jill devries photography

NEW BLOG! change those links...

2008-12-28T16:19:00.006-05:00

I'm stoked to announce that I've got a new blog! change your links & bookmarks and head on over to http://jilldevries.net/blog for my snazzy new blog. yay hooray!

(and yes, the new portfolio is on its way very soon :)

e-session: megan & jon

2008-12-25T18:34:00.011-05:00

i had so much fun with megan and jon last week. we had a beautiful sunny day -- not common for december in michigan! but while the temperatures remained frigid, they were total troopers. and in the eternal words of derek zoolander, these two could be classified as really, really, ridiculously good-looking...

it is official, they are adorable!

... and goofy, fun, and hilarious :)

megan has seriously gorgeous eyes.

favorite :)

christmasy... and cold!

this is what they had to do for me!! they were so great and tromped all through the snow :)

e-session: abbey & jacob

2008-12-22T08:14:00.002-05:00

abbey and i lived across the hall from each other in the dorms her freshman year of college. we had an awesome gang of friends that year, and some of my best memories of college have abbey as a part of them. i couldn't be happier for her that she has found an awesome guy like jacob. they are planning a beautiful wedding for next july. i had so much fun during this session because they are sooo in love and it shows. oh and they are totally gorgeous, which never hurts :)

made a quick trip into the candy store!

abbey's parents just revamped a beautiful red barn and i was STOKED that she wanted to shoot there! i have this thing for red barns... i love them so much... and this one was just gorgeous.

wow, eyes, wow.

I guess if they can't figure out what to do post-graduation, they could just become models...

darlin, christmas is comin

2008-12-15T21:11:00.004-05:00

here is a little snippet of the season so far. gosh i love christmas! and make sure you listen to this -- a christmas song i listen to all year long...

some lensbaby love...

hope you all have a blessed season of comfort & joy. more engagement session goodness to come soon!

e-session: ashley & paul

2008-12-13T10:43:00.003-05:00

it sure has been a while, so here is an extra-long engagement post for you guys :)

ashley and paul met me in downtown chicago this week. it was a windy, cold day -- just what you expect from chicago winter -- and we missed the rain by just minutes. but they came prepared (love the fleeces!) and braved the cold so we could get some fun shots. it was our first time meeting face to face and i am so excited for their spring wedding!

oh, and despite what they may think, you will see that they are VERY photogenic :) how stinkin cute are they?!?

thanks to the doorman at CBS that let us play around in their awesome lobby...

love it!

this next one is my absolute favorite...

also thanks to the CTA security guard who let us down into the subway to get this shot!

too cute.

senior session . oluchi

2008-11-28T00:29:00.004-05:00

last weekend oluchi and i braved the cold and headed downtown for her senior session... well i guess i shouldn't give myself too much credit, i had a fleece and a hat and gloves... she had skirts! and was such a trooper :) oluchi is so kind, personable, and smart... she plans to major in pre med at college next year. oh, and she's an incredible dancer too... she dances at the same studio as mackenzie!

after a few weeks of gray skies, i was stoked that we got some sun. and security even escorted us off one of the sites we were shooting at... ha... gotta keep things interesting somehow, right?!

FAV!

she has a gorgeous smile... but def knows how to rock the serious face too!

another fav :)

there are so many fun, random spots to be found if you just wander around... ha, that rhymed.... wasn't even trying, i swear :)

lifestyle session . mackenzie

2008-11-24T08:46:00.004-05:00

back before it got freeeezing out, mackenzie and i headed downtown for a super fun lifetstyle session. she is an awesome girl and a talented dancer and is such a blast to be around. oh... and she happens to be drop dead gorgeous :)

probably my favorite!

reminiscencia.

