Breckenridge Wedding Photographers - Beaton Photography

Summit County Photographer - A Pictage Photo Honor!

2012-02-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

We are ecstatic to have one of our images selected for the home page of the Pictage Website. (If you're logged in on Pictage you just have to log out to view the homepage images!) The category was "Let there be Light" and this image was selected along with many amazing Pictage photographers.

The image is from a weekend at the amazing Elk House Retreat in Keystone - no photoshop just a unique moment outside the master bedroom there & shooting with the lens RIGHT up against the glass at dusk. And the mountain behind me is shading the window enough to let the ambient light of the master bedroom shine through.

Truly humbled to be among some of these great photographers names:

Dave Edmundson - Plano, Texas
David Whittig Photography - Chicago Illinois
Sanderson Images - Pennsylvania
Brody Dezember Photography - Salt Lake City, UT
VanBuren Photography - Denver, Colorado
Chelsea Nicole Photography - Las Vegas, Nevada

Another award we just learned that we were awarded for the 3rd year in a row is the Wedding Wire Brides Choice Award for 2012. That means we are among the top 5% of wedding professionals nationally. Thanks to all the brides and grooms that completed reviews for our business on www.weddingwire.com.

Amazing Weekend Retreat to Crestone, Colorado....

2012-01-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a little time away... so after an extremely busy summer/fall/holiday photography season I escaped last weekend to the beautiful little town of Crestone, Colorado. All by myself. But apparently there are a lot of people retreat to Crestone all alone!

My favorite photo of the weekend was this first one... and I wondered, could this sign really work back at home? But I totally pondered the idea and what wonderful things were happening behind this gate while I passed by?

This last photo was the amazing VRBO Rental that I stayed in just minutes from some of the greatest temples and ashrams on Camino Baca Grande. A one bedroom apartment above the garage of the adjoining house... suitable for 2 adults and possibly a small kiddo... but a GREAT place to relax!

Crestone is an amazing small town located just 50 miles south of Salida, Colorado, just north of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

I found a wonderful massage therapist, Cathy Amenta, who turns out to be a friend from 16 or 17 years ago here in Summit County. She has a thriving practice in Crestone & I highly recommend her.

I will be back to Crestone... it's a one of a kind spiritual place! (and just 3 hours from my home!)

namaste

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New in 2012 - Monthly Summit County Photography Workshops!

2012-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:00

One thing that's new for Beaton Photography in 2012 is we're going to start conducting photography workshops once a month. The exact dates and locations will vary depending on the individuals that are interested and sign up. But so far we have four amazing locations for workshops in Summit County:

Alpine Gardens - Silverthorne
First workshop of the year, Saturday February 4th, 10:30am to 12noon. $50 per person.
email kay@beatonphotography.com to sign up.

The Teal Gallery - Breckenridge
We are planning a March workshop one Saturday at the Teal Gallery.... a beautiful co-working space in Breckenridge. Lots of stimulation for the eyes and cameras including a walk down Main Street Breckenridge.

Cameez Frozen Yogurt and Coffee in Frisco
I was hired to take some photos of the inside of the Cameez store for their website at the end of last year and have always been impressed with the colors and fun looks in the shop. Looks like we'll be having a workshop there but it has to be before the shop opens in the morning (11:30am) as it's very busy once things get rolling! Summit Daily News called referred to it as one of the small booming businesses in the area!

Elk House Retreat - Keystone
This option is for weekend photography workshops only or at least full day workshops as it's an amazing Keystone property that we need to book for several nights. Lodging available for up to eight workshop participants, but some are in bunks.

This is a basic photography workshop, covering some very basic photography rules and helping attendees get more comfortable with their own cameras. We can do more advanced workshops as the year goes on by request, but will start with the basics.

Getting to know your camera
Basics of Shutter Speed, Aperture, and Depth of Field
Specific questions from attendees

Please bring:
- your camera (charged with memory card & ready to shoot!)
- your camera manual
- a list of questions that you've been wondering about
- any favorite images (yours or of others)that you have questions about

To sign up or ask additional questions please email Kay Beaton at kay@beatonphotography.com

We are open for ideas to make the future workshops fun so offer suggestions! Some ideas being considered for future workshops are:

- baby/children photography
- wildflower photography
- real estate photography

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Colorado Baby Photographer - meet 3 week old Alana!

2012-01-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

I love photographing friends and return clients. I was lucky enough to photography Kate & Kevin's beautiful Keystone Ranch wedding in 2007. And this month I've been photographing their darling newborn daughter Alana! Newborns are so fun to photograph because they are so interesting... some of the photos I think can be captioned "getting to know each other." Because the baby is learning all about "life on the outside" of the womb and the parents are learning all about their baby. And there is so much JOY! I love photographing newborns - I could have stayed all day!

Alana's slideshow online here...

and I popped into the hospital when Alana was one day old... and captured this beautiful photo.... isnt' she darling?

Oxygen is often needed for babies at 9,000 feet elevation - so it can be hard to schedule newborn portraits. But I highly recommend it - and sometimes we can "work around" the oxygen!

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Breckenridge and Keystone Wedding Vendors

2012-01-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

January is a BIG wedding planning month - so we're talking to lots of brides and grooms right now. We always try to keep an updated list of Summit County Wedding Vendors, but there are always additions and deletions. These are some of our favorite wedding vendors in the Summit County area, including Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Frisco, and Silverthorne.

Please let us know in the comments section if you see any edits that should be made or if we've made an error or missed anyone!

Wedding Venues
Black Mountain Lodge at Arapahoe Basin
Keystone Resort - Timber Ridge, Ski Tip Lodge, Keystone Ranch, Keystone Back Ranch
Griffith Lodge - Breckenridge
Silverthorne Pavilion
Sapphire Point
Copper Mountain
Breckenridge Resort - Ten Mile Station, the Maggie, Sevens
Donovan Pavilion - Vail
Breckenridge Lodge and Spa

Luxury Private Homes Rented for Weddings
V3 Ranch - Breckenridge - up to 150 wedding guests - sleeps 16
Cold Water Creek Lodge - Breckenridge
Keystone Meadow House - Keystone Ranch - 8 bedrooms/sleeps 26
Lodge at Carolina in the Pines - Dillon - 12 bedroom/sleeps 28
Bristlecone Lodge - Sawmill Rd Breckenridge - 8 bedrooms/sleeps 28
Elk Mountain Lodge - Outside Breckenridge - 5 bedrooms/sleeps 16
The Elk House - Keystone Ranch - 4 Bedroom/sleeps 14
Rubywood - Breckenridge - 4 bedrooms/sleeps 14-18
Seasons Dreams Vacation Homes - variety of luxury private homes

Wedding Publications
Rocky Mountain Bride Website
Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine Online Issues
Keystone Wedding Brochure
High Country Wedding Magazine - Summit Daily News

Summit County Caterers
Harvest Catering - Kevin Abernathy
All Seasons Catering - Silverthorne
Gilchrist Catering - Dillon
Bonnie Q BBQ - Dillon

Summit County Florists
Petal and Bean - Breckenridge
Bloom - Breckenridge
Garden of Eden - Frisco
Neils Lunceford - Silverthorne
Creations by Christine
Bella Fiore - treasure@colorado.net

Local Tux Shops
Frisco Fun and Formal
Breckenridge Tux

Salons - Hair Makeup Nails
Serenity Spa - Keystone
Breckenridge Hair Company
Southern Exposure - Dillon

Local Officiants
Leon Littlebird
Gretchen Abernathy - gabernathy@netzero.net

Local DJs
Rockin The Rockies - Denver & Mountains of Colorado
Great Time DJ

Videographers
Creative Mountain Images
Good Times Videos

Summit County Wedding Planners

Breck Weddings - Stacy and Dina Sanchez - Petal and Bean Florists
Bella Planning and Design - Emily Campbell
Element Events - Elizabeth Ross
Custom Weddings of Colorado - Wendee Walter
Sapphire Celebrations - Pamela and Angela
Just Perfect by Kathy - justperfectbyk@aol.com

Black Mountain Lodge - Arapahoe Basin

Keystone Back Ranch:

Breckenridge Lodge and Spa

Colorado Newborn Photographer - Meet Gracie at 15 days old!

2012-01-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

What a fun family shoot! I photographed big sister Adalynn last year when she was two. Gracie was born December 19th and the whole family came to the studio for this shoot. Gracie was sleeping REALLY well through most of it as you can see, and Adalynn was her usual charming self!

Slideshow online here...

Adalynn is a very busy active 3 year old, but when she does settle down & look at the camera - WOW! I love her blue eyes! And that hair!

And these last photos just make me laugh - Adalynn's expressions are so honest... she wants in the photo but not necessarily next to that noisy baby. We kept putting the baby in the back of her photos and when we put Gracie in her lap - she let's us know it's a bad idea! She'll love you someday soon Gracie!

We got some traditional family portraits, but I like these against the bean bag chair and everyone just hanging out!

Colorado Baby Photographer - Meet Newborn Laurel!

2012-01-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

We were going to get maternity photos of Laurel's mom, but whoops we missed. That happens a lot... the best maternity photos I think are when the belly is the biggest and sometimes the baby comes before the photos!

But I met Laurel when she was just three weeks old and we had a great shoot at their home in Breckenridge. We had to work around the oxygen as many babies here at 9,500 feet have to have oxygen in their first few weeks of life. But I thought her newborn shoot was wonderful!

Laurel's Newborn Slideshow

And a few of my favorites:

And as most newborn shoots - I feel like we got better photos with dad and Laurel than we did with mom. Both parents are adorable, but sometimes babies just relax more with their dad's - no reminders of lunchtime or feeding. Just relaxation. Ahhhhhhh...

and these photos remind me why I like to photograph babies in their own space... the natural light in her eyes... and everyone is comfortable!

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Breckenridge Photographer - Photos of the Year 2011

2012-01-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Last year, inspired by other professional photographers at Pictage, I dug through the year's photos and compiled my favorite Photos of the Year for 2010. Now it has become an annual tradition, and a great way to summarize my year of photography work.

2011 Photos of the Year slideshow here...

In 2011 I hope to photograph more and more babies! I love babies! I could photograph them all day everyday! I think I will!

What a great profession and some REALLY great clients!

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Colorado Baby Photographer - Meet Finnegan and Zoe!

2011-12-30T16:21:00.000-08:00

This year I have had many past clients come back as new parents for baby photos. This week I had the pleasure of photographing Jessica and Dan's 4 month old twins, Finnegan and Zoe! I photographed their beautiful wedding 3 years ago at the Donovan Pavilion in Vail and so excited to photograph these adorable little twins!

Finnegan definitely was stealing the show... but his sister Zoe could have been the winner if she wasn't napping so much! Anyway... I'm blessed to have beautiful clients like this!

Slideshow online here...

makes you want to have a baby... doesn't it? or maybe two!

