Welcome to my Blog

Hi there!  Don't mind the date on this blog, I set the date well advance into the future to keep this page as my main landing page.

Over to the right, you'll see a directory of Blog Posts about Wedding Photography: my philosophy, packages offered, engagement shoots, bridal portraits, and other sample images: I'm also offering Wedding Videography now; Portraits: individual or family portraits, senior portraits; Dancing Shoots: dance portraits such as my Urban Portrait Series, costume portraits, and dress rehearsal performance shots; and Composite Images: a really creative process in which I take different shots and put them altogether in one image.

Chicago Bridal Expo

Had to share this I-phone pic of our display at the Chicago Bridal Expo's February 4 show.

Ron and I had a great day at the North Shore Renaissance for the Chicago Bridal Expo's February 4 show.  What a great location to meet with engaged couples and their families.   We spoke with a lot of couples really looking for that special blend of photojournalistic pictures and romantic and fun portrait work for their wedding.   It was also a great chance for us to share albums from some companies we love:  Finao and Black River Imaging.   We have spent a lot of our time this year in album design, especially with the Finao One album.  We love sharing this stylish and modern book with the brides and grooms we meet with.   From the thick pages to the brilliant color, we think these books are an ideal way to share your wedding day images.

One of the things I love about wedding shows is the fun and excitement of meeting new couples and their families. I know some of them are going to choose us to photograph their wedding.   We always feel honored to be part of something as special as a couple's wedding.   The excitement we experienced yesterday with the people we met is really just the beginning for us.

We also enjoyed meeting some new friends.   A shout out to Lily from Lily's Bridal and Gifts in Chicago.  Her display of dresses and accessories was beautiful.   It was a pleasure to meet you, Lily.    You were warm and funny and we had a great time meeting you!  We would be happy to exhibit across from your dresses any day.

I am really excited to be sharing this I-phone pic of our booth, even if it wasn't taken with our professional Nikon camera.   Ron and I put together this display in the recent months.   It's a perfect way to showcase the photos we have taken in recent years.   I hope the families and friends we met with yesterday felt welcome in our booth.

Editing Photographs

As much as I love taking photographs, I have to confess that I am pretty excited to open them up in Lightroom and create a little magic.  Often, even as I am taking a picture, I am thinking of best way to present this image -- with a subtle glow effect, in black and white, with a vignette. These styles are romantic and bring out new feelings in the pictures.

  It's late afternoon on a gray, cloudy day, so not much dramatic lighting. But look at the expressions on the guys' faces. I really wanted to hone in on that.

 
And here is the final edit. I especially like how I cropped so only part of the first bridesmaid is seen. I think that really adds to this picture.  I also added a little brightness and saturation.  

Here's the original shot straight out of the camera on the left, and then I brightened it up a lot and really made the colors radiant in the after. Sometimes, the original is just too raw, doesn't really capture the beauty of the bride (Jane). But a little editing, and voila! Now she looks radiant just like she did on her wedding day!

 I shot family photos of Briawna and Dale just before Christmas.  I liked their expressions in this picture, but I thought it would resonate better with a little bit of something.

 Using a slight glow effect, I was able to help this photo evolve into a more romantic shot.

Another closeup of the bride, and this time while shooting the shot, I knew I wanted to do a high-key black and white edit where it really focused on Jenny's gorgeous eyelashes. For me, it just really turned out nicely!

In Jody's lovely backyard wedding, I wanted to get a shot of her here at her backyard doorstep just before she walked down the aisle. When she looked down, I knew I had the right shot. Later, I just had to remove some things from her garden and add a little blur to give it a dreamy, ethereal look.

It's been a really fun and interesting year, this first year as a full-time professional photographer in Chicago.  Beth and I moved back here to our home in Algonquin in April, and we managed to generate 92 shoots and 13 weddings in our first 8 months here.  We are very excited about how 2013 is shaping up, eager to get back into the shoots again.

Here are 24 montages that pretty much captures the essence of our year in photography in 2012.

You can click on each of the montage slides to bring them up in a larger size, which makes for better viewing.

I hope you have some popcorn!

Amy & Greg

I had a great time with Amy, Greg, and their bridal party.  These photographs really capture the fun of the day.   

 I love the romance of this moment between Amy and Greg.

 I like to capture the details of the wedding, too.  This blue is really vibrant and fun.

I am so glad I was part of your wedding day!