second shooter

For those of you who haven't met him, allow me to introduce Marty, my second shooter:

He's good with a camera, and he's got killer eyes. So I keep him around...

: )

I'll show you some of his work whenever I get around to poasting the last wedding we shot together. Oh, and besides our near-death collision right smack in the middle of the bridal party shoot--more on that good stuff later--the entire day went really well! I didn't realize how fun it would be to have my better half shooting across the room from me ;)

U.S. Cellular field

I'm not really a Sox fan, but hey, it's a pretty stadium :)

rainy day

We planned the shoot for weeks. Saturday, April 25th. Done.

And then it rained, the mother of all rainstorms. In a matter of minutes, the temperature dropped 20-degrees. And we wondered why we left our parkas at home....

Rain, hail, crazy thunderstorms, and freeezing wind... but we still grabbed some perfectly perfect shots! Because beauty is still beautiful, even when it's cloudy :)

I'm super-excited to share this shoot with you all, because these two are so dear to my heart!! But I'm up to my ears in editing right now, so it's going to have to wait a few days or so. Until then, a glamor shot to tide you over:

{Michelle grabbed this one of me. I was trying to explain what it meant to "work that blue wall." Unfortunately, I did not succeed.}

Wedding sneak peek

On Friday, my dear aunt got married.
It was a sunny 80 degrees.
And I loved her shoes.
:)

fancy shmancy lenses (and their interpretations)

As promised, here's a quick peek at two of the lenses I'll be shooting with this weekend:

70-200mm 2.8 IS

This is a telephoto lens, perfect for shooting at long distances. It's great during a ceremony, and I really like to use it as a portrait lens, too. Because this is such a fast lens, when the focus is dead-on, images are creamy-smooth. Yum :)

{One drawback: this lens is heavy. I get a backache from carrying it around for two hours straight, which means that right after the wedding, a long shoulder rub is definitely in order!}

I last used this lens as a second-shooter; it's great for catching quick, happy moments from a distance, particularly when you're not right up on top of all the action:


16-35mm, 2.8

Ohhh my, I'm so very excited to shoot with this lens, too! It's a wide-angle lens, which means that it's great for capturing an entire scene with one shot. This weekend's wedding calls for a ton of group shots, and this pretty puppy should be able to help me out in that arena quite nicely!

We'll also be shooting with my favorite: the 50mm 1.4 (see a picture of it here). It's great for details, portraits, anything... I shot Anna and Steve's entire engagement shoot with this cutie patutie, and given the price-tag, it's not a tough buy for most photographers.

We've also picked up the Gary Fong lightsphere, a flash diffuser that should come in handy, since the venue is fairly dark inside. It kind of looks like a giant tupperware bowl, strapped to the top of your flash... but it gets the job done!

And, if you read to the bottom of this post... wow, thanks! Your love for photography probably helps you endure my silly ramblings ;)

Magnolias!

If you're a follower of photography blogs, you've probably noticed that 'tis the season for blossoming photos galore. Everyone has spring fever, myself included! Here's my own single contribution to the magnolia craze, along with some sweet shots of two beautiful young ladies:

Aren't they lovely?



Happy spring!

p.s. Check back tomorrow for a few snapshots of the mouthwatering gear I've "temporarily obtained" (read=rented) for this weekend's wedding. In other words, a nerdilicious photography post is on the way!

romance...

Are you ready for this?

Over the weekend, us Chicagolanders had some gorgeous weather. Everyone was outside: taking walks, riding bikes, and just enjoying the sunshine.

Marty and I were checking out locations for a wedding shoot we'll be doing this upcoming weekend, and we came across a tiny park, tucked away in a small neighborhood.

As we were walking around, we happened upon this couple:

They appeared to be in their late 70s, and they were playing baseball together.

Totally oblivious to the rest of the world: the wife pitched the ball, and the husband would lob it back to her if he missed it with the bat. They smiled, and chuckled to themselves, content to play together in a park on a sunny April afternoon.



I asked Marty, "If we live to be 70 years old, will you play baseball with me at the park, too?"

"Oh yes," he said.

:)

fresh air.

Do you notice a theme around here these days?
The month of April is turning out to be absolutely lovely.
It's invigorating to walk into our tiny apartment and breathe in the fresh air,
circulating through an open window,
left open the entire afternoon.