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Cameez Frozen Yogurt and Coffee open in Frisco!

2011-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of photographing one of the newest businesses in Frisco, Colorado this week - the Cameez frozen yogurt shop. My kids had gotten me in there a few times and it's become an almost daily stop. Great atmosphere, and colors, and amazingly good frozen yogurt and coffees. They even have Wi-Fi! If you haven't been there yet, I highly recommend it!

Love this last photo - I think it's Tim behind there that has the headless arm reaching for coffee!

Thanks to amazing Melissa for offering to model for us! I took Melissa's senior portraits in fall and just love photographing her! Always smiling and beautiful and willing to do almost anything I ask!

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Breakfast with Santa at Frisco Tuscato's Restaurant

2011-12-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

I have photographed Breakfast with Santa for many years in the past and always love doing it! Something about all that wonder in the room and Santa is so darn adorable even I start believing! Tuscato Restaurant has been good enough to host the event for many years and the event is a fundraiser for Summit County Preschool.

Slideshow online here...

And a few of my favorite photos...

.....and sometimes the fear is so great all you can muster up is a fist bump with Santa Claus! Or Mommy can high five Santa!

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Kristin and Donato's Fall Wedding on Lake Dillon

2011-11-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

Kristin and Donato were married in October at Lord of the Mountains Church in Dillon, and their reception was held at the Silverthorne Pavilion. The weather had been threatening, but held out beautifully for some outdoor shots along Lake Dillon. I love the dog's involvement in the ceremony and the interaction with bikers and the wedding party at Point Dillon Park.

Slideshow online here...

and a few favorite photos. And a huge thank you for my second shooters Diana Sabreen and Bill Linfield who rocked the wedding photos!

I LOVED this photo from their engagement session in September at the Raven Golf Course in Silverthorne - we caught just the end of the yellow aspens - slideshow online here.

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Allison and Mark's Fall Wedding at Keystone's Warren Station!

2011-11-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Allison and Mark were married at Keystone Resort's Warren Station in October. The weather held out beautifully and we had a lot of sunshine, beautiful mountain backdrops, and some fall colors!

Allison and Mark have known each other all their lives, and have dated for a decade now, so it was a beautiful celebration. And I love Allison's expressions - she has so many different looks over the course of the day. What a beautiful wedding to photograph! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day Allison and Mark!

Slideshow online here!

I'm so glad they wanted to take time before the ceremony to do first look photos at drive up Loveland Pass to take a few photos with Arapahoe Basin in the background! A little windy up there, but well worth the time and effort as you can see! They did gets lots of honks and yells from passing motorists!

I just adore all these expressions of Allison's - you can just read her thoughts on her face!

Keystone on Dwellable

Summit County Fall Photos - One Year Old Wyatt at the Playground!

2011-10-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

I love combining family photos with a little playground time. Sometimes it can be tricky as some toddlers see the play equipment and will NOT do any sitting still portraits. But Wyatt just turned one, so he wasn't really aware of the playground equipment until after the serious portraits. But WHAT a difference in his expressions once he started on the slide! He was definitely cute before that, but he came ALIVE on the slide!

Slideshow online here...

and a few of my favorites....

Sapphire Point Weddings - Congratulations Meghan and Travis

2011-10-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

I always love Sapphire Point Weddings! Maybe because you can always guarantee amazing views - maybe because the Dillon Ranger District limits guests to 35 people. Maybe because I happened upon Christa and Cole's elopement there 4 years ago on a magical December afternoon. Maybe because brides getting married at Sapphire Point must be outdoorsy and willing to brave the elements, no matter what time of year!

My own wedding was scheduled there 15 years ago, but we moved inside at the last minute to accomodate both of Kirk's grandmas and the 6 inches of new snow! We did get to Sapphire Point for the toast after the ceremony. And since then I have photographed dozens of weddings there and many many portrait sesssions.

Meghan and Travis came from Missouri to get married with just family members and it was an amazing day and beautiful ceremony! Slideshow online here...

and a few of my favorites...

I love this last photo & this "moment in time" that I caught while Travis was waiting at the overlook and ceremony spot for his beautiful bride, Meghan. I was 30 feet away, and could see her walking down, but he was out of sight... he kept leaning to see if he could catch a peek... LOVE this moment when the groom sees his bride for the first time, and Travis didn't disappoint me!

Thanks so much for choosing Beaton Photography to photograph your wedding - it was an amazing day!

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Dillon Fall Portraits - Michele and Nathan

2011-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Michele and Nathan picked a beautiful fall morning to take their portraits. They knew they wanted some photos at the marina, and then some in the yellow aspens. I could NOT have asked for better weather or better subjects... I even liked this little chalk drawing on the pavement at the Dillon Marina & took a photo. I did add the skirt in Photoshop!

Slideshow online here...

Summit County Photographer - The Smith Family in Keystone

2011-10-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

Love repeat clients like the Smith Family - we've been taking family portraits the last four years in October and I love to see how everyone has grown! But they are always photogenic and fun - at every age - even the toddler stages!

This year we chose the Ski Tip Lodge - a rustic restaurant and bed and breakfast just east of Keystone Resort. A great place to hold a Colorado Mountain Wedding! And one of the most romantic restaurants on earth when the kids are NOT with you!

The Smith Family slideshow online here... and a few of my favorites:

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Breckenridge Invisible Children Screening of Documentary Film "Tony"

2011-10-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Last night was a very proud night for Kirk & I - our 13 year old daughter, Heather, spearheaded a screening of the movie Tony with the Invisible Children organization at the Breckenridge Riverwalk Center. There was a great turnout - 150 to 200 attendees. The film was AMAZING - many tears were shed. And I have to say I feel different today after seeing the movie... that I should be doing more...

The "Roadies" Dan, Emily, Rachel, and David, were truly inspiring... they travel by van and show the movie all across the country as one of 16 teams traveling right now. This group had a screening at Aspen High School in the morning and Breckenridge last night, then are driving back to Glenwood Springs today.

David grew up in Uganda and was a child soldier for a period of 6 months - David thank you so much for sharing your stories with us! David also told us he saw a bear yesterday in Aspen and he was SO excited! Apparently Uganda has LOTS of wildlife, but NOT bears!

Thanks to Kathy Zygulski, Debra Mitchell, Rebekah Simon, and Jennifer Stein for being part of an amazing planning committee! And thanks to Slifer Smith and Frampton for sponsoring the event! We could not be happier with the turnout!

If you want to get inspired, I recommend viewing some of these Invisible Children Videos - they will make you think! And wonder what MORE you can do to help.

TRI // Protection Plan from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Frisco Wedding Photographer - Kelly & Ali Married at Sapphire Point!

2011-10-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

Kelly & Ali were supposed to get married next summer, but ended up eloping a few weeks ago at Sapphire Point. A beautiful little ceremony with 5 adults as guests, 2 children, 2 dogs, and 2 of us photographers! And I had to keep it secret for MONTHS!

It was sunshining in the beginning of the very short ceremony, raining by the end, but a little weather can't dampen the love my friends Kelly & Ali share! I can't look at their slideshow without crying myself!

Thank you so much for choosing me as your wedding photographer Kelly & Ali - it was an absolutely beautiful celebration and I love you guys! namaste!

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Keystone Senior Portraits - Kayla's Fall Senior Portraits

2011-10-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Kayla chose Keystone River Run to have her senior portraits taken - liked some options of river and bridges there. And we were able to take advantage of the beautiful fall colors (after having a few rain outs!)

Obviously Kayla is beautiful and very comfortable with the camera! I love all the different looks she has over the course of an hour or two. And the white dress looks beautful... I like how she looks like a fairy in some while she's tiptoeing around in the Snake River!

Kayla's slideshow online here...

and a few of my favorites

love this last image because they are both fun & not so posed... early in the shoot I told Kayla - if you see something that you think would be fun, don't be afraid to ask me to take a photo... so she picked up a construction sign and posed! And then the orange hoodie... was a candid shot at the very end... she was changing from the dress into warm clothes & I thought she just looked darling! Senior portraits are so much fun!

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Summit High School Senior Portraits - Melissa and Alisha!

2011-10-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

What an amazing shoot we had with Melissa and Alisha - amazing colors, amazing backdrops, and amazing subjects! We had two photographers, two seniors, one senior mom, and one photography assistant. Two locations in Silverthorne, Colorado and probably nine different outfits for each girl - but WHAT successful endeavor!

I love when seniors bring friends to their senior portrait sessions - it just adds so much more expression and dynamic for the photos! Friends ALWAYS know how to make their friends smile!

Slideshow online here...

Thanks to Diana Sabreen for second shooting with me, and Sue Rodgers for assisting, and Laura Pless for being the momma with the mostest! Thanks for chosing Beaton Photography to do your senior portraits!

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Breckenridge Wedding Photographer - Noelle and Michael's Peak 8 Wedding

2011-10-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Noelle and Michael are big outdoors folks, so they like to ski and bike and hike - so getting married on top of Peak 8 was an easy choice for them. Not so easy for all guests to get up to the top. At their rehearsal dinner Friday the main rehearsing was demonstrating to lots of out of town guests how to get on a chairlift!

The day was beautiful - it threatened to rain, but never really did. We saw a few goosebumps on shoulders at the top of the mountain, but all in all it was a perfect mountain wedding!

Slideshow online here...

Thanks so much for having me as your wedding photographer Noelle and Michael! And thanks to Jamie Smith for second shooting with me!

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Remember to stop and smell the fall colors!

2011-10-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today I was given a message to stop and smell the roses (or take in fall's beauty with all my senses!) After several weeks of intense work and not many days off(senior portraits, family portraits, 4 weddings in September), I'm looking forward to taking this Saturday off to celebrate my birthday!

This morning I received an email from a friend who said it's so beautiful out, I wish we could go take a walk! But both of us were working to hard to go out & enjoy the fall colors. And I emailed back "If I have another photo to edit, I think I'll PUKE!"

Well low & behold I came across these two fisherman on Lake Dillon on my way to the office... and could NOT resist them. We all need moments of peace and beauty like this! Thanks Michele for getting me off my computer! And I'll think all day about why I was meant to photograph those two fisherman!

namaste...

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Keystone Photographer - Meet the Ramsay Family

2011-10-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

We have been taking photos of the Ramsay family for many years, but these ones taken in near the Keystone River Course were really beautiful. The house they chose to photograph at was an amazing location with options out each door. And it gave the girls a little room to run around and take some candid photos also.

Mom, Tammy, looks better than I've seen her in years. She has been seriously trying to take off baby weight and undertook a specific program through Xyngular - I would check out her website if you want to look stunning like she does!

