Not yet to their official “one year in business” mark, the Boulder Draft House has almost instantly created some of the best beers in the country through their on-site Colorado Brewing Company (and they have a medal to prove it). Today is the 44th day of the year and we thought it perfect to highlight their 44 Pale Ale which won a Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal in the American Style Pale Ale category which beat out some 120 other entrants. For a brew house to achieve this within their first year is saying something, and its sayin it Loud!


CBC offers a variety of tasty brews including Folsom Gold, Alpenglow Amber, Feisty Fiddler IPA, Big Bella Brown, and a seasonal, knock you on your ass, Beligan style IPA called Monk Slap which is available now. Much of the credit goes to their Brewmaster, Mike Kasian and it was fate, luck, or whatever you want to call it to get him on board. At the time owners Jim Howser + Mitch Arden were interviewing, Mike was visiting from Chicago. A casual conversation at Foolish Craigs, another Arden owned local spot, turned into an interview, a hire, and a move from Chicago to Boulder for Mike.

The Draft House is open daily at 11am and I met Mike for the photo shoot there Thursday morning. We sat down and chatted a bit about the brewery, business, and his journey thus far. He’s an expert at his craft with a supreme passion for creating the best. The restaurant + brewery have made strides this first year with their level of quality, service, and atmosphere. Quick progression and immense success are in the future for this one for sure.

Beyond great beer, Boulder Draft House has a full menu with a huge selection of tasty bites. This isn’t your typical bar food folks. The space is laid out with hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, ambient lighting, plenty of tables, custom artwork, a large stage, and a slew of flat screens to catch the big game. They frequently host events and have music from local + nationally acclaimed bands weekly most every night. Check out the calendar to see whats going on.

It wasn’t their goal to pigeonhole themselves into being one certain type of establishment. Its like all your favorite places wrapped up into one spot, and they do it all so well. If you haven’t been, check out these Specials and Go Already!

Scant Francisco (2008)

There’s a certain fervor to San Francisco, a feeling that hasn’t been duplicated for me in any other place. I’m not saying its better, nor worse. I’m merely trying to convey an emotion you feel but can’t ever really put your finger on a perfect definition. I’ve visited twice and felt much the same way each time. I’ve even considered living there for a stint but the fear of that feeling fading from permanency holds me back for now.

There’s history, culture, passion, wealth, and struggle in every direction you look. It’s raw, vibrant, anxious, and peaceful. There’s love, kindness, hatred, and depression. It’s in the air, in the waves, in the cracks, and between the bricks. I guess it has everything that most large cities have, but there’s this sharp declaration which envelopes every sense and lets you know that you couldn’t be anywhere else but San Francisco.

There’s immeasurable amounts of cool shit to experience and zero explanations that justify my witness. You just have to go. Go view it from all angles, all perspectives, and all neighborhoods. Take it all in and know some of its elements will never leave you.

I took this photo from a roof top in the Lower Haight section. I used my Canon S5 which has been modified to only capture Infrared light and used a Tilt-Shift effect which causes objects to appear some what miniaturized. I loved the fog rolling in from over the hill enveloping the base of Sutro Tower as the sun shone bright upon the houses cramming the slope.

Lost Harem (2009)

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” -John Muir

I was introduced to nature and its wildlife at a very young age accompanying my father and brother on ritual hunting, fishing, and camping trips. Certainly that experience aided in the outdoors becoming an enjoyable priority in my life, but I believe it goes far deeper than that; a calling, a fascination with wandering into the wild to observe and reflect. When you spend time in the peaceful wood and monitor its habitants as they’re unaware of your presence, it, for lack of a better definition, freshens the mind, cleans the spirit, and reminds you that you’re alive.

I’m only an 8 month transplant to the area with sole origins in West Virginia. Elk have always been a creature of allure for me and as they weren’t currently native to my eastern home, it topped high upon the list to view one. September is usually peak season for their rut, or mating season. The bull elk compete for the attention of the cows. Bull elk in their prime, 4-10 years of age, are large and dominant enough to claim a harem of as many as 25 cows. During this period it is more yielding to view these animals as they spend more time in the clearings and their attention is somewhat diverted.

