Chicago Children's Photographer-Marmalade Photography Blog: Peeks, Previews & Thoughts

2008-02-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

NEW BLOG ADDRESS as of mid 2007:

http://www.marmaladephotography.com/blog

Please save this for future. This blog is long closed.

Also view my portfolio at:

http://www.marmaladephotography.com

Thanks!
xoxo, Mare

2007-06-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

IT'S OFFICIAL

And there is a new Client Q&A there to boot! We have moved the blog to its' new home:

http://www.marmaladephotography.com/blog

Please bookmark this new site for further thoughts, previews and peeks!! ;)

2007-06-25T04:48:00.000-07:00

News and Shopping...

Spotted last week: CUTE CUTE CUTE diaper covers/bloomers for little ones. I am not sure if Sofia bought hers here but I loved this little bottom so much I had to Google search for a similar co. Diaper Covers by Stitches So Sweet

They sell other stuff as well, check out this cute little hooded towel with a froggie...gota love this stuff. The bulk of their offerings may be too cutesy for me but these diaper covers and towels are beyond adorable, go check 'em out! I love frogs and turtles, occasionally I wish I had a little boy to share this cool boy stuff with but alas, I live vicariously by shopping for my clients via my blog!!

Last fall, MB's twin girl showed up with an outfit by Matilda Jane. Matilda WHO? you may ask...Matilda Jane I say. They are in the midst of doing their fall line for their trunk shows and while I'm not a big fan of say, home parties, these look like fun! I love their clothes, the outfit I saw in person was well made and just really cutesy girly!! Love looking at their site and they have a pretty cool blog as well. I wish I wish that they had an online store...I can't seem to get that link to work for me...

Now for the NEWS portion: (1) The blog is going to be moving in the next few days to my own server at http:www.marmaladephotography.com/blog which is probably much easier for people to remember anyway! LOL. (2) The next client Q&A will be posted there to premiere the new blog and I *promise* you, Beth is the shopping guru and you will love her Q&A (plus she is such an awesome person, I love photographing her and her daughter, she totally gets me!!) and (3) Starting July 3 until the 24th Marmalade Photography will be taking a much needed vacation with the family. I will have spotty cell service where we're headed so I should be available SOME of the time to be reached however, I cannot promise I'll want to work during my time off!

2007-06-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

My Angels, My Pirates

There are two handsome little boys that live across the street from us, unfortunately they will be moving soon...my girls and my husband and I are so sad because they have really gotten to know each other over the course of the past year or so and those really cool playmates that you can be silly with and have fun with only come along once or twice in a lifetime. We're really going to miss these guys.

Anyway, the older boy, L, had a pirate themed party at the forest today. I was so excited and slightly envious of the early summer birthday because well, with winter bdays my girls never really will have that sort of celebration (except I think I *will* do a huge unBirthday party for them instead of the usual parties in the winter, something fun similar to that blog entry I posted awhile back). My girls had a blast picking out stuff to dress like a pirate, they wanted to look like a cross between famous Jack Sparrow (sigh, Johnny Depp) and Elizabeth (the equally hot if I played on that team, Ms. Knightley)...so a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for eye patches, bandanas, faux hoop earrings and fabric for a wrap produced this lovely ensemble when coupled with dresses I bought at Old Navy last year and some cool black boots they wore this past fall/winter from Target.

Tres chic for on the cheap girl pirate outfits. They weren't authentic or anything but they made me happy. So they did some posing with the pirate party boy and his best buds...
Too funny, look at the expression on their faces...I love the interaction. So the big point to all of this is for my clients who have had sessions at the forest. For those that don't know some of the beautiful images sessions there produce there are a number of fantastic little vignettes (for lack of a better term) that are natural, crumbling and just beautiful there. The infamous image of my daughters on the dock is from there (the first image from my childhood is...magical gallery on the flash website at www.marmaladephotography.com is the first that comes to mind). The images from this spot are gorgeous however as all the clients who have been there will attest, the water is murky (at best) and not somewhere anyone with any real sense would want to go in....

Well my oldest, my most "full of life" child was in there, with the boys today on this nasty murky cloudy 65 degreed day. She is so funny, so full of life, so spontaneous and so into having fun. The kids started riding their bikes down this huge hill into the canal and well, the rest is history. Enjoy these real images of childhood and from a day that I hope my daughters will remember as one of the last few days they get to play with some of their childhood friends T & L.

Thanks for stopping in. Oh, Jackie, I hope you had fun at the reunion and that your friends enjoyed seeing your families images. I dug up that link for girls tutus for you, go ahead and link there now, it's under the heading of TUTUS in that area re: clothing discussions for mini sessions and regular sessions. :) Hope this helps.

Also if you are in the beginning stages of planning a birthday party go to this site to check out some awesome ideas as created by other parents. I found this site a few years back when I was digging up ideas for a huge Halloween party our family threw for friends and I love the stuff they have. You do some sifting through the bleh stuff but it's a totally great site to get ideas and inspiration from.

And here is a few for the bday boys' mom for her to look at if she comes to the blog to see her darlings!! :)

2007-06-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Mini Session Sneak Peeks!

In a word, I had a blast today, more than I expected and that's saying a lot. These were incredibly fun and the families who participated will have amazing images to show for their trip to the studio. A big thanks to you for coming out and bringing your beautiful beautiful kids. I loved getting to know each of your families and explore the relationships in your lives.

So, without further adieu (and because after this it's lights out in Marmland), here are your sneak peeks:

2007-06-20T16:26:00.001-07:00

Q & A ....with Cliff

I have been brainstorming a bit this past few months about how to uniquely showcase some clients and their sessions but still make it about *them*. So I came up with the idea of the occasional Q&A session from some recent (and perhaps some not so recent) sessions. So thanks to Cliff for participating in my first run at this. Enjoy!

1. If you were stranded on a desert island with a 6 month old baby and only ONE type of product to have on hand, what would it be? (other than the "necessities" like baby wipes and diaper and formula and jarred food...hey wait! That's some desert isle there!)

CLIFF: A mommy. Babies and Daddies can’t live without them. Other than that I guess you would need lot’s of sunscreen.

2. When you go do some stuff on the weekends, what is your favorite kid related activity for you and your family? Alternately, where do you like taking the kids to blow off some kid energy?

CLIFF: I think my favorite kid activity is really just playing any sort of way my daughter wants to play. She is pretty creative and it’s fun to follow her lead. For blowing off kid steam, one of the funnest places to go is the Chicago Botanic Gardens. They have a fun “I Spy” game for kids to play as they walk around the gardens. Lot’s of walking and exploring to do there and Lily loves it.

3. What is the one "dad related" item in your house you can't live without? It can't be a person or thing...has to be an item.

CLIFF: Not sire what the difference in a thing and an item is, but I think everyone in the house would tell you that I spend way to much time with my computer! The thing I personally can’t live without is my camera. Photographs capture a moment in life. Photographs jog your memory and bring a moment back to life every time you look at them. (note: I wrote the Q's in the wee hours of the a.m., and I also have no idea what the difference is between a thing and an item either!)

4. When your wife needs a day off from the kids (which I'm sure happens from time to time), what do you feel she likes to do to blow off some steam and decompress from mom-ville?

CLIFF: Get away and be lavishly pampered from time to time. For a quick recharge, simply getting away from all of us is all it takes – even if it’s just a trip to the store!

5. What was the best Father's Day gift you got this past Sunday?

CLIFF: An afternoon nap with my daughter Lily. What could top that?
(sidenote: I really thought you were going to tell me you got a new lens!! :) I should put the buzz in your wife's ear for next year.)

6. What are your top two fave images from your session? Why?

CLIFF: I have to pick just two? One of my favorites is of Lily in her playroom. She loves playing in there and she will be able to look at that photo forever and remember how much fun she had in that space. I also really like the photo of Lily walking down the hall towards her room. It’s such a great candid photo that captures life in our home at this time. It’s a photo that I will look at forever and remember this time in this home.

2007-06-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

"S" is for So Lovely

Today's session was on the North Side with a beautiful one year old, "S". Her mom and dad welcomed me into their home for a late morning session at their home exploring with this busy one year old and then we took it to the park for a bit.

We had a good time and I loved getting to know "S" and her beautiful parents "M" and "F". I had fun, learned that bi-lingual is indeed best (my girls know a bit of Polish and I am continually reminded that they should learn more!!) and also reinforced to myself that tutus are really best in pink!! So Happy Sneak Peek enjoyment from Lady Marmalade!! LOL.

Enjoy.

2007-06-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

Thunder & Lightning & Shopping, Oh MY!

I just found this adorable site for blankets...goodness this stuff is adorable: allyzabba.com I especially love the AllyZabba Aloha print. The raised plush fabric on the flip side looks so very soft...I wonder if I could get my 5'2" body under one of these bad boys! The site is adorable and there are gift sets if you want to gift someone something unique and special.

I've become addicted to Piperlime. It really is no secret that I'm sort of a shoe (and purse and lipstick) addict and LOVE the Gap....so what could be better than a shoestore run by Gap?

I so wish that I had little ones that could fit into these little maryjanes. Aren't they adorable? I love the metallic star detail. So stinking cute!!

Who knew that Converse All Stars were making a comeback? I sure as heck didn't until my husband was on a search for a pair. It felt like 1988 prom season again as we were scurrying through the mall stores looking for these metal grommeted vintage sneaks. Back then it was so cool for the rebellious guys to eschew the tuxedo shoes with the tux and wear Chucks instead!! But looky here (again at Piperlime), Chucks are back. Yay for cool retro footwear. Yay for the passing of way ugly (er uglier) spacey looking footwear!

2007-06-17T22:02:00.001-07:00

Urban Chic - Marmalade Style

When I photographed J last year the session was mostly about her brother, to commemorate his first birthday. Of course I got a few images of this beautiful girl during the session...but not nearly enough.

Well, her mom, A, one of my funnest clients that gets "it" (a shout out to her because she loves color and texture and fun stuff) called several months ago to book a session "mostly about J." That session was tonight and I had really been looking forward to this session for the last few weeks. I had a ton of ideas and thoughts in mind. To top off my excitement, I was thrilled to pieces when A decided she wanted to try out the Urban Studio session. I'm not kidding you...as much ground as I've covered with these urban sessions...no two have even been REMOTELY the same. I am so in love with my new studio digs...if my previous Urban Studio sessions didn't show me that THIS one did.

Seriously, this session is like potato chips...I cannot stop proofing at just one. Enjoy the sneak peek and thanks for stopping in.

p.s. Altho D did not get pulled over we did get questioned by Wilmington's finest right about the time this image was taken. No arrests occured thankfully. LOL

2007-06-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

Sure We Got A Little Wet...

Twice, in fact, although the second time...let's just say I was glad to be in the vicinity of the car!

Besides the rain, take two gorgeous parents, pair them with two just •stunning• little beauties and mix in some adorable, colorful dresses and mix (you didn't need to have to add the water because it was going to be a great session nonetheless). I want to thank S & R for bringing out I & S and themselves for a fun session with Marmalade Photography.

Oh...I forgot to wish S a Happy Father's Day tomorrow. We somehow missed saying goodbye because, well, buckets of water were falling on our heads!! LOL. So Happy Father's Day...I hope the girls, all three of them, let you have some R&R and fun.

Now on with the sneak peeks. Enjoy!

2007-06-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Wow. I almost forgot it is this weekend! Yikes. Good thing that my husband is easy and loves DVDs and pop culture sort of schtuff. Easy peasy to shop for!!

However I have compiled over the course of several weeks little ideas that I thought would make great Dad's Day Gifts. Here is my short list:

• Cuff links. These cufflinks are "off the cuff!" I like them because they are just a bit quirky (like me) and on sale at Macy's. I love the hourglasses...great for reminding him that "like the sands through the hourglass, these are the Days of Our Lives". LOL

• If your husband is anything like mine, he appreciates the finer end of things. One of my husband's favorite gifts from me ever is the Coach wallet I bought him for his first Father's Day. It's a classic, it's long lasting and it makes a statement that only the best will do for the best dad ever! (and while you're at it, check out this new favorite of *mine*, I love it but it isn't practical at this point in my life! But I love scarf prints, they make me happy!)

• Holy smokes. The first time I smelled this scent I said something obscene, in mixed company no less! This scent is TDF (to die for). A must have for your man (more for you than for him), you'll thank me later.

• Is the man in your life a gourmand? A gourmet? Check out Williams-Sonoma list of Father's Day gift suggestions. There is everything from prime beef (I kid you not) to grill top pizza stones (sounds interesting). Love love love Williams Sonoma.

• Again about my DH....he's a man who loves watches. Interestingly enough his favorite brand is Fossil (they have the most fabulous repair program and he's used it a couple of times). Inexpensive, they look good and take a beating. His faves are the silver chunky chronograph types.

