Always be prepared for a great picture in Colorado!
Since living in Colorado, I have learned that you have to be prepared for anything to happen!
Yesterday, I drove around looking for some nice landscapes to photograph. I wasn’t sure if the road to Owl Creek Pass was open yet, but I thought I would give it a try. With my little Subaru outback, I was off on the trails heading up the mountain! The higher I got, the colder it was and more snow started to appear.
When you’re off-roading in the snow, there comes a time on every trail where you stop and think “Can I make this?”. The second thought is “What happens if I get stuck?”. Since living in Montrose Colorado, I have gotten stuck in the snow many times! Never the less, I pushed on…
The snow had some icy patches, but as long as you NEVER STOP on the snow and ice, you should be ok. So I kept going. Finally, I came to a stopping point where there was some dirt to turn around in. There was no way a car could go any further, because the snow was stacked 3 feet high.
This is where it’s good to be prepared. I just so happened to have my cross country skis with me! I put them on, grabbed my camera gear and off I went, all by myself in the snow to a location I’ve been trying to get to for a long time! Luckily, I was only about half a mile away form the spot, so skiing uphill through some snow wouldn’t be hard. It’s an amazing feeling to be out in the snow all by yourself with no one around for miles. It’s soothing, but I was also a little nervous, because you never know what wild animals are waiting out there.
This is where I finally stopped and snapped my picture! Courthouse rock looks amazing in the snow! The only thing that could make this better is some yellow aspen trees, but beggars can’t be choosers! I was super happy that I was able to get there. There’s no doubt in my mind that I would have never made it if I wasn’t prepared. Luckily, I’ve made some good friends that are adventurous and have allowed me to tag along with them in situations like this before, so I knew exactly what needed to be done to get to this spot!
Overall, the experience was out of this world! As a photographer, I know that a better day would make for an even better picture, but this shot symbolized so much more than just a picture. It serves as a constant reminder, that if you go after the shot and are fully prepared for anything, magical moments can happen!
What do you think? Tell me in the comments, what has been your greatest adventure?
The Giving Print - What it is and why we are so passionate about it!
The Giving Print was an idea I came up with on my 41st birthday. Instead of giving prints to people, I asked them to think of someone else that I could send the print to. I spent my entire birthday filling out note cards, packaging prints and sending them off!
That’s how The Giving Print was born, but it still had to grow up and become a more mature idea. After a couple of different plans, I finally came up with selling all of our prints in the red frames you see today! Red was the color of the heart in our logo and I wanted something to represent the heart of the person giving the print to someone else, so we gave the red frames a try.
I made three prototypes and they blew me away! I knew instantly that people could eventually one day see one of these prints on the wall and say “That’s a Giving Print!”. Along with it, they would instantly know that someone cares for that person.
But making these frames is not easy nor is it cheap. We have invested all of our money into this idea, because we want to change lives. We want people to know they are cared for. I want people to be encouraged. When people are encouraged, there’s no end to what they can do.
Imagine you have a friend that is really good at science, but they are severely depressed. No matter how successful a person gets, if they are not cared for, they feel alone and isolated from the world. Imagine now, that they get a Giving Print from someone that really cares for them! Sending cards and flowers is also nice, but that stuff gets thrown away and eventually forgotten. We have created something that will stay up on the wall forever! A constant reminder everyday of the beauty that exists in this world and that someone thinks they are worth sending a Giving Print to.
We all know someone that is hurting. We all know someone that needs some encouragement. We at The Giving Print are going to do everything we can to motivate you to be the difference in someone’s life. By allowing you to be the difference, we create a chain reaction of kindness through out the world. One act of kindness leads to another and then another and so on.
Every one of our prints is prayed over before they get shipped, because we believe that these prints need to start off on a strong foundation. They are sent out to change lives and to make a difference in people, so praying is the least we can do for every single print.
The photography that we put in each frame is world class. We use amazing photographers from all around the world to create amazing images that you can relate to. Take some time, look through them and pick out the one that is going to speak to your friend.