Family slideshow online here...

and some of my favorites:

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Keystone Photographer - Hailey's Senior Portraits at Keystone

2011-10-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

As a photographer we get a lot of favorite subjects and favorite portrait sessions - well Hailey was FAVORITE! She had lots of fun during the shoot as you can see - she's absolutely beautiful - I know her family and look at these photos! She's amazing!

Hailey brought her friend Emily along and I brought my second shooter, Diana Sabreen, so we all had a lot fun and laughs! Made me want to be in high school again!

And Keystone Resort is such an amazing backdrop - mountains, rivers, trees, buildings. Add a beautiful senior and the photos are breathtaking! How Hailey will ever choose a favorite by October 12th, I'm not really sure!

Hailey's slideshow online here...

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SHS Senior Portraits - Please help vote for Nick's Favorite photo!

2011-09-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Nick is a senior at Summit High School and loves guitar and cars. Maybe I'm just assuming that since he brought both to his senior portraits. But his Dad, Cam, didn't let him drive the Camaro, although I begged! And I called it a Corvette once, how embarrassing!

Nick's slideshow online here...

and we would love you to leave a comment & help them choose favorites. This first one #1 is my favorite as a photographer, but NOT in the running... I can see that since the yearbook wants head & shoulders... but isn't if fun?

OK.. and maybe I like #76... but not for the yearbook?

#1

#76

#6

#7

#15

#17

#18

#18

#30

#35

#40

#49

vote by clicking on comments & voting below!

Summit High School Senior Portraits - Tayla Reller 2012

2011-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Tayla met me at Keystone Ranch for her senior portraits - I love all the options out there for backgrounds and natural shots. Once in a while we got a golfer or golf cart behind us, but not very often. I love all these different looks for Tayla - I'm glad I don't have to choose a favorite!

Tayla's slideshow online here...

and some of my favorites:

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Summit County Parade of Homes - Sept 2011 - Frisco Log Home

2011-09-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful home in Frisco Waterdance last week right before it was open for the Summit County Parade of Homes Tour. Another beautiful home by Mountain Log Homes of Colorado!

Slideshow online at this link...

and a few of my favorites below:

Mayflower Gulch Family Portraits

2011-09-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mayflower Gulch is a favorite location for portraits located in between Copper Mountain and Leadville. Last Friday I headed up there with the beautiful Morano Family from Dillon. They are neighbors and friends and we had been planning this for several weeks - postponed it once for Mom to deliver a baby, as she's a physician! But this afternoon could not have been more beautiful - and even 8 year old Alex got into the mood after awhile and got rid of that cheesy fake smile!

Dave made me smile on several occasions with his "typical male attitude" towards photos. I could tell Alex was just warming up and Adele was enjoying it, but Dave's smile was getting a little tired. About halfway through I asked Dave, "are you about done with me yet, Dave?" He smiled slyly and asked, "is that a choice you're giving me?"

Family slideshow online here...

I am still in shock and trying to comprehend that the father, Dave Morano, passed away less than 24 hours after we took these photos. He was climbing a mountain outside Aspen on Saturday and fell to his death. This Summit Daily News article has more details and there will be a service on Sunday September 18th in Dillon.

Dave was a neighbor, a friend, a great husband and father and an amazing mountaineer. This is a shock and a great loss to all in our neighborhood and community. But I am so thankful that the family took time to get family portraits done - the photos will be cherished.

And we will watch over Adele and 8 year old Alex... as neighbors and as a community - and help them continue to enjoy life and the great outdoors as you did Dave. You were an inspiration to us all....

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Dillon Childrens Portraits - Katie is Four!

2011-09-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Katie is one of my favorite subjects to photograph - she has so many different expressions, and we've been trying out some "creative photo ideas" in recent months. Last spring we tried Painting Portraits which were really fun, and this month we tried some balloons! As usual, we saw a myriad of expressions. On the dock she was pouting, and I can't even remember why or what she was mad about!

Slideshow online here...

and some of my favorites:

This last one on the right is the "one that got away" - we knew we would lose a few balloons along the way, but Katie got very sad each time one got loose!

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Summit County Wedding Photographer - Julie & Evan's Silverthorne Wedding

2011-09-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

Julie and Evan were married high atop a mountain overlooking the Gore Range. There were beautiful views in all directions, and the guests just kept saying, "isn't this breathtaking?" It was as you can tell from the photos. Then after the ceremony and lunch, the whole gang went down to a beautiful reception at Elway's Restaurant at the Denver Ritz Carleton. Best man, 8 year old Elliot, was also the star of the show and did a terrific job as best man!

slideshow online here....

Thanks for choosing me as photographer Julie & Evan - it was a beautiful day! And thanks to Tina Ortiz for second shooting with me!

Wedding Planner: Kathy Zygulski, Just Perfect by Kathy
Florist:
Luncheon Chef: Ian Buchanan, Open2theworld
Reception: Elway's Restaurant Ritz Carleton Denver
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Summit High School Senior Portraits - Nick McDonnell FlyFishing Photos!

2011-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Photographing seniors that you've known since they were two are really fun! More fun for me! Nick loves flyfishing, and plans to become a flyfishing guide - so it was important for him to don his waders and get some action shots! I always try those at the end of the shoot of course, just in case there's a mishap!

Nick's slideshow here...

and a few of my favorites!

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Breckenridge Wedding Photographer - Noelle and Michael Engagement Photos

2011-09-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Noelle and Michael are getting married TOMORROW so I've been thinking about them all week & looking forward to their Breckenridge Peak 8 wedding! We did their engagement photos near their home in Denver so we could include the dogs, their new home, and some of Denver's City Park where they spend a lot of time. Unfortunately it was in July during the monsoon season, so we had some rain, but they were troopers!

Their full slideshow is online at this link.

And a few of my favorites:

These last two photos are very sad. Noelle and Michael have two beautiful dogs, Brutis and Vera. Brutis was 12 years old when we did this shoot in July and he passed away just weeks after the shoot. Noelle and Brutis have been best chums for all these years, and as you can see Brutis has a BIG personality and a big presence! Wishing you the best tomorrow Noelle and Michael!

I know you'll be there in spirit tomorrow Brutis... you will be missed!

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Keystone Senior Portraits - Erin's Senior Portraits at Keystone Ranch

2011-08-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

Erin goes to school in Denver, but wanted to have her senior portraits taken near their mountain home at Keystone Ranch. Since they live in Keystone Ranch, we didn't have to wander far from her home to get some amazing views and scenery perfect for senior portraits!

Erin's slideshow online here...

You could see Erin warm up and have fun as the session continued... I think some of her best photos were taken near the end. That's why I always recommend at least the Favorite package with 90 minutes... it gives the senior lots of options and different locations and I can capture them in their best light!

Some of my favorites...

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Lake Dillon Family Portraits - Meet the Spielbergs!

2011-08-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Spielberg Family has a second home here in Summit County and first hired me last year for family portraits and an 85th birthday party. They are all so fun! So I knew this year's shoot would be great too! We had so much fun together that the dad, Jon, said at the end... "Kay you had so much fun photographing us that you should pay us!" Anyway... thanks for being such great subjects and great clients & making me laugh!

Slideshow online here...

I know it's a tough place to live here in the mountains, but somebody has to live here! (and it looks a little different in January!)

Breckenridge Senior Portraits - Tyler's Senior Photos at Mayflower Gulch

2011-08-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm SO GLAD that Tyler chose Mayflower Gulch as the location for his senior portraits. I've photographed there many times over the years, and love the location, but it does take a little coordinating to get out there in the wilderness! But we were blessed with great weather, and Tyler was a great willing subject!

Tyler's slideshow is online at this link.

And a few of my favorites:

This last image was trying to reinact a favorite photo when Tyler was 2. Not exactly the same look, but close! I'm not sure we would have talked Tyler into the overalls at this age!

Summit County Children's Photographer - Four Boys and a Playhouse

2011-08-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Had to title this shoot "Four Boys and a Playhouse" - what a PERFECT combination! We needed some photos of the playhouse for the Summit Foundation's Rubber Duck Race on September 3rd, where the playhouse will be auctioned off. The first photos were a little too boring of just the playhouse. And I added my husband and 13 year old daughter, both taller than me, which made the playhouse look even smaller.

But this week I recruited a few little subjects, four boys between between the ages of 1 and 3 and all good friends, and the photos were a snap! But maybe the correct titleshould be "Four Boys, Two moms, one grandma, one great aunt, one babysitter, one photographer and a playhouse!" Thanks for being such great models Rhyer, Jack, Jacob & Ethan!

Slideshow online here...

and all 90 photos in this Flickr Album

and a few of my favorites:

This first one didn't have the playhouse, but it's my favorite of the shoot! I LOVE how kids are so quick to take up on blowing dandelions or weeds like this for all of us! Thanks for being a sport Jacob!

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Summit High School Senior Portraits - due October 12th

2011-08-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

We are busy photographing seniors this season and always need to remind seniors and parents that the Summit High School Senior Portraits are due to the school on October 12th. Don't wait until the last minute! The students get busy in September and so do the photographers! So we can only take on so many new senior portraits to guarantee they are edited and back to you by the October 12th deadline! Please sign up today!

Examples of recent senior portraits here on the blog!

And our rate sheet below!

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Keystone Family Portraits - The Elk House with the Short Family

2011-08-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Short Family gathered in Keystone in July and asked me to take family photos at The Elk House - a beautiful home that can be rented at the back of Keystone Ranch. And with the wildflowers in peak season, it was a perfect backdrop for photos!

The Short Family Slideshow online here.

I even returned to the elk house a week later with my own family to take family portraits, but we had lost a lot of the yellow wildflowers.

The Elk House Retreat is a beautiful quiet rental property situated at the very back of Keystone Ranch and perfect for family gatherings and sleeps up to 14 people. More information and photos online at www.elkhouseretreat.com.

I even photographed Margaret and Richard's wedding there a few years ago - a perfect backdrop for a wedding!

Keystone Mountain Arts Gathering 2011

2011-08-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

This was the 13th annual Mountain Arts Gathering at Keystone and it was the very last one! A fundraiser for the Summit Foundation, the event was held at Warren Station at Keystone and included 13 different artists. A live auction was held on Friday night and led by auctioneer Dave Anderson.

A slideshow of the event online here...

All 250 event photos can be viewed at this link.

and a few of my own favorite photos!

I was totally impressed with the 5 Summit High School students that had a booth and were selling their photographs and pottery. I even bought a pot that I loved. Go for it students - you're on the right path! Congratulations to Lamour Anne Johnson, Mario Zuany, Patrick Paden, Jacqueline Las and Christine Fernandez. And thanks for being such great subjects on the OTHER side of the camera!

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Summit High School Senior Portraits - Emma Charneskie 2012

2011-07-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

I always encourage seniors to get their senior portraits done EARLY. At Summit High School they are due to the school by October 12, 2011. It takes a couple weeks to get photos edited and prints back to students, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting your senior portraits taken EARLY! Even before school starts on August 23rd! The wildflowers are beautiful!

