Jealousy, Solar Power and not taking things for granted...

I'm going to be all over the place on this post, just so you're warned.

1. Jessica's birthday was last weekend and her cell phone contract was up, which seemed like a perfect time to get her an iPhone. She's had it for a week and I'm pretty jealous. A certain amount of jealousy in a marriage is healthy right? Seriously though it is pretty freaking cool, I can't believe how much you can do with it. And I can't imagine I'll be able to hold out very long before I get one as well.

2. My friend Jon (he has another blog) and I went to a solar power class tonight that was put on by the owner of a small solar company in Denver called Adobe Solar. It was really interesting and the potential for solar and other types of renewable energies is almost limitless. It's something we're both very interested in and I believe the opportunity to make renewable energy and "green" living more accessible to everyone is an intriguing idea.

3. While I was out today I met 82 year old Sam. Last year he fell and broke his femur, had a heart attack and pancreatitis all within a few months. Probably more than most people have to deal with in a lifetime, he dealt with in a few months. But he was out picking weeds today and he moved around pretty well. He told me always be glad that you have your health. His spirit was strong but was obviously weakened by so much hardship at such an old age. It reminded me that I shouldn't ever complain about a few little aches and pains. I should feel so lucky that I have the ability to go out and run 5 or 6 miles. We should all feel very blessed and lucky for what we have.

SOUP

Jessica's sister Heather works for the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition and she organized their annual SOUP (Shots Offer Unrivaled Protection) event recently. It was at the Colorado History Museum and there were numerous different restaurants from the Denver area serving soup (get it.) It was a great time and Heather organized an amazing event despite a few technical problems. Jessica and I were lucky enough to attend and take a few pictures while we were there.











Great job Heather!

Thanks Garrett and Joy!

I spent the last two days at the Elevate 3 workshop which was put on by Garrett and Joy Nudd. They are an incredible husband and wife photography team and I learned so much in the two days that we spent together. Their marketing and customer service are amazing and I'm excited to start putting a few different things into practice. They are both amazing photographers and wonderful people. They just get it. They understand how to run a successful business and a successful family and be happy all at the same time.

I really enjoy participating in workshops like these and spending time with other talented people from the Denver area. We have a great group that is only getting stronger. You can go to Garrett and Joy's blog to see a few pictures from the week.

The workshop took place at Jenna and Katie's (and Matt's) Studio in Denver, and Jenna and Matt were our models for the night shoot. Here's just a few shots of the two of them.

Thanks again Garrett and Joy for giving us your time and sharing your talents with all of us.

Heres' Garrett and Joy checking out a few of their shots.

Jackson, William and Matthew

Jessica and I headed up to Evergreen last weekend and photographed these adorable triplets. They are just four months old and finally home from the hospital and healthy. We had such an awesome time, but we almost needed a third photographer to try and capture shots of all three boys. I'm sure there is a lot of anxiety when you find out that you're having triplets. But the only thing we saw in this families house was love, excitement and a lot of energy. Here's just a few of our favorite shots from the day...

Kelly and Jonathan are Getting Married...

We went out on Sunday night and photographed Kelly and Jonathan's engagement pictures, and we couldn't have asked for a better night. We had such a great time with both of them, and we even got a few shots with their little one Jack. Kelly and Jonathan are so easy to work with and we know their wedding is going to be so amazing. Here are a few of our favorites...




Isn't he cute?








Definitely our favorite shot of the day...

Three strikes and they're out!

There is a Subway restaurant about 5 minutes from our house and there is another one about 10 minutes away. Naturally we go to the closer one more often. However the last few times I've been I have received incredibly poor service. Rude sandwich makers, they are out of certain items, long waits (15-30 minutes) and leaving with a feeling that I wasted my money. So we went again today and I said I would give them "one more chance," Jess and I looked at each other in line and said strike three. So from now on we are going to drive the extra distance to a better Subway.

Looking back I shouldn't have given them so many chances. Certainly the brides and grooms we work with can't afford to give us "a few extra chances" if we screw up. And I wouldn't expect them to. This recent Subway experience reminded me of two things. First you don't have to settle for bad service. Go to a different location, call the manager (which I will do tomorrow) voice your concern to the employees even if they don't care.

Secondly it reminds me of the importance of not just great, but outstanding and consistent customer service. (My friend Jon had a recent post about what great customer service is.) I really believe that consistency is so important in your interactions with your customers. As a consumer I want to know that the service I got last time will be the same service I get next time. Obviously this doesn't always happen, and we now accept mediocre service just because we think that is the norm. We accept and tolerate bad service in so many situations; restaurants, grocery stores, cable company, cell phone company, post office...and I could go on.

It certainly makes me recognize, appreciate and compliment people when I do get great service. And there are many times when the service I receive is top notch, and I make a point of trying to frequent those establishments.

So to all you business owners that are reading, please remember that the customer service you provide is THE most important aspect of your business. And to all you consumers that are reading, remember that you don't have to settle for bad service.

Andrew and Keren are Getting Married!

This past weekend we also photographed Andrew and Keren's engagement session and after spending the afternoon with them we know their wedding is going to be great. They are both very laid back and the four of us got along great. It makes things go so smoothly when we really mesh with a couple, and we can't wait for the wedding. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the day...

Misa and Dan are Getting Married!

We met Misa and Dan in Colorado Springs today to talk about their wedding and take some engagement photos. Misa won't be wearing her kimono at the wedding so she wanted some photos while wearing it, and Dan had to dress the part as well. These two are so amazingly in love, and they have such an incredible vision for their wedding. Their ceremony will be at the Air Force Academy Chapel. If you haven't been inside the chapel it is well worth a visit, the architecture is so incredible. They also love to go fishing, so we had to get a few shots with their fishing poles. Thanks Misa and Dan for a great day, we can't wait for your wedding.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from today, and you can click here to watch the slideshow if you want...