We have decided that Montrose Colorado is the perfect place to start The Giving Print! It’s a small town surrounded by epic landscapes every where you look. If you get the chance, look us up and come by and see the pictures in person. They are absolutely amazing and we pray that every one of them makes a difference in someone’s life.
Winter Wonderland in Montrose Colorado
Montrose Colorado looks like a winter wonderland in the snow!
I have lived in Montrose Colorado for about 5 weeks now. We are constantly trying to find ways to spread the word about our photography business, but it’s proven to be a little harder than I originally thought it would. Never the less, we are still advertising myself as both a Wedding photographer and family photographer in this area and I have faith that everything is going to work out.
The best thing about Montrose is that we are already getting snow this year! I was told that snow doesn’t usually fall a lot here, so when I woke up and saw the town covered in snow, I grabbed my camera and headed out to take pictures!
This first shot was taken at the top of the hill from Carise Park.
This second picture was taken a little further out of the city limits around the waste management plant. I would imagine most photographers wouldn’t even go out to this location, but sometimes you find beauty of the most unexpected places.
Winter Wedding Photography in Colorado
Winter Elopement on the Western Slope
There is nothing more romantic than a winter wedding!
Colorado is probably one of the best places to get married in the snow. With the mountains as your backdrop, it doesn’t get any more romantic! And since the snow falls about half the year, there is no shortage in romantic locations on the western slope.
Hold her close and keep her warm!
The first day of snow is always the best!
How romantic are these two in the snow!
There’s always time for a little fun in the snow!
If you would love for me to take your elopement pictures in the snow, contact me at joe@joehendricks.com
I’m available all year on the western slope.
Transitioning our Wedding business to Colorado
It’s never easy moving to a new state, but we needed to get out of Texas!
Why were we there in the first place? It was a great place to take care of my mother-in-law. It hasn’t been the easiest time for us, but it’s our time to take care of her and so we spent 2 years in Texas doing just that. Unfortunately, the small town we were living in was not good for our professional photography business at all.
We ended up taking a month long trip to Colorado in hopes of finding a place to move to in the future. A place that would inspire us every day to get outside and enjoy nature! We found a little town called Montrose (one of the larger towns on the western slope) and fell in love with the location! Their slogan is “Stay here, play everywhere”, which is exactly what it is good for!
One of the things that is starting to take off here are Elopements! After being a successful wedding photographer and trying my hand at landscape photography, I found eloping to be the perfect mix of both! I’m pretty new to it myself, but I there is no doubt that I am going to love them! In the meantime, I find myself getting fit and ready to tackle the nearby mountain slopes! Insert an amazing couple with a desire to get married in the middle of the mountains and you will find the happiest photographer in the world!
I’ve only done a couple sessions so far, but let me just say, get ready for some amazing photos! With these kinds of backgrounds, I can’t wait to see what awaits me looking through the lens of my camera!
If you want to hire me for an elopement sessions, please fill out my contact form.
9 reasons to elope in Colorado!
Eloping is a romantic and perfect way to start off your marriage! You save money, your wedding is an adventure, there’s no family drama or stress of planning a huge wedding, you can take your time and get the most epic pictures you’ve always dreamed of, and you’ll have the most amazing story to tell everyone when you get back!
It’s just the two of you.
It’s just the two of you. Imagine having the most amazing view, holding hands with the love of your life and saying your vows in an intimate setting with only the trees and the mountains in attendance…. you don’t normally get that with a traditional wedding.
Save money!
$26,000 is the average wedding cost in America in 2018. For 1/4 the cost you can travel to the mountains of Colorado, say your vows in the presence of breathtaking views and hire me to take epic pictures that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life!
Get Epic Pictures
No one is in a hurry and your photographer can concentrate on the two of you without worrying about getting you to a reception, or what to do with 10 groomsmen and bridesmaids!
Start your marriage off right
There is no better way to start off your marriage, than to be debt free (or close to it)! A lot of couples are paying for their own wedding these days and you don’t want the best day of your life to be a financial burden.
Avoid drama
You’ve been dreaming of this day your whole life. You want and deserve everything to be perfect, but there are so many moving parts to a wedding and things just happen. Family, friends, flowers… whatever it is, with so many moving parts, it sometimes results in drama. Eloping is just the two of you and the chance of any drama decreases dramatically.
