2010: Blog more.

Yes.. that will be the goal for 2010. So first off, here is a wedding from WAY back a couple months..I’m guilty. *!!!*

Anyway, this wedding was held in the Al Ringling Theatre; my first time photographing in a theatre, and it was not easy because it was super dark in side! We went for an outdoor photo session at Devils’s Lake after the ceremony, and it was FREEZING. Luckily, Alicia, the bride, just happen to have loads of fleece jackets and blankets in her trunk….don’t know why, but hey, I’m VERY thankful for them! For the reception, we went to the Baraboo arts Banquet Hall. It had gorgeous wood floors, and a very rustic feel inside.

Enjoy the images!

p.s. And yes, its Blog More 2010. So another wedding coming up very soon!
p.p.s. Shot this wedding with Kevin for Primavery Studios, and he was LOADS of fun! We did some cool experiments with off-camera flash and our Pocket Wizards. The shots are on his blog! (http://kevinvisel.blogspot.com/)

Wen – Contact me (wen@wenphotos.com / 312.436.2221)

Well, the early months of the year tend to be vacation time for wedding photographers in the midwest, because few people get married in the bitterly cold winters here, and equally few people want to take on my suggestion to do winter engagement sessions =).

So it gives me a whole lot of time to do things I HAVE to do, but don’t WANT to do – taxes, accounting, paperwork, boohoo. I was buried in WI and IL taxes paperwork..and I can’t get out! Anyway, thought I’d distract myself by posting some recent images of our love in life – our pets and babies (no, not my babies!). Here’s what’s been happening:

Kiwi is sick. She has what looks and sounds like human cold – her meows have a lower pitch – nasal meows..that makes sense? She’s sneezing and coughing, and has HEAVY snot. Its really strange seeing this happen to a cat! Her sneezes are soo soo cute *pppppzzzht!pphhhhszzzzsst!* and since she doesn’t have hands to hold a kleenex to wipe off her snot, she sometimes end up with snot all over her face. Like this one:

Occasionally, friends will ask me to take photos of their pets, or kids, and I LOVE requests like these. Just no pressure, fun, casual, and easy excuse for me to pull out my camera for some practice. Here is Ranger. He’s about twice my weight, and stands taller than me when on his hind legs. He’s VERY strong, VERY active, and can be intimidating (his nose is the size of my fist!) but he’s just one big baby =)

Finally, here are some “new installments” of the famous twins. Its only been about 3 months since I last photographed them, and boy they’ve grown!

Oh, since this is about love and life, here’s Paul, my <3 =) Taken while we were having lunch on a boat in Cambodia last year. =)

Now back to QuickBooks… =(

Maybe its the time of year, maybe its the season’s spirit of giving..whatever it is, I’m feeling like Giving is Awesome!

You know someone. You know someone who is kind, someone who gives more than they receive, someone who volunteers selflessly regardless of their own personal circumstances and desires. You know someone who is the kindest, most giving person you’ve ever met with a beautiful heart, someone who deserves to have something special on their wedding day. You know someone who can’t afford custom photography, and would rather spend on their loved ones before even thinking about spending on themselves. Maybe you know someone who did something for you in a big life-changing way.

Now is the time for you to give back to this person.

I want to know who they are, and I would be honored give them the chance to experience complimentary photography coverage (and yes, along with all the images on a CD) on their wedding day – something that they will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives, and have something that’s dedicated all to them, for once..

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself.
* The person nominated must SINCERELY be incapable of purchasing my services. (Doesn’t have to be poor, but being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere.)
* The nominee must reside in Illinois. Tell me who you know, what they’re experiencing, and why they deserve it. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.
* Your nominee’s wedding must be in 2010, and when you send your nomination, include the date of the wedding.
* You must e-mail me the full story : wen@wenphotos.com.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve — get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries!

If your nominee doesn’t reside in Illinois, or is not planning a wedding, but you still want to help, visit the Giving is Awesome (www.givingisawesome.com) website and look up other photographers who are also part of thisworldwide project!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season — and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Wen

Update – 12/29/2009 — WE HAVE A WINNER!

Today, I called up a very special bride-to-be to give her a full day’s worth of wedding photography! =D =D Callie and Michael dedicates their lives to Camp Kesem, and met each other while volunteering. The first thing sweet Callie said to me was something along these lines — “Meeting each other was the ultimate blessing and best reward for our work at Camp Kesem.” Hearing that made me melt and they absolutely deserve this opportunity!

I will let the nomination email do the rest of the “talking”–

Dear Wen,
I am writing to nominate Callie Whelan and Michael Johnston. They live and work in Chicago, and will be getting married in Chicago on July 24, 2010.

Michael and Callie met at Camp Kesem where they both volunteered as college student camp counselors. Subsequently, Michael served as the volunteer director of Notre Dame’s Camp Kesem, and later as a volunteer member of the Notre Dame Camp Kesem board of directors. Callie also served as a volunteer the volunteer director of Notre Dame’s Camp Kesem,and currently she is a volunteer member of the board of directors for Northwestern University’s Camp Kesem.

Camp Kesem is a not for profit organization that provides a camp experience for children whose parents are either battling cancer, have had cancer or who died as a result of cancer. Many, if not most, of these children have never experienced summer camp. Time spent at a camp organized around helping them to live more gracefully with their parents’ illness is a significant gift to them (not to mention the much needed opportunity to be a more carefree kid for a week of summer amidst illness and/or parental loss). The camp continues to operate and thrive because volunteers like Callie and Michael volunteer their time and energy to raise funds, find corporate sponsors, and be present during the camp weeks with the campers.

Now here’s the punch line: When Michael and Callie’s wedding web site is up and running in January 2010, you will notice that they will not be setting up a traditional gift registry. Rather, they will be asking their guests to make a donation to Camp Kesem in lieu of a traditional wedding gift.

Finally, please know that these two young adults are choosing to pay for their own wedding and are electing to create a simple, small and green event. They are not independently wealthy; nor are they jobless. Callie works as a fund raiser for the University of Chicago Children’s Hospital and she is completing a graduate degree in Public Administration with a an specialization in not for profit international organizations. Michael is creating a web site designed to instruct consumers about exchange traded funds.

I hope that I have answered your questions. If you want to know more, please do not hesitate to contact me. In close, let me simply say how much I admire what you are doing.

Sincerely,
Lynne Johnston

A little bit about Camp Kesem….

The Need
There are 1.7 million cancer cases a year in the United States that affect individuals and their families. The support is there for grown-ups; but the special emotional needs of children of adult cancer patients have been overlooked. Simply put: kids are often left to deal with these personal tragedies on their own; and if parents themselves are struggling with illness, their sons and daughters frequently miss the simple joys of childhood.

Giving Kids the Opportunity to Be Kids
Since 2000, Camp Kesem has given children affected by a parent’s cancer the opportunity to just be kids. The ever-expanding Kesem community engages in camp activities like sports, arts and crafts, and drama to give campers a fun-filled week. Campers also participate in “Cabin Chats” with fellow campers and counselors, giving children the chance to share their experiences with each other. There are plenty of laughs and lots of emotional support, but Camp Kesem does not provide therapy. The tremendous fun and support campers experience is what makes Camp Kesem a transformative, magical week for campers and counselors alike.

Callie and Michael — thank you for all that you do for Camp Kesem, thank you for being an inspiration to young people everywhere, thank you for being the beautiful people that you are. I am honored to be able to capture your wedding day!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!