Studio will be closed August 4rd - August 10th

Just a heads up that the studio will be closed during the time that I'll be laying on a beach and doing absolutely nothing. ;) I've been told by my travel agent that there is wi-fi at the resort... but I've also been told by my husband that we won't be using it (except to check in on the kids, who are staying home with grandparents).

If you're interested in a session, go ahead and email me right away. I'll call/email you back when I return in the order that you contacted me, since I'm almost fully booked for the months of August and September.

An important message

Most of the time I get to shoot the happy moments of love, life, and relationships. But, occasionally I get called upon to create images of a different kind.

In June, the American Motorcyclist Association contacted me to shoot some images for an article in their August magazine. Many of you will remember the story recently about the motorcylist, Anita Zaffke, who was killed when a driver failed to stop at a stoplight because she was painting her nails. It was a tragic story. But, it's not just a story for Greg Zaffke, who is Anita Zaffke's son. He has to deal with the very personal and wasteful loss of his mother every day.

There's a lesson to be learned here. And, Greg has turned his grief into something productive in order to brings awareness to a problem in our multi-task focused world. He paints the nails on his right hand black as a statement and reminder of his mother. Black Nail Brigade is an organization that he's created to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, and to work for legislation that holds negligent drivers accountable.



Greg appears above with his black nails and his mother's helmet. To learn more about the organization, see the Black Nail Brigade website.

A little bit of sunshine

I'm working on editing this session, and this little cutie pie makes me smile. She has bright eyes and a smile that melts hearts. I have so many sessions to edit, but I couldn't resist taking the time to share two of the many, many, many adorable photos from this fun session.

Bad Blogger

That's me. I'll admit it and take full responsibility that I haven't posted anything for a while. It's not that there isn't good stuff to post. The truth is that there's too much to post, and just not enough time. So, I put my nose to the grindstone and try to get the editing done. Lots of sessions. Lots of great and fun sessions. Lots of really fun people. Lots of awesome images. But... not enough time to post them at the moment. So keep checking back. :)


PS. The studio will be closed from August 3rd - August 11th. And this vacation, I'm not taking my work with me. Heck. There probably won't even be internet. Is that even possible these days? Anyway, because of this, turnaround times on orders and proofs will be slightly longer than usual.

McHenry County Girls on the Run 5K -- go girls!!!!

Inspiring. Strong. Confident. Fun. Challenge. Goals. Courage. Perseverance. Character. Reward. Accomplishment. These were the words of the day for May 31st. I'm so proud of the girls who finished their participation in the program with a 5K. Even though I donated my time and talent to be there, I feel like I was given so much in return. I had chills as they started the race, and tears of joy for them as they finished. I can't wait until my daughter can be a part of this great organization.

Here are a few of my favorites from the morning. To view and order photos, go to www.monacellaphotography.com.
- Go to the website, and then the proofing page.
- Enter "GOTR1" for photos before the race, and "GOTR2" for photos during and after the race.

If you'd like to purchase prints, we're offering very special pricing and donating 20% of the event print sales back to Girls on the Run McHenry County.

How to order:
- 4x6s and 5x7s are $10 ($2 of every print sold goes back to GOTR McHenry County)
- 8x10s are $20 ($4 of every print sold goes back to GOTR McHenry County)
- Place your order via the online ordering system. The special prices will not be reflected on your order, but we'll contact you with the correct pricing.
- Orders will be accepted until Saturday, June 27th. Details on where to pick up the images will be available shortly.

Lil' Slugger

When I photograph little ones who are as cute and as happy as this little guy was, I really know that I have the best job there is. This little guy was so happy and was so fun to photograph. His dad brought this awesome glove and ball. Perfectly used, but not too grimy. His dad kept hiding the ball in the glove so little "R" would have to dig and hunt a bit to find it. Worked like a charm. We got so many great shots like this.

Sneak Peek of Miss M

Photographing Miss M was a delight. Even better than a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge. It's the best thing in the world to get to photograph such a gorgeous girl who was such a natural. Here are just a few.

Picture of Perfection

We worked so hard to get this little beauty to sleep... the little lady just wanted to be awake or held. But, finally she wore out for a little bit and we were rewarded with these precious images.

Book your summer or fall session before it's too late!

Summer Sessions are filling up, with only a handful of weekend dates available. Call now to reserve your date. 847-707-9227. There's never been a better time to focus on what matters most... your family.

Update... As of right now, August is nearly full. I only have a one or two slots left in the entire month. There are still a few of July slots. And, I'm already booking into September and October. If you want fall color (the 3rd and 4th week of October) call soon. These are highly sought after weeks.

What to wear

It's the question I'm always asked. And, while white shirts and jeans look great, it's sometimes fun to do something that's, well, a bit more fun. So, here's an idea to give you an idea of how colors and patterns can be mixed. On a side note, this is the most fun I've had in a few days. I love shopping... and here I get to "shop" for a whole family. More to come... I promise. I can see it now. Honey, REALLY, spending time on Gap.com *IS* for work!!!

Renee + Tim

I have to tell everyone that I had the BEST time. No kidding. Renee and Tim, you guys are so cute together and so fun to be around. Even though we just met, I felt like we'd been friends for years. I hope you love these as much as I do. I'm so excited about how they turned out.




Tim, here's your bridge shot. I've never heard anyone so passionate about beams and rivets... It was really interesting to hear about them and to think back to the structures classes I took in college.



This could be my new favorite location of all time. Any city people want to book a session and go here???? I could see it working for kids, seniors, and families. Renee and Tim, maybe someday we can do your family photos here. :)



We got kicked out of this spot... I wish I could have spent a little more time here, but I had to shoot this one with security looking over my shoulder.

