"Kempe Takes Manhattan" Benefit Dinner

Last week Friday, I was fortunate enough to help photograph the Kempe Takes Manhatten Benefit dinner and auction. The Kempe Foundation is a wonderful organization that focuses specifically on the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. There are some amazing people working within this foundation and who has a more humble goal than to eradicate the abuse of all children?! Bravo, Kempe.

I was asked to participate after Kelsey Bigelow got involved. She's amazing!...and between her and I and Kristi Crossen, I'm pretty sure we got some excellent shots of this event.

This dinner was held at the Denver Marriott City Center and was themed "Kempe Takes Manhattan" and was entirely mimicked off of New York City's greatest attributes. There was a pantomime, a trendy club, street vendors and acts, and even a hot-dog stand. =) Newberry Brothers Greenhouse and Florist also participated by selling flowers with proceeds going directly to the foundation.

Master of ceremonies that night was Mike Nelson from Channel 7 News! This was definitely a highlight for me as I've watched his weather reports almost my entire life. While it was fantastic to finally get a few shots of him, I spent most of my time photographing the scenery and flood of beautiful people who came to support this noble cause.

After a fabulous dinner, auction, and tribute to Mrs. Imhoff (a woman who had dedicated nearly her entire life to the cause), the foundation ended the evening with performances by the children of the Denver School of the Arts and a night full of dancing at their "Studio 54"-themed club!

I have felt many times I haven't contributed to such noble causes enough...but volunteering at this event has certainly brought me joy and a sense of hope for those children who are still suffering. My hat's off to those of you who have worked so hard at making Kempe a household name for so many!

Enjoy a few photos of the night.

Cheers!

Simple Thanks...

I have to start this post by thanking some people.

Guess I'll start with Kelsey Bigelow...she's been uber helpful with the whole "blogging" thing. I just feel so useless when trying to figure all this out with html codes, etc. And half the time, I don't know what to say. ;) But Kelsey's a pro...not only at photography, but at design, blogging, and her ability to be a friend. Muchas Gracias, lady. xo

I should also thank Courtney Roxanne...for being just amazing. She's been so helpful with my own photography growth and she's always inspiring me to work harder. I can't say I would have accomplished as much without her...or the next person...

Junichi Arakawa! Juni has been nothing short of an amazing friend. And it was because of him that I wanted nothing more than to shoot fashion. He's taught me a lot about patience, ethics, and genuinely "classy" photography. These two have become some of my very best friends in the world...I can venture to bet that many people will never meet such friends as these.

I can only hope that one day, I can help someone the way these three helped me! Obviously there are others I can thank...but maybe we'll get to that in another post. For now, here are some shots I've recently taken. I've been blessed beyond imagine with amazing models and talent the last few weeks. I have tried to do their gorgeous faces justice, but if nothing else, I have made some amazing new friends!

Happy Spring! Take it all in, everyone.
xo, Shanny


Model: Annelise Jorgenson


Model: Hailey Middleton
Makeup: Natosha Cooke




The next three images:
Model: Chelse K
Makeup: Ryan Griffith
Hair: Cassie Jahn

Change

The last few weeks have been, er, interesting...to say the least... I have been able to relax and focus on only the things most important to me. And while I'm so blessed to be able to experience such "relaxation" and time off, I'm looking forward to the change that inevitably comes this time of year: a little slice of the pie named "my crazy life." Our tree nursery is growing and we're constantly working on improving it. More trees, less overhead, more profit, less cost, better trees, a new barn, a larger, more capable staff..and on and on. Each year, it's stressful when I'm suddenly thrust into an insane schedule, but it's about this time that I welcome it because too much time to focus on whatever, sometimes leaves me...well...a bit bored. I have plenty to do, don't get me wrong, but when I am given the choice to choose my schedules, I make them easy and doable. In addition, I'm a bit of an overachiever, so I'm never late, and usually allot more time than is actually needed on any given project. I'm also quick, so I end up accomplishing things faster than I'd planned...which leads to more time on my hands. Bottom line: I know I'll regret saying this, but I'm excited to stand in the sun and bake while watering my trees and talking to my crazy customers. ;) Haha. Once I get my fix, I think I'll probably look back and wish I were sleeping until 11 each morning again and staying up late loving on my husband. But for now, life is good and I'm trying to embrace the inevitable change in my "freedom" that comes with owning my own business...or two. Until this change comes...which is usually around April 15th...I'm going to soak up my home, my husband, and my doggies. Oh, and our new cozy bed! The hours I spend in it make the endless search for a mattress all seem absolutely and most positively necessary, now that I sleep like I'm on clouds. Minor point, but a good one. ;)

In short, no blog is worth a read without a visual. In all of my relaxation, I've taken on numerous photo shoots at leisure. All were shot at my home studio, so it's been pretty fantastic. I've messed around with my editing and lights...wondering if I'll ever stop craving a new, more modern style to my photography. Oh well. Change is growth, and I'm just not done growing.

Enjoy.

xo, Shanny