Colorado Springs Independent's Annual Manual

Last week I was assigned by the Colorado Springs Independent to photograph the cover of their Annual Manual, a visitors guide for Colorado Springs. This year's emphasis is on the arts in Colorado Springs and so we teamed up with professional dancers from the Ormao Dance Company and photographed at sunrise at the Garden of the Gods. I haven't seen the cover yet, but the images we made were a lot of fun. Here's Kim, a beautiful dancer, on the rocks at the Garden. Stay tuned for this year's publication coming out with the regular Independent on Thursday. — Sean

Independent publisher John Weiss honored with Divine Award

On Tuesday I visited the offices of the Colorado Springs Independent to photograph my friend John Weiss, founder and publisher of the Independent. This week John was recognized by Citizen's Project with the Divine Award. The award is given to a person in the Pikes Peak Region who works tirelessly to create a vibrant democracy. My wife Cathy and I have known John since we moved to Colorado Springs 11 years ago. He hired Cathy to work for the paper and I've worked with the Independent as a contract photographer. Besides being an outspoken voice in our community, he has also created a business that employs many wonderful people in Colorado Springs. I can't thank him enough for what he's done for both our own family and our community. There is a reception in his honor scheduled at the Warehouse on February 18th. Send a note to Kristy here to RSVP by February 12. Congratulations John! — Sean

Many thanks to Independent readers

For the third year in a row, Cayton Photography was voted among the three best photographers in Colorado Springs by readers of the Colorado Springs Independent. We're proud to say we've garnered all three of the top spots three years running and we're grateful to all of the readers of the Colorado Springs Independent for their unsolicited support! Check out the best of issue on stands now! — Sean

Voted Best Photographer 2008!

We're excited to announce the readers of the Colorado Springs Independent voted Cayton Photography as the best photographer(s) for 2008. The Colorado Springs Independent published their second of two Best of issues yesterday announcing the results of the photography category. Here's an excerpt from the paper: It's hard to make it as a freelancer. However, that's what husband-and-wife duo of Sean and Cathy Cayton and their team have done successfully in under 10 years. Using a photojournalistic approach, they capture the milliseconds of personality in weddings and other events that more traditional photographers might miss..."I love taking pictures, but good pictures happen because I have good relationships with my subjects," Sean says. "We spend a lot time here editing photographs, but I'd much rather be out with folks, getting to know them."— Colorado Springs Independent
The Independent is an award-winning alternative newspaper similar to Denver's Westword. We have a wonderful relationship with the Independent, and many of its readers will recognize our regular congratulatory wedding announcements in the paper. We're honored that we were recognized in this way. More than 5,000 Independentreaders voted. We're also thrilled that the cover image showing Jasin Serby of Gertrudes House of Hair was photographed by Cathy. A big thanks goes out to you — readers of the Colorado Springs Independent. And if you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy, I've also included our gorgeous half-page ad here from Amy and Adam's Garden of the Gods Club wedding! Click on it so see it larger. — Sean

Indy Best of pictures

A quick note to folks looking through the Independent Best of photographs on our web site. We've added some more pictures to the photo booth like this one of me and my friend Megan. Also, we're adding the rest of the nights candid images to the proofs. Check this evening or first thing in the morning. Download your free digital image using the code on the cards we handed out that night. If you don't know what it is, call or e-mail! — Sean

Photo booth at the Indy Best of 2007 party

Last night, the Colorado Springs Independent hosted its annual Best of 2007 gala for its advertisers and loyal readers. And we set up a photo booth for the partygoers like Independent publisher John Weiss with his nephew. It's amazing what people will do when they get to take their own picture using a hand held remote:) Click here to see a brief slideshow of pictures from the booth. — Sean

Breaking the blogger's block

I've never had blogger's block before now. So I'm officially breaking it by posting this picture of Olwyn Doyle, 9. She attends the School in the Woods, a public school and a curriculum designed to teach elementary students an appreciation for nature and the natural sciences. Check out the complete story in this week's Colorado Springs Independent! — Sean

