a good minute or two…
A family shoot with little kids is one thing…. a family of four adults is another. When I get inquires to do shoots like this, I have to really get to the point with my potential client, that my style is very unconventional, and that I simply don’t enjoy doing super posey family portraits. And of course, the more “mature” the family is, the harder it is to get the really great candids.
So when Robin called me and asked me to do some family portraits, I said just this. To top it off, she is a photographer herself—so there was that extra pressure. She assured me that they did not want conventional family portraits so we gave it a shot. Literally.
I was a little nervous, but what ended up transpiring here during this hour was a revolution of the idea of the family portrait—I realized that they can actually be fun to shoot—they can be edgy and can still draw out personalities and emotion—especially when I’m working with other artists….
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