The Most Important Thing

How to Rock the House Despite a Blizzard

2010-03-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

The weather outside was frightful, but the food, ambience and music inside was sweetly delightful. That's the official conclusion my wife and I reached after combining a date night with shooting some pics for Nissi's in Lafayette, Colorado. But the night was not without an element of danger. Now I do NOT cancel date nights and babysitting due to bad weather, mind you. Yet as we approached Lafayette while 12" of snow an hour pounded our car, I started to have some doubts about our chances to make it to the venue in one piece.

But we persisted over the strong objections of my wife and we were richly rewarded. Teresa and Mark were great h

osts at Nissi's. The Kobe beef sliders rocked. Also loved the yummy ahi tuna. The place is cozy and warm, every seat in the house a perfect view of the music. And if you have never been to a FACE concert, you need to put that on your bucket list right now and get 'er done!

I am no professional music critic, but the wife and I had a wonderful time. Hard to believe a human being can make such sounds without a single keyboard, instrument or other digital sound effects. The vocals brought some tears to my wife's eyes, she loved it so much. Their energy and sound and overall stage show was dynamic and fun. It was a real treat to be a part of that evening out.

What else can I say? Some things are worth risking getting stuck in the snow to see. FACE was worth it. See the whole shoot here.

Music photography is a lot of fun when there's a talented band, a great venue and excellent food. And throw in a pretty date and you can't miss!

What's In Your PC?

2010-02-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

Until I enrolled in a computer maintenance course did I have any real clue what was going on inside my computer. All I cared about is that it would run smoothly and blazingly fast. No blue screens of death nor the whirling beach ball of death on the Mac side and I was happy.

One day we took apart motherboards and had to identify and replace a processor and cooling unit. In the harsh light of an overhead fluorescent at our workbench, still I was unimpressed. Then color contrasts started to scream out in the back of my head.

Next day I borrowed some defunct memory modules and a motherboard and took them home and set up a shooting table. I kept my 4 year old daughter up late to be a hand model and then threw a blue gel on my background light. Then I gelled the ringlight to about 1/2 CTO (an orange-tinted gel). With my white balance set to warm the image some more, I fired away. Time to send off to the publisher to compete for next year's photo placements!

Ignite Boulder + Velvet

2010-02-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

Andrew, Kath and the crew over at IgniteBoulder know how to throw a party. They sold out the Boulder Theater and streamed another 500+ people in online, making this the largest-attended Ignite of all time. Well done, you guys! While photographing the event last night, I learned about how to prepare for being a contestant on Family Feud from a real-life game show veteran. Learned some new Spanish vocab should I ever get stopped at the US-Mexico border. Top that with some of the neat work being done for spinal cord injured people here in Boulder. I now have 'Pam' as a secret weapon to donning triathlon attire. And most critical of all, I learned to never leave home without velvet.

What an imaginative and informative bunch. And a heck of a lot of fun, too! See the pics here.

Lightpainting the Town

2010-02-09T23:31:00.000-08:00

Ever see a photograph where you can't quite tell how they did it? Light seems to come from out of nowhere. You wonder how did those weird streaks get recorded in the picture? Or why does the subject seem to glow in funky ways?

Take the image to the left. I shot this for a product portfolio several months back and have always liked the various bits of motion and action in the composition. What's going on in the shot to come up with this one?

I used three lights. I blue-gelled my Nikon speedlight and fired it into the white seamless backdrop from off camera left. Then I left the shutter on my camera open another 8 seconds while I took 2 different flashlights and lit the front of the bottle for a moment, then danced their lights off of the background. Then I took one of the flashlights and illuminated the back of the bottle for a second or two. Finally, I made the arcing streaks of light emerge from the bottle top to resemble an erupting volcano.

Also, there is the extra layer of color contrast going down in this shot. The bottle glows a warm tone, which your eye/brain complex interprets as moving towards you. The cooler blue background appears to recede away from the viewer.

So the result? Don't know about you, but it makes me want to go crack open another BAWLS Root Beer!

Using the Schwartz to Combat TMI

2010-01-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Non-photography topic--TMI: How much is too much information?

Social media can be a great tool for business and personal use. There are a million blog posts singing the praises of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. But why must we all broadcast every detail of our lives to the world? Aren't some things better left in the private sphere?

We're a society obsessed with safety, from anti-bacterial soap to air bags to home alarm systems and wearing helmets on the ski slope. We show zero tolerance for kids who have toe nail clippers stowed safely in the trunks of their cars. Yet when we get online, we gush uncontrollably about the most private moments of our personal lives. No one cares about the espresso double shot you just scored at the Starbucks drive-thru. That is TMI.

But there is a growing class of people who DO care about such things. They like to read about how you are on vacation in Fiji for a month. They love to know your birthdate, social security number and home address. They like to read up on every personal account they can about you. And trust me, you don't want these people in your life. Let's be smarter out there and assume that whatever you put online CAN and MAY very likely get read by someone you don't want.

Some suggestions for your 2010 online experience:

1) Don't accept a friend request unless you are absolutely sure who they are.

2) Be very leery of Facebook requests--often these are phishing attempts to steal your login and password. Always get in the habit of checking the URL bar to see the true web address of the site asking you for your login information.

3) Don't respond to a Nigerian email solicitation telling you that only you can help them claim a $10 million lottery prize. (On that note, don't board a flight with a young Nigerian male who paid $3000 cash for his ticket, checked no luggage and whose father reported him for Jihadist ties and is wearing holy underwear, Batman.)

Wishing you all a wonderful 2010--ring it in with peace and joy. And love your neighbor just do so wisely. And may the Schwartz be with you!

The Stratford at Flatirons Portrait Sessions

2009-11-29T06:24:00.003-08:00

I must confess--I totally want to move in to Stratford at Flatirons--this is absolutely the nicest and most luxurious senior living residence I have ever seen!

We had a great time working with Kathy and the crew on Friday. We set up a portrait studio and then made instant prints from each of the sessions. For the technically-minded, here's a look at how it all worked. To just go right to the images from the whole session, just go here.

Backdrop: 12' painted canvas mounted on backdrop frame system.

Lighting: 1 Photogenic monolight and 2 Nikon SB-800 speedlights. Each had an umbrella light modifier.

Display: Samsung 23" monitor

Computer: Mac Mini

Printer: Sony UL-150 dye sublimation printer

Capture software: Sofortbild for Mac.

Viewing, editing and printing software: Lightroom 2.5

How to Turn Your Desktop Scanner Into an Artist's Tool

2009-11-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am working on a new portfolio for a restaurant with locations nationwide. They requested new images to be displayed in their lobbies based on a global cuisine theme. So to go beyond my normal style of work, I tried to think outside the black box of my normal cameras for something different. How to create an image of something without a camera? Since I am not a painter, I ruled out painting and drawing an image. That is when I remembered I had another camera already sitting on my desk--my scanner/copier. Within minutes every interesting food item I could think of was about to be dumped on my flatbed scanner.

My favorites are the coffee beans and the tulip below. I really love the depth of field (or lack thereof) found in the scanner--it is great for making sharp copies of text lying on a sheet of paper. It needs no more depth than that thin surface. But add an object with three dimensions and they tend to be sharply in focus at ony one point. Everything else falls off and gets soft.

I either used the pull down document cover or created my own white surface. You could also use other colors, as this will end up being your backdrop as the scanner looks up to capture the image.

Then I did some heavier work in Photoshop to ge the colors and tones and contrast where I wanted them. To give a richer feel and to accentuate the softness of the texture.

Play around with it and see where this tool can lead you--lots of fun!

Vintage Neon, Boulder Theater

2009-10-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

Stripped out the color and boiled this awesome old vintage neon sign to its elements. Simple line drawing done by running a glowing edges filter in Photoshop, then inverting the image colors and then adding a border from an old Polaroid A. I love how the texture of the facade lettering jumps out. Never forget watching this sign get pumped full of water by the fire department in Boulder as an electrical short in the sign could have burned the whole place down.

