Two Birds Photography

Stephanie and Ben, 63rd Street Beach House, Chicago

2011-07-13T10:50:00.001-07:00

To check out the photos from their engagement session click here.

Meagan and Hannah's Graduation Portraits

2011-06-08T09:11:00.001-07:00

Click here to view the images.

Locations: Downtown Lemont, IL and Waterfall Glen.

Kate and Dave's Wedding, Weller's, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2011-06-07T23:48:00.001-07:00

Click here to view the images.

Susan and Pat's Wedding

2011-06-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

New blog is up from Susan and Pat's wedding at the Art Institute and the Madonna Della Strada Chapel in Chicago. Click here to check it out.

Sarah and Chris-Engagement Portraits-Chicago

2011-05-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the photos.

Allison and Doug's Engagement

2011-05-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Now that it's springtime I've been doing a heck of a lot more portrait sessions. Here are some photos of one of the first engagement sessions I've done this spring so far. And honestly I've been extremely lucky to be scheduling these sessions on the nicer days! Anyways, Doug and Allison are getting married in Florida next year but wanted to get a little bit of Illinois in somehow. So we walked around Lincoln Park and the lake front in Chicago taking their engagement portraits. I cannot wait to be on the beach photographing their wedding! Check out their photos here.

Chase and Debbie's Wedding

2011-04-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

We have had very few nice days this April so far and Chase and Debbie had one of those days in between that it was pleasant! Which is good because their ceremony was set to be outside at the Country Mansion in Dwight, IL. Debbie had put so much of her personality into her wedding down to the littlest thing like a music box that played "singing in the rain" just in case it was raining. I love photographing details like this. They even opted to do pie's instead of cake because they like pies so much more! Anyways, I had a blast shooting their wedding. Enjoy their photos here.

Erin and Michael's Wedding

2011-04-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

On April 1st I was able to photograph Erin and Michael's wedding here in town. It was a typical spring day with very unpredictable weather but we managed it by finding a few dry spots around the area for portraits. I love that Erin wanted to use the red door at a church she didn't even get married at! They were so wonderful to work for and I appreciate their willingness to brave the rain. Click here to view their photos!

Jennifer and Richard, Hard Rock Hotel, Chicago

2011-03-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Richard and Jennifer got married on a very snowy day on the first weekend in March. I loved this wedding because everything about it was a culmination of their favorite things and I was honored to make visual memories of it all! The ceremony was a St. Clements and their reception was at the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown Chicago. It was VERY snowy and windy and I can't thank them enough for their willingness to brave the cold weather for their portraits. I mean, seriously, they don't even look like it was cold out! Such an amazing couple to work with. Click here to enjoy the photos!

Katie and Dave's Chicago Engagement Session

2011-03-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Katie and Dave are getting married this May in Ann Arbor, MI and I'm totally pumped to travel out there for their wedding. But in the meantime they came to Chicago for a few engagement photos. It was supposed to be a super rainy day so I suggested that we start in the Garfield Conservatory. Haha! Well, apparently you need to get a release from the park district to photograph in public park buildings so we got kicked out. Which I'm actually totally cool with because the rain held off and we were able to go downtown Chicago for a few portraits. All shot on film (except for the last two diptychs) I love the color and grain it gives me! It's something real which feels so good.

Click here to view the photos.

Jackie Bourg-Business Portraits

2011-03-17T09:32:00.001-07:00

Jackie, one of the owners of the interior design store Brandys and Bourg, needed portraits for their new website. We used their recently opened store for some environmental portraits. If you ever need some new interior designing I suggest checking them out. Their store is located in Burr Ridge, IL. Here are a few of the portraits from our session.

Somewhere in Utah

2011-03-16T07:18:00.001-07:00

You'll be seeing alot of photos from my trip to WPPI and Utah in the next couple of weeks. These cars were being sold at some random truck stop on the way to Vegas.

Fashion Photography-Instant Film

2011-03-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Here's the link, yo!

LeRoy Family Photos

2011-03-13T07:35:00.001-07:00

We take alot of family photos of our friends the LeRoy's. Jen usually does these but Graysen and I came along one time during the fall and I shot a few on B+W film. We love this family! Click here to view the pictures.

