AMY FREE photography

Lost Valley Ranch :: 04.05.10

One of the richest elements about Lost Valley is the truth that this is a place where relationships flourish. The task's and to-do's of every day life are stripped away. It offers the simple beauty of taking the time to sit on a porch swing. Taking a walk. Riding together. Sharing meals and laughter together. Numerous people that I've been talking with have shared that they feel like their time spent at the Ranch allows them to be the truest version of themself... and there is a certain freedom in that feeling.

Your beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl. -Tim McGraw

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Heidi K says:

Wow. Again! I love these so much...you have a way of capturing so much personality in all of your photos. Becca looks like she's going to come talk to me straight from the picture! And you're right. I never knew myself until I came here to the Valley. I have no idea how, but you captured all of our true selves in these photos. Well done!

(04.08.10 @ 03:21 PM)

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Lost Valley Ranch :: 04.04.10

lost valley ranch: day one.

Yesterday evening I drove from Denver to the Ranch and can hardly believe that I'm sitting here in this Valley right now (if you need any background on what the heck I'm doing click here and here). I've been playing catch up, posting photos from my trip whenever I could finally take some time to edit/share/etc, but I wanted to be able to share a little more "real time" about my time and experiences here in the Valley. Selfishly I want to look back on my days here an remember them vividly.

So, what I consider one of the most unique qualities of the ranch is the "remote-ness". You lose cell reception when you are about an hour away and then the last nine miles of the trip are on a sometimes precarious dirt road. As I turned off the pavement, I tried to relish all the times I've made this drive... the conversations, the specific songs that have stirred my heart along the bumpy drive, the place my car slid in the mud and got stuck, ha. I stopped more this time than I ever have before, shooting when something looked interesting, and just trying to see all the details the maybe I've never noticed before.

This place is the same basically... small differences here and there, and I'm different... but the Ranch is the same. And therein lies the beauty of this valley.

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Maddy K. says:

I love the lighting in the first one a whole lot! Great job! :)

(04.04.10 @ 07:01 PM)

sharon clark says:

love your heart and every single picture during your adventurous trip across the USA!

(04.05.10 @ 04:32 PM)

Beata English says:

Amy, your images are so amazing! the colours spectactular! i so want to come back to the US and explore more of your home!

(04.06.10 @ 05:26 PM)

Betsy says:

So many memories are evoked by these beautiful images - especially the 1/2 mile sign. Driving in on the shelf road and realizing it marked that you were almost "home". The joy of trotting by it on the ride out filled with anticipation of the adventure that awaits and the tinge of sadness seeing the sign on the way back knowing the ride was over...

(04.06.10 @ 09:49 PM)

Alison English says:

tears, my friend, as I look through these gorgeous photos and remember the beauty, the simplicity, and the life this wonderful place brought me. Can't wait to see the whole project come together. Thanks for sharing!

(04.06.10 @ 09:50 PM)

Mallory says:

oh my heart... these are stunning. absolutely gorgeous.

(04.12.10 @ 05:07 PM)

Kristen says:

Oh man. Just knowing you and how this place is your "happy place" makes me so happy that you got to be "back at the ranch". kisses.KG

(04.20.10 @ 02:52 PM)

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Kids and family , Lost Valley Ranch :: 04.03.10

ally and molly: topeka, ks inspiration.

Ally and Molly are the kiddos of another special set of Lost Valley former staffers. Jill and Matt met at the Ranch and almost 6 years and 2 kids later, it's clear that the foundation of friendship that they built their relationship upon is still strong and true. Their little girls are beautiful in every way and I could have photographed them for hours. I just kept exclaiming, "Oh, you are so lovely!"... it was a good feeling to capture what I saw. But beyond their physical beauty, I saw that these girls are deeply loved by their parents. They are beloved. So this is the message I want to send to them....

your heart
your hands
your eyes
your dreams

are beloved.

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Maddy K. says:

these are absolutely precious! I love all of them!!!

(04.03.10 @ 03:35 PM)

Kathryn Ivey says:

These are some of the most photogenic kids I've ever seen...beautiful!

(04.03.10 @ 10:04 PM)

stacy says:

amy... i love the colors on this set! especially love the first one.beautiful!

(04.03.10 @ 10:49 PM)

KK says:

These little girls should model. Adorable.