Three Styles, One Portrait Session

2009-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

On a recent shoot I sought to capture an extremely diverse feel across the 60 minutes we spent shooting. The end result shows it this clearly--from sunset lighting on my subjects' faces to off camera flash fill to near darkness with flash. Finally I shot a quick series without flash, allowing the ambient light reflecting off the lake to paint my subject's face. And how starkly different the shoot turned out--beyond consistent wardrobe, it looks like we shot on different days and locations, yet all was done within a 50 yard radius across in less time than it takes to watch an episode of 'Flash Forward'.

The light shifted so fast we could hardly sit still--throwing rocks in the lake is way too much fun, but we quickly moved on and did the group pose on the big rocks on the shore.

Then we played some more and then ran up to a park bench for a few more shots. A group posed then the final series with just my client's son and no flash, just post-sunset skylight bouncing off of the lake. Then we jumped on a small pier and shot with off-camera flash and dialed in the ambient sunset light to really pop.

In the end, we created a whole series of unique compositions. And by scheduling the shoot around a span of time where the light would be most dynamic, we made plenty of special moments to choose from for wall portraits.

$50 Portraits for 15 minutes

2009-10-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the holidays, we are holding the first official Marc Littmann Photography Great Portrait Shootout this weekend. What you get: 15 minute portrait session under the fall foliage in Boulder. A set of 8 wallet prints and a 5x7 print.

You'll also have option to get a sweet 20x30 canvas gallery print of your favorite image, a

box set of Christmas cards and a DVD with the files.

What'll it cost you? $50 bones. You heard right--just $50 big ones. So

with a tiny time and money commitment, you can make off like a bandit (or an outlaw) at the Great Portrait Shootout!

Buy your session ticket here.

5 Good Reasons to Visit San Francisco with a Camera

2009-09-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

5. Autumn Moon Festival in Chinatown. Stumbled on this one over the weekend. Dad and I walked several SF districts after arriving by Amtrak from Denver. Tried the fish balls--once was enough, if you get my culinary drift. But the copious red colors, brilliant rich textures and sheer size of this Chinatown transported me right back to my time in Yunnan Province in SW China many years ago. And the purple eggplant here was succulent, at least my camera thought so.

4. Italian celebration in Washington Square. Lagunitas IPA and the free bottlecap pins were an added bonuses (boni for plural?). The guy who tossed pizza doughs as part of a performance stole the show--how the heck did he do that? Deep fried calamari and penne with salsiccia---multo bene!

3. Tuk Tuk Thai Cafe off of Washington Square. A quick walk up Columbus Ave brought us to this highly regarded Yelp favorite. Never had I tasted so many complex flavors in Thai food. The panang curry sauce was deep. Tastebuddies screamed for more Gai Tom Ka soup--sweet and tangy yumminess! And the green tea and coconut ice cream paired with the deep fried banana post-meal rocked. No pictures please--just concentrate on the culinary ecstasy in front of you.

2. Grace Cathedral and Coit Tower. Grace's politically liberal inner walls were way beyond my comfort zone of mixing politics with religion (a whole wall was dedicated to the United Nations and its massive logo), but the architecture was breathtaking and the stained glass reminiscent of St. Chappelle in Paris--shamwow, man! Coit Tower yielded stunning views surrendered only after steep climb up a very tall urban hill. 31 percent road grades in this town are mind-boggling. Favorite was my fisheye composition laying on my back looking straight out the top of the tower.

1. Riding our bicycles across the Golden Gate Bridge. This one should be #1 with exclamation points. 8 miles to Sausalito (named after conservative Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito? Highly unlikely in Nancy Pelosi's backyard). So stunning. Magnifique. Just plain old cool. Fog bank rolled in and turned the red giant into a gaseous nebula of fuzzy mist shrouding a riveter's dream. Will never forget that experience as long as I live. New toll station assesses a $100 fine for anyone caught without a camera here.

Circular Reasoning

2009-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

I once read a photographer's book where he would teach his students to look only for a certain shape to photograph. Like squares, triangles, or even wavy lines. OR he would have them throw out a hula hoop and wherever it landed, they would have to make 25 compositions either of macro objects within the hoop or to shoot outwards without leaving the hoop. Really forced you to start looking for patterns and finding that same unnecessarily beautiful detail that also adorns places like the Grand Tetons or the Horsehead Nebula a few jillion light years away. So here is my fun attempt at a composition of circles I shot one morning near Boulder, Colorado. And I did decide to convert it to my Twitter home page, too, cause I liked it so much.

Like Sand Through the Hourglass...

2009-08-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Forgot all about this image--every so often I rummage through the archives of older projects and fun things I experimented with and say 'that was kind of cool--what was I thinking?' All I know is that this is called "Sand Mandarin Woman". It is the mandarin character for 'woman' and the pink striated backdrop that looks sort of like muscle tissue is beach sand from Sanibel Island, Florida. Let me know if you can see the lightning shape in the picture. Or the crab.

Every Day is Goggle Day

2009-08-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Forget ever trying to get Ellie's goggles off--she not only swims with them on, but loves to eat, play, take a bath and even sleep with them on. Can't believe this one started preschool last week. Hope her teachers don't mind the goggles! These aqua-tinted scenes put her underwater in our living room without having to build an indoor pool--always a $mart move in uncertain economic times.

Broker Headshots

2009-08-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

We posted up broker headshots for the Colorado Group this week. Here is a link.

The architectural detail shots in the upper right corner of each page are ours, as well. Doing broker headshots does differ from environmental portraits. You get 2-3 minutes per person with the quick headshot. Environmentals usually run from 20-60 minutes and are much more creative and dynamic. But there is a place for each.

Anyone Want a Neon Sign?

2009-08-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

I detoured off I-70 last Sunday--too much traffic and needed a break from drive from Glenwood. Enroute to the Idaho Springs java place, I saw a vintage neon sign being torn down. I shot this sign last fall when it was still intact (first image). By the way, I love the richness and grunge texture encrusting these old neon signs, intact or lying forlorn across a soon-2-B-gentrified property. But the Peoriana Inn has seen better days and the sign out front sure could use a new home. It would be fun to have my own vintage neon sign retirement home be a great place for 'seasoned' signs to spend their final years in dignity? I know there is the neon sign graveyard just off the strip in Vegas, but there are so many other striking signs beyond the realm of the casino sign. Time to start getting land and a some sign inventory!

Senior Session with Casey

2009-08-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

There really is a different feel to shooting senior portraits versus a wedding. With a bride and groom as a couple, I find it can be quite easy to put them at ease in front of the camera, as they have each other to play off of. But with a solitary portrait, especially high school seniors, it usually takes a little bit longer to break the ice and to get in the zone for being photographed. But the results are fun and very individualized, especially when you let them play! Casey is a pretty dedicated skateboard enthusiast, braving his share of broken bones yet not giving up one of his passions.

Peyton's First Day

2009-08-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Baby Peyton showed up for her first portrait session Friday morning. She was very prepared, looking cute and swaddled like a burrito, her skin perfect and not a hair out of place. For being just 4 hours old, she certainly has it all together! Catch the whole shoot here to see just how ridiculously good looking she is!

Urban Funk in a Corporate Portrait Session

2009-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Got to hang out and shoot a portrait session for an attorney friend recently. Jodi is a great lawyer starting up a new law firm in Denver and wanted to create something special and not so stuffy for her new corporate image. So we loaded up and took a few clothing changes down to Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, Colorado and made a whole new look for her. This is not the traditional feel of a conservative lawfirm. And I love it! My guess is her existing and future clients will love it, too. Bright colors, scratchy and rich urban grit come standard here...stuffiness and boring sold separately.

Collages and Clusters

2009-08-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

I put this collage together from a collection we shot for a Boulder commercial real estate firm. The task was to photograph several architectural structures around the city and then create a display for their office lobby and hallways. We had previously done a collection of our landscape images, but the architectural images were to complement the natural scenes with some man-made vistas. If you are around The Colorado Group's offices on Iris and the Diagonal Highway in northeast Boulder, step in and check it out. And they rock in the commercial real estate market, too.