Ryan and the Leica

2011-03-12T19:54:00.001-08:00

One day I will own on of these cameras!

Detroit, MI

2011-02-18T07:58:00.001-08:00

More photos from our weekend trip to Michigan.

Snowman

2011-02-16T08:48:00.001-08:00

I realize this post is a little behind because the holidays are gone. But someone was a little late in taking their decorations down and I couldn't help but photograph a giant house-sized snowman at night!

Click here to view the photos.

Wisconsin Dells Wintertime

2011-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

About a month ago we took a little mini-vacation to Wisconsin Dells. Other than the indoor waterpark we were at NOTHING was happening in the Dells. I didn’t mind as it was really easy to photograph the town without a ton of tourists everywhere. I loved all of the nostalgic buildings and hotels that are still around the area. I need to go back there during the summer. It was just too cold to photograph everything!

Click here to check out the photos!

Kim and Dan's Morton Arboretum Wedding in B+W

2011-02-14T09:04:00.001-08:00

http://twobirdsblog.com/weddings/kim-and-dans-morton-arboretum-wedding-in-bw

Bobo

2011-02-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Holga portraits of Bob in Momence.

Ashley and Evan in B+W

2011-02-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

http://twobirdsblog.com/weddings/ashley-and-evan-in-bw

Emily and Paul

2011-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing Emily and Paul's January wedding. They got ready at the Hyatt Lisle and were married in the Ginkgo Room at the Morton Arboretum. They had such a beautiful wedding and all of their details were handmade. Paul designed all of the table settings and Emily made her bouquet out of different brooches. I had a wonderful time spending my day with them and I appreciate their willingness to be outside in the freezing cold! There were so many photos that I wanted to show but here are some of my favorites.

Momence, IL

2011-02-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Every couple of weeks I try to go out photographing with my friend Ryan Timm. And we will go out no matter the weather. When we went to Momence it was snowing really hard and it was super cold! We did it anyways. Here are a few shots from that trip. Enjoy!

http://twobirdsblog.com/personal/momence-il

We've Moved our Blog!!

2010-07-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

To check out our new posts go here: www.twobirdsblog.com.

Anne and Kenny's Wedding

2010-07-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were at Anne and Kenny's wedding in Ottawa, IL. We took a TON of portraits at the Starved Rock State Park. Here are just a few of my favorites from their day:

Jill and Josh's Wedding

2010-07-13T22:19:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite shots from a wedding I photographed on the 4th of July. It's always hard to just pick out only a few to show!

Luke and Lydia's Wedding

2010-07-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Just a select few of my favorite shots from a wedding I shot recently in Springfield/Chatham, IL. Can't wait to show them all of the photos!

Hasselblad Shots

2010-07-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Anna and Tim's Engagement

2010-07-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Ever since I took some engagement photos at the Chicago Botanic Gardens last year I had been itching to do some more. Anna used to live in Chicago and wanted some nature for a change so we decided to do our photos at the gardens! I swear we walked around for a good 2 hours and I think we only covered about a 1/4 of the place. They were a little shy of the camera right at the beginning but we jumped right into it and quickly afterwards I could have told them to do anything and they would have done it! :) Anna and Tim are such a beautiful couple and were wonderful to work for!!

Sherhara and Anthony's Wedding Day

2010-07-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

A week ago from today I was at Sherhara and Anthony's wedding at the Eaglewood Resort in Itasca, IL. The day started off a little stormy but the weather ended up being gorgeous for the rest of the afternoon! I had such a great time at their wedding and everybody knew how to have fun. :) Thanks again for having me be a part of your wedding day!!

Amelia and Jon

2010-07-01T20:14:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Jake spent the day with Jon and Amelia, celebrating their wedding. They started their day just a few blocks away from where we live -- talk about local!

Jon and Ame had a gorgeous day, and Ame's smile is so genuine and contagious! These two beauties are such a perfect couple and we wish them all the best!

Here is a Sneak Peek of a few of my favorite shots:

You know we love a bride who stops to give her furry friend a kiss before heading out the door!

There's that gorgeous, contagious smile we're talking about!

This is when Ame says "husband" for the first time! It's exciting, isn't it?

Congratulations, you guys! Maybe we'll see you around the neighborhood!

