What happens after I take your photos?

January 21, 2019

I don’t just want to send you a link and have you click through all of your images for the first time while you’re at work. I want it to be an experience—I want you to dedicate an evening to being together at home to see your images for the first time.

After each session, I’ll have you choose a date a few weeks out to block off an evening or day together to see the photos for the first time. For weddings, I’ll let you know when I’m almost done editing, and then you can choose your date. Plan to spend an hour or two together. Pop some popcorn, pour some wine, put on your home pants, and then open my email.

The Slideshow

You’ll start by watching a slideshow of all of your photos together. If you can connect your computer screen to your television, even better.

The Digital Files

After you watch the slideshow, you’ll get a download pin to download your photos. Be sure to put them in a few places so they’re backed up.

Keepsakes & Art

From there, you’ll have a chance to order print products through your online gallery at your own pace with a one day 20% discount. I’ll use the wall photos that you sent me before your session or wedding to include a few recommended wall designs in my email to you. You’ll be able to use my interactive designer to swap out images to decide what look you like the best, and then you’ll order the prints to frame yourself or order ready-to-hang professionally framed fine art prints.

If you order loose or mounted prints (lustre or fine art) or an individual framed print, you’ll have five days to request image swaps, retouching, and your frame style (if relevant) before the images go to print.

If you order a custom product like a frame collection or a folio box with multiple images, you’ll have 30 days to request your images, your cover options, and any retouching.

Albums

If you order an album, I’ll put together the initial design for you, and then you’ll have 30 days to request photo swaps through your online album proofer. Click here to see a sample album design to give you a feel for the process (your actual album proofer will have a button to request changes).

You’ll choose your cover fabric and any add-ons (cameo cutout with your favorite image or text), and once we have everything approved, it will head to print and be on its way to your home. And don’t worry—my digital style guide magazine will guide you through exactly how to style your album and other products into your home so it gets the styling it deserves.

Learn more about wedding photography >

Learn more about family photography >

Learn more about maternity and lifestyle newborn photos >

Learn more about senior portraits >

Every Session and Wedding from 2018 in 30 Seconds

January 17, 2019

Thanks to the literally thousands of people who stepped in front of my camera this year—whether you were there as a part of a portrait session, on your wedding day, or as a wedding guest. Here’s a quick little peek at everything I was up to throughout the year. It’s fun to see how the style adapts to each season.

Travel: A Last Minute Vacation to Rome

December 12, 2018

The words “last minute” and “vacation to Rome” don’t usually go together, but when Jeff had an opportunity to speak at a conference in Frascati, a suburb of Rome, I immediately started looking at plane tickets to see if I could swing tagging along. The timing was perfect—we’d be there during our anniversary, and the only thing I had scheduled was a dentist appointment (November is usually a great time to relax after a very busy fall as a photographer).

I managed to find reasonable flights out of Chicago (literally half the price of most flights—thank you, Aer Lingus), and before I knew it, I was standing in the center of Rome.

From a photography perspective, this was an interesting trip for me. I decided at the last minute to leave my go-to camera at home and bring along my small Sony camera instead. I brought only one lens—a 35mm (those who know me know well that I typically live by my 85mm portrait lens, but the limitations that this put on me were a fun creative experiment). You’ll see in a few photos that Jeff ended up doing a lot of the camera bag carrying (thanks, Jeff!).