Love This One...

2009-08-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Short of shooting a wedding in the Himalayas, you won't find too many wedding venues straying from sea level as much as Ten Mile Station in Breckenridge, Colorado. Perched on the slopes of this stunning ski town at almost 11,000 feet above the ocean, bring extra oxygen bottles for your guests (and even the hired help!) But Colleen pulled this pose off in high style (and without supplemental oxygen), combining strength, beauty and fashion. Love the weighted hip that forms such an appealing S-curve and shows off the dress--FABULOUS!!

Wedding Testimonial from Camilla & Ryan

2009-07-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Camilla and Ryan for their kind words about us. We had a fun day shooting their wedding in downtown Boulder. My favorite line is at the very end of their comments (an inside joke about liking us so much that they promise to use us for any future weddings of theirs! Here is what they had to say:

Ryan and I got married on 22nd May, and had our wedding reception on 23rd May 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. I knew that photos were one of the most important parts of the event, and I wanted to find a photographer I could trust. I have to admit that I was very nervous about the photos, and wanted them to be artistic and meaningful and reflect the beauty of the occasion.

I spoke to Marc on the phone and found him so easy to talk to, and when we met for coffee to discuss what we wanted he was just as laid back and enthusiastic about his job. You could tell that he loved being a photographer and took a great deal of pride in his work.

Marc used to coach Ryan's soccer team and had been a family friend more more years than Ryan could remember. I felt instantly very relaxed discussing this important occasion with Marc. He seems to grasp almost immediately what we wanted to capture from the photos and the style of the occasion. And he made the groom feel at ease when Ryan discussed sepia tones and black and white images.

Ryan and and I arrived early for a small private photo shoot before the reception began. I was so nervous when we arrived. I had never had a photo shoot or worked with a professional photographer like this. Never mind that Marc had suggested going down Pearl Street at one of the busiest times of the day, and in addition to that, it was the Boulder Creek Festival.
But as soon as Ryan and I saw Marc he made us feel instantly at ease. He was so excited about getting the right photos for us that it gave us the energy and confidence that we needed. Instead of being embarrassed and nervous about having out picture taken on a busy downtown street, with people watching, and sometimes cheering, we managed to get into the spirit of things and were grateful that the crowds were so happy for us. OK...I still felt a bit embarrassed, but I also enjoyed myself.

When we got back to the party everyone had arrived and Marc just went to work. He seemed to strike the right balance of natural photos with posed ones. He worked very well with both families; managing to get the photos that pleased them, as well as staying alert to what Ryan and I wanted.

Marc had to go away the next day to a family funeral and so I expected to get some of the photos the next week. But we got them on the Monday after the Saturday reception. When we looked at them we were transported back to that wonderful evening with our friends and family and the magic of celebrating our wedding with them. The quality of the photos was so good, and the composition excellent. But apart from that everyone looked like they were having so much fun and so at ease with Marc taking their photograph.

Marc was a joy to work with and one very talented photographer. When it comes to wedding photos I think that half of the battle is understanding what the bride and groom want out of the photos. And Marc did this effortlessly. Ryan and I have both agreed to hire Marc for our next weddings!

Photographers: How to Choose a Sunglasses Tint

2009-07-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

After getting my eyes dilated during a routine eye exam yesterday, Paige Paddock, my eye doctor, gave me some good feedback about the benefits of which tint to choose for sunglasses. I needed to make a new pair, as my prescription just changed again. Another friendly reminder from the big guy upstairs that I will be turning 40 in a few weeks and that gravity sucks big time on all of our eyes. Enough to gradually cause my eyes to develop astigmatism, pulling my eyes out of visual alignment. Time to move to zero gravity--is there a cabin available on the promenade deck of the International Space Station? Might need it soon...
But here is what she had to say on which color tint to choose:

---------------------------
Gray and Gray-Green tints: The most common type of lens color. Transmits all colors evenly without changing value of color. Light enough not to impair vision, yet dark enough to provide overall protection from glare. Excellent for bright sunny days. Grey tint is best for bright light situations like water sports because it blocks out the brightest of the sun's rays.

Dark Amber or Brown lens tints: A warmer, slightly brighter lens than the gray. Especially good at blocking the blue light commonly found in diffused light such as one might experience on a cloudy day. Brown/Amber can improve both contrast and depth perception, reduce glare and is a good all-around choice if you live in an area with changeable weather patterns. Brown is great for applications where distances need to be constantly judged, like tennis or golf or skiing or other sports requiring acute visual perception and contrast differentiation. Brown is also best for lower light situations, like fishing in the late afternoon or early morning. Brownish tint lens helps highlight the different contrasts in green colors and enhance visual acuity on the golf course.
--------------------------

I would also add that polarized lenses are a major obstacle to professional photography. Any of you who have shot weddings or any portrait session outdoors on a sunny day while wearing polarized lenses know that you can not view your LCD on the back of your camera. So you have to go with your regular glasses and squint. For long bridal formals, eye strain gets to be a big problem. It is because the LCD screen is also polarized that when the 2 polarizations (glasses and the LCD) intersect, you won't see a thing on your LCD screen. So I will be switching to a tinted lens this time, most likely a brown/amber color.

Nikon/Canon: any new technology on the way that will improve the polarization on LCD screens so this won't be a problem in the future?

Touching the Pretty Stuff: Blue Lake

2009-07-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Did some experimenting with different post processing techniques. Cropping images into a medium format aspect ratio in a few of the landscape images with flowers in foreground. Playing with vintage styling, too. But that said, there was very little to do to improve upon what we had to work with up at Blue Lake this weekend. Ever notice that ringing in your ears from the overwhelming silence in the high country? If you have experienced this, you will know what I am talking about--a truly wonderful thing, full of peace. Then the sound of a distant waterfall ricocheting across thousand foot high walls of sheer granite. Tiny air bubbles trapped in the blue-green ice as a giant slab slowly makes its way to the east side of the lake. The piercing chirp of a marmot lazily checking us out from his perch 20 feet away. The melody of a peace-loving cluster of mosquitos as they gracefully whisper in my ear, drawing a bloodmeal from my neck. Aaaahhhh, the sounds of summer in the high country of Colorado!

See the images here:

An Unnecessarily Beautiful World:: The Gallery

2009-07-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Families, High School Seniors, Babies

2009-07-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Corporate Portraits Gallery

2009-07-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Wedding Gallery

2009-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Top 4 Reasons to Shoot Formals Before Your Wedding

2009-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest concerns brides have when planning out their wedding photography is should they shoot their formals before or after the ceremony. If they do it before, then won't it kill the excitement and surprise of seeing each other for the first time as the bride walks down the aisle? As a wedding photographer in Colorado, I don't believe the wisdom of the choice is strictly limited to one region or another. Here are my top 4 reasons I use to encourage my clients to get them done beforehand.

4. Don't Kill the Thrill! Seeing each other in a 'first sight session' won't ruin the experience when you actually walk down the aisle an hour later. Expressions on my groom's faces still show they are totally blown away when they see their bride at the ceremony for the first time.

3. Great Stress Buster. Clients have consistently told me getting to see each other, hold hands and embrace for 5-10 minutes in a completely private moment before doing formals helps them relax and be in the moment. Normally we will have the groom wait in a scenic and fairly private spot and then have the bride come out to him. No one is allowed out with them, except for me and my camera for just a couple of quick photographs. Then they get to be all alone amidst an otherwise whirlwind day. For them it is kind of like an oasis, a spa moment, if you will.

2. You Look Maaaahvelous! All that hard work spent in the salon doing hair and makeup can be lost if you just spent 45 minutes standing in the hot sun during your ceremony, emotions flowing. Shoot your formals beforehand and you will be at your absolute freshest, especially if you just had 5 relaxing minutes alone with your spouse-to-be!

1. Party Time! Best of all, when you walk back down the aisle in your first test of physical endurance with your newlywed spouse, you get to go straight to the party! No more keeping your guests waiting and you missing your own party that you worked so hard to plan. Need I say more?