Luckily Emma wanted to take advantage of the summer wildflowers and the purple lupine and we had a great shoot this month at Keystone Resort. And isn't she beautiful... no matter the outfit or background or even with the silly photos, Emma shines! THANKS for choosing me to photograph your senior portraits Emma!

Slideshow online here...

and a few favorite photos:

Book early! After school starts it's VERY hard to schedule senior portraits at the best time of day!

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Keystone Wedding Photographer - Amanda and Silas's Timber Ridge Wedding

2011-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Amanda and Silas were married earlier this month at Timber Ridge at the Outpost at Keystone - a perfect venue! The weather wasn't perfect, a little thunderstorm threatened the ceremony, rained out some of the formal photos, but all in all, it was a PERFECT celebration!

Slideshow online at this link.

I LOVE how happy bride Amanda is in all her photos, and how affectionate the couple is... Silas kept grabbing her all night long! And the father daughter dance had most of us in tears... even as I edit the photos, I continued to cry looking at those beautiful images!

Congratulations Amanda and Silas! Thanks for being such great subjects!

I rented one of the newest Nikon cameras for this wedding, the Nikon D3s, and was trying out some of the high ISO, low light capabilities... I was quite amazed this image came out at 1/13th of a second, f/2.8, and ISO 25,600 sitting the camera body on a deck post. It does have a little artistic watercolor look - a grainy fee. I wouldn't do it with the formal portraits - but I like this image!

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Volunteer Photographer needed for 9th Annual Aspen Flyfishing Tournament Sept 2011

2011-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have had the pleasure to be the event photographer the last 2 years at the Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic sponsored by Taylor Creek Outfitters in Basalt. All as a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. The photos and the experience are absolutely amazing.... the Roaring Fork River in September is absolutely beautiful as you can see from these photos.

2009 Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic Slideshow

2010 Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic Slideshow

But this year I have weddings every Saturday in September and a full week of preschool photos out of state... so I'm not able to attend!

We are taking names and portfolios to see who will get this amazing opportunity this year... just leave a comment with portfolio and contact information!

This year's event will be held in Aspen on September 22nd through 24th!

We LOVE the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and all they do to help fight CF!

Requirements:
Professional Photographer
Several lenses including telephoto 200mm or more
Flyfishing experience helpful
Waders helpful
Able bodied to run downriver and position in time for driftboats

Favorite images over the last few years:

And images gotten along the way (as the Aspen area is BEAUTIFUL this time of year!):

Glenwood Springs Kayak Park on the Colorado River:

The Crystal Mill in Marble (an hour jeep tour to get there from the town of Crystal):

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Heather and Dave's Silverthorne Pavilion Wedding

2011-07-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Heather and Dave were married at the Silverthorne Pavilion in June and it was a beautiful small wedding! The weather was perfect - and I LOVE when a bride is this happy! Every photo of her she's smiling and beaming and truly enjoying her day.

There were lots of small children at the wedding, and I'm still smiling about some of the things that were said or done... and I love the boy and girl who are spending all their time at the candy bar or swinging on the curtains... I think they might have had more fun than the rest of the guests!

Slideshow online here...

and all 598 wedding photos on this Pictage album.

and I LOVED the bridesmaids for bringing these umbrellas and fun sunglasses, totally spiced up some of the formal photos!

I LOVE this last photo... not only how beautiful Heather looks, but that the ring bearer was entertaining himself in a typical 4 year old way in the background!

THANKS for having me part of your special day Heather & Dave! It was a pleasure!

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4th Annual Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis

2011-07-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

This Saturday July 23rd we'll be holding the 4th annual Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis here along the shores of Lake Dillon! So far approximately $22,000 has been raised to fight this terrible disease!

Monday update: Over $40,000 was raised and we're VERY close to our $45K goal!

The walk starts at 9am at the Crows Nest in Dillon (park at the Amphitheater) and is just 3K. You can sign up online or you can sign up the day of... just come a little early!

All walkers who raise more than $100 online between Tuesday and Thursday this week will be added to a drawing for 4 Pre-season Denver Broncos Tickets for the August 20th game in Denver.

There are 23 teams signed up to date & it's not too late to sign up or start a new team! And donating is easy! Just go to one of these team pages and click on DONATE NOW! And did you know that you can register to walk as a non-walking walker & still get donations for the cause!

Heather Johnston on the Colorado Learning Connections Team
Tyler Johnston on the Beaton Photography Team
Summit Cove Team led by Mary Francis Wilcox
Summit Middle School led by Morgan Courtney
Radical Radeks
Wild Walters
Wild Sage Wanderers
Charneskie Chargers
Whispering Rolling Rocks 2011
Trek for Tony
Team Summit
Arapahoe Basin
Bones Babes
First Bank - Avon
First Bank - Silverthorne
Go Megan Go!
Megan's Marchers - Sanders
Summit County Democrats
Team Stone
Team Olyvvia, Ella and Ruby
Beaton Photography

A slideshow of the 2009 walk in Summit Cove is online here. And just click on Cystic Fibrosis to see past events here in Summit County!

Join us - you won't be sorry!

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Keystone Wedding Photographer - Melanie & Brian's Timber Ridge Wedding

2011-07-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Melanie & Brian were married a few weeks ago, on the mountain at Keystone Resort at Timber Ridge at the Keystone Outpost. It was a beautiful day, and an amazing event - although there was some remnants of snow piles still around in mid-June. But a little snow didn't damper the couple's celebration! Thanks so much for having us as a part of your big day Melanie and Brian!

Slideshow online here...

and a few favorite photos belonging taken by myself and amazing second shooter Diana Sabreen of Breckenridge!

Venue: Timber Ridge at Keystone Outpost
Second Photographer: Diana Sabreen
Florist: Christine
DJ: DJ Dave
Hairsalon: Serenity Salon in Keystone

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Silverthorne Wedding Photography - Sneak Peek of Heather & Dave's Wedding

2011-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

shhhhh...

I just returned home from Heather & Dave's wedding at the Silverthorne Pavilion, but had to post a few great photos of the big day! Lots of sunshine, lots of fun, and I loved Heather's absolutely happy giggly attitude towards being a bride. Whatever bridesmaid recommended the sunglasses and umbrellas - I REALLY appreciate it as a photographer!

More to come next week!

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Summit County Photographer - Please Vote for Snowboarding Bride Andrea!

2011-06-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've entered a photography contest through Pixoto.com which has folks vote on their favorite photos. There are a number of different categories, but since Andrea & Jeff's Snowboarding Photo is my favorite this year, I have only entered this one in the contest! Voting between now and June 30th, the winner in the wedding category wins $800! I'm still learning some of the details but would LOVE to get some votes. I just signed in on my Facebook account. Link to vote is here:

www.pixoto.com/beatonphotography

We're honored to be among some of the amazing photographers leading this competition! And this is the image from Andrea & Jeff's Copper Mountain Wedding on April 8th 2011:

Breckenridge Photographer - The Grand Lodge on Peak 7 Annual Golf Tournament

2011-06-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Some folks might call this work...photographing golfers all day. But the Grand Lodge on Peak 7 Golf Tournament was a wonderful community gathering at the Breckenridge Golf Course in the sun and the mountains helping helping raise money for the Summit Foundation! A beautiful day - and a wonderful cause... putting funds back into our community's schools, children, and organizations!

I LOVE this job! And Summit County!

Slideshow online here...

And all 460 images from the event can be viewed online here.

And a few of my personal favorite photos:

And a beautiful Thank You written by the Summit Foundation in the Summit Daily News:

"The Summit Foundation would like to thank our title sponsor, Grand Lodge on Peak 7, and our supporting sponsor Pinnacle Mountain Homes. Thank you as well to our hole sponsors: Cinderella Painting Services, Commercial Design Engineering, EWA Mechanical, Kaupas Water, Mike Saracusa, Strategies LLC, Summit Daily News, Summit Ford, Summit Medical Center, Timberline Disposal, TimeShareWare, and Western Paper. We would also like to extend a huge thanks to the Breckenridge Golf Course staff and The Clubhouse for helping us create a successful tournament. Thank you to Kay Beaton for all the wonderful photos and to Michael Klepper for his fabulous emcee skills. Also thank you to John Daisy from Fatty’s Pizzeria for providing lunch to all our participants. Thank you to All Seasons Catering for all their hard work and great food. In addition, we would like to thank our volunteers: Phil & Leslie Aaholm, Chip & Dottie Babbitt, Emmett Bailey, Emily Bilenduke, Shelley Brook, Jennifer Cawley, Jim & Maggie Cox, Pat & Wiley DeCarli, Diane Desilva, Nick Doran, Mike Dudick, Julie Edman, Kerry Gibson, Kathy Grotemeyer, Kevin Heil, Terri Johnson, Squash Keeler, Annie Kerr, Katelyn Keyes, Chris Knudsen, Andy Lewis, Nancy Macey, Barbara Mashburn, Rob Millisor, and Barbara Swider. The efforts of all these individuals and businesses helps advance the community and scholarship giving of The Summit Foundation, we couldn’t do it without you!"

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Keystone Home for Sale in the Sanctuary

2011-06-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

We're doing lots of real estate photos these days and loving them! Especially as Summit County Keystone and Breckenridge turn green and summery! This recent shoot for Laurie Williams of ReMax in Keystone is of a unique single family home in a new development the Sanctuary at Keystone with beautiful views of Keystone Mountain and the Continental Divide. My slideshow of the property is online at this link.

You can view a youtube video of the property here...

and a really interesting sidenote of the property is that it was used to film a Disney movie called The Dog that Saved Christmas Vacation.

for information on the property, call:

Laurie Williams, Managing Broker
REMAX Properties of the Summit
www.SummitCountySkiProperty.com

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Summit County Weddings - Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine Summer 2011 Issue is out!

2011-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of both writing and photographing for Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine this spring. And the Summer 2011 issue of the magazine came out today! I can't wait to get my hands on the hard copy, but for now the digital copy is great!

Photos from a Keystone Bride Bike Shoot starting on page 43 and then an article on Engagement Photos - Should we or shouldn't we on page 88!

Thank you Rocky Mountain Bride - the magazine looks great as always! Thanks to the Keystone Neighbourhood Company for having such a great backdrop!

Open publication

Engagement Article - Pages 88-89

Keystone Resort Article - Pages 44-50

Thanks to all the vendors that made the Kruising Keystone shoot possible:
Petal and Bean Floral
SummitCove.com
A Color of Harmony
Keystone Neighbourhood Company
Eco-Bridal Gowns
Warren Station Weddings

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Breckenridge Recycling Summit - Colorado Association for Recycling

2011-06-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Before I was a professional photographer, I was a professional recycler, or environmental engineer. Sometimes building landfills sometimes designing waste reduction programs. But that was my first career. And sometimes, like this week, my old career and my photography career meet paths. I was hired to photograph the Colorado Association for Recycling's annual Summit in Breckenridge. It was a beautiful event... lots of hope and inspiration for environmental change. And lots of old friends that I was able to connect with. Bless all of you for continuing to make a difference in this world!

