Trystan Photography: An Intimate Portrait.

Please click the photo or follow the link to view Jessica and Lee’s stunning wedding samples at Shove Chapel and Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

It’s dark. It’s very Gothic in it’s architecture. It’s one of the most feared places to shoot in Colorado Springs. Why? I have no idea.

All I know, is whenever I have a meeting about a wedding at Shove Chapel, the number one thing I hear is, “Other photographers say it’s really hard to shoot in there… and they’re photos look really dark. Why do yours look so bright?” Well, the short answer is we know how to push our cameras and capture the shot. The longer answer is: 1) we always make sure the altar lights are at full (they normally keep them at 1/2 power), 2) we have very steady hands so we’re not afraid to push the shutter way past the normal “lower threshold” (why hand-held? Because that place is HUGE and we are running all over to get the shot), and 3) we always shoot with our array of wireless remote Nikon speed-lights.

The most important factor of all  is the remote speed-lights. We’ve been shooting with remote lighting for 6 years now, and I would say they are the most important equipment I use. Having flexible, fast remote lighting allows us to shoot in otherwise impossible scenarios. Obviously, when it’s dark it allows us to create shots where there are none, but even when it’s light enough, they allow us to form the light, and add a sense of drama to an already attractive scene. I use remote lighting on 80% of my shots, and I personally think that I’ve gotten to the point where the extra lighting is very subtle on most of them. The lighting either mimics what’s already there, or at most seems like a complimentary element of the scene.

We love Shove Chapel, I can’t think of a cooler place to capture a ceremony. It has a sense of drama, and gives every wedding an epic scale, which I think lend themselves perfectly for the purposes of wedding photography. We use a 3 flash system, 2 on each side, either above in the side-balconies when we have assistants, or on the ground floor on 15′ light stands when I have to adjust them myself, and one master flash on the camera. I like to shoot across the aisle from the right side (facing the altar) during the processional. As soon as the bride walks up the altar stairs I flip the lights around towards the altar and use very subtle lighting to add detail to the subjects which are lit mostly from the stage lights. Those little Nikon Speed-lights are incredibly powerful for their size, and the fact I can whip them around ultra-fast and tuck them back into little hiding places to add stunning splashes of light is the winning aspect over more powerful strobes.

And then there was Lee and Jessica’s wedding. Not only are they a stunning couple, but Jess (and Lee) did an amazing job planning every detail of this wedding. Her dress was stunning, her flowers were elegant, the reception decor was impeccable, and the food? They didn’t choose. They simply had Cheyenne Mountain set up multiple stations with an amazing array of everything. Want pasta cooked with custom ingredients as you wait? Check. Oh, but you also need some prime rib? Why not? And a seafood & salad station? Sure. And they best part? They let us eat! THEY LET US EAT ANY OF IT! And boy, did I…

I know, you’re confused. But it’s a little known, and very dark fact that not every couple let’s us eat or offers us food. But it’s okay, we’ve only been running around on our feet for 8 hours… we’re fine. Don’t worry about us. My face is always this ashen and drawn…

But I digress (as usual). In closing, if you’re thinking about a wedding at Shove, but you’re worried about the different horror stories you’re hearing around town about how dark it is, book it with confidence. It is an amazing place for a wedding, and it really is worth the extra hard work to pull of the photography. But I’ll shut up about it now: the photos speak for themselves.

This time of year, every year, we comb through our weddings and collect all of our favorite shots from over the years in to our “Wedding Collections”. We’re exceptionally proud of these photographs, and we’d love it if you would take the time to review our favorite wedding photography to date!

Please click the photo or follow the link to view our favorite photos from Mark and Amy’s wedding at Fox Run Park and Summit Ministries.

Poor Amy. Poor resilient, amazingly tough to kill Amy (more on that later).

Amy and Mark had a rough go at this one. All the forces were lined up against them. I think lesser human beings would have thrown in the towel, but Mark and Amy persevered and their love truly did conquer all.

I don’t know if I can even recount this story, some of it is so heartbreaking…

First off, earlier this year Amy lost her mom. I don’t know the how, when or why’s of it all (and I don’t know if I could handle it), but it was a emotional thread to every conversation we had with them about the wedding. Amy was clearly heartbroken, but she put on a brave face and pushed forward with her wedding plans. Mark was her stalwart companion, his quiet strength resonating through it all.

Soon, wedding plans came to fruition, and we found ourselves in the week before the wedding. Mark and Amy broke up some of their photography, opting for some pre-wedding couple photos a few days earlier at Glen Eyrie Castle. This is where the near-disaster scenarios begin: just as Amy and Mark were finishing getting ready and were leaving to meet me there, this weather front whipped in. And I mean whipped in! Driving rain, wind, freezing cold: it was a doozy. And to make matters worse, when I arrived at the castle gatehouse  and asked the guard, “Have a bride and groom come through yet?”
“No , sir,” he answered confidently.

