Jason + AnnMarie = l o v e

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I have yet to meet and work with any person | couple | family
that I don’t quite mesh with, admire, have chemistry with,
or fully enjoy their company…
But there was something very very special about the couple I
had the honor of photographing yesterday on their wedding day.

Maybe it was her contagious smile.
Maybe it was his easy breezy, gentle nature.
Maybe it was the wonderful people who surrounded them.

I had goosebumps and watery eyes from the moment the doors
opened and she began her walk down the aisle.
I saw her eyes light up, click click click.
I turned around and saw Jason’s smile get larger
than life, his cheeks get red and his eyes fill with water, click click click.
…and I knew that it was going to be one of those weddings.
The kind of wedding where every emotion is infectious.
{i hate that word, but i already used contagious!}

Everyone kept thanking me for photographing their wedding,
but I want to thank AnnMarie & Jason for choosing me.
Something a lot of people don’t realize is that we are
changed by the experiences we have and the people we meet, and
I walk away from every wedding and job a different person.
It’s one of the things I love most about what I do.
So again, thank YOU for choosing me to be the one
to tell the story of your marriage.
And a big thank you to one of my most loyal clients and great friends,
Randi, for referring me to Jason & AnnMarie.
I am deeply honored in more ways than one, and I wish you both a
lifetime of laughter & happiness.





I hope you guys have a wonderful honeymoon and
I look forward to sharing the rest of your photos soon!

First day jitters!

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Oddly enough, I woke up this morning with first day jitters!
Tomorrow is the first BAMphoto wedding of 2012, and I am nervous!
What the heck!
It’s the most bizarre feeling.
I can tell you one thing though…
I may be nervous, but I am so anxious to get back into
my creative mode. It’s been a long hibernation and recovery
from 2011, and I am so ready to jump back into this!
Tomorrow, I photograph the marriage of AnnMarie & Jason.
I am very excited, especially because I can already tell that they are going
to be an incredible couple to work with.
Usually, I have final discussions with the brides the day
before the wedding…well today, I was finalizing the plans with
the groom and I was so impressed!
He had a schedule of the day, contact information,
hotel addresses, names, e v e r y t h i n g.
Grooms, you need to step your game up!

Back to nerves…
I am positive that I will never NOT be nervous.
While a lot of people try to strip away the importance
of a wedding photographer’s job, what they fail to realize is that we
have the most crucial job on the wedding day.
No one will laugh when we mess up.
We don’t get to re-do anything.

But you know what, I use my nerves as a life guideline in other things too…
If I am not nervous, it means that I’m too comfortable,
bored, and losing the spark.
So, cheers to nerves & jitters!

{and the winner is……..}

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One of my goals for 2012, was to have enough business generated to
be able to giveaway a free wedding to a couple whose
wedding will be in 2013.
This all began over a month ago and was going to be a contest.
But due to rules and regulations on Facebook, the way
in which the winner would have been decided was against policy.
So it became MY decision to pick the winner.

{responsibilities don’t get worse for a gal like me!}

Ladies & Gents,
this has been the most difficult 72 hours of my career.
I have laughed.
cried.
laughed till I cried.
dreamed about.
paced around the room about.
and then cried some more….

It wasn’t until just under an hour ago that I read a few
more last minute emails from your family & friends about why you
should win this free wedding, that I realized who the winner was…

I started by picking the three couples & stories that
really touched me the most….

The couples who really let me know that
this would help them have the wedding of their dreams.

The couples who showed me that despite all of the obstacles that they
have faced while planning their weddings, all that mattered
was that at the end of the day, they were marrying their best friends.

The couples who know that their wedding photographs aren’t just
a keepsake…that they become part of a families legacy.

I was the last person who should have been given this job.
When I became the person who had to choose, I should
have known better than to think that I would do anything other than
what I’m about to do….

The |FREE WEDDING GIVEAWAY| winners are….

Katie Shurkus
Brittany Nickels
Kaylee Towler

Photos & stories below!