Slideshow online at this link.

And all 210 event photos are available for download on this Flickr Album.

And a few of my favorite images:

for more information about recycling in Colorado please visit the CAFR Website!

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Breckenridge Childrens Photographer - Meet Baby Lucas!

2011-06-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Lucas was just 4 weeks old when I had the pleasure to photograph him! Their Breckenridge home has lots of natural light so it was perfect for these photos and I really like how the nursery is decorated! And the whole family is pretty darn cute - even the cat got into some of the family photos! I LOVE photographing newborns!

Slideshow is online here and some favorite photos below. The 3rd photo is his Dad's teddy bear from his own childhood!

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Colorado Childrens Photographer - Katie's Painting Portraits!

2011-05-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Katie turned four this year and is not as big on sitting still and posing for pictures as she has over the years! I've been taking her portraits since she was 6 months old! So when her mom asked if I had any creative ideas, I explained this one that I've been dreaming of for YEARS but never had the courage to undertake! A PAINTING Portrait!

We did this at Katie's house so she could get right into the bathtub afterwards.... and the using water soluble non-toxic paint was a plus! And we intended to set up outside, but it was 44 degrees when I arrived, and we decided to move things indoors! Luckily Mom is easy going and open to these ideas! We did get one handprint on the wall and one on the door that washed away immediately!

Katie's slideshow online here and a few of my favorites of the day:

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Frisco BBQ Fundraiser for Pam's Team!

2011-05-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday night 400 friends and neighbors gathered at the Frisco Community and Senior Center to support Pam Eagleson's Team. Pam was diagnosed with both MS and cancer in recent years and has undergone numerous expensive treatments. The community came together in the most beautiful way - thanks to lots of individuals and businesses and raised over $28,000 for Pam's Team.

A slideshow of the evening's activities are online at this link.

And any of the evening's 117 photos can be downloaded from this flickr album.

Donations are still being accepted and can be made anonymously to the Eagleson-Hull Fund at Credit Union of the Rockies on Frisco's Main Street.
Credit Union of the Rockies
PO Box 4787, Frisco, CO 80443
970.668.1900.

A Summit Daily article from May 23rd. And a few of my favorites from the evening:

The food was EXCELLENT thanks to Q4U Barbecue in Frisco. Thanks to all the musicians that entertained for the night! Arnie Green, Peaks of Chaos, Summit Academy of Rock, John Hans and sons, George and Henry Hunsinger, Mike Hendricks, CJ Mueller and Cara Camping.

And just a few of the major donors and volunteers that made this night possible: The Lodge and Spa of Breckenridge, Mountain Comfort Furnishings, Markel Design Group, Copper Mountain, AVA Rafting, Shaw Cancer Center, Key to the Rockies, Beaver Run Resort, The Sebastian Vail, Wildernest Lodging, Bob Karcz Photography, Arapahoe Cafe, Tuscatos, Dillon Dam Brewery, Backcountry Brewery, Mark Williams, Kevin McCormick, Joan Hull, Mike Kermode, KathyJo Pfeifer, Alex Soto, Buzzy Buswold, Anne Seward, Miki Jorgensen, Dave Anderson, and many many more!

I'm so proud to be a part of this wonderful Summit County community when we all come together this way!

All 117 photos from the event can be downloaded for free by following these steps....

1. Click on FLICKR ALBUM
2. Double click on photo of your choice so it displays full screen
3. Click on ACTIONS in top left corner
4. Click on VIEW ALL SIZES from dropdown menu
5. Select low res (smallest file) for web or email and high res (large file) for prints

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Summit County Photographer - My Week as a Summit Daily News Photographer

2011-05-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I filled in at the Summit Daily News when their regular photographer, Mark Fox, was on vacation. I got my start in photographer right there as an intern for our local newspaper over 10 years ago - so it was fun to be back in those shoes again.

I remembered some of the lessons I had learned (and forgotten) years ago:

1. When you say you're with the paper, children run towards you and BEG to get their photo taken, and adults run away and hide!

2. Somedays in a small town, there really isn't much newsworthy to photograph. It pushes your creativity to find images worth publishing.

Here were a few of my favorites from the week...

And then there are always photos that you take, but there's not room in the newspaper for them - LOVED these photos!

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Summit County Photographer - Buzz Off for Summit Education Foundation

2011-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Summit County had it's first adult spelling bee as a fundraiser for the Summit Education Foundation last night. The rules were a little different than your average spelling bee - in this event you could buy "cheats" with enough money and keep yourself in the game. As long as it raised money for the Education Foundation! And raise money they did - over $25,000 for our kiddos! Details in the Summit Daily News.

Congratulations to the winning teams...

1st Place - Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate
2nd Place - The Legend Team sponsored by Arapahoe Basin with 3 Summit Cove Elementary teachers
3rd Place - Colorado Learning Connections

All 75 photos online here. Copies are available for a small donation to the Summit Education Foundation! And a few favorites from the night...

And the night ended with the Giveaway of the Red Mini Cooper - by the person guessing closest to the right number of ping pong balls in the vehicle. The correct number was 19,581 and won by local family the Ebys. Eby.

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Summit County Wedding Photographer - Spring Flower Fever!

2011-04-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

I LOVE crocuses! Why? Let me count the ways! Maybe that they are such a sign of spring, and spring NEVER comes soon enough here in Summit County, Colorado at 9,200 feet! It's Easter Sunday and my crocuses in the yard are still under a 3 foot tall snowdrift! And it's snowing now we have 5 inches in the forecast for tonight!

But also the contrast between the green leaves, the purple petals and the bright yellow & orange stamen make for such GREAT photos! Making purple crocuses a favorite of mine - yellow just don't compare - although I've tried! About 10 years ago, when I was still shooting in film, I forced crocus bulbs indoors and photographed them in the middle of the winter... usually the biggest blizzard conditions brought out my photographing frenzy!

This year, my frenzy has come later in the spring... buying potted crocuses in Denver and watching them grow and photographing them along the way. Somedays I put them out in the snow and taken them with snow on and around them. Slightly obsessed, YES, but it's helping my spring fever!

This first photo is my favorite from 10 years ago - using Fuji slide film. (I can't find the original slide and this copy has been oversharpened over the years!) Now that I'm shooting digitally, I get results and satisfaction even faster!

maybe I should retitle this blog post "Confessions of a photographer with cabin fever?"

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Keystone Baby Photographer - Kaia at One Month Old!

2011-04-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky enough to photograph baby Kaia twice since she was born a month ago! And we were lucky to squeak Mom's maternity photos in just 3 days before she was born! Now Kaia is one month old and her eyes bright and shiny, she's VERY interested in the world around her and it sounds like she's even becoming a CU Buffs fan!

Slideshow here and her 10 day old photos on the blog here...

My favorite photos:

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Great Sand Dunes National Park on Spring Break!

2011-04-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

We spent most of spring break here in Summit County, but did get away for a few days at Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was our 13 year old daughter Heather who lead the charge... she wanted to try duneskiing! We did some research, learned it wasn't all that exciting, very hard on equipment, and not very thrilling. But she wanted to prove it for herself and it made for a pretty good family trip!

We stayed at the Great Sand Dunes Lodge - just south of the park entrance - and were quite happy with the lodge and the location! It is all about 20 miles from the main highway and 35 miles from Alamosa... so plan on a couple hours out of your drive if you're driving past! The restaurant was closed, but luckily we knew that the lodge had warned us ahead of time and brought burgers to be cooked on their grills.

The winds are high in spring in the San Luis Valley and the temperature was cold while we were there.... in the 20s at night and getting up to 50 during the day. We needed full warm attire to fight the winds on the dunes... but with hiking and the protection of the dunes, it was a great experience!

You lose perspective out there in all that sand... we all talked about getting vertigo occasionally, not knowing exactly how far away things were. Or how steep the hills really were. But we did learn what others before us did - skiing or boarding is better on snow with a chairlift! Oh yes and PROTECT your electronics from sand... cameras, ipods, phones... I brought an OLD camera, but Tyler has a malfunctioning ipod touch from too much sand!

My favorite photos....

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Ed & Lisette's Copper Mountain Engagement Session

2011-04-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ed & Lisette chose Copper Mountain for their Engagement Session, a very opposite venue from both their home in NYC and their wedding next year in the Philippines! I would love to be the wedding photographer, but alas, I am destined to stay here in the snow! Ed lived here at Copper Mountain in the past and knew what he wanted, including some early morning shots in the Village of Copper and then some images out at Clinton Reservoir, just a few miles from Copper towards Leadville. Great choices Ed and we were lucky with about 5 inches of new snow that morning!

Ed & Lisette's slideshow online here...

And a few of my favorites:

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Snowboarding Bride and Groom - Part 2

2011-04-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Andrea and Jeff were married last week at Copper Mountain and had so many great photos it's hard to pick favorites. Perfect sunny spring day, beautiful couple. During one of the toasts, Jeff's friend referred to him as "Smiley Jeff" and after hearing that - I see it in every picture of him! Obviously a happpy couple very much in love! I keep saying, "they are so STINKIN' cute!" Aren't they? And such great snowboarders and great sports to snowboard in their wedding attire between the ceremony and reception at Copper Mountain's Grand Hall at Copper Station. Andrea's veil and dress were skied on, snowboarded over, and even the dog got a hold of the veil at one point & yanked. But it never phased Andrea! What a FUN wedding - I'm so glad to be a part of it! And I have photographed a lot of weddings, but have NEVER seen a snowboard used for guests to sign! Congratulations Andrea and Jeff! And good luck with your wedding planning business, A Summit Wedding!

Full slideshow online here...

And first sneak peeks of the snowboarding here..

Wedding Vendors
Wedding Planner - Andrea Marr - A Summit Wedding
Venue - Copper Mountain Chapel and Grand Hall at Copper Station
Flowers - Garden of Eden - Frisco, CO
Cake - Katy Schabert at Clint's Bakery - Breckenridge, CO
Videographer - Michaela Miller
Second Shooters - Bill Linfield and Davis Oramas
Wedding Dress - Allure Bridals

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Snowboarding Bride & Groom at Copper Mountain

2011-04-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

A few first sneak peeks at Andrea and Jeff's Snowboarding Wedding on Friday at Copper Mountain. It was definitely one of the most fun weddings I have ever had the opportunity to photograph. The weather was perfect, the lighting was amazing... lots of natural light all day long. And the couple were adorable and Andrea so brave to snowboard in her beautiful wedding dress! She kept losing her veil on the mountain, friends boarding over it, or her dress... but she never stopped smiling! And obviously she's a great snowboarder!