So I pulled over by the gate and waited, and waited, and waited… all the while the storm is in a frenzy outside. Finally, the storm passed and I was still waiting. So I waited more. And more. And more…

Finally, the guard leaned out of the guardhouse and asked, “Say, that bride and groom… what were they wearing?”

“I dunno,” I answered, “some kind of formal attire. A tux and gown maybe?”

He looked concerned, “Uhhh, well, you know? I think now I might have actually seen them come through earlier.”

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?! For real?! What part of “bride and groom” wasn’t clear enough for him?

So I raced of through Glen Eyrie (“raced off” is relative when the speed limit is 10 MPH…), and lo and behold, who is standing there, waiting? Mark and Amy! Yayyyy! Thank you Mr. Guard! You made me 45 minutes late.

Fortunately, Mark and Amy were very chill about the whole being late thing, and more importantly while we were waiting, the horrendous storm passed and the sun began to set and we suddenly beheld amazing sunlit clouds and the beginnings of a sunset that was simply to-die-for. I took full advantage of it all and Amy and Mark gave me some really sexy, romantic stuff. So a storm, a slightly dim guard, and being late did nothing to hinder all of us from getting terrific photography. >>>more…

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Please click the photo or follow the link to view Tonya and Ryan’s wedding at the Rockledge Inn.

ar·tis·tic (är-’tis-tik) adj. Sensitive to or appreciative of art or beauty: an artistic temperament.

dis·cern·ing (di-ˈsər-niŋ) adj. Having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating

pres·sure (pre-shər) n the burden of physical or mental distress

I am a very artistic person. I am quirky, a little funky, a lot of passion, and a little diva. But I have a dark little secret: ironically, the same qualities that I value in myself make me nervous if displayed in others. I think it’s the little diva hidden in me that fears being judged or told what to do…

Tonya and Ryan are very artistic and funky people. They are both involved in stage production, design and management and they both have a keen eye and wonderful aesthetic sensibilities. They know what they like, and they clearly had vision (her handmade pumpkin centerpieces were delightful and added a tremendous atmosphere to this Fall wedding). Did I mention that Tonya specializes in theatrical lighting? Lighting. My forte?!? Can you say: A little pressure? My “inner diva” can…

However, this wedding was yet another example as to why my “inner diva” needs to shut up. Yes, Tonya and Ryan are clearly artistic, and yes they clearly knew what they liked, but apparently I’m the only one whose artistic sensibilities come with a side of diva (or they’re really good at hiding it). Tonya and Ryan were perhaps the chillest and yet emotional couples we’ve seen in a while. There was laughing and crying, hugging and playing, kissing and teasing and all the while they were putty in our hands.

Having such a talented couple put such absolute trust in us and our abilities was a true honor and compliment.

Tonya and Ryan, thank you so much for the opportunity to capture your amazing day! Your trust for us and honest open love for each other made this day easy, special, and very very rewarding.

Please click the photo or follow the link to view our favorite photo from Jamie and Joe’s wedding at the Rockledge Inn.

One of the delights of weddings for me personally is hangin’ with the boys. The vibe is completely different for the guys than it is for the girls before the ceremony. Girls tend to be a little more, ummm, serious when they’re nervous ; ). When guys get nervous (in general), we get rowdy and impish. I prefer rowdy and impish.

But it has been a while since I have seen a group of groomsmen quite as rowdy as these. From butt slaps to jumping on each other’s backs, we were off the the testosterone races right from the beginning. Joe’s Best Man was an absolute riot. He proposed to Joe right in the middle of the boy’s formals. And the best part was Joe played along. And yet, this was but a hint of what was in store.

Things reached a peak when Joe got a very “dedicated-to-his-role” lap-dance from his Best Man during the reception. You have to understand that Joe is really fun and all, but he’s also a real Man’s Man (big truck, had to really give him some grief and joke around to get him to smile during their engagement photos…). Frankly, he’s the last guy I would have thought I’d see getting a lap-dance from another dude. But you know what? They are both Army, and they’ve seen and done stuff that probably makes their bond closer than I can ever imagine. So if he wants to give Joe a friggin’ lap-dance, he can! (Not to mention it was pee-your-pants funny.) Lord knows I’ve given a few lap-dances to my buddies… whether they wanted them or not.

Oh yes, there was also a lovely wedding this day, too! Jamie chose a simple yet elegant dress and she and Joe had just as much open love and affection as they did for their engagement photos, which were pretty legendary, I think. I think Jamie knew what she was in for this day: the boy’s kind of took over and gave the day an incredible energy of celebration and fun. Everyone had a blast, and I don’t think she would have had it any other way.