However, it is also a very risky period to attempt an approach. Bulls, engorged with hormones, become protective of their harems from other bull elk and predators. Often, you will find two evenly matched bulls locked in battle as they wrestle each other with their massive antlers for dominance. If a human is mistaken as a threat or predator, they will not hesitate to administer a charged attack.

I paid a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park this September to witness the action. You don’t have to venture far from the droves of road spectators to get a great glimpse of these massive beasts naturally interacting within their habitat. I probably, on several occasions, crept a little too close than what’s considered safe, but I was utterly confounded by their size and beauty. This bull had strayed just a bit from his harem to chase another smaller bull away and was bugling back to his harem to follow. I was kneeling in pretty close and if you can believe it, captured this photo with a 50mm prime lens.

Uschi Gerschner is a freelance Photojournalist and lives on City Island in New York. She booked the day to share her photography with us all and to support myself through this project and obtain a custom piece of art. I sent her an email to get a feel for what style of photography she would want. I suggested for her to look at a blank spot on her wall and imagine what type of photo would look good there or send me some other artists she was a fan of as I thought it would be fun to try to imitate their style.

Uschi mentioned that her favorite artist was David Hockney (see his work here). Regarding his photographic work, he is famous for creating whole images from a collage of smaller individual frames from a scene. Uschi also mentioned that she loves travel and wanted a photo representative of my area; the Rocky Mountains in all their bright, winter, snowy glory.

Uschi also has a “one photo a day” blog and the results have been so interesting. Check it out and also give her a Follow on Twitter @uschi13.

See a Large Version of the Photo Here

[About this Shoot: I experimented with this collage style of photography many years ago with film. I wanted to try to replicate this with digital. I went high up Lookout Mountain (near Golden, CO) and found a perfect spot to capture as the sun was setting. I took 185 frames, some vertical, some horizontal, and some tilted.

I created a large canvas in Photoshop and began piecing the photos in to create the completed image. I ended up using 26 different exposures and it took much longer than anticipated. I think using film is much easier as you can spread the prints on the floor and begin taping together puzzle style. Nevertheless, it was fun doing this and a style I'll definitely be experimenting with much more in the near future.]

Surmount, New Orleans (2009)
13″ x 13″
Edition, 1 of 1 (Signed + Numbered)
Archival pigment inks on Ultra Premium Luster archival paper
$40.00 (shipped) – SOLD (thank you Nico Brooks)

There’s a couple reasons I was inspired to release this print today. The obvious is in celebration of the Super Bowl win for the New Orleans Saints. The city as a whole has been an underdog, fighting for the top ever since Hurricane Katrina. This win is just further proof, hope, and inspiration towards showing the battle this city has endured to get back up.

I was inspired to visit New Orleans last year after watching the documentary “Trouble the Water” which chronicles a family, filmed from a survivalist perspective on a handycam, through the days prior to the storm, during the storm as they congregate in the attic, and the weeks after.

They lived in the Lower 9th Ward which was one of the most ravaged sections as part of the levy broke mere blocks from the houses. It was moving to witness the devastation + survival (and lack thereof) through a first hand account from a community that didn’t have the means to evacuate.

I made a trip to New Orleans this past summer to create a body of work and document the condition of the Lower 9th Ward, four years after the storm. I was surprised at how desolate and unrepaired it still was. Houses were leaning and off foundations, fences were mangled, yards overgrown, and spray paint still littered their facades. As the rescue crews performed sweeps of the houses in the days and weeks after the storm, they spray painted a large X on the front of the houses. Within each quadrant of the X was a number or code that related to what they found or didn’t find in the house. Humans or pets, alive or dead.

It seemed that most of the houses were abandoned and many of the owners hadn’t returned yet (and may never again). A small portion were in the process of renovation but even the occupied homes and apartments, with its residents sitting on the porch or stoop, still hadn’t repainted and the spray paint from the rescue efforts was still very evident.