(04.05.10 @ 09:00 AM)

Meredith Daniels says:

These pictures are so beautiful! I love the expressions you caught!

(04.05.10 @ 10:57 AM)

Kerri Parrington says:

Amy, I regret that we were out of town when you were in Topeka and did not get to meet. These photos of my precious nieces are as georgous as they are. You do beautiful work!

(04.20.10 @ 03:00 PM)

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Lifestyle portraiture , Lost Valley Ranch :: 03.24.10

lost valley ranch: bob foster sr.

This is a man who just recently had the great pleasure of celebrating his 90th birthday, while in the same year he also has the honor of celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lost Valley Ranch...a guest ranch in the middle-of-nowhere Colorado that he purchased, with his family, all those years ago.

This is a man whose single-minded passion and vision to provide an "unforgettable guest ranch experience" has impacted countless lives (guests and staff alike) over the last 50 years. His dedication to creating a place that exudes true hospitality, has made a Valley in the middle of the Pike National Forest feel like home.

This is a man who still has eyes that dance with a certain joy and vitality that are unexpected at his age, and just sitting... listening to him recount stories from his adventures surrounding the beginnings of Lost Valley I can confidently say that he has lead an extraordinary life.

Of course there have been countless others who have supported the growth, progress and leadership of Lost Valley, I most certainly do not want to discount the cumulative effort it has been, but it started with a dream and a huge risk from Bob Sr., his wife and his family... and there is something in that truth that is certainly worth honoring.

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Ross says:

Amazing picture. Love it.

(03.24.10 @ 05:11 PM)

Sarah Foster says:

Love this. Thank you. You are really growing in your portraiture (did I spell that right?).

(03.25.10 @ 05:38 PM)

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Lost Valley Ranch :: 03.22.10

this is the great adventure.

So tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow is the day I embark on my crazy cross country drive with the goal of collecting stories and images that will serve as the base for my book to celebrate that legacy of Lost Valley Ranch.

So why? Why am I driving thousands of miles, stopping in 7 states, and spending weeks away from my dear little home (and routine) that I love so much? For the sake of combining two of my greatest passions in life - photography and Lost Valley Ranch. Both have drastically altered the course of my life, and this is my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to unite the two.

In my journey to learn and grow as a photographer, I have listened to many industry leaders emphasize the importance of shooting what you are passionate about and staying true to who you are as a person in order to develop and evolve as an artist. So this trip is my venture away from "comfortability" and away from anything I've seen anyone else do... this project is a reflection of me and my heart. And that makes it scary and exhilarating all at the same time. I'll do my best to document some of the details of the ride here, so stay tuned.

First stop: Nashville, TN.

I can't wait to get to CO to replace some of these scanned images that were shot with a point and shoot at least 5 years ago, if not longer. So forgive the less than perfect image quality because the beauty of the Valley still shines through I think!

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leah says:

that photo of the horses is amazing!! best of luck and have a great time! can't wait to see! xo

(03.23.10 @ 02:18 AM)

Julie says:

you are going to nashville!?!?! jealous. so fun. and you are being too hard on yourself. i thought these pics were scanned in from a magazine. you are so good you don't even know how good you are! be safe.

(03.23.10 @ 09:40 AM)

Kristin Byrum says:

Have the most amazing adventure... can't wait to see images! =)

(03.23.10 @ 11:07 AM)

claire says:

oh my gosh....this makes me sooo happy! can't wait to see and hear about all the adventures you'll have and people you'll meet! so excited for you!

(03.23.10 @ 01:20 PM)

deb schwedhelm says:

that horse image is absolutely breathtaking. i can't wait to see what is to come, with this journey of yours. so very, very inspiring. have fun!!
deb

(03.23.10 @ 01:28 PM)

stacy says:

you are so lucky to have this opportunity! i can't wait to see your images. you are muy talented girl!

(03.23.10 @ 02:06 PM)

Emily Barefoot says:

Get it girl!!!! What a beautiful opportunity!! Are you traveling with the Great Dane or is he kicking it back in NC?

(03.23.10 @ 06:17 PM)

Jen Hunt says:

Feel really, really proud to be your friend right now. Can't wait to go on this adventure with you via your images that you share! xo

(03.25.10 @ 11:03 AM)

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