Fun with The Lahner Family: September 21st, 2008!

Posted on October 3, 2008

MENASHA, Wis. Let me start by saying I think parents are pretty cool. Karl and I hope to be parents some day. In fact, most days it is something we really really wish for. And then there are moments when we’re struck with the realization, “Holy COW! That’s a lot of work.” This session was one of those moments, and I am now a firm believer that parents of twins should be nominated for sainthood. And parents of twin boys…you all go straight to the top of the list!

Karl and I were already a little tired when we met up with the Lahner crew on a Sunday afternoon. You see, we had shot a wedding the day before and an engagement session earlier that morning. So we had good reason to be tired, right? Well normally I would say yes, but since two of the men involved in this shoot had just finished running the Fox Cities Marathon, I didn’t think we had any right to complain!

Although it is possible I felt a little like a marathon runner chasing after these guys…

This is Noah. In addition to being a stellar musician, Noah likes looking for bugs (and picking them up), searching for frogs (and picking them up) and peeking under bridges for trolls (we didn’t find any…but he may have picked them up too).

This is Chase. He shares many of the same interests as his twin brother and he plays a mean harmonica. I would say the primary difference between Chase and Noah is Noah was working the camera…and Chase made *us* work a little harder.

The boys brought along their grandparents for an afternoon of fun at Heckrod Wetlands Preserve. Apparently grandparents are funny. Or maybe bridges are funny. Or trolls…

More laughing! I told you we had a good time!

I’m not sure the frog had much fun though…but the boys sure thought it was cool!

Karl captured this during a *brief* quiet moment. I believe this was in between playing with the frog and showing off their baseball skills. Look for Noah to be pitching for the Brewers in a few years!

These two are the reason this whole shoot happened. Barb is one of my very best friends. I can say this because she has gone to yoga with me for the past month and has only laughed once in class. Brad doesn’t go to yoga with us, but he does run. I’m not sure why he feels the need to do that running thing, but he can complete 26.2 miles and still smile for pictures!

Now look at this adorable family portrait. Everyone looks so happy, right? And they’re all glancing in the general direction of the camera. Now what in the world would transform these energetic kids into perfect models?

Bribery, thy name is lollipop! I’m pretty sure Karl and I earned negative parenting points for those. And I’m hoping Jess and Kevin weren’t cursing us the whole way home. For the record, neither child actually finished the pop.

As we were wrapping up the session, I told Noah to go over and tell his mom a secret. I’d like to believe he was saying, “Hey mom…those camera people are pretty cool. Maybe we can do it again sometime? And get another lollipop?”

Lahner Family…Karl and I can’t thank you enough for spending the afternoon with us. I know it took a lot of coordination and plenty of driving to make it happen.

Enjoy your slideshow!

You’ll find your gallery here.

Mr and Mrs Ryan Zeek: Married September 20th, 2008!

Posted on October 3, 2008

NEENAH, Wis: While shooting Ryan and Kristin’s wedding, I had one of those moments where I realize we have the coolest job ever! I mean, really, who else gets to hang out all day with people who are in love and surrounded by all the people who love them? It’s the best. In the case of Ryan and Kristin’s wedding…we weren’t just surrounded by people…

We were surrounded by PENGUINS! Kristin is a penguin lover and Ryan has jumped right on board, even working penguins into his marriage proposal. This little penguin sat perched near the front of the church. I don’t know how many people noticed him, but thankfully someone pointed him out to us!

This shot just makes me giggle. I was back in the waiting area with the bridal party at this point and I had no idea why the guests broke into applause. It turns out the moms were having some difficulty getting the candles lit. When the lighters finally worked, the guests started clapping.

Oh Kristin and her dad. These two nearly did me in during the ceremony. You see, since the reception didn’t include a dance, Kristin chose to include a special song for her dad as part of the ceremony. Now, who’s the sucker for dad and daughter moments? Oh, right. That would be me. Yup, totally got teary.

Kristin and Ryan had so many special touches in their ceremony, including a rose ceremony conducted by Ryan’s Dad. I’d never seen this done before and I was really touched by the message.

Okay, I’m so excited to share this shot because of the story behind it. You see, Karl and I are lucky enough to be friends with Mark and Kelly Hawkins of Mark Hawkins Photography. Well, Mark blogs all the time about shots he took over his shoulder. And in the past I thought he was crazy. Over the shoulder? I’m pretty sure I’d wind up with a nice shot of the concrete! But this shot?? Totally over the shoulder! I have no idea what Ryan is laughing at…but I love the capture. Thanks Mark for always challenging us to think outside the box!

This gazebo at Doty Park in Neenah holds special meaning for Kristin. Her dad is a member of the organization responsible for putting the gazebo up.

Whatever will I do when the weeping willows are gone? I just love them!

You just never know what the bridal party is going to get into while we’re shooting with the couple.

On to the reception…the special touches continue. How cool is that cake topper? And the blue and brown cake from Manderfield’s Home Bakery was outstanding!

Another special dad and daughter moment at dinner….Kristin surprised her dad with some crawfish to pay tribute to their summer vacations.

