From photograph to Work Of Art!

Look what the FedEx driver brought to my door yesterday....

A Gallery Wrap from the Ebel family session!!

It's always exciting to see images in print, but it's even more exciting when I get to see them transformed into a beautiful product like this. Gallery wraps are a fantastic way to turn your photograph into an original work of art. With a deep 2" edge wrap, these are ready to hang, with or without a frame. They even come complete with hanging hardware installed.

What's your favorite way to display your portraits? Do you love to group a lot of smaller prints together, or do you prefer the look of one big image that really makes a statement?

Cincinnati Picnic Wedding :: Sarah & David

"I just don't love formality for formality's sake," Sarah told me, as we talked over her wedding plans. She's not the bride who's dreamed about a poofy white dress since she was six, or who agonized over the perfect wedding color scheme.

But she and Dave did have one of the most amazing weddings I've ever been to. It was simple yet so rightly focused on the promises they were making to each other. The outpouring of love and involvement from their friends and family made this the kind magical summer evening that I hoped would go on and on and on. I honestly didn't want it to be over!

Of course, it's also one of my favorite weddings ever because I've know these two since childhood. And all 300 or so of their wedding guests. That made it so much fun - but also a challenge to keep focused on my job, and not stop and hug every person I saw. ;-)

While it was a simple affair, it was also full of fun details that added to the whimsy of the day: bridesmaids wearing their favorite dresses, groomsmen and dads sporting funky tuxedo tees, table linens collected from many of the women in their church, and a one-of-a-kind Shrek cake topper (with tattoos that matched the bride's!)...  I think this is a lot like what weddings looked like 100 years ago, where everyone wore their best dress, brought their best dish to pass, and danced until the sun went down. It was simply lovely.

These last photos of Sarah and Dave are some of my favorites from the day. Sarah lost her mom just a few months ago, and I wanted to somehow include her in the details of the celebration. Sarah's mom made this quilt, and I though it made such a sweet addition to these picnic wedding photographs. If there are windows in heaven, I know Sarah's mom had her nose pressed to the glass for the afternoon.

To see more of Sarah and Dave's special day, click here to watch a slideshow.

Or visit their gallery.

Thanks, Sarah and Dave, for letting me be a part of your special day. Having known you both for so long, I really can't tell you what an honor this was to photograph your wedding and witness your wedding vows. I'm so happy you found each other! Here's to the journey ahead!!

Sneek Peek of Sarah & Dave (and a WINNER!)

Oh, my!! It was a whirlwind trip to Cincinnati for Sarah & Dave's wedding, and I'm still reeling from cramming so much into the few short days we were away. I'll share more about this wedding soon (it was one of the most unique I've ever been to, and it was utterly fantastic!), but for now, I'm giving you just one little peek.

And now I get to announce the WINNER of my Clickin' Moms giveaway. 90 comments? I definitely didn't expect that kind of excitement over my little blog post. Thanks, all, for commenting, liking, tweeting, etc. Here's what Mr. Random said...

The winning comment was number 28 - Jen! Congrats!!! 

Jen, zip an email to me at sarah@imagesbysharp.com so I can get you set up with your new Clickin' Mom's account. Hooray!

Learn to ROCK your camera with Clickin Moms (& a GIVEAWAY!!!)

One of the funniest things about being a photographer is the comments people sometimes make when you whip out your camera. "Now THAT's  a camera," one man observantly pointed out when I was at the park with the kids recently. Or, "Let's see who has the biggest toy," said one man at a wedding I was photographing, brandishing his Canon at me with a big grin. As much as some of these comments make me giggle, I do enjoy the chance to talk with other photo enthusiasts, hear how they're using their cameras, and pick their brain for any tips or tricks I might not know about.

That's why I LOVE being a member at Clickin' Moms. Whether I need a little boost of inspiration, or have questions about how to do something specific in my editing software, I can always find someone willing to chat with me and share what they know. I've learned so much in the short time I've been a member.

Go take a peek over at Clickin' Moms and read a few recent blog posts or cruise through the forums. And don't be put off by the name - there are members of all kinds (many who aren't moms, and even a few guys hanging around!). If you like what you see, go ahead and give membership a try (their trial memberships are a great way to try the community out, but you won't regret purchasing an annual or lifetime membership, either - I guarantee you'll get your money's worth).

Here's the best part: I have one lifetime membership to give away!!! That's a $195 value!
*note that this giveaway is only open to new members. If you join during the month of June and win this giveaway, Clickin Moms will refund your membership purchase.*

To enter, simply leave me a comment telling me your number one photography goal.

For extra entries (leave one comment for each item):

• Join Clickin' Moms using one of the links in this post. Leave a comment here with your screen name (so I can say hello!). And don't worry - if you're my giveaway winner, CM will refund your membership purchase.
• Follow the Sharp Images blog (use Friend Connect in the right hand sidebar, or add it to your reader).
• Like Sharp Images on Facebook.
• Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway. Your post must include a url to this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.

Giveaway closes on Wednesday, June 29 at midnight Central Time. Good luck!

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!

Krysta & Steve :: Elmhurst Wedding Photographer

When I checked the weather the night before Krysta & Steve's wedding day, my heart sank. Rain, rain, rain was all I saw for the next day. I knew I could roll with it and find a great indoor location for their photos, but no bride wants rainy weather for her big day. For Krysta's sake, I said some extra prayers for sunshine.

And it worked! While a little rain did come, the timing was perfect. We were able to photograph the bridal party outdoors, then came inside for family portraits just before the skies opened and a huge thunderstorm rolled through. By the time the ceremony wrapped up, the new husband and wife were able to leave the church with blue skies overhead. It was PERFECT.

And this bridal party was one of the nicest I've ever worked with. I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that four of the five of the guys went to Calvin College. No wonder they were such fun! ;-)

Thanks, Krysta and Steve, for including us in your beautiful wedding day!

To see more of Krysta and Steve's wedding photographs, visit their proof gallery or watch their slideshow.

The Ebel Family : Crystal Lake Family Photography

Hello, spring! We've had a lot of wacky weather here in the Midwest, but I'm hoping we've finally turned a corner and are into warmer and dryer weather. And I can't think of anything I'd rather do in warm, dry weather than take some family portraits, especially when it's one of my favorite families to photograph. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, these faces are surely familiar to you. 

We decided to mix it up a little during this session, and headed downtown Crystal Lake for a more urban look. Look how gorgeous this family is! And can you believe how big these kiddos are getting???

But an Ebel family session just wouldn't be right without a trip to one of our favorite nearby parks. "Let's just take a walk through the park, and I'll happen to bring my camera," I joked. I really love creating images of families just being a family together, and that's exactly what we got. 

 

Watch this slideshow to see more of the Ebel family (be patient if it loads slowly), or check out their gallery here.

Do you want to take a walk in the park with me and my camera? Call me to make a play date - I'd love to capture your family doing whatever makes you unique.