Red Door Alley, Pearl Street Mall, Boulder

2009-06-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

One Engagement, Boulder

2009-06-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Portrait Session Video Post

2009-06-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Amazing Place, How Sweet the Sound...

2009-06-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

With overcast skies and rain threatening, we decided to postpone an early morning family portrait session set for Chautauqua Park in Boulder. I went ahead to the park to just an hour later we were standing in the middle of the meadow making some gorgeous images. Draped in emerald, purple lupine and yellow penstemon leapt up and greeted us as we set out a picnic blanket. The clouds had burned off and stunning light crept in and painted the Flatirons something proud. Young Perry broke out the NY Times while Ainsley force-fed mom a croissant. Dad Peter and I discussed home in Australia and his work at NCAR as a climate scientist. It was a fine morning...

See the session slideshow here.

Browse and order prints and digital files here.

Ever Seen Boulder This Green?

2009-06-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

Boulder is known for being green. Eco-types and greenbacks all flock here. Even March 17th each year brings out the world's shortest St. Patty's Day parade and the green beer flows something fierce. But every few years a wet springtime just might turn our beloved 25 square miles surrounded by reality into a patch of the Emerald Isle. This little one shows off his delight of all things green, taken just this day in front of the Flatirons. Top of the mornin' to ya!

We Boulder wedding photographers have such a gem right in our backyard!

How to Kiss Your First Kiss

2009-05-28T12:29:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm not going to get too graphic here since I don't want screams of "too much information!" But I need to share some thoughts on the big first kiss when you are getting married.

1. Don't crane your neck. Cranes work great for constructing buildings, but not for first kisses. Lunging towards your soulmate while standing many feet apart does not result in the best kiss on film. Move close and then make it happen.

2. Take your time. One client of mine kissed their first kiss for precisely 2/10ths of a second. That makes it harder for us photographers to capture something good. You are not kissing your grandma here--no quick pecks on the cheek allowed. Think Wesley and Princess Buttercup--enjoy the moment and have fun. Kiss for at least 2-3 seconds. And try to count in your head (1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi...) or you will ruin the kiss if you count out loud! But remember, though you are not doing a grandma kiss, she is probably sitting in the front row, so keep it PG-rated if you get my drift.

3. Take a dip. Guaranteed to win the crowd over every time. Talk about romance and true love. Might want to practice first. But the look of surprise on the bride's face during and after is priceless, so surprise her, too!

4. Get your limbs involved. Get creative here. Embrace. Put hands on his lapels, ladies. Or touch her face, guys. Throw an arm around their back and reel them in. Remember the key here is being natural, yet passionate. Might even get your legs in on the kiss, too, if you excel in the creativity department.

5. Don't rush into the kiss. Kind of restating #2, but don't feel like when your officiant says 'You may kiss the bride' that you have to leap towards her and start kissing instantly. Just like when there aren't 250 people staring at you, hooting and hollering, take your time and look at each other in the eyes for a moment. Remember why you are marrying this person. Flash back to when you first met or when you first laid eyes on each other and knew you would be married someday.

6. Kiss the first kiss, then go for two. Who says you have to kiss just once? One of the most exciting first kisses was actually two. They kissed a pretty passionate kiss. Pulled away and then went back in for more. Well done. And the crowd went wild!

Camilla & Ryan Get Hitched at Rembrandt Yard

2009-05-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

This was the first wedding I shot for a former soccer player I used to coach. Granted Ryan was just 8 years old when I coached his Boulder Junior Soccer team back in the mid-80s. And Camilla grew up in England and is a big fan of Little Britain TV show. After promising to not get heat stroke at their wedding last weekend, we ended up having a great time over at Rembrandt Yard just off the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder (inside joke--you'll just have to hire me to shoot your next wedding to find out what that's all about!)

Watch the slideshow here to see what we did during the formals session before guests arrived. Got to love all the texture down on the alleyways off Pearl Street.

Go to the online gallery for the full event here.

Top 5 Best Spots to Get Engaged Around Boulder

2009-05-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

If I were secretly being paid by a groom to photograph them actually in the act of getting engaged, here are 5 really sweet places I'd want to be:

5. Lost Gulch Overlook: Beyond the top of Flagstaff Mountain another 5 mins up the road--sweeping views of Continental Divide and of Boulder. Lotsa big rocks to scramble upon, just don't drop the ring or yourself off the edge or it will be a very short engagement.

4. The Boulder Train Museum just NW of Valmont Butte. It's free and also a cool spot, especially for train buffs. Climb on restored locomotives and usually nobody out there to spoil the moment. Private. Vibrant colors, too.

3. While rockclimbing up the 1st Flatiron--never tried it but I bet it would be neat. Unequalled views and a rush for adrenaline junkies. But I will be shooting with a long lens, as you won't get me to bring my best gear where one slip up and it (or me) drops 800 feet to an untimely demise.

2. Hidden alleys in back of Pearl Street Mall--great brick walls, strange things stuck to the sides of buildings, and lots of neat people out and about. Okay, so this would be better for an engagement shoot rather than having to drop to 1 knee to propose for the actual thing. Up to you. But great texture!

1. Mesa Trail hike ending in romantic picnic above Chautauqua Park and the Flatirons. Charming. Gorgeous. Popular, but well-deserved reputation. Have picnic outside of concert hall and listen to world-class Colorado Music Festival for free. Walk the heavily wooded trail just south of hall for a fun adventure.

How the Top 5 Coolest Spanish Words Make For Great Wedding Photographs

2009-05-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Something about that Spanish lifestyle I remember from our trip around the world for a year after 9/11. "Estilo de vida", or the style of life. That slower pace that comes only from oppressive summer humidity and great sangria. "Manana por la manana", tomorrow is for tomorrow--just think 'don't worry, be happy'. These and the top 5 I collected here can help you turn your wonderful, yet stressful wedding day into pure joy, but only if you live 'em out.

5. cállate - Means "shut up". Often the best policy, guys. Keeping your mouth shut has many benefits, especially on wedding day when everyone is excited and excitable. Something about a closed mouth gathering no flies comes to mind. And shutting up in Spanish is always so much more fun!

4. chiste - A joke. Learn a few, deploy sparingly. Humor during a tense ceremony gets everyone laughing and relaxes even the most uptight. Just make them tasteful or you will be called a "baboso". Look it up here (it is not one of the top 5).

3. las nalgas - Buttocks. Not sure how that fits in here, but I just like the sound of that one. Has a certain ring. Now you can turn the other cheek in Spanish when you get a strange look from one of your guests.

2. pantalones - Pants. Not necessarily a cool word, but it sounds cool. Also can be used to mean "courage" or "guts". I like it better than pants or jeans. Just sounds more fancy. Be sure not to forget your pantalones as you stand at the end of the center aisle as your gorgeous bride comes walking your way.

1. tranquilo - Cool, quiet, composed, laid back, chilled out. Can also use it as a command to tell someone to relax and calm down. My favorite brides are cool under pressure and make my job a piece of cake. And they look more beautiful on wedding day. Tranquilo is the enemy of bridezilla and the lesser known, yet equally devastating horror film nightmare known only as Mother of Bridezilla.

Hazlo! (go do it) Your friends will call you "genio" (genius--used similar to "cool!" or "awesome!")

How To Pose For Your Wedding Photographer

2009-05-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

If it bends, bend it...create a flattering S-curve by back-weighting your feet... lean towards the camera a touch by putting weight on the balls of your feet in order to slenderize your neck...don't stand square on to the camera or it will add 10 lbs to you...all these are great tips. But even though you can learn a lot in a lecture, the laboratory is where the real learning takes place. Grab that full length mirror and start posing. Wait till your significant other is out of the room and then have at it. Strike a pose! Blast your iPod to avoid getting the police called. Have fun. Copy some modeling poses from the glamour magazines. Project some attitude and learn how your body moves. Cross your arms, shift your hips, kick a leg up, even if you are hopelessly uncool (like me). Then when it comes time for your engagement session, senior portrait or bridal formals on your wedding day, you'll be more comfortable in your body and the camera will be your best friend.

