CrossFit Moab Ribbon Cutting

In early May, CrossFit Moab moved their gym to a new, larger location.  They celebrated with a  Moab Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting, and a party complete with a raffle and Dexa Body scans.  I documented their event and created this same day edit (minus a few shots from construction) to announce their new facility.  I love a challenge and truly enjoy quick turn around edits.  Timing is everything with commercial films, and this received 3000 views in just a few days.  Great way to get the word out!  I love this gym and the heart and soul that the owners pour into it.

Little Moab Backpackers

During Spring Break, my bestie had a really good idea.  Since both of our husbands had to work, we decided we shouldn't just stay home all week.  Instead, we took the kids on their first overnight backpacking trip.  We hiked in a mile, played in the creek, ate ramen (my 4 year old normally hates it but that night, LOVED it), watched wild turkeys scale the cliffs, built sand castles as the first stars appeared, and slept terribly.  Actually my boys slept GREAT, but Eva just rolled around on top of me all night.  

The outing, although quick, was completely worth it.  I made this little video for them, because I think their memory lasts a good 30 seconds.

And, I know my oldest son's pack looks enormous.  I promise it only had his sleeping bag, puffy coat, and pjs. And this oldest son of mine deserves credit for some of the filming.  That shot of Eva's walking stick was all him, as are all of his selfie shots.

And big thanks to Caspar Babypants for letting me use his genius song.  

Baby Clara, Moab Utah lifestyle and newborn film

I got to snuggle with this little sweetie before I started filming her.  I love how newborns are so curled up and how they startle and squirm.  They just feel the best in your arms.  

Their home was bursting with love.  Family had traveled all the way from Michigan and Colorado to meet her.  I am so excited that this video not only captures Clara and her parents, but her siblings, her aunt and uncle, and her grandmother.  This little film will become a family history treasure as the years go on, and this is why I love doing what I do.  

The girls and me.

Women's Canyoneering Adventure, Moab Utah

With a combined total of 18 children, 5 women were able to get away for 3 hours and bag a gorgeous canyoneering route.  I'm pretty sure it was nonstop smiles.  I love how this video captured the outing and how it will allow everyone to relive the fun experience.  Moms deserve adventure too!

Drew + Diana Moab Wedding Film, Long Canyon and Fisher Towers {Sedona and Flagstaff Wedding videographer}

I loved Drew and Diana's wedding day.  It was windy.  Not breezy, but blow-your-hair-all-over-the-place windy.  Blow-flowers-off-the-bouquet windy.  However, we found gorgeous locations and shelter when we needed it.  And for sunset, the wind practically died.  And best of all, my lav microphones still did a fantastic job picking up the vows, despite being on a cliffside with the biggest gusts of the day.

Drew and Diana are both law enforcement officers.  They met on the job, across the country in Florida.  Looking for a change of scenery, Drew accepted a job in Moab, and Diana soon did too.  Diana has a fun loving 6 year old daughter who immediately took to the red rocks and scared everyone by always getting too close to the edge.

All three wrote their own vows, and they were perfect.  Perhaps the highlight of the ceremony was watching Drew get on one knee as he made a vow to Diana's daughter. It was such a privilege to film this intimate ceremony.

After the ceremony, we hid from the wind in a park for cake, and then went on to Fisher Towers for sunset.  Fisher Towers is a stunning and majestic place.  The light was fantastic, and it was a great way to end the day.   

Bonnie Estell,  Florida photographer, was wonderful to work with.  This was her first time in Moab. I LOVE being with Moab first timers.  Her excitement was contagious, making for fun car time. 

Editing this wedding film was a complete joy and I was so excited to show it to Diana.  I am obsessed with the song, the footage, Diana's beauty, the scenery, Drew's suspenders.  Congratulations you two!

Taylor #25

I've been wanting to write this post but wasn't ready.  Now I think I can. About 5 weeks after I filmed the high school basketball team, there was a terrible car accident in the early morning hours after prom.  Five Moab teens were in a vehicle, traveling far too fast.  The car rolled and two kids were killed, three injured.  That Sunday, the community knew there had been an accident because we could hear the helicopters flying.  We then heard that it involved local teens, we just didn't know who.  That night, I received a text from Lexy, the assistant Lady Red Devil basketball coach, informing me that Taylor, a freshman, #25, had been killed in the car accident.  Lexy wondered if I could make a memorial video for Taylor and of course I wanted to.

