Sneak Peek: Cristy & Dan {engaged}!

In between rain storms we found some beautiful weather to shoot Cristy and Dan's Engagement Session.  The sun was out and we only got caught by a few random raindrops!  Venturing through Millennium Park and ending out at Adler Planetarium we were laughing throughout.  Take a look at their sneak peek!

Christine & Eric: {engaged}!

It was a sunny and beautiful evening for Christine and Eric's Lincoln Park Engagement Session.  We had fun down by the People's Gas Pavilion, the bridge over the South Pond, the wonderful Cafe Brauer Exterior and finally North Avenue Beach and Pier.  The cool breeze didn't keep us from enjoying the evening and sharing some laughs.  The two will be wed back home in Iowa next year and we want to wish them the best of luck! Congrats you two!

Sneak Peek: Luke {7 months}

It was a beautiful morning to be out with Luke and his parents, Kelly and Matt, taking pictures.  Enjoying the scenery out at Lake Katherine, Luke was taking it all in and enjoying our session.  Take a look at his sneak peek and keep an eye out for his whole session.

Sneak Peek: Christine & Eric {engaged}!

It was a cool weekend in the Chicago Area, but yesterday the sun was shining and Christine and Eric were in warm spirits for their engagement shoot.  The light was wonderful as we made our way through the South Pond area of Lincoln Park and out to North Avenue Pier.  Take a look at their sneak peek and keep an eye out for the full session!

A Spring Sunrise

As the warmer weather is upon us here in Chicago, it is a breath of relief.  I took an opportunity to get out this past Saturday morning and shoot the sunrise over Lake Michigan.  Getting up sometimes may be a pain, but once out there, the fresh air, peacefulness and the beauty is always worth it.  The lake was unusually calm on this morning.   This helped since there was a lack of clouds the forecast predicted and made for some great reflections of the colors.

Fullerton is probably one of mine as well as some of my other photographer friends place to catch sunrise in Chicago.  The weathered pier pylons make great foreground with the rocks.  As the water levels were, I was able to actually get down onto some "beach" area and take this shot which is probably my favorite from the morning.

As the sun crept over the horizon, I used a 10 stop ND filter to keep the water calm like it was before.  What a beautiful start of a new day.

A Mini Update!

So I have been a little lacking on updating lately, so I wanted to just give a quick update.  With the weather around Chicago lately and yesterday I have not been out shooting too much.  Been spending some time working on some different styles of processing as well as some composite work.  My lifestyle sessions do not hit full swing until next month so I have also been taking a break and getting ready for the full swing.  I am excited for all the upcoming weddings and engagements and have lots of new ideas and thoughts.  It should be a great season!

As far as processing, I have been working a lot with luminosity masks trying to see how I feel about those versus full digital blending and straight HDR.  I plan on a blog post either here or at Out of Chicago.com on comparing the processing methods. Here is an example of a shot done with luminosity masks:

With composites, I am a regular reader and follower of Phlearn.com, please follow them if you don't already, and the other day they had an interview with Erik Johansson who has given me some inspiration on trying out some surreal composites.  His work is so amazing, just watch the video of him creating Cut and Fold. 

So stay tuned for some new stuff and upcoming sessions!

Lyn & Kaighan: {engaged}!

An early spring chill could not keep Lyn and Kaighan from enjoying a sunny day in Chicago.  A first stop at Olive Park, a warm up a the Hilton in the Loop, and the finale along the lake front at Adler, their sessions was a joy throughout.  These two will be wed this coming fall and I cannot wait to capture their celebration along with their friends and family!!

 

 

Congratulations you two!!