-Jake and Jennifer

Sweet little Kylah

2010-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

The other day Jake was able to spend some time with the Cronk family! Not too long ago he shot maternity portraits of Lauren, and just a while before that he was doing their wedding!

It was great to work with Lauren and Dave again, and to meet their beautiful little girl, Kylah Elise! She has the most gorgeous blue eyes and is as cute as can be!!

Here are some of my favorites from their outdoor session at Pilcher Park in Joliet!

Congrats, once again, Lauren and Dave! She is so beautiful! Welcome to parenthood :)

-Jake and Jennifer

Cara and Adam's Wedding

2010-06-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had a break in the stormy weather for a beautiful outdoor ceremony! Cara and Adam got married at the Funks Grove Chapel in the Trees. This was such a great place to get married! We also got in a ton of portraits before we took a trip over to their reception at McCarty's at the Depot in Lincoln, IL. I want to thank Cara and Adam again for having me be a part of their day!!

Tornado Sirens = Basement Portraits!

2010-06-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Oh. The joys of living in the midwest.

Tonight, for the 2nd time in a month, we were sent to the basement because of Tornado Sirens!! This time we decided to take advantage of the rare down-time and get some portraits of our "intern"!

Lately, Gray seems to be learning something new every day. He can now clap his hands, twiddle his thumbs, and throw his hands over his head when we ask him 'How big is Graysen?'.

He is already 9 months old, and is weighing in at 24 lbs, 12.5 oz. He has the ability to roll over, but refuses to do so unless absolutely necessary. He is also on the verge of crawling (yes, I am dreading him actually becoming mobile).

Here are a few of the photos we took -- I am LOVING his dragon hat that we borrowed from a friend ;)

Graysen's Auntie Jaclyn is staying with us for the week, so she was able to help us get his attention and keep him happy (we were sent to the basement right at his bed-time).

She also took a photo of all three of us! Which is a rarity, indeed!

Not too bad, for her first time handling a big camera like that:)

This is definitely frame-worthy!

Well, there is a mini-update on our family. We are busy to.the.max and blessed with work. As crazy as life is right now, we wouldn't have it any other way!

-Jennifer

Wedding in Roselle, IL

2010-06-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of my favorite moments at a wedding I photographed in Roselle last Friday. It stormed like crazy halfway through the ceremony and stopped just in time for some portraits outside. Haha! The reception was held at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village.

This is when the storm hit:

This is when the groom momentarily lost his wedding ring during portraits!

Jill and Landon's Engagement Session

2010-06-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

The other day Jill and Landon met me at Graue Mill in Hinsdale for a few engagement photos. We then took a trip downtown Hinsdale and walked around a bit more. We had a good time and I took a ton of photos. I personally enjoy the shadows in the alley, the belt buckle shot, and the "piggy back" photos. Enjoy your pictures and good luck with all of your wedding planning!

Emily and Josh's Engagement

2010-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I took some pictures of Emily and Josh in Kankakee. We were lucky that the rain held off and were able to make some great shots outside! Our session started off at Perry Farm in the weeds and then finished up at Small Memorial Park. I am looking forward to photographing their wedding next year!

Sonia and Nate's Wedding

2010-06-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of weeks ago I did their engagement session and now you get a peek of their wedding pictures! Their wedding was at the Crete Reformed Church and their reception was at the Lincolnshire Country Club. The rain held off and I had some great portrait lighting and a relaxed bridal party to work with!

Congratulations Sonia and Nate and thank you again for having me photograph your wedding. Enjoy the photos- it was hard to show just a couple. :)

We've been blogged yet again!

2010-06-21T22:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks SuzAnn (Kletzien Design) and Rebecca (Clover and Bee). It's awesome seeing our work be published!!

http://www.cloverandbee.com/cbdaily/2010/06/21/at-home-style-suzann-kletzien/

Ryan and Andrea's Wedding

2010-06-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Jake and I headed out to Indiana, right to the middle of beautiful Amish country. Jake was all business, but I was actually a guest at this wedding! My brother's best friend, and my honorary brother, Ryan, was getting married!

It was so much fun being around a lot of family and friends (many of whom I have not seen in a very long time!)

