Emily DeWan Photography, Inc.

New Blog

2011-02-26T20:35:00.002-06:00

My new website is now released and along with that comes a new blog! So please update your bookmark or RSS feed:
EDP blog
EDP blog RSS feed

leaving the country

2011-02-08T21:53:00.003-06:00

I'm heading out shortly for a trip to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok, and can't wait! I will not be checking voicemail while I am traveling, but should have email access on a daily basis. I return to New York February 19th, and then I'll start posting photos.

Angela in New York City

2011-01-30T17:44:00.002-06:00

I had been wanting to shoot around my apartment building ever since I moved in, and I had the chance with Angela.

Lady Liberty

2011-01-30T16:36:00.002-06:00

The Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island ferry...

Boulder sights

2011-01-25T08:45:00.000-06:00

A few interesting sights of Boulder, Colorado

I asked for my lunch to be wrapped up from a local bar, and this is what was returned to me

My friend Mike from the wedding we attended

and Leah

Loved the place card at the wedding!

Queens wedding of Cheri and Angel

2011-01-23T21:58:00.004-06:00

There was so much laughter at the wedding of Cheri and Angel; just like a celebration should be!

San Francisco wedding of Becky and Jack

2010-12-24T13:26:00.000-06:00

There are so many reasons why this wedding was fabulous...
Becky has been a bridesmaid in three of my weddings over the past 3 years (Kelly and Matt, Carly and Dan, and Jen and Mikey); I love shooting in circles of friends like this. There were so many familiar faces!
I got the chance to travel to San Francisco and see my brother and a few friends (plus explore the fabulous city!).

Becky and Jack are a super adorable couple with great expressions. Here they are seeing each other for the first time.

I love Becky's dress! So adorable.

This summed up their moods for the day... so joyful!

I love all the color in the Mission District

and the awesome colorful murals

Crazy awesome flowers!

Their Ketubah signing was wonderful. A beautiful mixture of laughter and serene emotion.

Awesome flowers again!

Becky's sister Carly gave a wonderful toast that had them in stitches most of the time

The band! Awesome music; the guests loved them. They set the scene for one of the greatest Horas I've ever seen.

Venue: Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
Flowers: Natalie Bowen Designs
Officiant: Rabbi Jill Berkson Zimmerman
Band: Los Boleros
Dress: Nordstrom

For more memories, see the slideshow!

Sunday morning pancakes

2010-12-11T09:18:00.000-06:00

The light coming through my kitchen window can be quite lovely sometimes, as was the case on this Sunday morning while making pancakes. Poor Neal, I made him stand there with the spatula for a few minutes while I searched for the perfect angle to see the steam.

Apple Picking at Stuart's Fruit Farm

2010-12-09T20:44:00.003-06:00

Before the weather turned cold, a bunch of us headed up north for some apple picking at Stuart's Fruit Farm.

We had lots of fun with the baskets used to reach the apples

It's exciting to pick apples!

Who can resist swinging in trees?

I had this great idea to balance lots of apples on Allison. My original idea failed miserably, but I enjoy the apples stuck in various parts of her shirt.

A beautiful rotten one

St Louis wedding of Nicci and Eddy

2010-12-02T09:48:00.002-06:00

You may remember the lovely Nicci and Eddy from my secret mission over the summer. After their Niagara Falls ceremony they still wished to celebrate with family and friends, so off to St. Louis we went! They currently reside in Texas, but used to live in St. Louis.

The day started with a morning portrait session. One of their favorite locations is Blueberry Hill, so we played inside for a few minutes. I loved the phone booth.

I've been strangely drawn to portraits on bike racks for years. And for these two it was especially fitting as one of their hobbies is biking on their tandem bicycle.

We scouted out their old apartment. While I was changing cards they started dancing to keep warm, and didn't stop once I started shooting.

You're probably wondering about the bunny. As a pair, these two have named themselves Team Sunshine Fuzzy Bunny, so it was only natural they brought along a mascot. If you watch the slideshow you'll see a few guests sporting bunny ears in celebration.

A big thanks goes out to Neal, my ninja lighting assistant. I was having him add some back lighting to a shot, and he was making sure to stay hidden. As with the Niagara Falls ceremony, Neal also performed this ceremony (and did an amazing job, I must say!).

Time to change into wedding clothes!

Nicci going through the checklist. Rings? check. Suspenders? check. Groom? check.

They were staying at the awesome Moonrise Hotel, which has so many spots for fun portraits.

A little bathroom door fun

Best stairs ever.

A very sweet ceremony at Mangia Italiano with lots of great dedications

Sealed with a kiss by candlelight

They asked guests to find something teal to wear to the wedding, and these were a few of my favorite teal accents.

Dancing!

For more photos from the fabulous day, please watch the slideshow:

Soapology in the West Village

2010-11-10T14:59:00.004-06:00

I loved the feel of the West Village store, Soapology: warm, cozy, and so many great smells! I was shooting the owner, Francine, and details of the store for her pages in the upcoming CRAVE book.

The first thing she showed me was the car they have parked right out front: loved it!

A detail of the top: what a great way to get people to come in the store!

How can you not love a store with a bathtub in the back?

Handmade soaps

Sea salt scrubs (I love these!)