{Yes, you are not seeing things.
All three of you have won!}

For the other participants, I completely appreciate
your interest in BAMphoto and I would love to further discuss
 your wedding photography needs!
…………………………………

Katie & Nick

Our love story began on a snowy winter night in December.  Before we fatefully crossed paths, I was ready to give up on love.  My heart was in pieces and I was feeling lonely and defeated.  Not only was my love life struggling, but I unexpectedly had to deal with the death of my father in 2004.  I was looking for someone that would help me pick up all the pieces and make my life happy again.  There were days where it was hard to believe that I would ever smile again.  That is until I met Nick.
We initially met through a website called match.com.  They told us we were 100% match and BOY WERE THEY RIGHT!! Nick had just moved to a new city and was working 7 days a week which gave him no time to date and make friends.  I had a busy college schedule and was yearning for someone that would help me feel whole again.  We joined match.com around the same time and met within a week or two of being on the website.  The first date went better than we ever thought it would.  On the ride home that night there was a terrible snow blizzard.  I noticed that Nick had stopped on the side of the highway.  I began to worry, but then I realized that there was a man that had spun out into the ditch and Nick was stopping to help him.  This selfless act of kindness reassured me that I had just met a wonderful person. From that day forward, we were inseparable.  We continued to date and I noticed more and more qualities about Nick that I loved.  He is the most kind and giving person I know and that is why I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  My heart finally feels whole again and I smile from the inside-out when I am around him.
I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.
He proposed to me on December 21, 2011 at Niagara Falls in Canada after 2 years of dating.  It was a magical day and we will never forget that moment.  We plan on getting married on August 17, 2013 with our reception at San Marino Club in Troy, MI.  This gift of free photography would be a blessing for us.  It would be a big help because we are just starting our lives together with only one income.  When we get married I will still be a student with 8 years of student loans piled up and Nick is just starting his career in law enforcement. I am currently $60,000 in debt.  We both have very large families, and want to pay for the wedding ourselves, so every little savings helps.  After the death of my dad, photos have become very important to me.  The only way I get to see my dad is through photos.   Therefore, I realize the value of great photography and we would be forever grateful if you could capture the memories of our wedding.

Brittany & Mike
My name is Brittany Nickels and my fiance is Mike Logue. We started dating in March of 2011. Our story is a crazy one but its definitely a cool one!
We actually have known each other since we were 2 months old! We were born in the same hospital down the hall from each other, lived in the same neighborhood around the corner from each other, and went to the same elementary school…and never even knew it! Our moms had met but we never really stayed in touch. I have very few memories of him from back then because our passings were few and far between. My family moved and I stopped seeing him on occasion until our very strange chance meeting! In January 2011 I had just decided to start a new year without the drama of the previous year! I had gone through a really bad year where everything that could go wrong, did. So this meant taking on a second job…which happened to be as a cashier at a car wash/detail center. My first morning there, I happened to notice one of the guys working there looked VERY familiar. After talking with him we realized that somehow Mike and I had managed to cross paths yet again!! We started hanging out on a regular basis and honestly, as cheesy as this sounds, I knew from the start that I loved him. He treated me like a princess, he actually listened to me when I talked, and he actually remembered things I told him!! He made me feel like I mattered and was important. In March we started dating and by May I had moved in with him. It was like we had never lost touch and were made for each other. On his day off, when I still had to go to work, I would come home to carpets cleaned, dinner cooked, and a smile! It was like heaven (and its STILL like that today!). In October he took me to The White Chocolate Grill and we had a lovely, and delicious!, dinner together. During dessert he got up to use the restroom and when he came back, instead of sitting across from me in the booth, he slid next to me and smiled. He just started talking and whatnot and then slid off the booth onto one knee and asked me to marry him! And oh man was I happy! The ring was (is!) absolutely beautiful and his smile made it even more amazing. Of course I said yes and couldn’t stop smiling and staring at it for days! We are now planning our wedding but are struggling due to an unexpected emergency, but I will have a wedding, even if it is small! We are paying for the entire thing ourselves because our parents are either not involved in our lives or are unwilling to help. Because of the emergency our savings has been drained, but ya know what? I have Mike and he is all that matters! I figure a year from now we will have an amazing wedding whether its 30 people or 100 people. It will still be memorable and I will still be marrying the man of my dreams!!