Meet Sabrina!

Meet Sabrina - another senior rep. Cary-Grove Class of 2010. She's fun and spunky, and look at her killer green eyes! She's adventurous and we had a lot of fun at this location.

Meet Gabrielle!

Meet Gabrielle. Class of 2010, Cary-Grove. She's my first senior rep for this year. She's also a contestant for Miss Cary. She's smart, funny, fun, warm, full of energy, has the best smile. She's got my vote... that is, if I had a vote. I don't. But, I am sponsoring her... so that counts for something, right?

We went out recently for a session and got some amazing images. We had so much fun. You know you're having fun when you look at the clock and go "whoa... it's already this late?" Well, I felt that way during our shoot. I had no idea it was so late. I had to race home just to make it to my daughter's school open house. Thanks Gabby! And, I'll see you on Saturday night!





This post is "To be continued...". I can't give you a "scenes from the next" post, but I can tell you that I'll be introducing another fabulous senior rep... so stay tuned!

Class of 2009

Check out this senior from Crystal Lake South. He's graduating in just a few weeks, and then heading off to DePaul to hopefully play baseball. He would probably disagree, but I seriously think these images could be in a magazine. He's got THE look. I hope I didn't embarrass you, Tyler!

Beautiful Baby "A"

This is a special one for me because these are the kind of friends who are more like family. I waited to post some on my blog to let the birth announcements go out first, so it's not exactly a sneak peek. It's more of a show-off of this lovely little girl.

Here is beautiful baby "A", who made an appearance several weeks before her due date. Even before her mother's baby shower. I'm sure it's not the first time that she won't accommodate her parents' schedule.

Isn't she pretty???

First Communion Limited Edition

Sessions are filling up, so call today for details!!!!

New Mini Digital Sessions

I'm really thrilled to announce a new concept that I'm offering for a limited time.

New Mini Digital Collection - $375

This includes:
- a 30 minute session for up to two people
- 8-10 digital images sized for printing up to 5x7
- Wall portraits are 15% off

Only a limited number of mini digital sessions are available, and can only be scheduled during the week.

365 Project

It's time that I shoot for myself again. I spend so much time photographing my beautiful and wonderful clients, and I'm forever grateful to share my passion with my clients. And, still, I find that my camera is packed away, or somehow not accessible for the daily moments in my own life that are so sweet. So I've started a project for myself. For my family. Every day, for one year, I'll take one photo. I'll capture their goofy expressions, the silly stuff, and the quickly passing days. I will have them to look back on when I'm old and in a nursing home. My kids can pass them down for generations (um, if I print them). No, I mean, when I print them. Photos on disk are dangerous. They are just bits and bytes. Only a print is there to be valued. Okay, off that tangent... When I print them. My kids will have them to pass on to their kids. This project is about my family. It's about my kids. It's about the people who I love the most in this entire world. It's about focusing on what matters. ;)

I'm posting all of them in a folder on facebook... go ahead and "friend" me if you want to see them all. :) Here are just a few from the first week.

Oh, and the added bonus... it's sparking my creativity, forcing me to try new things, and I'm learning to shoot outside my comfort zone. All of these will make me a better and more creative photographer.

Doing a happy dance!

I go in spurts in entering contests. I forget to enter. Or, I'm too busy to enter. Or something else. And then I remember. So, in the past month, I've entered a few images, and gotten some fun recognition.

Yesterday, I received an email telling me that "A Dancer's Shoes" received 2nd place in betterphoto.com's monthly contest. There were almost 20,000 entries in all the categories, and only 10 selected for the 2nd place in the People category. It's quite an honor.



Today, "Fishy", is a Photo of the Day (POTD) in the People category at Shutterbugs.biz.

Here fishy

When I suggested we go get some goldfish, my kids thought I was talking about the crackers. Then, we arrived at the pet store. Fortunately, fish are at the front, so they didn't see the birds, hamsters, and more cute and cuddly pets. Here is a shot of our new pets. Anyone want to wager how long they'll last????

Aren't chubby babies the best?

This little guy had so many rolls and the softest skin. He's a hungry little fellow, too. He wanted to eat a few times during our session. But, you have to eat a lot if you want to be this cute. He's just adorable! And after working for quite a while to get some great images, the little guy passed out in his mom's arms. It's hard work being a little model. :) Here are two from Saturday. It was great to meet you "C" and "S". I hope you like them!

Mmmmm goooooood

I'm on a health kick. Maybe it's the fact that spring is upon us, and that means short sleeves, shorts, and, um, swim suits. So instead of firing up the grill for a good burger this weekend, we fired it up for a portabello mushroom. I brushed it with a bit of italian dressing, and topped it with a slice of provolone and roasted red pepper. With the bun grilled just a bit, it was perfect. MMmmmmm. Good.

New Background

Spring is in the air, and I'm feeling motivated, refreshed, and ultra creative! I know lots of people love the white background, but here's a fun alternative. It's a little fresh, a little traditional, very distinctive, so it's perfect. This would be awesome for high school seniors, a family session, maternity, or newborns. Depending on how I light it, I can make the swirls more subtle or dramatic.

I'll give a special gift to the first family who calls and asks to use this backdrop at their session, so call me today!

Sweet "R"

Here is sweet little "R" who is one years old. She's such a beauty!

The rest of this week

Hi everyone! Just a quick update that the studio will be closed Wednesday through Friday of this week. I'm at a photography related meeting on Wednesday, and facilitating training for Dale Carnegie on Thursday and Friday! At the latest, I will get back to you over the weekend. Thanks!!!