I captured this photo while walking down Douglas at the corner of Forstall Street (map). There’s a small banked incline that separates the community from the Mississippi River and a walking/bike trail parallels the river with benches every few hundred feet with great views looking into the skyscrapers of downtown. I looked up and saw this family; seemingly a man, wife, and child whom is hugging onto his leg near one of the benches along the trail. His arms were outstretched. In cheer, in victory, to say I’m alive? I thought it a perfect representation, on such a bright, sunny, and beautiful day to interpret the idea that even in the darkest and dire of situations, the light will rise again and live on. This is the very perseverance that’s instilled in the earth and in us all.

See a Large Version of the Print Here

[Print Details: I’ve decided that on unbooked days throughout the year (although I’d love for them all to get bookings) I am going to offer Limited Edition prints from my personal work and collections. Each print will cost what ever the price of the unbooked day is. Therefore, today’s print is $40 (shipped). The print will remain for sale throughout the year until sold.

This is the only print that will ever be released of this photo, signed and numbered 1 of 1, with one Artists Proof to be kept for myself. This release is printed with archival pigment inks on 5 Star Ultra Premium Luster archival paper and the approximate size is 13″ x 13″.]

After a long stint in business with a Virgin Group company and pioneering Twitter as a customer support tool, this past year Rich Baker ventured out on his own founding Conversational UK, Ltd.

Rich concentrates on helping businesses utilize social media and the Internet for greater engagement + service, to enhance their visibility + reputation, increase profits, and reduce costs. Rich hails from ‘across the pond’ with an office in London but has a global reach and helps + supports clients from all locations.

Rich is an expert in digital communication, customer service, human resources, and organizational development which gives him the ability to play the role of coach and comfortably lead any business into this online revolution. There’s no time to put off expanding your operations into the online platform. These business practices are here to stay and the longer you wait, the further behind you’ll be.

Put your Change Management worries into the hands of Rich Baker and let him lead you into the future with tack sharp strategy and results. Join the Revolution!

Check out Rich’s website http://conversational.ly and read his blog http://rich-baker.com for further information + details. You can also contact him through email lazymagic [at] me [dot] com or on Twitter @richard_baker, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

[About this Shoot: I wanted to interpret the fact that Networking with business + clients has changed. It's now predominantly moving online through the increasing platforms of Social Media. I set up this scene with desk and an iMac work station.

Separately, I digitally created a backdrop of relevant words and printed large format. I photographed a handshake of myself and girlfriend in front of said backdrop. I used that photo as the display on the monitor in the workspace scene. Rich Baker sent me a promo photo of himself. I printed the photo out and framed it sitting on the desk.]

See Large Version of the Photo Here

We all had the great pleasure of meeting the Caligater here on Friday as she danced for us (well, as much as one can dance in a still shot). Today I dig a little deeper into the online social musings of this self proclaimed work-in-progress entrepreneur.

Between dance and the pursuit of a Masters Degree in Social Science at CU Denver, Cali finds the time to share her life and findings through her blog at http://blog.caligater.com. She chronicles successes, failures, and reflections which are written as to deliver a message and moral from her experiences. She turns Life into Inspiration.

Whether its views as a grad student, dancing, or cluing us in on the interesting “gater snacks” she’s found on the interwebs, I hope she continues to share and I wish her the best of luck in her social adventure online and off.

[About this Shoot: Anyone that goes by Caligater certainly has a mascot. Hers happens to be a 2 foot toy alligator with a blonde wig (and its awesome). After walking about Boulder, and getting some strange looks (which is a perfect way to spur social conversation), we found a spot to stop and decided to represent the lil' caligator insightfully blogging away on her MacBook Air.]

See a Large Version of the Photo Here

Rachel Cox, a dear friend of mine contacted me early on in this project with the idea to book today in celebration for Jeremy, a very special person in her life. Jeremy is from West Virginia and comes to visit family in Granby, CO just about every summer. She thought it perfect, considering my location, to capture some of the landscape and gift the print to him as a comfort filler between visits.

He’s a passionate outdoor enthusiast and one of his favorite things to do while spending time here is fishing the Colorado streams and lakes. With a personality + voice as big as these mountains, Jeremy’s humor, spontaneity, fun loving spirit, adventurous mind, and enthusiastic storytelling give him a magnetic charm and make him a joy for anyone to be around.