More photos coming this week... but my first few favorite on mountain shots here.

I would LOVE to shoot ALL my weddings on the mountain!

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Inspiring Snowboarding Brides

2011-04-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I have a blog post about a wedding BEFORE it happens, but I am getting really excited about Andrea and Jeff's Copper Mountain wedding tomorrow and brave Andrea is going to snowboard in her wedding dress between the wedding and reception!

Over the years I've done a number of engagement photos, rehearsal dinners, and weddings on the mountain. I've seen images of snowboarding brides, but tomorrow I'm thrilled to photograph Andrea snowboarding in her wedding dress between the ceremony & reception! Two recent on-mountain shoots WITHOUT the wedding dress were just this month - so I'm comfortable with the whole idea just thrilled to be adding the wedding dress to the photos! And as tough as it is to photograph while skiing, I think Andrea and all the other snowboarding brides are the brave ones here! Last weekend Maris and Jimmy got married at Copper Mountain and we were able to get these great action shots after the ceremony.

So in preparation for Andrea & Jeff's wedding I've been researching "snowboarding brides" to find my favorite angles and images of and here are some of my favorite finds:

Istock photo has this image for sale by an unknown photographer:

Seattle photographer Clane Gessel has some great images like these two below on his blog from a snowboarding couple at Summit at Snoqualmie outside Seattle! My favorite of Clane's images here:

copyright www.clanegessel.com

copyright www.clanegessel.com

New Zealand photographer Fredrick Larsson captured a bride and groom snowboarding down to their ceremony at Lake Oahu. And my favorite image here...

copyright Larsson Photography

Utah Bride Blog has these images taken at the Canyons Ski Area in Park City by photographer Angie Andrews.

Offbeat Bride article on helicopter skiing bride in Telluride.

Did you know that there are several Snowboarding Bride Cake Toppers available? Trifle Bakery, Fun Wedding Things and Wedding Collectibles all offer different styles of snowboarding bride and grooms for cake toppers.

This one minute video of a snowboarding bride & groom is online by Dreamtime Images.

Shred Betties website has a few of Julie Robles images of a snowboarding bride.

A good summary of lots of these snowboarding brides & grooms online here.

Yosemite Daily photo of couple at Badger Pass Ski Area.

A surfing and snowboarding trash the dress session in the UK.

Snowboard "inspired" studio images on the Style Me Pretty Blog.

This last example is really interesting, although they were obviously not ACTUALLY snowboarding! But fun and entertaining!

And of course Loveland Ski Area has a LOT of skiing snowboarding weddings each Valentines Day through their Marry Me & Ski Free Day!

Andrea herself is starting up a wedding planning business here in Summit County, called A Summit Wedding, and hopefully some of these fun images will help promote her new business! You can find them on Facebook also at this link!

Good luck with your business AND with the wedding tomorrow Andrea!

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Save the Date! 2011 CF Walk July 23rd in Dillon

2011-04-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

The 4th annual Summit County Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis will be held in Dillon along the shores of beautiful Lake Dillon on July 23rd, 2011. Please SAVE the Date!

Teams are forming now at the CF website

If you're wondering about forming a team... it's the BEST OPTION... there are lots of teams to join and donate to, but the more teams we add, the more power we have to FIGHT CF! And by being a team leader, all it means is that you choose a team name and you ask folks to join your team! EASY!

And there are lots of great new developments in drugs for fighting CF, mainly the VX-770 drug, and of every dollar donated to the CF Foundation, 90% goes directly to research! Some fun photos from last year's Dillon CF walk are online. And hopefully the weather and support will work together with us again this year!

Last year's slideshow is online here...

and teams we know of already for 2011 are below - all would like more walkers and more donaters! And did you know that you can register to walk as a non-walking walker & still get donations for the cause!

Radical Radeks
Wild Walters
Wild Sage Wanderers
Charneskie Chargers
Whispering Rolling Rocks 2011
Trek for Tony
Team Summit
Summit Cove Elementary
Summit Middle School
Beaton Photography

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Newborn Portraits - Kaia at 10 days old!

2011-03-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

We were able to take maternity portraits for Kaia's mom just a few short days before she was born! And then honored to take newborn photos at just 10 days old. Isn't she adorable?

I LOVE taking these photos... it reminds me of the miracle of life and what is was like peering into the eyes of my own children in those amazing first days of a newborn's life. It is an honor to photograph these beautiful babies and especially so young! Kaia - I'm sorry I got you cold and made you cry... but I LOVE your photos!

Kaia's slideshow online at this link....

and does anyone know what's going on in these last two photos? I really think Kaia might be playing a flute in her little newborn dreams... or maybe Sax in the second photo? Sweet Dreams Kaia!

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First Tracks Today at Copper Mountain!

2011-03-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

It wasn't a powder day, but it was a beautiful sunny morning and the slopes were groomed perfectly and opened for the Summit Foundation's First Tracks program. Copper Mountain opened a couple ski lifts at 7:30 am for Summit Foundation Donors to ski for 90 minutes of first tracks. It was BEAUTIFUL! We spent most of the time over on the Timberline lift - an amazing morning as you can tell by the photos! Thank you Copper Mountain and Summit Foundation!

A full slideshow online here...

and all 175 images can be viewed online here..

and a few of my favorites....

And if you can identify the owner of these skiis below - please leave us a comment on who you think they belong to?

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Summit Foundation Philanthropy Awards 2010

2011-03-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

The Summit Foundation is a non-profit organization originally established in 1984 by the Breckenridge Ski Corporation, and dedicated to improving the quality of life for residents and guests of Summit County and Neighboring Communities.

The 20th Annual Philanthropy Awards was an evening of
celebration as friends, colleagues, community, and family members
gathered at the Keystone Conference Center to honor this year’s recipients. The event, sponsored by Wells Fargo and The Summit Foundation, recognizes and honors individuals, organizations, and businesses for their time and money contributed to the community through varying entities.

A slideshow of the night can be viewed here...

And the evening's 125 images can be viewed here...

The 2010 awards were presented to Mitzie Hawkins as the Dr. Oliver Stonington Outstanding Philanthropist, Aris Sophocles and Barbara Leffler as Outstanding Board Members, Barbara Calvin as Outstanding Volunteer, Ellen Reid as Outstanding Nonprofit Professional, Therese McGraw as Outstanding Educator, Maureen Westerland as Outstanding Citizen, Chamonix Adams Porter as the Outstanding Youth, Advocates for Victims of Assault as Outstanding Nonprofit Organization, and Karl Barth as the David Olbright Outstanding Youth Mentor.

MC for the night was Jeffery Bergeron and below introducing the Spirit of the Summit Award to the late Jay Bauer. Especially touching because Jeffery and Jay were good friends:

Mitzi Hawkins won the Dr. Oliver Stonington Outstanding Philanthropist award:

It all makes me proud to live in Summit County!

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2011 Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer

2011-03-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday March 5th was the 9th Annual Tubbs Romp to Stomp out breast cancer - held at the Frisco Nordic Center. The registrations were closed at 2,300 snowshoers and it looks like the event will raise over the $135,000 goal set for this year's rompers!

The event slideshow is online here...

And all 600 photos online at this link!

This is the 5th Romp to Stomp we have photographed, and they seem to just get better each year! The colors (mostly PINK!!), the attitudes, the spirits all out for the same cause! Tubbs Snowshoes does a great job of organizing and making this event possible. And what a GREAT community of people I'm proud to be a part of!

And it's too late to ROMP, but you can still DONATE! I recommend any of these great teams: B Casapulla of Frisco, Kristen Harris (W.I.N.O.S.) of Denver, Susan Kober (W.I.N.O.S.) of Denver, Summit Middle School, or Summit Medical Center!

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Katie's Four Year Old Portraits

2011-03-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

Katie is always such fun to photograph - as I was setting up the studio for her portraits, I was smiling wondering what she would have in store for me. Katie has BIG personality and always knows what she wants! Her last portrait session she brought ALL her dress up clothes and made 3 or 4 outfit changes during the shoot! Such a sparkling little personality! And I love it when she dances!

Katie's slideshow here...

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Tubbs Romp to Stomp 2011 in Frisco this Saturday!

2011-03-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

We have the honor of photographing the annual Tubbs Romp to Stomp in Frisco this coming Saturday - the 4th year in a row that Beaton Photography is photographing the event. It's a beautiful event and an amazing coming together of spirit, colors, and HOPE!

We've heard that the registration is now closed and they can't accept new snowshoers, but you can still DONATE! Some local teams that could use some donations are:

B. Casapulla - Frisco
Summit Middle School Team
Kristen Harris - WINOS of Colorado

Video from last year's Romp (AND my first Youtube video!):

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Trish and Ryan's Keystone Engagement Photos

2011-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

We chose a snowy day for Trish and Ryan's Engagement photos at Keystone Lodge. They wanted a mountain background but for awhile it was snowing so hard that I didn't think we would really see the mountains! But the snow stopped and the clouds parted and we even got a little sunshine by the end!

And Trish and Ryan were troopers - we all postholed a couple times in the deep snow, and both were willing to climb through some crazy snowy trails to get these great shots by the Snake River. And all the snowflakes were a big bonus! I wish I was to be the wedding photographer, but the wedding will be held in Omaha this fall!

Full slideshow here...

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Summit High School Hockey Senior Ceremony

2011-02-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Summit High School Varsity Hockey team held one of their final home games of the season Friday night at the Stephen C. West Ice Arena and held the senior ceremony beforehand. Eight senior boys were honored including Ian McCluskie and Dylan Junkermeier. Congratulations players!

To view photos or buy prints - Click here for Photoworks Album

Photos for downloading on Flickr

To download on Flickr doubleclick on the photo of choice and then Click on ACTIONS in top left and then VIEW ALL SIZES - then choose the size you would like to download.

Some favorite images:

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Amanda and Silas's Engagement Session in Montezuma

2011-02-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

Bride to be, Amanda, suggested the local mountain town Montezuma for engagement photos last week, and I thought it was a perfect idea! Montezuma is a tiny little Summit County town, population 42, that calls itself the "highest incorporated city in the US." I'll have to check my stats, maybe that has changed, but I do know the elevation is 10,312 feet. And Colorado photographer John Fielder describes it as one of Colorado's top scenic places in John Fielder's Best of Colorado.

And it's BEAUTIFUL! There are so many trailheads and ski trails out of Montezuma, that they have trouble "controlling" all of us lowlanders that like to visit up there. And what a perfect blue sky morning with lots of snow with Amanda and Silas! Can't wait for their summer Keystone Timber Ridge wedding!

Full slideshow here...

And what a trooper... Amanda "postholed" off the side of the ski trail as I kept saying... "just a little further back, step a little further back!" And she did... but you can see she did it with a SMILE!