Prison Boot Camp - Follow up

Earlier I posted an image I shot for the Colorado Springs Independent about a prison boot camp. Today the paper published writer Anthony Lane's story on the boot camp at the state prison in Buena Vista. The cover shows a dramatic moment during 'Zero Day,' the beginning of boot camp for 42 prison inmates. Mike Perry, the program's director, insists that the drill sergeants are 'role playing.' Unlike the traditional military model that incorporates aggression training, this boot camp focuses on addiction-recovery and vocational training that includes GED classes. Click here to read about the boot camp. — Sean

Prison Boot Camp

One thing that makes my job so interesting is the variety of assignments I get. On Wednesday I visited the state prison in Buena Vista and photographed a prison boot camp. The assignment is for the Colorado Springs Independent. Keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks. — Sean

Independent Best of 2007

The second issue of the Colorado Springs Independent Best of 2007 is out on newsstands today and the cover is an image I made of the guys at West Side Tattoo. They were voted best tattoo parlor. It's a fun photograph and it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't suggested showing off their 'art.' If you ever need a tattoo...they truly are artists and it shows. Also, we were voted best of the best for photographers in Colorado Springs and a huge thank goes to the readers of the Independent for voting for us! Check out Volume 2 of the Best of 2007 today! — Sean

Independent Best of 2007

I still love taking pictures for the newspaper and I was ecstatic to pick up the Colorado Springs Independent's Best of 2007 paper this morning and see a cute photograph I made of the fine folks at Front Range BBQ on the cover! Readers selected Front Range as the Winner of the Best BBQ for 2007. There are so many categories that the Independent has to publish two different issues. I photographed for both issues. Be sure to pick this one up to find the best food and entertainment in town! — Sean

Be who you are. Be a Girl Scout.

The Colorado Springs Independent and the Girl Scouts-Wagon Wheel Council of Colorado Springs asked me to help them with photographs for an ad campaign. The copy reads: She's courageous. She's confident. She has character. She's a Girl Scout. The first ad will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Independent. I visited Troop 814 at Wilson Elementary and with Marianne's help made these portraits. It was a lot of fun to do them. The girls were incredibly sweet and they loved being photographed. Click here to see a brief slideshow. — Sean

Artist Jermaine Rogers

The Colorado Spring Independent asked me to photograph legendary poster artist Jermaine Rogers. He just relocated to Manitou Springs, a place well-known for its artistic community. From this week's cover story by Matthew Schniper:

'So you don't know Jermaine, the elusive rock-poster artist who has fostered a diehard base of collectors across the world. He's produced artwork for hundreds of popular artists, from Henry Rollins, Morrissey, Ween, The Flaming Lips and Tool to Radiohead, David Bowie, The Shins, Built to Spill, Queens of the Stone Age and the Deftones.'

Click here to read the entire story, click here to view Jermaine's web site. Welcome to Colorado Jermaine! — Sean

A Navajo mother's losing battle

Meet Julie and her son Virgil. Julie's oldest son R.J. was separated from the family by the Department of Social Services after R.J. lashed out at her. Three years later, Julie still hasn't gotten her son back. Click here to read the story by writer Kathryn Eastburn. — Sean

About a boy

I was asked to help with a story by writer Kathryn Eastburn about a Navajo boy taken from his mother. It will be the cover story in tomorrow's Colorado Springs Independent. When I arrived at the boy's house I was shown his hair braid, the one he had grown his entire life. He had it cut and now his mother holds onto it. Hair is sacred in the Navajo tradition and I was struck by this symbol of loss. — Sean

Reporter's Notebook

This is from the murder story I'm working on with reporter Michael de Yoanna. The notepad reads: "Don't worry about it. I stabbed their tire and I stabbed one of them." A witness testified hearing this in a controversial admission from the court transcripts. — Sean