GO GREEN!

As vice president of Life Power & Fuels Development, Mr. Sitkoski has brought 30 years of hands on business experience in mining & mineral exploration, mine facility construction, power plant construction & maintenance and pipeline construction. Working with companies such as Bechtel, GE Power Systems, Flour Daniels, Cleveland Cliffs and Wisconsin Gas & Electric and the DOE. He has experience with environmental technology processes which include Waste to Energy, mine waste recovery, pollution control systems, precious metal extraction and refining. His commercial real estate company recently developed two waste handling projects, a municipal waste transfer station and metal scrap collection and recycling facility for Best Way Disposal and American Iron & Metal. I was very grateful (and lucky) to update his profile portrait. Link: http://lifepowerandfuels.net/

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Canyonlands National Park in Utah. To say the least it's beautiful, with the best sunsets I've ever seen in my life. I was convinced I could see my house from up there, but I didn't look for long since I live in Denver. This particular picture was taken at 5600 feet near a campground (that I can't remember the name of for the life of me). It gives you an 'on top of the world feel' with such a wide and beautiful spectrum of colors (that the camera was able to capture). But it doesn't come close to taking your breath away like actually being there. So if you're ever passing through Utah, try your best to detour for a night, grab a 6 pack of beer and RELAX…you won't be disappointed.

MORE COLOR PLEASE!

Color is a pretty hard thing for me to adjust to. As a beginner with a camera, I was attracted to black and white photography, the way it gives character and depth. If I stared at a B/W image long enough, I could imagine a world without color and how everything could stand to be without it. BUT SOMETIMES…I have to open up a little more and accept images for it's true color (more than before at least). I couldn't stop looking at this recently drenched flower, the way the water droplets gave it such vibrancy and pizazz. I ran home grabbed my camera (always have your camera on you by the way…lesson learned) and snapped a shot before the water could evaporate. Amazing how one little flower can pick at someones brain huh?

STUDIO-LESS PHOTOGRAPHERS

If you are an outdoor/location photographer like myself and sometimes miss out on gigs because your 'studio-less', I have good news! 'Photospacedenver' is a is a perfect place to shoot: 2500 sq ft (1900 sq ft shooting space) centrally located close to downtown in Denver's Santa Fe Art District. Photospace is comfortable, clean, and spacious, with all the latest photographic technology available, including Hasselblad, Profoto lighting (heads and generators), stands etc. There prices are not as bad as you'd think either. Their basic package of $300.00 for a half day shoot includes the studio, grip equipment and a digital capture station. Full day rental is $525.00. Not that bad if you've landed a large gig! For more information, click on the logo.

GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK

Took a trip down to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve a couple months ago and finally got to editing them! If your thinking of visiting, don't hesitate! It's an amazing drive no matter the time of the year or the direction you drive in from!
There are many speculations as to how a 'small desert' was formed here, but in order to make this short ill provide a brief explanation. The the dunes were formed from sand deposits of the Rio Grand and its tributaries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. Over the ages, westerly winds picked up sand particles from the river flood plain. As the wind lost power before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. Thus adding to the dunes making them the largest in North America! In other words it looks like a space ship zapped a mountain and turned it to dust. Did you get all that!? For more info on the Great Sand Dunes National Park here's a link!

PREPARE FOR THE WORST

I was hired to shoot another birthday, but this month I found that not only is it long and hard (depending on the size of the party), but has the potential to be very accident prone. This 'particular' birthday was a learning experience for me. I had to shoot 15 or so (not an incredibly large party) children while they 'ooooo'd and aaaaaa'd at the magician, played musical chairs, and crammed there faces with chocolate cake (a delicious chocolate cake by the way). I thought it was all over…not quite. Almost every child was handed a can of 'camera killer ammunition' as they exited the house onto the playground…SILLY STRING! I had to take into consideration that I was hired for this event. I was making a scary decision to capture smiles and screams of children running around spraying everything in sight. "But I had to" I thought. It felt like a game of football as the parents were laughing on the sidelines as they mutilated each other…But I had the ball. Dodging and weaving between rainbow colored lasers while shooting mid-level at the hip. I came out unscathed and out of breath with nothing ruined but my grass stained slacks. It was a fun birthday and a successful shoot.

ON SET WITH JOE MCNALLY

Just went to shoot with the famous Joe McNally. And no it wasn't a class. It all happened over breakfast with my friends sister (who was in town for the week from New Mexico). Were all having a good time around the table when all of a sudden she mentions Joe McNally! The table gets quiet as everyone notices my jaw dropped, bug-eyed face. It's true, I'm in shock and stunned but nontheless… HAPPY! She's been hired to model for the famous Joe McNally. Everyone is still wondering why I'm so stunned. I reply with an encyclopedia of reasons, like a book worm that only reads about Joe McNally (which I kind of do). "You're talking about Joe McNally right? Only the internationally acclaimed photographer, longtime photojournalist of LIFE magazine and publisher of an umpteen' number of books!? " I had said enough. My friends sister had Joe on speed dial (which gives me the shivers just thinking of having his name in my phone book) and was calling him to see if I could join. Next I know I'm driving down to New Mexico to shoot at an abandoned power plant with the famous Joe McNally! To shorten this incredible story…I got to set up with his crew adjusting strobes, gels, tripods and ladders, and do video for his online webinar classes. I learned so much in those hot (no air conditioning in a powerplant) sweaty 7 hours of a shoot than in the past 2 years! I am now invited to accompany Joe every time he shoots in New Mexico…It was the best 7 hours of my life.

'PET PHOTOGRAPHY'

I've recently added pet photography to my portfolio. It's been in the works for sometime now and I'm really excited to start adding photos! Come check them out…though I'm sad to say there's not many yet. But that's going to change. Let me know if you'd like to have your pet photographed!!!

'THE DODGE FAMILY'

The Dodge family found my services via gift certificate from a friend. We shot this last month at Washington Park in Denver around 3:30pm. The sun was just above the tree line and gave this amazing orange glow across the whole park. It was a heavenly place for a photographer. Everyone was properly prepared (i.e the children got their nap). We shot for 2 hours and got a great variety of poses. You always know when the shoot's over…the children start crying. Yet another problem free shoot!

'LAUGHING GOAT COFFEE'

I was recently hired to shoot for a small but fun coffee shop in Boulder, Colorado called the 'The Laughing Goat' (hence the goat). There was no effort on my part as to picking when and where the shoot was going to take place. Johnny the owner knew of a goat farmer (a regular customer for the laughing goat) that lived near by and had offered Johnny to use his farm if he wanted, to promote his coffee shop. This was no easy task, rounding up the goats, calming them down, making them 'smile for the camera'. I can remember the beads of sweat dripping down on this hot day. Grass sticking to my face from shooting on the ground. The goat farmer, Johnny and I had to form a group effort to get a single shot. Johnny shook a bucket of feed while the farmer (because it was used to his voice) whistled behind him. The model on the other hand had no sweat and grass sticking to her face…no job except to look good (which she did flawlessly). Never the less it was a successful shoot lasting 4 hours.