Sneek Peak for the C Family {Long Grove Family Photography}

This family is awesome and we met at historic Long Grove.  It's one of my favorite spots because it combines nature with some cool buildings and textures.  These guys are so great and I always have a lot of fun with them.  :)

Urban Senior {Crystal Lake Senior Photos}

Here are two of my favorites from a great session with high school senior. I love sessions with an urban setting. We had a blast with a variety of cool backgrounds. 

Time for Family Portraits {Chicago Area Family Photographer}

Here's one great family I had the pleasure of photographing recently.  Now is the best time to have a family session.  Capture your family as they are and start your holiday gift shopping early.  Grandparents love portraits!

Cute kids {Cary Family Photographer}

Here's a few of my favorites from a recent session. These kids are so cute and were so fun to photograph.

Cary-Grove Class of 2012 {Cary Senior Photography}

Here's Robbie. We met last week at a spot that I've been want to try out for a while now. I love it! Here are just a few from his session. There are so many great ones that I couldn't even decide which ones to post.

Jami and Dan Are Married!

They got married on July 5th in Montana, and came back to Chicago for their wedding reception.  It was a great party, and Jami and Dan were so nice and so fun to be around and they have the nicest friends and family.  Here are a few from the fun day!

 

Sweet Newborn "A" {Cary Newborn Photographer}

I'm so excited about this shot! I've had this prop for some time now, but didn't have a baby sleepy enough to put into it. Doesn't he look so comfy and cozy?  What an adorable boy, just one week old, all tiny and all curled up. 

And his mommy is so awesome and scheduled his first session almost two months in advance.  And, she even brought some really awesome hats for him to wear.  Love the little elf hat. 

Girls On The Run Northwest Illinois 5K June 2011

I remember hearing that there are no selfless acts, because even when we give of ourselves 100%, we are rewarded with good feelings.  And because of that good feeling, it's not really a selfless act.  That's how I feel about donating my time and talent to Girls On The Run of Northwest Illinois. For the past three years, I've volunteered to photograph the 5K race, and every time, I get a gooey feeling in my stomach when I see the excitement and anticipation on the girls faces as they get ready for the race. I have chills when I hear Laurie Dayon's pre-race pep talk. And I my eyes well up with tears when I see the girls finish with the roaring support of fans, and hugs and high fives from their running buddies. In that moment, I know they are having a mountain top experience that changes how they see themselves and makes them believe that anything is possible. I'm so proud of them. And I'm so proud to see so many of my friends and clients cross the line, too.  So, congratulations to all you girls!

This year was particularly inspiring, as the race has grown so large that the fans along the finish line were staking out seats early like it was a Disney Parade. The pre-race lineup was too big to even get in a single shot. And, Laurie's pre-race pep talk was heard from high in the sky in a bucket truck! (Go Laurie!!!!) And I have to say that the entire GOTR crew did an amazing job to keep everything running smoothly. 

The race photos are online on my website on the featured tab. Go check them out to see what an awesome day it was.

This year, digital images are for sale. A single image, printable up to 5x7, is $15. The entire disk of 477 images is for sale for $50. And check out what a cool disk it is. Don't ya want one? ;)   Oh, and 20% of the sales will be donated back to GOTRNWIL.  You know you want one...

If you are interested in purchasing an 11.25 x 17 poster of the collage below, let me know.  Pricing will depend on how many people want them.  If there is enough demand, they'll probably be around $10 each, with $2 going back to GOTRNWIL.

Cover!!!! {Chicago Photographer}

I'm seriously the worst blogger when I can't even post really awesome stuff on my blog in a timely fashion. But, hey, here it is! In May, the American Motorcyclist Association hired me to shoot Rebecca and her bikes in her garage for the July issue. Turns out, they really liked the images (and Rebecca), because we ended up getting the cover! There's also almost a full page image inside the magazine. How cool is that?

Fun Family {Chicago Family Photography}

Just a quick post to share two from a really fun family! Such cute kids (and really nice parents, too)!

This one needs a quote to go along with it. {Palatine Childrens Photography}

This is a recent one from a super fun session. I feel like it needs a quote. Something short and sweet. I can see this image on the front of a greeting or note card, but it needs a quote. Help me out here. Pretty please???

Baby Birds

I am obsessed with the nest in our yard.  I'll write more later, but wanted to share this one.  Thanks to my 200mm lens, I get to "see" these little ones up close.  I'd love to set up my camera on a tripod with a remote trigger and wait for mama bird to feed them.  Not sure I'm that obsessed, however.  Check back later, and maybe I'll post some from a few days ago when they were tiny little things and not even poking out of the nest.

Cary-Grove Class of 2011 {Cary Senior Photography}

Here are a few from a great session last week.  I had so much fun.  She was sooo natural in front of the camera with her gorgeous eyes and smile.

American Motorcyclist Magazine {Chicago Commercial Photography}

I love when I get to work with really cool people for a really cool assignment. Last week, I did a shoot for the American Motorcyclist Association. The American Motorcyclist Magazine is doing a piece about Rebecca, who doesn't own a car and uses her bikes and other forms of public transportation to get around. I met her last Monday at her amazing garage in Evanston. It had tons of character, inside and out. And, I could go on about how awesome Rebecca is, how she came alive when she was talking about things she's passionate about (her bikes and her business). You can check out her blog here. And just what a cool person she is. But, if I did all that, I'd probably embarrass her. (Hi Rebecca! You rock! I hope you like these.) Being around people like that is so cool, because some of their excitement for life can't help but rub off on you. And that's one really cool thing about this job.

Taste of Summer Today {Cary Photograher}

My little man wanted to make lemon squares yesterday, so how could I resist? As he insisted on using the hand-held mixer by himself, I was impressed with his domestic interest. But, then I realized it probably had more to do with dessert and power tools than a genuine interest in cooking. Oh well, I'll take it. Whatever his motivation, the time together was fun and the end result was delicious.

Mmmmm. Lemon squares. Sweet and refreshing. Light and Tangy. Flaky and moist. Hungry yet? Maybe I'll share some. Maybe. Depends how nice you are.

Faces for Friday {Cary Childrens Portraiture}

Happy New Year to everyone! It's been a busy 2010, and I'm looking forward to a great 2011. Over the holidays, I took some time to go back to a session in July of my own kids. I had a few printed for a gallery wrapped canvas display, but didn't really have the time to enjoy each and every shot until now. Here are a few funny faces to warm up this chilly Friday.

I had some fun giving them a softer, more vintage look, which I think really suits the images.  My favorites are the first and the last.  The first one makes me laugh, and the last one just melts my heart.  My sweet baby boy, no longer a baby, not yet a man, but all mine.