It's Friday! {Elgin Engagement Photographer}

Here's hoping you find something to smile about today. Have a great weekend, friends!

Page 48 is my favorite!

Take a look at this little beauty that showed up in my mailbox a few weeks ago...

Inspire is the first anthology of photos from Clickin Moms, one of my favorite online photography forums. It's a GORGEOUS book, and lives up to it's name. There are so many yummy images in these pages.

So you can imagine my thrill to turn to page 48 and see this:

Look familiar? Yep, that's one of my favorites from Jess and Marcus' engagement session. I'm PUBLISHED!!! {happy dance going on here in my kitchen}

It's so exciting to see this in print. :-)

Come back over the weekend to hear a little more about Clickin Moms (and for an awesome giveaway - my very first!).

Happy Thursday to you all!

Maggie & Steve :: Chicago Engagement Session at Oak Street Beach

I really love my job. While en route to meet Maggie & Steve in the heart of downtown Chicago, I saw a lot of people hustling and bustling along the city streets. Most of them were headed in or out of stuffy office buildings, so it made me smile knowing that I was going to work here:

Steve popped the big question right here at the corner of Michigan and Oak (on a carriage ride!), so we had to return to that very same spot and make some magical images of their engagement time. Oak Street beach was just down the block, so we couldn't pass that up, either. Beach portraits on November first! It was a dream...

There are so many images from this session that I love. Seriously, you have to watch their SLIDESHOW to see more.
Or go visit their PROOF GALLERY.

Thanks, Maggie and Steve, for being such good sports about sitting in sand and walking out into traffic. I hope you love these images as much as I do!

Engagement Session in Lords Park, Elgin :: Stacey + Chris

I LOVE fall. The crisp leaves, cool air, and beautiful colors make such a great backdrop for photographs. Stacey and Chris met me in Elgin's Lords Park, and we had a wonderful time capturing their engagement portraits.

Thanks, Stacey and Chris, for such a fun afternoon. I can't wait for your wedding next August!

To see more of Stacey & Chris's session, watch their slideshow HERE.
Or visit their proof gallery HERE.

Wheaton Engagement session :: Erin + Paul

I'm playing catch-up a bit after a super busy July 4th holiday weekend, but didn't want to pass up the chance to share this beautiful session with you. I met Erin and Paul on the grounds of Cantigny in Wheaton,  as the sun was just beginning to dip below the tree line. Combine that perfect light and the gorgeous gardens with this loving (and lovely!) couple, and it was a recipe for FAB-U-LOUS.

From Sharp Images Custom Photography

From Sharp Images Custom Photography

From Sharp Images Custom Photography

From Sharp Images Custom Photography

Erin and Paul, I'm REALLY looking forward to your upcoming wedding. Thanks for making these beautiful images with me!!

To see more, CLICK HERE to see the slideshow.
And see the entire session HERE.

Schaumburg Engagement Photographer :: Amy & Nathan

It was a windy and wet day when I met Amy and Nathan for their engagement session, so we decided to stay mostly indoors at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg. I joked with them on our way into the building: now that it's rained on their engagement pictures, they're guaranteed a beautiful sunny day for their June wedding. :-) Let's hope I'm right!

This was a great chance to get to know Amy and Nathan a little bit better, and it's got me really excited about their wedding (which is coming up SOON! Can't believe June is next month!!).

To see more of their session, check out their slideshow.

Chicago engagement photographer :: Alex + Jerry

Taking the kids to the zoo, getting an eyeful of beautiful plants and flowers, a romp through the playground, and an engagement session all rolled into one? Yep, it was a nearly perfect day when I met Alex and Jerry in Lincoln Park. We walked here there and everywhere to find the perfect backdrops (darn the construction that closed my favorite bridge with skyline views!) and poor Alex's feet were not so happy by the time we were finished, but I think the results were well worth it. There were so many super cool images that I had a hard time deciding what to share with you.

I just love the playfulness Alex and Jerry have together. I think the ability to laugh together will serve them very well in marriage.

And this girl knows how to work her angles! Hello, supermodel!!

Love, love, loved the way Alex's pink trench popped in every photo. It was a perfect play against the blue sky and green grass. And trenchs are kind of a thing for Jerry, so I love that they worked this special detail in. Here's more from their session: slideshow and proofs.  Keep an eye out for their awesome karate moves! HILARIOUS!!

Thanks, Alex and Jerry, for such a great afternoon together! We're so looking forward to celebrating with you at your July wedding!!

Crystal Lake Engagement Photographer :: Ashlie & Mike

First I teased you with hints about her awesome shoes, then I made you wait an ETERNITY while my computer issues got ironed out. I'm so happy to report that I'm typing this post from my beloved laptop, which seems (for the moment) to be working perfectly. Better than new, even. YAY!


So, without further delay, I'd love to share a few images of this fantastic couple. We met in downtown Crystal Lake on a blustery afternoon, and one of the first things Ashlie said to me was "We're not photogenic." Um, what??? They insist they don't have any good photos of themselves, but they totally rocked this session, so I'm not sure I believe it. Judge for yourself....

I think they look beee-you-teee-ful! We had so much fun together! Best of all was after our picture taking ended;  my DH and the kiddos were spending some together time at the nearby Crystal Lake library, and they came to pick me up at Ashlie and Mike's home (which was our last stop for photos). I had planned to just dash out to the van when they pulled up, but DH ended up bringing the kids to the door. The first thing Aaron said when he walked in the door was "Nice house!" Too funny! The conversation got going from there, and it turned into a great little visit. I LOVE that about my job - that professional relationships so quickly turn into friendships.


A & M, thanks for being such gracious hosts, and for waiting so patiently for everything to come together. I think you finally have some GREAT photos of yourselves. :-)


Want to see more of them? Watch their slideshow, or check out their proofs. 


I have another engagement session to post later this week, and two more couples to photograph this weekend, so get ready! You'll be hearing more from me soon!

Jessica & Marcus: Engaged

Two beautiful Calvin grads, a gorgeous sunset, and one of my favorite locations... Yep, it was one of those nights when I really loved my job. Jessica and Marcus were so alive and so in the moment that I couldn't help but capture their great smiles, their love for each other, and their general fabulousness. :-)

Take a look, and I think you'll agree that they are FABULOUS!








Jess & Marcus, I absolutely can't wait for your wedding in August! To see more from their session, check out their slideshow.