Congratulations D & Z!

Another incredibly beautiful spring day in Chicago this past weekend (which means it will probably snow tomorrow!), and I was lucky enough to be at a traditional, but very beautiful wedding.

A lot of churches place very heavy restrictions on where photographers can sit/stand during the ceremony. However this particular church was very accomodating. It's hard to tell from the picture, but if I was any closer, my right knee would've been on the back of the bride's dress!

The cool thing about doing portraits in the city on a day like this is all the people (tourists) who wind up watching. A Bride once made the comment that she felt like such a celebrity.....so I guess that makes me the paparazzi?

Nicole & Andy

I've had really good luck with the weather for engagement sessions this spring.....so of course because Nicole and Andy scheduled their engagment session last Sunday, it had to be 75 degrees and Sunny!

Congratulations to Nicole & Andy, and good luck with all your wedding plans!

Congratulations Kaila & Dan!

OK, so take two families who BOTH are a Irish and Italian, put them in a crazy-beautiful location like the Garfield Park Conservatory www.garfield-conservatory.org and you get a wedding and reception that was absolutely amazing! (I've also never had so many people encourage me to eat and drink at a reception!)

Sometimes I really struggle with whether an image looks better in full color, or as a black & white version. Shouldn't be too tough with this one though....the colors were so bright and vibrant that it almost felt like being inside of a painting.

Sometimes after the sun goes down, it can be very difficult to come up with unique and different image ideas, however if you incorporate a custom lighting design into your reception venue, you can really make your photographer happy!

Thanks again to Kaila and Dan for allowing me to be part of your day!

Two for one.....

This has been a busy week, so in addition to the update with Cate's newborn pictures (See below) I'm also posting some images from an event I covered last week for the Center for Independent Futures http://www.independentfutures.com/

This is a incredible organization dedicated to helping adults with disabilites and their families build the skills and find the resources to live an independent and full life.

Jane Doye (picture above,left) is the Executive Director and one of the founders of CIF. It's Jane's passion and conviction that drives CIF's continuing effort to enable individuals with disabilites to sustain and improve their quality of life.

The goal of the evening (in addition to eating pizza and socializing) was to assemble and paint frames and easels which will display original artwork produced by the CIF residents. Many thanks to the people at the Home Depot www.homedepot.com for providing the materials. The artwork will be part of a silent auction at the inaugural SPARK fundrasier on May 4, 2007 (hint, go here for more information http://www.independentfutures.com/invited.htm )

Let them be little......

Cate is the newest addition to the world (as of a few weeks ago) and wanted her picture taken.....

Her mom Meghan turned out to be a pretty good model too.....


Everyone likes to see pictures of little babies up close, but to me the essence of a baby is their tiny size, so why not show them the way the song says..."Let Them Be Little"

Congratulations Maritza & Julio!

Another wonderful "spring" day in Chicagoland with temps in the 40's, however it was an awesome day for Maritza and Julio to begin their new life together.........It seems like it's becoming more and more rare for a bride to wear a full vail, however I think it adds a really cool touch, especially to the pictures. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned.........These two couldn't wait for the Bride to arrive!...........I love it when the Bride sneaks a peek at her Groom during the ceremony. You're supposed to be serious and focus on the prayers and blessing being bestowed upon you, but some Bride's just can't resist..........When do we get to eat the wedding cake...........Maybe if I hide in here long enough I won't have to have my picture taken anymore..........Okay time to roll, and these two decided to roll in style. "Pardon me Messieur, but would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?"............."But of Course!"...........One more kiss for the crowd at the church, and it's off for some more pictures and then the reception............It was very overcast most of the day, however wouldn't you know that as soon as their marriage was official, the sun decided to appear and help us out with some additional light for their portraits.............How can you not be happy on your wedding day?...........One last portrait before getting ready to start the party...........No explanation necessary...........And then things got interesting. I've never seen a group of single guys............go after the Bride's garter with this much enthusiasm.........the bridal party at this wedding showed off some killer moves on the dance floor..........And one last kiss from the happy couple at the end of the night. Congratulations, and have a wonderful time on your honeymoon!

Spring Cleaning

My camera bag finaly had enough and decided to vomit all its contents out onto my kitchen counter, forcing me to clean and organize everything before my next job. I'm halfway amazed that everything was present and accounted for and I hadn't left something at a recent wedding or job.

Kinda hard to believe all this stuff fits into one bag!

Congratulations Rakhee & Jay!

Rakhee & Jay were married in India earlier this year, but they also decided to throw a big party here for all their friends/family who couldn't make it overseas for their wedding. That has to be the best benefit to a destination type wedding....you get to party and be the center of attention twice!

Chicago's Next Top Model(s).....

I had the opportunity this week to work with two local models, which was definitely a different experience than working with families, kids, and brides. Jaime Stepp www.jaimestepp.com and Jamelia Simmons amazonamor@gmail.com both have great looks, and thanks to the help of make up artist Asia Cross amazonasia@gmail.com all I had to do was worry about lighting and composition because they take care of everything else!

If you need a model/actor/spokemodel for any upcoming project, definitely keep these girls on your short list!

Congratulations Emily & Dave!

Couldn't decide which one of these I liked the best, so I posted both of 'em!

People tell me I talk too much (too much coffee I guess), so I thought I'd comment less and just let the pictures speak for themselves on this one. Thanks again to Emily & Dave for letting me be a part of your special day, and congratulations on the beginning of your new life together!