Well, we are a few weeks into 2012!!!  It has been one really exciting year this past year…  I went into 2011 with some serious goals, and I am proud to say that I accomplished many of my goals and the things I set out to do.  I learned many new things about being a professional photographer, and have met some truly great people along the way this past year!  I got a handful of weddings under my belt, as well as grew my portfolio with senior high sessions and other events.  If I were to note any regrets it would mainly be not meeting my goal of doing a blog post each month, having missed both October and November (but seriously, they both very busy months for me at work).  On the other hand, some months had more than one post to share, so I should be too down on myself.  Beyond that, I just regret not having more time, more hours in the day to get more done, whether at home or for clients, and to devote time to other things I feel are important… But hey, I think we all go through that some times.

So I wanted to share with you some highlights over the past year!  And no better place to start than with the first wedding that I shadowed over a year ago on December 18, 2010.   Many thanks again to Katie (Salvatori) Hernandez of Katherine Salvatori Photography for allowing me to come and shadow her for a beautiful Christmas time wedding at the Morton Arboretum (see the first pic above)!   Throughout the year Katie’s work has been an inspiration and it’s been wonderful watching her grow professionally, and am happy for her that she recently has had her work published on various wedding related blogs and websites!  She and her family have also grown personally as she became a bride herself this past year and married a really great guy, and they already have a precious little baby girl on the way!  Be sure to keep up with Katie and her work by visiting her Facebook page for the latest inspiration and news!  Here are a few more pics from that beautiful winter wedding…

To kick off 2011, I photographed the New Year’s Celebration event at Abbington Banquets…

Moving forward into 2011, it was time to get some training.  Here are some great shots from a couple of workshops in 2011…

And now on to some of this year’s highlights and some of my favorite captured moments!!  Whether real events or workshops, there were a lot of great shots this year!  Enjoy!!

Some boudoir beauties…

A Romantic roof-top proposal.

A pre-wedding engagement session.

Then a “happily ever after” wedding…

An awesome maternity session…

Then a newborn session…

A more intimate affair…

My sister-in-law’s senior high session…

Then a colorful Indian wedding extravaganza!…

A baby baptism…

A charming country wedding…

The images following are just a few from a beautiful Maui wedding and a couple of senior high sessions that I have not yet published dedicated posts for, but since these were still 2011 events, it’s only proper that a few photos be included.  Here are a few from the Maui wedding…

Now for a few of the senior high pics.  Two brothers, two very different personalities…

I hope you have enjoyed this “year-in-review” post!    At the top of this webpage, you will find links that will take you to call of the complete posts represented here as well as other posts not included, with the exception of the last two sessions.  Please be sure to visit here often to stay on top of what 2012 will bring!!  :-)

(Okay, they weren’t really posing for this first one, but it turned out to be such a cool “test shot” I decided to include it).

There was actually another plan he had in mind for the proposal, but after consulting with family, friends, and even those of us to be involved, he decided the original idea would be to easy for Tina to figure out what was going on…so he switched it to a weekday during the lunch hour to throw her off, and under the guise of her firm meeting with a new client, changed the location to an apartment building downtown on Lake Street where Tina used to live when she and Amit began dating (but I still wonder if she caught on to something since her “client meeting” was to take place at the building she once lived…I guess Tina would know).  Needless to say, this location was optimal for many reasons…still to throw her off the plan, yet to serve as a symbol of a place where they shared so many moments and memories as their love story began to unfold.

I was privileged to have shared in this moment with them, and I wish Amit and Tina all the best as they begin their life journey together!  Enjoy!!

Dayna’s work continues to inspire me, and I look forward to all the 2011 holds for me and my business as I incorporate the many techniques learned!!…

Another session with photographer Dayna Schroeder…

And some of my own… An engagement session with my friends Bryan and Christine!

But in the mean time, here are a few shots from the recent seminar put on by Ryan and Jessica Schembri at The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago this past month.  Just a few I snapped during Ryan’s demonstration at the end of the seminar.

Let me just say, that I’ve already dropped a chunk of change on a few workshops, ALL which have been fantastic, and each from which I walked away have learned something more about composition, gear and camera settings, and one of the more important aspects…client relations.

But not until seeing Ryan’s images from his past weddings did my jaw drop in awe at his and Jessica’s ability to take a great composed shot and make it a work of art!  Many of the images from his introductory slide show nearly made me cry.  There are a lot of great photographers out there, and I have a lot of catching up to do to even consider myself anywhere near their skill level, but Ryan and Jessica’s work made me realize what kind of wedding photographer I aspire to be.  Their work spoke to me, and made me realize that this is more than just an interest in shooting weddings to add to my business services…this is part of the destiny I am pursuing with regard to photography.

Yes, I got this revelation out of fours seminar hours that was modestly priced (and of course I spent a little more to get their Schembri Essential Actions, as well as tutorials and inspirational sets, all which can be found through either of the links posted above.  In addition, part of Ryan’s talk about gear and lighting inspired me to order a video light…a tool which came in handy for creating the desired lighting in a couple of the shots below.

I look forward to a potential 2012 workshop with Ryan and Jessica in 2012 when they make their next trip to Chicago… Enjoy!