Kristin is moving to Pennsylvania to begin her new life with Ryan, but her family made sure Ryan was well trained in the ways of the green and gold. Everyone got a kick out of the ceremonial passing of the Cheese Head.

Kristin and Ryan, thanks so much for including us in your wedding day. We’re so excited to see where life takes you together.

Enjoy your slideshow!

Your gallery is here.

Enjoy married life!

Kristine and Chris: Engaged!

Posted on October 2, 2008

CHICAGO: Karl and I had high hopes for this engagement session. You see, while Kristine and Chris are getting married in Northeast WIsconsin, they are currently living in CHICAGO! I am totally a city girl at heart, so when Kris asked if we would consider meeting them in Chicago for an engagement session I couldn’t contain my excitement. The only weekend we had available happened to be Karl’s 30th birthday! Perfect, right? What’s better than a super fun day shooting in the city followed by an awesome birthday dinner?

One little problem….rain. Lots and lots of rain. I am not joking when I say it started raining the moment we crossed into the state of Illinois Friday and did not stop until we pulled into our driveway on Sunday. We couldn’t exactly reschedule…so we whipped out the umbrella and made the best of it.

We started off inside the Chicago Cultural Center, in the hopes that we would emerge from the building and the rain would be gone. Ha! But at least we had fun exploring the nooks and crannies of this amazing building. We even ran into a bride and groom who were getting married in the building later that afternoon!

Of course we couldn’t stay outside forever, so we grabbed the umbrella and hit the streets. I have to say I was surprised by how many people were still out and about despite the weather. This wasn’t a drizzle! It was pouring!

This amazing elevator is located inside the building where Chris works. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of that. Love!

These two were such troopers. It would have been easy to have a bad attitude about walking around the city in the rain, but they took it all in stride.

We couldn’t NOT stop by The Bean. Unfortunately, the rain kind effects the reflective surface. Bummer.

Look at that skyline mocking us! If only it weren’t raining I could have spent the entire day walking around!

Kris and Chris, thank you so much for spending the day with us. Rain for your engagement session pretty much guarantees perfect wedding day weather, right?

Here’s your slideshow

Enjoy your gallery.

Brad and Michelle: Engaged!

Posted on October 2, 2008

APPLETON, Wis: I have to start off this post by saying, “Poor Brad and Michelle!” These two have been SO patient waiting for their engagement images. I’ve been working a pretty solid one to two week turnaround on sessions other than weddings this summer. Unfortunately, these two caught us right in the middle of some serious editing mayhem and they wound up stuck in the backlog.

We met up with these two pretty early on a Sunday morning in the hopes of beating the rain that was forecast for later in the day. We were rewarded with a crazy blue sky and some funky white wispy clouds. My weather forecasting friends are cringing right now…I believe white and wispy translates into cirrus clouds in meteorologist speak, right?

These two are just cute, and I’m pretty sure they like each other, which is good since this time next year they’ll be stuck with each other for life!

Brad’s mom requested a shot under the pretty archway. Done!

As for me, I requested a couple of quiet moments. There were plenty of smiles in this session, but my advice to our couples is not to feel like you always have to smile. I love when couples are comfortable enough to relax and just be with each other.

I also love pictures with no heads! Karl captured a lovely shot (faces included) of these two on the bridge, but I was really drawn into the comfortable way they had situated themselves. And this shot just happens to show off Michelle’s bling!

While I’m taking pictures with no heads, Karl is always seeking out crazy light. Fun, right?

Brad and Michelle…thanks so much for getting up early on a Sunday to hang out with us! And thanks for waiting for these images! Can’t wait for next year…

Here’s your slideshow

You’ll find your gallery here.

Monday Moments: Kristin and Ryan Edition

Posted on September 24, 2008

Let’s get this out of the way first. Yes, it is Wednesday. Yes, this is a Monday Moments blog post. In my defense, we’ve been a *tad* over scheduled the past few days. Let’s see, Saturday was Kristin and Ryan’s wedding. Sunday we had an engagement session with Mike and Sarah (coming soon!) followed by a fantastic family session including a set of twin boys (also coming soon!) And then, just before we crashed for the day…we went off to a spur of the moment babysitting gig for three kids under the age of 6. That’s just the weekend people!

So please forgive the Monday Moments delay. I’m actually hoping to do quite a few blog posts this week, so keep checking back!

Now….Kristin and Ryan!

Do you see it? The little penguin? These guys were everywhere!! Kristin has loved penguins her whole life (longer than she’s loved Ryan she pointed out) so they found a way to include that little touch!

This may be one of my favorite walk back down the aisle pictures ever. You can just feel their joy to finally be married.

Yes, we went to play mini golf before the reception! This was all Kristin’s idea and probably the most fun we’ve ever had taking bridal party pictures!

And finally, meet my new Facebook BFF Tricia. Isn’t she the cutest? Don’t you want to smoosh her? Okay, well maybe that’s just me. But still, Tricia is totally representative of the entire wedding party fun and full of joy for her friends! And she likes to say, “That’s hot!”

Have a great week everyone!

Mr and Mrs Dave Groop: Married September 5th, 2008!

