In 2015 I photographed a bunch of wedding and engagement sessions but I also was busy with other photograph sessions through out the year. I was not the best at posting these as part of my regular blogging but I wanted to take the time and share with you some of my favorites from Events and pretty much everything else from 2015!
RIVER LIGHTS – DOWNTOWN ROCKFORD
I am very proud of this photograph as it helped spur something very positive within our community. I took this photograph during a one time event that created to show off what something could be in Downtown Rockford along the Rock River. City Planners wanted to create a light show along the river for visitors to see. So they created this event, brought in some key people from the community and showed off their vision. I was there and photographed this event and from there, my photographs were shown to MANY people to help raise funds. In the end, funding was secured to make this permanent display that will be installed during the spring/summer of 2016.
REAL ESTATE
I have a couple of Realtor’s I have worked with over the past couple of years to photograph some of their properties. I really enjoy photographing homes from them as it give me a chance to steal some of the home’s great idea and use in mine 🙂 It is also usually a quiet time for me. I am in the house and it is jut me and my camera. It gives me the chance to have some time to myself and just shoot. I wish I could get out more and just shoot for myself but if I can not, times like this one I really cherish.
LACUNA ARTISTS LOFT
This event was part of networking night for AFR Furniture and rental and was at the Lacuna Artists Loft in Chicago. The event was so much fun, I got to meet some really great people who are very passionate about the growth of their business. The event started a little before dinner but the real party started when the event moved tot he roof. Their Luxe Productions went to work and really got the party going. I even set the camera down for a while and just enjoyed the night. This is one of those photographs that reminds me that being a photographer does have it perks!
RICK NIELSON @ CLUB BLUE
I have been the lead photographer for the 501c3 organization Club Blue for 3 years now. The Club Blue grant program was established to raise funds to supply the basic goods and services that promote the safety, health and well being of children in need in our community. This culminates in a one night event that brings in some of the movers shakers of the Northern Illinois area to cut loose and have a party that is just crazy. This years party brought in Rick Nielson and Daxx Nielson from Rockford’s own band, Cheap Trick. They both made their appearance during a set with DJ Jamie Jordan and as anyone their will tell, it is something they will never forget!
LAUREL FALLS – GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
This summer my family and I took a week off to escape the chaos of wedding season and took a tripod to a cabin right along side the Great Smokey Mountains. We were away from the busy strips of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and had some time to unwind and relax. We took a day to spend in the Great Smokey Mountains and during a hike, we made our way to Laural Falls. Laural Falls is a 80′ waterfall that you can get very close to. In the middle of the summer, the cool water was so refreshing and made the hike very much worth the sweat it took to get there.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
In March I was a 2nd photographer for my cousin in Denver Colorado. The trip was very much centered on that wedding, I was able to spend a day roaming Rocky Mountain National Park with him. I love getting away to the mountains, especially when the air is still cool and crisp.
TRAINING MY 2ND PHOTOGRAPHERS
This photograph may not look very amazing but what it represents is something I am very very proud of. The photographs I have 2nd shoot wedding with are exactly that, photographers. I view them as a extension of me on a wedding day and I want them to photograph and have the freedom to create photographs that the couple would love. I spend a lot of time pouring into them, training them and making them stretch and grow past their current comfort zones. This training and growing process takes place every year for me and never stops. If I do my best to teach and grow them, they end up growing on their own and have less time to shoot for me because their personally photography business has grown. I could not be more proud watching those who have 2nd shot for me grow and their business’ take off.
OM NOM NOM NOM
This food shoot for Henrici’s Catering was one of my favorite shoots of the year. Yes, it was because I got to eat a bunch of really, really great food. Seriously, there are perks to being a photographer!
A NIGHT TO SHINE – TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION
This event was a one night event that was created by the Tim Tebow Foundation to simultaneously put on multiple events all across the United States to give people with mental and physical disabilities a night to celebrate them just being people. This photograph I absolutely love because she is just so happy to be a part of this event. Smiles like this are why I donate my time to support my community. Our community needs each and every one of you to support it. We all have either time, talent or resources to give and I am proud to donate some of all those to my community.
ROCKFORD EYE CARE
Rockford Eye Care reached out to me for a few different photographic needs. Dr. Yoon (pictured) wanted some non traditional headshots and he also just got done with a full remodel of his facility. I spent almost a full day photographing him, his staff and facility.
OLD MAN O’DONNELL
I am sorry but I do not photograph families or your children. Seriously. Well unless a close friend reaches out to you and asks for help. Ted O’Donnell cornered me early this year and asked me to photograph 4 generations of the O’Donnell men. Before he could finish asking me, I was on board. There were a lot of reasons why but a big one was that Great Grandpa O’Donnell was not in the best of health. A few years ago, as I was photographing a wedding, my Grandmother who I grew up with passed away. I felt so helpless going into that day as our family knew it would be soon. A few months after I took this photograph, I was at a wedding where Ted was the DJ and found himself in the exact spot I was with my Grandmother. It was a tough day and Ted got word that during the reception his Grandfather passed. I truly believe everything happens with a purpose and a reason and it was no accident I happened to be one of the few people to stand by Ted and be able to tell him that I know what he was going through. I share this photo not to bring light to a death but to celebrate a life and brag about a friend who was so strong in a crushing moment.
RVC GALA
This event was in hanger, with a airplane. Seriously. Rockford does have a tough rep and a lot of it deserved but there are events like this are happening and bringing some great times and celebration to Rockford.
Thank you for reliving some of the memories from my Event and Commercial photographs from 2016! Up next is my favorite Wedding Photographs of 2016!