The lovely Francine

Fat Witches Bakery in Chelsea Market

2010-11-09T12:21:00.002-06:00

It's always a good day when I get to start out photographing and smelling brownies all morning. Yum! I headed in to Chelsea Market to photograph Patricia of Fat Witches Bakery.

I love the polka dotted packaging on these brownies

Such an adorable logo

Fat Witch Babies! 3-bite sized brownies; super cute.

Fat Witch owner, Patricia, with her brownie cookbook

Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center in Brooklyn

2010-11-08T13:04:00.002-06:00

I visited the Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center in Brooklyn last week for the upcoming CRAVE book. They specialize in cooking and educational classes for adults and kids; check them out!

I loved the look of the kitchen: so bright and welcoming

Beautiful herb paintings by the owner's sister-in-law

The lovely owner, Nissa.

Her dog, Sadie, was following us around during part of the shoot, so I figured she needed her time in the spotlight as well.

BEARS XI at Badger Camp

2010-11-07T11:31:00.004-06:00

For the 11th year, my friends organized a trip (that we have named BEARS) out to Wisconsin where we rent out a camp for the weekend. I typically do a few portraits throughout these weekends, and my primary subject this year was Ryan.

A few folks were standing around chatting and I enjoyed Ryan's look, compete with pipe.

A few other random tidbits from the weekend... Joe and Neal are in the middle of a tetherball game, though I think it looks more like the middle of a dance routine.

Glow sticks in Jonathan's hair

A walk in the woods with Neal

One of my favorites from the weekend. I put this on Facebook, and my friend Maciej titled it "Behold ZANON! God of baths and bathing, Lord of Saunas, Protector of the Truly Relaxed!"

Yvette Rose of Joulebody

2010-11-02T15:58:00.004-05:00

I spent the morning with Yvette of Joulebody, a yoga, fitness, and nutrition company, to prepare for her page in the upcoming CRAVE book.

One of her services is the Kickstart Diet, a cleansing program she developed. She let me sample some of the products once we were finished, and they were wonderful!

Yvette demonstrated a few yoga poses, and I just love her smile in this one

A meditative portrait

Skin by Kyra

2010-10-26T17:25:00.003-05:00

I spent a lovely morning with Kyra, owner of Skin by Kyra, to photograph a few of her services and products she offers. She will soon be featured in the fabulous CRAVE NYC book.

Demonstrating a facial massage

Aromatic foot bath

A sampling of Kyra's product line

The lovely Kyra herself!

Indian and Catholic wedding of Wilma and Sunny

2010-10-25T22:20:00.003-05:00

I love when couples combine their traditions in their wedding ceremonies. Wilma and Sunny started their day with an Indian ceremony, then continued the celebration in the afternoon with a Catholic ceremony, followed by a great party.

Lots of laughter during the ceremony!

Sunny looking dapper, dressed for the Catholic ceremony

cute!

Wilma's reaction seeing Sunny just before their afternoon ceremony. So happy!

I loved the light coming through the church windows

Wilma has such an adorable expression here

FSL Cosmetics shoot in Central Park

2010-10-20T14:23:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in Central Park with Kimberly of FSL Cosmetics. We were shooting for her pages in the upcoming NYC CRAVE book.

Fruits are incorporated in her lip sticks and lip glosses, so I thought it was a great idea to use them for the product shots.

The beautiful Kimberly!

A trip to Ithaca

2010-10-19T20:23:00.003-05:00

Over the summer I took a weekend and met up with my friend Mike in Ithaca, NY. We spent four wonderful years there for college, and it was time to return.

A trip to Buttermilk Falls was in order

Our trip to the falls was cut short with the massive rain storm. But it made for a cool photo!

I was in a portrait mood that weekend, so Mike got to play subject.

He wasn't always thrilled by this.

We wandered through the halls at our alma mater (Ithaca College) and came upon this fabulous skylight.

A few random photos from Cleveland

2010-10-18T22:41:00.002-05:00

A while back I traveled to Cleveland for a dance workshop (the All Balboa Weekend), and while I didn't take all that many dance photos, here are some random bits and pieces of my travels.

One of the late night dances in the hotel, complete with disco lights

I was obsessing over flower pieces in hair

and feather pieces

the sexy Jeri

I love bow ties!

Jeri and Neal

I was attempting to do some semi-serious and nice portraits of these two; that only worked for so long...

Neal discovered a spider

A Maine mini session with Janna and Joel

2010-10-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

My other sister Janna and her boyfriend Joel also stopped by for a visit at Becca and Kyle's house while I was there. More portraits!

This was the first time I was able to see Janna's tattoo in completion

Janna and Joel showing me their salsa moves they had just learned in class

playing with the beautiful light

Maine dogs

2010-10-13T08:42:00.000-05:00

Lucy and Cooper!

The dogs enjoying some quiet time with Kyle.

I love Lucy's ears when they perk up like this

hanging basket of fruit

2010-10-13T06:39:00.001-05:00

I enjoyed the light streaming in through Becca and Kyle's kitchen window.

Maine engagement session of Becca and Kyle

2010-10-11T17:34:00.002-05:00

The engagement session of my sister and Kyle! I had done plenty of portraits of the two of them before, but not since they got engaged. So I wanted to make it official. I headed up to Maine a few weekends back to visit Becca and Kyle in their new house, and we spent a morning playing in their home and backyard for some portraits. Lots of laughter ensued.

