“i’ve been so excited to see the photos, thank you sooo much for all your hard work on our wedding day. we had a blast and i’m glad we can now remember more of the moments through our photos. we love the pics. there’s so many that are truly amazing and totally capture the feeling behind the day. they were well worth the wait. i love a lot of the details shots of the flowers, the wine bottles, the table settings, the people signing the guestbook, the tiny flowers on the cake, etc. the outdoor shots after the wedding turned out fabulous! there’s nothing we appreciate more about living in the city is when we’re downtown and see all the city lights and the skyline and know that we live here…truly beautiful and those shots are my favorites!”
* if you do not know how to use RSS readers and would like my blog updates to go straight to your gmail, check out how to do this easily with this quick step by step guide to using webclips. this only works if you use gmail.
learn about photography:
bokeh happens when a photo is taken under certain lens conditions and creates certain aesthetic qualities in out of focus backgrounds. the reason i do this is to limit distractions and emphasize the important subject in a photograph. the two lenses i use that produce a nice amount of bokeh are my canon 85mm f/1.2 and my canon 35mm f/1.4. to the average consumer, these lenses are pricey, but you can get a similar effect with a 50mm f/1.8. both canon and nikon offer these little lenses commonly known as nifty fifties (or shifty fifties!) for around $85 dollars. its hands-down the number one starter lens for anyone picking up a digital SLR. if you happen to get a DSLR camera for the holidays, promptly toss the kit lens in the bin and pick yourself up a faster lens. fun fact: i won’t date anyone who uses a kit lens, and if need be, i will go buy a 50mm f/1.8. i still have my nifty fifty and have no plans on getting rid of it!
what about film? i love film. i have more film cameras than i do digital. film is cozy and familiar. i learned photography using film. i used a camera for five years that didn’t even take a battery. if you have a film camera tinkering around, i strongly recommend picking it up and reading up on some photography 101. when you shoot digital, you will have a better grasp on understanding manual photography. when i shoot film, i shoot less. it forces me to shoot for quality versus shooting for quantity. for me, its a needed exercise and good discipline for reminding myself to shoot for quality. the film cameras i use are medium format and take medium format film which means i get between 12 and 15 shots on one roll. its expensive, tedious, and rewarding all at the same time. when i was hired to do resort photography recently in jamaica, i took along one of my film cameras, my hasselblad 503cx. though the V-system cameras have been produced since WWII, my camera might be about 25 years old. old, but not ancient. i like the simplicity of it. during that particular architectural shoot, while i waited for the clouds to make way for sun, i sat down to clean my camera and lens. the employees of the resort watched as i took the camera apart in three easy steps. i took the film holder off, i removed the viewfinder, and finally removed the lens. “so basically its just a box?” one onlooker said? yes!
p.s. if i don’t update the blog before christmas, happy holidays! i worked on this wedding until the wee hours and plan to get through as many weddings as possible in the next few days!
charlotte purchased adorable containers for the wedding rings which were enscribed with to have and to hold.
the bride’s mother watched over over the groom during some lighthearted games
the groom answered questions regarding his new bride
mike and char were a very easy-going couple – they joked around a lot and had a blast all day!
two families came together during a tea ceremony overlooking famous michigan avenue. they had one of the best hotel suites i have ever photographed in.
charlotte takes tea to present to the families.
i heard someone mutter that some of the tea had some wasabi in it!
the groom leaves the room before the bride changes into a white wedding gown.
simple bouquet of flowers to match a simple elegant dress.
the groom waits in the hotel lobby for a scheduled “first look” as the bride descended down a grand glowing staircase.
we took a limo to museum campus and played a little game of trust over lake michigan.
the chicago skyline is in the distance as the groom holds on tight to his bride.
charlotte forgot the 
the groom looked dapper don’t you think?
the groom looked dapper, don’t you think?
we wrapped up our 90 minute photo shoot by heading back to michigan ave and the bride and groom were cuffed by a chicago cop (all in good fun of course!).
the newlyweds had beautiful rings which i photographed on the stem of a tulip.
cocktail hour…
what a cute nephew and a proud father!
here are some of the wedding reception details including favors, cupcake centerpieces, and an overall theme of red – the color of happiness.
and a toast…
and a cake cutting and a cake smoosh followed by a smooch.
guests seemed to be having a great time
charlotte’s matron of honor was just as fun as she, and raised the bar on the dancefloor getting everyone going!
the bride and groom were a very fun laid-back couple to work with, and definitely know how to throw a party!