Ryan and Andrea were a breeze to work with, and just exuded happiness. I loved when he raised his arms triumphantly during their kiss ;)

Here my brother demonstrates just how to do the "New Suits" pose:

The groomsmen all caught on!

We are so happy for you two! Congratulations!

Jennifer and Jake

Deacon and Mom

2010-06-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

There are some things in life that just break your heart. My mom asked me to take some portraits with her boxer Deacon. Deacon's health has been quickly failing and we wanted to capture some moments with him before he moves on. Deacon and I go way back, too. We were best of buds years ago in high school and I am sad to see him become an old man. He is such a great dog. My heart goes out to my mom because they are so close and I am happy that we were able to get some portraits of the two of them. I love you mom! -Jake

Scott and Laura's Wedding

2010-06-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just a little over a week ago, I was able to photograph this beautiful couple's wedding! It was an honor to be a part of Scott and Laura's day, and they were so much fun to work with!

The day was pretty hot and threatened us with rain. Fortunately it held off until the reception - then it all broke loose - complete with tornado sirens and some crazy lightening!

I really enjoyed the portraits at the Airport! Here is a sneak peek at their day!

Did we mention that it was REALLY hot??

Congrats again, Scott and Laura!! Thank you for having us be a part of your day!

Kelly and Tom's Engagement

2010-06-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I met up with Kelly and Tom at the Hickory Creek Forest Preserve for their engagement session. It was looking to be quite stormy and it was raining when I left but as soon as we got there the sun came out and everything was perfect! Kelly and Tom were so much fun to work with and they even brought a sign that read "It's about time!" (they have been together for 7 years). Haha! I hadn't been to Hickory Creek for portraits before and it had this beautiful natural field to photograph with. I especially like the shot with the thunderhead in the background. Enjoy the photos you guys...I had a great time and I hope you did, too!

Katy's Senior Portraits

2010-06-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I met with Katy to do some portraits as she just graduated from high school. We took the photos at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. Despite the swarms of mosquitos we had a great time! Haha! Enjoy the pictures...

Ellen and Joe's Chicago Wedding

2010-06-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

To finish off my first three wedding weekend of the year I took the good ol' train downtown Chicago to photograph at the Allegro Hotel. My day started off with a couple of "pin-up" shots of Ellen before she put on her dress. After that I took a ton of portraits of the bridal party in the hotel lobby and at the theater next door. Their reception was at 312 Chicago which was connected to the Allegro Hotel. This two story restaurant was really great to photograph in and had some cool lighting to work with. Ellen and Joe were so happy and it was amazing to be there to capture their love for each other.

Jim and Lauren's Wedding Day

2010-06-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Jim and Lauren got hitched this past weekend at St. Stephen's church in Orland Park on Saturday. This church was huge and had some great stained glass windows. After the wedding we took a trolley ride to Centennial Park for some portraits (caught some great candids!) next to the water. Their reception was only 15 minutes away at the Orland Chateau which was such an elegant place to have a reception. Jim and Lauren were so easy going and I had a blast working for them! Enjoy the pictures!

Mary and Tim's Intimate Wedding

2010-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I photographed Mary and Tim's wedding at their home in Lincolnshire, IL. The ceremony was set alongside the river in their backyard and the only guests were their kids and Grandma and Grandpa which made everything very emotional and intimate. I felt honored to be there to photograph their wedding. Here are just a few of the photos that I took that day!

Sonia and Nate in Chicago

2010-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

In just a couple of weeks here I will be photographing Nate and Sonia's wedding and they thought it would be a good thing to get used to being in front of the camera. :) So, they decided to have me take a few photos of them in Chicago. We had gorgeous weather and some great locations to go to. I can't wait to photograph their day coming up soon!

Don and Rachel's Chicago Session

2010-06-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last week Don and Rachel met me downtown Chicago on a beautiful day for their engagement photos. We started at the Wrigley building, then walked over to the Bean and did some more portraits at the Art Institute. Rachel surprised Don with a Cubs jersey so we attempted to do some photos at Wrigley Field. Little did we know that there was a baseball game going on. We more or less illegally parked and ran to get some shots in front of the Cubs sign! Haha! Anyways, I had a great time and I can't wait to photograph their wedding in September!

