Boulder Graduation Photos at Lost Gulch and Chautauqua

Graduation deserves more than a cap-and-gown snapshot in front of a building.  If you’re looking for Boulder graduation photos that actually feel like you, you’re in the right place.

I recently photographed a Front Range Community College grad in two of my favorite Boulder spots — Lost Gulch Overlook and Chautauqua Park — and it was exactly the kind of session that reminds me why I love shooting in Colorado.

Lost Gulch Overlook

Lost Gulch sits up in the foothills above Boulder and delivers a view that genuinely stops people in their tracks.  Rocky outcroppings, open sky, mountain layers in every direction.  It’s dramatic without being over-the-top, and it photographs beautifully at sunset when the light goes golden.  It also means you don’t have to drive down I-70 for an epic Colorado mountain backdrop.

Chautauqua Park

Chautauqua is iconic Boulder.  The Flatirons rising behind you, lush meadows, that big open western sky.  It’s the kind of location that photographs itself — my job is just to put you in it well.  🙂  For graduation portraits, it reads as celebratory without being stuffy.  It works for literally everyone.

What to Expect

Sessions like this one run about an hour and cover both locations.  We move fast, keep it relaxed, and I get you a gallery that actually represents a milestone worth remembering.

Front Range Community College graduation is a big deal.  You put in the work.  Your photos should show up the same way.

Ready to book your Boulder graduation photos?  Contact me here to get the conversation started.  Can’t wait to chat!

For now, take a look at a few favorites of mine from this gal’s session.  Thank you for stopping by the blog!

x Ash

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Denver Brand Photographer: Judith & Joe

Not all brand photography clients are created equal — and I mean that as a compliment to a very specific kind of business owner.

Over the years, some of my favorite commercial work has been for brands that actually give a damn.  Woman-owned businesses. Ethical fashion labels.  Shops that think hard about where their products come from, how they’re made, and what kind of footprint they’re leaving behind.

Jupiter & Jo (formerly known as Judith & Joe) — featured in these photos — is exactly that kind of business, and shooting for them has been some of the most rewarding commercial work of my career.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about working with mission-driven brands: the intentionality behind their products tends to show up in the photos.  When a garment is ethically sourced, small batch, or made from sustainable materials, there’s something worth lingering on.  It’s not just a product shot — it’s a story.  And that’s the kind of photography I get genuinely excited about.

If you run a woman-owned business, a sustainable brand, or an independent shop in Denver that’s doing things the right way, I’d love to talk about what we could create together.  Brand photography for businesses like yours isn’t just about pretty images for your website.  It’s about showing your customers exactly why buying from you matters.

Denver has no shortage of incredible small businesses built by people with real values.  It’d be pretty great to help more of them look as good as they actually are.

If that sounds like you, get in touch via my contact form and let’s start planning something.  I’d love to hear about what you’re building!

In the meantime, take a look below at the first collaboration I did with Judith & Joe.  Thank you for stopping by the blog!

x Ash

Denver Boutique Photographer: Judith & Joe

If you’ve ever walked into a boutique and immediately felt like everything in it was chosen with intention — that’s Jupiter & Jo.

I spent several years photographing for this Denver gem back when it was known as Judith & Joe, and it remains some of my favorite commercial work to date.  The boutique is locally owned and woman-owned, and the buying philosophy behind every item on the floor is genuinely thoughtful: ethically made, sustainably sourced, USA-made whenever possible, small batch, or with a charitable component woven in. It’s the kind of place where you can feel good about spending your money, which makes photographing their pieces that much more fun.

As their photographer, my job was to bring that intentionality to life visually.  These weren’t fast fashion pieces that needed a quick catalog shot.  They were carefully sourced garments that deserved images with some personality behind them.  We shot on location around Denver, leaning into natural light and real environments to let the clothing speak for itself.

This is exactly the kind of work I love doing on the commercial and brand side of my photography business.  If you own a boutique or small business in Denver and you’ve been putting off investing in professional photos, I’d love to make a case for why now is the time.  Your products, your ethos, and your brand story deserve visuals that actually do them justice — not iPhone shots under fluorescent lighting.

Jupiter & Jo is still going strong and doing beautiful things. Go check them out in the heart of RiNo at 30th and Blake and show them some love.

And if you’re a Denver small business owner looking for a brand photographer, let’s chat.  I’d love to work with you!

Chautauqua and Lost Gulch: My Favorite Colorado Locations for Portraits

I get asked all the time where my favorite outdoor locations to shoot in Colorado are, and honestly, I could rattle off a dozen locations without thinking twice.  This state is a stunner.  But if you’re asking where I’d take every single couple if I could?  Without having to sit on I-70?  Well that’s a different story.

The answer:

Lost Gulch and Chautauqua Park.  Every time.  No contest.

Lost Gulch Overlook up in Boulder is the kind of location that makes you feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world.  The sweeping views of the Flatirons, the rocky outcroppings, the way the light gets golden and dramatic right before sunset — it’s almost unfair how good it photographs.  It’s not a secret spot by any means, but when you time it right and you’ve got the right couple in front of your camera, it never gets old.

Chautauqua is a different energy entirely, and that’s exactly why I love having both in my back pocket.  Where Lost Gulch is dramatic and expansive, Chautauqua is lush and grounded.  It’s romantic without being precious about it.  It’s the kind of place that makes even the most camera-shy person relax, and that matters more than people realize.

Both locations are about 45 minutes from Denver down Highway 36.  I’ll do anything to avoid I-70.  And Boulder in general just has this energy that photographs beautifully — it’s laid-back but striking, which is pretty much my favorite combination.

If you’re considering either of these for your engagement session, elopement, or family session, I will enthusiastically cosign that decision.  Let’s go!

Take a peek at a few faves from this couple’s session last summer.  Thanks for stopping by the blog!

x Ash

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Denver Courthouse Elopement Photographers

If you’re searching for Denver courthouse elopement photographers, look no further — this one’s going to show you exactly why I love this work.

This sweet couple traveled all the way from out of state to say their vows downtown, and honestly?  That kind of intentionality sets the tone for everything.  They knew what they wanted: simple, meaningful, and photographed well.  Done and done.

We met at my absolute favorite courthouse in the city — the Byron J. White Courthouse downtown — and the whole afternoon was just chef’s kiss from start to finish.  The groom showed up in the richest forest green suit I’ve seen in a long time.  I love gem tones for wedding suits!

The bride balanced it perfectly in a romantic blue floral dress that felt effortless without trying too hard.  I love that she put a spin on the traditional wedding dress with a floral print.  These two clearly have an eye for the good stuff.

And then there was the third member of the wedding party: their dog, who showed up in a little bowtie and completely stole the show.  I will never, ever complain about a dog at an elopement or wedding.  Bring them all.  Always!

The Byron J. White Courthouse is one of those locations that just does the work for you — the Greek columns, the grand scale of it, the way the light hits in the afternoon.  It’s dramatic without being over the top, which is exactly what an intimate elopement calls for.

Thank you to this lovely couple for making the trip to Denver and trusting me with your day.  You didn’t need a big production to make it feel significant — you just needed each other, a great courthouse, and a dog in a bowtie.

That’s the good stuff.

Take a peek at a few of my faves from their Denver courthouse elopement session below.  Thank you for stopping by the blog!

x Ash

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