I try to have an idea of what I want the photos to look like when I go into a photo shoot.  This wedding was at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque Iowa.  It was pouring that morning and the wedding was to be outside.  I was really worried about it not clearing up.  The wedding was in the afternoon and luckily it cleared up and was a beautiful day.  It is hard to get a nice blue sky and detail in the foreground.  Some light was added to achieve this.  I love environmental portraits.  This turned out great.  Love the faces of the bride and groom.

Canon 1dmarkiii, 24-105 lens

Last week I did a fashion shoot for Very Tres Chic.  We had a great time.  The models did a fantastic job mimicking the styles of the decades. The dresses were awesome.  It was a very hot day and we started at 9:00 in the morning.  We finished right in the middle of the day.  I got some great shots and a good sunburn out of it too.  Check out the dresses at www.verytreschic.com.

I love the backlight in this photo.  I think it really adds a lot of drama to the shot.  I liked the contrast and light in the original shot but wondered how it could be improved on.  I changed it to a black and white photograph and then added a little color to give it an aged look.  I then added some texture and edging to the photo.  Now I can't decide if I like this one or the original better.
Canon 40D 28-135 f5.6

Romantic Bride

What a beautiful bride and a great couple to work with.  I noticed the lines of the ceiling as soon as I entered the church.  This would be the perfect place for a bridal portrait and as it turned out it was.  I love the way the ceiling lines surround the bride and the railings diagonal lines.  I applied a little softening to add a romantic finishing touch.
Taken with a Canon 1Dmarkii 70-200 f2.8 lens @85mm 1/60 sec. f5.6

Falls at Starved Rock

These waterfalls are actually in the state of Illinois.  They are located in Starved Rock State Park about 2 hours from Chicago.  It was a beautiful week and we camped at the park.  The reserved camping area is very nice with isolated camping spots.  Though it gets a little busy on the weekends.  We always camp and hike during the week to avoid the crowds. 
To get that soft look to the water, you have to use a slow shutter speed and to get the detail you must use a small aperture.
Shot with a Cambo 4x5 90mm lens 1/2 second @ f32

What a great day we had doing these engagement pictures.  This couple was so much fun to work with and we got some great shots.  This was taken at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville WI.  Universities are some of the best places to shoot.  They always have some interesting architecture.  We did some shots in the backyard of the couples parents then went on to the university.  We tried to time it so that the blue lights would be coming on when we arrived.  I would have liked it to be just a little earlier than it was but we got some really great shots. 

Shot with Canon 1Dmarkii 28-135is lens 1/25 second @ f5.6

A Beautiful Day

What a gorgeous day we had for these photos.  The sun was shining and it was a nice 70 degrees.  We went to a city park in Galena Il and luckily everyone was in a very good mood.  The challenge at the park is always to find a nice shady place with no dappling from the sun.  This was done with all available light.  The subject is placed in the lower left quadrant an we have very nice diagonal lines.  I love the happy looks on everyone's faces. 
I wanted the subject to stand out so I chose a small aperture and I had to be concerned with movement so this was taken at a faster speed.  I am very happy with the results.

Taken with a Canon 1Dmarkii 70-200f2.8 lens 1/250 at f4