This weekend, I am:
getting a haircut
having a sleepover
scouting a wedding location
singing in a worship band
planning a bridal shower
sympathizing with Marty (he has to go to the dentist... at 8 a.m. on Saturday!)
buying two knee bands so I can run outside again
taking the dog for a walk
breathing in the sunshine
etc. etc. etc.

So happy Friday!
{and cheers to a glorious weekend}

:)

savoring the sunshine.

Domesticity

Recent thrift shop finds:


And dinner in a pot:


I'm tooting my silly little horn today, only because you all know the truth: due to our rigorous schedules, dinners in the G-family household have recently consisted of leftovers from generous relatives, or boxes of nutritious macaroni and cheese.

On the menu tonight? Garlic chicken with a pinch of paprika.

Take that, Martha Stewart.

*grin*

Easter cross

It's a bit belated, but I wanted to share this:

Every year, on Easter Sunday,
our church sets up a big cross right outside the front doors.
everyone brings fresh flowers, and we cover it in pretty blooms.
So happy :)

adventures in house hunting

The front looked good.

Cutsie bungalow. Sturdy porch.
Open floor plan. Sunny windows.
Galley kitchen. Crown molding.

The back did not.

Sagging roof?
Approx. $10,000 repair.

Gulp.

Goodbye pretty bungalow.
I could already see myself cooking eggs in your charming kitchen,
hanging a frothy chandelier in the breakfast nook,
sitting on the flagstone patio, drinking coffee.

But reason has spoken
(softly, from my husband's whisper,
loudly, from my dad's protests).

Apparently,
romantic idealism
is not the best trait to have
when shopping for a fixer-upper.

:)

easter eggs

birthday girl

Isn't she pretty?
Happy birthday to my beautiful sister, Anna :)

Dinner prep, and Good Friday.

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood,
sealed my pardon with his blood,
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

(an excerpt from tonight's cantata that we'll be singing at our Good Friday service)

vintage photos

On our last trip to my favorite vintage shop, I picked up a stack of photographs.
Aren't they fascinating?
I love looking at families, or couples on their wedding day, fifty years ago.
Definitely one of my favorites!
Dancing in the backyard? How cute is that?

random weekend shots

This weekend began with a delicious dinner-date, complete with red wine, ice cream, and cupcakes. Perfect, right? But it ended with a nasty migraine on Sunday night. (At least the two weren't flip-flopped, hmm?) My eyes couldn't handle the harsh computer-screen glare for the past 24 hours, so I spent most of my time in bed with a pillow on top of my head. Marty, will you cover up the alarm clock? Marty, can I have some water? Marty, don't you think a new pair of Jimmy Choos would make me feel better?

:)

I'm back now, and ready to share some recent shots with you!

My favorite of the weekend:

Beautiful shot, taken by her photographer-daddy (get the 50mm 1.4, Luke!).

Me and the birthday girl!

We celebrated three other birthdays this weekend. Two were milestones:


And a beautiful eight year old:

Camera stolen = result. I like it :)

Taken just after this brand-new one year old devoured two hot dogs. Holy cow. He looks happy!

bear hugs + chocolate cake

Every day, on my walk to and from work, I pass by a dry cleaners shop. The owner is a tiny asian lady; I try and smile at her in the mornings, if I can catch her eye, but she's usually busy, hunched over her sewing machine.

One afternoon, on my walk home, I saw a lady getting out of a car in the dry cleaner's parking lot. Her car's license plate said "KissNHug."

I watched the woman walk into the cleaners, drop her laundry on the counter, and smother the little asian lady in a giant bear hug. They laughed, and talked, and smiled.

This little scene made me smile. Because sometimes love is subtle, quiet, unexpected... and other times, it rolls up in a big white SUV, grabs you by the middle, and squeezes your guts out.

Today, I'm all for the squeeze-your-guts-out kind of love :)

**

This blog has been a bit devoid of friendly faces; pretty landscapes are nice and all, but there's nothing better than a real human face. I'll try and do better! In the meantime, to get things started... here's a shot of Marty and I from last weekend, cutting our year-old wedding cake. (And, contrary to popular belief, it was ridiculously delicious--we're actually eating the last of it as I type. mmmm....)

travel itch

There's something about a rainy night. Water drops on the window panes, cars sloshing through wet parking lots... I curl up with a cup of coffee and imagine faraway places I'd like to visit. China. Sweden. Alaska. Ireland...

Here's a shot from my mom's recent trip to Ireland (isn't she a great photographer?):


If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?