Their mudroom wall looked so classic country

Their kitchen windows are awesome and a perfect place to sit

I had this great idea to have Becca stand up on the window sill and fit perfectly without hitting her head on top, but apparently I need to work on my height judging skills. Still, it made for a funny photo.

Had to bring Lucy into the session!

Cooper, Kyle's sister's dog, was also visiting, and he really wanted to be in some of the photos.

Again with the lack of height judging skills: I had a vision of the two of them standing on the platform, framed by lots of leaves. Not so much...

Awww.... sweet

Central Park toddler session with Charlotte

2010-09-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I had a blast chasing Charlotte around the playground.

Central Park baby session with Cyrus

2010-09-22T14:38:00.003-05:00

Such a happy little kid!

chomping on mom's shoulder

weeeee!!

Central Park baby session with Emma

2010-09-21T08:42:00.002-05:00

Sweet little Emma!

I loved her hat!

Central Park baby and toddler session with Emma and Ally

2010-09-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Play time with Emma and Ally!

Central Park baby and toddler session with Henry and Grace

2010-09-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

A fun afternoon with siblings Henry and Grace!

Henry was happy and smiley the whole time

He was really enjoying eating dirt, grass, and leaves

Three cheers for Henry!

Grace was in more of a serious mood that day

Loved her boots!

Central Park toddler session with Alessandra

2010-09-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Alessandra was having a blast running around in the grass and on the playground, and I had a great time chasing after her!

Alessandra is such a happy little girl!

Watching a squirrel scurry up a tree

Central Park baby session with Madelyn

2010-09-16T14:12:00.004-05:00

Little Madelyn was so cute! We explored Central Park a bit, and mom did her best to keep all leaves out of Madelyn's mouth.

Happy girl!

Munching on her favorite toy

Governor's Island Jazz Age Lawn Festival

2010-08-22T15:34:00.002-05:00

Earlier this summer I spent a beautiful afternoon at Governor's Island for the annual Jazz Age Lawn Festival. It's a fun-filled festival of music, 20s-inspired clothing, dancing, food, and exploring the adorable island.

One of the younger patrons enjoying the day (and her parasol)

There was a parade of hats, where everyone was invited to prance around the dance floor to show off their head pieces.

Loved the old twin reflex camera! I still have one myself, but haven't taken it out in years.

Voon and his parasol. I loved his expression, even if it is a tad blurry...

Don Spiro, fellow dancer and photographer. I can't decide if this photo portrays him as evil or purely adorable. But I love it, just the same.

Voon brought along this fabulous suitcase as well as his parasol

Neal on one of the porches

A Greenwich Village engagement session with Rachel and Jason

2010-08-19T14:00:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful day for strolling around Greenwich Village with Rachel and Jason. Super cute and very affectionate, they were so much fun to photograph!

We started out at the famous Gay Street, which is super adorable and reminded me of European streets.

Continuing our tour of the Village, we stopped at all sorts of locations.

I loved the green light in this doorway.

The beautiful Rachel

The dashing Jason

How could I resist the awesome mural at Squad 18's firehouse?

Chicago Prairie Production Wedding of Jen and Mikey

2010-08-14T11:35:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful day this was! Jen and Mikey are such sweet people, I got to shoot in new areas, I adored their family and friends, and there was so much love around. I initially met Jen when she was the maid of honor at Kelly and Matt's wedding three years ago, then again as a bridesmaid at Carly and Dan's wedding last year. So many familiar faces at this wedding!

The beautiful Jen!

I adore capturing a couple's first look if they decide to do portraits before the ceremony.

I loved the lobby of their building.

The ladies!

Lots of joy throughout the day

We went to the Glessner House Museum for portraits; lots of great locations.

Cute!

After portraits we headed to Prairie Production in the west loop for the ceremony and reception.

Mikey is happy to see his beautiful bride

Husband and wife! I love Jen's expression.

The toasts were fantastic. Here's Kelly delivering hers.

Great reactions to their best man, Chris.

Such a sweet father-daughter dance, and then they invited Jen's mother to join them. Even better!

I love Jen and her parents in the background as Mikey dances with his mother.

Let the party begin!

Slideshow!

Chicago Indian wedding of Kiersten and Feanil

2010-08-07T12:53:00.003-05:00

I was back in Chicago to photograph the beautiful, exciting, and colorful wedding of Kiersten and Feanil. What an amazing event! A special thanks to my friend Ana Miyares for coming out and shooting with me. We lucked out with a beautiful day (I had the sunburn to prove it) at Independence Grove.

Kiersten helping out bridesmaid Tasha with her sari

The beautiful ladies!

Sexy bridemaids with awesome parasols

Feanil at his Barat

The mandap looked fantastic!

Feanil being escorted by Kiersten's parents to the mandap

One of my favorite parts of the ceremony is when the guests throw flower petals at the bride and groom as they're circling the mandap. I always up with some petals either in my hair, down my shirt, or in my camera bag.

What's a good Indian ceremony without a little shoe stealing?

I love the moms' expressions here

Playfully tossing petals with their feet

The gorgeous Kiersten!

