A little behind the scenes of Denver { John – J* Jet }

I’m still on cloud 9 from this past weekend…more importantly, from Sundays wedding. It was a personal challenge I gave to myself to photograph three weddings back-to-back. Now, they weren’t my own weddings (because I don’t think that would work in the slightest), but I was hired by three different photographers to help shoot their weddings. I love second shooting, but I’ve never shot three back-to-back before.

And these three were big. Friday I went down to San Diego to help out David Champagne, Saturday I helped Heidi Ryder with Niecy Nash’s wedding (yep, you might see me running around on TLC this Saturday)…and then Sunday I got on a flight at 6:30am to fly to Denver. Oh…and I managed to not get any sleep in between Saturday and Sunday. I started to get flashbacks from finals week in college….it was a large can of redbull kinda day.

On Sunday, I was helping John Payne shoot his first large scale wedding…and boy the people of Denver are just so nice I wanted to sign a lease and move down there that weekend. Liz and Mike were the sweetest, most amazing people that I connected with instantaneously. Liz radiated happiness. I’m not surprised though, because John and his wife Nat (aka J* Jet Cheerleader) are the same way.  Amazing people attract amazing, loving people. I felt at home and left the stress of the last two days back in California.

We started the day by eating a large home cooked breakfast Nat made for us (seriously, I was ready to cancel my flight back then and there), then drove to the venue early so we could get a feeling of the space and light. It was so pretty. I had to stop for a moment and just look around…it was so different from California…but I think that’s why I loved it so much more. I was inspired by the new surroundings, and my brain just clicked into creative overdrive. Or it could of been the extra can of Redbull.

Even though it was John’s first large wedding, I wouldn’t of been able to tell. He’s a natural and the images he can capture? Darn…they far surpass my first few large weddings. He rocks.

If it wasn’t for the adrenaline and excitement of seeing a fellow Jet and going to Denver…I’m not sure I would of rocked it as hard as I did. By the end of Sunday I felt sore, but my heart was filled with so much love it got me though everything.

I feel so lucky to have met John, Nat and the other 5 J* Jets in Seattle last April. There’s something different about all of us…we just fit together like a puzzle. We need each other to be complete. Within 30 minutes of meeting it felt like we were family. The large, loud, dysfunctional family that most people dream about. Since April, we still text, skype and chat on FB every day. I’m not kidding when I say every day. I talk to them more that I talk to my sister.

We are each others sources of support. We push ourselves to be better people and business owners…and to continue to do what we love. Hopefully one day we can all shoot a wedding together…because that would be just plain fun. Until then, I will fly out on a moments notice to help any of my family out.

Throughout the day, I made sure I got a few photos of John working. That’s what photographers do best. 🙂 It was even easier with John, because he had a smile on his face the entire time. I could tell he was happy in his element. Watch out Denver, because this guy is going to take it over one day.

I miss you, Nat and Norah like crazy…and can’t wait for our J* Jet reunion in July!

<3
Candice