Leider Photography

K-9 Magazine and NAWPDA Certifications

Wow!  This last week was a busy one!  I had the pleasure of shooting for several articles in the upcoming issue of Police K-9 Magazine.  We covered several different areas including a vet, building searches, and high risk traffic stops.  A special thank you to Kevin Fitzgerald and the Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Westminster Police K-9 Team, Denver Police K-9 Bomb Dog Team, and the participants at the North American Working Police Dog Association (NAWPDA).  Without your patience and cooperation this would not have been as much fun as it was!

Kevin Fitzgerald is a staff veterinarian at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, CO.  He has appeared in "Emergency Vets" as seen on Animal Planet.  He was very patient and so genuine with all his clients both human and animal!

This particular article I was shooting for covered the care of young K-9's.  Just when we were wrapping up this young pup came in.  He is soooooo cute!!

Thank you again to the Westminster Police K-9 unit along with Longmont and Northglenn K-9 handlers who were so great to work with! 

This image was designed as a possible follow up image to the one below.  Police K-9 Magazine is known for being written by officers for officers.  They are an excellent resource and they provide very useful information.  In fact in this article there was a scenario that the writer described that Westminster implemented into their training that night!  I am proud to be able to photograph for them!

I married a handsome man!!!! 

This was a side I have not seen before and it was a lot of fun!  The bomb dogs let me tag along with them out to DIA to practice plane searches as part of thier certifications. 

"Your plane is ready for take off!"  K-9 Masc with his handler Technician Cruz with Denver PD took me around and showed how they operate. 

Remember you can run but you can't hide!! 

David and Michelle Busse April 4, 2009

We all know it can be hard when our plans get changed on us but David and Michelle made the best of the curve ball that was thrown their way.  They had planned on an outdoor wedding in Genesee Colorado, but their plans were altered when a nasty snow storm moved in.  I was very impressed with how flexible they were and how much fun we all had at their wedding!

When Michelle arrived with her wedding party to finish getting ready the fun began! 

 

Being a mother myself I am always touched when I see the love between Mother and Daughter and the same with a Mother and her son!

 

While the wedding party finished getting ready, the staff at Christies in Genesee quickly transformed the dance floor into an alternative location for the ceremony. 

The ceremony was touching and it was very special having a family friend preside over it! 

 

 

 

When I approached Michelle and David about doing some of their photographs in the snow I wasn't sure what type of reaction I would get.  They both surprised me for they were very excited about the idea!  So, out in the snow we went!

 

 

After they finished eating their dinner they made their way around to the tables only to be tormented by family and friends tapping their glasses to make them kiss!  What good sports!  At the cake cutting they were both very well behaved!

 

 

Next the two of them danced their first dance together as husband and wife.

 

 

Later the dancing continued but in a more festive manner!

 

 

Congratulations to you both!  Thank you again for letting us be apart of this special day!

Congratulations to Steve and Becky Bernai!

What a beautiful and special wedding this was!  Steve and Becky were married on March 28th, 2009 at Family of Christ Lutheran Church in Monument, Colorado.  In their words they are "A Match Made in Heaven" and they wanted to make sure their love for each other rang loud and clear (how very special)!! 

Guests were treated to several different ceremonies to demonstrate Steve and Becky's commitment to each other.  The first of these was renewing their baptismal vows (Purification Rite).  By doing so they were asking to be cleansed of their previous mistakes.

 

Next they combined three strands to create "God's Knot."  Each strand had a special meaning.  The purple represented the groom, the white the bride, and the gold God. 

This was followed by the actual ceremony where Pastor Dyer gave his message, they gave their Declaration of Intent,and exchanged their vows.

They then prayed a special Cherokee prayer and had the Blessing of Las Arras where they offered their earthly treasures and asked for God's blessing.  Next was the beautiful ceremony of lighting the unity candle which did not stop with Steve and Becky's candles.  After lighting theirs from the Christ candle they lit the candles of Becky's children (Angie and Dustin).   The four candles were then used to light Unity candle followed by the lighting of the guest's candles. 