Trip Highlights

We had the best tour guide at the Roman Forum. In fact, he was so great that we ended up hiring him to do a private tour to show us some of the “secrets of Rome” before we left. If you’re ever in Rome, message @thegladiatorguide on Instagram and see what you can set up. He’s given tours to the likes of Justin Bieber (ha) and the Kardashians (ha again).
We love just walking around the city. If you’re ever in Rome, be sure to venture across the river to Trastevere for incredible food and views (you’ll see a photo below overlooking the city from Trastevere). This also happens to be where I lived when I studied abroad in Rome.
Cremeria Monteforte by the Pantheon (still my favorite gelato): Via della Rotonda, 22, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Sant’ Eustachio Il Caffè by the Pantheon (the absolute best espresso shot in the whole word, pulled from a machine worth $20,000+): Piazza di S. Eustachio, 82, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
St. Peter’s Basilica will never cease to amaze me (just be sure to look up hours; it closes early)
I went on an Old Frascati wine tour in Frascati. We stayed most of the week in Frascati, but it’s only a short train ride away if you’re staying in the city.
I spent part of a day at the Baths of Diocletian. This is a lesser explored museum (I was often the only one looking at amazing ruins), but they tell a really cool story. This was essentially a spa in the days of the Romans—think hot and cold baths and gyms to work out.
We spent our last night at the hotel overlooking the Trevi Fountain and paid a bit more for a view of the fountain (rates are surprisingly reasonable in November, and the weather was amazing. Jeff said he’d never go to Rome in the summer again. But side note—I don’t necessarily recommend this hotel (it was stinky). I do, however, highly recommend Foro Romano Luxury Suites.

If you’re ever planning a trip to Rome, don’t hesitate to reach out! It’s one of my favorite places in the world, and I’m always happy to share my tips and experiences.

Five Tips to Prep for a Documentary Style Portrait Session at Home

December 5, 2018

When most people think about photo sessions, they think about a pretty field and glowing sun, but there’s a lot of beauty and joy to be found right inside your own home. In fact, we have a whole wall in our house dedicated to cozy black and white documentary-style photos that reflect special small moments in our daily lives.

Now that it’s winter outside, you might feel like you’ve missed your weather window for family photos, but I promise there is still so much potential in your own home. Here’s what you need to do to prepare.

1. Think about what you like to do as a family or as a couple

Make a list of the things that you like to do for fun. Here are a few ideas:

Read a favorite book to kids
Have kids play with a favorite toy or game
Decorate cookies
Snuggle up in one big bed
Drink coffee or tea
Play a favorite game all together (board game or otherwise)
Include Grandparents in images, and have them play with the grandkids

Choose a few of your favorites to focus on for your session (and don’t worry—I always make a point to get a few smiling photos too so you have them).

2. Plan out where you want your final images to go

If you’re planning to put the photos on your living room wall, you probably don’t want to take photos in that same living room. Walk around your house, tape an 8.5×11″ sheet of paper on each wall that you’re thinking about adding artwork to, and snap a photo straight on to send to me.

Once you know where you want the final images to go, you’ll have a feel for which spaces will be final art spaces versus photography spaces, and you can start to plan out where you want to take the photos. It doesn’t hurt to take photos of the spaces you’re planning for your session as well so I can get a feel for both the final wall space and the room or rooms where photos will be.

I’ll use your wall photos for a few things:

1. To get to know your style to prep for the session
2. To design wall art to scale with your images after the session (never wonder what art will look like on the walls again – this tool does the hard work for you)

3. Choose your outfits

Once you know the rooms where the photos will live and the room or rooms where you want to focus your photos and the activities you want to focus on, you can decide what outfits to wear. Planning on a snuggly session? You might choose pajamas or “home pants” (as I like to call them). For a session in the kitchen, you might incorporate aprons or other accessories.

If you’re lost on clothing, don’t worry. All of my clients get access to a styling app that guides outfit selection. Choose the genders, sizes, overall style and color palette you like, and it will return outfit ideas. You can even click to buy the exact outfit suggestions directly through the app.

4. Clean your home (but not too much)

Most of the people I work with at home are worried that their homes aren’t clean enough. Don’t worry about making your house spotless. You might pick up the clutter in the space we’ll be taking photographs (just throw it in a bedroom or closet), but there’s absolutely no need to clean the whole house. Most of the time, I end up moving a few things around here and there to get the images I want anyway. And honestly, a little mess here and there is just real life.

5. Choose your session soundtrack

Every session is more fun with music. Set up your computer, Alexa, or whatever you use for music to bring a little extra cheer into your session and to help everyone relax.