2008-11-18T10:07:00.007-05:00

lately i've been looking through a lot of photos from the five months i spent living in spain. it was the most incredible experience of my life, and also a really formative time for me to grow as an artist. (and oh the pre-DLSR days)! i've decided that over the winter i'll be posting little snippets of my time there, so here are just a few photos for now...

música de la calle . las ramblas . barcelona
fútbol en la playa . alicante

reflejo . alhambra . granada

mercadillo . cordoba

night at the museum

2008-11-13T08:24:00.004-05:00

i met liz last spring through an internship i did, and i was so glad when she asked me to do some family photos. it was great to see her wonderful family and to reconnect!

spotting squirrels...

big brother love :)

AAH!! so cute.

lucky guy! what little boy wouldn't wanna hang out with an astronaut?

we headed inside to take photos on the carousel at the grand rapids public museum... so much fun! i was so glad liz had that idea... creative clients are so great :)

love love love the twinkly lights... i am mildly obsessed with bokeh... ok ok really obsessed :)

looking up at the huuuuge whale hanging from the ceiling...

it was so much fun to see liz again and to get to try something creative and new. carousels are a new favorite!

newborn: baby bishop

2008-11-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

josh and michele welcomed their adorable son into the world just a few weeks ago. they are overflowing with love for him and it is not hard to see why. he is incredible and i cannot wait to watch him grow...

flexin' those muscles!

i am obsessed with baby feet.

favorite.

mmm ok maybe this one is my favorite.

i know josh and michele will be the most incredible parents and i'm so glad i get to be here to document their journey.

e-session: brian & betsy

2008-11-05T18:14:00.004-05:00

i still remember the day i met brian. we were at a retreat, getting to know our small group. somehow, our friend annie brought up my photography -- the whole group had seen it, well everyone but brian that is.

fast forward a few weeks. brian and i have become buds by now. we are at a gathering at our friends house, and in walks annie.... with her gorgeous younger sister in tow. i think you can figure out the rest of the story -- sparks fly and these two incredible people fell in love. now, a year later, they are planning a wedding :) i can't say enough good about them, and it is fun to think that the way my friendship began with them is sorta coming full circle. i am beyond stoked to shoot their wedding next summer. in the mean time, here is a preview of their engagement session...

gotta be honest, i think tetherball will make me think of napoleon dynamite for the rest of my life :)

who knew there was a jungle in the middle of ada?!

i love love love you guys. come back from iowa soon ok! gr misses you.

family session . the van dries

2008-11-04T20:28:00.005-05:00

the van dries were one of the first families i ever photographed, so i was stoked when they asked me to come back again! they are such a fun, loving, and hospitable family... plus they live on the most gorgeous property ever! here are a few of my favorites.

kara is 5 months pregnant with twins. ahh!! i can't wait to meet them :)

isn't he so dang cute?

givin some love to his new little brother and sister... i love these two images.

don't they have so many sweet spots for photos?!?

baby booties for the new boy and girl...

as always, i had a great time at the van dries home... and chili and apple pie were amazing too! can't wait to see you guys again :)

family session . the jacques

2008-11-02T22:42:00.003-05:00

i always get excited to photograph the jacques, because they are one of my favorite families on the planet. it is crazy to think that their beautiful daughter is over a year old... here are some of my favorites from our recent session.

love love love the hat.

nick is the cutest dad ever.

love it.

yesss!!!

just because: kyle & jennifer

2008-10-29T21:17:00.004-04:00

kyle has been a friend of mine since my first year of college, when we lived in the same dorm. i was so excited when he asked me to take some photos of him and his wife jennifer. they got married in june and wanted to do photo session... just for the fun of it :) i love it when couples keep celebrating their love -- engagements and weddings are momentous for sure, but sometimes 'just because' is reason enough to celebrate.

you know they must be super fun and super chill when one of their outfits is jeans and fleeces. looks like they popped right out of an ll bean catalog :)

love it.

ha. one of my favorite things about kyle & jennifer was their complete inability to make serious faces... as you can see by a few of their attempts...

oh hey gorgeous eyes.

kyle & jennifer were so fun, so goofy, so down to earth. can't wait to see you two again!

two birds, one stone

2008-10-26T16:36:00.003-04:00

i spent last sunday afternoon with abby and erik, who are getting married next september in sutton's bay -- can't wait for that one! this e-session was different from most, because we did a family shoot at the same time with erik's two awesome kids, jordan and kaylee. a beautiful fall day plus some fun and photogenic subjects make jill one happy girl!

