Join me as I take you behind the lens of a Colorado concert photographer capturing the magic of John Craigie’s performance at The Lariat in Buena Vista. This intimate venue was the perfect setting for John’s soulful storytelling, where his music resonated in ways that only live performances can. Through my lens, I share not only the energy of the night but also the journey that led to this unforgettable moment, from rafting on the Tuolumne River to a secret music performance in an old mining shaft.

As a photographer, I find inspiration in every corner of life, and John’s music has been a guiding force in my creative journey. This post celebrates how concert photography fuels my passion and keeps my creative cup full, while also offering insight into how live music and storytelling through photography are so deeply connected. If you’re passionate about music, adventure, and photography, come along for the ride and experience these moments through my eyes.

Still life photography is one of those things that just doesn't happen often for me. My kiddos are generally always with me or I am elbow deep in schoolwork or tasks for my business. Sometimes though, sometimes I get to take the time to adventure and go beyond my comfort zone. Those are the times I live for. That is where the drive is.

In 2015, when I first moved to Colorado, I remember arriving in Colorado Springs. My path took me towards downtown under the Uintah bridge. I had just spent the last five years of my life on an isolated ranch in the middle of nowhere Nebraska and the sight of a giant shiny CIRCUS train stopped on the bridge was more than my brain could process. This stuff actually exists? I was in awe. Dumbstruck. I had to document this.

The next morning I got up at 5 am and journeyed down to the tracks where the train sat. Focusing on the details of the train, rather than the fact that it was a circus train, was the goal. To tell the story of the metal boxes. In 2016, when the circus and train came back to town, I revisited the metal beast again, this time with a fancy new camera in tow. I tried to take myself back to the day I moved to town. It worked, and something else happened in the process.

When I was photographing the train, I didn’t realize that the set of images created a statement within my soul. To me, they symbolize something beyond what I even knew when I was creating them. A new start. A fresh journey. Hope. Happiness. They mark the turning of a page and the strength of being on my own. I was a woman finally free. Free of the hands that bound me. Free to adventure in life without someone trying to derail your every move. I can do that just fine on my own, thanks. Everyone stumbles, but keeping someone in place just to do it just isn’t the same.