Weddings
Engagements
Portraits
Posted on July 21, 2010
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Jay and Chandra met in Qatar. She was a girl from Wyoming, serving in the National Guard. He was a boy from England, serving in the British Army. Who would’ve guessed that they would fall in love on foreign ground….let alone while in the millitary! They had an absolutely gorgeous wedding at St. Alban’s Chapel up in the Snowy Range Mountains. I was absolutely honored to capture their wedding (not to mention, I’m super excited to share these pictures!)
Chandra, you are absolutely stunning:
Chandra had to sit in the van to put her veil on because it was so windy! (Welcome to Wyoming)
Honestly, could there be a prettier ceremony site?
We were able to get some amazing formals with the incredible scenery all around us!
I am so excited about the shots I captured of Jay and Chandra. They are so in love and it shows!
Oh, yum! I’m food happy just looking at these pictures!
You can always count on the best man to tell an embarrassing story.
During the ceremony, Jay and Chandra poured sand into this vase to symbolize their two lives becoming one.
When it came time to cut the cake, Jay played nice…
But Chandra….
…did not.
Jay and Chandra with Paster Chad Halbach:
Lastly, I will leave you with one of my favorite pictures:
Jay and Chandra’s love for each other is so apparent. They are two really cool people that happened to find each other (like a needle in a haystack!) Congratulations and all the best wishes for your new life together!
Posted on July 9, 2010
I was a busy, busy girl today. Starting with the pancake breakfast:
Then the farmer’s market:
The Ribeye Rodeo Grillin’ Contest:
TJ Casey (Cowboy Poet):
And last but not least….the PRCA Rodeo!
Lots and lots of trucks…
The rodeo started out with the bull riding (always a crowd favorite):
Sometimes I think the rodeo clowns have more guts that the riders. They’re either super brave…or super crazy! Maybe a little of both. 
Then it was onto the cattle roping:
Then steer…wrestling?! The rules are as follows:
Next up was bareback riding…which is the equivalent craziness of bull riding…just with wild-eyed bucking broncos.
One horse was so riled up, he bucked all across the arena…and over the fence…and into the grand stands. After freeing himself of his rider, he ran across the parking lot and out through the gate. He ended up running about 2 miles south on US 287, where he was eventually wrangled. Can you find him in this picture? (Hint: Look for the swaying tail.)
I’m saving the best for last. This picture literally took my breath away when I first saw it.
It’s images like this that have really sparked my love of rodeo photography. I don’t want the rodeo to end! Luckily, I still have two days of absolute awesomeness left! =D
Posted on July 8, 2010
And so continues my super awesome job as the official photographer of Laramie Jubilee Days. Today, the carnival opened, so I went to check it out before the Jalepeno Pepper Flaming Gorge eating contest. I will take more pictures of the carnival over the next couple of days (did someone say “night shots”?)
After a quick walk through the carnival, I made my way over to the Jalapeño Pepper Flaming Gorge eating contest. Whatever motivates someone to eat jalapeño peppers straight up is beyond me. It was like a scene out of Looney Tunes, with the red faces and steam coming out of their ears. Believe it or not, the winner didn’t even look phased.
The Laramie Fire Department was on hand, just in case things got too hot. =P
And the winner is….
After the contest, I traveled back out to the fairgrounds for the team roping competition. It really is amazing how fast horses can run…and how skilled the riders are! I’m jealous. But man, this was the first time that I totally felt like a city girl. I was astounded that there were horses everywhere! (And a little scared, feeling like the shortest one there.) I honestly think the horses outnumbered the people.
For those of you who don’t know about team roping (as if I’m the pro), here’s a run down of the rules. There are two people on each team (they don’t have to wear cowboy hats, but they do have to ride lightning fast horses). The cattle is kept in a starting gate, much like the Kentucky Derby. When the gate opens, they jet out of the gate. (And when I say jet, I don’t mean mosey. They book it across the arena.) The rider on the right uses their lasso to wrangle the cattle on the neck and then the rider on the left lassos the cattle’s back feet. And there you have it folks. (Although, I must say….it’s much much much much harder than that. These riders have amazing skill..and balance!)
I can’t believe that horse did not fall over:
Another amazing day at Laramie Jubilee Days! Tomorrow kicks off the first of three days of utter madness for me. There’s the pancake breakfast, the farmer’s market, the carnival, the grilling contest and the PRCA rodeo…just to name a few. I will be one busy girl! Check back for more updates. If you’re in Laramie, be sure to check out all the fun events happening this weekend. It’s gonna be fun! 
Posted on July 7, 2010
The coolest thing about being the official photographer for Laramie Jubilee Days is the opportunity to go behind the scenes. I watch as the wranglers round up the bulls. I feel the excitement and nervousness as the riders get into game mode. The energy is intense. Here are some pictures from Mr. T Extreme Bull Riding (and when they say extreme, they mean extreme!!)
Posted on July 6, 2010
As the official photographer of Laramie Jubilee Days, I covered the Junior Bull Riding competition. It was so exciting! I was free to roam around, soaking in the nervous energy before the competition. These contestants have guts of steel. Honestly. Luckily, I spent my time on the other side of the pen. :)
Singing the national anthem:
Our very own Rodeo Clown, Jr.! He is so adorable!
There are different levels of competition. The older the participants, the scarier the animal. Make no mistake, these are no bah, bah kind of sheep. They break out of the pen at super quick speeds, making the kids hang on for dear life. It’s intense!
Bahhhh!
I will post highlights from Laramie Jubilee Days everyday this week and upcoming weekend. If you’re in Laramie, come on out! Tomorrow is Mr. T Extreme Bull Riding at the Albany County Fairgrounds. Yes! Extreme!!