Becky and Steve offered their own personal prayers which was followed up by them distributing Holy Communion to their family and friends. 

Next was the El Lazo which is a Mexican Wedding tradition symbolizing the unity and love that binds the couple together.  Becky's daughter placed it in a figure 8 around Becky and Steve which symbolized infinity.

Of course their love does not stop here!  They had a special wine created for their toast called Bernais Sauce Love Potion 2009.

One of the very special dances that night was when Becky danced with her son Dustin and Steve danced with Angie. 

 

It was an honor to be apart of this special day!  May you both have many wonderful and happy years together! 

Career Day at the Mills

Lakewood Police, Jefferson County Sheriff, Arvada Police, and Morrison Police had their Annual Career Fair at the Mills Mall in Lakewood Colorado.  From police cars to motorcycles to live K-9 demonstrations it was quite the site!  It not only presented the opportunities to those interested in a career in law enforcement, it also provided entertainment and education. 

 

Even the Easter Bunny couldn't stay away from the action!

 

Blesk from Lakewood making his grand entrance upon the shoulder's of his handler, Agent Leider.

Agent Okamura with his dog, Decenna get ready for their demonstration.  

 

Almost as entertaining as the dogs was watching the reactions of the crowd!

All in a days work!

State Swim Meet

This last weekend we had an absolute blast at our son's State swim meet which was held in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Kevin has been training hard and he rose to the challenge shaving time off of every event he swam!  He and his teammates from Rocky Mountain Thunder (RMT) did an awesome job! 

I would like to also extend a special thank you to head Coach Brent and Assistant Coaches Nick and Kaitlin!  It has been a great season and we look forward to many more!  If you would like to learn more about RMT their website is www.rmtswimming.org.

On Sunday we went to Horsetooth Reservoir with some of his teammates and boy is it beautiful!  Of course Kevin knew full well that his mom would not miss the opportunity to break out her camera and he was willing to play along!  

Now it wouldn't be any fun if we couldn't act like we were messing around on a very steep cliff just before finals!  I hope your coach doesn't see you two!

I don't want to know how you four got down there but I am curious how you plan on getting back up the hill!

Keep looking ahead for your future holds a lot for you Kevin!  Great job and we are so very proud of you! 

New Proofing Site

The new proofing site is up and running!  One of the things I was searching for while at the WPPI convention (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) was to find a good proofing site.  I would love feedback as you get the opportunity to try this out. 

To find the site simply go to www.leiderphotography.com and click on the picture that says "Proofing" below it.  Those who had their images in the proofing section on my orginal site will still have them there unless you request to have them moved.  You can also view some of my sample images on the new proofing page.

I hope all is going well with you and your families!  Please enjoy the images below from my most recent shoot.  Kat is an aspiring model and actress with big plans for her future.  We had a ton of fun shooting these!  We started off at my house in a studio setting and then we moved to Belmar Park to wrap up the day of shooting!  Thanks Kat!

Greetings from WPPI in Las Vegas!

Wow!  This has been an awesome couple of days and I am full of new and exciting ideas for Leider Photography! 

I am just finishing up at the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Conference in Las Vegas.  It has been an action packed couple of days starting off at 8:00 in the morning and going till 12:00 AM or so!  The new information I have received from various classes and new equipment I have purchased will help to make your photography experience even better!  I firmly believe in continuing my education in the world of photography so that the best products and services can be offered to you! 

I hope you enjoy some of the photographs from the last couple of days and I look forward to hearing from you! 

They started off with a mock wedding where some of the world's top photographers took the pictures and explained what they were doing.  The couple, who are also photographers, were renewing their vows.  They had planned on using a fake ring, but her husband of 10 years surprised her with a stunning real one!  It brought tears to our eyes as we got to watch the surprise and love that was shared between them both!  It was so special to be apart of that and the emotion was not staged!

