Monaca & Ariel

This morning at 9:30 A.M., I met Ariel (Arie for short) and Monaca at their home to shoot their engagement pictures. We ended up going to Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve for the shoot. We only intended on spending an hour on pictures, but ended up taking about 2 and a half!

We started the session off by taking pictures by the waterfall Arie proposed to Monaca at. They also had their first date there, so it was a location that meant a lot to the two of them. I ended up climbing a small set of "stairs" made of rocks. It wasn't until after Arie and Monaca came back from the middle of the water fall that Arie pointed out that there was a snake off to the side of the path that I had taken. He told me that it was a water moccasin - I didn't even know we got those things up here (thought they were only found farther south)! We went to a different spot, and then I saw a great opportunity for a neat shot, so I asked them to go back to the water fall. By that time, the snake had migrated to where they were going to walk, so they decided not to chance things, and we moved on.

Arie and Monaca were extremely photogenic, fun to work with and very easy-going, which made my job a lot easier and very enjoyable. I cannot wait until their wedding on December 28th!!! :)

So to Arie and Monaca, congrats again, enjoy your pictures, and happy wedding planning!

~amy

Chicago: Hidden Phalusies (and other photos)

I went with Christoph on a photo shoot on Tuesday. We ended up wondering around Chicago to work on our respective projects - he on the homeless in Chicago, and I on an experiment in making Chicago look sexual.

We ended up having a great time - I cannot tell you how much we laughed! Oh, and I ended up with a really nasty sunburn :( Silly me forgot the sunscreen. Ah well... Enjoy :)

(Some from the 'sensual' collection):

(other non-related photographs)





[Christoph took this one while I took the above photo]


(above taken by Christoph Olesch)

Photoshop Experimentation

I've been researching styles and techniques of other photographers, and have realized that everything that I love out there has been photoshoped to death. Now, this is not to say that I condone it; however, it is to say that it creates a unique way of differentiating between artists.

I have decided to experiment with this route, though not entirely.

I know that my style will not appeal to everyone. Most people like the lighter sides of life; things that look 'pretty.' I have a different perception of beauty. I personally think that the normal things people think are pretty truly are lovely; however, I think that the things are beautiful are the ones that have a tragic characteristic about them. The things that I like to refer to the darker side of life.

Here are two of my experiments...

A Wedding With Photographer Jason Kaczorowski

I was asked by my friend, Jason Kaczorowski, to be a second photographer on a wedding. I absolutely love Jason's style, personality and knowledge in photography, so I gladly accepted his request.

We started out our day at about 9:45 am. I met Jason at his house, we loaded the gear into his car, and headed towards the bride's house in Lemont, IL. I immediately noticed the bright red door of the house. I decided that I HAD to get a picture of our bride, Jen, next to it.




And granted, this image was taken later on in the morning, so let's rewind a bit. We arrived before Jen did, so we decided to do a few of the detail shots before she got home from the stylist.






Jen finally arrived and went upstairs to get ready. I ended up showing her an easier way to get into her dress, and then took a few pictures before Jason came into the room. We both shot much of the following at the same time, but from different angles:










It was finally time to go to the church. We had already taken some outdoor shots and some family pics. The limo had arrived. Because Jason drove, and I'm much smaller than him, I rode with everyone in the limo.









It was finally time for the ceremony. Mike, the groom, stood in front, watching his lovely bride walk down the aisle with her father. Jen and her dad met Mike with a laugh because he was so much taller than Jen and her father.











The reception was lovely. Jen and Mike chose to hold it at the Marriott in Oak Brook, IL. The guest list numbered to around 300 people. They held cocktail hour outside, and then brought everything inside for the remainder of the evening. Everyone knows how receptions go, so here are the pictures to tell the rest of the day :)























Congratulations, Jen and Mike!!! :)