After all, when you practice in the lab and study hard, you always do better during the exam!

Looking Lovely in Boulder

2009-05-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

I love finding places to do a photo shoot where clients actually express a hint of concern as to my choice of locations. "Are you serious? You want to do our engagement session in an old alley? Won't that look bad in the photos?" Strangely enough, I don't get too many clients like that. Maybe they just get scared off by my style. But Stephen and Monika were great sports last night as we shot them amidst old bricks and alleyways off Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. Theese two got into the shoot and did a great job--very fun to work with and quite natural in front of the lens. And they weren't even bothered by the old socks stuck to the wall behind them.

See Stephen and Monika having too much fun during their engagement session here.

Wedding Testimonial

2009-05-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Lots of happy customers this week. One bride. One mom of the bride. The third a bride from 2 years ago still excited about her wedding images. Bride Sarah said "Oh my God--the photos turned out beautifully! Thank you so much! I cried the whole way through as I am sure my mother did. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Her mom, Becky, said "I was so excited to see your email! One word: fantastic! I've just run through them quickly, but there are some absolutely STUNNING photographs. You captured my daughter, my husband, my family & those I love (and perhaps me, too), and all the fun we had that day. I can't possibly thank you enough!"

Ashley wrote us a card thanking us for coming all the way down to Oklahoma for her wedding and that she still loves the photographs we created for her.

Thanks you guys for the kind words!

Marc

Bride and M.O.B.

2009-04-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

I love tender moments like these! Great working with Becky and Sarah and her new beau Casey (a.k.a. Superman!) Very memorable evening, indeed.

I Feel Twitty, Oh So Twitty...

2009-04-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true you can squander your entire life away by tuning in to Twitter. And yes, Twitter has been compared to heroin in the social media space, folks constantly checking in to get a Tweet-fix. But it is changing the way we communicate and do business. Go here to read a Twitter 101 courtesy of the David Ali Group.

Close Encounters of the 'Grizzly Moose' Kind...

2009-03-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

Photographers are supposed to carry their cameras at all times. I tell this to everyone, even though I myself don't always have mine with me. But yesterday up in Rocky Mountain National Park above Estes Park, Colorado, I actually had mine with me. Too bad I wasn't quick enough to get it out in time to take a photo of the bull moose that charged down the hill through the snow and nearly ran me over! He turned towards me right after dropping right onto the snowpack just 9 feet away from where I stood and then looked up, saw me, then bolted the other way.

It all took about 5 seconds. At first I figured the moose bolted away from me due to a Canon sponsorship (I am a Nikon man), but ruled that out after remembering I was a little too preoccupied with survival and not making an amazing photograph to even reveal the proud contents of my camera bag to this charging behemoth.

My new rule--always carry a camera in your hand with lens cap off and ready to fire! And if you are wondering why this is a photograph of mama grizz and her cub from Yellowstone--I can't locate my favorite moose image from the Tetons--so enjoy these two playful little teddy bears until further notice!

Takes Some Bawls To Do This...

2009-03-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

In creating a new portfolio in our growing product photography segment, I collected two fascinating bottles, including a 12oz BAWLS Guarana bottle replete with divits that felt manly. I felt manly, for sure. Also threw in a Spanish wine bottle opener and a couple of flashlights for good measure. With a couple of speedlights placed around the set, I went to work painting the subject and the background with the flashlights. But then I explored with creating more of an earthy, volcanic theme as I pointed the flashlights back at the camera's shutter to create the streaks in the BAWLS shots. For the wine, I had my belly flat on the floor for an grasshopper's perspective of the bottle. That's why it looks so tall and commanding. But the quality of light from the handheld flashlights really drew my eye in--hope you agree.

Boulder Tree-Hugging, Bridal Edition

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Saw someone do this in an ad some time back and wanted to try a double version of it with my engagement session clients this weekend. A little late for Valentine's Day, but handy to have, no less. True love? I think so.

See the session here.

Daddy, Daughter and a Taquito

2009-03-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

You can't go wrong when you get daddy and his little girl and a grass wall behind them. And the taquito is always the perfect finishing touch!

See more here.

New Logo Coming Soon

2009-02-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

I had a logo designed nearly 5 years ago and then ended up not using the result for various reasons. But I resurrected one of the final comps and then made some modifications and added an old film holder-style border to update the look. Here is the result--I have already run with it on marketing materials for my corporate portraits and it is getting some good feedback.

O-Light Arrives!

2009-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

...The following takes place between 3pm and 4pm...

++Fedex guy rings doorbell at 3:01 MST
++Overexcited portrait photographer Marc Littmann leaps up from office to answer telling delivery guy ring, letting out yelp of joy.
++He tears apart glistening shipping box and attaches new Orbis flash to barrel of camera lens.
++Marc conscripts 3 year old daughter to model. Daughter agrees, insists Strawberry Shortcake comes along.
++Marc and daughter love the result--O-shaped ringlight brings cool, celebrity light and shadow effect into arsenal of photographic tools.
++3:30::Marc still drooling over lighting possibilities...go here for scenes from the first test shoot of the O-light.

Testimonial from a Corporate Portrait Client

2009-02-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

Just got this back from Gretchen Anthony of Tilt Consulting--we shot her portrait a few weeks back down on Pearl Street. Using nothing but natural light and some wonderful, overlooked alley walls, we came up with some beautiful and pleasing results. Here is a link to the session images, and here are some kind words Gretchen shared with MLP:

"Working with Marc Littmann for my professional photos was a terrific experience. I’ve worked with other photographers in the past and while they all have their unique strengths, Marc’s creative approach to his work resulted in a diverse portfolio of great shots. Marc’s photos show that while I’m a professional, I’m not just another stuffed suit!"

--Gretchen Anthony, Tilt Consulting

Palestinian-Israeli Relations Builder

2009-02-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

Just realized I never posted on an event I have covered twice now for Seeking Common Ground. Have worked with this non-profit group 2 summers running. Entitled Building Bridges For Peace, this group brings together Israeli, Palestinian and American teens for 10 days up in the Colorado mountains to find common ground in their lives. The goal is to help build understanding while overcoming tremendous cultural and religious differences. Often they show up with bitter prejudices and leave as the closest of friends. It's a cool thing.

Time Lapse in the Pines

2008-12-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

Watch what happens to the late afternoon light in Flagstaff, AZ during this time lapse exposure. This was shot over approximately a 2-hour window. Shot with time lapse movie mode on a Nikon P5100 point and shoot. Flexi-tripod grip-mounted to car ski rack and images captured at 30-second intervals. Lots of fun!

Monument Valley Confidential

2008-12-09T08:40:00.001-08:00

Images of John Wayne and a lone Navajo on a horse come to mind as we stood at John Ford's Point in Monument Valley last week. But Clark W. Griswald tumbling down the sand in 'Vacation' after launching the Family Truckster 50 yards through a road closed sign kept sneaking into my subconscious. I think it was right here that he and his son Rusty shared their first beer.

Aside from movie recollections, get yourself out to Monument Valley soon and see some breathtaking vistas. Take the 17 mile driving loop but be sure to get out of your car and off your 'foam rubber backsides', as Edward Abbey would say. Once away from your car you will start to hear true silence. Your ears will thank you.

Trust

2008-10-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

Been thinking tonight about the stock market meltdown and where we are at economically as a nation. Got me thinking about where we place our trust. Money seems to be at the root of a lot of insecurity these days. Then I took this out of my wallet and had to laugh. Looks like God has a special bit of encouragement for us all, and it is sitting right in each of our billfolds!

Marc

Good Light Anytime

2008-10-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Despite 300+ days of sunshine a year here in lovely Colorado, we still get a bunch of gray days. No worries! Sometimes these make for much more flattering portraits than on a harsh sunny day. And with the benefit of portable small flashes, you can get away with much more than you'd think. I like the way the white color scheme of clothing in this family portrait below works with the white tones in the sky. Makes for a richer portrait, in my opinion.

Off Camera LIghting in Iwo Jima?