Feanil looking sharp

I enjoy the movement in this one

I was excited to have a full moon for this shot

Apparently the reception went on a tad too late for this little guy

The slideshow! This is a particularly long one, so please be patient while it loads.

One year old Ceres

2010-08-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

Ceres is such a fun little girl. I've loved seeing her grow throughout the year, and now she's a year old!

Love those big eyes!

She's getting a good start on reading

A kid's favorite toys... the pots and pans

Don't all parents have photos of their kids in similar situations?

Chomp chomp chomp

Central Park engagement session with Tara and Andrew

2010-07-23T16:35:00.002-05:00

We lucked out with a beautiful day for an engagement session at Central Park. Tara and Andrew were so much fun to work with! We spent some time just exploring the southern part of the park; I just love shooting there!

Yulia

2010-07-15T20:01:00.003-05:00

For Yulia's shoot I had visions of exploring some gritty parts of Manhattan and also hitting the park near her house. But I woke up that morning to a super hot, humid, and gross day, so I decided against subjecting Yulia to that. It's important to be flexible! Instead, we shot just about everything in the comfortable air conditioning of her apartment.

The first thing I saw was this cool light fixture that I had to incorporate in a few images.

I did make Yulia stand in the hot sun for a tiny bit, as the skylight was allowing in a beautiful patch in the hallway.

Gorgeous! This was fun to get as I had to hang off the ladder you can see in the background on the image above.

Simple, yet glamorous

Ceres

2010-07-02T18:21:00.002-05:00

It's time for adorable Ceres once again! I just love all her expressions.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of me yet.

Munching on mom's cheek

so cute!

Adam

2010-06-23T07:06:00.000-05:00

Just a little fun with some video lights and a strobe.

A bit of a horror flick sort of vibe

Easter weekend with the family

2010-06-22T07:18:00.001-05:00

Lots of family gathered in Chicago over the Easter weekend for some great times.

Uncle Mark showing Seamus some photos

Violet in a quiet moment

Violet climbing the railing in Grant Park

and then she climbed right onto Uncle Mike's back

happy Violet!

Ping pong was a theme throughout the gathering. Here's Mike playing referee.

Violet will take you down!

Grandma took her turn

so sweet... Violet and Seamus, hand in hand

Grandma!

a quick family portrait

Neal in the Union Stock Yards

2010-06-21T10:47:00.003-05:00

This is the start of me catching up on old shoots. A few weeks prior to my relocation to New York, Neal came for a Chicago visit and we spent an afternoon exploring the Union Stock Yards, the old meatpacking district. Our visit then turned into a mini portrait session of Neal.

The famous gate of the stock yards

On our way back we stopped at the giant door of Big Monster Toys

giant monster peeking out of the giant door

Theresa and Steve's engagement

2010-06-20T21:56:00.003-05:00

I love when a couple chooses a location for their engagement session that is very personal and meaningful to them. Theresa and Steve chose the perfect place for theirs: back where it all started. Two years ago to the day they had their first date at Martha's Country Bakery in Astoria, and now in less than a month they'll be married! What a great way to celebrate their anniversary. The folks at the bakery were so excited for them and extremely accommodating. Plus they have really great cupcakes, and I'm all about a shoot that involves sweets!

I was cracking up at Steve's various expressions as Theresa kissed his cheek.

As soon as Theresa told me where they wanted to meet, I was envisioning a shot like this.

Yum!

A little trial run for the wedding day cake cutting

Through the window

Adorable!

Top Secret Mission! Part 2

2010-06-17T15:36:00.004-05:00

The mission can be revealed! About two weeks ago Neal and I boarded a plane to Buffalo to meet up with Eddy and Nicci, who where to be secretly married that day! Neal became ordained to be able to marry them (he likes to say that he now has a new super power), and I was the photographer for the day. We were sworn to secrecy until they could let their families know.

Neal helping Nicci tie her skirt together in the beautiful parking garage (who says you need a fancy hotel to get ready in?)

Loved the tie!

Nicci's charms

The light was great in the parking garage, so we stuck around there for a little portrait session

All smiles all day!

Once we finished the portrait session, we headed over to the Maid of the Mist boat ride in Niagara Falls for the ceremony.

Brother Neal!

We all opted out of the ponchos they gave us for the boat tour, though I did use mine to protect my camera lens.

Husband and wife!

We understood quickly why the boat was called Maid of the Mist; we were all pretty soaked by the end.

I couldn't let the day go by without a trendy poncho photo. That's style, ladies and gentlemen.

Neal attempted to conduct a unity candle lighting on the boat, but strangely enough a windy and wet boat ride is not quite conducive to fire. Opting for plan b, we finished that part of the ceremony back in our parking garage. It was still a bit windy there, so it took some work for the candle to light. Eddy and Nicci said that was symbolic of a marriage needing hard work to succeed. I liked it :)

Congrats you two! Thanks so much for having us be part of your fabulous day!

Purely Elizabeth

2010-06-17T12:45:00.005-05:00

I had a pleasure of working with Elizabeth of Purely Elizabeth, maker of natural and gluten free pancake and muffin mixes. Elizabeth will be featured in the upcoming CRAVE NYC book. I was lucky to be able to sample her ultimate cacao muffin; I loved it!

mmmm... muffins!

Caroline

2010-06-09T13:05:00.004-05:00

Caroline is one!