As I went through the footage, I cried. A lot.  14 is too young to die. I stared at the face of this beautiful young girl for hours. Taylor wasn't a starter or captain and was the only freshman on the team.  At first I worried I wouldn't have much footage of her, but as I started looking, I actually had a lot of footage of her.  Great footage.  She may have only been a freshman, but she was a fierce and smart player and confident with her spot on the team.

I believe there was divine intervention that helped me capture what I did of Taylor.  So much of it was unique and different than what I had of the other players. During the pre-game warmup, Taylor is the only player not wearing her long sleeved red warmup shirt, so she shines bright from the others in her white jersey.  I found footage of Taylor coming off the court at half time and giving her coach a big high five.  I found footage of Taylor giving her closest friend on the team, a senior, an encouraging pat on the shoulder.  I actually remember filming that, and thinking how sweet it was, and it was one of the warmest things I captured that day.  In the locker room after the game, of all the players, it was Taylor I captured handing her worn jersey to the coach. As I watched her on the court, it was clear to me she was a smart, aggressive player.  She wasn't a starter, but she would've been a star by the time she was a senior.  Multiple times I filmed her diving on the floor to save a ball and driving through thick defense for a layup.  

I was beyond grateful I could make a video for Taylor, her family, and her team.  I am grateful the coaches had the foresight and followed their gut to have me come film.  As a videographer, I always thought something like this could happen , but I thought it would be for a grandparent or parent in a wedding.  Not for a teenager.  I think of Taylor often, even though I really only knew her through this video.  Our lives can change in a day.  I know we have all experienced tragedy that shove this reminder in our face.  But it is so true.  May we all strive to cherish those around us.  To be kind.  To love others.  To forgive.  

Lady Red Devils Basketball Team

I played freshman high school basketball.  It was ridiculously hard and I wasn't very good.  The varsity team won the state championship just a few years before so the program was running fiercely.  During preseason, we ran so hard under the AZ sun that they pulled trashcans on to the track so we could puke in them.  But apparently all that training paid off because we were undefeated that season.  And then I decided I'd rather play soccer, where practice was substantially easier. Even though I only played one season, it had a huge impact on me.  I often have dreams about it and I clearly see the face of Coach Flores in my mind.  High school basketball taught me to push myself physically harder than I ever though possible.  Thinking back, maybe it was one of the things in my life that helped convince me that I could do hard things, that I could run a marathon, climb mountains, do cross fit, maybe even skip the epidural.  

My point in all this is that I think high school sports are amazing and important, especially for girls.  The Grand County High School Lady Red Devils team was so fun to film.  I instantly wanted to cheer and yell for them, but that tends to mess up footage.  They played so hard and cheered each other on. The coaches were obviously devoted to the players and giving them the best experience possible.  It was such a positive experience.   Props to those girls for being willing to play.  To run and sweat. To practice, to take shots, to box out their opponents, to dive to keep a ball in bounds. To cheer and high five.  Go Red Devils!

And a big thank you to James The Mormon for allowing me to use his song in this film.

Moab Dance Company commercial videography

Moab may be a small town, but we have a legit children's dance company!

When I showed up to the dress rehearsal for the Jungle Book, I was instantly floored by the costumes, gorgeous sets, and the number of children involved.  It was immediately obvious that teachers, parents, and children had been working like crazy to make this possible.  There were just over 80 children, ranging in ages 3-14. The sets and props were built by parents. Lighting was mastered by parents. Costumes were had made.  Some of the youngest dancers had porcupine costumes.  Porcupine!! Several of the children had multiple costumes.  Shere Kahn had about the coolest leggings in the world.  There were 19 routines.  I'm not sure exactly how many hours of rehearsals were devoted to this performance, but I know there many weekends and evenings spent on the dance floor.  Serious kuddos to the instructors and parents!

I truly enjoyed filming this event.  I loved being backstage with the kids.  Backstage was this crazy party.  Kids were eating fruit snacks, doing cartwheels, playing tag, chatting, coloring, doing homework, all while their parents were trying to finish makeup and pin on monkey and wolf ears.  And then on stage, the girls and boys were rocking their routines with big smiles, suddenly seeming much older.  

