Calluna Community | Cocktails with James & Schulze

Here at Calluna we are always looking for new ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we want to show them off to you in our new Calluna Community Series! We will sit down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado and get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes.

This week for Calluna Community we had the pleasure of getting to know a bit more about two of our absolute favorite photographers, James Christianson & Otto Schulze of James & Schulze. We continue to learn more that we love about these guys all the time but most importantly what resonates most with us is their quest for experience, emotion, connection and adventure. They inspire us to be better at what we do and we know that anytime we have the opportunity to work with them it will be incredible! We are inspired by the energy they put into capturing the essence of each couple and wedding.

Cheers! xo, Calluna

: JAMES CHRISTIANSON

: OTTO SCHULZE

Describe what you do!

James : We are explorers. A Modern day Lewis and Clark. We do not seek adventure for the heart pounding adrenaline rush, but the richness of the experience…and so we explore; people, places, experiences, capturing the emotion of it all throughout the journey. After all, it is the journey, not the destination that we want remembered.

Otto : I’ll follow that up with one another quote, from one of our all time favorite artists, Henri Cartier Bresson: “YOU SEE, YOU FEEL, AND THE SURPRISED EYE RESPONDS”. This I think really gets at what it is we do. It is truly a constant, never ending, pursuit. Yes, adventure!

What is your idea of a dream project?

James : Our dream project(s) involves adventurous people, killer design/style and new experiences.

Otto: No ‘boxes’, no “well this is the way it should be done”. None of that nonsense. Rather a grand old creative collaboration with no limitation.

What has been your favorite wedding that you have worked/attended?

James : One of my favorite weddings is one we photographed for a friend, planned by none other than Calluna Events. The wedding involved a group of friends, “hiking” out into the forest (suits and ties) for the ceremony and a restaurant buyout at a downtown Boulder restaurant.

Otto: The most epic one we’ve done would be one we did years ago at The Great Wall of China. EPIC. Another one that stands out, also with you ladies, was our Dunton Hot Springs winter wedding. EPIC!

What does your morning routine look like?

James : It always starts with “french press coffee”, time with Father and then exploring the National or State Park we are currently living in (the Christianson family are currently living on the road full time…see our Instagram account @thefamilycan.

Otto : Out the door by 6am for a morning workout. Yes “I pick things up, and put dem down”. Back home around 7:30am to be greeted by three daughters. I make us a breakfast smoothie, drop the oldest of at school, and then head out to my local coffee shop for a morning of editing & emails…

What are some of your favorite trends that you are seeing?

James : We are seeing clients wanting more real moments, a push back to the raw documentary style photography we love so much. Of course we have a stylized editorial feel to our work as well so we love being able to deliver both at every wedding…one of the advantages of the team approach here at James + Schulze.

Otto: This return to to raw, emotional, real documentary imagery is huge for us. It is how I started as a photographer. The inauthentic has never appealed to us, not in any way. True, raw – LIFE – moments has always been the draw.

What advice would you give to a younger you?

James: Experience is everything, so take big risks and always be open to learning.

Otto: Leap! Leave that silly harbor and head on out into this wide, deep, painful & wonderful experience that is life.

What makes you excited to go to work in the morning?

James : Two things…ultimately, we love working with people, so that constant interaction with new and interesting people certainly makes our job fun. Of course, not to beat a dead horse, but we love the exploration (place, artistry, moments, design, style) we get to do each and every day.