Most mornings I'm making coffee for customers long before the sun comes up. Today was a rare opportunity to get outside and go for a walk as the day revealed itself. There are so many colors and textures in nature during this time of year. With the sound of the wind toying with the grasses, the smell of the cool air, and the colorful rays of light easing across the wide open space, it was truly a treat for the senses.

This is Michael Wolf. I was out shooting in Boulder yesterday with a good friend and fellow photographer when we spotted him across the street and decided we needed to meet him. Turns out he makes a living by selling jewelry, mostly native American and turquoise items. He has spent time living around Colorado and divulged that when he lived up the road in Nederland, he could pay all his bills for a year with just over a thousand dollars. Sounds nice.

One of the biggest perks of being a photographer is having an easy excuse to get to meet people of all backgrounds.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik was a quick stop. I only had a couple hours to explore this tourist-packed city. The highlight of the destination was a morning stop at a small family-owned property in the countryside that grows olives and grapes and produces small quantities of both (you guessed it) olive oil and wine. I got to test both at around 8 in the morning, and despite the early hour I strongly approve of both. The olive oil is certainly one of the best I've ever had.

Operation of the olive press.

This the land where the family continues to grow grapes, olives, and other plants for the production of olive oil and wine.

The man behind the incredible olive oil.

Looking down on the old city of Dubrovnik from the surrounding coast.

Within the old city walls.

Did I mention we stumbled across the filming of next season's Game of Thrones? I got quickly (and firmly) stopped by security after shooting this one.

Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor is nestled securely into the coast of Montenegro. The only sea route requires going through a narrow passage surrounded by mountains which opens into the bay you see below. The best view of the city comes when you climb the smooth, stone steps that take you to the fortress. It is a truly stunning, picturesque city.

Hiking up towards the fortress.

The view of Kotor from the fortress.

Chapel, half way up the path to the fortress overlooking Kotor.

Very few places are as dark as being on the water at night. While sailing from Hvar to Kotor, I pointed my camera at the sky. I have no recollection of ever seeing the Milky Way before with my naked eye. 

It blows me away to see the crowding of millions and millions of stars and knowing that each is surrounded by planets and moons. All of them billions of miles from us. Makes me feel pretty small.

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Hvar, Croatia

There are over a thousand islands in Croatia. Hvar is one of the largest of these (the main city on the island bears the same name). We ventured around the island from Hvar to Stari Grad (literally "Old Town") where we visited a monastery. On the way back to Hvar we stopped for a wine tasting and a tour of the old city fortress overlooking Hvar. The island is speckled with incredible pebble beaches with beautiful, clear water. This island is certainly going on my list of backpacking destinations for a trip down the line.

Sun hitting this city of Hvar.

City square in Hvar.

Monastery in Stari Grad.

There were a lot of children playing on the streets of Stari Grad. They shared the "roads" with passing vehicles.

A girl roller blades on the uneven ground. The boy was having a "gun fight" with some of his friends - he was running with the girl but happened to do an about face right when I was snapping the photo.

View of the city of Hvar from the fortress.

Paul modeling the clear waters.

Split, Croatia

Split is a walkable city with what remains of the old fortress and Diocletian's Palace right at the center. The excavations are still in progress, but even now it's amazing what structures have survived more than a thousand years. That said, I think what struck me most about wandering through the city was the appearance of the people at the markets. I stumbled upon a large produce market east of the main city and snapped a few photos of the interesting faces I saw. I planned to go back and photograph some more people after doing some more wandering, but when I returned everyone had left and all that remained were pieces of leftover produce.

Prices seem to still be determined by using old scales. Everyone seemed to have the same model scale.

Found on one of the concrete shop tables. The only fruit that remained after the quick dispersion of the produce market I found.

Zadar, Croatia

Croatia, as with all of the former Yugoslavia, exists with recent memories of war. Given that for the most part, the (now) six states of the former republic (Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) have only been developing independently since the mid '90s, these are very young countries. 

The leftovers of the most recent war are tactile, but perhaps not in the way you would think. There was no visible damage from fighting (no bullet holes in buildings, no bomb craters preserved), but the harsh, block apartment buildings standing next to 12th century places of worship are some of the more obvious reminders. The more subtle one comes when you ask a local about his or her experience during the fighting. When our tour guide started talking about what her family went through, she seemed to speak with pain in her eyes, like this was still a raw memory.

The city is full of interesting contrasts. New imported cars sitting next to Yugoslavian relics, complex technology embedded in centuries-old buildings, a fashionable youth population walking with an older traditional generation. Have a look at a few of the photos I came away with.

