After dinner

comes the sewing bee,

oft-told old embroideries

and past patterns laid out

over the sounds of TV holiday specials,

coffee and pumpkin pie.

We laugh and lift the warp and heft of it together,

and slowly tease open the stiffened seams,

(careful in parts with the highest use),

looking at this whole cloth

entirely

for re purposing.


 

Halloween is one of my favorite nights..

This year we even designed a new costume.

rwo of pumpkins

Besides eating all the little candy bars my son gets,

it’s a great opportunity to see the neighborhood homes

lit up in all their spooky glory.

eyes in the attic halloween 2009 0277

maiden

My daughter Miriam trying on her veil the night before her wedding–

her energy illuminated the area all around her.

bill & sylvia0193

I had the happy pleasure of watching Sylvia marry Bill.

An old style marriage with traditional words of love, honor, respect.

Their priest asked to marry them, all the family in great shoes and spirits.

He started to smile when he saw her in her dress the first time.

The pictures show he kept smiling all night.


touch

watching the beauty

of the rhythmic body at Summerdance Chicago.

Forty great images of movement and motion–

that certain something

and that certain moment.

Take two kids fresh out of school, add the first non-rainy day in Chicago for a week, and a long-awaited family photo session at the zoo.

Their enthusiastic energy made a wonderful memory of a beautiful day.

aidan and brynn in a tree

I first met Bart and Jurate in October

to capture their engagement.

bart and jurate

I had a wonderful time on their wedding day.

destined

And with the announcement of a new arrival,

I wish them and their new little one all the best.

Jurate and Bart in their favorite forest preserve

champagne-toast

dscfh0021

 

 

She is a whirlwind of energy,

a giving, kind and thoughtful person,

and the apple of my eye

now one year older today

(ladies don’t tell their real age).

 

 Some of my photos to visit and see

her participation in

the Miss Black Arizona Pageant

are posted on my Facebook page.

 

Happy Birthday, Miriam!

 

 

What do Marti Barletta, the healthy fast food company Gourmet Kitchen’s Inc. and happy newlyweds all over Chicago have in common?  I shot the images published in November’s Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine

along with the advertisement below

in a happy return to photographing for quality Chicago publications.

Years ago I was a freelance photographer for small and large unique newspapers like New City and the Chicago Reader.  The assignments taught me how to get around the city, work independently with minimal supervision, “scope out” locations quickly, work well with all different types of people and lighting situations, and meet tight deadlines while daydreaming about shooting for clients that would both travel to my studio and let me do the creative, beautiful type of work I knew how to do.

It was the best type of life I could imagine.

The goals are different but the focus on producing excellent images remains.  My internal wish-list includes that creative life listed above PLUS a beautiful studio, designer, publicist and my favorite, a masseuse to pat me back in place after an intense day behind the camera.

After years of work building my skills and paying my dues, it is inspiring
to see evidence that I am beginning to have the type of life I once admired from afar.

Next Page »