Posted on September 19, 2008

Green Bay, WIS: Alexis and Dave had a whole lot of three things happening throughout their wedding day: laughter, sports references, and style. Everything came together perfectly and I think this may have been one of the most laid back weddings Karl and I have ever been a part of.

Here’s the laughter I was talking about, and a sports reference too! Dave and Alexis are both big sports fans and in Green Bay that equals green and gold!

More laughter, and more sports. Karl met up with Dave and his guys at Thornberry Creek’s driving range just in time for Dave to open a little “gift” from Alexis. It turned out to be a little vending machine trinket they always hide for each other to find. Such a fun and personal moment in their wedding day.

Here’s the style I was talking about. Isn’t Alexis’s bouquet amazing? The callas were the perfect color.

More laughter during the ceremony, and believe it or not another sports reference. I captured this right after Dave’s friend who was co-officiating the ceremony said, “I’m pretty sure God is *not* a New York Jets fan.” In light of recent events (cough…Brett Favre…cough) the crowd got a kick out of that comment.

More laughter, and another first for us: the wave broke out during the ceremony! I love that everyone played along!

There’s that “just married” excitement I love so much. Alexis has the kind of smile that’s just infectious.

I can’t say enough good things about this wedding party. These guys were so much fun, and totally up for anything. We took some fun shots of everyone together before sending them off to hang on the bus while we had some alone time with the happy couple.

“Go stand over there and lean on the bridge” turned into this. Love it!

This picture seriously cracks me up. Photographers tend to keep an eye out for tree branches, poles, or any other objects in the background that might look like they’re growing out of the subjects head. Apparently I didn’t make sure there were no birds sitting on Alexis’s shoulder.

And my love affair with shoes continues. The fact that the bouquet and Dave’s ring made it in this shot is just a bonus.

When all our fun at the park was finished, it was time to hitch a ride to the reception.

Where as you can probably imagine there was more laughing. You just never know what’s going to come out during the toasts!

A romantic first dance is interrupted by an overzealous photographer. He wasn’t with us, but I kind of wanted to take home that hat!

Alexis and Dave, Karl and I wish you all the best in your lives together. You guys are great partners who clearly make a good team (team, get it? sports reference!) Thanks for including us in your amazing day!

Here’s your slideshow.

You’ll find your gallery here.

Enjoy married life!

Just Because: Hanging with Luke

Posted on September 17, 2008

Just because….Wednesdays seem to be tough to plow through.

Just because…This picture is too cute not to share.

Just because…Luke looks different every time I visit.

Just because…It’s nice to be in the picture every now and then.

Just because…I have great friends who allow their kids to be loved by Auntie Stephanie.

Happy Wednesday all!

Monday Moments: Adventures in The Windy (and RAINY) City Edition

Posted on September 16, 2008

Karl and I had big plans for this weekend, our only wedding free weekend in a 13 week stretch. The plan was to pack up the car Friday afternoon and head to Chicago for a weekend of good food, sightseeing, and shooting with one of our 2009 couples.

Well Mother Nature had other plans. Here’s a peek at how our weekend went down.

This is what happens when a camera is dealing with 5 billion percent humidity. But you should be glad the lens is all fogged up at this point…my hair in the rain is NOT a pretty sight. Thankfully by the time we met up with Kris and Chris, our cameras were ready. Unfortunately, the weather went from bad to worse and we spent the next three hours trying to stay dry. We failed.

As you can see, the rainbow umbrella was on display throughout the session. We did find a few places for inside pictures, but you can’t go to Chicago for an engagement session and not capture some of the city’s landmarks. Kris and Chris were great sports about it all.

And speaking of landmarks, Karl and I had to take a self portrait in the bean. As you can see it’s not quite as reflective when it’s pouring!

So, that was our weekend. We spent 36 hours in Chicago and it never stopped raining. I think my sneakers are still drying out.

But we did squeeze in time for some Chicago pizza so all was not lost.

Happy 30th Birthday Karl!!!

Posted on September 14, 2008

Karl taking a break during the Shoot With Beckstead Workshop in Minneapolis, May 2008

It’s a big day for the Homburg household. Today Karl turns 30, and for the next 8 months or so I get to point out that he’s so much OLDER than I am. I consider this fair play since just about every day when I take off my shoes he calls me shortie.

He may be getting some great presents for his birthday, but I am really the lucky one. I get to spend every day with the man I know God made just for me. We are fortunate enough to work together in a job that we’re both passionate about. And every weekend as we watch another couple say their vows, I say a silent prayer of thanksgiving that we found our way to eachother. We may have spent the first 25 years of our lives apart, but I’m counting on spending the next 60 or so together.

Love you babe! Happy 30th! Now let’s go eat steak!

Quick Scheduling Note

Posted on September 12, 2008

Just wanted to give a heads up to everyone that Karl and I will not be accessible by phone or email this weekend, as we will be in Chicago for a shoot. Unfortunately, it looks like The Windy City will also be The Rainy City this weekend. So if you could send some good weather vibes our way they would be greatly appreciated.

Emails, phone calls, and new client inquiries will be returned on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

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