I had multiple parents tell me that they were happy to have me there just so they could sit back and watch the performance without worrying about documenting it themselves.  I am so glad I could do that for them. I've tried many times to film my boys while they play soccer or sing with their class, and it is so tricky to be both in the moment and do a good job filming it.    

I am very excited with how their highlight film came out.  I loved finding my favorite parts of each routine.  I loved capturing moments between dancers and their parents.  I also love the end of the film where the kids are being congratulated by loved ones.  I hope this highlight screams "This is why we dance!"

family project for my parents

Last October, my entire family was able to be together.  I have three siblings, and we all have families of our own.  Two of my siblings live in AZ, and two of us don't, so having everyone together happens only every few years. On this trip, due to conflicting work schedules, we would have one dinner with everyone together at my parents house, and then in Mexico, we would have literally 12 hours where every single person would overlap.  We will take what we can get and cherish it!!

I knew that I had to bring my camera, and I knew that for Christmas, I was going to make my parents a film or two.  Rocky Point, Mexico is a 4.5 hour drive from Tucson.  It is one of my favorite places on the planet.  I've been going there since before I could walk and I truly think it is a piece of heaven.  We sail, fish, paddle board, kayak, hunt for shells, swim, eat.  It's the best.

I love everyone in this film so much and I am so grateful to be a part of this family.

To see a short film from our family dinner click here. 

CrossFit Moab Testimonials {Moab, Utah commercial videographer}

I am so excited about this video.  In just three days it has over 3,000 views on Facebook.  

I have been working out with CrossFit Moab since July 2016.  Because of my husband's schedule and my young children, I attend the 5:30 am class.  This means I get up at 5:10 am.  5:10!  It really is so early and I'd be lying if I didn't say that some days I feel extra sleepy. But it has been SO WORTH it.  Every day that I go, I feel like I have accomplished something hard, and it is something that can't be undone by messy kiddos. I am stronger than I have ever been and can finally do real pushups and 1 (maybe 2) consecutive pull-ups. I know you're impressed.

Ever since high school, I have had a fear of weight lifting.  I played freshmen basketball and it was overly intense. My coach always told me I was too scrawny and needed to bulk up. We would weight lift and I always felt embarrassed for how little I could lift. I dreaded it.  It's weird how high school events can scar you for life, but freshman basketball kind of did.  I have had no interest in gyms ever since.

These days, I love trail running, but because of small injuries, it had become clear to me that I was lacking in strength training.  I love the idea of working out in a group, and receiving instruction. I  know that if I showed up in one of Moab's other gyms, I would wander around pretending I knew what I was doing.  So I started CrossFit.  After the first few classes, I was impressed with the coaches and the other athletes.  The coaches are committed to your well-being and keeping you injury free.  They spend the time teaching you the essentials and making sure you are using correct form. No one cares how much you lift or how fast you complete your workout as long as you are doing it correctly and giving it your all.  Egos are at the door.  And everything can be modified to fit where you are at.  And sometimes we all whine together and it feels good. It is a great privilege to make a video about something you love. And hopefully because of it, more people will come workout with us!

Ballard Family session {Moab family videographer}

After filming this family, I was ready to move in with them.  Partly because they live in beautiful, remote, La Sal, about 45 minutes away from Moab, and partly because they were such a joy to be around.  And their 6 year old will teach me to ride a dirt bike.  

I love family videography.  It is so rewarding to capture simple, intimate moments in a family.  I loved filming Caitlin as she danced with her daughters in the living room.  I loved capturing the siblings play both mischievously and so sweetly.  Also, I loved filming Bryan and Caitlin together.  Newlyweds are a joy, but filming a couple that has been married for years and is smack in the middle of raising children was special and inspiring.   My husband and I know that amidst the joy, frustration, and chaos of kids, it is so important to pause and remember how much we love each other. I loved filming Bryan and Caitlin snuggle and laugh genuinely. I gave practically no direction.  They still have the love.

Kids grow and change so fast, but this little film has preserved this stage of the Ballard's life forever.  And what a lovely, cute, spontaneous stage it is! 

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Campaign films for Curtis Wells, Grand County Council At-Large

I had the privilege of working with Curtis Wells on a series of short films for his successful 2016 Grand County Council at-large campaign.  Videos are an extremely valuable election tool, reaching voters that newspapers and local meetings often can't.  The night I filled out my absentee ballot, I went to many websites and hoping for videos.  It's such an easy way to get informed! 

