Dana and Chris tied the knot on a lovely fall day. The weather was gorgeous and all of the details fell smoothly into place to make for a memorable day. A few things that caught my eye throughout the day:

Dana and her bridesmaids got ready at her parent's home. We took a few portraits of Dana before we left for the church.


The ceremony was held at St. Vincent Basilica Parish on St. Vincent college's campus. It was simply breathtaking.

One more engagement session blog post for a couple who is now married. :)

I met up with Christine and Andrew at North Park on another fantastic early fall evening. We began their session just in time for that tasty soft light that happens right before sunset. Christine initially reserved me last year to photograph their wedding, but this was my first time meeting either of them. The first thing I noticed about Christine was how beautiful her eyes are, and how she positively lights up around Andrew. These two are so comfortable and at ease around one another; the depth of their connection was evident within just a few minutes of meeting them. What a gift to spend your life with someone you can laugh so easily with. Here are a few of my faves from their session:

That delicious light. This is my favorite image of the two of them.


The three of us were chatting as we walked around the park taking photos; about books, their upcoming wedding, how they met, her pending move to Chicago. As we were getting ready to say goodbye, Christine turned to me and asked if she had ever told me why she chose me as their photographer. She had come across my website early on in their planning and loved my style, but she kept looking. She would come back to my website from time to time during her search, and every time she looked through my images, she would cry. That was how she knew she wanted me to photograph her wedding; I was the only photographer who made her cry by looking at images of complete strangers, so how much more connected would she be to images of her friends and family?

Can I just say, as a photographer, an artist, and a person, how meaningful and humbling it is to hear something like that about your work? About what is essentially an extension of yourself? It's such validation when someone else connects with your vision; with your own small way of seeing the world. I cried on the way home. Thank you, Christine, for sharing that with me. 

Here's how you know I'm busy: when my blog is silent. I'm so busy shooting, shooting, editing, shooting, answering emails, shooting some more, and then editing, that blogging falls to the very bottom of my to-do list. And it's true- I'm in the home stretch of my busiest time of year right now, which means many long days and nights editing everything I've been shooting, designing albums, revising albums, ordering and delivering albums, editing, editing, editing, meetings, physical therapy (long story), appointments, phone calls, and trying to keep on top of emails. In about a month, things will be slowing down in terms of how much I'm shooting, so I'll have a chance to catch my breath. In the meantime, another sign I'm crazy busy right now is that I'm just now blogging engagement sessions of couples who have already gotten married. Yikes!

Such is the case with Dana and Chris. We met up at Chris' former boy scout camp near Seven Springs, where Chris spent a great deal of time as an adolescent, and returned as an adult to help manage the place. It was a beautiful evening and the light was warm and perfect as we began the session. I had met Dana almost a year prior when she reserved me to photograph their wedding day, but this was my first opportunity meeting Chris. As a couple, I found them genuine, lighthearted and caring. They are both quick to laugh and share a similar sense of humor. We had a great time exploring some of the beautiful grounds of the camp as the light turned to dusk. Here are a few of my faves from the session:

Such beautiful light:

I think this one is my fave. They are so comfortable and natural together. I thought this was a great moment between them.

I loved Brooke from the first email she sent me. Although I was already booked for the year, she said she loved my work, told me a little about herself and Alfie (even attaching a photo of the two of them) and their wedding plans, and asked if I would consider photographing their wedding. After an introduction like that, how could I say no? As it happens, I'm so glad it all worked out. Not only are Brooke and Alfie (and their families) incredibly wonderful people, their wedding was spectacular. Here are some of my faves from the weekend:

The rehearsal dinner took place in an old barn on Brooke's parents' property.

Followed by smores and a bluegrass band around a bonfire.