•Last but not least...there's always the gift of a Marmalade Photography Mini Session to throw a long lasting, loving gift of memories your man's way. You can find the details here and there are still a few afternoon session available. Keep in mind, what you give on Sunday can last his whole life, I can think of nothing better than the gift of memories!

2007-06-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

A Few Marmalade Must Buys/Must Do's for the Summer 2007

Yeah, I'm feeling chatty. I have a ton of image proofing and editing to do and as I'm sitting at the desk editing I started thinking about things and links to add to the blog that I thought would be fun. So, here you go... :)

Tonight my friend Beth (whose cuties I photographed last July) invited me to a Lia Sophia party. I am not a home party kind of gal but I saw some of Beth's jewelery pieces last week and was excited to get a good look at the home party tonite. I may just break my "no buy" rule at home parties for this one! I have recently reignited a passion for fun jewelery that doesn't really break the bank and am excited about what I'll buy!

A fellow photography buddy of mine suggested this Olympus waterproof, shock proof digital camera. Given the theme of the post beneath this, I guess this is an appropriate place to put the link. My first point and shoot digital camera was an Olympus 5050z and the optical quality that Olympus puts into their point & shoot line is bar none.

We're off to Yellowstone National Park later this summer and we'll be "roughing it" with no phones, tvs or computers. However for truly roughing it I've been contemplating getting a tent and starting a camping family tradition. I like the tips listed here at REI's website. I should probably make mention that I've never really gone camping in the traditional sense so perhaps renting a tent or borrowing one first should be my first course of action!

Anyone who knows me knows my love for the Red Bullseye ;); well here is just another reason to love Target...The Art Institute of Chicago's Target Free Evenings. General admission is free from 5-9 p.m. every Thursday during the summer season. How great is that? I love stores that give back!

Sleeping Bear Dunes is 35 miles of preserved lake front on the shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan. I have been dying to go here for several years since my friend Jen showed me the link one night during a long hospital night shift in my former life as a nurse. Here is a link with some information on this cool area. Perhaps a long weekend away for the Drenthe Family is in order. Heck, maybe THIS is the place we could camp out at!! Two birds, one stone...

2007-06-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of Two Fer Wednesday

I cannot say enough nice things about this family. I really can't. Five kids...and it is less chaotic or perhaps equally chaotic to my two kid home! How does THAT math work out?

A & T welcomed me into their home last night to do part 1 of a two part session plan I have sort of specially created for them. I enjoy working with them and their five EXTREMELY photogenic kids (they are currently highlighted on the entrance slideshow when you open up the marmaladephotography.com flash web site). We played around with flowers, with clothes, with a piano and did some swimming and posing and having fun. I have a blast with them EVERY time and I feel grateful to see that the work that we collaborated on for last fall's portraits are proudly displayed in their home. THAT, to me, is worth the price of admission.

So flowery sentiments aside, here is the sneak peeks from the Summer 07 portion of their Marmalade fun!! The first image, to me, says it ALL! LOL. It cracks me up every time I look at it. Enjoy.

2007-06-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of Two Fer Wednesday

I had the pleasure of photographing a "brand new" client and a set of clients that I have had the time of my life photographing in the past. However two sessions later I did feel like I was in my car all day (I was) thanks to the wonderful road planning by the Illinois Dept of Transportation. A word to the wise, avoid northbound I-294 from the hours of, well, almost always... The construction zone around O'Hare is, in a word, rough.

My clients however were a PLEASURE to get to know and photography. MK is a brand new baby girl, just a few weeks old. She's been having fun with "daddy watch" nights, keeping her daddy, R, up all night the night before our shoot. (On one hand HE probably was thankful for the additional naptime my O'Hare construction zone lateness resulted in!!) ((sigh)) I remember, almost all too well, those sleepless newborn nights.

MK is a doll, a sweet baby with a quiet disposition. She seemed extremely content. I also met MK's grandmother, whom I swear is the best looking and youngest grandmother EVER....and most of all, W, MK's mom...who has an enviable sense of family history. She was positively inspirtational in her decor of her home with family heirlooms. I love clients who have a tie to the past and she is truly the finest example of that.

Here are a few sneak peeks of Marmalade Photography's session with MK. Enjoy!

2007-06-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

LOVE this Birthday Party Idea

Oh to be in Southern California, enjoying the (what I assume anyway) year round beautiful weather. My girls, who have winter birthdays (December and March) would be able to have a birthday party as featured on Southern California Photographer, Jessica Claire's blog. As I was doing my weekly blog stalk I came across this beautiful party scene and was blown away by the work and detail put into this shin dig. It puts all of my really good previous martha stewart birthday party attempts to shame. It is *stunning*. If I could only host a shin dig like this for my little darlings...I'd be in heaven!!

(on a side note, can you imagine the clean up?) :)

Just had to share. Thanks for stopping in.

2007-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Big Brother, L'il Sister

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I ever
saw such a doting sweet sibling relationship!! I mean, I have seen plenty of fun, wonderful and poignant sibling interaction but the way N acted with S during tonight's session was nothing short of touching! It moved me so much that I am having a devil of a time stopping from proofing to many at once!!

Thanks to their mom, S, who brought them out for a Marmalade Location session in the forest this evening. I had a wonderful time getting to know you and the children, hanging out at one of my most favorite places in the entire world and just enjoying a wonderful June afternoon in Illinois. A bit of insider information, S and her family are recent transplants (for lack of a better word) from Florida and sound like they are enjoying their newfound home and just enjoying the seasons here in the Midwest.

So S and family, enjoy your image previews. I promise promise promise that there is so much more!!! Let me know what you think!

BTW, I receive the BEST client emails from the BEST clients. I want to thank all of my clients and those who read my blog regularly for all the wonderful, kind and heartfelt words towards my work. It makes me feel giddy that my passion touches other people's hearts so deeply.

Oh and S, the MILKMAN is actually Oberweis Dairy. We love their milk delivery service and to boot one of my clients works for them. Of course I'm going to give their milk delivery service a shout out. Click on the Oberweis link to go directly to their site for home delivery or go here to see the general info about their site.

Gotta love the Marmalade Blog for the diverse amount of information to be found! :)

2007-06-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Just some musings...

Today, Monday, will be the start of a long stretch of a week (or two or three!) for me. I want to put it out that the Studio and Office will be closed July 3 and 4 for the Independence Day Holiday as well as starting July 6 until July 25. We, as a family, are going on a much anticipated road trip. This self described "Nature Girl" is eager to see the beauty and splendor in for our family trip to Yellowstone, it's been a good nine months in the making. I realize, with the full mid to early July session booked schedule that I may forget to make this little announcement. Old Faithful, we'll be heading on over soon enough.

There are still a scattering of June 22 mini session afternoon slots available. Please view the link in the sidebar to be directed to the details. For those who have booked, I am still in process of creating a mini pamphlet (for the mini sessions! How appropos!) and get it sent out later this week. I was hoping to do one big send out and get it completed in that manner.

Saturday was the big recital for my daughters dance school at the famed Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.

And these last couple because I am so in love with them and they *are* sort of dance related...I promised someone I'd post these and frankly, in the coming weeks I am probably not going to see much of my darlings with the kick off of summer activities, session activities and other commitments. Currently I'm contemplating offering a true true urban session type to add to the Marm Locations (no nature stuff for you non nature lovers (GASP! Yes, there are people that aren't nature types! Who knew? :) ). These were taken in a spot where there is plenty more urban architecture and funky aesthetic to be had...I'm dwelling on that thought. I also promised one of my clients for late June that I would post these for her contemplation on the Urban Session vs. Nature-y Session types. Ok, "C", I hope this is enough variety of one wall (LOL) to allow you to make the decision and I apologize for not having done so earlier Sunday as I told you I would. (please also scroll down to see the other session type offered that is a mixed nature-urban type)

One last thought, I have some family members travelling to Europe later today and I want to wish them a happy & safe trip to the Motherland.

2007-06-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

Site is down

By all fault of my own, the Marmalade Photography site is temporarily down for (hopefully) no more than 24 hours. Let's just say it's a mix up of email addresses changing and way too much information to keep track of at this time. :) Eh, even web sites need a day off once in awhile. Check back on us later, I'm sure we'll be back up soon. Thanks for checking in.

2007-06-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the life of a photographers' child...

To be taken to exotic locales to be scoped out for potential Marmalade Location future shoots. To have new equipment tested out on you and to have the oh-so-glamorous job of being the daughter of a photographer. Of course they are always so very cooperative. LOL.

Last week at our session with Brianna my daughters were in their typical half cooperative, half ooooh! shiny object!! distraction mode (as they typically are) and she & I had a long discussion on the life of a photographers' child. I thought of that discussion yesterday as I was attempting to photograph a trial of my newest location (I posted about it in the Winter/Spring newsletter and am finally just getting around to experimenting a bit there). This location really does have it all! REALLY urban, nature, flowers, tall grasses, stone walls, brick walls, ruins, funky graffiti across the way. It's industrial going back to nature and as anyone who knows me knows...it's my favorite type of setting. A mix of contrasts. And I love the testament that nature eventually DOES take back over. This spot is truly a testimony to that theory. It's truly perfect...I am so so in love. Now my goal is just to get a few cooperative subjects to hang out and be photographed there--my ultimate dream.

My most favorite part of all of these shots is that most of them consist of their eyes shielded from the camera. I kept thinking about the stories they'll tell to the psychiatrist of their mother's camera torture on these little jaunts with me!! A little psychological scarring never hurt anyone! ;)

2007-06-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Wow. Just Wow.

There are some sessions that just make me happy creatively. This is partly why I enjoy going to location shoots, I simply just never know what I'll find. Today's session, well, it was just one of those fun sort of sessions where I felt inspired at every turn. I can't stop proofing images even though I should as I have other stuff to attend to. I feel so lucky as I am having a run of fabulous fun subjects to photograph!!

Today's session made me feel truly blessed to do what I do. I had a blast getting to know J & J and their kids M & C. What a great time, what a great spot to photograph. I had so much fun.

So without further adieu, here is a sneak peek for M & C's session with Marmalade Photography. I'd like to thank J & J once again for allowing me into their lives for this brief span of time to tell part of their story.

2007-05-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Practicing What I Preach

Last summer as I was in the midst of photographing the many families and children who have entrusted me with their memories over the course of time I got busy and started thinking about booking a photographer. For us, my family. My girls are not getting smaller, they are at a totally fun stage (5 & 7 years old) and while I have a MILLION images of the kids, I really don't have any of us as a family other than the hastily snapped "self timer" images that I have taken over the years (often time with my husband with a disgruntled look because quite frankly, on the beaches of Destin, watching me run back and forth while trying to balance my camera precariously upon the sand, run and snap the image in enough time to make it with a smile upon my face and with my children looking appropriate, well, not so good! LOL).

So, back in August last year(how's that for thinking in advance) I booked a family session for us with the fabulous Brianna Graham. Tomorrow is the big day and I am so nervous/excited/worried. How about if we aren't photogenic (just because I photograph doesn't mean I "photograph")? How about if the height difference between my DH and I is too great and we look lopsided (he's 6'2" and I'm 5'2")? How about if all those fabulous outfits aren't so fabulous (I am wearing something exquisite, something casual and bringing a whole bunch of other stuff)? How about if....

Oh now I HAVE to stop. I am sure my clients feel so much the same way and in many ways my going through a similar experience will help me be more empathetic towards my clients and their presession worries. Although I should add that I booked that far in advance in hopes that I'd lose a few...pounds that is. (I try to make this whole experience as stress free as possible but this is truly eye opening in terms of feeling my clients presession pain.) Guess what? My kids'll still love the images and cherish these images, so will we and that's the point. Not that *I* look great, nope, I want these images for me to remember us by. And I know that God knows what can happen tomorrow or the next and we aren't getting younger or better looking!! And even if I weigh a bit more than I'd like and I have a few more wrinkles than yesterday, well it's about capturing the moment here & now, not about being model thin nor Angelina Jolie poreless in the images.

So please check out Brianna Graham's work if you are so inclined her work is amazing and I truly am very excited.

And yeah, for our next beach vacation I already have my photographer picked out...so hopefully my DH looks much less disgruntled in future family beach pictures!!

2007-05-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Mini Session Availability

There is still some afternoon availability for our Limited Edition Mini Sessions, detailed here. Mini session date is June 22, a Friday and it is truly a wonderful way of diving into the Marmalade Photography experience. If you have dreamt and coveted a Marmalade Session but do not want to go the full session route the Limited Edition Session is truly an opportunity you DO NOT want to miss.
Clothing Choices

I will be sending out online packets of information for clients who book starting early to late next week. So be on the look out. However here are some fantastic ideas for you if you aren't sure what your child should wear. All these are courtesy of past clients who have thought "outside the box".

Tutus and other dress up fare are always a splendid way to have fun during your Marmalade Photography session. Dress up clothes, crowns, fairy wings, magic wands are all welcome!