She was in quite the serious mood for a while, which I was enjoying.

Her little hair curl was adorable.

Back to the changing table, where I've shot her since she was a newborn!

Mom really wanted to put her in this adorable dress, but she's such a tiny little girl that she was completely swimming in it. Maybe when she's 2 she'll fit into it!

Playground time!

Mom and dad told me she loved to push this little scooter around, which she certainly did!

Top Secret Mission! Part 1

2010-06-08T15:26:00.002-05:00

A few weeks back I received an email from a few folks asking Neal and I to participate in a Top Secret Mission. After a bit of planning and preparing, this secret mission finally took place over this past weekend. For now I shall reveal some teaser images on what went on that day. Once I get the go-ahead I'll do a complete post. Enjoy!

Loved these shoes!

As you may have noticed, pink was a bit of theme for the day

Our view for the day

It was super windy

Madeline

2010-06-03T22:25:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe almost a year has gone by since I started photographing little Maddie. But here she is, growing so fast!

Colette

2010-05-27T21:59:00.003-05:00

I spent an afternoon this week with two fabulous women for a very fun photo shoot. Colette Ellis of InStep Consulting needed a portrait for her page in the upcoming CRAVE NYC book. Kelly of On Call Stylist did a fabulous job with her hair and makeup. Colette had chosen the location, which I loved: Pane & Vino in Brooklyn. They had the best chairs!

I really wanted to take this chair in particular home with me.

Ella

2010-05-20T12:26:00.003-05:00

Little Ella at 4 months old! My dear friends Karen and Bryan live in Kentucky and I was happy to finally meet their little girl!

sleeping on mom's shoulder

playing with dad after a diaper change

so cute with dad!

I can't forget their furballs!

Euphrates was sitting in such pretty light; I played with this scene for quite a while until he got bored with me and ran away

I love the look of intent she's giving me

Sophia and Lydia

2010-05-13T12:17:00.005-05:00

Sweet Sophia and Lydia are full of energy and so much fun to photograph! These two girls are the children of my dear friend Heather and her husband Michael. I spent a couple fun days with them in Kentucky.

I was getting dizzy just watching Sophia as she spun around as fast as possible.

I can now add fencing with sticks while photographing to my résumé

The girls decided their beaded necklace would look lovely on the kitty. I agree.

Lydia is ready to work, pink polka dotted boots and all!

mom and Aunt Michelle comforting Sophia

sisterly cuteness!

weeeeee!!!

happiness

Jen and Mike's engagement

2010-05-10T11:41:00.004-05:00

Just before I moved to NYC I spent a beautiful morning with Jen and Mike in downtown Chicago for their engagement portrait session.

I saw this bike rack and thought it would be cute to have them sit in it, not realizing exactly how super tiny each opening was. So this is them attempting to squeeze themselves in. Thanks for playing along!

sweet!

Awesome dinosaur sculpture in Millennium Park

CLARITY Lecture with Gabrielle Bernstein

2010-05-07T14:01:00.005-05:00

I had the great opportunity to photograph the fabulous motivational speaker and author Gabrielle Bernstein as she delivered her most recent lecture, "Clarity," at Organic Avenue on the Lower East Side.

There was lots of laughter and excitement flowing through the audience members throughout the night

I couldn't help but notice the fabulous selection of shoes the women were wearing!

After Gabrielle's lecture, she brought up 5 wellness experts to be part of her panel and continue the conversation.

Haleh Nematzadeh

Marie Forleo

Kate Northrup Moller

Alisa Vitti

Bianca Beldini

The panel was clearly having a great time up there!

Gabrielle led the audience in a meditation to start and end the evening

And how could an evening be complete without a cute fluffy dog?

Thanks for a great evening, ladies!

Madeline

2010-05-03T16:44:00.003-05:00

Madeline is 9 months old! Well, more than 9 months now, as I'm rather behind on my blogging.

Such a beauty!

A look of determination

This one makes me laugh

As does this one

Caroline

2010-04-14T17:40:00.002-05:00

Caroline at 9 months!

We've done shots in this same location ever since she was a newborn. Though now she likes to flip over and move around much more!

She has a great butterfly mirror in her room that I wanted to use

Sarah and Bob

2010-04-13T17:04:00.002-05:00

I love to do "just because" portrait sessions with couples. You don't ever need a particular event to set up portraits! I spent time with Sarah and Bob at their house downtown, then explored Michigan Ave with them.

I love the lines of this shot

We roped their cat Annie into a few of the shots.

Bob's expression is great here!

DRWS Portraits

2010-04-05T21:56:00.002-05:00

I spent a great day photographing the team at Direct Response Web Solutions. They wanted fun relaxed portraits of each of them. Their office is in a converted house which has lots of great wall colors.

Ralph

Janel

Kelli

Andy

New Phone Number

2010-04-01T12:16:00.003-05:00

In preparation for my upcoming move to NYC, I have changed my phone number. Effective immediately, my new number is (917) 620-5111.
Now I have to work on memorizing my new number :)

Three more weeks until the move to Astoria!

Animals and houses of Maine

2010-03-12T15:02:00.000-06:00

As many people know, my trips back home to Maine are always filled with animal photos. And last month's trip was no exception!