gotta love the ol run-under-the-swing trick :)

erik is one strong dad!

erik proposed to abby at the 616 restaurant at the JW Mariott by having five of the waiters come out with shirts he made... each had one word, and together they spelled "abby will you marry me"... how awesome is that? we stopped by and took a pic at the exact table it happened at :)

we got some fun urban shots downtown... including some on top of a building we probably weren't supposed to be on top of ;)

this next one is definitely my favorite of the day.

family session . willinks

2008-10-23T08:37:00.005-04:00

it couldn't have been a more beautiful fall day to photograph this wonderful family. they are laid back, kind, and the kiddos are just so stinkin' cute!

he loves his little sister :)

if you follow this blog you know i am a sucker for EYES. she totally knocked me out!!

double peace out :)

thanks you guys -- it was a blast! and thanks for the yesterdog too :)

family pics & fall colors

2008-10-18T14:50:00.005-04:00

last weekend was nothing short of gorgeous -- incredible fall colors and warm summer weather. i headed up to rockford to hang out with breanna and kevin and their gorgeous daughter ella. i had forgotten just how beautiful it was up there... plus the three of them were just awesome.

do we have a future softball player on our hands?

she was racing all over -- and she LOVES climbing stairs :)

she's a superstar :)

well despite the sweaters, scarves, and hot sun, i think it was a great day! thanks so much you guys!

e-session: danielle & joseph

2008-10-14T14:28:00.002-04:00

not long after we began emailing, i realized that danielle was not just the piano player at robyn and patrick's amazing wedding, she was the gorgeous girl that caught the bouquet. how fitting that only days later, joseph proposed to her! danielle and joseph are kind, goofy, down to earth, beautiful, and so in love. despite ominous clouds, and even a bit of rain, we had a blast at gorgeous jackson park in downtown chicago.

the one thing that made this rain ok was that danielle brought this rockin umbrella! i loved it!

um.... holy adorable.

you gotta love it when people say "oh i hate getting my picture taken." they are always the most photogenic ones! these two totally proved this theory....

i love love loved their goofy side. these two were massive amounts of fun to be around.

i can't get enough of that overgrown ivy! or forehead kisses :)

the great thing about going to the beach in october.... lifeguard chairs in completely illogical places!

WOO!! engagement pictures ROCK!!

favorite :)

i learned a few of the things joseph loves: his beautiful fiancée, the chicago bears (who happened to be destroying my detroit lions that same day)... and of course his TRUCK!

and of course when you wear a football jersey, ya gotta do the HEISMAN!

if these photos haven't convinced you yet how awesomely rad these two are, get this -- danielle ran the chicago marathon on sunday... what a rockstar!! i seriously cannot wait for their june wedding. as if danielle and joseph themselves weren't enough to make me excited, its in a BARN! how sweet is that? thanks you two, for being so totally cool.

e-session: janae & jay

2008-10-08T11:15:00.003-04:00

janae and jay were so much fun to hang out with. they have such fun, playful spirits and make each other laugh constantly. i can't wait for their july wedding at the university club.

this next one might be my favorite!

is anyone else as excited for the new UICA gallery as i am? even the murals they have around the construction site are awesome...

gorgeous light + random crazy man standing behind me trying to make them laugh = great pic :)

baby bump session!

2008-09-29T13:03:00.004-04:00

i was so excited when michele asked me to take some baby bump pictures for her and josh. they are just glowing and are going to make the most incredible parents.

she has got to be the cutest preggers mama i have ever seen...

so much love for that baby!

they are too stinkin' adorable.

good lookin' folks.

i can't wait to welcome this (surely adorable) baby boy into the world!

millenium development goals

2008-09-25T15:25:00.002-04:00

while I definitely believe that documenting beautiful moments in peoples lives and telling stories through photography are small ways of bringing about shalom, there is a lot more to that whole puzzle than my camera can accomplish. even though I''ve done 4 photo shoots in the last week, for today I'm putting the lifestyle photography on hold to tell you about something a little more important: the Millenium Development Goals.

today, september 25th, is World Millenium Development Goals Blogging day.