Kaylee & Ken

It wasn’t until yesterday that my attention was grabbed fully by this couple.
I checked my email at around 7pm and was astounded at the amount of
unread emails there were. And these weren’t ordinary emails coming from people who are just
trying to help their friends or family win something.
Every email was a testament to their character as individuals and as a couple
together. I was completely impressed with the amount of good deeds
they do, despite the hardships that they have faced and keep facing.
Her Facebook status last night sealed the deal for me…

“I would just like to say I am truly blessed. Thank you to every one who sent an email
for Ken and I. Win or lose, I have never felt more appreciated.
You guys are the greatest I love you all. Midnight is only 1.5 hrs away.”

Congratulations to you all!
It will truly be an honor to photograph the weddings
of 6 remarkable people.

I hope that this brings as much relief to you, as it brings
so much happiness to my soul to be able to do
this for three very special couples.
Enjoy the rest of your wedding planning!
xoxo

fashion | bridal | runway

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I could smell that it was over 45 degrees when I woke up.
I woke up with the breeze coming through the window
and decided that it was time to change things up!

Rather than having just one website layout, I am going to keep
switching it up as we go!
I think my website will be something like my hair…
it’s going to change when I need a little excitement in my life!

So, this past Friday BAMphoto was asked to be a part
of a wonderful companies Bridal Division Launch.

créer CREATE

It was held at the very chic & trendy The Underground Chicago
nightclub. This place is amazing, if you haven’t gone yet
I highly suggest you get on top of that.
The event was designed & lit beautifully by Luxury Management and
Platinum Events.

Here is a little press on the event:
Click here

The event was aimed at newly engaged brides & grooms.
It gave them and the vendors a fantastic opportunity to
mingle and do business in a very fashion forward
and creative way!
{If only bridal expos were that fun!}

The evening came to a close with a bridal/groom
runway show. As soon as I get my hands on the professional
photos I will post them, but for now you’ll have to settle
for my iPhone photos!


And this was my half of the booth!
I was paired up with an amazing floral company
Floressence Wedding Flowers
Not only is the work done by Floressence just exquisite, but they
make this process so simple and stress free.
Click on their link to check them out, you won’t regret it
my beautiful brides!
And while you’re looking at them, you should take a
look at all the amazing vendors that were there as well!

PS: If you’re looking for makeup services,
please contact Joni Laree.
Joni@JLareeArtistry.com
Lord knows I’ll be contacting her myself as
soon as humanly possible.

Cheers!

Marilyn has a home.

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This summer I was part of an incredible exhibition called
Exquisite Corpse. I was in a group with two other ladies
and one of the 5 pieces we created was an ode to Marilyn Monroe.
While the entire piece didn’t sell, I did get an inquiry about the caricature I drew
of Marilyn Monroe’s face and was asked if I could do something with
it for a business office in Chicago.
I spent a few weeks just staring at the original, trying to figure out
a way to change it and add a little something to
really make a statement.

I decided to enhance the drawing by adding the
aspects of Marilyn’s life that we all know about, but tend to
seldom talk about because discussing her beauty is much easier to do.
We can only speculate on the two main conspiracies behind her death…
John F. Kennedy
Overdose

I know what I believe…
do you?




Thank you Brad & Greg of Vesta Preferred Realty
for enjoying this piece enough to give it a home in
your offices!

For any of you who are looking to rent/buy apartments, condos or
homes in Chicago, this is the company you want to help
you find a place! They represent the majority of places
in the city, and they have an amazing staff.
Click here to visit their website!

Cheers!

Mitch + Rani = l o v e

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I had the pleasure of traveling to San Diego & El Cajon, California
to photograph Mitch & Rani’s engagement session this past weekend.
This was BAMphoto’s first engagement session of 2012…and I was ready as ever to get started!
Being away from the Midwest gave me so much inspiration and
also gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to experiment,
step outside of my normal box, and also to build business in California
since that’s where Marty, I & BAMphoto will be headed in a mere two years.
It’s not everyday that a Midwest photographer gets
an opportunity like this, so for that I thank you guys!

