Courtney & Brett :: Naperville Engagement Photography

Courtney and Brett are an awesomely fun couple. Just how awesomely fun, you ask?

They're having their wedding at a bowling alley.

Boom.

Photo Pro Expo 2013

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Photo Pro Expo in Cincinnati. It was long days and early mornings (I had to be up by 5:50 so I could make it to my first class by 7:30)... but I met so many great photographers and picked up a lot of great tips on lighting, equipment, and posing.

Throughout the 4-day conference, they had a massive photography contest running in the lobby.

Fort the Love of The Poppy Cottage

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to see and eat in good ol' Fort Wayne. 

It was a Wednesday morning. I was driving down State Street, heading home after a meeting at Georgetown Square. I've been down that road before, and Yum-Mee's Bakery is a favorite stop of mine when I'm in the area... but it had been a while.

So as I'm driving, I spot the cutest little storefront standing alone on the north side of the street.  I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew I had to pull over and check it out.

Erica & Parker :: Fort Wayne Engagement Photography

It's not easy planning a wedding from over 800 miles away. But Erica and Parker are kicking metaphorical butt and taking names... of vendors.

Erica contacted me a few weeks ago and said her and Parker would be in Fort Wayne for a few days in February for some whirlwind planning. It would probably be the only time the two of them would be up here before their September wedding.

Engagement shoot? Yes, please.

Crazy February weather? No problem.

They got dressed up, braved the slight chill, and we ran all over town getting some awesome photos of this special time in their relationship.

The Lounge at Tangles Salon & Spa :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

They say being in business is all about who you know.

I've never embraced that idea more than I have this past year. After Ryan and I bought our house in 2011 (a cozy craftsman in Southwood Park), we really strived to make ourselves more productive members of this community, and Fort Wayne as a whole.

Back in December, Ryan and I were fed up that we didn't know any of our neighbors. We moved into our neighborhood because it was quaint and friendly... but we had let our homebody tendencies get in the way. So, we hosted a holiday block party at our house.

There were 19 people from a 2 block stretch. We talked, laughed, ate, and drank for 4 hours straight. And by the end, I had met so many amazing people with interesting jobs and personalities. One of those being Carrie Harris.

Carrie is the co-owner of Tangles Salon & Spa at Georgetown. When we met, she told me all about their new location and their lounge space, which they use for events and bridal parties. It's hard to visualize something like that, so I made an appointment a few weeks later to drop in and check things out.

Let me tell you... I was impressed.

Capewell Family :: Fort Wayne Family Photography

I met up with the Capewell family at Haverford College on a gorgeous Sunday morning. They originally contacted me because they are expecting twin girls in January, and wanted to get photos of their family when it was still the 4 of them.

It was my first time meeting Cadence and Amalia, but they couldn't have been more well-behaved if I had asked. In fact, they were downright excited for their session!

Cadence had amazing patience, and a smile that lit up my LCD screen...

What to Wear: Women's Fall Engagement

I know it's almost November... but it's never too late to talk fall fashion!

Specifically, I'm here to help you figure out what to wear for your fall engagement shoot...

Fort the Love of American Food

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne has some delicious restaurants... Italian, Mexican, Chinese... the list goes on. But traditional American food is not to be overshadowed. So I got to thinking about my favorite places in the Fort to grab some American grub!

Henry's Restaurant

First up is Henry's. One of Fort Wayne's hidden gems, Henry's features a large menu with all the staples... burgers, fish fry, salads, and more.

Wedding Day Bridal Tour :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of time, effort, and... (let's be honest) money. It was my very first bridal show at the Grand Wayne Center downtown Fort Wayne!

It was a super early morning. Ryan and I got up at 6:45, left the house by 7:15, and were unloading our cars at the loading docks by 7:30.

We arrived at my booth, and it pretty much looked like this:

Mel and John :: Indianapolis Engagement Photography

It was one of those days where nothing was going right. Mel and John had planned an overnight trip from Seattle to Indianapolis, but they missed their flight. So by the time they arrived in Indiana, they hadn't slept in 24 hours.

Pile on top of that the fact that construction detoured us all over town and traffic was a nightmare. We questioned whether we should continue with our shoot.

But when Mel left the decision up to John, and he said "let's do it", I was shocked. Way to power through, John! He knew that it was now or never... and having these engagement photos would make his future wife very very happy.

Nora 1 Year :: Chicago Children's Photography

It seemed like my summer was filled with birthdays! This was my second shoot with adorable little Nora... the first being back when she was only 4 months old. It was great to see that she still looks the exact same, and that she's still just as happy and easy-going as she was 8 months ago.

I met with Nora and her family at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. The views of the skyline are fantastic, but it was a tad bit foggy that morning. But who would notice the cityscape anyway when they have this adorable face to admire...

Pop-Up Studio :: Fort Wayne Portrait Photography

I'm about to make your life a million times easier. Imagine a world in which you could have your family's holiday photos taken in ten minutes, choose the images you like, and have your holiday cards delivered to your door all with time to relax and actually enjoy your holiday break?! If that thought made you happy, then  this event is for you...

I'm super excited to announce that I'll be hosting a pop-up studio during November's Last Saturdays!

Miles 1 Year :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

I've had the privilege of photographing Miles numerous times over the past year (see here, here, and here). It was only fitting, then, that we rounded out the year with 1st birthday photos.

Change is Good :: Fort Wayne Portrait Photography

I'm going to jump right in and tell you that I'm changing how I structure my portrait pricing.

Shoot
First, we shoot. The sitting fee for a 60-minute portrait session is still $100, no matter the number of people or age of subjects.

Fort the Love of Cycling

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

It's no secret that I'm a triathlete. I completed my first triathlon over 4 years ago, and have been hooked ever since.

Cooper 2 Years :: Fort Wayne Children's Photography

Meet Cooper.

Steffen Family :: Fort Wayne Family Photography

The Steffen family is growing so fast they can hardly keep up. In fact, they told me the last time they were all together and had photos taken, there was only one grandchild. Now... there's six! So, it was about time to update the family photos.

We started off bright and early on Saturday morning at Parkview Field. It's a great location because it's the perfect mix of lush and urban.

Fort the Love of Italian Food

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

I am a self-proclaimed Italian food addict. I eat pasta for dinner an average of 4 times per week. Thus, discussing my favorite Italian restaurants in Fort Wayne not only got me excited... it got me hungry!

Ziano's

First up is Ziano's. They have three locations in town (Covington, Dupont, and Chapel Ridge), which are so perfectly spread out that there's amazing Italian food for everyone!

Joining the Wedding Photojournalism Association

I'm excited to announce that yesterday, I received my acceptance into the Wedding Photojournalism Association. The WPJA is an elite group of international wedding photographers whose work focuses on candid and unobtrusive documentation of the wedding day.

Hiring a Professional Photographer and Avoiding Red Flags

Most of my blog posts are planned out ahead of time. But this topic is so extremely urgent, that I had to interrupt my blogging schedule to write about this instead.

There has been a large upswing recently in photographers doing shady business. They take deposits, then don't show up for the shoot. They stop answering calls and emails weeks before the wedding. They break their contract and don't provide your photos until months after they promised.