Photographing Barbara plein air in the mountains was a fantastic experience. To be honest, one of my favorite things is to photograph passion. Whatever you love most is what I want to capture. Sometimes this is your spouse, your kids, your family, your hobby, or career. In Barbara’s case, it is her oil pastels. She is a phenomenal artist. Her work reflects the magic of the breathtaking mountains she lives in and each canvas is a true masterpiece.

I admire anyone who has such skill and talent. I posses none of this. The Good Lord did not put me on earth to be a painter or an illustrator, I promise you that. Barbara has a true calling for her art, and it shines through with each piece she creates. The landscape around us was immaculate and it proved hard to not be inspired by it as you took it all in.

This was an especially fun session. I brought my whole crew along and they went on a hike as I took Barbara’s photos. I was around 7 1/2 months pregnant and my husband was a little weary of me driving more than an hour away from home up the mountain without any back up. (He’s a gem)

We took the photos on her land and in her garden, there wasn’t a bad view. Everywhere you turned there was another gorgeous landscape.

As a side note, on our drive we passed a property that owned a farm- which is pretty normal in Western Colorado. But then, my then 5 year old noticed this farm had a camel, emu’s, and a zebra. So, that pretty much made our day.

Enjoy some of my favorite images from Barbara’s session and check out more of her work here.