The tutu that my friend Sophia (left) is wearing is from Prissy Poofs. Other tutu styles that I love are the petticoat tutus, some online vendors that sell these fantastic tutu styles are: Kaiya Eve and Sugar Baby. Sugar Baby also makes a cool little Rose Petal Tutu that is quite cute too! My friend, Michelle Walker who owns Little Girls Are Made Of, makes great tutus as well.

Alec (right) is wearing some cool cowboy gear that his mom had lying around the house. Sometimes we neglect to think that boys like to dress up too, and do they ever!! Many of my clients love the creativity that my work inspires, they go out of their way to truly showcase their child's personality.

Alec's session with his sister and brother was fantastic in terms of creativity. Their mom (a truly artsy type) got my style and brought armloads and armloads of clothing to our session as well as meaningful vintage items. The time it takes for a mini session is short so obviously there won't be tons of clothing changes, however you should think a little outside the box in terms of creativity so that we can partner up to create fun, whimsical images that showcase your child's personality. That is something we can definitely tackle in a short time span. So if your child has a real 'personality' I would love to see it showcased in our fun time together.

"Bare feet always welcome", no joke. My session with little Madeline and her sister last week really showcased the fun of contrasts. Dress up clothing mixed in with a bit of rustic style. You can scroll down to see some images from their session in the forest in the next post or two.

HATS!!! Love them.

Again to my session with Madeline as mentioned above...she wore this brown straw cowboy hat (left) from Gymboree at our session together, if you do a quick search for hats on the Gymboree site you'll come up with no less than half a dozen adorable sun hat styles!

This shot (right) was quickly snapped at one of my most sought after locales, the Garden. The beautiful red jumper and white peter pan collared blouse are by Ralph Lauren, the outfit was even more spectacular when the three sisters in matching outfits played ring around the rosy in the wide open field behind the Garden. This hat isn't an instant favorite until paired with the delicate nature of the outfit and it looks right at home in the midst of the Garden filled with lavendar, salvia and heather. Just looking at this image takes me back to that moment and the sweet smell in the humid evening in July air. Great places to purchase knit hats can be found at Etsy where there are TONS of crafty items for sale (once you go there you just can't stop looking). The Red Balloon Co. sells adorable knit hats by Lafolie (check out their site for beautiful items galore) that are, in a word, GORGEOUS. My pals Annabel and Julia shop at The Red Balloon Co. and every time I see them for a session I am blown away by the cuteness factor in their outfits!!

So it's really all about texture, color, style and fun. Tattered blue jeans, frilly skirts, cotton prairie skirts, capes, play swords, balloons...all are welcome.

You are not like everyone else, don't you want the images and memories of your family and children's childhood to reflect your fun unique style?

2007-05-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Back to the Forest!

Admittedly, by the end of the Fall 2006 season I was forest burned out. Considering I did a high number of sessions there in a small amount of time, I guess I was entitled to being a *bit* sick of it.

However, tonite's session rejuvenated my love for one of my favorite of all locations! Goodness, little M & L were china doll beautiful. Just absolutely stunning little girls...and the best part? Their mom totally was excited about their session (which I love) and *got* what I was saying about bringing pieces of their lives and things with meaning to our session together.

I can't say enought nice things about M & L's parents...and I promise PROMISE that you will be absolutely TAKEN with the images from this session. They are stunning. :)

Enjoy the blog preview images from Miss M & her l'il sis' Miss L's Marmalade Session. See these colors? THIS is why I LOVE May!!

2007-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Spring 2007 Newsletter and Some Other Stuff...

First off, my apologies to anyone who may have received more than one copy of the newsletter in their inbox, I am trying to streamline the process by which I do business and part of that streamlining is utilizing a very complicated program to manage the business. This program allows me to send emails to my clients and the click of a button, HOWEVER, it resulted in some of my clients receiving a few copies of that email. I am SO sorry for spamming y'all. TOTALLY not my intention.

Secondly, the Limited Edition Sessions are filling up...please scroll down for more information, everything you might want to know is in found two posts down from this post. :)

Third, my apologies to both Joe & Lori for whatever reason all the images did not show up in their preview of their wedding and I feel horrid. I had been DOWN with some nasty virus this past few days since the weekend and we also had a bit of family drama on Sunday. That being said...I am going to repost because I suspect Lori is chomping at the bit to see MORE!! ;) And I don't blame her...Lori in a few days time I promise you'll have more to sneak peek!!

:) Lori, I hope this helps!

2007-05-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Family

I know, I know, I say that about everyone and I really DO mean it. I'm one of those people that is hard pressed to NOT find something beautiful in each & every person I meet (seriously...people don't become ugly or not attractive to me until they do something to disprove that they are not beautiful on the inside). I had so much fun getting to know little A and her parents and want to give them a big thanks for coming out to play with me at the waterfall today.

Oh my goodness! The waterfall! One of my fave locations is kicked into gear again for sessions...as always the session was spectacular there. So much incredible light, incredible scenery, beautiful family. I couldn't be a luckier girl today!

So without any further adieu....little A and her parents. Her parents are smart cookies......this session was a give for one another. A combination Mother's Day/Father's Day gift. I just read a quote today at the Dept of Agriculture Visitor's Center at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, not a direct quote per se, but essentially: There is nothing more priceless in this world than giving the gift of the present time for the future. This I know is a real truth.

I hope you all enjoy these preview images from A's May 2007 Family Session with Marmalade.

Please don't forget to check out our Limited Edition Mini Sessions for June 22. Click on the image below to find out more or just scroll down to the next post. :)

2007-05-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

The LIMITED EDITION Marmalade Mini Sessions @ The Studio
We are proud to announce our limited edition, ONE day mini session event. It will be held on Friday, June 22. Only a few spots are available for booking for this extraordinary event so call 815.603.8450 to schedule. Sessions will start at 10 a.m. and continue to 4 p.m. on the half hour.

What is a mini session, you may ask? A mini session is essentially time with Marianne in front of the camera for a miniaturized version of our typical portrait art experience. Our typical sessions last upwards of one and a half to two hours...the mini sessions allow for 15-20 minutes being photographed, enough time for one (maximum two) children to be photographed.

Is there going to be a theme, like I see at some other portrait studios? We are conducting this first mini session experience to premier our new lovely purple sofa in studio. We will then take a few minutes outdoors in and around the historic downtown Wilmington area and photograph your child amongst the urban beauty that is so apparent in this 1800ish little town. A little bit of indoor shots and some outdoor shots.

How long will the mini photography session last? This limited edition portrait session will be completed at our Wilmington studio and will last 15-20 minutes. Enough time after your mini session for a day of exploration in our area filled with conservation land and antiquing for you and your family. In studio we will be providing a list of things to do/things to explore while in the area. There is fishing, hiking, exploration of thousands and thousands of acres of conservation lands including the Midewein Tallgrass Prairie and DesPlaines River Wildlife Recreation Area, exploring historic Route 66 (and the big astronaut located at the Launching Pad restaurant, a total hit with boys (but my girls love him too)), antiquing....truly there is so much to do in and around the area of our studio. If you like small towns, you'll love the experience. If you love nature, you'll go crazy over the options for exploration.

What can I expect? At time of booking, when you reserve your session you are required to pay the mini portrait session fee to hold your spot. We ask you arrive 10 minutes before your session time in order to get prepped/ready for your mini session. 15-20 minutes with the photographer getting a TASTE of the Marmalade Photography experience, you are free to go and explore the rest of the historic area that our studio is amongst.

Afterwards, you will be presented with up to 10 images from your session in a convenient online format within a 2 week time frame. At that time you may select your images from the three collections presented and any additional purchases. We are presenting a limited edition selection of a la carte items that may be purchased at the time of ordering alongside your collection that you receive with your mini session.

Each mini session is being offered at $295 which includes your time with the photographer and a selection of three collections. We also are offering a limited edition session a la carte list of options to allow for add on's to your portrait selections. This is a limited offer so please keep this in mind if you are contemplating a booking. Our normal session fees for the typical Marmalade Photography sessions are $175 or $295 if it's an on location (your location) shoot, so even without doing the math you can see that a mini session is a spectacular way to get really great updated photographs of your children.

I have three, four, five children, how do I go about having them photographed? In the amount of time allotted it is near impossible to get that many children photographed in a manner that we feel lives up to the standard that we strive for. If you would like to book 2-consecutive mini sessions we welcome that and feel that perhaps you should also consider booking a Marmalade Session (either Urban Studio or Marmalade Location or On Location) to achieve the best results for your larger family.

Call & Book Today. Availability is limited and this may be the only chance you get to experience Marmalade Photography custom, fine art photography services in a Limited Edition session experience!

PREPARING FOR THE SHOOT - TIPS

What to wear?

We love texture! We love dress up clothes! We love kids being kids. With that in mind, if you want to bring along a dress up outfit for a few shots during this fleeting time of "make believe" in your child's life we'd LOVE it. Solid colors are always a safe choice..but because the session is all about your child we typically shy away from patterns that take away from your child's beauty. It's not a bad idea to choose clothing that is classic in style as it tends to create a more timeless look, especially in black & white. Textured fabrics photograph beautifully. Cashmere and other thicker knits have a luxurious warm and soft qualities. For the classic relaxed look, denim is a great choice and photographs remarkably well.

If the photograph includes more than one individual, remember to coordinate clothing so that everyone is dressed in a similar style and choose clothing that is similar in tone and not in contrast to one another.

Portrait Collections: ALL our image art comes to you sprayed & mounted (an archival and heirloom presentation that is several notches above others) You can mix & match poses for your selection unless detailed otherwise:

a) 1-11x14 & 2-8x10 or smaller from your session
b) 1-16x20 & 8 wallets
c) 3-8x10s (mixed poses) & 1-5x7 & 8 wallets (same pose for wallets as one of the larger prints)

a la carte options will include the availability to purchase a 10x20 storyboard at our regular prices, image art purchases to 20x30 sizing and limited availability of some of our more custom gallery wrap pieces (available for viewing at the studio the day of your session).

2007-05-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

It Feels Sorta Official...

Still some stuff to do inside but the outside of the studio is almost officially put together (I say almost because I want to paint that front door area a coordinating creamy off white color and get rid of what has been termed as "ghastly" greenish blue). My signage is up...etched glass looking. Love it...A&J Signs put it up for me yesterday (if you have a signage need contact Adam, he does all sorts of cool custom work and worked with me while I was trying to resize and configure my own design: 815.476.0128). I am beyond happy with how it turned out, especially considering the design was, um, a bit intricate!

A big thanks to Adam for putting up with my 1,001 questions regarding submission of the file and being so patient with me.

When you look at the images, please ignore the blue painter's tape, I am still painting trim work. The work never seems to end! ;)

Isn't it beautiful??

2007-05-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

JOE & LODI...sitting in a tree...

Saturday was a beautiful day for a wedding! The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky. The light in the church was magnificent to say the least. The bride, in a word, looked STUNNING, the groom handsome and the wedding party was divine.

The ceremony went well, the reception was a blast (hope you feel better Lori) and, dare I say all the plans went off without a hitch. The best part? Lodi...cool, calm, collect the entire time. Now that is a dream of a bride to work with.

Enjoy your sneak peek from Saturday! And a Happy Belated Mother's Day to all you moms out there. :)

xoxo

2007-05-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

PSSSSST....it's not too late!!

Mother's Day is this Sunday. That's a newsflash for all the late shoppers out there. However it still isn't too late to purchase a gift certificate to receive in time for Mother's Day for that special someone. We have a fantastic virtual gift presentation for that someone special (to follow up with the real thing early next week).

Ladies: If you think that the man in your life might be a little lax in his Mother's Day giftage ;) then put the buzz in his ear to call us at Marmalade Photography, 815.603.8450. We have made available for purchase "virtual" gift certificates for that special woman in their lives. Gift certificates start at $175 (towards the session fee), a gift of memories with a session from Marmalade Photography is the *best* gift of all. We promise!!

2007-05-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

BOOKING & BOOKING MORE

Summer session bookings have exploded. I apologize if I owe you a phone call or email, I may have not gotten to it. I think the word got out about the fabulous Marmalade Urban Studio sessions (I'm not kidding, the two families that have been lucky enough to help me premiere them...the sessions are drop.dead.gorgeous. A few photography friends of mine saw a few that I haven't sneak peeked yet and are THRILLED, these sessions are totally rocking my world and have gotten commented on like you wouldn't believe...in a word these are as fun as the Marmalade Location sessions but a little more Urban than Nature! If you haven't seen any of the sneak peeks for the public, please scroll down a little further to get a glimpse!)

So life is busy busy busy. The big wedding is this weekend, Saturday to be exact. A big congrats to Lodi & Joe who will be all official in starting their new life together. I am so happy, young love...in the spring...ahhhhh...

Keep in mind that June still has some availability and I am currently booking into September which kicks off the busy Fall season. If you are thinking, even contemplating a session with Marmalade Photography for the summer, now is the time to call and book: 815.603.8450 before you miss out on availability.