Scott and Vicki's Engagement Session

2010-05-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Scott and Vicki were a blast to work with, and they were very prepared:) They rented out a fantastic little theater in downtown Champaign for our shoot. They also wore coordinating colors and brought along all their own props!

I loved their enthusiasm!

They didn't even bat an eye when I dragged them around in the blazing heat for some more shots!!

Here are a few of my favorites from their session:

I'm looking forward to shooting your wedding a year from now! Congrats, you two!

-Jake

Ashley and Evan's Engagement Session

2010-05-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Ashley and Evan met with me in what was easily the hottest day of the year so far for some engagement photos. The weather didn't bother us one bit though! Ashley and Evan were so easy going and we did a ton of different poses and had a lot of fun. It is going to be hard narrowing this one down!

Wedding in Rosemont, IL

2010-05-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Just some of my favorites from a wedding shot at the Cafe la Cave in Rosemont.

Christine and Bryon's Wedding

2010-05-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Christine and Bryon got married this past weekend at the Roundhouse in Aurora, IL. Both the ceremony and reception was at this location and it was such an awesome place to have a wedding! It is always a pleasure working for a couple totally in love!!

Also, a big thank you to Ryan Timm and Hollee Yates for the amazing photography...you guys rock our world!

Enjoy,

Jake and Jen

SuzAnn Kletzien Design

2010-05-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks SuzAnn for having me do some more photos for you! Your designs are amazing as usual.

Katie and Doug's Engagement

2010-05-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

Taking advantage of some nice weather I met with Katie and Doug for some Kankakee engagement photos. Unfortunately, with the nice weather came allergies and I accidentally caught a few shots of Katie sneezing, haha! All joking aside Katie and Doug were wonderful to take portraits of and we had a good time photographing with the morning sun. We ended up going to three locations: Perry Farm, Kankakee Rail Road Depot, and Small Memorial Park. Enjoy the pictures!

Rick and Jennifer

2010-05-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Rick and Jennifer asked me to come out to Munster, IN for some engagement photos. I told them I wasn't really familiar with the area so they picked out some locations. I was not disappointed! The first place we went to was this really old monastery. I think the structure was completely made out of geodes which in itself is awesome. I could have photographed at this location alone all day. We also went to Centennial Park (I believe that was the name) and got some great shots on the bridge and the fountain. Rick and Jennifer were such a great couple to work for and I am glad they put up with the cold weather just for me to take some pictures. :) Enjoy!

Ryan and April get Engaged!!

2010-05-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we got let in on a little secret. Our good friend, Ryan, was going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, April and he wanted Jake to be there to capture that moment.

Of course, Jake readily agreed, and I sat at home anxiously awaiting her answer (of COURSE I knew it would be yes!! They are M.F.E.O!)

Ryan, ever the romantic, took April up to a secluded beach in Indiana, wrote her a beautiful letter and while she was reading it, he carefully pulled out an amazing vintage engagement ring!

After she said "Yes!" Ryan waved Jake out from his hiding spot in the tall grass and he was able to get a few more shots of the newly affianced couple.

We are incredibly excited for you guys and wish you all the best!! It is so clear that you are meant to be together forever, and I'm glad Jake was there to capture the first moments of the rest of your lives!

Congratulations, Ryan and April!!

Asparagus

2010-05-21T21:10:00.001-07:00

Some Memories from Seattle

2010-05-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last week Jen and I took a trip out to Seattle to visit our friends Jon and Erin. These are some of the shots I took. I am such a tourist...oh well!

Pikes Place

Gas Works Park

Molly Moon's Ice Cream

Space Needle

Airplane Exhaust

Skyline

Lenin Statue in Fremont

Creepy baby sticker

Bored while girls are shopping

Sculpture at the Locks

Looking for Salmon

Salmon eggs

Very green fall out shelter

Seattle Underground Tour

Pike's Place Again

Jen got a Frapp from the original Starbucks- Didn't nearly taste as good as the Starbucks in Kankakee however.

View overlooking Puget Sound

Mossy Tree

Landscape at Discover Park

Mr. Roger's factory tour at the Redhook Brewery

About to have breakfast

Wine barrels from our tasting trip

Sunset on our last day in Seattle overlooking Puget Sound

And my souvenir that is almost gone as I'm writing this blog...