Today, world leaders are coming together in New York for a high-level event convened by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the UN General Assembly to renew commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015 and to set out concrete plans and practical steps for action. and what are the MDGs?

1 - eradicate extreme povery and hunger
2 - achieve universal primary education
3 - promote gender equality and empower women
4 - reduce child mortality
5 - improve maternal health
6 - combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases
7 - ensure environmental sustainability
8 - develop a global partnership for development

at first glance, this seems like such a daunting task. but while these goals are lofty, we live in a world where they are attainable! today I encourage you to think about how you can take steps in your life to help achieving these goals. the Micah Challenge USA, an organization committed to seeing the fulfillment of the MDGs, is headquartered in the office where I work -- they are a great resource for finding ways to take action. today, and all days, remember to pray for justice, mercy, and humility.

so may we never stop this dreaming of a better world
may we never stop believing in the impossible
aaron niequist

how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
anne frank

pics at the park

2008-09-23T14:02:00.005-04:00

i had so much fun hanging out at wilcox park with the VP family last week. awesome parents, adorable girls, gorgeous light... a perfect combo for some great photos.

sometimes lainy smiled for the camera... and sometimes she just made whatever face she wanted :)

max came too!

sisterly love :)

the moment lainy saw me, she was ready to share some exciting news... "i wore my sparkley shoes!"

and what trip to the park would be complete without an ice cream cone from jersey junction?!

thanks again VP family, for the fun and the laughs, and of course the ice cream :)

here comes the sun: michaela & scott

2008-09-17T12:58:00.003-04:00

a few weeks ago i headed out to colorado for scott and michaela's wedding. scott was a groomsmen in the first wedding i ever photographed, so i was honored that they had me come back out to denver for theirs! the ceremony and reception were both held at the beautiful hudson gardens, and michaela did an awesome job with so many wonderful details. here's a preview...

after the girls got ready, we headed over to the wedding site... but the rain had started to fall. it was a bit of a rush to get everything set up inside, and we were praying for a break in the clouds...

so many fun details...

scott's gorgeous step mom is from muskegon! west michigan love!

and what do you know... just as michaela was putting on her dress, the rain subsided, the clouds broke, and the sun began to shine. she breathed a sigh of relief... the wedding she'd long imagined in a beautiful, lush garden, could finally be a reality.

scott and michaela didn't see each other before the ceremony. i always love seeing the first glance between a bride and groom. what an amazing moment.

these two were so, so, so in love.

wow.

the flower girls and ring bearers were adorable. i could not for the life of me get the younger ring bearer to smile... but his dad had a genius idea: "hey bud! don't you dare smile..."

scott has his grandpa stand up for him as his best man. seeing their relationship was so sweet. and let me tell you, there was a LOT of laughter during these toasts.

the reception was held in a beautiful cabin, and i loved the cozy feel.

i looooove twinkly lights :)

scott and michaela, thank you for being so welcoming to me, and giving me the honor of documenting your incredible love. keep on livin the dream!

lindsey & bryan

2008-09-09T17:07:00.005-04:00

the sun was shining on that warm august day, and lindsey was as calm as can be. even her hairdresser commented -- "you are the most calm bride i'd ever seen." maybe it was because of the simplicity of having only one bridesmaid, her sister. maybe it was the beautiful -- warm, but not too hot -- weather. or maybe it was because she knew how much bryan loved her, and that nothing could be more important than that.

lindsey and bryan had a beautiful outdoor wedding at fallasburg park, with a lovely outdoor reception at the thornapple daily grille. surrounded by caring friends and family, it was a wonderful celebration. lindsey did an incredible job with all the little details, all of which played tribute to a love that will continue to blossom and grow.

lindsey's dress was gorgeous. amazing vintage details. aaah i had dress envy!

love this shot -- the movement of the veil, and especially her mom's reaction...