Can't WAIT for their wedding at Keystone in July!

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Andrea and Jeff's Engagement Photos at Keystone

2011-02-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

Andrea and Jeff's wedding will be held in April on the mountain at Copper Mountain Ski Area. The couple is even going to snowboard in their wedding attire between the ceremony and reception - I'm REALLY looking forward to photographing that!

So we decided to take their engagement photos indoors, but the weather was so beautiful we did both indoors and outdoors at Keystone Lodge.

LOVE this couple - so cute and full of smiles and obviously in love! Thanks for having me as a part of your big day Andrea & Jeff!

Slideshow online...

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Meet 2 year old Adalynn!

2011-01-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Adalynn came to the studio last week and captured everyone's attention! Adorable, talkative and busy - at just two she really can "work" us adults - even those not related to her! I think her Mom & Dad are in trouble, as she seems a LOT older than two! She even figured out that I was trying to protect my studio lights... and started rolling a ball into the light stand to see what would happen.

Adalynn's slideshow here....

and a few of my favorites... how could you say no to a face like this?

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Wedding Wire 2011 Bride's Choice Award - 2nd year in a row!

2011-01-25T20:16:00.000-08:00

We learned this week that for the second year in a row, Beaton Photography won the Wedding Wire Bride's Choice Award! Apparently only 5% of wedding photographers nationwide earn this award... and it's all by reviews from former brides and grooms!

THANK YOU to our loyal customers and brides and grooms that have celebrated and taken the extra step to express themselves on www.weddingwire.com!

We are honored to be included next to some of Colorado's Finest Wedding Photographers:

Kokoro Photography - Debi & Amanda Tipton - Denver

Hudetz Photography - John Hudetz - Denver

And local Summit County Wedding Vendors:

Petal & Bean Florists - Breckenridge

Last year's blog post on the Wedding Wire Award!

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Black Mountain Lodge at ABasin - Open for Weddings!

2011-01-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Black Mountain Lodge is the newest wedding venue in Summit County - and a treat to photograph at! Thursday night, January 13th, ABasin hosted a wedding vendor dinner at Black Mountain Lodge and treated us to a great preview of what Chef Chris Rybak has to offer for wedding guests!

It was a beautiful evening for the event, and lots of other wedding vendors showed up including Leon Littlebird playing music for us, and several florists and wedding planners, Juli Rathke of Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine was filming from the event for RSN TV. And I met a few new fellow photographers, Kent Meireis, John Hudetz, and Dave Camara.

What a magical place for a mountain wedding! AND the wedding couple each receive a free season pass at Arapahoe Basin when booking a wedding there! And ABasin has teamed with Key to the Rockies Lodging to provide Keystone and other local lodging at a discount for wedding guests.

I was lucky enough to photograph one of the first weddings at Black Mountain Lodge two years ago when Emily and Geoff were married there.

Emily and Geoff's slideshow and a few favorite images...

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Thirst Relief International's Annual Photographers Mentor Auction ends tonight!

2011-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

LOVE the annual Thirst Relief International's photographer mentor auction! I bid on it every year... sometimes I've won! But often the bids get too high for my budget!

But a super cause (Changing lives through safe, clean drinking water) and great that all these amazing professional photographers are willing to donate their time! Some mentoring sessions available this year:

Kevin Kubota - Oregon photographer and Kubota Lightroom Actions Specialist! Kevin's Mentoring Session up to $410 now!

MeRa Koh - Seattle Wedding Photographer and amazing person! Her session is around $710 now!

And MeRa is offering this special as listed on her blog today:

If you are the highest bidder for my auction, you will not only get a Private Mentor Session, reserved spot in our CONFIDENCE Workshops, one of the first copies of my new book and our Complete, award winning, DVD set, but you will also get VIP access to a taping of the Nate Berkus Show in New York! So fun!!

Shawn Reeder - Amazing California Landscape and Wedding Photographer - Bid for Shawn Here

Shawn has hundreds of amazing images.... but a recent favorite is this night shot:

Shawn's session includes a full day with him in and around Bishop, California.... dreamy!

Andy and Angie Wood - A-A Photography - Amazing Denver husband and wife team of photographers! Their session also includes a one day Woodshop Workshopin Denver!

There are a few other auction items that I can't mention because I'm bidding on myself! shhhhh....

Let's all get bidding to save lives while improving our photography skills!
BID NOW!!

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Breckenridge Single Family Home for Sale - Spruce Valley Ranch

2011-01-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

I LOVE photographing these luxury homes for sale! This Spruce Valley Ranch home is outside of Breckenridge, Colorado, is on the market for $3,690,000 through Breckenridge Associates. The home has 5 bedrooms and 5437 square feet, with over 2 acres of land.

You can view a slideshow of the property at www.sprucevalleyhaven.com. I love the way realtor Rob Neyland set up this unique website for the slideshow!

Some of my favorite images:

Breckenridge and Keystone Wedding Venues - Private Luxury Homes

2011-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

There are so many amazing mountain venues for weddings here in Summit County as listed in yesterday's post.... but we thought it valuable to spend some more time on some of the smaller venues, private luxury mountain homes in Summit County that are available for rent for weddings.

This information changes regularly, so this is what we know as of January 2011 and will change as soon as we publish it!

Elk Mountain Ranch - www.renttheranch.com

For guests up to 75 indoors, and up to 125 outdoors (summers only with tent)
10 miles south of Breckenridge towards Alma/Fairplay

BristleCone Lodge - Peak 7 Breckenridge

Ski-In Ski-Out at the Base of Peak 7 - New Construction 8 bedroom Single-Family Home - sleeps 26 people

Liz and Collin's Wedding Sideshow Sept 2010

Keystone Meadow House - Keystone Ranch

The Elk House - www.elkhouseretreat.com

4 bedroom single family home - sleeps 14 - weddings up to 45 people

Lost Creek Ranch - 10 miles north of Silverthorne

Photos of the Year 2010

2011-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by some other professional photographers at Pictage who posted some of their favorite photos of last year. So I dug through some hundreds of thousand raw photos, hundreds of shoots, lots of babies, weddings, and commercial work, and picked out 60 or so favorites of 2010.

My favorite photos are often much different than than the favorites of my clients and for different reasons, but it's a great exercise to try selecting favorites of the year!

My 2010 Photos of the year slideshow!

Favorite Baby Photo - Mason 6 months

Favorite Toddler Photo - Will age 2

Favorite Wedding Photo - Frisco Wedding Shanna & Glen

Favorite non-profit photo - Flashes of Hope

Favorite Tubbs Romp to Stomp photo - Charlotte Geary took this one!

Favorite Real Estate Photo - Kelly Lloyd Real Estate

Favorite Action Photo - Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park

Favorite Beach Photo

Favorite Winter Evening Shot - Keystone Back Ranch

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Breckenridge Keystone and Summit County Wedding Vendors

2011-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

We try to keep an updated list of Summit County Wedding Vendors, but there are always additions and deletions. These are some of our favorite wedding vendors in the Summit County area, including Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Frisco, and Silverthorne. Please let us know in the comments section if you see any edits that should be made or if we've made an error or missed anyone!

Wedding Venues
Black Mountain Lodge at Arapahoe Basin
Keystone Resort - Timber Ridge, Ski Tip Lodge, Keystone Ranch, Keystone Back Ranch
Griffith Lodge - Breckenridge
Silverthorne Pavilion
Sapphire Point
Copper Mountain
Breckenridge Resort - Ten Mile Station, the Maggie, Sevens
Donovan Pavillion - Vail

Luxury Private Homes Rented for Weddings
Keystone Meadow House - Keystone Ranch - 8 bedrooms/sleeps 26
Lodge at Carolina in the Pines - Dillon - 12 bedroom/sleeps 28
Bristlecone Lodge - Sawmill Rd Breckenridge - 8 bedrooms/sleeps 28
Elk Mountain Lodge - Outside Breckenridge - 5 bedrooms/sleeps 16
The Elk House - Keystone Ranch - 4 Bedroom/sleeps 14
Rubywood - Breckenridge - 4 bedrooms/sleeps 14-18
Seasons Dreams Vacation Homes - variety of luxury private homes

Wedding Publications
Rocky Mountain Bride Website
Rocky Mountain Bride Magazine Online Issues
Keystone Wedding Brochure
High Country Wedding Magazine - Summit Daily News

Summit County Caterers
Harvest Catering - Kevin Abernathy
All Seasons Catering - Silverthorne
Gilchrist Catering - Dillon
Bonnie Q BBQ - Dillon

Summit County Florists
Petal and Bean - Breckenridge
Bloom - Breckenridge
Garden of Eden - Frisco
Neils Lunceford - Silverthorne
Creations by Christine
Bella Fiore - treasure@colorado.net

Local Tux Shops
Frisco Fun and Formal
Breckenridge Tux

Salons - Hair Makeup Nails
Serenity Spa - Keystone
Breckenridge Hair Company
Southern Exposure - Dillon

Local Officiants
Leon Littlebird
Gretchen Abernathy - gabernathy@netzero.net

Local DJs
Rockin The Rockies - Denver & Mountains of Colorado
Great Time DJ

Videographers
Creative Mountain Images
Good Times Videos

Summit County Wedding Planners
Bella Planning and Design - Emily Campbell
Element Events - Elizabeth Ross
Custom Weddings of Colorado - Wendee Walter
Sapphire Celebrations - Pamela and Angela
Just Perfect by Kathy - justperfectbyk@aol.com

Wedding Links

WeddingLenox - Wedding planning directory

Black Mountain Lodge - Arapahoe Basin

Keystone Back Ranch:

Breckenridge Bristlecone Lodge

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Liz and Collin's Breckenridge Wedding

2010-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

Liz and Collin were married this summer at a beautiful private Breckenridge home called the BristleCone Lodge - a beautiful ski in ski out venue. The weather was perfect and everything went really smooth thanks to Emily Campbell and her team at Bella Design and Planning. Harvest Catering did an excellent job with the food as did Greatime DJ.

A beautiful couple, both Liz and Collin work in giving professions, she is a nurse and he is a firefighter. So appropriately, they cut the cake with an ax! Full wedding slideshow here...

and a few of my favorites:

Beautiful tent set up outside the home by Colorado Tents and Events.

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Emma's Bat Mitzvah - December 2010 - Denver and Keystone

2010-12-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Emma had her Bat Mitzvah two weeks ago in both Denver and Keystone - the ceremony was Saturday morning in Denver and the PARTY! was Saturday night at the Inn at Keystone.

Both events were amazing and fun... lots of tears and lots of laughs. And so nice to see her enjoying herself with all her friends!

Slideshow online here...

And a few of my favorites for Emma to critique! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day Emma!

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Kai and Kinsley - adorable big brother and little sister portraits!

