April 2013
1 post
10 tags
Proposal: Toby & Shereen
Here’s a really unique proposal shoot from this winter season! I caught up with the happy couple as they visited Chicago’s Lincoln Park one night during the ZooLights festivities. Shereen thought this was just another date night…she had no idea that Toby had already planned out every aspect of this special evening, including having me there to capture the moment. Congrats Toby...
March 2013
1 post
14 tags
Wedding: Scott & Renae
With the weather in Chicago finally getting a little nicer, I thought this would be a good time to post a beautiful lakeside wedding I shot last autumn. After getting ready at the historic Blackstone Hotel, we headed to the lake. Scott and Renae had a beautiful ceremony and reception at one of the best places for weddings on Lake Michigan: Promontory Point. This venue is rich in historical...
February 2013
3 posts
12 tags
Wedding: David & Jennifer
Here’s a great example of a unique Chicago wedding! You may recognize the couple from their engagement session last year. While that shoot was also located in Chicago (Humboldt Park, to be exact) it took advantage of the park’s beautiful settings and had more of an outdoorsy and natural vibe. In contrast, this wedding is all about the fantastic urban setting![[MORE]]
Located in...
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Engagement: Patrick & Alyssa
One of the great things about living in Chicago is the fact that you’re surrounded by great locations for photo sessions. I’ve shot at the Lincoln Park Zoo a couple of times for family portraits, but this was my first engagement session there. [[MORE]]
It was late afternoon, and a little chilly, but Alyssa and Patrick braved the cold and were great photo subjects, making my job...
9 tags
Wedding: Rob & Martha
Here’s a sampling of select images from a great winter wedding I shot in December. After a traditional church ceremony, Rob and Martha treated their guests to a more unique reception at the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of Chicago’s great treasures, and a very photogenic venue![[MORE]]
After meeting Rob and Martha last summer, and having a great time shooting their Oak Park...
November 2012
2 posts
12 tags
Engagement: Brad & Jenni
Here’s a great engagement shoot with a fun couple in downtown Chicago! I love scheduling downtown sessions on Sunday afternoons, because usually you can get some great locations all to yourself. [[MORE]]
We started out with some shots along the Chicago River, taking advantage of a beautiful sunset and the river’s amazing bridges. The varied layers of structure and texture make for a...
12 tags
Wedding: Drew & Juanita
This pink and black rustic wedding was a fun experience and included lots of personal DIY touches. I had lots of fun with Juanita and Drew at their engagement shoot, so I was confident that they would have an awesome wedding…and they didn’t disappoint! [[MORE]]
The day began with preparation photos at the Herrington Inn and Spa in Geneva, IL and from there we headed to the Fabyan...
September 2012
1 post
6 tags
Goyal Family Photos
When Arusha first contacted me, she said her family wanted some portraits done, and also mentioned that their most recent professional photos were taken when her brother was 5 years old. When I found out that he’s now in his mid-20s, I agreed they were due for a portrait session. :)
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So, we set up an early morning session including time at the park, and time at home with Buster,...
August 2012
3 posts
9 tags
Martha and Rob Engagement Session
I always love the opportunity to shoot in new locations, especially when I can explore places that I’m not all that familiar with! So when Martha and Rob mentioned the idea of an engagement session in Oak Park, I was really excited to see what we’d come up with. [[MORE]]
Although it’s one of Chicago’s more famous and historic suburbs, I’d only been to Oak Park a...
8 tags
Wicker Park Family Session
I was going through some photos today and realized I never posted images from this great family session earlier this year! Shame on me, but in all fairness, I put it off for a while because I was sworn to secrecy…[[MORE]]
In the months leading up to Lynn and Bill’s wedding, their kids contacted me to set up a secret photo session. They wanted to get some family photos with all of...
