This was one awesome wedding.  Art museum rooftop, bright sun that faded into a big orange glow over dinner, creative and gorgeous food (yes, I was in photography heaven), and smiles coming from everyone.

When I first met Lindsay I thought she was constantly grinning because I had a camera.  But on her wedding day I realized that she is just the happiest girl alive and everyone can feel that warm energy radiating from her.  It’s completely genuine.  Jonathan is equally warm and he adores Lindsay.  Everyone can see they both respect and care for each other deeply.  I feel honored to have captured their day.

A special thanks to Jenny for making Lindsay look beyond gorgeous all day long:

Let the party begin.  I could have photographed the food for days if not caught-up in the whirlwind pace that is a wedding :)

Not only are Jonathan and Lindsay warm people … so are their families and friends.  I enjoyed being surrounded by that energy all day.  Mayor Dave was in attendance and he actually declared the day “Jonathan and Lindsay Day.”  There was a signed and sealed document and everything :)

Jonathan and Lindsay, thank you for letting me be a part of your day.  It was truly beautiful.  Congratulations and I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon!

Shout-out to the vendors:  Ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner etc all took place at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Fresco (this food was to die for).  Flowers by my fave florist, daffodil*parker (seriously, I recommend them to all my brides; I simply adore them).  Make-up by Jenny.  I will definitely find out the name of the DJ who was classy, played awesome music (maybe in part due to Jonathan having a radio show) and was not your typical annoying DJ :)

I LOVE Day After sessions.  Erin and John wanted their wedding day to unfold naturally without any formal photos.  They wanted to spend more time with their guests and truly take-in their day.  So one week later they put their (awesome) wedding clothes back on and made time for some portraits with me.  We had a blast!  And Erin wore cowboy boots … how could it get any better than that?

Erin and John are genuine, gracious and fun.  One of my favorite parts of the session was driving down a rural road to the second location only to be surrounded (I mean, surrounded) by thousands of huge, fairy-tale-like dragon flies.  It was magical, ethereal, lovely.  I can’t believe I didn’t capture it on camera but I was completely lost in the wonder of it.

Congratulations, Erin and John!  Thanks for setting aside some time after your wedding day to get some portraits.  I had a great time!

Photographers’ note:  I got a tilt shift lens, as you can see in a few of the photos above :)  So far I only have a handle on using it in non-backlit situations, but I’m excited that all the ethereal loveliness I envision in my head can come to life straight out of camera!

What photographer doesn’t love shooting in Milwaukee?  Every turn yields something amazing … crumbling walls, historic architecture, water, reflecting sun.  Love it.

Alicia and Mike were married in Milwaukee on Saturday and they got ready at the Iron Horse Hotel.  Easily one of the coolest hotels I’ve seen.

Reactions during speeches … always my favorite part of the reception.

Mike and Alicia’s ceremony was held at Calvary Presbyterian Church and the reception was at Renaissance Place.  We headed to the historic third ward for photos … right where we shot their engagement session last year September (ignore the fact that I used a fish eye lens if you go back and look at that session — I was still figuring out my style!).  That area is overflowing with inspiration, but sometimes you have to leave the beaten path.  We saw no less than a half dozen other wedding parties shooting in the same area.

Mike and Alicia are two seemingly opposites who attract each other.  Alicia is more shy while Mike is super outgoing.  After shooting their engagement session I knew they’d be awesome to work with at the wedding.  Their entire huge wedding party was also really nice and awesome.  Sometimes it’s hard to get a huge wedding party’s attention, but these guys were nothing but great.  And I loved them for it!

Congrats, Mike and Alicia!  Thanks for being sweet and nice and letting me be a part of it all :)

I’m both a morning person and a night owl.  But I am not an afternoon/evening person.  Meaning, it’s best that I don’t push myself to be “productive” during these hours.

Working non-stop straight through the day is hard to shake when you’ve recently left the 9-5 world.  I’m slowly adjusting to being my own boss, to making my own schedule, to balancing it all.  I wouldn’t trade this job for the world, of course.  Every single day I’m reminded somehow of how lucky I am.

The next 6 weeks will be my busiest of the season.  I am learning what I can do alone and where I will need to let go and let others help me.  I made a mountain of to-do lists for the upcoming weeks and I’ve told myself to focus on one thing at a time … and not look at the next list item until the current one is crossed-off.

I’m also allowing myself a couple hours each afternoon to step physically away from the computer and take a walk, shoot for myself, read a novel, do a crossword puzzle, sit on my patio, drink another cup of tea. I only get frustrated if I force myself to work during the late afternoon anyway.  This is when my work brain takes a vacation.