2008-10-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

So there's not exactly a patriotic Stars and Stripes being hoisted here, nor an island in the Pacific won after an heroic battle. But we have to settle for what's at hand--a putting green and one of those flags from the hole. But in the spirit of WWII, my groomsmen obliged me by striking a familiar pose.

Lighting-wise, we had a dramatic sky threatening to explode rain and electricity upon us. So working fairly quickly, I had my assistant throw on a couple of SB800 strobes on a monopod and light these guys from my side, all while darkening up the sky to show some of the rough weather coming on strong. Result gives the guys much more depth and a dramatic, 3-D appearance.

See just what these guys and the gals were up to here.

Hiking Breckenridge's Golden Tunnel

2008-10-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this today, as of 10/10/08, you are probably too late to catch the really stunning aspen displays in the high country. We witnessed peak color last week in Summit County and as far west as Redstone and McClure Pass. Truly the most amazing display of aspens I have seen in a long time, if not ever. So if you missed out, sit down, grab some popcorn and watch these photographs.

And if you are wondering where the Golden Tunnel is, you're just going to have to click the link to see what this aspen forest was all about, because I absolutely refuse to disclose the Golden Tunnel's secret location along Boreas Pass Road outside of Breck. Oops!

2008-08-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is a good example of composing a photograph to take advantage of contrast differences. As I set this up last night, I chose to place Chris and Kristine in front of the shadow side of the barn, while they were still catching direct sunlight on themselves. Had I placed them to their left 5 more feet, they would have been much harder to see in front of the sunny side of the barn. While this tip might seem obvious as you look at the finished result above, keep in mind that the human eye sees a far greater range of detail than the camera does. So the shady side of the barn doesn't look nearly as black when you are standing there in the scene. But remembering how it will look to the camera is critical here. You can then place subject so they are bright and background is dark, for a pleasing contrast.

I then framed the composition to be a panoramic, asking my subjects to remain very still. Ideally a tripod would be wise in order to end up with best result. But in the spirit of breaking the rules (and not having my tripod with me) I was able to hand hold the camera and got a successful result.

We found a perfect local gem at the train museum east of town. Kristine was a brave soul, climbing up a steep ladder in high heels to reach the top of locomotive engine 296. And when it comes to sunglasses, bring 'em along! Some shots are great as they look into the sun right before it sets. In real life people would not take their glasses off in order to 'follow the rules' of portraiture. So I have them put their sunglasses back on for a more natural look and feel. Great way to avoid squinting eyes, too.

The Future of Corporate Headshots?

2008-08-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

Just the other day at a photography marketing seminar I was told that corporate headshots are nothing more than a commodity, where the client will probably hire you based on the personal relationship you cultivate with them. That corporate headshots are cookie-cutter and boring. But at a different photography seminar this past weekend ("Small Strobes, Big Results", by Tejada Photography) in Denver, we delved deep into the realm of making dynamic imagery that defies safe and conservative 'rules' for corporate portraits. Everything was done with small strobes (Nikon SB 800s) and some fairly basic light modifiers, but with some clever setups. David Tejada is a great instructor with the heart of a teacher and a love of sharing what he has learned over the course of his 25 years in corporate photography.

Who says you have to do things the traditional way every time?

Found Objects Make Great Props...

2008-06-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

Making use of props in a shoot can really personalize a photograph. At the last minute
we grabbed the football out of my car and also my bride's wicker picnic basket. These items can give your hands something to do during the shoot rather than fidget or be distracting.

Sometimes I find props for me to use behind the camera, items that help me stir up some creativity and keep me from photographically fidgeting. Props can also be techniques or concepts. Over the last few shoots I have attempted panoramics with results that have pleased me. Dale and Bridgit last night were great to have in front of the camera. They are naturally relaxed and able to be loose and comfortable being photographed. So adding a prop or two, as well as some fun lighting right at dusk, made for quite an enjoyable shoot.

See their engagement session shoot photographs here.

Pedicabs, Flatirons enroute to Going to the Chapel...

2008-06-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one heck of a wedding celebration. A rumble nearly broke out at Chautauqua Park in Boulder at the base of the Flatirons between my bride and another bride departing the scene, each posse of bridesmaids decked out in nearly identical yellow dresses. But with tensions simmering under the 90 degree heat of the first day of summer, a cool breeze mercifully settled things down and the day became a fun and thrilling ride from start to finish. Nearly 11 hours later, the longest day of the year according to the sun was actually one of the more enjoyable I've had in a while, and I was working the entire time!

We saw it all--my second photographer fell out of his pedicab while we were trying to photograph the bridal party at breakneck speed--no injuries, to people or equipment, thankfully! There were wardrobe malfunctions.

Reception tables challenged one another to death-defying stunts to one-up the other, from unique toasts to breaking into a conga line and more! There was no lack of energy! Katie and Rich and their guests made my job so much easier and more exciting with all the emotion and fun we had!

Oh, and I was kidding about the near-rumble with the other bride up at Chautauqua Park. But you never know what can happen when someone

yells 'Fight!' as 2 brides and her girls dressed to the nines pass each other!

Panoramic Memory

2008-06-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ellen and Dennis got married at the Loveland Sculpture Gardens at the beautiful, white marble work of art by artist Madeline Wiener entitled "The Conversation". We recreated the private ceremony they shared and I then shot several frames of them in a panoramic composition. Coming from a landscape photography background, I had not tried this technique with people in the composition. But I am very pleased with the resulting image, a flowing memory that honors both the private moment they shared, as well as faithfully keeping intact a sense of the setting where they chose to get married in their favorite place in "Loveland"!

Sharefest 2008

2008-06-01T16:20:00.001-07:00

We had a great time yesterday as 30 local churches in the Boulder, Colorado area got together for the 5th annual Sharefest event. Approximately 3,000 volunteers fanned out to paint, landscape and perform maintenance on local schools, fire stations and other non-profit organizations. We photographed several of the venues, along with a handful of other shooters. Everyone came together this morning at Mackey Auditorium on the CU Boulder campus to worship our God who makes it all possible. Great music, praise and fellowship was had by all. Click here for some of the images of yesterday's fun!

Go here for Sharefest 2008 gallery

Max Littmann: War Hero

2008-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Got to talking with some relatives this past weekend as we gathered to celebrate our great aunt's 90th birthday in St. Louis, MO. Someone brought up Max Littmann, my great-great-grandfather. Max came to the US in 1854 and served in the Army, including the Wagon Box Fight. We took a trip out to visit the battlefield outside of Buffalo, Wyoming a few years back to learn more about this war hero we heard about growing up. It turns out Max and the soldiers from Company C of the 27th United States Infantry who were sent out from a nearby fort to retrieve firewood came under attack by some 3,000 of Red Cloud's Sioux warriors. With little more than a series of military box cars protecting them from certain death, Max stepped out from the relative safety and provided rifle fire so that the rest of the 28 men could return to the their position and ultimately to safety as reinforcements were sent late in the day. If memory serves, one of the key reasons they were able to hold off a far larger foe for the entire day was the recent arrival of an all-new type of gun, the repeating rifle.

See battlefield photographs slideshow here.

The Engagement Session

2008-03-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

Clients sometimes ask if they can skip doing the complimentary engagement session so they can save some money on their wedding photography bill. I always politely say no, for a couple of key reasons. I find this shoot to be immensely valuable in building trust between myself and my clients, allowing us to get to know each other much better ahead of wedding day. In addition to learning more about each other, what makes us all laugh, common interests, I get to offer a few tips on posing and my shooting style. They learn that I don't expect nor want them to look at the camera every time and say 'cheese!' They'll see I want them to just be themselves and to get comfortable being in front of the lens. Hopefully they grow to ignore my camera and just be themselves, so at the wedding there isn't a period of uncomfortability that creates tension. I want everyone to be relaxed and having fun.

