Cait - senior shoot

so this could possibly be one of my last posts before moving to my new blog! still putting the finishing touches on it

for now though, here is Cait
she is a senior at PRHS and has such an infectious laugh....i was supposed to take her shots a couple months ago but took a little tumble and busted up her nose after being pushed down the bleachers as students flooded the football field after a playoff win...ha. what a way to go out though i say

the weather was incredible today and it felt so good to finally have another senior shoot....these are probably one of my favorite kind of shoots b/c they are so chill and relaxed....and most high school kids are up for whatever, especially when it involves going to areas they feel as though they shouldn't be in...

big thanks to stuart for helping hold stuff, sarah for making cait laugh even more, and for carol (cait's mom) for convincing the sheriff that we were not "punk kids causing trouble" which someone apparently labeled us

ok...enough chatting. here ya go

lack of posts does not = lack of shooting

more to come on that later

for now, here are just a few quick shots i grabbed from Passion2010.....

even though i was only there for about 30 minutes of the 4 day conference i was able to get the sense that God was and would be moving in the hearts of lives of tens of thousands of university students...

the stories and updates have been unbelievable and i already can't wait for next year...

on a side note...pumped for Passion City Church to start...

my friend is talented

so you have to check out the work of Stephen Hunton...

he has become a great friend and encourager as i continue with all this photography stuff. when we were done with a shoot today, we decided to take a little extra time to just shoot for fun and i was able to get a few of him

here is his site: www.stephenhunton.com

Great way to start 2010...

Is revealing my new logo!

pumped about the work that my bro-in law Brady did on this...He is awesome to work with and strives to offer his client a product that they are truly satisfied with.

His business is called Media Redemption and you can contact him here: BRADEN@MEDIAREDEMPTION.COM


My blog is also almost completely finished, which means this one will have to be put to rest....but the good news is that the new blog will have many of these previous posts reposted so that it does not look as though it's starting from scratch.

so, as a teaser for now, here is one of the many options for my new logo! let me know what ya think...

polaroids!

still diggin' the fujifilm instax from urban outfitters that my wife and friends got me for my birthday back in november...

plus one iPhone shot i grabbed while leaving the city this morning on an overcast day

hanging with family...

i love christmas time b/c it's one of the few times where we get to spend quality time with all of our family back north

it's great going from the country which is quite and relaxed and snow filled to being in the city and wrestling with my niece and nephew...and of course jenica and i both love the face to face conversations we get with parents and siblings no matter how great skype may be

crazy to think that we are just a little more than 24 hours away from a new year starting....i don't think i have ever been as expectant for a new year to start than this one. Not b/c this year has been bad, but b/c i am more excited than ever to see what God has in store

i am still hoping to get a "favorite shots of the year" post in, even though that may land a few days in to 2010....we shall see though

here are some more from chicago - bowling and korean bbq










the routine:
shove

watch intently

keep watching intently

celebrate with dance despite the outcome - then repeat

mom and dad!






korean bbq time!










they brought out tiny marshmallows for the kids at the end of dinner...it was great! inspired a run to the store for s'mores back at home in the fireplace


finally some fun with lights on the drive back from dinner (i wasn't driving - btw)

black and white

shots while driving around...

monthly iPhone shots....

you will see most of these if you are on twitter and following me....if not, here ya go

country and city

it's always a great mix of four wheeling in the country to heading downtown chicago...we just got into the city last night and i took a couple shots of the snow falling while my brother in law Dave road around on his bike with his snow tires

i am loving the mark II video stuff....too bad i am a video moron and can't edit everything. maybe Stuart will try teaching me for the 5th time and i will get it this time.....probably not though

for now, here are just some of the pics

christmas eve

can't believe it's Christmas already...crazy

so nice to be home with family and enjoying the wintery weather...stayed out for just a bit today and rode the four wheeler around while grabbing a few shots....then it was off to the candlelight service, christmas with the extended fam at grandma's just down the road, and then chillin' with some board game action

now it's late, i'm tired, but wanting to post....so here ya go

good night and merry christmas!

in the making....

haven't posted in awhile, but it's not due to a lack of shooting

i am currently working on a huge project that i can't wait to unveil....but until then, i will just have to throw in a few i have grabbed in the process....also, HUGE thanks to Javi, Stuart, Miranda, Josh, Chase, Pastor Paul, Drew, Joshua, Amy, Dave, Russell, Maggie, Annie, Lee, Melinda, and especially Jacob for the help so far on this...and my awesome wife who has not seen me much lately

i have no idea what 2010 will hold and where everything will go....but i am beyond excited to find out

we leave for IL tomorrow to hang with the family over Christmas, and then it will be hitting it hard again once I get back to knock some of these projects out...

posts will be scarce for a bit, but look out for a "Shots of the year" post where I hope to put up some of my favorite from the entire year...

