HAPPY NEW YEAR!! and a new Gar Calendar

As some of you know, I have worked for years with my friend Gar creating a "Gar calendar". In the past you were lucky to get or see a copy but this year we have gone high tech and are publishing it on Facebook. Along with posting a new image each month, we will be revisiting the past and posting images from past calendars. So, if your eyes are ready for the 2011 Gar calendar check it out. Search "Gar Calendar" on facebook. Oh, this image is NOT the highly anticipated January image. That will be posted tomorrow so you will have to wait with the rest of the 100's of fans already!!

relax

the holiday madness and terrible weather won't last.

Chicago Home + Garden Chairs for Charity

Tomorrow is the Chicago Home + Garden Chairs for Charity event. I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph one of the chairs. Here is what we came up with thanks to Nathaniel Ross at Matter & Order matterandorder.com the amazing designer for pulling together an amazing crew and beautifully restoring an awesome chair. Thanks to Anastasia and Sean from Anastasia Chatzka (anastasiachatzka.com) for providing incredible wardrobe and styling. Thanks to Angelica from Tigerlilie (tigerlilie.com) for providing awesome hair and makeup, and thanks to Agnieszka for providing herself as the lovely first time model!!! Amazing job everyone.

Happy Halloween

One of my most favorite holidays is in a few days. I hope everyone has figured out their costumes and has a big bowl of candy ready. Booooo! Here are two out takes from a Halloween email promo.

First Camera... or should I say first 35mm camera

Going way back in the archives this week I found this photo I took of my first 35mm camera. I loved this thing. IT WAS BLUE. I was lucky enough to travel to New Zealand while in the 7th grade. I had previously had a disk camera and a 110mm but being in a foreign land I was obsessed with getting a real camera and then there it was.. in it's blue glory. Did I say I loved this thing? I went through 6 rolls of film before my dad made me process a roll to make sure it worked. I was not obsessed with the photos, I was obsessed with taking the photos. These days I have become a bit more obsessed with the photos... the computer can make you do that, but I am still obsessed with taking the photos and looking back on a lot of the images I have taken over the years I can get a little misty eyed. I love photos and the memories and emotions you can get while looking back.

e-mail promo

Here are the images from the email promo I sent last week... in case you didn't see it. I use myemma.com to send most email promos out. If you wish to sign up for my email list, you can do so here. Thanks.

Lesson of the day: Keep EVERYTHING up to date

Being a photographer does not mean I spend all my days out taking photos… wouldn’t that be nice! This past week I have been super busy with getting my bookkeeping to a more manageable space, marketing, meetings, and as always editing and organizing my image library. Lesson of the day: Keep EVERYTHING up to date. With these super nice days we have been having in Chicago it is very tempting to take time off of the ‘to do’ list, but it can get out of hand super fast if you’re not careful!!

Here is an image that I found while organizing my image library that I shot months ago….only now to make it to this blog.

Experimental Food Night

As you know, I am not a writer. I am a photographer who started as a photo assistant after college. While assisting in Chicago I learned a few things... more so, I learned what I did not want to to. I started at a large catalog house laying floor (they actually named a floor after me which meant TIME TO LEAVE!!!) So, I learned I did not want to work at a catalog house. Then I went on to assist several food photographers back in the day of 8x10 film and Polaroid and waiting all day for the food stylist to put a pickle on a hot dog, sending the 'test' sheet of film to the lab, getting it back sometime around 6 PM, then the hero hot dog would come out sometime around 11 PM then a 1/30 of a second later it would be almost over. I learned then that I did not want to be a food photographer.
But times have changed. I love food and I love photography and digital has changed the game so why not? Lesson here is never limit yourself and ALWAYS watch and learn... I am so thankful to those food photographers for the opportunity to assist and you never know I might end up at the catalog house!!!???

These shots above are some test food we cooked at our house. Working on getting the crust just right in our home oven. Hint - Italian flour and starting the cooking process on the grill! Octopus... not too much to say there. My friend Gar did most of the work so my hint would be have good friends!

Lesson of Today - Don't wait! Apple Picking

OK, back to my lessons.... today's lesson is DON'T WAIT... the apples will soon be gone or the weather will soon be cold. There are a ton of examples of this lesson so get your 'to do' list done before you have to wait until next year!!!

Circus

Having a 3 year old makes me do things I have not done in years... like visit the circus. If you ever get a chance to see the Kelly Miller Circus, see it and sit close.

Last of the sweet corn

I always love the coffee can filled with melted butter. YUMMMMM....

Maria Kanellis for Complete Woman

These were shot earlier this summer in the studio. Styling by Tony Bryan and Hair & Makeup by Randy Wilder.

Hey.... Look what we found!

It's always nice to see your photos printed. Here is an ad we came across... a nice surprise when you're not expecting it.

Coming up for air

More Domu.com picks.

Juming In!

So I was busy most of the winter shooting for www.domu.com a super cool site if you are looking to rent an apartment in Chicago or just check out some cool maps or photos of Chicago neighborhoods. Here is one photo of the polar bear plunge. These people are crazy.... but soon the water will warm up and it will be time to jump in for real.

Wait for it!

In effort to catch up and to let everyone know what I have been up to, I am posting let you know it's coming soon (hopefully).