I’m sitting here at 4:02am, after pulling an all-nighter.  I had/have way too much to do before I hop on a plane to sunny California in about an hour.  I can’t wait to be there and to shoot there … to see friends and to find at least 3 hours to relax on a beach.  Preferably Laguna Beach.

Today (yesterday, I guess, I can’t tell anymore) my mom graduated from nursing school and I am so proud of her.  While in Appleton for her pinning ceremony, I shot Denis and Meghan’s early morning engagement session around the downtown area.  I’m happy we dodged the week’s rain, and the overcast skies actually fit quite nicely with the industrial theme for half the shoot.  Here’s a sneak peek of their session … I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the images!

More of Meghan and Denis to come when I return next week Wednesday!

Shana and Hans were married at one of my favorite Madison area venues, Badger Farms.  The temps were wintry … we got rained, snowed, and hailed on … but Shana and Hans are two of the most in-love people I have ever known (it’s incredibly endearing to watch them together; they can barely keep their hands off each other and I love photographing couples like that!) … and they were surrounded by tons of love from family and friends all day long.

Their wedding was so personal.  Shana made nearly everything on the awesome dessert buffet and Hans brewed all of the beer!  Friends brought flowers and performed the music during the ceremony.  Additionally, there was a polka band — very awesome.  I can’t recommend their vendors enough — Dave and Cathy of Badger Farms are so great and made sure the day went as smoothly as possible.  You’re going to see a lot of food photos here because their food was made by my favorite caterers in the area — Underground Food Collective.  These guys use primarily local and seasonal ingredients, and the food is basically incredible.  I love being at weddings where food is a priority … and where everyone is raving about it.  Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery made the cupcakes, and they were the prettiest ones I have ever seen.

Congratulations, Shana and Hans!  I hope you’re always as ridiculously happy to be around each other as you were on your wedding day.

My college advisor always told me that people aren’t linear. While I loved that notion, I tried so hard to be linear — to know my next step … high school valedictorian to college graduate to masters degree to full time position with the university. I’d fight against my passion for the arts in my early 20s because I was afraid that pursuing the arts wasn’t impressive enough … wasn’t a big enough accomplishment after years of accomplishing things. I wanted people in my life to be proud … at the expense of me being proud of myself. I resigned myself to a life of 9-5, in a job I liked enough, with coworkers I liked a lot, at a major university that lots of people liked a lot.

But that all changes today. Today was my last day working my 9-5 job … the job I took a straight line to … the job I was settling for … the job I would always say I loved, while remaining envious of anyone making a living in art. I thought you had to come from a place of privilege in order to “live the dream.” But I didn’t come from that place … I just came from a place of working really hard for everything I want. And the drive to do exactly what I loved for a living pushed me through the extra-long hours and craziness it took to get here today.

This may not be the linear path — heck, I definitely don’t need a masters degree to do what I’m about to do. But I’m glad I took this road. Because now I appreciate this day more than I would have otherwise. The day I became a full time photographer. Some people in my life don’t or won’t understand this … but this day means more to me than any graduation day. Life is short, and I somehow made the biggest skeptic — myself — a champion of people pursuing their dreams. And here I go … into the life I thought was once only for others.

It was a bittersweet day at work because I did, indeed, have the greatest most awesome coworkers on the planet. But when I walked out those doors for the final time, I felt a ridiculous amount of happiness flood over me. I imagine I looked something like how I look in this photo by my new friend, Sarah Rhoads :)

Sam and Aaron met at a friend’s engagement party and then found-out they lived in the same building.  Five years later, here they are, engaged themselves!  Sometimes you just have to step-back and take a breath before you move forward.  It seemed the first 30 minutes of our session — things were out to get us.  The sun was in the worst position for shooting on the beach, and all along the shore there was a huge yoga and cardio class happening!  The traffic in the city had been crazy, and everyone had had a long day.  But as soon as we acknowledged all these factors and just took a deep breath to accept them and embrace them … things came together, just like that.

And that’s what makes a photo session awesome — willingness to embrace everything around you and go with it.  Sometimes it’s extra windy, but those photos often look beautiful and natural — it’s no secret I love hair flying in the wind and across people’s faces.  After chemistry between a couple, and chemistry between the couple and me, as photographer … I think being laid-back and willing to try anything is one of the best qualities to have.  And once we decided to get over all the unusual and unexpected circumstances of the first 30 minutes, we captured some beautiful things.

See you soon, Sam and Aaron.  Your wedding is only weeks away!

Um, I loved everything about this session.  Food, wine, great architecture, a lake, bright sun, then rain, then a windy overcast sky.  Perfection.  And I can’t forget the most important element … two beautiful people.  Two beautiful people who let me get up-close & personal with my fave lens all evening … first at Sardine and then along Lake Monona and the Terrace.

Lindsay & Ty, you are simply awesome.  I’m so glad you love dining out and more so that you wanted to incorporate that food/dining element into your engagement session.  I love how you both smiled, laughed and played in front of my camera.  I love that the rain didn’t bother you … and Lindsay, I love that you wore a blinging ring :)

Can’t wait for your wedding.  If your engagement session was any indication, it’ll be completely gorgeous.

PS — Thanks for the delicious glass of wine :)