Julia, last July, image session celebrating her first birthday. I'm thinking by now she should be a BIG SISTER (either that or her poor mom is having the longest pregnancy ever....) ;)

2007-05-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

TRIPLETS!

Yesterday was a second Marmalade "Studio" Session (which I think I'll be renaming to Marmalade Urban Studio because I'm finding "studio" as a word has traditional conotations associated with it and, well, I'm not so about the traditional, am I? LOL). I had the privilege of photographing five year old and fun, happy, sassy, funny, silly, goofy, smart, friendly triplets who kept me on my toes and allowed me to have a BLAST with them! A big thanks to J, Z, and L's parents who allowed me to create and have fun and were pretty fun, happy, sassy, funny, silly, goofy, smart & friendly themselves!! :)

Here's the sneak peeks from their session. Enjoy!!

2007-05-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

INAUGRAL Marmalade Urban Studio SESSION

I've said it before, I'll say it again. My clients are the best clients in the whole entire universe. Today, I christened my new studio with a session that took the cake on creativity and fun. Meet E&S, two sassy sweet fun happy outgoing little creatures that truly stole my heart.

Their mom, Julie, brought along these fantastic outfits, vintage clothing from long ago, accessories galore and tradition Vietnamese "ao dai" clothing (Julie, seriously, correct me on that spelling or if I remembered incorrectly!). The girls are stunning and we had a blast exploring the in's and out's of my studio surroundings.

So meet E&S, two supersweet sisters who stole my heart today.

Thanks so much to their mom for bringing them out and for having bid on the auction that got them there in the first place. For that matter I also need to shout out to another one of my clients, Beth, who arranged the auction altogether. Beth...if you read this, I swear I'll be calling you soon, life has gotten insane this last few weeks!!

2007-04-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to the Herald News & Dawn Aulet

I was happy to find out the article written regarding my studio opening ran yesterday in the Suburban Chicago paper, the Joliet Herald News. I was fortunate enough to have the three images that I chose to run alongside also appear in the article. One of them, JJ, was a winner for the contest I had several months back. Two others were some of my fave girl shots of all time....E & B...so cute with their slightly curly hair. B's shot was at one of my most treasured Marmalade Locales and E's shot was in her room in beautifully historic Oak Park.

Again, thank you to the Herald News for allowing my business to be highlighted in Sunday, April 29's edition of the paper and thanks to Dawn who not only is a fabulous reporter but a fantastic person. I enjoyed getting to know her and talking local history with her.

2007-04-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Lodi Is Getting Hitched!

Lodi is the little sister I never had. I have been very good friends with her older sister (saying "best friend" makes me feel like I'm in 4th grade...but...) and I've watched Lodi grow up, pretty much, a few years behind her sister and I.

Today...the engagement session. I was so excited to be photographing them at Joe's family farm, rolling meadows and the canal are highlights of the property not to mention these fantastic gnarly trees, all making for some pretty exciting landscape.

So thanks to Joe & Lodi for allowing me to not only photograph them today but also for allowing me to capture their big day (NEXT month!!!). I am so happy for them, they are one fantastic couple and I'm sure their lives together will be filled with Captain Morgan's Rum, pool parties and party pizzas loaded with extra mozzerella.

ENJOY!!

2007-04-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Ole Friend II

A few months ago, early fall of '06 actually, one of my favorite locations, the Original™ ;) Marmalade Location met its' maker when it was grazed over the great beauty of subdivision suburbia. Alas, a second location has recently bit the dust, my Retro Park location used for a number of '06 sessions is currently in renovation mode. Gone is the metallic slide, the "push" merry go round (good luck finding one of these gems in today's kid safe parks!), the gigantic tires sunk into the ground. Another rubberized, fiberglassed, plastic park is coming very soon to this area.

I hate goodbyes, especially when the American way is to graze things over. The relic of a park that this was had been a testimony to my own childhood. Push merry go rounds, metallic slides, all are disappearing at a fast pace. Wonder if these are items that we'll soon find in an antique store near you.

So, goodbye old friend. Thankfully if you still want a "retro park" location for your next Marmalade Location session, I still have a couple on hand that'll do the trick.

Enjoy a small selection of images from sessions at the old retro park location from the '06 season. Thanks for stopping by.

2007-04-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

TWOFERONE!

Yesterday was a fun day for me. I got to revisit one of my most fave clients (last time I photographed N was when he was just a wee baby...he just celebrated a birthday and WOW! He has grown to be such a big boy!) And I also was fortunate enough to shoot some of N's friends, little L and her brother J. Thanks to N's family for purchasing the gift of memories for L&J's parents, there is no greater compliment for me than referrals from my clients.

I had a blast capturing beautiful imagery for the families and I want to thank them for welcoming me into their lives and their homes. Enjoy!!

#1 Session:

#2 Session:

2007-04-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Dance Recital Time Again

My last post has me down. I can't keep focusing on feeling sad. :(

Today was recital picture day for my girls for dance class. This is the fourth year for my oldest and second year for my youngest. By far my favoritest of dance recital costumes is this year. They are too sweet for words!

Here, premiering a few of what I will be considering part of the Marmalade Studio line up (locations around the vicinity of my studio) are a few images from today. I, of course, ALWAYS order the standard professional pictures taken at the studio but I *always* take them and do some of my own schtick on these. I love the emotion and the Las Vegas sort of glitter and glam in direct contrast to my usual shooting style. So fun!

Thanks for looking. My dad is doing pretty decent by the way, I don't know if he'll fully recover from this episode, I went over there tonite and he seemed awfully drained and unlike his usual self. ((sigh))

2007-04-13T07:17:00.001-07:00

I apologize to the clients whose phone calls I need to return--my dad was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon and life has just spun out of control this last several days. Between hospital visits, caring for their home while both my parents stay at the hospital (my mom refuses to leave his side), going to the studio to help my husband with the work that needs to be done, the general life stuff, etc., I feel like I'm slightly overwhelmed and I am sort of feeling lost.

That, coupled with my continued insistence on listening to the very introspective about life music I've been listening to in the cd changer in my car (The Killers, Sam's Town), I've honestly gotten introspective about the passage of time as well. My dad turned 86 years old this February and it's been a hard time for me to see the changes take over. He was so strong and vibrant up until about two years ago when he suffered a clot in his leg. He's still strong (unbelievably active for his age) but he is becoming a bit of a shadow of his former self. Daily, looking at him when I see my parents for visits or if they come over to my home to see my girls, I see the changes take over. The slowing down. You'd think I'd be used to it that it would be happening gradually but it feels like I am being continually slapped inthe face with the old age changes.

So, yes, introspective. I'd say that is an adequate term. That and the realization that what I create and do for families is far more priceless than I ever imagined. I always *knew* that but I am really truly loving those few photos I have of my dad and I when he was a much more vibrant 50ish man while I was growing up, helping me iceskate...the memories pour down like rain. It's hard to see the ones you love grow older. Poignant, maybe a bit bitter sweet.

Check out The Killers album if you like good rock music that has actual lyrics with meaning and no talk of bling and ho's. LOL

Here's a couple of images from February with my parents:

If I owe you a call, I promise I'll call either later today or tomorrow. Thanks for reading this and allowing me to have a sort of personal catharsis here.

2007-04-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Progress
Alternate title to this post: HOW TO ENSURE YOU HAVE DRYWALL DUST IN YOUR LUNGS FOREVERMORE

By my 2nd title I know you can totally tell my job is sanding the drywall.

Being the DIY types (sorta), my dear husband Duane and I have done not only the drywall hanging portion of the studio endeavor but also are doing the mudding and sanding along with painting. I know, I know, it's temporary insanity but I do find that I am getting my arms back in shape from sanding AND it's sort of a Zen quality to sit there and immerse myself in some manual labor.

Here are a few images of progress taken a couple of days ago. I assure you that it still looks the same on coat 2 of the mudding process. Who knew drywall mudding & sanding is a (cumbersome, boring, repetitive, bleh) three step process? Not I...well not until very recently.

Enjoy!

There are several very fun things about this. I get to do my most favoritest thing shopping wise to do in the world, I get to furniture shop!! I ordered my most fabulous sofa several days ago and am awaiting shipment, I plan on having some pieces for the new fabulous viewing room reupholstered and I get to decorate!! I haven't fully allowed myself to get into it 100% because I'd go overboard but I cannot wait until this is all done and I get to see my final plans take hold. I think all of you will be very very excited once I get to unveil the awesome studio digs.

And yes, that's a new variation on my logo you see. I created that back in December or so when I was working on the new site but wanted to step into it from the old rectangles slowly. It's finally making it's debut!!

2007-04-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's Coming Along

Thankfully April is still a little light as far as sessions go (and I'm keeping it that way, SO much work to do in my new studio space)...we have our first coat of mudding on the drywall already. The walls are all built up. It's starting to look like something!! I'm so excited and my clients that are booked for mid May, June and July who are doing either Marmalade Studio sessions or Marmalade Location sessions seem just as excited as I am!

On that note, May has only 3 sessions left for booking. June is filling up fast, there is, however, still a handful of session dates available. July is *almost* booked (I have a client calling back this week to book that last day but it's not set in stone so if you are interested in a July date, please call this week). My schedule has filled faster this late spring-early summer season and I thank all my clients who have been referring me to their friends and family. In truth, that is the highest compliment that anyone could pay me, referring Marmalade Photography to your friends and loved ones.

I think my studio will add further to the experience of a portrait session with Marmalde Photography and am so excited about the future and what it holds. I have big plans so everyone hold on and come along for the ride!! ;)

These images are from last weekend, I haven't gotten any images up from the drywall portion of the "build". Didn't the floors turn out fantastic? My landlord did a fantastic job considering the subfloor beneath was so not level...

2007-03-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

News and Other Stuff

I have been a bit MIA, I got smacked down with this nasty flu virus and am finally feeling somewhat human this a.m.. What better way to celebrate than with a blog entry? LOL

#1: If you were a guest at the event that is pictured above, feel free to access the mini preview slideshow here. The password is the last name of the host family for the Six Year Old Birthday bash held on March 10 (case sensitive with the first letter of the last name being capitalized). Please access the Marmalade Photography Slideshows site by going here and clicking on Clients' Slideshow Access. I'll also have up a photo shopping cart for purchase of any photos from this event, that cart access will be placed up as soon as I finish editing the rest of the images I want to put up there. I think you will be thrilled with how these event images turned out!

#2: I am proud to make the official announcement that I will be moving to a "studio" location later this spring. The date is to be announced once we get access to the inside and determine how long putting up the back walls is going to take.

The space is fantastic and puts me in the smack dab middle of a ton of my Marmalade Locations. It is located off historic Route 66 in the Des Plaines River Wildlife & Conservation Corridor. I feel extremely lucky as part of a run for the Kankakee River runs behind the studio and I will be able to fully utilize the charm and history of the little 1830ish downtown area I am located in.

Here are a few images of the studio in progress. The floors are finished and now the landlord is in the midst or remodeling the old bathroom for me. Once we get in we will be constructing some walls at the back for a viewing room, my official office, a dressing room, a props room and toy room for the kids.

Thanks to all my past, present and future clients who have been here with me along the way and being part of and sharing my dream with me. This is a big step and I am so excited to be able to do this a full year ahead of my own schedule for doing this.

And last a few images from right outside my studio door. Studio sessions will not be your grandma's studio sessions by any means, I will continue to utilize mostly natural light and be able to do some outside shots as well. Marmalade Location Sessions and On Location Sessions will continue to be available as well. Look for more news and images of the new space in the near future.

2007-03-15T08:50:00.001-07:00

Max's Newborn Session

I had the pleasure of visiting with K & J a few days ago for their 2nd Baby Plan session. Meet Max, he is one lucky little guy to have wonderful parents like K&J and he is truly one little doll!

Welcome to the world, little Max. I hope your life brings you millions of opportunites, good times and lots of love.

My apologies to K&J who were told the preview would be up yesterday. I got sidetracked (oh the journey!) finishing up the new front page to my Chicago Children's Photography website and I have a tendency to have a one track mind. ;)

Stay tuned for more clues on the spot listed two posts ago...there's some fantastic news in the works for Marmalade Photography.

(it's fixed now, K...I don't know WHAT happened with the first image the first time around!)

2007-03-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Sixth Birthday!!

To a fantastic little guy who had, what had to be, one of the most fabulous 6th birthday parties ever. Because I firmly believe that images speak louder than words, I think I'll let the images speak for themselves. Pay special attention though because some of these images speak in integers of 54 and 98!! ;)

A special thanks to Heather for allowing me to be part of this fabulous event and to the birthday guys' mom and dad, E & C who know how to put on one heck of a party! Thanks once again for allowing me to capture this fantastic day in your lives. Enjoy.

2007-03-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

What do these spots have in common:

August of 2006

March 7, 2007
(please ignore the McDonald's Happy Meal bag she is clutching...) :)

Stay tuned to find out....

(you didn't really think I'd tell you, did you?)

