Eric and Amanda
Red Rock Canyon Open Space
Colorado Springs
October 7, 2007
Meet Amanda and Eric! They are getting married one year from tomorrow. Happy negative one year anniversary, guys! Mike and I clicked with Amanda and Eric right away, and we are really looking forward to getting to know them over the coming year.
Amanda and Eric have one of the coolest volunteer jobs I know: they train puppies to be guide dogs for the blind. They train and socialize dogs for the first year of their lives, before sending them off to a school for them to learn how to assist the blind. Only a small percentage of the dogs in this program are selected to be placed with a blind companion. Right now Amanda and Eric are training a yellow lab named Anthony, and they have adopted Nasa, one of their former puppies who was not selected for the program. Mike and I are so fascinated with the work that Amanda and Eric do that we are considering getting involved, too. You can learn more here: www.guidedogs.com.
This is beautiful Anthony, their puppy in the guide dog program.
With Nasa and Anthony. I love how the dogs seem to match their respective human. 🙂
Making Nasa smile for the camera. hahaha!
Nasa was so sad every time they had to sit out of the photo, tied to a tree. Aw.
Pikes Peak got a sprinkling of snow that afternoon.
If it looks like they are in mortal peril on the edge of a cliff, it’s because they are.
That’s the Garden of the Gods in the background.
As part of his training, Anthony goes everywhere with Amanda. She is in grad school, and he goes to class with her everyday. Mike and I went out to dinner with Amanda and Eric, and little Anthony sat peacefully under our table at the restaurant. He’s a great dog.
Someday this sweet guy might be a wonderful companion for a blind person.
When Nasa wasn’t selected as a guide dog, he was welcomed back by Amanda and Eric and given a great life.
makes sense
I see from the old kitchen pictures why you’d want to remodel! Looks like it will be stunning when finished.
BTW, in another life I want to be an architectural photographer instead of doing weddings and portraits. AND…I think these are great for that vein.
Thanks for always being so patient and explaining things, Charlotte. 🙂 I have also had success with the on-camera fill flash. I still haven’t gotten over that WWCD (What Would Charlotte Do?) thing that I started at my first wedding a year ago April. 🙂
I approach each portrait shoot differently, working with whatever I have available. If my clients have brought any family or friends with them at the shoot, I ask them to hold the reflector or flash. Usually, though, I use on-camera fill flash, which is subtle and highly effective when I balance it properly with the ambient light.
So on your solo portrait ventures, do you just skip using reflectors and off-camera flashes? I can’t do them solo if I want to use these things, because either it’s not physically possible, or I’m way too slow (with the flashes).
Nope, I think I used my 16-35mm on that one, or perhaps even the 24-70mm. I was standing pretty far away from them for that photo.
Oh Amanda and Eric, thank you so much for that. I just love you guys, and it’s wonderful to know how happy you are to be working (and playing!) with us. We are going to have so much fun together!
Please tell Nasa and Anthony that I don’t believe you for a second; I think they are always angels! 🙂
Thanks! I very rarely bring an assistant with me on any portrait sessions, and this is one of the ones that I did solo. Mike joins me once in a while, but usually his schedule doesn’t permit enough time to do it.
I think I’d have a hard time giving up the dog, too, especially after being with the dog just about every minute of every day. I really admire the volunteers that do it.
That’s right! I’ve seen Noelle in there a couple times recently, which is totally cool. I’ve been so out of touch lately that I hadn’t even realized that you’d moved! I hope it’s going well for you guys!
That’s fantastic that Ben was paired with such a great dog. I’m humbled by dogs sometimes.
Actually I can’t take too much credit here, because these guys are gorgeous. 🙂 But I definitely appreciate the compliment!
Thanks! That’s not weird at all… I love it when people enjoy my photos enough to sit and look through them all! Thanks for the compliments. 🙂
Happy Negative One Year Anniversary?
Especially as they have a dog named Nasa, it should be T-Minus One Year And Counting!:)
What lense did you use on that second picture? It’s not a fish eye lense right?
Anthony looks like Uncle PT!
Nate and I were looking at your pictures and Nate says, that guy looks like Uncle PT! But that’s not Mary. Funny little Nate guy!
You are simply amazing. The moment I first clicked on your site I knew you had to be my wedding photographer. We love the photos. For those of you who have not met Charlotte and Mike, the reason thier photos are so beautiful is because the people behind the camera are as beautiful as their work! Thank you so much. We can’t wait for the wedding!
P.S Nasa is very happy with your work he finally looks like a dog in a photo and not just a black blob. Anthony says thanks for making him look like an angle and not the stinker he really is 😀
Awesome photos, Charlotte.
The dogs are adorable and that’s awesome what they do.
beautiful images! do you bring an assistant with you on your engagement shoots?
i used to work with people who are blind and heard a lot about people who raised the dogs. it always sounded fascinating and rewarding, but i think i would have a hard time giving the dogs up when it came time…
Great photos as always! 😀
I heard you were in Pikes Perk the other day! 😉 I really wish I was back in Colorado Springs sometimes. D:
I love when people include their dogs. Definitely something I would do, as I consider them part of the family. And the picture where he’s making his dog smile, made me laugh! 🙂
Oh wow, what a wonderful couple. 🙂
So great!! I love the pics of the pooches, especially with their people. 🙂
My friend Ben uses a service dog, Dottie, because he has spinal muscular atrophy. So i’ve seen how great the dogs can be, and i know how important the program is. 🙂
I am so in love with your work!!! I only wish I had come across it before I booked my photographer. Breathtaking views, gorgeous photos.
oh the puppies are SO PRECIOUS
🙁
look at their little sad faces!
lovely setting!
ps. the bride-to-be looks a little like Carrie Underwood in certain angles
How can you not love the faces of those puppies!! They are adorable! I am such a sucker for animals of any kind.
Wow, I love autumn colors. What a gorgeous time of year to plan a wedding for. 🙂
1) Amazing photos as usual.
2) And as the owner of 2 yellow labs, I’m in love with their dogs!
Seriously one of my FAVORITE photo posts yet! Too lovely.
Great photos! I especially like the first three and all of the ones with the dogs.
A good friend of mine in high school was training a guide dog, and she got to bring him to class all the time. It’s not an easy thing to do – especially because you inevitably fall in love with the dog and then have to give it away in a year – but I think it would be really fulfilling, and I know you guys would do a great job.
So I’ve been thinking for months- geez, how is it that Charlotte only photographs incredibly attractive, really beautiful people?
It has recently occurred to me that while you may have extraordinary clients, it’s most likely that you have an amazing gift, some incredible talent for making everyone you photograph look outstanding. I’m so impressed- how wonderful to be able to do that for people!
(and selfishly, when do you want to come photograph me? I usually look awful in photos!)
she has beautiful hair!
i use that phrase – negative one anniversary. 🙂
I love how they match with the dogs!
Dogs are great.
you have an amazing gift! this may sound crazy/weird but one night I sat and looked through your LJ . . . all of your pictures are just beautiful. You truly capture the essence of people!
okay, don’t let my wedding photographer hear me saying all this 🙂
Holy moly, look at those colors! Beautiful shots, Charlotte! I love all the ones under the trees and in that gorgeous leafy foilage. Also, the dogs are super cute.
amazing photos as usual, Char.
and that would be so awesome, for you and mike to be involved with the guide dogs program! You’d make a great dog trainer, I’m sure.