10 tags
Juanita and Drew Engagement Session
Since Juanita and Drew are planning for a beautiful wedding this fall at a Chicago area forest preserve, we decided to do an engagement shoot where we could take advantage of not only natural, but also urban settings. So, what better location than Millennium Park?!
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We met up in front of the Art Institute, and began with some shots near the famous lions. The museum was the site of...
July 2012
2 posts
12 tags
Jennifer and David Engagement Session
In the last few weeks I’ve been shooting lots of engagement sessions with couples getting married later this year. Here’s the first of a few new engagement session posts with some fun couples!
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I met up with Jennifer and David at Humboldt Park, which is fast becoming one of my favorite outdoor shoot locations…there are just so many great settings in close proximity,...
12 tags
Pop-Up Shop at Modern Co-op
A few weeks back I hooked up with a newly opened store in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, to take some photos of an event they were hosting for the Chicago Arts District 2nd Fridays. The store, aptly named Modern Cooperative, has an enormous collection of beautiful (and reasonably priced!) mid-century modern furniture, housewares, decor, etc.
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Throughout the evening store...
June 2012
2 posts
8 tags
Global Fund For Women
A few weeks back, a friend of mine asked if I’d be interested in covering a fundraising event she was co-hosting at a new-ish Chicago pub that I had been meaning to check out. Opportunity to cover an event for a worthy cause, while visiting a new Chicago establishment? Yes, please…
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The event in question was a fundraiser for the Global Fund for Women. Organized by a few...
10 tags
Happy Graduation!
Earlier this month I joined a recent DePaul University grad and her family, to capture photos of her graduation celebration at Quartino Italian restaurant in Chicago.
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The party included tasty hors d’oeuvres and entrees, as well as a great gift for guests…delectable little handcrafted chocolates! I always appreciate the opportunity to capture these milestone events for...
May 2012
4 posts
7 tags
Lynn & Bill's Garden Wedding
Over the weekend I shot a small wedding ceremony at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It was a great ceremony in a beautiful setting, and with temps in the 90s it was a fitting start to the summer wedding season!
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As guests arrived, they were greeted with cocktails and refreshments in the Circle Garden. After spending some time visiting with friends and family, everyone was invited into a...
15 tags
Modern Maternity
I’ve never really been a fan of the cutesy maternity photos that seem to be more and more popular these days. I figured eventually I would probably end up doing a shoot with an expectant couple, but I really wanted to avoid the “heart-shaped-hands-on-belly” type of shots. So, when Swathi contacted me a few weeks ago and mentioned that she was pregnant and wanted to do a photo...
11 tags
3 Squares
I’ve been interested in food photography for a while now, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting the right opportunity to team up with a talented chef who can create some beautiful (and tasty!) dishes. [[MORE]]
A couple weeks ago I met up with Chef Stephen of D’lish Dish Catering. He was looking to make some photos for an AmazonLocal promotion he was planning. He wanted to feature 3...
12 tags
Photos at Home
Some friends of ours (who happen to also be our upstairs neighbors) recently sold their condo and wanted some family portraits taken prior to moving out of their first family home. So, before they were fully packed, we set up a quick session at their place. Thanks for a fun shoot guys, and good luck with the move!
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April 2012
4 posts
7 tags
Surprise Engagement at Navy Pier
Recently I was once again lucky enough to be a part of an emotional and touching proposal, with a fun and loving couple. This time the setting was Navy Pier, on a cloudy and cold Chicago afternoon. Fortunately, I think the chilly weather actually worked in our favor…on any other Saturday afternoon the pier would be swarming with people, but with this weather we had the place mostly to...
8 tags
Winter Family Photos!
Not to brag, but I have been pretty lucky with the weather recently. Whenever I have an outdoor shoot booked but the forecast is calling for showers, blizzards, hurricanes, and whatnot, somehow everything seems to work out anyway. That was the case this past weekend, as the storms in Chicago held off long enough for us to squeeze in a great family portrait session![[MORE]]
I’ve shot in...