When one cathedral was destroyed, a new one was literally built on top of it. In this case, old columns were used as a foundation.

An old Yugoslav hatchback parked in front of one of the lackluster concrete apartment buildings in the city center.

This woman was knitting and selling her knitted products against the wall of the city's main cathedral. 

Venice, Italy

Very few cities have the uniqueness of Venice. A floating city that floods almost as frequently with water as it does with outsiders looking for a glimpse of the old ways. Bridges that were once violent battlegrounds and dividing points between territories are now filled with vendors selling glassware and lace. At night, you can often stumble upon a musician playing the accordion for a couple floating by in a gondola, the sounds flirting familiarly with the worn stone city walls (if you close your eyes and listen, you can almost feel time becoming irrelevant). Despite the masses of tourists and overpriced souvenirs, the history here still shines through. Confined spaces force the locals and the tourists to intertwine in a way that most world destinations are able to avoid. Watching Venice live, move, and function is a truly one of a kind and rewarding experience. 

From the shine of the slippery stone walkways, you can imagine the footsteps of merchants, artists, fisherman, poets, and artisans over the centuries. It's a place to let your imagination run wild. And in my case, take a few pictures when the daydreams subside.

Pulling up to the Hotel Bauer

My mom, grandfather, and uncle. My grandfather brought the family on this incredible trip to celebrate his 85th birthday.

The Bridge of Sighs, built in 1600, held the last view prisoners saw before being locked in cells.

The Royal Palace in St. Mark's Square has some incredible rooms, libraries, and artwork.

Designer stores take up most of the real estate in the portion of Venice near St. Mark's Square. 

St. Mark's Square and Basilica.

One of the intricate mosaics on the face of St. Mark's Basilica. 

The courtyard of Doge's Palace, looking toward the domes of St. Mark's Basilica.

Not many places can make such interesting wine glass reflections.

A portion of Venice was sectioned off during WWII as a Jewish ghetto. I met these two Jews preparing for a Rosh Hashanah service.

One of the walls constructed by German troops in WWII to section off the Jewish ghetto in Venice.

The Grand Canal

The music in St. Mark's Square was something out of a movie.

The Value of Studying Abroad

Seeing as I'm about to embark on some travels, I feel the need to reminisce.

'Home' has a strange meaning to me. I live in Colorado and I'm currently typing this post from Texas (where I have spent most of my years), but neither place feels like home. The word, for me, changed meaning entirely my Junior year of college when I decided that what I was doing in my studies wasn't quite right. 

It was a during a period of scrambling for direction that I made the undisputed best decision of my four years of undergraduate education: to study abroad (and travel extensively while doing so). There was no one experience during my time at TCU that stretched me so much mentally, culturally, socially, and photographically. If you've ever brought up the subject with me, you'll be very aware this is one of the few topics that I can (and will) talk about for hours. That said, international travel can be intimidating – especially if you’re by yourself. The core bit of advice I try to give to people curious about studying abroad and traveling is pretty simple: While exploring, find and listen to the voice in the back of your head (the one that fear usually hushes) and DO what it tells you.

Take that train to the city you can’t pronounce (and if you're in Europe, get a rail pass while you're at it). Travel somewhere alone. Push yourself to say hi to the person that’s riding across the aisle from you. Skip the hotel and stay in the hostels (the 12-bed shared room, of course). Have an idea of what you want to accomplish but be flexible – plan to not have plans. Grab a bite at that expensive café, even if you can only afford an appetizer. Talk to locals. Be courageous and embrace the excitement that comes with being uncomfortable and out of your element (on that note, try the wine). Smile, even when you’re constantly exhausted. Make photographs (of course). And above all, keep your eyes open and be grateful. It's not always easy, but I can’t express how rewarding my travels have been simply by keeping these things in mind.

It wasn't until after my study abroad experience that 'home' became more of a state of being than a location. A settledness within oneself and a confidence to explore, to experience, to learn, and simply to be. Regardless of where life takes you.

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Seen while I was passing through Venice during my semester abroad in 2011

I’m fortunate enough to have a grandfather who is taking the extended family on a European vacation next week for his 85th birthday. I’ve been trying to contain my excitement for the past several months, but when Monday comes around, I hop on a plane to Venice for a 10-day stint adventuring on the Adriatic. Needless to say, I'm ready to explore.