2007-02-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

Annie @ Three Months

Today I had the pleasure of photographing, for the second time, Miss Annie. My how she has grown since late November! It was a pleasure to photograph her and her beautiful parents today, the view of the downtown area was fantastic from their loft and the sun was hanging out perfectly on this wintery Chicago day.

This was my second session with Annie and she is truly just a treasure to photograph! It's so funny to see the littlest of little ones so fascinated with the camera--and it's so fun to capture the little ones when they are fascinated, makes for easily taken gorgeous images.

A big thank you to Annie's parents for allowing me into their home to photograph their bundle of adorableness. And thanks for the Fresca! ;)

Meet Annie:

2007-02-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

WINNERS!!

Once again a big thank you to all who participated in voting for my first poll on favorite images for late 2006. I was overwhelmed with the number of votes and was impressed at the sheer number of votes received, especially for the top three winners!

All three winners receive an 11x14 on metallic signed by the artist (er, me...). The #1 winner also receives a $50 gift card to Macy's!

The winners are.....

FIRST PLACE!!

SECOND PLACE

THIRD PLACE

A BIG congratulations to the three top winners. The number of votes these images received was astounding and it was obvious that the top three had put their emails to good use in getting the votes during this contest. Great job to everyone!

2007-02-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

A Seven Month Old's Session

And I am telling you...what a photogenic little guy!!

These children that I am lucky enough to photograph just keep getting more & more attractive. :) One of my clients suggested to me that I must have some policy to only photograph good looking little ones (right Melonie?) but that is so not true! I just have the best looking clients in all of Chicagoland is all!!

Little Hayden was definitely fitting in my attractive child mold today. Wow, those eyes are amazing and that little smile (once he got over his stranger worries with me) was so captivating. I am in love with proofing this session and suspect I'll make some sort of world record finish in my proofing time with it since I can't stop myself to put the editing away.

A big thanks to Hayden's parents, K and E, thank you for allowing me into your home to capture the warmth and love in your home. And I am telling you they have one of the best locations to live, in my opinion, I absolutely love the view!! We were also struck with being lucky today, in the front of K&E's home in the living room we had the good fortune to catch view of two American Bald Eagles fly by; one ended up perching at the top of the tree across the way. I wish I would've had a longer lens to get a better photographic capture of that eagle but nonetheless I felt very uplifted seeing these rare beauties in Northwestern Illinois.

Regardless...here's the little preview shots of H's 7 month session with me, I hope you enjoy!!

p.s. Stay tuned to my blog for tomorrow's announcement of the winners of the Featured Image contest. I have to do a couple final tallies of the votes but will be doing the big announcement in the early afternoon Sunday (tomorrow). I will also be emailing the winners within the next day or two to give them the heads up. Thanks to all who voted (so many of you!) and a million thanks for those many kind words that you all have taken the time to write about my photographic art.

2007-01-31T17:14:00.001-08:00

Featured Photos CONTEST

If you read the newsletter and have been eagerly anticipating the images, wait not a moment longer (well...a few moments longer because you have to read all the rules and blahblahblah stuff)

As promised earlier today, here are the rules, the images and the process for voting. I'm so excited. :) Can you tell?

What's at stake: the top THREE (yes three, I know I posted about 2 images receiving this prize but decided all top three will) will receive a beautiful 11x14 copy of the winning image, signed by the artist, printed on gorgeous reflective metallic paper and mounted for stability, a $145 value on its' own. The top winner, the photo with the most votes will also receive a $50 Macy's gift card, to be used whenever and wherever there's a Macy's store. Not a bad deal.

What's the deal: below there are 16 selected images chosen by outside sources to Marmalade Photography. They have chosen their 16 favorites from over the 30 sessions between September and the end of November of 2006. Now the fun begins...

What you need to know: a.k.a. the little details on the voting process...

1)Click on portrait image you would like to vote for.

2) An email will open up with the subject line appropriately coordinated to your vote.
Type in your first & last name in the body of the text.

3)Hit the SEND button

That's it!! Voting starts today, now, January 31, 2007 and runs until Friday February 9, 2007

Please, do not change anything in the email or the subject line. Your vote might not be registered properly if you do so.

And keep in mind, one vote per EMAIL ADDRESS. If you vote more than once with the same email your vote will not count.

Happy Happy Voting! And good luck to everyone.

2007-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

Be On the Look Out!

The contest details outlined in my most recent newsletter (can be downloaded to the right of this text) will be laid out fully by the end of today. Exciting contest in the works! You, my readers, clients, friends...get to pick out the winner(s) in the Featured Sessions for Autumn 2006.

Yes, yes, I realize I'm a few months behind...admittedly all the sessions and activity and flurry of autumn truly put me behind in the newsletter department and my most sincere apologies. But my oversight is your gain!!

Check back later today for more on this exciting contest!!

(don't you hate teasers?)

2007-01-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

Sunny Day in Chicago

The light, I'm telling you the light was amazing today in my client's home!

This session was for my client's sister, who is visiting here in Chicago out of state. The session focused on little Emma, three months of adorable little girl. The difference between the more animated nine month old session from yesterday to the rather subdued three month old subject of today is amazing. How babies grow and develop so quickly in such a short amount of time never fails to astound me.

I hope that Terri and her sister and mom had fun today. And truly, Terri, in my book...you win Sister of the Year. What an awesome gift to give someone you love....the gift of beautiful memories. Thanks for allowing me into your lives for a bit today, I loved getting to know your family!!

Enjoy the sneak peek. :)

2007-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

ANNA BANANA PART DEUX

brrrrrr...sure it was cold in Chicago today but part of today's session was a balmy 80+ degree, humidity laden adventure. Besides AnnaB being one of my most favorite subjects...her mom is one of my favorite clients, so fun and so great with picking out great locations! I also had the pleasure of meeting her grandmother who was here visiting from Arizona.

This was my second session with AnnaB and needless to say she is growing up to be a little doll! The clothes Miss A had were amazing and it continues to astound me that my clients are so cool and so into what my vision is, without my saying too much about what I want them to wear.

She was such a trooper, we had her in the snow and she did minimal fussing. I really think she was way more into EATING the actual snow than worrying about the cold! Thanks to her mom for allowing me to have my way out in the snow...I promise the images are going to be spectacular.

Here's AnnaBanana's sneak peek. Enjoy!!

2007-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Some San Antonio Bridal Shoot Images

I think I'm only going to share a few here for now, I'm doing some final edits on my "real sessions" from before I left so I'll quit playing around and get down to business. LOL

Part of the reason I went to San Antonio is to participate in a workshop with four leading industry leaders, they just happen to specialize in weddings. And no, Marmalade Photography isn't going to participate full on in weddings (perhaps only several times a year at most), although I enjoy it my real place is with the kids and families. I love working in the more intimate setting of a portrait session than all the celebratory mayhem that ensues around the wedding (but since I believe in never saying never I won't say I *don't* do weddings. If a client comes to me and we click and it goes well I am more than happy to venture into that sort of medium). I will say, I am not adverse to shooting engagement sessions and bridals for portraiture. I love photographing couples and the "bond" and what bride isn't STUNNING in her gown and all the glamour that coincides with that part of her life.

Kevin Kubota is truly a fantastic inspiration. His photography is breathtaking and he has an amazing way of making anyone look good. I felt oh so lucky to be able to hear him speak and participate in a bridal shoot. A special thanks to our models for that day: Lauren & Josh. I have some more images that I'll preview later (more fun & quirky stuff) that I got to shoot alongside the Boutwells (a California couple who are young, hip and real up & comers in the wedding side of our industry).

It was a pleasure to play wedding photographer for a few days and although I love photographing beautiful people in dreamy settings I truly missed the wonderful families that I get to photograph on a regular basis during my "regular gig". It's good to be back home.

2007-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

HOME!!
Although I had a fabulous time in San Antonio, I am so very glad to be back home! My house is a chaotic mess, my having been gone for a few days before my children and husband joined me but nonetheless it is so nice to be back home. There was a heck of a two hour ground delay before our take off last night so we didn't roll back in until close to 11:30, almost 3 hours past our original arrival time, after all was said & done!

I have tons of photos to share with y'all. ;) "Y'all" being a term that carries over with me (probably permanently) every time I visit Texas. I haven't seen much of Texas that I don't love...San Antonio so far is my very favorite part of Texas! The textures, the feel of the city, it's a photographer's dream, well THIS photographer's dream anyhow.

I wish I could say that I took a ton of pictures but I didn't. For some reason I felt the need to soak it all in. If you've never been in San Antonio I urge that you go check it out. It's a romantic city, the San Antonio River and the Riverwalk only a small part of its' charm. It's a city that values its' history and that strives to maintain the old amongst the new. It's a sort of city that likens to the feel of New Orleans, there feels a bit of that New Orleans flavor there with a big twist of Old West and Spanish instead of all the French influence.

We stayed at the Marriot when I was there with Jess. That Marriot Plaza was an amazing hotel...Jess and I spent the first evening chilling out in the lounge admiring the tilework, the furniture and the general ambience. Jess was great, fun and lively and it was great being able to hang out with someone like minded on so many issues facing photographers today.

When the fam arrived I transferred over to the Hotel Contessa. Where the Marriot was ALL about the old with a touch of classic beauty, the Hotel Contessa took it up a notch to Spanish Modern, much like The W with a big twist of Spanish Modernism. LOVED that hotel. Again, I could've spent my entire vacation (well a day or two) just exploring the textures in and around the Hotel C.

I have some images of the city here, most taken around the Riverwalk the last day of our stay. It got EXTREMELY cold towards the end of our stay and I kick myself for not photographing several amazing things that I saw during my first few days there. The biggest of which was the twinkly light display along the ENTIRE span of the Riverwalk. That first night there, Jess and I marvelled at the beauty of the lights display as we sipped fantastic margaritas at Rio Rio Cantina outside on the deck alongside the River.

Again, I urge you to give San Antonio a chance. It's a terrific place for a couples get away and a pretty family friendly place (as my husband found in his daily solo excursions with the kids while I attended seminars and the tradeshow at PPA Imaging USA). More on the details of my fun later.

Thanks to all the clients who had contacted me while I was gone for their patience and understanding. I'm getting through my phone call to do list and if I don't call today I promise tomorrow you'll definitely hear back from me.

The rooftop pool @ the Hotel Contessa

The area beneath Lauren's feet here has a waterfall that runs amongst
the stones in the path during warmer weather. Since it was 30 degrees
yesterday when this shot was taken, there was obviously no agua running through
the path. :)

It was actually raining during the capture of this shot. I braved the elements
and took my camera in the mist/sleet and rain (downpour @ times) to get
some decent shots. I think I need to invest in a plastic bag company
during these sort of days...I use them often enough to protect my
equipment from the elements!

Shot during a lull in the downpour.

I think part of my love for the city is the mix of contrasts....not a big secret to anyone who knows me. I
love the juxtaposition of old/new, nature/urban, etc. San Antonio was rife
with the contrasts and the textures. Just amazing to photograph.

These two were out for a chilling walk Monday evening. Man, it really does get chilly down there
(altho nothing like the 8 degree weather here in Chicagoland right now).

There were tons of these little nooks & crannies along the length of the Riverwalk

2007-01-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Out Of Town

Part of my plans for the post Holiday season are to do a couple of fun workshop-"y" things, hang out with some of my fellow photogs and generate more fun ideas to utilize with clients during the more busy time of the year.

I am thrilled to announce that I will be travelling to San Antonio for a week starting tomorrow. I get to meet up with my good friend and design guru, Jessica Barnak and meet many many photogs that I know (and probably some that I don't know). The funny thing about photography (and my former world of nursing, for that matter) is that the world itself is teeny tiny. We're made up of many people but usually if you know someone, THEY know someone and it's like the game of six degrees of Kevin Bacon except that Kevin Bacon is "x" photographer. I'm sure most careers have that several degrees of separation deal but for some reason, being a lone person photographing clients in my "own" little world I forget that. NOTHING is secret if it's out in the photography world...that's the funny thing about the world today, nothing is as isolated as it once was. We are a world community, linked much of the time by the internet, the photography world community is much the same.

I am thrilled to be going on this adventure. I get to garner knowledge from some of my most favorite of photographers and business people and there is nothing better for me than the process of learning and of implementing exciting new techniques into my art and business.

The best part of this is...I am going to a large convention after the workshop week, all within San Antonio and I am thrilled to go. There will be HUNDREDS of new products that I will gain exposure to and I'm hoping that I can expand my product line a bit. We are making room for framing (to be completed soon) so we can provide this added benefit of a service to our clients. I'm hoping to scope out, touch & feel framing samples amongst the many other things to experience.

So, if you are a client trying to reach me or a potential client looking to book, please keep in mind that although I will make my best efforts to contact you in the coming week, I cannot promise anything. :) I will, however, get back to everyone a.s.a.p. come next Wednesday afternoon.

