I’m thrilled to announce I just won my second Fearless Award, which is a worldwide competition with many of the best wedding photographers. Out of 15,000 submissions I was among the top 251 winners (1.7%). This puts me among the highest awarded Fearless photographers in Colorado in recent years – it’s that hard to win.

This photo was taken back in 2013, and I’ve grown a lot as a photographer since then, but it shows me how my work can stand the test of time. What I love about this photo is how it’s a simple moment, but how it still tells a story. Sometimes wedding photography is about just being patient and ready for those serendipitous moments to happen. I am always looking for the next moment to catch, so while others may take a break and put their camera down, I am on the hunt. In this case, I was outside taking photos of the venue when I saw this boy sitting on the stairs. Everything seemed to line up in my head, with the reception sign pointing and the leading lines drawing my eyes towards him. I pulled out my telephoto lens so as not to disturb him and waited. All I needed was for something interesting to happen during what would normally be considered a mundane activity – like a quiet, satisfied lick of his fork as he rested his tired head on his hand.

Since joining the Fearless Photographers community in 2017 I have been pushing myself and striving to improve myself as a photographer. I have challenged myself at weddings to capture as many amazing moments as possible, even if they seem a little ordinary at first glance. I went to my first Fearless workshop in Austin, Texas in 2019 and met a great community of amazing photographers. I even documented a stock show to tell the story of a family who was preparing their cattle for show. I don’t know what lies ahead for my weddings in 2021 and beyond, but I’m excited about continuing my constantly evolving journey as a story teller.