I’ve worked as a professional photographer for more than a decade. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in photojournalism and started out in the newspaper industry. During that time, I shot everything from criminal court trials to Detroit Pistons games (I’m originally from Michigan); structure fires to beauty pageants; congressional debates to high school football games on Friday nights. Every day was a new challenge; every assignment a new learning opportunity. My time as a photojournalist taught me to be resourceful and to think on my feet, which has proven invaluable for wedding photography. In the summer of 2008, I started shooting weddings on the side and absolutely loved it. I was able to visit new places, meet new people, and was granted a very important and personal role in what was arguably the most joyful day of their lives. Plus, I started getting a ton of compliments on my work and how it was different from typical wedding photography. People would tell me that they could spot one of my photos from a mile away without having to be told who the photographer was – that I was beginning to cultivate a very specific style. So when my wife, Moira, and I moved to Colorado that fall, I decided to make wedding photography my full-time career; we started J. La Plante Photo and never looked back. When I’m not behind the lens, you can probably find me on the slopes. Skiing is one of the main reasons I moved west. I’m also obsessed with the music scene out here. Red Rocks is by far the coolest venue I’ve ever been to. I’m a craft beer nerd, a movie buff, an amateur screenwriter and an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction alike. And I love to travel. I’ve been to 18 foreign countries and all 50 United States. I drove all over the American West before deciding to settle in Colorado, where I immediately fell in love with the state’s blend of urban and outdoor lifestyles. The proximity of Denver to the mountains felt too good to be true and now, eight years later, it still feels that way. I can’t imagine a more perfect setting for a wedding photographer. [Boulder Wedding Photographer]

I don't take myself too seriously - but I do LOVE my job. When I’m shooting I’m a total goof, creating a fun atmosphere where it’s easy for you to feel comfortable being YOURSELF. The word “professional” in front of “photographer” is hard for me to stomach, since I lie in the dirt A LOT and have been known to swear like a sailor. But what I lack in dignity I make up for in sound effects. I have been shooting weddings full time since 2013 though, so I guess I must accept the title. I'm your built-in hype girl. I am also an “adult.” More about me: -I met my husband when I moved to Colorado in 2015 – literally, on my first night here- and now we have two terrible/adorable cats and a forever sleepover. -My favorite food is anything wrapped in more food. Pierogies. Ravioli. Potstickers. Tacos. Samosas. Empanadas. Give it to me. -I’ve danced contra, swing, lindy, blues, and fusion, but off the dancefloor, I’m a total klutz. I once cut myself on a bagel, which is the roundest object known to all mankind. It’s bad, dudes. -Still not over how cute bunnies are. Who is, though? -I’m a Highly Sensitive Person, (HSP) and I have Misophonia (which is, unfortunately, not a soup). -I previously worked in veterinary surgery and volunteered at spay/neuter clinics and a raptor rehab center. My feral cat wrangling skills rarely come into play at weddings, but when they do.. -I’ve traveled to New Zealand, Indonesia, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Germany & Austria, where I kept cheese in my pockets to lure stray cats into my arms. It was.. occasionally successful. If you have been to New Zealand, we are already friends. [Denver Wedding Photographer]

Dennis Viera is half of the internationally recognized, award-winning wedding photojournalism team of Viera Photographics. Based in Portugal and Sonoma County, Dennis and his wife Jaime travel worldwide documenting weddings. Their business was born over 10 years ago on the remote South Island of New Zealand, precisely the same time they found out they were expecting their first child, Alex. For Dennis, the photographic journey began in his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island the summer before graduating from high school, when he was awarded a lost camera from a part-time job he'd been working. From there, the passion for documenting life continued to evolve. Rapidly. Dennis began working for his college newspaper while attending the University of San Diego, learned the basics from the photo editor, and soon became his assistant while also managing the ads department and keeping the paper funded. He learned the basics of photojournalism and also how to set up more structured editorial and fashion shoots while processing film and scanning prints. Upon graduation, Dennis chose to forego an easy route to financial security and instead got a job at a small but incredible San Diego camera shop and darkroom. A little over a year passed when he was plucked from behind the counter and hired to run a commercial photography studio while also handling the events side of the business; all the while, continuing to learn by experimentations with all different combinations of cameras, lenses, and formats. This was at a time when digital was revolutionizing commercial photography studios and over his four-year period as manager, he led the transition from an all-film to an all-digital studio. Photography is not and has never been a job for Dennis, it's a deeply rooted part of him. Dennis loves photographing people, life, landscapes, architecture...so, weddings provide him the opportunity to weave together everything he's ever learned or experienced to tell each client's story in a unique way. When Dennis isn't shooting for a client or himself, he can be found hanging out with his son Alex and his wife Jaime, snowboarding, hiking, fishing, buying records, listening to music, baking bread, making wine, traveling Europe and trying to be the best husband/dad/son/human being possible. [San Francisco Wedding Photographer]

After growing up in coastal New Hampshire, I moved into the bed of a Toyota Tacoma and headed west. I called Bend, OR home for a while, enjoying everything the high desert has to offer. After that, I chased snow around Lake Tahoe and Montana for more than a couple of years. I have a healthy addiction to deep snow and frozen nose hairs. Most think I'm crazy, but on those truly frosty mornings, the mountains are a magical place to be. During the warmer months, when I'm not behind the lens, you can usually find me hiking in the mountains or fishing in the salty waters of Maine and New Hampshire. These days I call the Mad River Valley of Vermont home. My wife and I, along with our furball pup have a little cliffside home overlooking a waterfall (dubbed 'The Waterfall House'). [Vermont Wedding Photographer]