Katie and Rich and I got to spend about 4 hours shooting this Saturday afternoon in the foothills above Boulder. We jumped off giant rocks and explored a cave. On top of the tall boulders I sarcastically asked Katie if she had a fear of heights, but I think her day job as a commercial airline pilot gave her an immunity to such worries. We then took off for the top of the mountain and a view of the Continental Divide, finishing up on Pearl Street Mall as evening came and a spring storm dumped 4 inches of snow on us. One guy came up to us and asked me for my business card, saying 'you must be pretty serious at what you do if you are out here in this weather shooting!'

My wife rarely asks me anymore why I am gone so long doing my engagement shoots--she knows I will just tell her that it is important to me to get to know my clients better and will make wedding day that much more valuable. Bottom line--I had a great time hanging out with Katie and Rich!

Baby Portrait Session

2008-03-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

This session was a lot of fun--we took a moment to find the light that would best portray Siena, then ended up doing the whole shoot with strictly available light coming through the sliding glass doors off their kitchen. Shooting available light is a favorite of many photographers in the photojournalstic style, where they don't have to take out any lights to intrude upon the natural scene. But I once heard another photographer describe available light in the following way. When asked if he lit a scene with 'available' light, he explained that the two studio lights he used were truly 'available' light, as "No one else was using it, so it was available to me!"

Fresh Eyes

2008-02-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

Got to love the energy and eye contact the little ones bring during a photo session. Baby Beckett was no exception, willing to be photographed in various settings and clothes changes for the better part of the morning--he did great! Each shoot is different and lighting and background variations all make for unique opportunities. Claudia and Andrew were great, too, opening their beautiful home as the backdrop for Beckett's first professional photo shoot. Should have the shoot edited here in about a week!

Backroads America

2008-02-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

It's Super Tuesday and I would love a few days back out on the road. Politics overload, so I'm clearing the mind with some photographs made from the road over the last couple of months. I am putting together a collection for a local commercial real estate firm showing off architectural details. Things off the beaten path, bright colors. Some of these might be in the final display. See you on the road...

Making Light of the Moment

2007-11-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

Shooting an evening wedding the week after daylight savings time closes out means you will have to get creative with lighting. We were able to shoot a few series of getting ready shots and some formals before the sunset. And it got dark in a hurry!

Launi and Jeremy chose to see each other all decked out for the first time just prior to the ceremony, so we accomplished our formals shoot as well as a few minutes for them to be together. As an aside, I think this can be a wonderful way for couples to share in the excitement of the day together, to experience the touch of the person whom before God and man they will make a lifelong covenant. I have never shot a couple who regretted having those special moments together, especially the tender photographs we make of them laying eyes on the other for the first time.

Back to light--in a large venue with very high ceilings, we employed a few lighting methods that brought out some unique looks and made for more dramatic images. I snooted (i.e. made a narrow tunnel of light) one of my strobe flashes by attaching it to the end of a monopod and then having my assistant hold a 3' long poster tube in front of the flash. We worked in tandem on the dance floor, my shutter wirelessly tripping his flash from a range of distances. In the top image, we managed to squeeze a little light in between a crowd of dancing guests to penetrate just to the groom's hands clasped around the bride's dress. I kind of like it! The second image took a different approach. My assistant held the flash on the monopod, but this time we put a red gel over it to provide a more dramatic, club feel. I again triggered his flash as he backlit the couple, but I also snooted my own flash to throw some clear light onto just the subjects without overpowering the red light coming from behind. A color contrast is a fun way to add some more ooomph!

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience...

2007-10-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

When I am photographing a wedding one of the most loved passages of the Bible at wedding time is from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ("Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy..."). It reminds me of the passage where Paul talks about the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). So I put together an image taken from an engagement session this past weekend with the fruits of the Spirit burned into the area around where their hands meet. To me, these 'fruits', or virtues, are great traits to demonstrate in one's own life, marriage, place of work, neighborhood and beyond. If only I could display more of these in my own life!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

2007-09-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Who says you have to trash the dress in order to 'trash the dress'? As trends go, all the cool kids are doing it, so why not get in on the act? Never one to just conform, we decided to mix up things a bit and just go for a nice, family-friendly ice skating session. But this one was literally right after Mariah and Reed walked back down the aisle and out of the church following tying the knot in Beaver Creek, Colorado. It always helps to have a rink 200 steps away from the church (and to arrive in style by showing up in a stretch Hummer limo).

Mariah & Reed hit the ice

Glory Community Golf Benefit

2007-09-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

I got to spend the afternoon photographing foursomes from the 13th tee at Coal Creek Golf Course last week in a benefit for Glory Community. They are a faith-based non-profit group that provides assistance to the mentally-handicapped as they become adults and seek work, housing and meaningful contributions to society. They are a wonderful group and are doing a lot for the community.

I enjoyed the balmy afternoon in the shade and getting to brush up on some cross-lighting techniques with my trusty speedlight and umbrella. Also found 18 premium golf balls in the rough behind our tent that were written off by their former owners. And if that is not enough, I got to photograph the weatherwoman for Fox News, my high school principal from 20 years ago, my now-retired eye doctor and a friend from bible study--as the photo suggests, fun times were had by all!

Senior Session with Hanna

2007-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Senior portrait photography is starting to grow on me. For this portrait shoot we met up in downtown Boulder, Colorado on the Pearl Street Mall, looking for something urban, yet vibrant and bold. So while Boulder Pridefest was in full swing on the mall, we explored a few alleys to come up with several locations we liked. Taking full advantage of off-camera lighting using Nikon SB 800 speedlights and an umbrella and light stand, we turned the harsh, late-morning sun into an asset for some strong compositions.

Training Day

2007-09-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

We're putting together a collection for a potential children's hospital client that focuses on the theme of trains. Kids love 'em, boys and girls alike. If I were a kid again and had to be in the hospital, I'd love if they had trains everywhere to look at and to play with! Heck, I'd like that even as an adult stuck in the hospital!

Here are a few of the photographs we put together to go with the train theme.

To the Trains!

Circle Day, Red Day

2007-09-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Looking for a creative way to change the way I see things photographically, I decided to come up with a personal challenge. I would only photograph circles or round object. Another day I walked around the neighborhood and photographed anything red that caught my eye. Then I assembled them into a 5x5 collage using a free Photoshop Action I found online. A good time was had by all. If you have any creative assignments that have worked well for you, post them in the comments.

Best of Denver

2007-09-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

For some reason I keep thinking of this famous National Lampoon magazine cover from the 70s where the publication shows a gun to the head of a lovable dog stating that if you don't buy this magazine, they will shoot the dog. Okay, we're not taking such drastic measures to get our clients and readers to vote for us in the photography category for Channel 7's A-List Best of Denver, but we thought some subtle association couldn't hurt. Vote for us and add your comments, too, at this link:

Channel 7's Best of Denver voting

More Lightpainting, Different Subject

2007-09-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably seen the recent Sprint commercials showing dancing figures of light moving about the screen. Using flashlights and other LED-based lights, a Japanese performance group known as Pika-Pika discovered a whole new way of painting with light. Not sure if they are the designers of the new commercials, but if not, they certainly were the inspiration for it. What's neat here is that instead of painting a surface or tree or cactus with a lightsource, the light itself becomes the subject. They make repeated photographs of the lights spinning, moving about in distinct shapes. Then they animate them with software to create a type of cartoon that will blow you away.

Check out more here (courtesy of Strobist blog) and follow the link to watch the Sprint commercial and the original Pika-Pika videos:

Lightpainting Videos

Lightpainting--What Is It?

2007-09-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Forget lightsabers and paintbrushes for a moment and think of light as a way to illuminate the surface of some object or scene. Now imagine setting up your camera on a tripod and leaving the shutter open for several seconds, if not for many minutes. Then take a light source (flashlight, strobe light, LED keychain light, your open cellphone or even car headlights and placing light just where you want it to go. Now if you do this under cover of darkness, no one will think you are weird or working for a counterterrorism unit, but rather that you are having a blast making one-of-a-kind images that extend your creativity in entirely new ways. Of course they might still think you are weird--just look at the shot of me above lightpainting in front of the Flatirons in Boulder, CO.