A few weeks ago I got an email response from someone I had to turn down due to lack of time.  She wrote a nice reply thanking me for the referrals to other photographers and then said, “Always be sure to take time for yourself.  Otherwise there’s no point in all the hard work.”

Right now I am reading a little Barbara Kingsolver.  I love nature writing.  Annie Dillard is my favorite and I wish there were more books by her and Henry David Thoreau.  If any of you have suggestions for similar authors I would LOVE to know them.

Have an awesome week :)

I’m so impressed and excited about some of the unique venues my 2011 couples are getting married at.    Katie and Ben are tying the knot in an apple orchard next August, so the apple eating portion of their engagement session was quite fitting.

But we actually began with a few quick shots of Katie and Ben with their handsome dog, Miller, at Caffrey’s Pub on the Marquette campus.

Loved the light this night, the variety with which Katie and Ben chose to infuse their session, the sweetness and kindness of these two, the movement and life, the weeping willow tree, and I have to say … the last shot is one of my all-time fave engagement session shots.

Thanks for being so fun, Katie and Ben!  Can’t wait for your vintage, shabby-chic, apple orchard wedding next year!

I said it yesterday … Andrea and Cyrus are awesome.  Their wedding was simple, laid-back, and infused with meaningful and personal elements.  One of my favorite parts of the day was when their musicians sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” during the ceremony.  Gorgeous.

I love that if you look closely at the photo below you’ll notice that Cyrus is also showing off his new ring.

The day went seamlessly … they had just a couple family portraits, a few relaxed wedding party photos, and then they left the perfect amount of time for portraits around downtown of just the two of them.  They even made time for a few minutes of dusk shots later in the evening.  It was a great wedding to shoot :)

Congratulations, Andrea and Cyrus!  So glad to know you both and to have been part of your day!

Just a quick reminder to my 2011 couples that if you were hoping for an autumn engagement session, I have 4 dates available yet.  After those dates fill-up, April 2011 is your next chance.  Just something to keep in-mind :)

And since this post would be boring without a photo, here is a super tiny sneak peek of the wedding I shot this past weekend. Andrea and Cyrus are awesome and had a laid-back wedding — they’re my kind of people. More to come tomorrow!

Beyond these two girls as my muses, so are water, glowy ethereal light, and shapes of any kind that I can shoot through.  What a lovely night of inspiration.  All I could have used in addition was some wind (and food … I love shooting food).  But it was a sticky hot mess outside.  Thanks, Suzy and Jenna, for dealing with the mosquitos and mugginess.  xoxo.

I never understood what fashion designers and other artists meant when they called girls their “muses.”  Until I shot Jenna and Suzy last year.  Then I totally got it.  Jenna and Suzy are my muses.  When I shoot them, everything aligns.  I get ideas for subsequent shoots and I’m constantly shrieking over what I’m seeing in front of me.

We trespassed in some fields the other night.  I have a favorite tree outside of Madison but never know how to find it again.  Troy found it for me on Google Earth.  Amazing what you can see around the world on Google Earth!  We drove to my tree and ran around a lot.  Here is part one:

Sarah and Roger have great style. Somehow their wedding party and the both of them looked modern, glamorous, a touch vintage and a little bit whimsical all at the same time. Simply put, they are one beautiful couple inside and out. More after the photos.

An emotional walk down the aisle. Sarah was stunning in her gown.Not so easy to get Roger’s ring on.See this glowy perfect light? That’s what you get when you shoot only a couple hours before sunset, rather than midday. I highly highly encourage this as it can make all the difference.I actually have more photos of Sarah and Roger swatting mosquitos than anything else from our session in the UW Arboretum :)
My favorite shot of the day below:I’ve never seen such impressive dancing before at a Midwest wedding. I’m sure the party was rocking long into the night. I seriously wanted to jump out on the floor and dance with everyone … it was that good.Love love love getting a photo with my couples at night’s end. Thanks to the MOH for snapping this :)Sarah and Roger were married at St. Dennis church and had a gorgeously colorful wedding with a huge wedding party :) After photos at Camp Randall and the UW Arboretum, we made our way to their reception at the Concourse Hotel where dancing was at its best.

I loved how colorful everything was and the flowers were simply to die for (Bridget of Pocket Full of Posies (In Waunakee) did an extraordinary job on them!). I also loved how both the father/daughter and mother/son dances were more upbeat and unique. Roger and his mom danced to a polka, which is awesome.

Sarah and Roger have such calming and sweet spirits. I can tell they care about everyone around them and that translates into a lot of people caring for them too.

Congrats, Sarah and Roger!! I’m so happy for you both. Thanks for letting me be part of your day and thanks for laying down in your wedding attire on the grass surrounding Camp Randall ;) Gotta love a couple that trusts my artistic perspective 110%