Apr 12, 2017

I always tell myself to hold on to my travel posts a bit longer and to not post them right away … but I just get so excited! And I seemed especially brimming with excitement to share these with you.

For one I really haven’t been traveling much.  I needed to take a few months to save up vacation time and of course save more money for all my travels this year.  (I just counted… three beach trips in three months-eee!)  And two, I was excited to sort of push myself a bit with photography this trip.  When Mastin announced their Pushed Portra presets my Facebook feed was  f i l l e d  with endless ‘moody, not muddy’ photographs that made me eager to try something new and challenge myself a bit. So I’m excited to show you my own versions of moody shots.

Also ever since my last year’s girl’s weekend in Denver I was telling Megan of just how beautiful the Union Station remodel was and how it would be perfect for some of her photos.  Her response? Let’s go already!

This isn’t the first time I’ve traveled with Megan (and hopefully won’t be the last) as we especially love it because the two of us just gab about photography all day trying out new techniques and new ideas.   Neither of us get annoyed if one stops for more photos and sometimes it’s just nice to not worry about inconveniencing someone else’s (aka L’s) day of travel.

While I’ve always poo-pooed Denver as being just too busy and over populated, I have to say it really is nice for a quick weekend getaway trip.  I’ll always be partial to more open spaces, but a downtown Denver weekend has really started to grow on me.  Hat stores.  Cozy cafe fronts.  And finding gems I never noticed before are just some of my absolute favorites from this weekend alone.

 

Since I really haven’t spent much time in the big city I don’t feel as though I could give you a whole to do list of must see’s, but I can tell you the two spots that you absolutely cannot miss when traveling for a downtown Denver weekend…

Larimer Square

Union Station

Union Station is just stunning with it’s expansive front and cafes tucked away on the sides.  We snuck into Mercantile for a light cheese plate (YUMMM) and refreshing glasses of wine!  Whereas Larimer Square is much more cozy than expansive, as restaurants and store fronts alike sit smartly next to one another.

Funny story, as we made our way to Larimer Square Megan kept telling me about this super cute hat store.  And as someone who always loves a good hat I was game, though that day getting dressed I told myself “I always wear a hat, so today I’m not going to wear a hat.”

…

And then I bought a hat.

I really did try to get some photos sans hat… but it was too cute for me to pass!  And I have to say my new hat from Goorin Brothers is absolutely perfect for the summer months to come as it goes with everything from dresses to swimsuits.

^^ Megan is such a babe in her gorgeous GigiPip hat

Shopruche Skirt || Flats (similar) || Hat || Top (Similar) || Watch

These are a bit of a mixture of Megan and my photos combined from our downtown Denver weekend.  Though I have to say I think snuck in more of hers than mine… the curse of having such talented friends I tell ya. 😉

And goodness these moody film presets are  r e a l l y  growing on me.

I’ve been a die hard Mastin user and honestly these newest presets confirmed why.  Their slogan of “moody, not muddy” could not be more accurate. The vast majority of these are edited with Pushed Portra and down to three click edits… skin tones and all.

What about you? Have you ever visited Denver? Or tried your own hand at “moody, not muddy” photos?