Isnt It Beautiful To See Two People So Much In Love?

Shout out to the Barenaked Ladies for this lyric from the song "Be My Yoko Ono." These lines were too long to use as the title, but enjoy them:
"If I was john and you were yoko,
I would gladly give up musical genius,
Just to have you as my very own, personal venus."

Now that's love.

At the end of October, I have the honor of photographing Marissa and Heath's wedding. We hung out a couple of weeks ago to take some engagement photos. It was especially important for their dog, Pachanga, to be a part of the shoot. Sorry, Marissa & Heath, if I spelled his name wrong. Anyway, Pachanga is definitely a part of their family, so he got to be one of my models. He exhibited some diva behavior, but we got what we needed! We'll see how he does at the wedding.









Less than a month to go until the big day! I know it's going to be awesome! In the meantime, everyone should enjoy autumn! I went apple picking today (I don't really eat apples, but I guess that's besides the point) and the orchard was packed! I took a bunch of photos, so hopefully I'll get some of those edited and posted. I also conquered a fear by going through one of those "hedge mazes." Those things freak me out. Clearly I watch too much TV and too many movies. The Shining anyone?

Come And Knock On My Door

I love old houses. Doug and I enjoy living in places that are achitecturally interesting. With that comes, of course, no dishwasher, old heaters, and other such nonsense. However, we have some very cool features, like a giant glass-block window that has been instrumental in many photoshoots. We also have this supercool slit in the tile above our bathroom sink and below the mirror that is labeled "Used Razor Blades." It is literally a depository for old razor blades. Razors are just hanging out in piles in our bathroom wall. I'd love to get in there to see what else we can discover, like in "If These Walls Could Talk" on HGTV. You better believe that before I leave here, I will be writing a note and folding it up and slipping it in there. Okay, this post has gone in a direction I wasn't really expecting, so now I have to go photograph the bathroom.

So, this is our link to a time when men actually used razor blades to shave...


Okay, but back to the reason I started this post to begin with. Doorknobs. Here are a couple I've encountered recently:


I just love the way they look. The first still has a key that works and the other looks art deco to me. Sometimes there is unexpected beauty in the most mundane objects; as a photographer, it's my job to find that beauty and show everyone else. So, keep your eyes open for cool doorknobs and details.

And, for good measure, here's another photo of that cool phone.

Rest Your Head Close To My Heart

This is Tyler, my new supermodel! When I took these photos, he was just four weeks old. You may remember that I took maternity pictures of his mom back in August, right before he ws born. It's a wonderful experience to follow a baby's life like that. I think Tyler has many more modeling sessions to look forward to!

A little smile...


Babies make the best expressions!


This little piggie went to market...


In mom's arms


In dad's arms


A family portrait


I can't wait until Tyler is three months old and we can have our next session! Babies change so much during that first year; it's wonderful to have all the photos to look back on, that capture all the different faces, stages, and all the growing!

Next up: an engagement session! The photos are edited and just waiting to be posted!

If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me

I came across this wicked cool phone the other day and had to photograph it. You don't see a lot of old-fashioned phones anymore, not when everyone uses cell phones all the time. I miss having a landline. I miss phones that connect to the wall. I miss the rotary dial.

Who Is This Walking Man?

This walking (little) man is the son of my very good friends, Dennis & Lesley. Connor is a year and a half now and I first took his photos back when he was six months old. He still has those giant amazingly blue eyes (he has mom to thank for those), but now he's running and talking. We spent the day playing and taking photos and just enjoying ourselves.





Who doesn't love bubbles?


Back at the house, dad filled up the baby pool and Connor got to splash around for a little bit, although the water was a little too cold for him to actually get in.


Connor has this great personality and I love photographing him! It also means I get to hang out with his parents, which I also thoroughly enjoy. I met Dennis at my senior prom all those years ago. And you might say Lesley helped me snag my current beau, although the results took a little while. Ah, the memories. Regardless, hopefully I'll be seeing them all again soon - it's almost time for Christmas photos!

I had a really great newborn sitting and an engagement session recently, so I need to get those edited and posted. I've also been doing a bunch of headshots recently, which is always fun. Just keeping busy when I can and preparing myself for some fall TV, because I am a pathetic TV addict. Although, last night I definitely mourned the loss of The Gilmore Girls. It had been my favorite show on television and now my Tuesday nights are empty...

