Light on Life Images

Verena and Sandra

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:13:03 +0000

Verena and Sandra came all the way from Mississippi to get married in Chicago. They held their ceremony and celebratory lunch at Le Colonial. Anthony Navarro of Liven it Up Events did a fabulous job helping Verena and Sandra set everything up from Mississippi. Verena loves sepia toned photos, so I’ve uploaded only sepia images for this sneak peak. Thank you, Sandra and Verena, for the opportunity to document your day!

Braden and Robert

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:36:40 +0000

I had the honor of photographing Braden and Robert’s celebration of their civil union on September 25. It was an intimate gathering of family and friends at the couple’s home on Chicago’s north side. You can see the love and joy on the faces of Braden, Robert and their guests. Event coordination by Anthony Navarro of Liven It Up Events.

Jen and Zach: Hot in Cincinnati!

admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:00:25 +0000

Jen and Zach are Chicagoans, but married in Jen’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio in early June at St. Ursula Academy. A 90 degree plus day with high humidity didn’t dampen the energy level of the newlyweds or the guests at the outdoor reception in the garden at the Taft Museum of Art. You’ll see plenty of spirited toasting (and some roasting?) of the newlyweds as well as plenty of guests getting their groove on in spite of the heat. It was a true pleasure to photograph their wedding: Jen and Zach are both easy going and have a great sense of humor – a fact that becomes evident in the photographs of the toasts and dancing. Enjoy!

Abbey’s Portrait Session

admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:40:34 +0000

Abbey’s mom contacted me after an acquaintance of hers suggested that Abbey submit photos to a modeling agency. I had never shot photos to the specifications of a modeling agency, but Abbey and her mom knew the specifications of the photos required by the agency: 4 straightforward shots (profile, head and shoulders, 3/4 length, and full length). We finished those quickly and used the remaining time for additional photos that would really bring out Abbey’s eyes (not difficult!) and her personality.

Abbey and her mom were great sports and very willing to try different styles and colors of clothing. These are some of my favorites photos from Abbey’s session.

Liz and Bill: Married at the Garfield Park Conservatory

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:25:08 +0000

Liz and Bill’s wedding was a simple, elegant, heartfelt affair at the Garfield Park Conservatory. It is a gorgeous venue for a wedding! And the weather gods were smiling on Liz and Bill that day. They were married the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend… remember those crazy storms during the middle of the day? It was as dark as dusk at noon. About 90 minutes before the wedding, the sun began to shine, and we were blessed with great light and an intensely orange sunset!

Liz and Bill’s wedding was the first chance I had to work a wedding with Lynn Fosbender of Pollen – a fellow Chicago Green Wedding Alliance vendor. Here is what Lynn says about the flowers: “Keeping the decor as environmentally friendly as possible was a priority for Liz and Bill, so I used all Midwestern flowers in the reception flowers. White peonies were the featured flower, accented with some of my favorite spring blooming branches: snowball viburnum, lilac, and crabapple. The flowers were designed in water, rather than with floral foam, which is a non-biodegradable petroleum-based product. This minimized the waste created from the wedding.” I love that the flowers in Liz’s bouquet are a perfect match to the colors in her kimono.

Decadent cupcakes by Tipsycake.

NAWBO Chicago Achievement Luncheon 2011

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 01:36:39 +0000

NAWBO Chicago is one of my favorite networking organizations. These photos are from our 2011 Annual Achievement Luncheon. We kicked the day off with a VIP Reception at Adele Dallas Orr’s boutique on the 3rd floor of the 520 N Michigan Ave. shops. Participants enjoyed champagne and tiny cupcakes by Swirlz. I’m on a sugar fast, but they looked amazing!

The luncheon honored some of NAWBO Chicago’s most accomplished members, and attendees enjoyed a keynote address by Genevieve Thiers, the founder of SitterCity and a trained opera singer. (Wow, do I feel like an underachiever!)