Online Shop Launch

It's been a busy few months around here, with relocating to Boulder (getting acclimated to the elevation and the constant fragrance of marijuana), putting together a new website, starting creating archival prints with an unbelievable, massive printer that now takes up the majority of my work area, and now introducing an online shop where prints will be available for purchase.

The first two prints are now live in my online shop. I've printed a short run (15 prints per image) of small (8.5x11) prints on archival Canson Baryta Fine Art paper. Check them out in the "Shop" tab at the top of my website. It's been a long time coming to get here, but I couldn't be happier with the way these prints are looking.

The whirlwind continues this afternoon with a drive to Texas. Then I catch a flight Monday to Europe for a two week family birthday celebration touring the Adriatic. The itinerary includes Venice, Dubrovnik, Split, and Kotor – I think there just might be some opportunities to make some photographs. Stick around the blog for updates.

And so it begins...

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Fog

One of the many perks of living in this beautiful city is the amount of events and festivals that happen on a regular basis. I've never lived in a place that seems to so purposefully focus on congregating residents and enjoying the land and the company.

With a reasonably small population, Boulder tends to bring out familiar faces when these events come around. I've written a bit in the past about some of the performers, musicians, and general "regulars" I see while I'm out and about in the city. Sometimes I hear street musicians I know from around a corner. Some of the performers have their spots in the city where they've dug in their heels over the years. When these festivals do pop up, I find the man pictured by following the sound of loud, live music. Find the music and there's a good chance you'll see him dancing or swaying or just standing and smiling in an almost spiritual way. He will most likely be the first person you spot in a crowd or audience – he is remarkably thin and confidently splits the difference between six and seven feet in height.

I have tried to approach him in the past, but reconsidered, not wanting to interrupt his dancing. This past weekend at the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival I caught him on a short break and asked to shoot a picture. This smile was the result of my question, along with a soft, "yes." Before I knew it he was back up on his feet and moving again (before I could even get his name). That said, I'm sure I'll have ample opportunity to put a name to the face. Just need to chase the vibrations.

Crowds of texture shake your senses awake, rummage heedlessly through your memories like a child with a worn shoebox of old family photos. They light ablaze your emotions, grab hold of you and tell you to look. To see. And before you recognize it, they fill your reserves and send you on your way.

It's only after the door closes behind you that you begin to understand and appreciate the interaction, though never fully. It's a fleeting experience and by now, long gone. But it returns – it always does. Uninvited, in a different (though faintly familiar) form, always welcome.

Sarah & Spencer

There are few things as emotionally contagious as spending a wedding day with a bride and groom. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding celebration in Driftwood, Texas, just southwest of Austin. The loving couple, Spencer and Sarah, are two of the most kindhearted, sincere people I have had the pleasure of photographing. It's pretty special when you finish shooting a wedding and your jaw is sore because the interactions of the newly married couple kept you smiling all day.

The wedding took place at Stonehouse Villa, an incredibly beautiful property bordered by rolling hills and fields of tall grass. It shares a remarkably similar feel to Tuscany (in fact, you don't have to drive far to stumble upon a vineyard) – it most certainly is not the Texas I grew up knowing. Both the ceremony and reception took place outside, and the weather could not have turned out better. Below are just a few of the photos from the big day. My hope is that these convey the tremendous, powerful love that these two special people so obviously feel for one another.

Johnny

A quick portrait of Johnny in front of the barrels used to barrel age select beers at the New Belgium Brewery. Johnny is a great friend from TCU – I'm beyond thrilled that he's now nearby up in Fort Collins to pursue his Ph.D., not that he'll have any time to hang out in the next decade.

The Stages of Photographing Dogs

I had the opportunity to tour the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins yesterday (a wonderful tour, by the way) and afterwards stumbled upon this little guy downtown amidst a massive, crowded music festival that also happens to be going on this weekend. It got me thinking – I generally feel like there are about four consecutive stages I encounter while photographing dogs. I've attempted to recreate my experience with the following four captioned photos.

1: Preoccupation

2: Awareness

3: Confusion/Interest

4: Exploration

In my experience, most of the time is spent in the fourth stage. Anyone have a similar experience? Also, if anyone knows what kind of dog this is, I would love to know. The best my dog-expert friends could come up with was "Bear Dog." Needless to say, I'm fairly sure that's not right.

Finally got the shots from Spencer and Sarah's beautiful wedding onto my computer and figured I'd post a teaser as I work my way through editing. It's been a busy week in Boulder with working and moving into a new place and I'm SO excited to dig into these. Tons more to come of this wonderful happy couple.