Although Jeremy considers moving this way one day, he was born and raised in Charleston, WV and home is, and always will be, home. He bleeds Blue + Gold and is a proud fan of WVU Sports. He also loves music, enjoys spending time at the family’s outdoor camp he built with his father, and participating in a 5K run and Kayak Triathlon.

I briefly met Jeremy in West Virginia during my recent trip home to WV for the holidays. He’s one of kind, a guy you can’t lump into any one category, and a person that’s fervently loving the many aspects of life. He makes Rachel keenly happy and therefor he’s alright with me. I look forward to spending more time with them both in the near future. Happy Birthday Jeremy.

[About this Shoot: As to capture some of the Rocky Colorado landscape for Jeremy, I made a trip to the Grandby area and up into the Rocky Mountain National Park west entrance. On an overcast day as the sun struggled to break through, I stumbled upon this awesome view of a golden grassy area leading to the base of the mountains as they abruptly jut straight up in majestic glory.]

See Large Version of the Photo Here

“Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?” – Friedrich Nietzsche, 1888, Twilight of Idols

Known to many as “Caligater”, Cali Harris is a vibrant old soul who runs the daily gamut between Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins. She lives in Fort, studies in Denver, and hangs in Boulder. She’s pursuing her Masters in Social Science at the University of Denver and through her background in journalism acts as Social Entrepreneur and operates an insightful blog. She’s the type of person that you meet and think “I wish I enjoyed anything as much as she enjoys everything.”

I met Cali in Boulder yesterday to capture one of her truest passions, Dancing. She’ll groove to about anything but she’s peculiarly passionate about Salsa, Rhumba (which I assumed she meant a robot vacuum), and Cha-Cha. To her, dance is analogous to progress and movement through this life.

She’s been training and dancing for the largest part of her life and offers Private Lessons to all that are interested in letting the music take control, letting the rhythm move you, and pretty much Sweat. (thank you C+C Music Factory)

In all seriousness, email her at caligater[at]gmail[dot]com or Follow her on Twitter @caligater to discuss further and schedule a time to shake it.

[About this Shoot: After meeting at Trident Bookstore + Cafe and discussing possible locals for a nice dance shot, we ultimately decided to stroll over to the St. Julien hotel to check out the scene.

We spotted a sweet little gazebo spot out back on their patio with a perfect view of the Flatirons and were lucky to get awesome lighting for long, dramatic shadows. She began dancing and I began shooting. She must have been doing something right because as we re-entered the hotel the staff was very gracious for the entertainment.]

See a Large Version of the Photo Here (seriously, you have to see this one BIG)

The Ink Blot that is . . . (2009)

This photo is very personal for me as it’s the state of mind I was in when I captured it. I was in Washington, D.C. accompanying a friend visiting a friend. After a delicious late dinner and a few drinks, I decided to part ways from the majority vote to patron a local dance club for a sole after midnight journey through D.C. which was foreign + unfamiliar.

I caught a taxi to the National Mall, primarily the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. I’ve always been fascinated with the reflection pool spanning between the two. Many monumental events have developed at this very spot throughout our nation’s history, all of which I’ve only seen through television or book. Thousands of people marched and gathered here in 1963 for Jobs + Freedom, it’s the location of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and the 1969 Vietnam War Moratorium Rally saw millions gathered.

However, that night, at that hour, and virtually vacant; a peaceful calmness was in the air. An uncanny emotion to what I was expecting. It’s not that I expected for all those people to still be there chanting, protesting, and standing up for the cause. I guess it’s just the only impression I’d really ever had and perhaps subconsciously expected to walk into a shit storm.

A fresh rain had just come and gone previous to my arrival as the ground was wet and puddles remained. A few smoky clouds still filled the largest parts of the sky, passing quickly as if in a rush to dissipate and die over some other city. Although I was alone, in an unfamiliar place, at an hour when most sleep; I felt as calm, collected, and happy as I’d, for some time, could remember. It was a soul searching experience and I most definitely found a piece of it that night.

