Melissa & Mark

This engagement session was particularly special because of the subjects: Melissa has been my BFF since I was 7 years old. We've pretty much seen one another through everything, and you can imagine how thrilled I am to see her engaged to a great guy such as Mark.

Melissa and Mark are the kind of people who are naturals at having their photo taken. They simply fell into natural poses and most of the time didn't seem aware that I was even there ;). I had so much fun doing their engagement photos, and had a really hard time picking out my favorites!

You'll also note that I did something a little different with the post-processing...

Manny, Afia, Joshua, and Jeremiah

I had the pleasure of photographing this family a year ago, when Afia was still pregnant with Jeremiah. Now they are expecting a little girl in December! I've enjoyed photographing their growing family.

These were taken at Hudson Crossing park, one of my favorite shooting locations.

Jen and Tony's Maternity Session

After having my little guy, Blake, at the beginning of June, it'd been awhile since I had a photography session. It felt good to be back behind a camera! My neighbor, friend, and fellow photographer Jen was kind enough to do maternity photos for me back in May. They turned out great! She is expecting her first child very soon, and so I was happy to return the favor and do some maternity photos for her!

I'm starting to love using Hudson Crossing park for sessions...it's going to look mightly familiar after awhile!










Yes, I did some selective coloring. But, I thought it looked kinda nice for this photo. So sue me.



In other news, I'm dying for some new equipment. Gaaaah. Have I said this before? I think so.

Audrey's Prom Portraits

It's 10:00 on a Monday morning and I can barely keep my eyes open, so I will keep the commentary to a minimum! I photographed these 4 lovely ladies last weekend before they headed off to their senior prom. You will, of course, recognize Audrey from the senior portraits I posted last week.

Oh, and I must give a shout-out and huge thank you to my colleague fabulous Jennifer H., who is good friends with Audrey's family and helped me out a TON on this shoot, getting the ladies posed and helping my pregnant belly up and down the table I stood on to take a lot of these photos :).

Audrey's Senior Portraits

This past weekened I had the chance to take some senior portraits. Audrey and her mom met me at one of my favorite parks, Knoch Knolls in Naperville, and we had a great session. I was thrilled to see a large patch of purple flowers, the perfect spot for photos! I think the shots taken there are my favorite :).

Courtney's Maternity Session

I'm SO glad the days are getting longer and the weather a little warmer! It feels as if it's been MONTHS since I last did portraits. Er, actually, it has been months. Well, it was fabulous to get out and start shooting again. This time I took photos of my dear coworker Courtney and her growing belly. Her little boy will be arriving in less than two weeks, so I was excited to have the opportunity to do these photos before the big day!

The Joy of Love: Day 4

What They Wear

Photograph your loved one’s clothes (either on him or in the closet). This can be when they are dressed up or dressed down.

These are Rob's very worn work shoes. He's just about one of the hardest workers I've ever known...and his shoes reflect that, I think. When I first met him he wore what we called his "Peter Pan" shoes to work. Too bad I don't have a photo of those. They looked like, well, something Peter Pan would have worn :).

The Joy of Love: Day 3

Then and Now

How long have you known your loved one? What has changed since you first met him or her? Try to capture this change in photos. it would be even cooler if you can show a photo from the time you first met him and put it side by side with a now photo. Or have your loved one hold the “Then” photo and snap the camera!

I've known Luke for over 3 years, and it's been 2.5 since he actually arrived.

I painted a picture for his room right before he was born. He was only a few weeks old in this photo, and I was excited that he was already "enjoying" my art.

What has changed? Well, just look at the two pictures!

The Joy of Love: Day 2

How They Look

Capture your loved one at their best (or at their worst). Or both. What you’re trying to capture is the TRUE essence/expression/attitude/posture that SCREAMS your loved one!

To be honest, I took this picture when I was practicing with my external flash on manual. I wasn't purposefully doing it for this project...but I think it fits regardless :).