8 tags
THAW 2012!
Ballyhoo [noun. bal-ee-hoo]: a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity.
Well, clamorous and vigorous sums it up nicely. THAW, the annual “Night of Hot Ballyhoo!” benefiting Chicago’s own Links Hall, is a night filled with music, dance, performance art, and general shenanigans. I was on hand to capture the event’s performances...
11 tags
Lexi & Seth's Prenuptial Dinner!
Holy Cow! What a fun rehearsal dinner at Harry Caray’s Steakhouse in Chicago! This great couple invited friends and family to join them in an intimate prenuptial celebration to kick-off their wedding weekend in the Windy City.
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Believe it or not, after living here for nearly 10 years, this was only my first visit to this Chicago landmark, and Harry didn’t disappoint. The...
March 2012
1 post
5 tags
Neha & Arun Surprise Engagement!
Well, I’ve been away from the blog for awhile, but in a way that’s a good thing, since it means I’ve been really busy, right?! Or maybe just a bit blog-lazy. Either way, it’s time for an update on what’s been happening. So let’s start things off with a surprise engagement shoot![[MORE]]
Now I suppose most, if not all, engagements are technically supposed to...
August 2011
1 post
8 tags
Sapna & Nirav E-session
Recently I spent an afternoon touring the city’s back alleys and loading docks with Sapna and Nirav, a really fun couple who are getting married next year. We had a great time exploring industrial Chicago, and the beautiful photo backdrops that come with it. See below for what we came up with….
July 2011
3 posts
7 tags
A "Challenging" Gig
Every year Chicagoans compete in numerous races, competitions and challenges. The latest to hit the Windy City rolled through on Saturday, and I was hired to document the event. Challenge Nation, “The Ultimate Urban Scavenger Race,” is touring the U.S. and its Chicago stop drew over 1,200 competitors. Contestants raced around the city checking in at a dozen locations based on clues...
8 tags
Tigerlily Turns 2
Recently I was invited to shoot photos at a beautiful birthday celebration for a 2-year-old named Tigerlily. From the food to the favors to the decor, let’s just say this girl knows how to throw a party! (I suppose some credit goes to her designer mom Grace, as well.) Click below for photos…
6 tags
Independence Weekend
We spent last weekend up in Lake Geneva, and visited a couple family parties/BBQs to celebrate the holiday.
The Southwick Pig Roast on the 3rd was a good time, with great evening entertainment provided by the David Marshall Band. We enjoyed the music while the band enjoyed quite comfortable accommodations on the newly-christened USS Southwick’s maiden voyage. Looking forward to many more...
June 2011
2 posts
7 tags
Pictures in Providence
A few weeks ago we visited Rhode Island for a beautiful wedding in Providence. Having never been to the RI, we decided to stay an extra day and explore the city. Here’s a few shots I took, strolling the streets.
7 tags
PBR me for the 10th time
Every spring a number of things occur that remind us summer is on its way. Snow finally melts, trees come back to life, baseball season begins. Soon there’s an unmistakable excitement in the air, as the first weekend in June arrives and brings with it the PBR Pub Crawl.
Over the weekend we made our annual trek to Mad-city to meet up with good friends, share a few mediocre beers, and...
May 2011
2 posts
7 tags
Bachelor Tree
Just a few weeks ago I joined some buds for a bachelor party trip to Joshua Tree National Park in SoCal. After meeting up in sunny (actually a little overcast) LA and partying in Venice for a night, we hit the road in a rented recreational vehicle to spend an extended weekend visiting “The Tree” and its environs.
Not only did we explore the gorgeous desert landscapes and truly...
9 tags
First Tumble!
So I’ve been trying to decide on a solid first post to start this photoblog off right…with summer weather in Chicago finally here and the big lake fully thawed, it seems appropriate to mark the occasion with a collection of photos from the lake image archives. Enjoy, new work coming soon….