Mom with Charlie, the newest dog they're fostering through the Collie Rescue League of New England

Play time with Lucy

Such cute eyes!

Becca and Janna through the living room of mom and dad's soon-to-be new house

Lucy the dog also wants to see what they're looking at!

The awesome barn that will be torn down, but until then... a great photo place!

Work it, mom!

Pretty snow!

Becca and Lucy

2010-03-11T13:58:00.003-06:00

My sister Becca adopted a super sweet lab mix named Lucy, so naturally a portrait session of the two of them was necessary.

Becca loves how Lucy's ears perk up sometimes, so I was making various animals noises to cause it.

Awwww....

What's this large brown dog over here? Time to sniff it out.

I love her adorable smile here!

Carolyn and Jack's engagement

2010-03-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

I got to play in Union Station and outside downtown last week for Carolyn and Jack's engagement session. I loved it!

Cute!

I adored their little nose squish

Seattle

2010-02-27T20:52:00.000-06:00

Next stop was Seattle.

For anyone traveling to Seattle, I would highly recommend the Underground Tour. We learned lots of cool stuff about Seattle history, and I had plenty of opportunities for interesting photos.

Looking up to the sidewalk

A friendly duck on the University of Washington campus.

My trusty model.

Loved the orange wall!

I was intrigued with quite a few bathroom here.

Some graffiti on a bathroom stall that I enjoyed

Portland OR

2010-02-26T20:43:00.004-06:00

Last month Neal and I took a trip out to the northwest to explore. First stop was Portland OR!

Wandering around downtown

We made a stop in to see my cousins, 3 of the 4 of whom I had never met! Here's little Soren playing with the running water, a favorite activity of his.

Lane and Soren

Oliver demonstrating skills from his circus class.

Weeeee!

Friendly fuzzy kitty...

I'm not sure why, but this sign amused me.

A New Adventure

2010-02-23T15:52:00.004-06:00

I'm slowly letting clients and friends know, but it's time for the official blog announcement. After ten years in this amazing city of Chicago, I'll be packing up and relocating to New York City two months from now. Astoria, to be exact. I'm excited for the move, but I know it will be very hard to leave the family members and close friends I've made here over the years.
I'm still taking on Chicago weddings for 2010 (I'll be flying back a few times already once I move). But now I enter the new market of NYC!

Jen, James, and Piper

2010-02-14T21:03:00.004-06:00

A few family photos of one of my oldest friend, Jen, with her husband and little daughter. This was the first time I was able to meet Piper, and what a little cutie she is!

Janna and Cassie

2010-02-11T12:06:00.003-06:00

While I was back in Maine for Christmas I did some fun portraits of my sister Janna and her sweet dog Cassie. Cassie is new member of the household, and came to her through the Collie Rescue League of New England.

Beautiful Cassie!

Cassie has decided to take ownership of Janna

I love these next two as a series

*phwump*

Both Janna and Cassie trying out the new dog bed

Cassie was expressing her pleasure that Janna had arrived home

Janna imitating Cassie's expression

Ceres

2010-02-10T15:04:00.002-06:00

Ceres is six months old! I had a good time playing with her, hanging out with her mom, Liza, and bugging the cats.

I love her expression here... so serious!

She found my hand very tasty

I love the laughter!

kitty break!

kitty break #2!

Flying baby!

Casie and Luigi's wedding

2010-02-05T16:07:00.003-06:00

I had so much fun with Casie and Luigi! They had a very laid back wedding with a small number of family and friends.

The wedding and reception was held at Unity Temple in Oak Park, a beautiful Frank Lloyk Wright church. I loved making use of the architecture for the images.

Luigi on his way to see his beautiful bride! One of my favorite parts of this image is Casie's friend Alicia peeking her head out behind the wall to watch the interaction. So cute!

Looks like Casie was happy too!

They braved the cold winter evening for a bit

These two were so fun and easy to photograph! Also note the lovely use of lights here. The church was under construction, and there were cloths up all over the place. But they made the most of it here with the extra decorations.

Such joy! I love it!

I was having lots of fun with lines with this one.

Casie's expression cracks me up here.

Fun with flowers and video lights!

Casie with her sweet little nephew

These two boys loved the water cooler cups in the reception room.

Slideshow!

A Maine visit

2010-01-09T14:37:00.003-06:00

The horses and dogs of my family in Maine!

Mom took me out driving with one of her horses (which I had never done); here's Janna distracting the horse will we climb in the cart. I enjoy the super serious look.

The super serious look did not last long at all.

The view from my seat

I felt a bit sick from the driving, which mom attributed to spending most of my time looking through a camera lens instead of watching the road. Perhaps she has a point.

Lens flare is fun!

Bonus points if you can identify this

Hello beautiful light!

Nap time with the pooch.

Madeline

2010-01-07T08:56:00.002-06:00

Another super cute 6 month old!

Flying baby!

Caroline

2010-01-06T11:51:00.002-06:00

Caroline is 6 months old! And cute as ever.

It's become tradition to photograph her on this changing table with the cute lamp. Even though they're now in a new house, the wall color is similar to their last house so it fits in perfectly.

So I had this great idea of having mom and dad hold Caroline's hands while she stands up on the edge of the sofa. The idea failed miserably, but I was laughing during our attempts and was quite amused by the results.