Dogwood

2010-05-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Gotta love black and white nature shots!

Peony

2010-05-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Shawn's Senior Session

2010-05-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Shawn's senior portrait session around Kankakee. We started at Small Memorial Park and then took a short trip to the Rail Road Depot downtown. The light was perfect and Shawn was a natural at posing! Enjoy the photos!

Matt and Kari's Wedding Sneak Peek!

2010-05-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

I always love photographing my families' various events, so I was thrilled when my cousin, Matt, asked me to be the photographer for his May wedding. When I am working for my family I tend to go a little overboard with shooting and really make a day of it!

This time was no exception!

It was a blast spending the day with Matt and Kari, and even though it was chillier than anticipated, and the wind was out of control - they were so much fun to work with!

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek! I had a hard time choosing my favorites because there were so many great moments!

Congratulations, you two! And welcome to the family, Kari!!

Lauren and Jason at the Riverwalk

2010-05-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Lauren and Jason braved the weather and met with me for their engagement session. They chose the beautiful Naperville Riverwalk. I swear it dropped about 10 degrees in temperature right before we started. :) It didn't matter though because Lauren and Jason were so laid back and we were able to get a ton of photos. I am looking forward to photograph their wedding in October as I'm guessing it'll be one big party! Enjoy the pictures...

And just for the heck of it one more (best "gangsta" pose ever):

Anne and Kenny

2010-05-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Anne and Kenny had me photograph their engagement session at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL. It was also a chance for me to do a little location scouting since their wedding reception is going to be at the Grand Bear Lodge. We found some awesome spots to do photos, the weather was perfect, and it's always a pleasure to photograph a couple who are totally in love! Thanks again guys for the great time! Enjoy.

Amy and Irakli's Engagement Session

2010-05-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I met up with Amy and Irakli for a few photos at the Morton Arboretum. They were such a laid back and beautiful couple who weren't afraid to have fun in front of the camera. The Arboretum is just a gorgeous location to do portraits as well. Enjoy the pictures!

Theresa and Rick's Wedding

2010-05-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the honor to photograph Theresa and Rick's wedding in Downer's Grove. They had a beautiful ceremony at the Divine Saviour Catholic Church and held their reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glen Ellyn. The Crown Plaza offered some really great places to do portraits and the hall had these awesome purple lights which really set the mood for the night. Also, I'm glad the rain held off so we were able to get some shots with Rick's Corvette! :)

Enjoy the photos!

Wedding in Itasca

2010-04-28T22:20:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of my favorites from a wedding I shot this past weekend!

Our Newest Nephew!!

2010-04-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

We're a little late in introducing our newest nephew, and Graysen's newest cousin - BUT we are proud to introduce you to Calvin Nicholas!! He was born on April 10, 2010. He weighed in at 7lbs, 9 oz and was 20" long.

Little Calvin is absolutely perfect in every way!!

I was so excited to do newborn photos of this little man just 6 days after he was born. I don't get to do many newborn shoots, and it was an extra treat that he was my nephew:)

Here are a couple of my favorites from his session:

I am so happy and excited for my brother and sister in law. Their beautiful family is so perfect, and I adore my nephews! Thanks for letting me be there!

Love,

Jennifer

Elizabeth and Aaron Get Hitched!

2010-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

I got to photograph a wedding in my good ol' hometown of Ottawa last weekend! Their wedding was at the Reddick Mansion. I had always wondered what it was like inside and I was not disappointed. That place was made for a photographer! Aaron and Elizabeth had such a relaxing wedding with games on the lawn, food served by the Row House Cafe, a coffee bar from Jeremiah Joe's, and cupcakes for desert. I didn't even have to leave the site until the very end when we took some photos at the Central School swings. Needless to say I took alot of photos (big surprise!). Enjoy!

Holga Shots 04.21.10

2010-04-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Taken with a high quality piece of plastic! Shot on Kodak Portra 800 film.

Deanne and Matt in Analog

2010-04-20T21:13:00.001-07:00

More to come...

Lauren's Wedding in Analog

2010-04-19T21:37:00.001-07:00

More to come....