these were the cutest. kids. EVER. pardon the excess of kid photos, i couldn't stop! WOW!

bryan and lindsey were so playful and affectionate. their love was so tangible and you can tell they just have so much fun together.

love it!

a lot of brides don't want to get down on the ground or risk getting dirt on their dress, and understandably so. but it can make for some great photos... so you can imagine my delight when bryan and lindsey asked me if i minded if they played around in the creek. me? mind? i LOVED it! how fun are they?!?

so many fun little details...

a really sweet moment happened when lindsey's grandpa cut in on her first dance with her father... adorable.

gotta love when they get a train going!

what a beautiful day to be a part of... thank you guys so much! may your love grow more and more every day.

senior session: aly

2008-09-05T12:00:00.004-04:00

i loved hangin out with aly for so many reasons. she is bubbly, fun, and full of life. she was totally down with me taking her to a random field i'd driven past but never shot at (and it definitely worked out... my new favorite spot!). the camera LOVES her. and -- just see for yourself -- this girl has got some killer style. i had a tough time narrowing it down -- sometimes i felt more like i was doing a fashion shoot than senior pictures! enjoy :)

what would a trip to a big field of wildflowers be without some frolicking?!? :)

love love love the vintage boots!

apparently she thought one of my corny jokes was actually funny :)

then we headed downtown... so much fun.

we had tons of fun just chatting and laughing... of course some youtube quotes thrown in the mix...

aly, you are an amazing girl with a beautiful spirit. can't wait for your first assignment in digital photography class so we can go shoot together!

alyssa & dave

2008-09-01T14:10:00.003-04:00

i've know alyssa since the 6th grade when we were on club swim team together, and dave since high school, when my group of girlfriends would pull pranks like setting up a fake garage sale on his lawn. needless to say, i knew this was going to be a day full of joy and laughter. everything came together beautifully that day, and i'm so glad i got to be a part of it.

8-9 isn't just a fooseball score... it was the date of their wedding :)

i always love seeing the interactions between fathers and daughters right before they walk down the isle...

party bus!!!!

future photog?!? :)

I've got a feva... and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!

(the best part is that the blue oyster cult song really was playing... and matt really did play a mean cowbell!!!)

i had so much fun with alyssa, dave, and the whole big bridal that day. best of lucky in indy... gr won't be the same without you two!

senior session: rachel

2008-08-28T10:44:00.006-04:00

rachel is such a great girl, and one after my own heart -- a young lifer! we had fun talking about young life camp and the excitement of being a senior... and rachel and i have another shared passion -- she hopes to work with non profit organizations, and may pursue a degree in relation to that when she ventures off to college. here are a few of my favorites from our trip downtown!

loved this next outfit! she could be walkin through NYC with this style :)

we were lucky to find some beautiful light to play with...

thanks again rachel! can't wait to bump into you at YL this year :)

robyn & patrick

2008-08-20T22:02:00.014-04:00

ever since i met robyn and patrick back in may, i knew that we were going to have a ton of fun together. they were so laid back and in love... so affectionate and comfortable in front of the camera. well august rolled around and my trip down to chi-town did not disappoint! from fun details to a hilarious bridal party and the craziest dancing i've seen yet, robyn and patrick threw one awesome party. here is a little (ok, actually quite big) snippet of the day.

how many bridesmaids does it take to get a bride in her dress?... apparently, 5 :)

love love loved the stained glass... and the kiddos!

the sparklers almost went out before the newlyweds exited...

i was stoked... we had such gorgeous light to play with! and robyn and patrick were so naturally affectionate that i didn't even need to tell them what to do. seriously too cute.

aren't they gorgeous?!?

i was so glad that they didn't mind chillin in the grass for a bit :) LOVE this one!

the reception was beautiful and the bridal party was SO funny. they had me cracking up the whole day!

the cake was pretty delicious... just ask the groomsmen! ;)

i go to a lot of weddings and hear a lot of toasts, but robyn's dad's was the first one to ever make me tear up! there was seriously so much love in that room. it was so awesome to see and such an honor to document.

