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!!  :-)

It all started with the bridal shower… But let’s go back a week and a half before that while I’m sitting in a training conference in D.C., and receive an e-mail from my old friend, Trupti Patel, from back in my college days at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Her opening sentence was along the lines of: “I noticed on Facebook that you do photography, and was wondering your availability to photograph a friend’s bridal shower next weekend?”

All I can say to the fact she referenced noticing my work on Facebook was a big Hallelujah!!  And also WoW!!….  Meaning that in some way Facebook is useful and someone really noticed my work.  Needless to say I felt the opportunity was good, so I took it…and little did I know what it would all lead into… Meaning a really great opportunity, so stay tuned for that down through this blog post!!

(Disclaimer: There are A LOT of photos in this post, but I’m sure you will enjoy them!!)

So for now, here are some more of those bridal shower photos…

Later that evening, I was also commissioned for the bridal party get together at the WIT Rooftop Lounge downtown….

Aman and Amrit’s Party at the WIT Lounge

Well… Little did I know at the time that shooting these two events was going to get me invited to be the photographer for some other Pre-Wedding party events.  The bride-to-be liked the photos from the first two events so much, she then asked me to come and photograph the first Sangeet Party the following week.

Aman and Amrit’s 1st Sangeet Party

Obviously you can see these people know how to party and have a good time!!  And obviously it’s hard for me to not put in SO MANY photos in this blog post…but can you really blame me??  The colors are AMAZING!!   At the end of this event, the bride tells me there will be another Sangeet the next night, and so far no photographer was booked for that, so she wanted me to come…but before more Sangeet party photos, I was requested for the Mehndi Ceremony…so let’s check out some of those photos first!

Aman’s Mehndi Ceremony

Now on to that second Sangeet!!

Sangeet 2~Aman’s Churra Ceremony

Well, since the families didn’t already have a photographer hired for the groom’s preparation ceremony the next morning before the wedding ceremony, I was requested for that the next morning…and there are some really great photos of the tradition!

Amrit’s Wedding Preparation Ritual

And so from here, on to the ceremony we go… Now, I was not the commissioned photographer for the ceremony itself, as a photographer and videographer had already been hired, so the ceremony was up to me if I wanted to do it….and why wouldn’t I??  I had come this far into the events of an Indian wedding, and feeling this was important to the portfolio, I made the commitment…  Seeing as how the bride-to-be seemed to really like my work, there was no reason not too!  Luckily for me the other hired photographer did not mind my presence, and in fact the photographer representing Lasting Memories was very gracious to me throughout the ceremony and reception (and BTW, I was commissioned as a second photographer for the reception–so some of those great photos will follow)!

So here is what I caught during the ceremony events…

Amrit’s Barat Ceremony

And now for the wedding ceremony….

Aman and Amrit’s Punjabi/Sikh Wedding Ceremony

Now of course…we are going to end it with the PARTY!!!

Aman and Amrit’s Wedding Reception