Aubrey and Chris

so this was the first wedding that i booked for 2009 all the way back in December of last year.....crazy that it was my last of 9 this year.

Aubrey is a cousin from Jenica's side of the family and I was able to take her and Chris' engagement shots last December is just about the exact same weather we had for their wedding which was awesome.....i am pretty sure it's exactly what they wanted too. well except for the 15 some degree wind chill...

their wedding was gorgeous and it made me miss what winter is supposed to look and feel like....cold and snowy

i had a great time shooting their wedding despite feeling a little under the weather....just glad that i was healthy enough to shoot it

i look forward to seeing these two grow together over the years as well as growing closer with them as family...

their wedding closed the wedding chapter for 2009 and not it's a bit of a break before the 2010 wedding chapter begins....can't wait to see what all takes place though....

now for the good stuff....

Justin - senior shoot

Justin is another guy that i know from the youth group

we had a great time as we headed out to a new place that i have checked out for awhile now.

he was a trooper as we had to bare the cold weather....also, big thanks to blaine for helping me out even as he wore shorts. crazy kid

looking forward to shooting my last wedding of '09 this Saturday and seeing what's to come for 2010...already good things around the corner

can't wait to share with everyone soon the opportunities that have been coming up


here are Justin's pics for now though!

Radu - senior shoot

Radu is another guy i know from the youth group i work with....it's been cool getting to see him grow and mature over the last few years.
he is a brilliant guy who is also a great writer

he has a maturity to him that is not often seen in guys his age as well as a thirst for wisdom

i know that this combination will take him very far and make him successful in anything he gets himself involved in

looking forward to see what comes his way....

iPhone pics

so i update these about every month or so....

here are some of the latest

Happy Thanksgiving!

unlike many of you, we were not able to spend this thanksgiving with all of our family who is back home in Illinois.

However, we have been blessed by our good friends, the Arnold family, to have joined them and their extended family over the past couple years. it's great having such awesome people who open up their own families to be ours for the day...

they mean so much to us and are thankful for who they all are in our lives.

here are a few shots we got of their family with a couple extra added in.

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving, realized how blessed they are, and were also made aware of how they can bless the lives of others.....just as the Arnold's have blessed us.

thanks Arnold family. we love you guys!

Kathleen - senior pics

so yesterday i had the chance to go and talk to a high school class about the journey i have been on over the past 2 years with photography as well as just how i do things

i had never shared about my photography in that way before in front of a group and it was really incredible

i don't really take the time to sit and reflect all that much on what has happened over the past couple years and just how quickly things have seemed to happen....maybe that's why i stayed up until 4am as i prepared what i wanted to share

with that all said, it was cool then going in to this shoot that same night...i felt a little more inspired than usual.

i have known kathleen for the past couple years as she has been involved with the youth group.
she is crazy talented in theatre and is probably one of the funniest people i know

she has a great heart and i know will do big things with the talents she has been given and the passion she has fueling those talents...can't wait to see where she ends up

wanted to put up these quick shots and say thanks to Javi, Stuart and Jacob for their support and help in all these crazy photography adventures....

they are the beginning of an empire....ha. but really, these guys are really cool and i absolutely love working with them. if i had it my way, this would be the beginning of something pretty cool. we will see though.

oh and they make me laugh a whole lot, which is needed

Javi is my gear horse and carries my stuff around for me all the time
but he also plays a huge part in making sure that the lighting is in place as well....without him i would not be able to get a lot of the shots that i do



stuart has also played a huge part in encouraging me and helping me chase after this passion....however, he is pretty ridiculous in his own right when it comes to video.
you all should check him out at: http://vimeo.com/user996645



and then there is also jacob, who was not with us on this last trip but has played a big part as well.
he shoots some great stuff and has been a huge help at some of my weddings. look forward to seeing what this kid does...
here is a link to his blog: http://jharkey.blogspot.com/

Kristen and John - wedding

it's crazy to think that this was my 8th wedding of the year...that may not sound like a lot to you people doing this part time, but it's been cool seeing it go from just 2 of my own last year, to 9 total this year, and already having 5 down for next year

again, this may not seem like much to those of you doing this full time, but to experience this growing from a hobby to somewhat of a reality is pretty exciting

i can't wait to see what 2010 has to offer...