Please click the photo or follow the link to view the gallery of our favorite photography from Shannon and Josh’s wedding at The Inn at Palmer Divide.

Never a sweeter groom has been seen than Josh. Not only was he wonderful with his now wife, Shannon, and his adorable daughter, but he could not stop himself from crying. And he’s a big dude! First impression: he’s not the crying type. And normally, I’m assuming that’s true, but on the day of his wedding? An emotional mound of grateful, tearful man. (And from one “cryer” to another: it’s a wonderful thing!)

Shannon and Josh had a perfect wedding. And it takes a special kind of bride to let us haul her out into the fields (over barbed wire) behind the Inn at Palmer Divide to get really cute shots of her in her cowgirl boots!  She was so cute, dress hauled up around her hips and struttin’ in her boots out into the field. She was fearless. It was wonderful.

Thank you Shannon and Josh for including us in your special day!

Please click the photo or follow the link to view our favorite photos from MJ and Fred’s adorable wedding at The Secret Garden in Colorado Springs.

There are almost no words to describe how loving and precious Mary Jean and Fred are together. One of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken is the photo (to the left) after they’ve just had their “reveal” moment (where they see each other for the first time). Fred is holding her so dearly and so lovingly, you can almost see his heart bursting with joy and love. And Fred was a hoot: he is one of those old-school men who was clearly hesitant to show any tears in front of the camera, so we had to be really sneaky to get the shot, and how it was worth it!

MJ and Fred were just really interesting people. Not only is this Fred’s 1st marriage (his family joked that he was simply really, really picky), but both he and MJ are phenomenal dancers. And I don’t mean like “we take a few lessons” dancers, I mean like “we’re pros” dancers.

The best part? A ton of their friends are professional dancers so the dancing shots at the reception are gorgeous! Sexy, spinning, flair, motion, great form, and steamy gazes… it was great! (Some dancers have the best gazes. It’s a salsa/Latin thing where they look like they either want to eat you or… you know… it’s an expression of their natural heat.)

The Secret Garden was spectacular that day/night. Not too cool, not too hot, and the gardens themselves were lush and wonderful. It was the perfect setting for such a picturesque wedding. If you haven’t seen The Secret Garden in Old Colorado City, you must check it out. It literally is hidden. It’s right next to HWY 24, and unless you have exact directions, you’ll never find it because, well, it’s hidden!

Thank you MJ and Fred for sharing your spectacular, fun-to-photograph wedding with us. It was an honor and a pleasure. And a special thanks to Fred for letting us capture such emotional shots!

Please click the photo or follow the link to view our favorite sample photographs from Julia and Matt’s wedding at Hillside Gardens.

Loyal blog readers will recognize this wedding as the culmination of the long and twisted tale of Julia Weiland, our illustrious studio manager and apprentice photographer. Originally a bride, she unabashedly asked if she could start apprenticing under us with weddings, which led to a great friendship, which became pure nepotism and we hired her as our studio manager (many of you who are wedding clients have probably received a phone call from her at some point about you next payment being due… ).

Well, this ended up being a big, important, do-or-die day for us. Not only is Julia now an expert on our style (she helps me with the initial wedding deleting and she assists on about 1/2 our weddings) but she’s memorized every single photo we’ve ever taken in our portfolio. And on top of that, she and Matt also asked ME to be their officiant for the wedding! Whaaaaaaaaaat?

Let’s break this day down: we not only had to capture amazing photos, but I also had to marry them?!?

Well, let’s just say, the day itself did not make it easy on us!

When Julia, Matt and I first met in 2008 and they told me that their wedding would be at Hillside Gardens, the first thing I told them was, “It’s an amazing place… I love shooting there, but… what’s the backup plan if it rains?”

Julia’s whole demeanor changed when I asked that question, and she stared at with an intensity that could have wilted flowers, “We don’t need a backup plan. It… will… not… rain.”

And she meant it. More than anything. In fact, she made that statement with such conviction, I truly believed she had somehow affected the outcome of that days weather: Mother Nature would have to answer to Julia if it dared to rain that day.

Julia meant it. And I believed it.

Well, it rained. All day. Poured in fact. Ah, well. Such is life. Such is a wedding.

Julia tried really hard to be positive and strong and upbeat, but as the day wore on a photos were getting delayed because of the downpour, her resolve began to slip. Soon, there were little bouts of tears, and then hand holding with her best friends, which finally collapsed into nearly broken-down praying/rocking… and this is where it gets really creepy. As soon as Julia went into her kind of trance-like prayer/crying/rocking state and was begging the rain to stop in time for the ceremony… it stopped. We all gave her a little wider berth that day because, if she could stop the rains themselves, then if she got mad, she could probably make my head explode like that movie “Scanners” with the power of her thoughts.