Have a good week. I promise to come home with pictures and stories of my adventure.

2007-01-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

On Location, City Bound, Today

Ahhh, to get out of the house and do photography for my clients again! I was happy to have December off but by the month's end I was itching, ITCHING to get back out there and photograph. My children, unfortunately had about all they could of my photography about 3/4 of the month through. My youngest daughter finally told me, "I don't like you taking pictures all the time of us, mommy, when do you have client work to do again?"

Well little girl, the day was today. I had the pleasure of photographing a couple for a maternity session today. Some of my favorite kind of work is relationship inspired and today was all about the love. K & J will be the best kind of parents, in my opinion. Their apparent love and friendship is a beautiful foundation for a family. Congrats to them, a very happy and excited couple.

Here are a couple of shots from their session. They are beautiful, not only outside but inside as well. K & J, enjoy!! I'll be in touch soon...

2007-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

A Big Ole Yay!!

It lives

Go, check it out, email your thoughts if you like. This was a big bonus for me as I am sitting indoors on a rainy, Chicagoland January day. :)

Yup, still no snow. I hope my client's not holding her breath for the white stuff this week!!

2007-01-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

New Updated Blog

Kudos to Blogger.com (the host for my blog). Their new interface made, what I envisioned a really difficult transition to the world of black much easier.

Use this blog and my slideshow access area as a preview of what's to come for my new site. I was *hoping* that it'd be up & running by now but...alas, tomorrow is a new day. Right?

So welcome to the new color scheme. I can't wait to preview the new site!! Also, a new updated newsletter is on the way. As I said in the prior post, housekeeping stuff is finally being completed. Now to actually clean my home home. :)

2007-01-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

SO SO EXCITED!!

I will be previewing a new website, today, probably (dependent on whether or not my web developer can get to my site by the end of the business day today!). I am so excited. I am also FINALLY completing my HTML site (friendly for all those in dial up land, there is quite a few not surprisingly enough!!). I had coordinated the two sites to look well and flow well together...in this light, be on the look out for an updated look to my blog in the coming weeks. Winter may be a bit slower than fall (thankfully, a much needed break!!) but it's a great time to do the housekeeping stuff that I just don't have time to upkeep during the course of the busier times of the year.

That being said, I have a client in need of snow. SNOW, I tell you, the white stuff. So all you Denver folks need to send a bit (just about 4 or 5 inches worth) of snow mojo Chicago way so I can do this snowy session for her. Her children will be enjoying their first Chicago snowy winter (if we could get the snow) and she is truly excited about getting snowy images. So mojo us some snow please. :)

Oh, and a Happy 2007 to you and yours!

2006-12-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

LAST POST OF 2006

Yes, I suspect this is the last post for the year. I cannot believe the great things that 2006 has brought into my life. My beautiful children are growing so quickly, one is in all day school now and soon my younger child will be out of preschool.

Time marches on...

If you haven't viewed my YEAR IN REVIEW slideshow yet, I urge you to check it out. It was a labor of love on my part and fun to create and revisit some of my favorite people in the past year. Sweet faces, all the fun we had together, the sunshine, the sunsets, the cloudy days...the spring green, the summer hot and the fall colors (and some winter whites thrown in for good measure). I cannot express the many wonderful things that this year has taught and shown me and the slideshow is only a little bit of what I have experienced.

Thanks again to all the wonderful families that have entrusted me with their memories. I look forward to seeing them again and perhaps add some new faces into the mix. I am going to add some fun new locations to try out, I took the month of December from shooting and am taking an easy January (as I will be out of town starting the 9th) so the hunt for new locations will continue. Here is a shot of one of them, it's got EVERYTHING I love. Everything. And it's central for my Chicago and other out of town clients to access! The tracks are only just a TASTE of what this location has to offer.

2006-12-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

LOVED. CHERISHED. ADORED.

I've been the negligent blogger. :) I had taken the full month of December off to play catch up and am finally there...and yes I realize it is now the END of December. Hey! At least my tree got up in time.

This has been a great year and I have a fun little slideshow for friends and clients to take a look at. Please click on the LINK here to be taken to my year in review. A big thank you to every child and family that has touched my life this past year. I have had a fantastic time and am truly truly honored that you trusted me enough to create memories for you to cherish for a lifetime. My clients mean the world to me and I appreciate all the well wishes, the cards, the thank you notes and the gift (or two) I have received over the past few weeks. None of it necessary but always ALWAYS appreciated.

Now go check out that slideshow. Getting it together was a labor of love. I could still work on it a bit more (my type A side wants to insist upon it) but as it is I am behind further with it than I had planned on.

2006-11-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sweet Little Doll

My apologies to K & B, the little angel's parents. I had a devil of a time trying to post the previews last night. If at first you don't succeed, try a day later! :)

Welcome to the world, oh little Annie (the second baby planner I have by the name of Annabelle, although with a different spelling). Annabelle was a few weeks early and truly, my camera weighs more than this precious soul. But she is a delightful baby, so tiny so sweet so wonderfully sleepy!!

Thanks to her parents, I know that it was a trip from the city to get these done but I promise you that you will be nothing short of THRILLED with how they turned out. Because, they really never stay this small...

2006-11-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

IMPROMPTU JUST MY KIDS SESSION

This is one of those times where I wish I hadn't already made customized holiday cards for the family & business. After I got home from Lincoln Park this afternoon, I quick made my girls dress up in their little ridiculously overpriced but totally gorgeous silk embroidered dresses and go to my favorite fall location. We rushed off about 50 images before dark and some of my faves happened at the end.

Here are a couple of images that I'd totally use for Holiday cards if I didn't already make up fun, quirky ones. Oh well. Who knew that November would be offering up 60+ degree days in Chicagoland?

Enjoy!!

2006-11-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK:sorta

Not to disappoint the devotees of classic literature, this Shakespeare in the park was geared more towards the fun and slightly kid-like ways of a future famous comedian and his brother and his shorty.

Now, what do you suppose Jeff is asking Shakespeare for for Christmas? I suspect that it's a secret only they know.

:) Thanks to Jeff, Phil and Lauren for a fun session in a great setting and loads of laughs!

2006-11-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

FINALIZING OF THE HOLIDAY SESSIONS

I had two really fun 'boy' sessions on Sunday and this month is quickly becoming a blur for me as its' been pretty much non-stop pre-Holiday photography fun (and I'm looking forward to much needed R&R this next month which I am mostly taking off).

Sunday morning, I got a chance to work with Andrew and his parents. Thanks to them for making the drive out to see me and have a playdate. Andrew was much into exploring, it was fun chasing after him as he explored the beauty off the beaten path! It turned out to be a surprisingly sunny morning (much needed sunlight, in my opinion) and we had great fun.

Second Time Is A Charm!

Aidan and his mom & dad win "client trooper's of the year" award from me. We had scheduled for early this past week and the weather turned cruddy on us at the last minute (as it has for several sessions this past October and a big majority of this month). They drove out (yet again) this past Sunday and I have to say, the afternoon was nicely lit and I think we hit it out of the ballpark this time. This little boy is adorable! Beautiful deep blue eyes set off by his gorgeous dark hair, he is simply beautiful.

Thanks to his parents for trusting me on the shoe debacle and choosing my work from the many photographers they have looked at to mark Aidan's one year mark. I had a great time with you all!

2006-11-19T03:15:00.000-08:00

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!

My dear friend Sara asked me, several weeks ago, if I'd be willing to photograph her and her extended family because they were coming from out of town for an early Thanksgiving celebration. I jumped at the chance as I had photographed Sara and her beautiful kids, her brother and his son in autumn of '05 at my old barn location (if you may recall from a previous post, the barn that is now demolished). Sara's kids and her brother's son were an absolute joy to photograph and real troopers on that cold October day.

I had the plesure of photographing the families yesterday afternoon. It was more of a fast session than I normally do but I am thrilled with the images that I've proofed/edited thus far. Thanks to Sara's aunt Maggie and her son, his wife and their two little dolls as well as Sara's mom and her brother and his son and of course Sara and her beyond photogenic kids. Even though I did not get sister shots I got SO many shots of Sara's daughter and her cousin/best friend in the whole world. I've known Lauren for many years now and I have seriously never seen her face light up with anyone the way I saw it light up with her cousin! It was remarkable.

Enjoy this little sneak peek:

2006-11-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Meet My Newest Friend

This special baby is a good friend of mine's newest addition to their family. She is #3 for them, her mom is one of my most favorite people in the universe and I was thrilled to get to play with her and my studio set up at home today.

Please meet K and her pretty pink self. I wish I could've gotten to her when she was still teeny tiny and more bendy but she was a champ and truly allowed me to explore the beauty of a controlled lighting setting. I will be adding more traditional artsy studio work to the mix in the near future (just in time for the winter doldrums). Look for it to be fun, artsy and perhaps a big twist on Marmalade.

For now, please enjoy a few images of a gorgeous baby girl!

2006-11-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

A Foggy November Morning

What a day today! The fog was pretty spectacular and made for some interesting events during this morning's session (for example, the fun episode of photographers falling on the bridge! ha!).

I'd like to thank Shelbi and Mike for bringing out their smart and adorable daughter out to visit and have a session with me. We had a great time exploring, didn't we Paige? As long as we stayed clear of hollowed out logs we were in fine shape ;).

I really captured some thoughtful and beautiful family moments and truly exquisite images of little Paige. I hope that Paige's family had a fine time coming out to Channahon, I do wonder if she ever did get that ice cream after our session...

2006-11-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

Fall Day In Lincoln Park

Hopefully this isn't the last great fall day of the year. November, I hope, will be better weather-wise than all of October.

Today was truly a spectacular day in the park. Take one beyond cute 7 month old boy, mix in some dark blue eyes and post nap happy faces, add two adoring parents and funny dogs and mix in a bit of fabulous autumn-ness (I so know that's not a word) what you end up with is pretty much an awesome family session.

Meet Brady and his parents (we must not forget Blondie & Duke, Duke who tried as hard as he could to steal the show). Brady was one of the happiest babes I've ever seen, no fussing, just pure smiles and a bit of leaf fiber. Thanks to his parents for allowing me to spend some of the afternoon with them capturing memories I hope they will cherish for a lifetime.

Enjoy!

2006-11-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

A Girl, A Boy and a Girl: Study of 3 Siblings

I had a particularly fun session today with three siblings today. Madeline, Louis and Emily were SO fun and up for anything. Plus they had tons of fun ideas for their session, I've said it before and I'll say it again I LOVE when my clients brainstorm and come up with fantastic ideas.

The kids really did do well...I think that their mom will be more than pleased. And I had a fun session as well, thankfully the rain did nothing more than sprinkle a bit during our time together.

So here are three fantastic kids. I hope you all enjoy your sneak peek!

2006-10-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

JJ and a Fabulous Autumn Day

Goodness. Today was a magnificent day for photography! A big thanks to JJ and his adorable family for coming out for portrait work today. I got plenty of "looking at the camera" shots so grandma will be happy. I got plenty of "in action" shots because honestly, we all know that a one year old doesn't like to sit still all that much! And I got plenty of shots of the family interacting and being who they are at this very fun (and all too fleeting) stage in JJ's life.

This was my last October session and as this month draws to a close a big thanks for making my October special and busy and fun and a wonderful opportunity to meet so many great people! That being said: 11 sessions a Day In the Life session and a wedding make for a VERY busy month. And a pretty big back log on sessions! ;) I'll be caught up soon enough.

2006-10-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL FALL SESSION

Wow. Were these kids ever gorgeous. Photogenic to the nth degree. I have been the luckiest photographer, I think. I don't think any of my subjects have been outwardly not photogenic in any way, these kids today were just gorgeous!

Meet Nicole, Jake and Zach. Seriously a fun session. Poor Nicole with the two little brothers, I have to feel her pain! ;) She handles that challenge gracefully and with little fuss. I was so impressed by her confidence, the security in who she is really shined through in her portion of the session. The boys were terrific, fun, open to the camera and really just a fun loving couple of guys.

Meet the kids from today's session. They are indeed gorgeous and sweet. Their parents should be oh so proud to be raising such great little (and not so little) people. Thanks to them for bringing them out today, the switch to Sunday was a better idea. The sun was perfect for our session together.

2006-10-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

DILLON and His P's

You'd have to be insane to not take advantage of the forest colors right now! They are fantastic, I think we've finally hit the peak of the prettiness of fall, in fact yesterday I had taken my own two darlings to the forest to get images for the Holiday cards (I'll post some outtakes when my life is less chaotic business wise because right now I want this to be all about my fabulous, fun, fantastic, terrific, did I mention FUN session with Dillon and his two beautiful, energetic parents).

We took advantage of the forest in all its' splendor, sure it felt a bit blustery when we first started out but by session's end we hit our stride and were "zooming" right along. Dillon, it turns out, is QUITE the charming fellow and has an amazing disposition. Totally all boy! Rugged, adventurous and just what I've needed this gorgeous October day (btw, can I mention how nice it was to see sunlight today?).