kristen is good friends with my friend paige and we met back and paige and stuart's wedding in Colorado back in April

i was honored when she asked me to shoot her and john's wedding down in Orlando...
this had to be one of the best receptions i have been to....primarily b/c everyone loved to dance and weren't afraid to let it all go out on the dance floor. plus, being on the top floor of an 18 story building downtown Orlando was pretty sweet as well

one of the coolest things for me was seeing what an amazing community of friends these two have....once the night is all over, i am used to seeing the couple take off and head out to be together. however, kristen and john were so excited to have all their close friends together that they took advantage of it by heading out to a local line dancing bar so that the party could keep going....ha. it was awesome.

oh, and kristen stayed in her wedding dress. it's going to be great staying in touch with these two and seeing them grow together. maybe i will even be able to hit up a Florida Gators game with them sometime....i hear that they kind of like that team or something
























































can anyone find the garter?

The Sumners - family shoot

Jake and Hannah are two more of our closest friends and they have an adorable 2 year old girl Mavis...they are also expecting their second in May and we are all super excited for them

I have worked with Jake the last 3 1/2 years up at the church and have grown to become great friends
Hannah has also been a great friend to Jenica and helped make our transition down here from Illinois much smoother....it's such a blessing to have the friends that we do

we have been talking about getting together now for awhile to do a family shoot and finally it all worked out...

the first thing that you need to know about Jake is that he is probably the biggest Waffle House fan you will ever meet....so it only made sense that we meet there first for breakfast and some initial shots. they also wanted some there b/c it was the first place they ever took Mavis...haha. so awesome

even though the weather was cold and damp, we were able to get some great shots in before the rain came...

birthday present!

so my birthday was on the day i shot aynsley and brett's wedding.....not gonna lie, one of the best ways to spend a birthday

well that morning my wife and many close friends met up at waffle house to celebrate and they gave me this fun little toy i have had my eye on for awhile....





i love it and went through all my film that day

Brett and Aynsley Wedding Video!

Stuart did a freaking amazing job on this video! Everyone needs to check it out and spread the word for this guy.....he does a great job on capturing the wedding day as it unfolds and putting together something that the couple will absolutely love having from their day.

so check it out, update your twitters and facebook, and share this with everyone ya can.....his work is pretty great

Brett + Aynsley from stuart atkins on Vimeo.

friends...

had some dinner and much needed hang out time with some close friends of ours tonight....stuart and paige

i have known stuart for about 9 years now and he is a ridiculously talented videographer who is growing in his understanding and skill every day. you can find a video he shot of me in an earlier post as well as click on a link to his stuff here: http://vimeo.com/user996645

his wife paige is great and her and my wife love to sit around, along with some other lady friends, and talk about raising babies and starting up small businesses that will make millions

i messed around with some lighting stuff while we were there and liked these couple frames...

lots coming up soon including more senior shoots and a wedding this friday down in FLO-rida

Sarah - senior shoot

i love when you have been driving by a location you have wanted to shoot at for months and when you finally do it's so much cooler than you thought! i seriously want to live on this plot of land....or at least go camping and have fires

the weather was awesome and there was only one little incident involving a rusty nail.....but everyone is ok

I met Sarah through one of her friends whose pics I had already taken and felt like I got to know her a lot better while also hanging out with her friend Cait, whose pics I will be taking in a couple weeks, and my buddy David who did a great job giving me a hand tonight

that's one of the more rewarding aspects of photography for me...the relational piece.
it's cool hearing everyones story, what they enjoy, and what they are about

it's cool watching them become more comfortable in front of the lens and being able to reveal the person that is generally reserved for only those close to them

Kelsey - senior shots

never had so many cars honking during one shoot in my life.....probably b/c we were so close to a big high school where playoffs started tonight. but still...

we were able to sneak in this shoot in about 1 1/2 hours before the sun went down on us pretty quickly.

kelsey is a ridiculously talented musician and even had one of her own songs she wrote recently recorded on the cd put out by the student ministry i am involved with....pretty crazy awesome talent coming from these kids

it was fun finding a few new looks in an area i have gone through a lot...

was happy with what we came away with

photobooth from Aynsley and Brett's wedding

this was my first time doing this....and it was a huge hit.
so glad that i tried this

thanks to Jacob Harkey for pretty much taking just about all of these shots while i was off covering other things
i think i will starting adding this on as an option to wedding packages

the people are what make or break it though....and these people made it

so much fun going through these shots....

Brett and Aynsley - Wedding!