 

After the wedding the challenge was how to feed several thousand people (we have heard that attendance was between 7000-10000 people over course of the week).  Needless to say tables were limited so Tami and I camped out of the floor! 

Here we are at the "reception" portion of the wedding and low and behold there are tables!!!  Why couldn't we use these before?!?!?!

We wrapped up this night with a quick shot in front of the MGM lion inside the main lobby.

Monday night after a long day of classes and hard work we were treated to a concert with Blues Traveler.  I can probably count on one hand how many concerts I have been to.  This one was very memorable for we were able to go out on the floor and capture some really cool images!  I hope you enjoy them!

Well that's it from Vegas!  I can't wait to get back and show you all the new techniques and products Leider Photography will have to offer!

Casa Bonita Fundrasier for the Beattie Family

If you are not aware in addition to my photography business I also work as a dispatcher for the Lakewood Police Department.  Recently one of our own, JJ Beattie who is a victim advocate, was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer.  As frightening as this must be for the Beattie family one can only hope that it brings some comfort knowing how many people care for them, and are anxiously awaiting direction on how to help.  She has and continues to touch so many lives in her line of work, bringing support and encouragement to those in their times of need.  It is only a small token of our appreciation that we were able to be apart of this special night for her.

I am always amazed at how well we come together to help take care of each other and that was the case again this night.  While there are several fundraisers that are on going and up and coming to raise money to help the Beattie’s, tonight’s will be marked as one of the more memorable ones.  Detective Ray Lopez transformed into a Casa Bonita Cliff Diver for the night!  Despite rumors that he had done this in a previous life (which we discovered tonight to be false!) he stepped up to the cliff and jumped right over the edge!  Not just once but several times!  This all in front of the many friends and family that came to support the Beattie’s in their journey.  In addition Casa Bonita graciously donated a portion of the sales from tonight’s dinners to the Beattie’s.  A special thanks also goes out to Jesus Chavez and the Lakewood Police Department for putting this fun event together!

It is times like these that I am proud to say I am apart of the Lakewood Police Family!  To the Beattie’s and all those struggling with cancer you have and always will be in our prayers!

One of Ray's many "What the heck am I doing?!?!" faces.
 

Little did we know he missed his calling not only as a cliff diver but as an actor too?

I think he is becoming more comfortable with this by the minute!

Very impressive!  What rating would you give him on this dive?  Do we see the
Olymipics in his future?

What do you say Ray?  Encore!  Encore!  Your fans are hooked now!

You look a little concerned there!  Is that water or a rock below you?

Thank you Ray!  This was truly a night we will not soon forget!

JJ, John, and family we love you lots and you are in our thoughts and
prayers!

Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be appropriate to post some images I took of my roses.  They were a gift from my husband for our anniversary this last Tuesday.  Very appropriate for they are called Fire and Ice! 

I am also counting down the days for WPPI Las Vegas!  WPPI stands for Wedding & Portrait Photographers International.  Sounds like it will be an awesome experience and I should be full of new and fun ideas when I return!  One thing I feel is very important for a photographer is to constantly look for educational opportunities and to keep up with the trends.  My commitment to you is to be that well educated and dedicated photographer.  

In addition to belonging to WPPI I am also a member of PPA (Professional Photographer's Association). 

 

 

   

Dahlia, Josh, and Family, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

I wanted to take the time to extend my thoughts and prayers to my brother Josh, his wife and my sister in law Dahlia along with her family.  Dahlia’s grandmother passed away this morning.  Josh said it was very peaceful and she was surrounded by her family.  

From what I knew of her she was a wonderful woman with a big heart.  I had the pleasure of meeting her at Josh and Dahlia’s wedding and later speaking to her on the phone as she went through their wedding album.  She was so much fun to talk to and very sincere. 

 She will be missed and remembered always!