So here is Dillon in a couple of terrific images (in my opinion). And a big thanks to his P's who were open and willing to go with the flow. I really believe you will be thrilled with what our fun from today turned out!!

Without further adieu...

2006-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

CAREY & EVAN: Picnic in the Autumn Cool

I had the pleasure of photographing this adorable couple (totally photogenic although I think they might disagree! ;) ) yesterday afternoon. You would NOT believe the awesome picnic set up that Carey created for their shoot! Seriously, like the nicest picnic set up ever. There was champagne, beautiful dark globe grapes, several cheeses, soup in a real pie pumpkin (and it smelled DIVINE!), crab cakes, matching napkins and an adorable dog named Little Bear that really wanted to steal the show with his own good looks!

Let me just preface the preview of their images with a big thank you to Carey for her Marthaish ways and to tell her how exquisite their picnic was. I love when my clients totally think outside the box, I think Carey was really wanting to create a casual elegance with this set up and I think she got what she was hoping for!

So thanks to Carey, Evan and Little Bear for a wonderful fall afternoon. Enjoy the preview sneak peek!!

2006-10-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

PAUL & RACHEL GET HITCHED

2006-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

MARMALADE DOES A WEDDING

The alternate title should be: why Marianne is very tired this rainy/overcast Sunday morning.

I was up until 3 a.m. getting images off my cards so that I could get a preview up for Rachel and Paul. If you've looked in my Discovery I gallery on my website Marmalade Photography you will see images from Paul & Rachel's engagement session. Some background, Rachel is a friend of mine, a dear, lovely woman who I have known for about 7 years now and whom I cherish. I was thrilled that Paul had proposed to her and even more thrilled that she enjoyed my work enough and trusted my vision enough to hire me on as her photographer for their big day to capture the moments that you can't really repeat. Weddings are truly fast paced, a lot of work on everyone's end--and it's just the beginning of my work because while everyone is done enjoying the fruits of their labor from the wedding, I get to edit all these terrific images that I was so fortunate enough to be allowed to capture.

I think good wedding photography is underrated, many wedding photographers that I admire would probably agree. Too many people believe that all it takes is a good camera and an understanding of how to just point and shoot and fortunately/unfortunately it takes oh so much more. You need to be prepared, not just with equipment, but mentally. There is so much more work involved with a typically wedding event, if I estimate that it's 4x the work of a portrait session, I don't think I'm overguessing it.

Wedding images SHOULD be special, they should showcase the two people whose lives are to be united for a lifetime, the images should be artsy and show off the beauty of those being photographed, they should feel somewhat dreamy, they should be a bit showy...so much work and preparation go into the big day---why choose anything less than spectacular for your images. So much more goes into the wedding photography aspect than many other things on the wedding date and the images are treasured forever (vs. only a day with some of the other wedding details).

Now that I have sort of soapboxed my feelings on weddings, let me just say, I had fun. I may have sore feet and a stressed out mind right now--but the wedding is over and the images are GORGEOUS and I am thrilled that I was allowed to photograph this event for my very dear friends.

Will I do more weddings? Well the jury is out on that one! ;) Will Rachel & Paul think their wedding preview images are all that and a bag of chips--I think so. Rachel, thanks so much for being a terrific friend (I will never forget you were there for me when I needed you most), a supportive client (allowing me to do "whatever") and truly the ANTI-Bridezilla, you were so mellow--I really wanted to check your pulse!!

Please see the above post and images in Discovery I for images from the engagement session as well.

2006-10-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

MY PAL JAKE turns 2 years old!

This is the second opportunity I had to photograph Jakers. Jake's session was the last session I photographed at the old barn location that I mentioned a few posts ago in mourning of that site. It's now October and Jake just turned two and man oh man, he's grown and as I photograph him for the second time I just truly realize yet once again that time goes all too quickly!

For his mom...Shannon, I totally think red is this kid's color. He looked fantastic in his vest/shirt combo. I think you'll agree once you see the images. I love his little obsession with the farm animals, it was so cute to see him try to get back over to the goats every chance he could get. Typical man...one track mind! ;)

So here is my pal, with the open blue sky eyes....Jakers, Jakes, Jake. Enjoy!

2006-10-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

RAINY DAY FUN WITH MISS EVELYN & HER MOM

And another thanks to them for being so gracious for my comedy of errors and mishaps this morning. I seem to have be having "one of those days" today and Olivia and Evelyn were so nice about it and such a treat to work with to boot (even when Evelyn got some inadvertent mud and dirt on her due to the post rain aftermath on this somewhat dreary Chicago day). All in all I think we accomplished what we set out to do, a lot of fun photographs showcasing their relationship with each other.

So thanks to them, a beautiful mom-daughter combo. Enjoy!

2006-10-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

A BALLERINA AND A BROTHER

This afternoon was a bit chilly but truly my friends Tristan and his sister Sierra braved the cold to play with me in the woods today. We even had time for a nice snack! :)

Sierra was hesitant about getting into her ballerina outfit but I am oh so glad she did because the images of her in this tutu are adorable and definitely worth cherishing! And Tristan...full of life and personality...he was all about telling me about the fish he caught and that his dad's was the smallest of them all!!

Thanks to Tristan and Sierra's mom & dad for braving the somewhat brisk October weather with me. All in all a nice Sunday afternoon in the woods with a truly loving family.

2006-10-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

TWINS IN AUTUMN

Well the cold snap this past week lead to several rescheduled sessions, the next few weeks may be a bit crazy around here and I hope everyone bears with me. I love this time of year and there is no better job for me than to get to hang out with little ones, on a crisp autumn day playing in the leaves.

Today I got to play with Katie and Billy, TWINS! So so cute! And their mom won big points with me by bringing a hat for Katie to the session...I was in heaven today!

So here are the adorable Billy and Katie, Katie and Billy. :) Thanks to their parents for bringing them out--I think you will be more than thrilled with the shots we were able to get.

2006-10-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

L'IL SWEETHEARTS

Meet my friends Mia and Ella. What are the chances of photographing 2 blondies named Ella approximately the same age in the span of two days? I love the name Ella, it reminds me of a girl I once knew from summer camp from my childhood, a blonde Ella as a matter of fact.

But I digress. This afternoon I met my two newest pals and I think we all ended up having fun! It's a great challenge for me to make little kids come out of their shell and become playful, often because they are shy or they feel the stress that comes from having their pictures taken. The expectation to sit and smile for the camera is stressful enough for adults, I cannot even imagine what it feels like for a three year old! Anyway, I think the stress level dropped at a certain point and that's when these two little dolls opened up for the camera. I hope their parents rest tonight with the knowledge that their session was a success after they see their preview.

Now for the goods. Mia and Ella, Ella and Mia. Two of the sweetest, most darling girls ever (and some of the cutest sweater dresses ever, to see these is to fall in love with them. So sweet, so preppy!)

2006-10-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO A DAY IN THE LIFE

What can I say? This session was filled with possibly broken toes, donuts, cool kitchens (well the whole house in general, really), five kids, chili for lunch, soybeans in a field, football, video games, a worm, a caterpillar, a butterfly net, climbing on walls and door jambs, a lot of Coca Cola (and a pop stealer!!), a fairy princess and it all wrapped up with a good ole dose of love.

Meet my newest friends: Alex, Nick, Zach, Jake & Ella. One VERY adorable bunch--and as their mom told me six months ago when she booked with me for the Day In the Life session: one photogenic bunch. Boy she wasn't kidding!!

Thanks to Tara and Alan for making me feel like one of the family. I had a terrific time playing with you guys today. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek(S)...how could I only put up two when it was a five hour session???

2006-10-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

LATE NIGHT MUSINGS ON RELATIONSHIPS

I have a lucky life. I was born into a loving home of older parents (people often mistook them for my grandparents growing up...an unheard of thing now as lots of people have children in their 40's but back in 1970 it was truly a rare occurence). My mom had me when she was 41 years old, not old by any stretch of the imagination. I am the fifth, the very very youngest (17 years between me and the next youngest sibling!) in my family.

So when an event like my parents 60th wedding anniversary occured back in mid September I couldn't just ignore it. :-) My brother and I hosted a lovely, sort of casual get together for my parents for their anniversary just this past Saturday afternoon. We brought together some of my siblings and some friends of my parents for just a casual afternoon of good company and great food and lots of conversation. I think my parents had a good time. I know the rest of us did.

So here are the lovely couple and one of their children, their youngest as a matter of fact! Keep my parents in your thoughts today and perhaps call your mom or dad and tell them you love them. I look upon their faces and see the time passing on, all too quickly, and part of me is happy that they have found a good life in the United States and it's been a wonderful last 35+ years here for them, the other part of me sees the reality in their faces, 77 and 85 years old. Time is short, hug your kids and your loved ones often.

Here's to a good healthy year for my family...and yours!

2006-10-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

FAREWELL OLD FRIEND

Yesterday I received a phone call from my husband with great sorrow in his voice. One of my favorite locations is now, officially, demolished.

This was a location that had a bit of everything that I love. Unfortunately I hadn't been there since April to do a real session but there were plans, tentative plans, to do two of my Marmalade Location sessions there this month, if it was still standing. It's been slotted for subdividing, like most of my naturally beautiful area is, since last summer, I was just hoping to get some more time there.

This location was gorgeous, here is an image of the barn at this location this past winter after a lovely snowfall.

Here is an image of it, just yesterday. Needless to say, knowing that it was going to be demolished was one thing, seeing it happen is quite another. I have created a sentimental bond with this spot, it was truly magical (as my clients will attest and agree to). Although I have a number of other truly gorgeous (and perhaps even more lovely...) locations to choose from, this spot held a sentimental value to me. I love old things, old barns, old schools, old buildings, old stone structures. Anything that has a history, to me, is a thing of beauty. I love documenting people's lives...sometimes that means keeping the memory of something alive through photographs...to me, this barn symbolizes many things that I love: nature, beauty, rural communities. Things that disappear in the blink of an eye.

Don't get me wrong, I love modern conveniences, Starbuck's is one of my favorite loves of all. But out here, the barns are beginning to be demolished to make way for cost effective suburbia. It depresses me a little. Don't mind me today as I wallow in my grief for my old friend, the slate roofed barn. :-)

2006-10-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

THREE BOYS ON A BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN DAY

Autumn is upon us! My favorite month of the year and it's going to be a busy one. I have been truly blessed with the most wonderful clients (and I know I've said that at least a dozen times just in my bloggity thoughts here) but it is true. Yesterday's session proved to be so, once again. I had the greatest time with Joshua, Eliza and Caleb yesterday on a spectacular autumn afternoon. The smell of burning was in the air, the air was warm (almost a bit too much so), the leaves were crunching underfoot and the colors JUST started changing. We couldn't have asked for a better day!!

I would also like to thank the boys' parents for bringing them out the second time. We totally had the misfortune of a cancelled session due to weather a few weeks ago. Literally, the time for session came and a torrential downpour hit my house and our location at that very moment. The boys' mom came to my door and we just burst into laughter because it was already a rescheduled date. So to Devon and Steve, a great big thanks for sticking with me and the weather and the earlier time so that I could go to the Bears Game with my family yesterday...

(by the way, Steve...I bet you were having a good time watching that game on tv last night!! We had boatloads of Seahawks fans seated near us that were heckling the Bears Fans before the game--now totally hysterical in light of the big win we had!!)

2006-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

A Boy. And His Dog.

Meet Keller & Lucy. His mom picked this terrific spot in the middle of the city to have his portraits done. We had a fun afternoon, my favorite kind of weather abounded. We were in a beautiful setting and not even the homeless guys diving for coins in the fountain (in 50 degree Lakefront weather) ruined our mood.

Keller's session was the result of an auction Marmalade Photography participated in earlier this year. Congratulations to his family for being the winners!! I think they will be thrilled with the images we captured today---I cannot wait to be able to dive into this session more extensively.

Oh, and have I mentioned Keller is like the MOST well behaved 18 month old I think I've ever had? He just sort of stay put...it was a real treat!! (Then again we couldn't get him to move from one spot to the next but that's ok...we got there eventually!!) :-)

Once again thanks to his mom for bringing him out to brave the early fall weather. And might I say I love that light blue sweater in this setting. Awesome choice.

addendum: I'm adding one more in here because I can't resist this yummy shot in b&w. Enjoy!!

Neither Rain nor Darkness Will Stop This Session

2006-09-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a very loving, very fun, very artsy family (and I think I want to adopt them for my own!!) I hope my daughters grow up equally enamored of my husband and I as the daughters of my client have. You can tell the family bond is paramount in this very dynamic family.

What a fun time! We dance, we sang, we played music (ok, not me...I snapped pictures mostly!) We not only listened to James Taylor during our session, we also had some Bob Dylan and some Bob Marley thrown in to boot. Out came the trumpet, out came the electric guitarS, out came the sax and the tamborine. Truly this was a one of a kind session and I hope they had fun creating memories together.