ok. wow. i have NEVER seen dancing like this before! from the first song to the last, it did not stop. all ages were bustin a move out there! i could post 100 pics on here, but i'll try to keep it to just a few...

robyn's brother was the life of the party. i don't think he left the dance floor once.

one guess as to what this dance is... not too hard to figure out! ;)

looks like somebody almost fell asleep... and somebody else did the elaine dance...ha!

robyn and patrick, i know you will have a lifetime of love! i had such an incredible time with you. way to throw an awesome party!

jenny & tyler

2008-08-12T20:00:00.013-04:00

i still remember freshman year of college, watching tyler throw rocks up at jenny's dorm room window. i think it was that night when i knew this was going to be an awesome little love story :) i had the pleasure of being one of jenny's housemates the past few years. us girls have helped tyler romance his way to her heart on more than one occasion, especially at valentine's day: one year we helped him blow up literally HUNDREDS of balloons to fill up jenny's room from floor to ceiling... and this year on v day, we filled our living room with candles and roses... so tyler could propose. we had a fun semester at our house, anticipating this special day... i am so glad i got to be a part of it. their wedding was held at jenny's grandparents' lakehouse up in wisconsin, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day... be careful, this is a long one!!!

jenny & tyler met while they were members of calvin's cross country team... naturally, they have a lot of runner friends... so the whole bridal party ran a 10k that morning! dang...

jenny was seriously stunning.

all these boys were so awesome!

jenny trying to stay hidden...

the first glance! i always love this moment...

as is tradition for many beach weddings, jenny and tyler poured sand instead of lighting a unity candle. what i loved was that jenny's sand came from the west side of lake michigan (her home is in chicago), and tyler's was from the east side (his home is holland).

love this moment between tyler and his best man, rick...

ah! the foot pop! love it!

such a fun bridal party...

absolute FAV!

four generations of beautiful women :)

two years of hosting dance parties at our house, and i had NO IDEA tyler could break it down like this!

thanks again you two. i loved every minute. come back to gr and visit us soon ok :)

senior session: olivia

2008-08-11T18:02:00.006-04:00

last week i was lucky enough to take olivia's senior pictures. we headed out to holland and had a great time. not only is she drop dead gorgeous (those eyes, seriously!), but so much fun to talk to. i could hardly narrow these down... so enjoy!

this girl made my job so freakin' easy!

what a knockout!

thanks again liv! i had so much fun with you. can't wait to see you shine this year, and the places God takes you in the future! call me when you need some headshots for broadway :)

busy busy!

2008-08-01T16:11:00.005-04:00

it has been a crazy few weeks for me, so sorry for the lack of posts! here is a tiny preview into the wedding i got to shoot last weekend... it was incredible! MUCH more where this came from...

and seniors... don't forget to book your portrait sessions! there are still some august openings...

wordle!

2008-07-23T23:48:00.003-04:00

ok, so how much fun is THIS?!? i "wordled" my blog and here is what i got...

give it a try!

oh baby

2008-07-21T23:47:00.008-04:00

last week i got to hang out with rebekah & rob and their ADORABLE baby boy. it was great! they found me through a mutual friend, and i'm so glad we got to work together... they were a dream to photograph -- adorable baby, beautiful parents, and so much love going on between the three of them. watching them interact was such a joy -- it was so pure and fun and real. their son made the most adorable faces... and those eyes! i could hardly narrow it down, so get ready!

thanks again you guys - i had such a great time! rebekah, best of luck as you pursue your music career. you guys rock in more ways than one!

americas next top model(s)

2008-07-12T12:25:00.002-04:00

this week i got to hang out for a bit with chris and jess, who got married in june. we did a bridal shoot and had so much fun. let me tell you, walking around grand rapids on a wednesday evening in full-on bridal gear is a sight to behold! i know that everyone loved seeing this hot couple strut their stuff :) jess and chris are hilarious and so much fun to be around... and did i mention that they are HOTT?!? most people are easy to photograph when they are in love, but let me tell you, these two are way-above-average SMOKIN. thanks you two, i had a blast! here are just a few of my favs...