My Kind of Town

Everyone who is not related to me, brace yourselves. I am about to post a million and one photos from my cousin Tony's wedding. Since I don't know how to make slideshows, you'll have to suffer through a very long post. This is the best way for everyone to see the photos - plus, they're tons of fun. The bride and groom were so happy and the guests danced the night away. Really. The dancing didn't stop. The floor was packed. Grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles, and friends all squeezed together, dancing off the calories from the dinner!

{The Ceremony}





You've heard of the Pink Ladies?




{The Reception}

This is the gorgeous wedding cake... Isn't it amazing? The world city skylines were incorporated into a lot of the wedding details - save the dates, invitations, seating cards, and the cake. It was a great detail that tied everything together.



Let the crazy dancing commence!









I think I might make this my signature shot. I love the way the wine glass sparkles!


My family has had an extremely trying week this past week. It was important for me to post these photos in the hopes that they might put some smiles on some faces. There are tons more, but I couldn't put up ALL of them! I hope everyone enjoys these! Love you.

Sweet Home Chicago

So, it's not my home, but it's still a cool place to be. I visited over Labor Day to attend my cousin's wedding. Before I get to those photos, I wanted to post a couple non-wedding-related photos.

This is taken at Millenium Park; there's a giant reflective bean-shaped structure and you can stand under it. This is what you see. We can make it a Where's Waldo game; can you find me & Doug?


This is my very good friend Robynn and her daughter Kyla. I've known Robynn since we were freshmen in college - she lived downstairs from me. We had quite the year! Then, in the middle of sophomore year, she abandoned me by transferring to a different school. That didn't stop us, though. Our friendship is just as strong now, living over a thousand miles away, as it was all those years ago when we lived just a floor away. She's one of those amazing friends who always manages to squeeze in time for you. She makes me want to be a better friend, because, let's face it, I have a lazy streak.



Totally off-topic, I had a hair makeover yesterday and I'm practically blonde! It's an insane change, but I think I like it. I've never dyed my hair to this extent before. It looks totally different. That's all. Maybe later I'll post before and after photos.

To Everything, There is a Season

This photo has nothing and everything to do with the events of 09/11/01. Instead of posting a photo of a flag, I thought this image was more about healing. The statue is located at Navy Pier in Chicago and I happened across it doing the tourist thing on my recent visit. I started editing the photos today and when I saw it, I thought it represented the way I feel about 09/11, without being too hackneyed. Always tell the people you love that you love them. Hold hands. Give hugs. Smile. Laugh. Remember. Always make love stronger than hate.

Creepy, Crawly

If you have never heard the song "Boris the Spider" by the Who, check it out. I think the first time I heard it was when my cousin Jessica and I went to see Roger Daltrey in concert oh so long ago. You can't help but sing along.

I caught this guy at my cousin Tony's rehearsal dinner. We were at Fulton's on the River in Chicago, and the spider had the best seat in the house - on one side was the outdoor space of the restaurant and on the other was the Chicago River. I love the way the lights of the city sparkle.

They're Fin-all-y Getting Ma-rrr-ied Now!

Okay, so I decided to strike while the iron was hot. If you're just joining us, these will be the reception photos from Dan & Mel's wedding on August 25th at the Mystic Aquarium. The ceremony photos are in the previous post.

Some of the college crew - Hail, Colby, Hail!

This guy was a guest during the cocktail hour. He only bit one small child, too. I'd say that's a successful penguin-bite-to-guest-ratio. Yes, I did get to pet him. He felt velvety and not feathery. If you were curious.

Utilitarian wedding favors rank high in my book. This is Lesley's glass - it's only partially full because, while arranging a photo, I knocked it into her salad. Being the gracious woman she is, she swore the salad still tasted okay. She said the discovery of the tropical drink in her food was like a little surprise. I'm not sure I believed her, but it was nice of her to say.

Dan & Mel laughed throughout their entire first dance. It was awesome. They looked so happy! (In order to see this photo better, click on it so you see it full-size; same with the cake eating photo below)


Cutting the cake. I think the evidence speaks for itself.


Well, that's it. These are all the photos fit to print. I promised I wouldn't post anything embarrassing - those will have to go somewhere else. Next up is Tony & Jackie's wedding where there were a lot of sweaty people dancing all night long. That's my kind of party!