Damn Yankees!

2009-12-03T18:55:00.003-06:00

I was up in the lovely town of Houlton, Maine last month for the opening of Houlton High School's musical, Damn Yankees. To students and parents of HHS: keep an eye out at school for a collage poster with lots more images from opening weekend.

There was lots of excitement in the final moments before the curtain went up!

Director extraordinaire, Ms. DeWan!

A little pre-show back rub time

And now, the show!

Dancing baseball players make me happy

One of my favorite lighting setups in the show

Ceres

2009-11-28T07:52:00.000-06:00

Little Ceres at 3 months!

Not to worry, she's in no danger!

It's fun to play with family pets

Badger Camp

2009-11-27T19:24:00.003-06:00

Every year a large group of my friends head out to Badger Camp in Wisconsin for a weekend getaway.

The night I arrived was pizza night. I loved watching Tony demonstrate tossing the dough.

Much time was spent around the campfire

Nice walks through the woods...

I grabbed a couple friends for some portraits. I greatly appreciate them putting up with me in the cold!

goat!

This year's fun activity was fireworks! I positioned myself about twenty feet from the set off point.

I think I confused many folks running around them with my video light.

Edinburgh

2009-11-18T13:08:00.002-06:00

The final installment of my Europe trip from this past summer! I traveled with Angela to Edinburgh to visit a college friend, Michelle.

Portraits in the city center were necessary

This demonstration at the castle was quite amusing

Greyfriars Bobby, the faithful dog who would come to his owner's grave for 14 years after his death

Hamish the Highland Cow!

We took a tour up to Loch Ness and stopped a few times along the way for some sight seeing

We took a ghost tour through downtown Edinburgh. This is our tour guide leading us to our next haunted destination

After the ghost tour we took a very leisurely walk back, stopping many times along the way for some night photography

No trip to Scotland is complete without a shot of a bagpiper

Frankfurt

2009-11-16T15:55:00.002-06:00

Continuing the collection of my Europe trip over the summer, here's Frankfurt!

I loved their new mall, My Zeil

The wall surrounding an old Jewish cemetery

Angela posing for me

We went out one evening for some night photography

Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt

cute!

I spent quite a while in a very touristy spot watching the statue performers and the reactions they'd get from folks

There was a lively festival going on one evening with a great Brazilian singer

Karen + Bryan = 3

2009-11-12T21:21:00.002-06:00

My good friends Karen and Bryan are expecting their first little munchkin, and I'm so happy for them! Can't wait to meet the little one, you two!

There was lots of laughter

lots...

Bryan the model, show us how it's done

So Karen and I share a love of fun socks (I don't ever wear plain colored socks), and I was quite impressed with her selection for the day.

Emily and Jeff's wedding reception

2009-11-09T23:16:00.005-06:00

I had a great time with Emily and Jeff for their engagement session over the summer and I knew their wedding reception would also be awesome!

I walked into their house to see this adorable pair of bears

We then roamed around the city for some fun portraits

I love Jeff's laugh here!

Gorgeous flowers by Scarlet Petal!

After portraits we headed over to Cafe Brauer for the party to start!

Jim

2009-11-08T21:46:00.002-06:00

I spent this gorgeous fall day outside photographing Jim!

Sara and Ryan's engagement

2009-11-03T09:50:00.000-06:00

I spent a great fall afternoon with this cute couple!

I enjoy making my couples climb things... don't worry: he's climbing up, not falling down here

to get here!

Shiraz and Vijay's wedding

2009-11-02T08:51:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful wedding at the Swissotel! Shiraz and Vijay were wonderful to work with.

One of the flower girls was far more interested in her game than preparing for the ceremony

The first time they get to see each other during the ceremony

Love the shadows!

mmm... cake.

Chicago at night

2009-11-01T19:19:00.002-06:00

I was photographing a benefit downtown last week and loved this view as I was about to head home.

Kaiserslautern and Kusel

2009-11-01T14:30:00.002-06:00

On to Germany! My friend JP lives in Kusel, so Karl and I met him at the nearest train station in Kaiserslautern.

I loved this art work at the train station

There are many fish sculptures throughout the city

JP's fabulous collection of rubber duckies

We took a walk around JP's village; it was very peaceful

The guys laughed at me for stopping to take this photo. I was intrigued by the pattern.

Heidelberg

2009-10-31T15:08:00.003-05:00

I explored Heidelberg, Germany with Karl after my trip to Paris, as he lived here for a few years. It's great to travel with a tour guide!

My first view exiting the train station

Castles everywhere!

wine, anyone?

This seemed like a scene right out of Harry Potter to me

Karl is missing his wizard hat

We toured the old student jail at Heidelberg University (Studentenkarzer). I loved all the graffiti on every surface.

Super cute entrance

Most people I've talked to who have visited Heidelberg also went to this fabulous bar where you could order beer in a horn

Paris

2009-10-29T22:19:00.002-05:00

So over the summer I took a great trip to Europe to visit some friends... and I'm finally getting around to dealing with the photos.
Here are the Paris ones! I visited my friend Karl who had just moved to Paris the year prior.

Couldn't resist taking some sort of Eiffel Tower one

One of my favorite outings: the Catacombs. There are signs all over saying to not use flash at all (which people ignored...), but my little video lights came in handy!

