Riverfront Park engagement | Carlyle & Michael

It's not often that I get to photograph my friends so when the opportunity presents itself it's always something that I look forward to.

Michael has been a good friend since we lived next door to each other in the dorms our freshman year of undergrad and we later roomed together during a semester abroad in Rome. Carlyle and I are both marketing geeks so it's been fun to talk shop while we've been able to get to know each other the past eight months or so.

Along with a few others, Michael helped push me to pursue photography while we were in Italy so I almost owe him for where I am today. With that in mind, I'm excited to be shooting their upcoming wedding.

They met downtown and spent several dates at and around Riverfront Park so that's where we spent most of our time for their engagement photos on Tuesday evening.

After a torrential downpour almost ruined our plans, the clouds parted just enough to give us a dramatic, overcast sky that was great to shoot under.

I'm definitely looking forward to both shooting and celebrating their wedding in Steamboat Springs a few months from now.

-JCE

Denver engagement photographers

Baseball photographers | Braves v Rockies

"Starting pitcher Juan Nicasio #44 of the Colorado Rockies follows through on his delivery during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on July 20, 2011 in Denver, Colorado."

"Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates his walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth with Jhoulys Chacin #45 as the Rockies defeated the Braves 3-2 at Coors Field on July 20, 2011 in Denver, Colorado."

Who doesn't like a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth with two outs?

-JCE

Baseball photographers

Denver sports photographers | Braves v Rockies

"A member of the grounds crew tries to wrangle in the tarp as they prepare the field following a 26-minute rain delay prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 19, 2011 in Denver, Colorado."

Today, I thank Mother Nature for bringing the rain.

Although the Rockies smashed the Braves 12-3 on Tuesday evening there weren't many interesting images to be made during the game. Thankfully I made something I was happy with long before the game started.

My car was at the shop and I didn't get to pick it up until late in the day so I was running a little behind compared to how early I like to arrive at games. As I drove down Colfax it seemed as though I was headed into the eye of the storm as it rained sideways and lightning struck every few seconds.

The whole drive to the ballpark I was thinking of what kind of weather feature I was going to try and make. Just as I made my way into the press box I could see the grounds crew removing the sandbags from the tarp. I grabbed a few cameras and raced down to the field, anticipating the tarp's removal.

I made a few straightforward images before the the above happened. Sometimes all it takes is being in the right place at the right time and Tuesday I was.

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

Colorado engagement photographers | Krista & Matt

Some couples just get it. I don't have to say anything. They do their thing and I do mine.

Krista and Matt are one of those couples.

It probably didn't hurt that Matt studied photojournalism in college and it wasn't Krista's first time in front of a camera. That really meant that the pressure was all on me.

As someone whose personal style lives through graphic elements and color, I couldn't have asked for much more. It's a blast to walk through parts of downtown and find new locations, colors that catch your eye. The time of day has a lot to do with that.

Sonya, their four year-old 130lb Mastiff, joined for a little bit at the beginning of the evening before we ventured off sans the dog. The light was fantastic and for what seemed like the first time in two weeks it didn't rain.

Winning.

-JCE

Colorado engagement photographers

Denver sports photographers | Whitecaps FC v Rapids

"Caleb Folan #21 of the Colorado Rapids leaps onto a group of his teammates as they celebrate a goal by Conor Casey #9 during the first half against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on July 9, 2011 in Commerce City, Colorado. The Rapids defeated Whitecaps FC 2-1."

Well what do you know, the Rapids finally won a home game for the first time since April.

This kind of jube was welcome but rather unusual for the Rapids in my experience. Conor Casey who has scored in something like six of his last seven games only gave a boring "hang loose" sign in my direction after scoring the goal.

The image actually reminds me of a similar celebration by DU's women's soccer team over Stanford back in 2007. It's crazy to think how far I've come since then.

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

NASCAR photographers | Toyota/Save Mart 350

"Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, sits in his car during the practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

"Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

"Clint Bowyer, driver of the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

"Mike Skinner, driver of the #60 Big Red Toyota, makes a turn with two wheels off the ground during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 24, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

"Kurt Busch, driver of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, races during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 26, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

"Kurt Busch, driver of the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 26, 2011 in Sonoma, California."

I don't know how but I managed to get put on one of the most enjoyable race weekends of the year. When your editor calls and asks if you want to go to San Francisco it's not something that turn it down.

The weather was cool, dry, the food was great and shooting a road course was a pleasure. There was great shooting positions...for practice. I made most of my favorite images during the practice sessions. For the Sprint Cup race I was the low man on the totem so I was relegated to important, yet less popular shooting positions.

We needed an image of turn 11 so I hiked a good quarter of a mile up the hill and into a parking lot outside of the track to get a scene setting picture with the northern California countryside in the background.

Other than the last two images above, I wasn't able to make much more than the standard race photos that you can see here.

-JCE

Denver sports photographers

Colorado wedding photographer | Erin & Ryan

Wedding season has finally begun, for me at least.

Last Saturday I took on a little different role than I'm used to as I assisted a fellow EAW and rust team alumni, Mike Greener (aka Greener Visuals), with Erin and Ryan's wedding in Parker, Colorado. I still second shoot for friends and colleagues occasionally but this time I was responsible for holding lights and setting up and running the photobooth.

Erin is a big time marketing exec at the Facebook offices in California so I tethered the photobooth camera to a computer, uploaded to Facebook and occasionally tagged folks in real time. It was a big hit among everyone.

When I wasn't busy taking care of those other tasks I made a few frames along the way. I'm used to shooting start to finish so it was a little different for me but I was happy to help Mike execute his vision.

Erin and Ryan threw one heck of a party. It'll be one of those that Zuckerberg will be sad he wasn't able to attend because I'm sure folks will be talking about it for weeks.

-JCE

Colorado wedding photographer