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Friday, May 11, 2012

Shooting second at the Apostolic Church of God

Posted in wedding photography

Lots of fun last weekend helping a friend with a wedding.  I really enjoyed the kind hospitality the folks at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago!  Handsome groom, beautiful bride.  The only downside was that our post ceremony shoot planned behind the planetarium was so incredibly cold….the skies cleared, and the temps plummeted. There was no way the girls, in their strapless dresses could stand the frigid temperatures for that long.   Oh well, everyone was in great spirits anyway, and for good reason!  Here are a few of the images I added to the mix:

Posted in wedding photography

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

And baby makes 3! — Child and Family photography

Posted in children/family, in-studio

About a month ago, I met Leah.  She was just 2 months old, and so cute!  I’ve known her mom since SHE was a newborn, so this was special for me.

I have to say, photographing little ones, even little ones who don’t walk, is challenging.  They move, for one thing.  In unpredictable ways…their arms and legs jerk, the head twists.   You just can’t cajole them into staying still!  The other thing about these very little ones is they need lots of time, and patience.  Parents may bring them in fed and asleep, but I have to expect that soon they’ll be hungry, or awake, or needing a diaper change.  And while wakeful babies during the photoshoot isn’t necessarily a problem…when they are awake they are more active.

The upshot for me is that I tend to overshoot.  I have to work on that!  Photography is all about the decisive moment, isn’t it? And while babies are adorable, not every moment is the decisive one.  These were my favorites.

 

 

Posted in children/family, in-studio

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Friday, April 13, 2012

Congratulations, Graduate!

Posted in collage, glamour and beauty, in-studio, lighting, People, portraits, seniors, special events

Ready or not, world, here she comes!

Jenna is graduating from college, and heading to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in social work. Who ever thought graduation photographs are for high school grads, anyway? A lot of changes over the college years, in maturity and confidence, and happily, a lot less facial blemishes for most people!

Graduating from college is a fabulous time to have photographs made, for your blog, their blog, professional resume, family and friends. And who wouldn’t want this incredible Facebook Cover, showing several great shots from the photoshoot?

Having a stylist for Jenna made the photoshoot an event to be remembered…a little pampering, and a lot of fun!  When hair and makeup are covered, and all you need to do is plan the wardrobe, the photoshoot suddenly becomes so much simpler!

I created a “natural light” studio lighting setup, and I really liked how bright and airy the images feel.

Congratulations, Jenna!

Posted in collage, glamour and beauty, in-studio, lighting, People, portraits, seniors, special eventsTags:

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

25 Years of Hope

Posted in Business, on location, photojournalism, special events, video/slideshow

Last week, Bethany Christian Services of Illinois celebrated their 25th anniversary of ministry through pregnancy counseling, domestic adoption, international adoption and Safe Families for Children.  This is near and dear to my heart, because way back in the day, I worked as a social worker in another agency providing pregancy counseling and domestic adoption.  So to be asked to photograph Bethany’s fundraiser was an honor!

I’ve gotten to know the staff there quite well over the years, and I’ve actually worked with Rebecca MacDougall, the Executive Branch Director, when I was a social worker myself.  They are great people, so dedicated, with hearts of gold.

I hope you enjoy the video 25 Years of HOPE, and if you are so inclined, send them a donation for the compassionate care they provide children and families in need. The video is pretty high resolution, so select 480p for optimum viewing.

 

My assistant, Lara, at the luncheon

Posted in Business, on location, photojournalism, special events, video/slideshowTags:

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Greening up!

Posted in Fun, one-a-day-2012

Today I thought I would feature a couple of images that made me happy….because not only do we begin Daylight Savings Time here in Chicagoland, but there is actually signs of spring!  This image is posted as one of the images I’ve added to my One-a-day challenge, which hasn’t quite lived up to it’s name.  I’ve missed several days, and recently a whole week, because I’ve had so much other photographs to finish for real clients.  That’s a good thing.  But I am enjoying going about my day, thinking about what I see from an artistic point of view.  It’s made even my walks with my dog a little more interesting…if only from the standpoint of trying to photograph something while being pulled by a canine who loves to sniff patches of ground thoroughly, pulling me along on the other end of her leash.

So in honor of Daylight Savings Time, here is today’s addition to the not-so-One-a-day set of images you can find here:

Posted in Fun, one-a-day-2012

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