I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda and Chris last summer when we connected up for some engagement photos. It was an unusually warm summer day but we had a great time walking around Stowe and the Trapp Family Lodge. Their wedding day was similar – warm temperatures, bright sunshine, and relaxed attitudes. In Amanda’s final email to me before her wedding she said “As crazy as it sounds, despite the fact it’s my wedding day… My plans are pretty low key and it’s just a day of relaxing!”
I thought that was a lofty goal given how most wedding days run, but they pulled it off. When I arrived, Chris was relaxing in a room with the other guys.
Before they headed down to the ceremony, all of the guys toasted Chris, and maybe helped take that last little bit of nervousness away, too.
Meanwhile, Amanda was getting ready in a gorgeous suite.
After some final touches of hairspray, we headed down to get the two of them married!
I love her father’s expression here. It screams “proud daddy” to me.
They guys appreciated the moment as well.
With Mount Mansfield in the background and the trails of Stowe punctuating the hillside, vows were read, rings exchanged, and two became one.
This couple looks ready to take on the world.
On out way home, I had to stop to take a photo of the big dipper over Mt. Mansfield. That little glow just below the ridge line? That’s the party at Stowe Mountain Resort.
You can find all photographs from the Stowe Derby right here. You can even search by bib number to order a print of yourself (or a friend!) Thanks for supporting your local photographers!
Our Stowe Derby day starts by swinging by registration to check in, pick up a lift ticket, and coordinate any last minute details. The early bib pickup system has made this process a lot easier; it used to be that there was a long line of people waiting to pick up their race packets, but now it’s a calm trickle of people.
From there, Tawny and I head to find scout a location with a view of the mountains. With the re-routed course this year, we took a few extra minutes to find a new spot. Once that’s settled upon, I rush back to the start of the short course to grab a few quick shots of the chaos that is a mass start.
While the racers are making their way back towards Tawny,
I head up to Stowe Mountain Resort to get set for the Freestyle start. The first skiers come through fast and gracefully.
It’s funny photographing on the Toll Road. I like to shoot around the first corner to get some interaction between racers (and, I’m not gonna lie, to get some great crashes.) The thing is, it’s a blind corner so I do a lot of listening to know when to shoot. Generally, the first sound you hear is skis snowplowing down the first pitch before the corner. Next, the less experienced racers will often let out a little (or sometimes big!) scream as they realize they have to turn more than 90 degrees and have no edges. From there many will fall, but nearly everyone gets up laughing.
Scrape, Scream, Fall, Laugh – the pattern continues for quite some time!
This year there were definitely some powder hounds who had to get fresh tracks where they could.
I’m not sure what it was this year, but skiers took this corner wide and a number of people came close to the wall.
A few even hit it!
Racers then continue through the bulk of the course before reaching Tawny’s spot with views of a freshly snow-covered Spruce mountain with blue skies. Hard to beat that!
So about two hours later it all begins again with the start of the Classical race. A little further down on the course this time, a crowd has gathered to watch the carnage.
This guy makes it look too easy.
When the last racers have come through, I pack up my gear and head to the finish. Tawny captures everyone in the field with the mountains or Smuggler’s Notch in the background and I get to watch racers smile as they realize they’re within a few hundred yards of the finish.
Nice work everyone! I look forward to doing it all again next year! (When, hopefully, I’ll remember the sunblock.)
You can find all photographs from the Stowe Derby right here. You can even search by bib number to order a print of yourself (or a friend.) Thanks for supporting your local photographers!
I’ve had a number if inquiries about purchasing prints of some of my recent landscape photographs. If you’re one of the people that has asked, you’re in the right place! All of these photos are linked to my online store where you can buy a variety of sizes and formats. I frequently find that sunset photos really pop on the metallic paper, but in general I’m a big fan of lustre paper for something that’s going to hang on a wall and fit in with other artwork.
If you’re looking for something a little different, consider printing onto a stretched canvas. By doing so, you end up with a photo that has some qualities of a painting and doesn’t require extra framing.
If you’re interested in any of these prints, just click on the image you’d like to purchase. Thank you!
Some photos are an awkward size to print. Instead of a custom order, my recommendation is to pick the width you’re interested in (in the example below, 18″) and order the closest size print. SmugMug will tell you that the image needs cropping in checkout, but I suggest selecting “None” as is highlighted in green. The advantage to this is that you get a print of the full image in the dimensions that it was intended. When you receive the print, you can then have your framer trim the white portions off. If you’re interested in ordering a canvas or preframed print, you should contact me directly as that will require a custom order. It’s no extra cost to you, I just can’t configure this shopping cart to support it.
Last week, Andrew Parker-Renga put out the call on Facebook that he would be back in Burlington, Vermont recording a live album at Nectar’s. I was first introduced to his music through my friends in The Grift and now that I live in the neighborhood, what could I do but join him?
Andrew played two sets of music starting off with a more standard singer/songwriter set and finishing by adding some looping and beatboxing. APR’s lyrics and melodies are catchy, but his use of technology really amplifies a one man show into something much larger.
The lights in Nectar’s can range between awesome and miserable from a photographic perspective. On this particular evening, they (Sergey?) had the lights on a nice rotating pattern that kept things fresh and provided some texture. I did, however, spice it up with a little Strobist action on some of the shots. The only problem I continually run into is the fact that the front lights are gelled so red that skin tones are next to impossible to achieve.
I’ll let you in on a little secret — if you see me shooting black & white at a show it’s generally because the lighting was incredibly red and monochromatic.
(A side note, I love that even through the numerous renovations at Nectar’s, this light has remained a fixture. I’ve heard that the revolving sign outside is in need of some repair — I hope it hangs around for a while, too. )
Great to hear you play again, Andrew! I’m looking forward to hearing the new album.
What do you do when it’s 70°F and sunny in Burlington, VT? Hollow out some pumpkins and paddle them in the lake, of course! This weekend was Burlington’s 4th annual Giant Pumpkin Regatta and Festival. In addition to the paddled pumpkins, pictured below, there were food vendors, music, dance performances, and even a dog costume contest.
