Night | Bloomington Wedding Photographer

We're supposed to have an epic full moon this Saturday evening. I used to be an astronomy buff (Brenda would argue I still am), and this kind of stuff always makes me smile. Looking forward to seeing if we can see a difference on Saturday.

Until then, here's a snapshot of a tree out in the front yard that looks like it's unsure whether fall or summer is coming after this unusually warm spring.

Saturday night, Bloomington, and a D700

It's our first weekend with our first full frame camera! We haven't had much of a chance to get out of town yet, but are looking forward to the next month in a big way. More pictures and news to come soon. In the meantime, these were from a walk around the city at twilight. There are so many features to figure out on the camera it's ridiculous. Right now, the 35/2 is a favored lens, but the 50 isn't far behind. Looking forward to getting the chance to use both really soon.

New lens! | Chicago Wedding Photographer

Say hello to the newest lens in our petit ensemble. We've mentioned that we're planning an upgrade to full frame cameras, and this is one of the lenses that'll be on either Brenda's camera or mine once they arrive. We're hoping to have the first camera by the end of this month, and there will certainly be pictures once it's here.

Transitions | Chicago Wedding Photographer

Brenda and I have been busy lately. We're gearing up for our summer weddings with our super awesome couples, we've started making moving plans, and we've decided to upgrade our cameras (for camera enthusiasts, we're aiming for a pair of D700s).

We're also planning a trip across the country for this summer. There's a lot going on, but we're excited. Here are a couple of pictures from Dwight, which has been a frequent haunt of ours in the last month when we get the chance to leave town.

We're looking forward to heading up north for some Chicago wedding photography this summer. It's going to rock.

Offbeat Chicago Wedding Photography | Mike + Brenda's First Big Date

Three months after we officially began dating, Brenda and I took a trip to Chicago as part of an educational conference. Along the way, we tried Russian tea, non-Russian chocolate, cheese, and wine, and all kinds of other foods and non-culinary adventures. It was my first real trip to Chicago, and I like to think of it as our first big date.

It kind of blows my mind to think that we started planning this--one solid week of being side by side during one of the busiest parts of the school year in a city as large as Chicago--in the first month of our relationship. But looking back at it now, it made perfect sense.

Comerica Park Engagement Photography

This is one of our favorite pictures from Jeff and Emily's Michigan engagement session.

We decided to shoot the engagement session that day in downtown Detroit because Emily described the city as being very near and dear to both her and her fiance.  Therefore, we spent the day walking around the city to visit her favorite locations, and stopping along the way to capture shots throughout Detroit.

Comerica Park quickly stood out to Emily as a good location due to the tigers that adorned the stadium. This was a great location because it is a landmark location in Detroit, and Emily and Jeff are Tigers fans.  Also, the tigers made a great backdrop, as did the park, for part of the session.

We had a blast exploring the city and getting to capture Emily and Jeff in their favorite city.  And we can't wait to work with them at their wedding later this year!  However, for now, we're back in Illinois to continue working on our photography in the Bloomington-Normal and Chicago areas.

A status update, and future Dekalb wedding photography

This charming device includes a thermometer, a barometer, and a hygrometer against a wood backdrop.

This one belongs to Brenda's grandmother, and while it doesn't include a clock or a calendar, it does convey a sense of time, change, and sensitivity to information, which is kind of what this post is about.

We're easing into this wedding photography business, and we'd rather shoot a smaller number while paying the utmost attention to each client and ceremony than try to blast away at a higher number and lose a lot of details and information along the way.

While the majority of our weddings this year will be in Illinois, it's also appearing as if the majority of them will also be in the north Chicago area. For this and other reasons, there's a good chance we'll start hanging our shingle as husband and wife Dekalb wedding photographers rather than as Bloomington wedding photographers.

Of course, we'll still be happy to shoot weddings in Bloomington; this, after all, is where things started. But most of the people who find us seem to be interested in Chicagoland wedding photography, so perhaps a change is in order.