Zach Johnson has been a professional stone mason for over 11 years and owns his own business, ZStone, in Lafayette, CO. They provide a full line of the highest quality stonecraft around, from outdoor patios + walls to fireplaces, indoor installations, and hand-carved water-polished stone sinks.

ZStone isn’t your typical bid on a project, in and out type of a business. These guys are artistic craftsmen and the emphasis is placed on beauty and the timeless quality of the stone itself. Their designs are each custom + unique as they let the stone “speak” above all else. Yes, I know, stones can’t really talk, but what I aim to say is that ZStone takes careful attention to the shape, layers, and surface of each stone’s placement + use as its a very important part towards the resulting aesthetics + stability.

Their stone of choice is locally harvested sandstone, ages in the making, and is obtained through careful attention as its uprooted from the mountain and transported. ZStone creates beauty from these bones of the Earth and artistically delivers stunning design and handcrafted pieces to harmoniously combine your dwellings with the allure of nature.

Contact Zach Johnson of ZStone to discuss your next project ideas by phone @ 303.215.6035

[About this Shoot: I met Zach at his spot in Lafayette and there was plenty of stone, tools, and works in progress to instantly capture my attention. We did a few different style shots but ultimately it was the water-polished sink he was working on that sold me the most. These start from a single block of stone and are hand sculpted into beautiful (and heavy) works of art. He also had a finished sink made from some sort of black stone which I'm sure will make some owner very, very happy. Gotta see it to believe it.]

See Large Version of the Photo Here

“I never thought I’d write again,” admits Joan Sargent when discussing her new book Turkoise. “I’d been suffering for eight years with writers block and had just about given up on writing.” An unforeseen circumstance occurred. Joan accidentally slammed her head into a door jamb and she was diagnosed with a moderate concussion. Usually one would consider this event to be a hardship with no positive outcome but fate often hides in the darkest of shadows.

“That’s when the dreams began,” recalls Sargent. “Vivid, colorful dreams, unlike any I’d ever experienced. With those dreams came daytime reveries about a pair of characters; a Greek mariner with eys the color of turquoise, and a beautiful, raven-haired young woman. They were lovers and kept trying to get together in some place, at some time, before they were once again seperated.”

“Finally at 4am one hot summer night, I walked upstairs to my garret, put pen to paper–and began their story on the Island of Santorini thirty-six centuries ago. That was the end of my writer’s block.” The story of these lovers continued for the next two years and saw them meeting up as they traveled through time from Santorini to 6th century Roman Byzantium; 10th century Kyoto, Japan; 13th century France; 18th century Virginia; and 19th century Spanish California. After two rounds of professional editing, Turkoise was born.

Set in a small beach town in Southern California, the story is narrated by a modern day young journalist who’s mourning the death of her fiance and is called in to investigate a psychiatric patients claims of reincarnation through time to meet her soul mate. The thing that joins the lovers throughout the ages is the color and stone turquoise.

[About this Shoot: From the story and synopsis that Joan graciously delivered to me, she wanted me to represent the book in some way. I came up with what I thought the young maiden lover would have looked like and chose a setting of a house that reminded me of old world with stone and vines. The subject is pacing and staring off, trying to be patient until next she travels to meet her lover.]

See Large Version of the Photo Here

Hunter Woo is an artist + producer living in Los Angeles. He booked today with me for a couple reasons. First, it’s his birthday and he wanted to gift himself with an original piece of art. Second, he’s preparing to begin work on a Neo-Noir tale titled “Little Candy Hearts”. He wanted a black & white, grainy, gritty, noir style piece to add some inspiration to himself and the team as they prep for work.

Check out Hunter’s studio website at AB5TRAX and view some of the previous movies they’ve created.

[About this Shoot: There's a walkway close by and near a shopping center. It's sort of a back entrance to the stores from a lesser known parking area. The path leads maybe 50 yards between two building and has strings of lights spanning between them with sconces directing light down the walls.

It's a setting I've been wanting to capture for some time and I thought it perfect as the light and darkness it provides to be a good noir shot for Hunter. Happy Birthday!]

See Large Version of the Photo Here