2010-12-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Kai & Kinsley came to the studio last week to get some photos - Kinsley is just 3 months old and Kai is five. Both have such beautiful eyes, don't they? I could have photographed them all day!

Slideshow online here...

And some of my favorites:

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Another successful CF fundraiser - BASH at the BASIN!

2010-12-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Last night's 2nd Annual BASH at the BASIN was a great night and we raised almost $15,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!

Thanks to Jossi and Byron Wells and father Bruce for coming from New Zealand and offering their time and energy towards this great event! Thanks to Duncan Adams and Jake Fiala for donating their time and inspiring our local young skiers!

Slideshow online here...

And any of the 175 photos can be downloaded for free from this Flickr Album.

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Join us for the 2nd Annual BASH at the Basin for CF - Saturday Dec 4th!

2010-12-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Arapahoe Basin is the location for the 2nd annual BASH AT THE BASIN this Saturday!

Join us from 6pm to 11pm Saturday December 4th, 2010 - includes Italian Buffet Dinner - Tickets are $25 (adults) and $10 (kids)

MORE INFO and sign up on Facebook Event! All proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and special guests include:

Byron & Jossi Wells - video preview!

Winter of Wells Teaser from Tim Pierce - Zeros&Ones on Vimeo.

Duncan Adams

Jake Fiala

LOTS of auction and raffle items including:
lots of ski gear, A RED CRUISER BIKE donated by PODIUM SPORTS, a day of skiing with ALL of our Guest Athletes and MUCH, MUCH more!

All proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- Denver Chapter.

Buffet Dinner provided by Arapahoe Basin

Special signing time for the kids with all of the athletes!

Slideshow of the 1st annual event!

Some favorite images from last year's event:

Jossi Wells

Some Jossi & Byron Wells Fans!

Sponsors include:

Podium Sports
Arapahoe Basin
Markel Design Group
Wild Sage Interiors
Crystal Clear Auto Glass
Fazendin Brothers
Kelly Lloyd Real Estate
Team Summit
Quiet Pines
Southern Exposure
Beaton Photography
Sweet Homes Construction
Cutthroat Anglers
Raptor LLC
McCrerey Construction
Hood Landscaping

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8 month old portraits - meet Ryder!

2010-11-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

Ryder was going to come to the studio for portraits last week, and mom Jen had to call & postpone because he had a little accident, emergency room trip, concussion, bruises and fat lip! But didn't he recover really well! I think he's ADORABLE!

Full slideshow here....

I can't wait to photograph the whole family this week!

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Katie's 3 year old portraits - playing Dress Up!

2010-11-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

Luckily Katie always puts on a show when we do her portraits - this time she wanted to do DRESS UP portraits! Which she did beautifully! Katie needs to be the boss of her photos (as do all healthy 2 and 3 year olds) but this one took some extra coercing... once she started bouncing on the exercise ball, and she had such big smiles.... these are some of my favorites of the shoot!

And she has the BEST hair! and with many of her other shoots over the last 3 years... there are so many different expressions from this one little girl....

Full slideshow here...

and even though this moment was a sad one for Katie.... doesn't the WHOLE FAMILY have the best hair?

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Photographers - please join us for this great project Hugs from Henry!

2010-11-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

I just learned about this project yesterday and signed up to help with Hugs from Henry. Photographer Faith Raider in Georgia is starting it as a fundraiser to help with medical costs for a Colorado family.

Lucas is a toddler who has Down's Syndrome and seems to be surrounded by photographers (maybe that's because he's so darn cute??). While on vacation recently he had to be hospitalized with croup and pneumonia - his mom Erin's whole story is on her blog.

Anyway... Faith is rallying a group of photographers in the US and around the world to create a photobook called Hugs from Henry! Henry is Lucas's adorable sock doll from Etsy - a one of a kind doll.

So PLEASE JOIN US! Just email Faith at faith.raider@gmail.com with this info:
Your name
Your general location (i.e. Breckenridge, CO - USA)
Your camera type and primary lens(es)
A link to your photography blog/website/flickr

here are some photos of Lucas AND Henry!

@ 2010 Erin Galindo

@ 2010 Erin Galindo

@ 2010 Erin Galindo

you can also like the Hugs from Henry Facebook Page! and get updates there as well as on Faith's Blog.

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Avalanche Ranch - Redstone Colorado - a beautiful getaway!

2010-11-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

Avalanche Ranch is not for those wanting big nightlife, high speed internet, and the rush of crowds elbow to elbow with them.

I first learned of Avalanche Ranch on a hut trip at the Shrine Mountain Inn on top of Vail Pass. Even more secluded than Avalanche Ranch - no cars, just skiis!

But since I picked up the Avalanche Ranch brochure at Shrine Mountain Inn several years ago, I have really wanted to go there. Finally made this happen in September with several photographer friends. It is nestled in the side of the mountain outside Redstone, just 30 miles from Marble and Crystal and the Crystal Mill - the most photographed place in Colorado. And PERFECT for fall colors... and late September is the perfect time!

But I do recommend a jeep ride.... it's six miles from Marble to the Crystal Mill and SO GLAD I did not attempt it in my own SUV! Smitty at Crystal River Jeep Tours is the way to go.....

My favorite images....

This last image is from the Town of Crystal, population 4, at the top of the Crystal River Jeep Tour. What a beautiful place!

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Aspen Marble Crystal Colorado Fall Photos..... AMAZING!

2010-11-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

I love editing beautiful sunny day photos when it's blizzarding out.... the scene outside my window is white/grey/freezing yucky... but it SO helps to edit photographs from sunny warm days with beautiful aspen trees in beautiful locations like Aspen!

And it has taken me a LONG time to edit these personal photos from a great week in Aspen in September! My photographer buddies Barb & Heidi from Illinois joined me for the mayhem... a day on the Roaring Fork River for the 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic - a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis. And then several days in Redstone, Marble, Crystal, and the ghost town of Ashcroft (people say if things had worked differently in the 1800s... Aspen would actually be Ashcroft... 14 miles south of Aspen!)

And no matter what... this is BEAUTIFUL territory, especially in the fall months, and we picked the perfect week, September 23-28... according to the website Colorado.org. Oh yes, the Flyfishing Tournament also knows how to schedule this fall event!

We ventured to numerous locations in and around Aspen... my favorites are:

The Crystal Mill - the most photographed location in Colorado!
best guided by Crystal River Jeep Tours & local Smitty! (do NOT take your own vehicle here... much better access & info from Smitty!)

These CRYSTAL MILL PHOTOS now available for purchase online!

The Town of Crystal
6 miles out of Marble and One full hour ride by Jeep....

The Ghosttown of Ashcroft

The Avalanche Ranch outside of Redstone
"Sometimes the most beautiful things are right outside your front door!"

More Aspen Flyfishing Photos - from the Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic 2010

2010-11-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

This year I had two friends and fellow photographers join me to photograph the 8th Annual Flyfishing Classic in Aspen in September. Heidi Haas Willians and Barb Edeblute both from Illinois. We volunteered to photograph the flyfishing tournament for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, then we spent a few days photographing the amazing fall colors of Colorado!

A slideshow with all event photos are online here....

The best 222 photos of the tournament are online at Pictage and can be purchased.

And some highlights and favorite photos from our Fall Color shooting are online here on Beaton Photography's Blog and on Heidi's blog.

Some fun photos taken by Barb & Heidi:

@ Heidi Haas Williams

@ Heidi Haas Williams

the morning start at Taylor Creek Fly Shop
@Heidi Haas Williams

@ Barb Edeblute

Fall Family Portraits - meet the Smith Family!

2010-11-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

We took these family portraits in Silverthorne and could not have asked for a more beautiful day. I love when we get a combination of posed photos and candid photos.... and the swings and slides always bring out the most natural smiles!

The full slideshow here...

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Rocky and Carly married on 10-10-10 at Sapphire Point

2010-11-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Rocky and Carly came from Kansas to get married in the mountains and then honeymoon for the week. I was honored to be the only other person there as they officiated the ceremony themselves. It was perfect! It rained a little, snowed a little, and even some sunshine! And the backdrop for their ceremony was amazing....

Rocky & Carly's wedding slideshow online here....

And a few of my favorite images:

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Michael's Senior Portraits - Officer's Gulch

2010-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Michael chose Officer's Gulch (between Copper Mountain and Frisco) to take his senior portraits. What a great location! There's a window of opportunity where the fall leaves are beautiful here, a little earlier than other Frisco locations, but we seemed to pick it just right for these photos.

View the full slideshow here.

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Melanie & Brian's Engagement Photos at CU Boulder

2010-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last month I met Melanie and Brian in Boulder to take their engagement photos on the CU campus - where they met several years ago! What a great location for photos and a beautiful day. I'm looking forward to their June 2011 wedding at the Timber Ridge on top of Keystone Mountain!

View the full slideshow here.

Isn't this fire escape amazing? Like Romeo and Juliet.... or maybe that's because I just watched the movie "Letters to Juliet." It's at the Old Main Building on CU's campus. Beautiful Historic Building!

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8th Annual Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic - for Cystic Fibrosis

2010-10-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Photographed the 8th Annual Rocky Mountain Flyfishing Classic for Cystic Fibrosis in Aspen over this past weekend - what a beautiful colorful event and a wonderful location! Participants fished with a guide on the Colorado River one day and the Roaring Fork River the other day - Friday and Saturday.

We are still editing some of the hundreds of photos taken this weekend - but they will all be online soon in this album.

Initial estimates are that the event raised over $35,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. More information about the event online at the CF Foundation.

These three fisherman below were NOT in the tournament, but I ended up photographing them numerous times waiting for tournament participants - and often while catching a fish! In this case I think the fish just got away!

Late in the day, we went to the new Kayak Park in Glenwood Springs and had some fun watching kayakers play in the wave.... a whole different way to enjoy the river!

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Ode to Tyler's Hair.... September 2010

2010-09-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

My Tyler, age 11, has the BEST HAIR! He didn't get it from me, but from his father, who now shaves his head. So it's been growing and growing and growing..... and even growing some dreadlocks at the back. So after months of persuasion.... we talked him into a haircut today.

We gave him his choice of whatever length of cut he wanted.... at least an inch was required... and he chose a buzz cut! At our friend Bona's new salon in Silverthorne, A New Concept Salon. Luckily I had just returned from a senior portrait & had my camera in the car.... first haircut I have documented since he was a toddler!

And the title... "Ode to Tyler's Hair" is the works of his 6th grade language teacher, Ms. Goode, who LOVES his hair & will be so saddened on Monday morning to learn we let Tyler choose his haircut & he chose BUZZ CUT. She had the 6th grade class write "Ode to Tyler's Hair" today in anticipation of this haircut! She was only thinking an inch or two.... I know she'll be sad to learn this outcome on Monday morning!

Might as well get right to the point, huh?? Here's the before photo.....

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