Meet Darlene's Family, her daughters, son in law, grand children and let's not forget her dear, sweet husband who gave her the most wonderful of all gifts--the gift of memories! Here is just a SMALL taste of what their session was like.

And a big thanks to them, they were troopers! Creative, fun and not afraid to get a little wet!! ;)

Boy oh Boy oh Boy

2006-09-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Tina and her three adorable little boys for a fun session in the park today...and also for a taste of what I'm missing out on having just two little girls! Energy galore with the boys, I tell ya!!

Here are my pals Dylan, Jayden & Camden and their tower of power. I hope you guys had a great time at Chuck E. Cheese after our session. :-)

Again, thanks to Tina and her crew of three guys. I think, for sure, you got a lot of images to pick for your Holiday Cards.

Newly Announced Limited Edition Holiday Sessions!

2006-09-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! Marmalade Photography is pleased to announce we are presently booking Limited Edition Holiday Sessions starting now. The dates for these 20 minute sessions are Saturday October 14 and Sunday October 15. Book your session today if you desire Holiday cards from a limited edition selection created specially for this fabulous event.

Sessions are for up to 4 individuals (add'l persons may be added). They include:

*20 minutes of time with the photographer
*Online gallery viewing presentation (5 days) of 10-15 images from your Marmalade Photography Limited Edition Session
*50 exclusively pre-designed photographic art cards printed on fantastically reflective metallic paper (your choice of design from a selection of card designs)
*(1) 8x10 gift prints, mounted on mat board
*(2) 5x7 gift prints, mounted on mat board
*add on prints are available from our special Limited Edition Pricing Menu.

Sessions will be held at our fabulous forest location, about 45 mins southwest of Chicago. Please click HERE for further details.

Call today: 815.603.8450 as they are truly "limited" in nature.

Gorgeous Sunny Afternoon

2006-09-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

We had tea in the garden, we played in the maze, we skipped, drank water from a fountain, we rolled down a few hills, played with "rainbows" (umbrellas), we had some attitude a little bit of a wiggly worm (you'll have to ask my pals Rebecca and Thomas about THAT one) and a touch of fashion show.

All in all we had a fabulous time. Welcome to the sneak peek of Rebecca & Thomas' session from today. Many thanks to their awesome parents (and especially their dad who lugged my camera bag around for me as I was way into playing with the kids and having all too much fun!!).

Here they are: my pals. Thanks for taking a look and stopping by!!

Calling All "Hot Moms" & Peek Into Julia's Session!

2006-09-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

CALLING ALL HOT MOMS!!

Yes, I know I've had more than my fair share of GORGEOUS moms, and you all know who you are!!

"We're looking for Moms that turn heads wherever they go - the supermarket, the football stands, or Kindergarten. Our Casting Directors are looking for the Hottest Moms in Chicago, with style, confidence, and sexuality beyond the carpool!"

CLICK HERE to find out some information for The Hottest Mom In America. If you'd like to enter--I'll be more than happy to email a copy of a photograph from your session. Please email me at marmalade1121@mac.com with what image you think represents you as the Hottest Mom in America. :) I've photographed some spectacularly gorgeous women these past few months, every one of you should enter!!!

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I decided that I would share some images of a recent session that just got finished up for ordering, sort of a more than sneak peek into another client's session. I love when my clients feel like they are a part of a large extended family and I hope to do this every once in awhile so you all can get the connections that I feel during a session shooting.

So here is my pal Julia, from back in early August. Her mom and dad loved their images and I am always thrilled to hear that!!

Here's a sneak peek at what part of Julia's session with Marmalade Photography was like:

Kevin & Grace

2006-09-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful evening for picture taking!! Wait until the rest of this session is proofed, I cannot wait!! Grace wore a fantastic tutu (she's my TuTu Girl's cousin, you know...thanks to Gina for the referral!!). Kevin was shy and timid at first but by the end of the session he was my best buddy.

We had a good time.

So much for these being "really" shy kids. :-) Thanks to their mom Angela who had ONE heck of a day on Saturday in attempts to get the kids out here. I promise you, Angela, you will not regret a single moment.

Here is a couple of shots of Kevin & Grace and a show off picture of Grace in that gorgeous tutu!! How I loved that tutu, I want one for myself. You think the kids would appreciate a 35 year old woman in a hot pink tutu?

yeah...me neither. :)

Last Day Before School

2006-09-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

I make it a tradition to take my daughters out for pictures and "alone" time with me prior to large milestones. This past Monday was one of those days for my youngest daughter.

I am thrilled with these--I had bought this dress earlier this summer and hadn't had the right opportunity to have her wear this. I love the little kerchief over her head and really, honestly, she coordinated her shoes.

Anyway, if you knew her you'd appreciate the sass in the shot with the kerchief on her head, this is totally her, totally sassy! This location is on my list of Marmalade Locations/places to go. If you are looking for a wooded area with tons of variety, this really is the place for your session. In fact, I am contemplating holding mini sessions here in early November or mid October, although I am booked for October I was trying to brainstorm an idea for my clients that would like more "cold winter" images for their Holiday cards. More to come on that later...

So here is Lauren--sassafrass and blonde hair!! Enjoy...

Morgan & Madison

2006-09-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

I only scheduled myself for a session a week in early September to give myself a breather from the chaos of the past few months and really try to catch up on proofing and ordering sessions with my clients. It was nice to have some time off but I was oh-so-glad to get back in the saddle again with the session I had this past Friday.

Morgan and Madison were supposed to be part of a larger family session that grew more intimate in numbers as the week went on. It was a good thing really because we ended up with a session that was more intimate and personal than a session with more people.
And best yet, I really got a chance to get to know everyone, especially the two sisters, getting photographed. I think we had a great deal of fun and the evening was perfect for early fall. The leaves are just starting to fall and get brown and it's making for some fantastic ground textures.

So here is a couple of shots of the girls together. I have only proofed a couple of images from this session (had to get back to the session I am currently proofing) but I couldn't decide which is more fun. I love the image of Morgan looking up at her big sis and the symbolism of that image but I also love the way their blue eyes are so almost identical in the other shot as well. So, two for one!!

Thanks to Lisa and her husband for allowing me to spend time with their sweet children and their lovely family.

Ten Reasons Why I Love My Career As A Photographer

2006-08-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

10) Creating images that melt parents' hearts.

9) Making kids laugh and be silly even when they don't want to.

8) Capturing a perfect moment between mom and child...

7) Catching a sibling connection that can't be beat off with a stick!

6) Freezing the passion that fuels the formation of family. :)

5) Grabbing an image so moving that it makes my own heart ache.

4) Seeing the light in a child's eyes.

3) Receiving praise from others because they feel some of my most favorite works resemble work "by an old Dutch master" (hopefully I don't look like an old Dutch master!! :P)

2) The ability to capture the everyday (and not so everyday in some cases) in relationships...

and lastly...

1) Because I am the luckiest girl in the world. I have been blessed with two gorgeous kids, a doting husband, a thriving business, the best clients in the world and a terrific sense of humor. I am so thrilled to be able to share my passion, I love being with kids and hanging out with the little ones and their parents, who I have discovered have a fantastic sense of humor and a passion to truly capture their little ones and their relationships with them as they see them in their hearts.

Afternoon in the Retro Park

2006-08-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite locations is a park that is totally retro. Think back...circa 1970's metal slide, "merry go round" (or as I told my fun family from yesterday's session--a sort of lazy susan with rails), see saws, etc.. The other great thing about this location is the huge tires that are sunken into the ground that kids seem to just fall in love with and the forest that is right there at that same very location.

I've done a couple of sessions here and every time I go to this location I think I manage to capture a different view. Yesterday's session was the perfect picture taking situation, sans the rain that kept threatening our session. We managed to stay dry and capture some amazing images of a beautiful family.

Meet the Jacksons, sans their dog (the most adorable collie mix I think I ever met). I've had a run of great dogs lately, yes you read that right, dogs. And big dogs no less. So well behaved, they really put my pooches to shame!! Hehe.

A Dog, A Boy and Some...PEARLS?

2006-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Adam, his mom and dad were way cool, we had a fun session together and I would like to thank them for their fun, "anything goes" attitude. Once again I will say I love when my clients brainstorm a bit and come up with a location idea that is a change from just the home shots that are what I normally do when I travel to on location. We went to the park down the street from their home and found a fabulous location that rivals anything that I've seen yet. Meet Adam, in his parents room, playing with his favorite new teething ring...

We did get our share of home shots and they are terrific but some of my very favorite moments from our session together came at the park when Greta the Great (Dane) decided to take a dip in the waterfall/fountain and Adam played in the mulch, much to his delight.

Just a quick note: Amy...when you finally get the courage to ask that dude about taking photos at his home/garden, I'll be there with bells on if you want!! :)

Artsy, Casual, Sorta Formal Fun or Let Me Toot My Own Horn

2006-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Meet my pals Anna, Edik and Lex. Lex has a rockstar name, doesn't he? Anna is a bit Bluesy and Edik, oh Edik is Pure Rockstar.

I had the supreme pleasure of photographing these beautiful souls this afternoon/early evening. Apparently I am a bit "weird", that's ok. Weird is good when you have a fun session that showcases three amazing personalities and everything they are. A special thank you to Susan, their mom, who is coolest artsy mom yet. Thanks to her for thinking outside the box and bringing along items that reflect who they are as a family. Cowboy hats, boas, a zither! Everything well thought out and planned. We had a fabulous time in the misty rain of the afternoon. I swear, it was like it was planned to be a perfect picture taking day!

Meet my pals. Totally unposed, totally candid. I love the free feeling of formal clothing in the forest with these bare feet. These kids "rocked" (and rockabillied) my world!

Darling Julia

2006-08-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Travelling mishaps, stops for errands and a time mix up. Yup, that about sums up my day. But I ended the session with Julia on a high note...a bath in a cool tub and blowing bubbles. What more could a girl want?

Meet Julia, a flower in her own right. And a big congrats to her mom and dad because soon enough Julia will be having a little brother or sister to be a big sis to. I think she's ready to take that on!! ;-)

Thanks to Julia, her mom and grandma for being so gracious and allowing me to spend the afternoon with them...as well not looking at me like I was a total nut for messing up the time (2 hours early no less. YIKES!!)

A Little More H2O For Your Viewing Pleasure

2006-08-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

The journey onward through the waterfall location continued on Tuesday afternoon. I had the pleasure of photographing Stacie, Jeff and their two little boys. We had an amazingly great time. By the time we reached the site the light was near perfection. We couldn't have planned it any better (and we sort of didn't! Hehe).

It was a quietly laid back afternoon...prepping me for a busy day tomorrow/today (driving to the city, making several pit stops and journeying onward for another session on the North Side). I would like to thank Stacie, Jeff, Thomas and Alex for a beautifully lit afternoon on the water. I hope they had as good of a time as I did. Here's just a small sampling of two little boys enjoying the splashing on a warm summer's evening.

I'm Obsessing!

2006-08-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

I found the most spectacular brick today. I love brick!! And the spot where I captured this is abandoned and historic and lovely although majorly run down. Currently I am cruising the web to find out more info on this lovely spot that would be the perfect size for a renovated studio space. The only caveat is that I would have to restore it to its' full historic gorgeousness, which although I am all for would probably be stiflingly expensive.

I can dream though. Its' proximity to some of my most favorite of all shooting areas is undeniably tempting. So I can dream...right?

Here's my Lauren with my coveted space behind her. Gorgeous brick. Yum.

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Ah, she's going to kill me! Ha. My client's mom the other day (look for the Quiet Intensity post) wanted a shot to preview of all five of them. Their session is currently in queue to get processed behind a few others and I don't have but one more shot to get to her of the five of them. This'll have to do. She's going to kill me though because, as she is quoted here: "You are MEAN, MEAN, MEAN, MEAN!!!!!!! Just ONE picture. I am just kidding of course, but I think I might just die waiting to see some more!!!

That picture of Ben is amazing. I could physically feel him looking at me. He looked like a tribal warrior going into battle with his mighty stick (So Benjamin).

Today went better for me than I had planned. Steve and the boys all cooperated more than I thought they would. It really could have been worse. Take my word for it. I hope it wasn't too exhausting and crazy for you. They are definitely "intense."

I will wait patiently ....counting the second until we meet again....to proof the pictures!!!!

Thank you sooooo much for today. I will cherish the photos forever.

Megan
PS. If you feel for mankind at all (me) you could at least send just one with all five of us in it!!!"

Ah Megan, I'll be happy to post one more for you, but you are really going to smack me when you see me, aren't you? But I aim to please!!

Oh and Steve and the boys were beyond fine, Megan. I loved your family! So vibrant, so full of life. It was terrific to get the boys in their 'element'. You definitely got images that captured what your life is like, busy, fun and fun!! This moment captured part of only a few moments of no activity. I had fun Megan. I hope your family did as well!