In spite of the rain, we had a lovely day and I was very impressed by the Fei’s meticulous wedding day planning. Not all grooms are so good at details, but Fei’s earlier hard work made for a very laid back wedding. No wonder Deli was so happy and relaxed; she knew she was marrying quite the catch.

Thanks Fei and Deli for making me and my second photographer, Julia Franzosa, so welcome on your special day.

P.S. Want to see more photos? See the slideshow I made for Fei and Deli’s future celebration in China.

I had such a fun time photographing this lovely wedding. Congrats, Shevawn and Scott!

Cake: Toni’s Patisserie
Florist: The English Garden Flower Shop
Venue: Hinsdale Golf Club
Dress: San Patrick, found at Bella Bianca
Bridesmaids dresses: Dessy Collection, found at Bella Bridesmaid
Hair Stylist: Dominique from One Salon and Spa
DJ: Amanda from Toast and Jam

We initially started Revealed as a boudoir studio, capturing classy, sexy pictures of ladies in their lingerie as a gift for themselves or partner.  We loved working with our clients and seeing them walk away form the shoot with pride, joy, and excitement in their eyes.  We felt so lucky to find our niche doing something we loved and making women feel great about themselves.

The thing is, we don’t want to isolate this experience to only women in their lingerie.  We want to expand our reach to include mothers, daughters, best friends; women of every shape and size, color and background.

For the rest of April to celebrate our grand opening, we are offering hair and make-up, a personalized portrait session with either principal photographers, myself or Maggie, plus $100 print credit for only $99. Interested in booking a session today? Contact us.

Jenni and Jon, thanks for allowing me to be part of your lovely day!

Coordination – Tying the Knot 
Videography – Jason Pittman Productions
Florist - Phillips Flowers
Hair – Jenni Myers
Make-up – Rachel McQuen
Dress – Bella Bianca
DJ – Okyne Media Lab
Venue – Venuti’s Banquets

Laura sure is a gorgeous blue-eyed mama-to-be?

Did I already mention that I can’t wait to meet the new bambino? :)

For the photographers’ hibernating away from social media, there has been a major brouhaha surrounding a so-called teaching guide by a former “rockstar” wedding photographer now website pimp businessman. He used unlicensed images of Mother Theresa and preached the “spray and pray” method where you shoot EVERYTHING at a wedding and pray that something awesome will come of it. Personally, my take is that he’s a snake oil salesman and not worth the vitriol going around on twitter, facebook and online wedding forums. In fact, a paragraph is all I’m going to devote to the matter, but it got me thinking. Good photography, let alone wedding photography, is hard work.

You may pray and shoot a lot, but these actions aim for one goal: that someday you might become better and for most of us, if we were to be completely honest, pray and work hard so we may be great someday.

When meeting with some potential wedding clients, it’s often necessary to explain why they should invest more of their hard-earned money in photography than they may have originally budgeted. With cell phones taking as good as photos as some old-school wedding photography and professional cameras being sold to the masses, some clients may have a difficult time distinguishing hitting a camera button from taking a proper photo. Yes, cameras do an amazing job without you having to know what you’re doing. Hit a button and PRESTO, a scene is recorded. But I can assure you, I haven’t merely hit a button and PRESTO, I’m a wedding photographer.

I work hard. Harder than I’ve ever worked at anything in my life. It’s misleading to think that since I only picked up a digital camera for the first time in late 2005 and began my wedding business in 2008 that anyone can be a photographer. Spray and pray. Spray and pray. Bullshit. I wake up thinking about photography. I go to bed thinking about photography. I stay up nights watching online tutorials. I’ve spent more money on education and equipment than some people spend on their homes. I’m never satisfied with my work. I’m hungry to do better. I’m constantly learning.

For several years, I’ve been scared to call myself an artist. Call me a business owner. Call me a capable photographer, but artist? Um, I’m not that hoighty-toighty. But lately, I better understand what drives me. First, it’s making people happy. Second, it’s feeding the artist in me. If I’m not creating, I’m miserable. I want my work to transcend from the simple snapshot to something more akin to art.

Photography is an all-consuming passion. When a client receives my work, they’re paying more than my hundredth of a second pushing the camera button. They are paying for my artistic vision, sweat and knowledge gained from working nonstop just so I may have the honor to artistically capture their pivotal moments. It’s an honor I take very, very seriously.

Congrats Amber and Adam!

Vendors:

Florist:

Fleur
3149 West Logan Boulevard Chicago, IL 60647

Dress:
Mikaella Bridal

Make-up artist:
Traci Fine

Hair Stylist:
Holly Kasprisin

Groom’s attire:
Formally Modern Tuxedo

Always interested in hearing how artists attack the business of creating, I was fascinated to learn about Lady Gaga’s process.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

This winter I also learned that silence can be comforting when you’ve lost your way creatively. There are so many egos out there needing a pat on the back that if you get caught up with their puffery and peacock-preening ways (ah, the irony of my last name), you can become mesmerized into inaction.

To hear your own voice, quiet your chosen creative field. You don’t need to know who won the latest competition or who received that awesome grant when you’re feeling drowned out.  Your own voice is worthy of being heard. It’s time you start listening.

Who needs sleep?

February and March have been so much better than Nov-Jan. I’ve perked right up and am very busy with several projects, one of which will be “revealed” very soon…OMG so excited to share. The problem with being very busy is that I haven’t been getting as much sleep and caught a pretty nasty cold. I like to think of women as being the strong type when it comes to illness, but I’ll be honest, I’m a complete baby when my body begins to ache. No, those mewling, whiney noises aren’t coming from the dogs; they’re coming from me.

Wherein he will get his throat slit (believe me, it’s a good thing):

Now let’s talk about the more stoic, a.k.a. my stepfather.  He undergoes throat surgery in a little over a week, which will help him swallow without choking as much.  I’ll be in Dayton during that time, but will sporadically check e-mail. We’re cautiously optimistic that all will go well, but positive thoughts/prayers are appreciated.

Wherein nudity is not only encouraged, but required…for the model, not me:

In a couple weeks I’ll begin a 10-week figure sketching class. I’m so excited. I used to be a pretty good at drawing when I was younger, but I haven’t had any formal education – unless you count one quarter of high school art class. I really want to better understand anatomy and proportion. This knowledge should help my photoshopping skills when I need to rectify a less than stellar pose. Right now I just sort of wing it.

P.S.  Since I’m no longer walking like a zombie with a runny nose:

Did you watch this week’s The Walking Dead? Chills-inducing. I could not turn away. I wish I could get more into the comic book series so I could find out what happens next. Sadly, while I appreciate the artwork, I have a difficult time reading talk bubbles. Anyone else obsessed?

Emily? Not so much. She has an aversion to fake Zombie blood.

Here’s a little secret of mine: I sometimes yearn for a personal assistant to help me focus. I’m an idea/creative gal and less of a project manager type. But I’m working hard to rectify this and better understand how to stay focused and productive.

“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Cyril Northcote Parkinson

I came across this quote through Marie Forleo’s website and suddenly my inclination to work more productively during the busy photography season made more sense. I zoom through projects when they pile up in the summer while writing a simple blog post can take an eternity during the off-season.  Without deadlines, I rethink decisions a million times while during my busy time, I go with my gut. Boom bada bing, DONE!

In my quest to get more done is less time, I’m creating more deadlines in my life and what seems somewhat counterintuitive, more scheduled activities.

Check out Marie Forleo’s site for some of the tips I’m implementing in my life.

I’d love to hear your own tips. Feel free to share in the comments below.