This wedding was in Mid-November.  In the afternoon.  It was raining when the bride arrived and I was worried that we would not be able to find a photogenic location for photos.  I shouldn't have worried.  The church was very pretty and we were able to get some great photos there but the best place was a simple doorway at the reception hall.  I love the spotlighting.  I added a little of my own and this is the result.

Canon 1Dmarkiii 24-105 lens iso 3200 1/60 f5.6

Another beautiful bride.  Before the ceremony we went to Millenium Park in Chicago.  There were a lot of wedding parties waiting by the "bean" to take photos.  We wanted to do something different and the bandstand seemed like the perfect place.  I like the way the bandstand wraps around the bride and points to her.  I also like the colors of the chairs and the piece of sky in the background.
Canon 1Dmarkiii-24-105 lens at 35mm 1/60 f5.6

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