So i don't even know where to begin with this one....

these two have meant so much to me, my life, my marriage, and ministry. Brett is an incredible man with a passion to lead people to a place of intimate and authentic worship of a Holy God...He is full of wisdom beyond his years and has touched the lives of so many
I had the privilege of working with Aynsley for a few years in student ministry....she has an unbelievable gift of connecting with girls and speaking grace and truth into their lives....

jenica and i saw from the very beginning that there was something special between these two and to celebrate with them this past weekend was a huge blessing...and what better way to celebrate with them than having the opportunity to tell their story through images


i can't wait to continue to walk with these two as well as see how God uses them...they are a blessing to all whom they interact with as they strive to bless the name of Jesus in everything they do

so cool...

and their wedding was killer...




















































more to come from this wedding.....photobooth action was awesome!

Camille - senior shoot

probably shot in one of the creepiest abandoned locations i have ever been in...but so much fun

i loved that Camille, and her mom of course, were up to shooting inside for a bit...big thanks also to her brother Wade for being my assistant for the day
i was pumped about a lot of the shots we were able to get and look forward to hopefully getting a few more gigs from over in their part of town

thanks Camille for being great to work with and being up for whatever...

Carrie and Nick - engagement

i had such a good time hanging out with these two and just getting the chance to know them better....i think that's what of the best parts for me. i love getting to hear the stories of other people and how they met, first got together, and their expectation of spending their lives together.

Carrie and Nick are so full of joy and laughter whenever they are together....all they have to do is look at each other and they immediately start cracking themselves up. they made my job very easy and the fact that the weather and the colors were stunning happened to help a little as well


looking forward to shooting their wedding next year....

Hannah Parets - senior shots

ok....so hannah is just straight up crazy...but in a good way

i have known her family for awhile now and it's been so cool to see hannah grow up...she has an amazing voice and just has a contagious personality that you want to be around all the time

she definitely made starting at 6:45am a much better experience than i was expecting




oh yea, and then we got on top of a train and my whole lighting rig just about blew off the top....so that was cool
good thing i grabbed it by the very end of one of the legs before it crashed to the ground

monster mash

last night was great hanging out with friends at our place....ended up being a little bigger scale than we thought, but that was ok by us

it was fun decking the place out with strobes, a fog machine, caution tape, and that fake spider web junk that gets everywhere and is hard to clean up.....but that stuff is so cool

and of course....the photobooth

Halloween pre-post

tonight was awesome...here's a taste.

more to come later...

behind the scenes video!

so this is my first time of hopefully many...but I have decided to start putting up some behind the scene videos of some of my shoots

my friend Chris (www.chris-o.com) just happened to be in town (or country) from Belgium and helped me out as well as provided some of his own thoughts as heard in the video...ha
Stuart (@stuarta13) helped teach me a thing or two on final cut express to put the thing together


hopefully you enjoy it! let me know...

Kristen and John engagement from onenineimages on Vimeo.

kelsey and collin - family

both these cool kids are involved in the youth programs at our church....they have a great family who are incredibly supportive and have been a blessing to the ministries I have been involved in as well as my personal life

it's cool seeing siblings that get along...for the most part...ha
i hope that when Jenica and I start raising a family that we are able to be blessed with children who enjoy being around each other, at least half the time...

we had a fun time hanging out in the awesome weather we have been having lately

Amber and Andy - wedding celebration

so I have known Amber for a couple years now....she has volunteered with the middle school kids at our church and has recently been helping me out as a YoungLife volunteer
she has got a great heart as well as an adorable little girl Ashley

the first time I met Andy, I knew that they were a great match...
they were one of those couples that once you know, you know...so they decided to have a very small and intimate wedding together a couple months ago
however, they still wanted to have a wedding celebration and reception for all their other friends and family

so, here it is...it was a bit on the chilly side for GA this time of year, but it was still gorgeous out

i am really happy for this family and excited to see them grow together over the years





















this shot is fairly similar to one i was able to capture at my last wedding, but I loved how the wind was able to make her dress wave behind her...epic skies always help as well

Kristen and John

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristen at the wedding of my good friends Stuart and Paige...
Kristen and Paige worked at a summer camp in CO one year and have been close ever since....through that connection, Kristen got in touch with me about shooting their wedding in FL this November...

i just so happened to be spending this past weekend down there and so i was able to hook up with the both of them and fit in their engagement shots.
although the light decided to depart rather quickly, we were able to fit in a few more the next morning...

it was so fun just walking around the streets of New Smyrna...they were great to work with, and we even had the pleasure of enjoying some dinner afterwards along with my assistant for the night Chris...he is a long time friend who currently resides in Belgium and was visiting for a bit (www.chris-o.com)

anyways, without more delay, here are some of the shots....these were crazy fun

oh yeah, and John (and his family) were awesome enough to let us all crash on their beach front condo...big win