Take Your Time
Take your time, enjoy nature, and be in the moment together. The only time crunch you will encounter with an elopement is what time to do your hair and make up, and what time you have to start hiking to have your ceremony at sunrise or sunset!
No Planning Needed
When you elope, the only other person you have to please is the person standing right in front of you. You agree on a few decisions like an inspiring location, the date, and should we hire Joe Hendricks to photograph it, and go for it!!
Have a Great Story to Tell
Who doesn’t love showing off their wedding pictures? But what would you rather show? A wedding that pretty much every one else on earth has, or a story about you chasing after a passionate adventure together as a couple, climbing mountains while your dress blows in the wind as you say your vows! Every one will gawk at your images and wish they had the courage to do the same.
Family support!
Believe it or not, families are starting to support eloping more and more these days! Parents save a ton of money by not paying for a huge wedding! They also are starting to understand that eloping has changed. It’s no longer about a last minute, rebellious decision to marry in Vegas; it’s about beginning your lifelong commitment in a way that is special to you and your spouse.
Also check out “20 reasons to elope in the mountains of Colorado!”
Contact Joe
How I got a bride to lay down in her dress before the ceremony!
Weddings are once in a lifetime. That means a wedding photographer has one chance to get amazing pictures that the bride and groom will remember forever. The day goes fast and the chances are few, so when you go for a big shot, you'd better make it happen or you’re just going to waste precious time.
After shooting weddings for years, my couples have learned to trust me completely. I’m 100% honest with them from the very beginning and one thing I stress is that, if a shot isn’t working, we move on to something else. There are many times I’ve stopped in the middle of shot and said, “It’s not working. Let's do something else.”
This was the shot that gave me the inspiration for my wedding picture.
To be truly creative at a wedding, you have to "look ahead" of your shots. At this particular wedding, I noticed the 4 story building (that I knew I had access to) and the ground below was flat and would make a really cool illusion of the couple walking. I had seen a vintage photo on Pinterest that a photographer shared, showing a band doing a similar shot but from a completely different angle. I asked the bride if she would be willing to lay down on the ground for me. I told her I would put some plastic under her, and that it would be an amazing shot! No way in the world would I commit to a shot like this, if I didn’t think it was going to be awesome! She said yes and we went for it. The original plan was to have everyone lying down, but there wasn’t time and the ground was hot, so I told the wedding party to reach for the Bride and Groom. It was around 90 degrees outside and the ground was hotter, so after directing them on how to lay on the ground, I ran my butt up 4 flights of stairs! I felt like I was running for my life, hoping not to trip and smash my camera on the way up! I made it up and leaned over the side to look at the shot…. I was amazed at how it turned out! It was even better then I thought it would be! With my camera hanging over the rail and probably dripping sweat on everyone down below, I took 4 or 5 shots. I yelled out a few commands and then told my assistant to get them off the ground. It was a pretty amazing moment
That's me setting up the shot. I made sure to lay the groom down first.
I earn this trust with my couples during their engagement session. We take our time and they get to see me trying creative things. They quickly realize that I don’t spend time on something that’s not working. There’s no sense in “faking it” as a photographer. If the shot isn’t what you expected, it’s no big deal. Stop shooting it, admit it wasn’t what you thought, and move on. I think couples really respect that.
The couples that are going to allow you to be the most creative are the couples that respect you as a photographer. They have no problem paying your price and they get along with you. They completely believe that you are worth it. As a wedding photographer, that’s the biggest compliment you can get… the trust of your couple.
It’s your job as a photographer to keep pushing the envelope and taking new chances that will grow you in your craft. If you aren’t constantly shooting, you aren’t growing. I don’t care if it’s for free or if you’re getting paid, you have to keep shooting. I love shooting for free for friends, because I can take alot of chances and they can’t be mad at me, because its free.
I hope my story about this wedding shot gives you courage to take some big chances. If you’re not taking chances, you’re probably going to get bored. Every creative person need something different to do. Dream big, take chances and find the couples that will allow you to flourish.
Have fun,
Joe