The Curtis Wells videos helped people understand who Wells was, what he looked like, and where he stood on the issues.  His main campaign message video went viral on Facebook among the Moab community and it got a lot of people talking.  This was a very rewarding project and I hope to do similar work in the future.  Until next election season....

The following was his main campaign message:

John + Ami Canyonlands Wedding

John and Ami are friends of my husband's.  They all wear the green and grey as employees for the National Park Service.  John told Clay (my husband), that they were having a cliff-side dirtbag wedding.  Clay decided it must be filmed to be remembered forever, and that is where I entered the party.  Long Canyon is a long, glorious canyon that winds down to the Colorado River.  They were married, barefoot, with toes on the slick rock, looking off a massive cliff towards the river and the La Sal Mountains. John and Ami fell in love watching sunsets and camping under the milky way, so this was all so fitting.    

One thing I love about weddings is that there are no rules.  You can get married where, how, and when you want, and John and Ami took full advantage of that, surrounded by family and friends cheering and hugging them on.  

One of the best parts of my job is hearing back from the bride after they see their film.  Ami wrote this to me: "Leslie, John and I both teared up watching it.  This will be so special to us and our families. So amazing that you also included such special small moments like my Mom and her sister talking together. Wow it's so perfect!!  There are no words to describe how meaningful this is to us and how much gratitude we have toward you. Even Orion started kicking around while we watched it!"

Congratulations John and Ami!

Baby Hudson Z.

On October 8th, I received a text from Karlie at 7:35 am that said: "Hey Leslie! I know this is last minute, but I wanted to see what you were doing around 8.  I just had our little baby!  They haven't weighed him yet or anything, he's just been sleeping on my chest since he arrived.  Do you think you can come?"  

 I jumped in my car as quickly as I could and drove the full 1.5 minutes to Moab Regional Hospital. Hudson was born at 4:27 am, less than 4 hours before I got there.

As I walked into their room, Karlie was still laying in the bed with little Hudson on her chest.  The nurses hadn't weighed or measured Hudson, nor had Karlie really even moved.  It was such a beautiful sight, I started crying and then was a little embarrassed.

For her first baby, Karlie's labor was fast.  No time for an epidural, and the nurses and doctor said she was a warrior. 

I spent two hours with Karlie, Jake, and Hudson and was able to capture some of their first moments together.  Karlie and Jake were up most of the night, so of course they were tired but  more so, they were radiating joy and excitement. I captured Jake holding Hudson for his very first time so Karlie could eat her well earned French toast.  I captured one of his first sleepy newborn smiles.  I also happened to be filming as Hudson opened his eyes for one of the first times. Jake guessed Hudson would be 7 lbs 7 oz, 21 inches, and when the nurse came in and weighed him Jake was 100% correct.  Dad's intuition. 

I loved this project.  I treasure my memories in the hospital with my newborn babies.  I have three children, and each time, I remember my heart absolutely bursting with joy and love. Love for my baby; love for my husband.  And truthfully, joy that labor was over and that we were both ok, and that I could eat a giant meal. 

I am grateful that I able to be with this family at this intimate, incredible time, and I am grateful for the safe arrival of little Hudson.

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Joseph and Katy's Arches National Park Sunset Wedding {Moab, Utah wedding videographer}

I loved this wedding.  I loved that the extended family and friends camped together before and after the wedding at the Devil's Garden campground in Arches National Park. I loved filming the children in their wedding best playing on the sandstone fins.  I loved that Katy was willing and totally comfortable applying her finishing touches in the campground bathroom.  And she was absolutely stunning. Seeing a wedding dress in the red rock desert will never get old to me. I loved how the setting sun illuminated the arch during the wedding. I especially loved that we had the arch completely to ourselves for the entire time.

As I edited this film, I fell more and more in love with their vows.  Today as I delivered their film, I told Katy today how much I loved the vows, and she responded that their vows were completely on the spot.  They spoke with so much sincerity, love, and eloquence.  I feel privileged that I was there to capture the vows and provide a way that they can listen and watch this incredibly intimate moment, forever. 

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Venue: Devil's Garden Campground, Arches National Park

Photography, makeup, and hair: B. Beautiful Artistry