How could I resist putting Karl in a shot?

A little fun with a carousel

I loved the decorations of this restaurant

Cheese fondue was a must!

Mmmm... creme brulee

Melissa and Zach's wedding

2009-10-21T06:27:00.001-05:00

I walked into Melissa's house, saw the grand piano, and immediately knew where I was going to do some portraits first!

She was ready to party!

The kids loved the ice sculpture!

Madeline

2009-10-19T10:57:00.000-05:00

Little Maddie is now 3 months!

Joelle and Mark's wedding

2009-10-17T11:01:00.004-05:00

What a beautiful day with Joelle and Mark!

They had their ceremony at the historic Old St Pat's cathedral. I loved their sweet looks at each other.

Mark checking out his new ring.

I love getting to play with an awesome car!

We headed to the Chicago History Museum for their cocktail hour and reception; I love this place!

I had some fun playing with the flowers there.

You know it's going to be a good party when a limbo pole (or scarf, in this case) is brought out

Slideshow!

Anjlee and Ronak's wedding

2009-10-16T00:23:00.005-05:00

I just love the excitement, color, busyness, and fun of Indian weddings!

Ronak's parents... they were having a blast!

This little boy was very curious about the ceremony he was about to walk in to

Apparently he was told to wait too long, so he had to amuse himself :)

There were tons of great moments during the ceremony

Stefanie and Jason's wedding

2009-10-12T06:42:00.004-05:00

Stefanie and Jason had a beautiful outdoor wedding at Galleria Marchetti. This was my first time shooting here and it was a great location!

I first met up with Stefanie and her ladies at the Palmer House downtown

Seriously, how cute are these two?!

A sweet father-daughter moment

This little one was quite energetic!

The slideshow!

Ashlee and Kevin's engagement

2009-10-10T06:57:00.002-05:00

Ashlee and Kevin were lots of fun to work with; we wandered around Michigan Ave for a bit just playing and laughing.

Keir

2009-10-08T05:14:00.000-05:00

I while back my friend Keir and I scheduled a photo play-date downtown. I always love doing these with fellow photographers.

Beth and Jim's wedding

2009-10-06T06:42:00.000-05:00

I spent a beautiful day in Stillwater, MN for Beth and Jim's wedding. Everyone was so much fun! We started at the lovely Trellis Wedding Ceremonies, hit the town for portraits, then over to The Grand for their reception.

Beth was all smiles all day!

A curious flower girl

These two little girls were so cute!

A sweet ceremony moment

Beth and her dad, with the rest of their family watching from the side

The slideshow!

Hilary and Ella

2009-10-04T20:48:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I took a little jaunt to Des Moines to visit my good friend Hilary, where I got to meet her super sweet dog Ella.

We took a trip to the local dog park with Ella's best friend, Hoosier.

Lincoln Park Zoo familiy portrait

2009-10-02T17:32:00.004-05:00

Off to the zoo! My friend Ande hired me to photograph her and her parents, and we had a great time! Lots of laughter on this session.

Rosalyn and John's wedding

2009-09-29T19:43:00.004-05:00

Roz and John had a beautiful wedding in downtown Chicago! We started at the University Club for some portraits, headed out into downtown for more portraits, Old St. Pat's for the ceremony, then returned to the University Club for their reception. Many thanks to my lovely second photographer for the day, Shay Feeney.

I adored Roz's blue bow on her gown.

On her way to see John!

What the guys were up to as the ladies were getting ready

Roz and John decided to see each other prior to the ceremony, which is always fun as they have some time to really enjoy each other's company.

Every couple needs a portrait with a bear, right?

A good looking bunch!

One of my favorites locations to hit downtown

We were granted access to a tiny room above the main reception room for some photos

The slideshow! Please be patient while it loads.

baby Caroline

2009-09-24T18:47:00.002-05:00

Caroline has returned!

Such a happy baby!

I love this expression she's giving me

Squish the baby!

Rosalyn and John's rehearsal dinner

2009-09-20T14:38:00.002-05:00

A fabulous pre-wedding festivity at Wildfire restaurant!

Lots of happy faces

The wine John had brought for his groomsmen

A rehearsal dinner clearly is not complete without a bread man

Excellent toasts and roasts throughout the evening

Roz and John were clearly enjoying their time

Emily and Jeff's engagement

2009-09-02T19:10:00.003-05:00

I had a blast with these two! We explored Michigan Ave and surrounding areas on a super hot and humid afternoon.

I knew it would be an awesome session when I was getting shots like this in just the first couple of minutes!

Elizabeth and Jason's wedding

2009-08-24T18:12:00.004-05:00

What an amazing and heartfelt wedding! I just adored working with Elizabeth and Jason all day. We were at the First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park for both the ceremony and reception.

Very cool origami at the church

I love her expression here!

Elizabeth's first moment seeing herself as a bride!

Such a proud dad

And such an adoring and loving husband (to be)

Married!

The wedding party was lots of fun. Not too many serious moments with them!

For some reason they started making zombie movements

The blessing before dinner

I loved her awesome colorful flowers

They had a few cakes at the reception made by friends. This one was Dungeons and Dragons themed.

Jason wanted to honor his parents and invited them up for a special dance

Many more photos in the slideshow!