For a basic primer on the topic, visit the link below:

Dave Black's Cool Lightpainting Tips

Distraction

2007-08-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

From a recent trip to Williams, AZ, I shot this cafe sign along the street. A couple of topics come to mind on this shot--leaving out distracting details and, well, I'll leave the other topic out for now. The temptation here is to shoot the sign, the pole it was on, the front of the diner and even the street scene in the background. Boring! There would have been way too much activity for the eye to digest, leaving the viewer with an uninteresting photograph. Zooming in tighter overcomes much of this problem, allowing your eye to visually absorb what just the sign has to offer. And don't be afraid to crop in tight, even cutting off the edges of the subject a bit. The other temptation here is to go inside the diner and order a chocolate malt, greasy french fries and a tasty burger. But I wouldn't know anything about that now would I...?

Trash the Dress?!

2007-08-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. Drown the Gown, this new trend is trying to break away from traditional views of the wedding dress. I personally go back and forth with the idea of destroying an expensive piece of clothing. Part of me thinks it is a wealth status symbol to frivolously destroy what can cost thousands of dollars. But then again if you are spending that kind of money to begin with on a dress and you hope to never need to wear another wedding dress again in your life, why not start your own tradition and go counter-culture? You can make some amazing photographs that don't even require you to demolish the dress. Taking a quick swim in your wedding dress or jumping on a trampoline? Why not? You can still get it cleaned later and preserved for posterity.

Sharefest 2007

2007-08-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post about our piece on the front page of the Lafayette newspaper earlier in the summer. The paper ran three of our photographs from our coverage of Sharefest 2007. Sharefest is an annual church-based event put together by many Boulder County churches to paint, clean and fix up something like 16 different public schools in the area. Over 2500 volunteers turned out and did some great work getting the schools ready for the fall start to the school year. Lots of fun! One school hadn't been painted since it opened nearly 22 years ago!

Fairview HS Class of '87 Reunion

2007-08-06T11:23:00.001-07:00

It's fun catching up with one old friend you haven't seen for 20 years. But when you multiply that sensation times 200 all at the same moment, it can make your head spin! My 20 year high school reunion in Boulder, Colorado this past weekend was more fun than any human being should be allowed to have! For those of you who didn't attend or left before the bitter end, click through to see which classmate took the 'casual cocktail' dress code in an entirely new direction. What a fun time, Fairview HS class of'87!

View the reunion photographs here

Unnecessarily Beautiful World

2007-08-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

Customers have been asking to have easier access to view our landscape photography collections, so the links to our main body of nature work (i.e. those generally without bodies in them) can be found below. To view/purchase, follow this link:

Landscapes and other Unique Images

Ashley and Matt's Wedding

2007-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Jim and I road-tripped across Colorado down into the Oklahoma Panhandle to celebrate this outrageously fun wedding. Giant windmills some 15 stories tall, Ashley and her mother-in-law frolicking a la Marilyn Monroe on a steam grate, the bride on horseback and jumping on a trampoline and more! A tornado even hit this Oklahoma town just a few days before the ceremony. What an exciting and colorful wedding--thanks, Ashley and Matt--we enjoyed ourselves!

See the full wedding here

Stretch Your Wedding Budget--Photography Registry

2006-07-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Brides have been asking about ways to add their wedding photography to their bridal registry and we can now accomodate it! It is as simple as telling your family and friends in an email or on your personal wedding website where to find us. If you are HTML savvy, just create a link to Marc Littmann Photography somewhere on your webpage. Or just include www.littmannphoto.com/contact.htm in an email to them and they will be able to purchase a gift certificate good for any amount they want. It will be placed in your name as a regular store credit towards prints, an album or even towards your remaining deposit on your wedding package.

To DVD or Not to DVD, That is the Question

2006-02-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is whether we offer a DVD with print files included in our packages. It's a good question, as photographers often don't want to give up their reprint revenue stream. But many couples want to own a copy of the DVD for safekeeping and ease of making reprints 2, 5 or 10 years down the road. We offer such a DVD on our Grand Tetons package for no extra cost. But for those working within a more limited budget range and who don't need the unlimited coverage of our 'grandest' package, we can create a modified version that substitutes certain items and even some of the print credit towards the purchase of the DVD with the print files. For example, a Boulder, Colorado couple decided to swap the thank you photographs and the slideshow DVD and received a credit to be used towards the purchase of the print file DVD. After an additional charge and a reduction of their print credit, they had exactly what they wanted and remained within the budget they set for themselves for wedding photography. And they'll go to the altar and live happily ever after (without breaking the bank!).

How Does the Print Credit Work?

2006-02-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

One question I get asked a lot is how the retail print credit works in our packages. Each package option comes with a print credit that is similar to a gift certificate. For instance, if you have purchased the Maroon Bells package and receive the $1000 print credit, you will be issued a code that you punch into the website with your photos on it. So if a 4x6 costs $6.00, ordering two of these reduces your print credit by $12.00. Order 25 5x7s and 10 8x10s, then even another 200 4x6 prints and you can just keep going until you burn up the $1000 credit. Beyond that, prints are then paid for via credit card after your print credit is used up.

Eye For Detail

2006-02-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

The majority of our photographs are shot digitally in color, with the option of going to black and white, sepia, cross-processing or selective color interpretations as seen in this image. During the editing process following your wedding, we will concentrate our efforts to produce more (or less) of certain color styles, depending on your personal taste. Be sure to let us know "I love sepia, but don't care too much for black and white images," or "Get as creative as you want, Marc, with bringing back color on an image you have previously converted to black and white." The more we know about your personal tastes, the happier you will be with your final result.

Marc Littmann Wedding Photography

2006-02-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

We invite you to look around our website, browse our photography and see if what we do will meet your needs for your big day. We specialize in the increasingly popular wedding photojournalism style, where we record the story of your wedding--natural and relaxed, fun and memorable. We will travel throughout Colorado's Front Range and up to many mountain areas across the state. For weddings further afield, don't hesitate to contact us for more information and pricing.

Thank you for your interest in our work. You'll find a sampling of images and stories from previous weddings on the postings below.
Contact Us Now

Getting to the Church On Time

2005-05-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Get Him to the Church On Time
Originally uploaded by mntjourney.

The final walk as a bachelor for this groom flanked by his entourage of closest amigos quickly became a memorable spring blizzard in Colorado. There are no guarantees what the weather is going to do any time of the year, much less in April. They say if you don't like the weather in Colorado, wait five minutes. It couldn't have been truer than on this day, but a good time was had by all, despite the hard-driving storm.

See a Sample Online Proofing Gallery

Father and Daughter

2005-05-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

cheryl_dad_sepia1669
Originally uploaded by mntjourney.

Cheryl dances with her father at what turned out to be quite a fun and unique wedding event. After the band wrapped it up, about 20 drums were brought out and a large circle of percussion, dance and singing ensued. I joined in on the action, accepting an invitation to try a larger drum and a didgeridoo. I just might have a talent for Aboriginal tribal music should I ever consider a career change!
Click here to view our Wedding Photography Gallery

Sean's Posse

2005-03-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

Sean and Laurel
Originally uploaded by mntjourney.

Sean, the groomsmen and his soon-to-be father-in-law looking tough on the deck of Fireridge overlooking near Lory Canyon State Park after a stunning sunset. Sean recently lead 200 men into combat in Iraq as an officer for the United States Marine Corps. Keep him and his men in your prayers over the next 8 months.

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Jordy and Chad

2005-03-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Jordy_chad wings
Originally uploaded by mntjourney.

We had a lot of fun creating this shot. Jordy had wanted something elegant, tasteful, yet striking in her formal portrait. So after much laughter and efforts to look serious, we finally produced a 'swept off her feet' moment.

View A Wedding Gallery

The Special Moment

2005-03-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

cheryl tom bw
Originally uploaded by mntjourney.

Amidst a flurry of activity while setting up the large family portrait, I caught this tender interaction that seemed to defy the otherwise action-filled scene. It is for these brief scenes that I find to be the most fulfilling when you get it just right on film!

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