The last bunch of photos are from NAWBO’s famous chocolate hour. Again, I resisted… I did celebrate my astounding exercise of will power with a glass of wine that evening. (I can’t give up all good things.)

Hopefully, I’ll see you there next year!

Oh the texture of letterpress printing!

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:23:29 +0000

I didn’t know what letterpress printing was until I met Nina Interlandi Bell, the owner of Tweedle Press, through the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. Nina designs custom, eco-friendly wedding and event invitations, stationery, business cards and greeting cards which she prints by hand on one of two printing presses she owns. She uses recycled paper and 100% vegetable based ink and can even make her own recycled paper out of junk mail. (I shred what I can, and feed it to my composting worms, but Nina’s trick is much cooler!) Her designs and printed products are beautiful, so I wanted to photograph some of her wedding invitations and share them with you on my blog.

Now for the other side of the invitation…

And here is a Mitzvah invitation…

A Save the Date and a Business Card…

Another purple wedding invitation!

The following invitation is a letterpress-digital hybrid collaboration between Tweedle Press and Spilled Ink Press. Entwine Invitations, as they have named their collaborative work, combine the luxury of letterpress printing with the affordability of flat printing. What a great idea!

Kim and Mike

admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:00:01 +0000

Being foodies, Kim and Mike chose to be married at a venue with great food and wine – Osteria Via Stato. Their intimate, family-centered ceremony was followed by a rousing party with a large group of friends. Guests tore up the dance floor until the restaurant closed. Kim and Mike are a delightful couple, so it is not surprising that they have such a large and enthusiastic group of friends. I hope these photos give you a feeling of the joy, humor and personality of their wedding day.

Back to School Portrait Contest

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:00:03 +0000

Taking young children to a park with art, trees and plants to explore makes for memorable documentary style photographs. The kids get to be kids, and I get to document the joy they experience exploring their surroundings!

These photographs were taken at Loyola Park, in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. I love what this park has to offer: brightly painted concrete benches, willow trees and wild grasses growing on the beach, colorful fall leaves, and a tremendous view of Chicago’s skyline.

When adults spend time with children this age, we get to share in their joy. They remind us what it is like to be totally present wherever we are…to really enjoy this moment, rather than worrying about what we’re going to make for dinner or how we’re going to deal with that office conflict on Monday. It is this joy that I’m trying to capture with my photography.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for a productive outdoor photography session:

Keep it short. Young children can participate in a playful photography session for about 45 minutes. Some can last an hour or a bit longer, but 45 minutes is usually enough time to capture 20-30 quality images.
Avoid the playground. It is difficult to photograph kids on the playground. They are just moving too fast! But visiting a nearby a playground afterwards makes a great reward for cooperation during the session.
Let the children wear something they feel comfortable wearing. Now is not the time to put on the Sunday dress from grandma. Avoid dressing them in white or black. Colors are great, and kids can even get away with wide stripes or plaids.
Work with the photographer to choose the time of day when your child is at his or her best. From a photography standpoint, the early morning or late afternoon provide the most flattering sunlight. However, none of this matters, if your child is tired or just not up for having his picture taken.
Be flexible. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate and you’ll need to reschedule. But I find the results of outdoor shoots to be worth it.

Oh, yes…Please vote for your favorite portrait. There are fun prizes for the winner’s family!

Ayli

View additional portraits from Ayli’s session by visiting my facebook page.

Eva

View additional portraits from Eva’s session by visiting my facebook page.

Jane

View additional portraits from Jane’s session by visiting my facebook page.

Sarah

View more portraits from Sarah’s session by visiting my facebook page.

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Women in Business: 1st Annual NAWBO Day of Crain’s Small Business Week

admin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:23:16 +0000

NAWBO Chicago (National Association of Women Business Owners Chicago Chapter) and Crain’s Small Business Week partnered to provide an entire day of workshops, education, inspiration and networking to help women entrepreneurs build our businesses. Three hundred women participated, and I made some great connections. If you’re a woman looking to increase your networking relationships, now is a great time to join NAWBO Chicago.