love the vibrant colors!

these two could give tyra a run for her money any day...

love the sneaky eyes! ha!

and we couldn't have done any of this without our trusty hair stylist/sign and flower holder/dress-arranger extraordinaire, lis! love you!

vote or die

2008-07-10T13:42:00.000-04:00

ok, so maybe p diddy took it a little far with the 'vote or die' thing. but if you know me you probably know these two things: 1, i love photography. 2, i love nickel creek. so of course i have fun when the two can come together. go over to JPG magazine and vote for my photo for the 'stage' category. then stick around their site for a while and poke around. its amazing!

family session (and a makeover!)

2008-07-08T00:52:00.002-04:00

i thought i'd brighten things up a little bit around here... what do you think of the new look?

if ever there were a family surrounded in laughter and love, it is the jacques. i cannot tell you how much fun i had during this shoot -- or everytime i'm with them, for that matter. they really hold a special place in my heart and i'm so glad i had the chance to hangout with them for a little bit during a family birthday party. and geez, the kids are SO freakin CUTE!

i love those moments in between poses... no one is ready for a picture, but that is when the best ones happen!

but we did get a few where everybody was smiling for the camera :)

and my favorite one of all...

thanks you guys for sharing so much laughter and love!

ooh... i also gotta say, what a week for SPAIN!!! first the euro cup (let me tell you there isn't much i love more than spanish futbol) and then nadal takes wimbledon! i gotta give them all a little shoutout! ¡OLE!

june 20: molly and jer

2008-06-25T19:23:00.001-04:00

friday i had the wonderful chance to photograph molly and jeremy's wedding. the colors and details of this wedding were so fun and playful, a wonderful reflection of the bride and groom. what was especially fun for me that day was hanging out with the bridesmaids. we all lived on the same floor in the dorms so it was a total throwback for me! i loved it! who doesn't want to spend a beautiful day hanging out with old friends? there was so much love and laughter the whole time... exactly how a day of celebration should be.

my friend paul shot with me on friday... he is so talented and i learn from him every time we talk photography. that guy has a bright future, there is no way around it! it was so great to hang out for a day and talk about the ways we are learning and growing in our art this summer.

molly did an amazing job of bringing bright, simple, colorful details into every aspect of the day. everything just shouted summer! thanks molly and jer - i had a blast!

laura & dave

2008-06-09T21:12:00.001-04:00

last saturday was my 22nd birthday... and what better way to spend that day than doing something i love -- photographing a wedding?

i'm lucky enough to be second shooting several weddings for kelly powers this summer. she is amazingly talented and unspeakably kind. i can't believe how blessed i am to not only be watching and learning from her, but getting the chance to be creative alongside her. i can already see the ways kelly is shaping me into a better photographer. so thanks kelly, for giving me this opportunity to learn and grow :)

and now some of my snaps from our day with laura and dave:

see a few more on my flickr stream :)

steph & kyle: wedding preview

2008-06-03T21:21:00.001-04:00

last friday i had the honor of shooting steph & kyle's beautiful wedding. these two are make the most amazing couple. gorgeous, hilarious, up for anything... and so in love. their entire family and circle of friends are the same way: bursting with love for each other and so, so, so much fun. i've hardly made a dent in going through the photos, but here is just a little preview.

oh, and i was lucky enough to be shooting with theresa! she was just great :)

summer begins

2008-05-27T19:27:00.003-04:00

check it out... my first real blog post! now all i need to do is get the website up....

memorial weekend was nothing short of beautiful. saturday evening robyn and patrick drove up from chicago and met me at holland state park. it was a blast to hang out with them for a bit. they are fun, easygoing, and extremely photogenic. i just can't wait to shoot their wedding in august! here are some of my favorite shots.

and last but not least, the foot pop! aren't they cute?

wedding season kicks off this weekend, and i can't wait to get rolling!

2007-12-24T14:27:00.001-05:00

soon and very soon.