Mitch & Rani are one of my favorite couples
I’ve ever met. Mitch & my boyfriend Marty met in college
and became the best of friends so I have been lucky enough to get
to know both Mitch & Rani over time and I just adore them.
I knew before I even got on the plane that this was going to be
an engagement session of a lifetime.
They have a beautiful relationship that’s playful, affectionate and contagious.
Not to mention that neither of them are hard on the eyes, ha!

My favorite part of the shoot was definitely the trolley shots…
I had my heart set on trolley photos, but we had no idea
where we were going to find an empty one.
On our way to the first location, we drove by an empty parking lot with two parked trolleys!
BAM!
We pulled over and asked the driver who was on break if he’d
allow us to use the trolley for a few minutes and he didn’t hesitate.
We had beautiful overcast lighting all day and then just as we
arrived to the beach for sunset photos, the sun came out
and gave us just the right amount of golden rays and sun flares
to add to the magic that had been following us all day.

I was in a zone. All day.
It was a complete whirlwind and my memory of the details
are so scattered because I was so immersed in all of the emotion radiating
from them.

Here is a look at the best of the best of the day!
Thank you again, Mitch & Rani for being so fun and willing to try
out all of my crazy ideas and for being just as enthusiastic as me!
I am thrilled to be able to come back in August to photograph your wedding!

Hello, 2012!

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Well, the new year has arrived!
While 2011 was wonderful, I am excited to finally be able to make
announcements about the upcoming changes!
I’ll start with one of my favorites…

I’d like to introduce you to a little friend of mine called
Skype.

It’s modern day version of how
George from The Jetsons used to communicate to his boss
coming to fruition in real life!

Due to the increase in out of state weddings for this upcoming
year, I’ve spent quite a bit of time using this completely
free service to connect and communicate face to face with clients!
Thanks to technology, we are given a new & improved way
for Brides and Grooms to get to know their vendors from afar.

It does require a web-cam or the use of your computers video capabilities,
but if you do not already own one, I promise it’s a great investment.
This is also useful for iPhone & iPad users with FaceTime capabilities.
I think this is even going to be great to communicate with local clients
if schedules collide for any reason.
Click on the bold ‘Skype’ link above to download, completely free.

I’ll be sending out emails to my brides of 2012 to set up
a Skype/FaceTime date prior to your wedding day
to catch up and discuss any loose ends that should be tied up!
So pour yourselves a glass of wine, and let’s talk weddings!
………………..

I hope you all had a safe & wonderful New Year, and that
2012 will be a fantastic year for you!

Check back tomorrow for another awesome update from BAMphoto!

It’s been swell, 2011!

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I’ve been looking forward to this all year!

I knew I wanted to make a book of 2011′s work, but I am so excited that technology has
allowed us such advancements that I can not only share the physical book
with prospective clients, but I can also share it here, there & everywhere!
You know I love nothing more than showing you all off!

While I have always been fascinated by technology,
I’m not nearly as savvy as I’d like to be someday.
I’ll be adding to this over the next week or so,
so check back for updates of weddings that haven’t been
implemented just yet!
So go ahead and take a look at the weddings from 2011!
You can click for Full Screen too!
Enjoy!

…………………

This has been a wonderful year & I am so eternally grateful
for all of my BAMphoto Family.
You really are more than just clients helping to keep a roof
over my head and my belly full.
Photography is everything to me, therefore you’ve all
become my extended families.
I’d thank you all for giving me the opportunity to photograph
all of your beginnings & to capture the journey’s you’re all on.
I can’t even begin to express how wonderful it is to grow with you
all photographically.
Engagements.
Wedding.
First Baby.
Second Baby.
etc…

You’re all an inspiration and I can’t wait to
continue onto 2012 with you!
You guys are the reason that BAMphoto went from
0-60 in the past year.
I wish you good health, happiness & success in 2012!
……………………….