Jaclyn Grace

2010-04-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

The Chad

2010-04-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Got my first set of photos from my Hasselblad back! I will be posting them over the next couple of days here.

Kristin and Andrew

2010-04-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday turned out to be the perfect spring day to have a wedding! It was 70 something degrees out, sunny, and beautiful. Kristin and Andrew were an amazing couple to work for and I was blessed to be able to capture their wedding! Here is just a little sample of the photos I took this weekend. Enjoy!

Graysen 6 months

2010-04-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

As the only child of photographers, one might think that this kid would have oodles of photos taken on a daily basis. BUT, one would be mistaken.

We were rather horrified to realize that Gray's 7 month 'birthday' was a mere 9 days away and he had yet to have his 6 month photos taken!

How embarrassing.

So I stripped him down and did an impromptu photo shoot in our basement studio!

Gray has firmly mastered the art of sitting unassisted. But has still only rolled over once. We are ok with this, as we are in no rush to have this little beastie mobilized any time soon.

He is weighing in at 22 lbs, 6.6 oz and is as charming as he is chubby!

He loves people and crowds and is a very content little man.

Here are some of my favorite shots from his mini-session yesterday:

So there he is in all his chubby glory! Consider your appetite for Gray photos satiated. Hopefully I can get his 7 month shoot done in a more timely manner :)

-Jennifer

Lauren's Maternity Sneak Peek!

2010-04-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Lauren totally rocked her Maternity Session this afternoon!

She showed up completely glowing and beautiful! This is one gorgeous Mamma!

They had a fabulous, albeit windy, day for the session. And we were able to hit up some of our favorite spots around town!

We had Dave get in on the fun too, even though he is recovering from knee surgery!

I couldn't wait to go through their files, so here are some of my favorite images from her shoot:

Lauren and Dave, your baby is going to be so beautiful. We can't wait to meet little Kylah Elise!!

Congratulations!

Jen and Jake

Four Left!!

2010-04-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Only four Saturday dates left through October! The remaining Saturdays are: July 31st, August 21st, September 11th, and October 30th. Book your wedding date now before it's gone!

My new toy!

2010-03-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

OK, it's kind of a glorified box, beat-up, and old...but I find it to be PERFECT! Just sent out my first rolls yesterday and I'm very excited to see them!

Josh and Lauren's Wedding

2010-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to shoot Josh and Lauren's wedding this past weekend! They were such fun to work with, and they had a beautiful sunny day.

It was great to be back shooting at the Patrick Haley Mansion in Joliet, IL. It is a gorgeous location that has a lot to offer visually. Of course, having a beautiful couple to work with always makes my job easier!

I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites for their Sneak Peek, but here are a few shots from Josh and Lauren's day:

I am thrilled that this wedding season is off to such a fantastic start! Thank you Josh and Lauren for having me be a part of your special day. I will have the rest of your photos ready for you in the next couple weeks here!

Enjoy!

-Jake

SuzAnn Kletzien Design Feature

2010-03-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

My photography for Kletzien Design was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. Check it out!

Josie

2010-03-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

My sister is beautiful!

Deanne and Matt's Wedding!

2010-03-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Deanne and Matt were such fun to work with! I honestly couldn't have picked a better wedding to kick off our Season with.

Unfortunately, the weather took a turn on their wedding day, but we made the best of it and Deanne and Matt had an awesome location picked out for some indoor portraits!

We are very excited to show you some of our favorite images from their day.

Congratulations and best wishes, Deanne and Matt!

I was thrilled to be a part of your special day!

-Jake

Ryan and Andrea's Engagement Session!

2010-03-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

This week has been the kick-off to our very intense Wedding Season. And along with the weddings come the Engagement Sessions!

I was happy that Monday brought us some sun as I headed out to do Ryan and Andrea's shoot! Jen told me to take good care of them, because Ryan was like an honorary brother to her :)

Here are a few of my favorite images from their shoot:

Congratulations, you two! I look forward to being there for your wedding!

-Jake

Shots 03.19.10

2010-03-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Shots 03.11.10

2010-03-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

If it wasn't so frickin' expensive to process I would shoot with film all of the time. I love my old cameras! This first shot is in tribute to my old lawn decorations photo essay. Who paints a cherub in Cubs paraphernalia?