I'm turning 30 in November, and I can feel the age creeping in. After my marathon 18-hour day, (which I did for no other reason than Laura was out of town and I couldn't watch the rest of Six Feet Under without her) I was completely wiped out. Blood-shot eyes, slurred speech, thank God I wasn't seen in public. But it was certainly worth it to get to witness Amanda and Britt getting married. To see the excitement on Amanda's face as she walked into the Loretto Chapel with her father is why weddings are fun to photograph. I could never be a food/architecture/nature photographer because I'm simply not that interested in anything other than people and documenting their emotions, whether they be sad or happy. Luckily, most weddings are very happy and I get to see some awesome smiles and laughs. If you want to see some of my more downer work, just visit my journalism site (www.benchrismanphotography.com) It's the exact opposite of what my weddings are like.
And so I was able to get enough sleep just in time for Sharon and Joe's engagement session on Thursday. Sharon and Joe drove in from Kansas in Joe's smokin' BMW convertible. Considering I drive an older Volvo stationwagon, I was pretty impressed and felt cooler just sitting in the back seat. We hit all the hot spots Santa Fe has to offer this time of year: the downtown plaza, the mountains of 11,000 feet and the desert outside of town, which is bursting with wildflowers right now.

A lot of times during the engagement sessions I just ask people to "make out," but I didn't have to ask Joe more than once. That makes my job so much easier when I don't feel like I have to direct anyone, and I'm really looking forward to their wedding in November. Joe is promising me his 80-year-old mother will drink until midnight. These are my kind of people.