Fog

One of the many perks of living in this beautiful city is the amount of events and festivals that happen on a regular basis. I've never lived in a place that seems to so purposefully focus on congregating residents and enjoying the land and the company.

With a reasonably small population, Boulder tends to bring out familiar faces when these events come around. I've written a bit in the past about some of the performers, musicians, and general "regulars" I see while I'm out and about in the city. Sometimes I hear street musicians I know from around a corner. Some of the performers have their spots in the city where they've dug in their heels over the years. When these festivals do pop up, I find the man pictured by following the sound of loud, live music. Find the music and there's a good chance you'll see him dancing or swaying or just standing and smiling in an almost spiritual way. He will most likely be the first person you spot in a crowd or audience – he is remarkably thin and confidently splits the difference between six and seven feet in height.

I have tried to approach him in the past, but reconsidered, not wanting to interrupt his dancing. This past weekend at the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival I caught him on a short break and asked to shoot a picture. This smile was the result of my question, along with a soft, "yes." Before I knew it he was back up on his feet and moving again (before I could even get his name). That said, I'm sure I'll have ample opportunity to put a name to the face. Just need to chase the vibrations.

Sarah & Spencer

There are few things as emotionally contagious as spending a wedding day with a bride and groom. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding celebration in Driftwood, Texas, just southwest of Austin. The loving couple, Spencer and Sarah, are two of the most kindhearted, sincere people I have had the pleasure of photographing. It's pretty special when you finish shooting a wedding and your jaw is sore because the interactions of the newly married couple kept you smiling all day.

The wedding took place at Stonehouse Villa, an incredibly beautiful property bordered by rolling hills and fields of tall grass. It shares a remarkably similar feel to Tuscany (in fact, you don't have to drive far to stumble upon a vineyard) – it most certainly is not the Texas I grew up knowing. Both the ceremony and reception took place outside, and the weather could not have turned out better. Below are just a few of the photos from the big day. My hope is that these convey the tremendous, powerful love that these two special people so obviously feel for one another.

I'm a sucker for anything cheesy and creative, so I had to stop when I saw someone in floaties, an inner tube, and a "fishing pole" collecting donations. When I first walked by, he kindly and energetically reached his tip jar out to a group of girls and said, "Whoa, that's a good cast!"

Turns out his name is Adam and he's originally from Utah. Given the heavy downpour today, he chose appropriate attire. Thankfully the rain stopped long enough to shoot a picture.

Days like today make me wish I had a more sizable income to share with amazingly talented artists like the ones in this photograph. This group is called the Coyote String Band, and they were playing at the Pearl Street Mall today. They sang and played their folky, soulful music with an intoxicating passion and I couldn't help but stay and listen for a while. I gave some money before I took the picture, but after a few minutes I decided I needed to buy a CD as well (which I never do). 
These guys made my day and served as today's reminder of how powerful music can be. Check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coyotestringband