Well, the skies cleared, I changed clothes, and emerged in my never-worn black suit, walked down the aisle, and conducted the first wedding ceremony of my entire life. It was thrilling. I was nervous. I was irreverent. I was sincere. I was awesome…

I’m not kidding. My ceremony was a hit. Women were coming up to me all through the reception telling me how unusual it was, and how they wished I could have married them at their weddings!

And I must say to all of those wedding officiants who make a stink about photographers: I never even noticed Kim and Char. I never noticed, saw, or heard them. I was too busy performing a marriage ceremony! So, to all of those officiants who put all those limits on photographers: focus on your job! Stop worrying about the photographers!

It’s awesome seeing the saga of Julia and Matt, engaged couple, come to a close. It even cooler seeing them start a new life as a married couple.

And you know what the best part of this whole convoluted relationship has been? Watching Julia work on the deleting of her own wedding photos. It was pure, delightful, agony for her.

No, I’m kidding. The best part has been making incredible, loyal friends from two people who initially were complete strangers who wanted to hire us.

Thank you, Julia and Matt, for being great friends, and Julia: thanks for being a hard working employee and for putting up with my insufferable crap everyday. You’re the best.

Please click the photo or follow the link to view our favorites from Sarah and Matt’s super fun very “kid-friendly” wedding at the First UMC and Mr. Bigg’s Family Fun Center.

“Till the one day when the lady met this fellow
And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group would somehow form a family.
That’s the way we all became the Brady Bunch.
The Brady Bunch.. ”

What do you do if you and your fiance have 6 kids between you, and you want them to be part of your wedding party without getting bored to death? You involve them heavily in your ceremony and leave not a dry eye in the church and you have your reception at the coolest, most fun place for a kid in Colorado Springs: Mr. Bigg’s!!!

As a parent of 2, I am very familiar with the family outing to Mr. Bigg’s. They have everything: go carts, laser tag, arcade games, bumper cars, mini-golf, bowling… it’s a kid’s dream come true ( and any adult with a healthy inner-child like myself). In fact, just about every adult guest I saw was having a great time!

This wedding is our crown jewel of fun, unorthodox weddings. It was so much fun to photograph Sarah and Matt. They were absolutely carefree and very in love, and they loved, loved , loved to have fun. Their photos exude joy.

But the best part was the go-cart and bowling action shots. We’ve never shot anything like them, and it was especially interesting during the bowling as I had to fight the urge to flinch when they bowled the balls straight down the lane right at me! The balls came soooo close to clipping the lens, but no harm done, the shots are great!

Thank you Sarah and Matt for choosing us to participate in your incredibly touching and fun wedding.

Please click the photo or follow the link to view Sarah and David’s wedding at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak in the new Cathedral Spires Pavilion.

This is a very complicated story, but try and stay with me here:

David was my boss when I was but a server at The Cliff House long, long ago and we were just getting Trystan Photography off the ground (literally, I would try and get off shifts early to come home and work on our website!). David was not only my boss, but we became really good friends, too.

David’s dad, Paul, was not only the GM of The Cliff House and the boss of both of us, but he is pretty much responsible for giving our studio THE huge break we needed by making us the first preferred photographer they ever recommended when we were still in our 1st year of business. Paul is not only responsible for helping us get Trystan Photography off the ground, but he also is the bassist in our metal band, Sixty 8. Paul is not only my bassist in my band, but he’s also one of my best friends.

Still got it straight? Let’s review: both father and son used to be my bosses and are both my really good friends. Oh… and Char and I pretty much owe everything we have to Paul…

So, needless to say this wedding was a big deal for us! What an honor.

The best part about photographing friends’ weddings is that while at client’s weddings we are the consummate professionals and never drink and sometimes don’t even eat while we’re on the clock. At a friend’s wedding? You bet we’re doing it all!! (It does make the technical aspects of shooting a little more interesting late in the reception, but we pulled it off.)

Another bonus at their reception was when David handed me a microphone and asked me to emcee. Now, I’m not generally one to toot my own horn (yeah right), but I was pretty much on fire for the whole night. I was like a Vegas comedian working the room: tormenting the wallflowers and ribbing the wedding party. It was like a dream come true to work and entire ballroom on the mic! I even sang my rendition of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” while the ladies came up for the bouquet toss. I was off the leash and it was glorious.

Normally, our weddings in general feel like we’re part of the party and fun, and that feeling is amplified ten-fold at a friend’s wedding.

David and Sarah: your wedding was so much fun and it was an honor that you asked us to photograph it.