Inspired.

Every photographer is inspired by something: life in general, weather, paintings, fashion. My biggest influence is from older photography. I have a love affair with Victorian and Edwardian era photography as well as old Hollywood starlet photography.

Wedding season is winding down. After a busy October I have some time to breathe and unwind. I hope to take that time to soak in some inspiring images and incorporate what I find so amazing about them into my own work.

Edward Steichen: He had a number of art-related talents, but his portraits of Hollywood starlets were amazing. His portrait of Gloria Swanson here incorporated the use of texture that is experiencing a bit of a popularity resurgence lately via Photoshop. This look was achieved with black lace. It's amazingly simple but beautiful.

Annie Leibovitz: Not older but remarkable. Despite her recent financial gaffes no one can deny she's our generation's photographic legend. Her use of light here is just awe-inspiring. Her images look like paintings.

Julia Margaret Cameron: Probably my top favorite, because of her legend. Cameron didn't begin photography until she was in her 50s and was harshly criticized by her contemporaries for ignoring the general rules of photography. In a word, she really didn't know what she was doing....she was completely self-taught. But she created some legendary images with her novice eye.

Henri-Cartier Bresson: The master at photojournalism. The way he captured people just being themselves is something some photographers never seem to figure out. I hope to get there someday.

Lewis Carroll: Okay, so he was probably more than a little inappropriate in his dealings with his young models. More than likely anyway. Which makes his inclusion a bit controversial, but his portraits of young ladies were just gorgeous. They had an intimacy to them that is inspirational. Maybe he was a product of different times....but his work has to be acknowledged.

Fall is In the Air.

Fall is most definitely in the air. You can smell it: burning leaves, cooler lake air, new pencils. The smell of fall...makes me want to go out and buy school supplies.

Today I had a sitting with this lovely family (you may remember little Brody from about a year ago). We had lovely blue skies and cool air, perfect for a beginning of fall photo shoot.

Just a reminder that if you're looking for Type A Images to shoot your Christmas/Holiday card pictures, NOW is the time to book! I'm full for October already and November will be filling up fast.

Enjoy the sneak peek!

Little Brody was a CLIMBER. I was quite impressed with his rock-scaling abilities.

Throwin' Rocks.

You may remember Owen and his mom and dad from their shoot last October. Little Owen is the same age as Betty and I always like the challenge of keeping up with a 2 year old and trying to get the best pictures possible.

Owen was determined to make me work for it!

His one goal during our shoot @ Grant Park today was to throw as many rocks as possible into the lake. Forget about the photo shoot...he had better things to do with his time!

We got in some great shots regardless and even got the extended family in on the game.

I hope Owen and his family enjoy their sneak peek!

He's totally eyeing up the rock selection on the beach here....you can tell.

Look at those eyelashes!

A Lovely Love Story. | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.

I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.

- Edward Monkton

Clients such as Tony and Lauren remind me of why I love shooting weddings for a living. I continued to remark all day to several folks that "it doesn't get much better than this". The light, the people, the venue....it was all perfection...or at least close to it. Weddings like Tony's and Lauren's are why I do what I do. To capture complete happiness in a great setting on a lovely fall day. It doesn't get better than that.

Tony and Lauren were married at the Villa Terrace museum which provided an absolutely gorgeous backdrop for their fun, laid-back nuptials. After the "I do's" we got some beachfront time in and headed over to Roots restaurant where the couple enjoyed an intimate reception surrounded by their closest friends and family.

And the DANCING! I have to mention the dancing. I have never in my life been to a wedding where it seemed every single person in attendance was a fabulous dancer. This came pretty close. It was so much fun to watch.

Tony and Lauren it was an extreme pleasure to be a part of your day. I hope you had a great time and enjoy your sneak peek.

I had to include this shot, only because I have no idea how this wedding guest is doing this dance move in those shoes!

Thanks to the Villa Terrace and Roots Restaurant for providing such a great backdrop for the day!

Eco Friendly Family Shoot.

This evening I had the pleasure of a sitting with this fine couple and their adorable kids at the Urban Ecology Center. I had never been there before. With the combination of a beautiful orange sunset casting a nice glow on the whole area and a whole yard of pretty purple and yellow flowers its definitely a site I will revisit in the future.

Enjoy the sneak peek of little Claire, her big brother Noah, and their parents!

Tutu courtesy of Heidi over @ The Fairy Garden.

Two-a-Days.

I kind of like this "two shoots in one day" deal. Nice way to round out the weekend...shoot in the morning, get the pictures uploaded...shoot again in the evening and take advantage of the great light. I get to meet two families in one day and do extra shooting on top of it. Sounds like a good day to me.

This family shoot involved fun, colorful tutus, babies with adorable pouty lip- faces, and high flying toddlers. A nice way to end a Sunday evening. I also hear the kids got ice cream as a reward for a job well done. I rewarded myself with a Starbucks Caffe Mocha for completing two sittings in one day. It was fun to be had all around.

Enjoy the sneak peek!

The best part about this picture is little Brady's face. How CUTE is that lip?!?

Sunday Morning.

You came in with the breeze
On Sunday morning.
- No Doubt

This morning I had the pleasure of a sitting with Charlie and his parents at the always beautiful Klode Park in Whitefish Bay.

The early morning sun had already become pretty bright by that time so we sought out shady spots for cheeky Charlie's pictures. He was a natural, giving a sly little smirk whenever the camera was pointed his way. Kind of reminds me of a kid you would see on the cover of Parents magazine or something.

It was a great morning for some pictures. I hope Charlie and his family enjoy their sneak peek!

Victorian Anything.

I am colorblind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am taffy stuck and tongue tied
Stutter shook and uptight
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am fine
- Counting Crows

At one point, when I was a little girl, I wanted to be Amish. I had a slight obsession with turn of the century...well...anything, books...movies...and I figured becoming Amish was the closest thing to living that. Well...that or strive to get a job at Old World Wisconsin leading tours.

I quickly grew out of my romanticized outlook on travel-by-buggy and long skirts with aprons, but I never lost my love for Victorian and Edwardian...well...anything. I love Victorian era photography especially. Julia Margaret Cameron is one of my all-time favorite photographers.

So, when Nikki and Steve contacted me about their Victorian-themed wedding, I was completely jazzed to take it on. I was able to kind of stretch my aesthetic a bit and involve some of the washed-out colors, vintage toned black-and-whites, and blurred images that I love but tend to hold back on a bit sometimes. I cannot wait to start editing this bunch, it's bound to be fun!

Enjoy your sneak peek guys!

I had to leave this shot in full, un-messed-with color. The light was just too perfect.