To my friends & family,

I couldn’t have done any of this without you.
You’re my inspiration, my motivation & my everything.
Thank you for putting up with my antics & exhaustion.
Thank you for understanding my need to be sitting in
front of a computer for far too many hours.
Thank you for being wonderful.
…And thank you in advance for helping me get around
when my eyesight finally gives out!
………………………..

Marty-
Oh, my dear dear Marty…
You deserve a standing ovation. Seriously.
You’re my rock.
I’m forever in debt to you for all you’ve put up with!
Love you, Mean it silly goose.
…………………..

See you all in 2012!
CHEERS!

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.”

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We are well past laundry day.
[We officially have zero socks & undies.]
So I started separating the whites & colors with Marty
and quickly began to realize that half of the things that would have
been washed are things that happened to be on the floor but hadn’t
been worn in ages. So I grabbed a bag and planned on dropping it off to
a teen or womens shelter in the city.

This got me thinking about a new idea…
I’ve spent the past couple weeks researching volunteer programs
in the Chicago communities and plan to start volunteering every month
but of course, I immediately start thinking of ways to incorporate
photography. DUH!
I’m going to contact children/teens shelters in January and see
if any of them would be interested in allowing me to come in
and photograph the kids/teens on a voluntary basis.
Can you imagine never having a memory of your childhood?
Here are a few of my favorites that I had easy access to:

Talk about some things never change…

I loved this bathing suit & this slide.

Nice mullet, Andy.
I remember the earrings I wore that Easter.
I loved them dearly.

Post-Divorce. My Mom’s attempt at cutting out my Dad, ha!
I cried when we arrived and my mom made me wear
that sparkly mess on my head of curls.
I was more interested in my brother’s Legos than my Barbies.

So maybe I won’t be able to give them complete childhood memories,
or make up for any loss of their childhood, but I’d sure like to try
and give them something to take with them on
whatever journey they may be on in their futures.

It’s memory making that made me fall in love with photography.
It’s where it all started.
I loved and still love nothing more than sitting with my and other families,
looking at old pictures/videos and talking about
funny stories.
I love the idea of having kids one day and comparing their
baby photos with mine.
Being able to show them where I once was
and the things I once loved.

It reminds me of a quote from The Wonder Years that I’ve
never forgotten…

“Memories are a way of holding onto the things you love,
the things you are, the things you never want to lose.“
Oh, that Kevin Arnold…so wise.

Securitas Award Ceremony & Holiday Dinner

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I had the honor of photographing two major
events for the international company, Securitas Security Services USA, Inc.

I’d like to start off by talking about the award ceremony
that was held at The Hilton’s Palmer House Hotel.
The employees who earned these prestigious awards were more than deserving.
These are not your typical do-good employee awards either.

The first award to be given was a Securitas Heroism Award. It was given
to a woman named Jan, who while on duty at US Bank, delivered a baby
for a bank employee who went into labor.
She delivered the baby safely, calmly and successfully.
How many of us will ever be able to say that we’ve done that?
Congratulations, Jan!

Another award went to a man named Bill and it was
for Employee of the Year.
I could barely take photos when the President of the Midwest
Region of Securitas began explaining just why he was the recipient.
Bill, has been an employee at Securitas for 24 years and he has
never missed a single day of work.
Even further, if he does need to take a day off during the week
he will promptly make up for it by coming in on a Sunday!
24 years, never missed a day of work.
That’s just unbelievable & remarkable.

All of the recipients modestly accepted their awards
for their exceptional work ethic and performance, and I’d like to once
again congratulate them!
Not only does their performance set the bar for other employees
within Securitas, but hopefully it will inspire all who
will read this!

Later in the evening was Securitas’s annual dinner which was
hosted at the very beautiful Richard Driehaus Museum, that
is steps away from the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago.
Guests were greeted with cocktails & hors d’oeuvres that were
accompanied by beautiful live music.
Everyone was dressed in their finest ensembles and enjoying
each others company and conversation.

The venue itself was just exquisite.
This 20 room museum houses Chicago’s native Richard Driehaus’s
personal collection of Tiffany’s glass panels, statues, wall art, lamps and chandeliers.
Accumulated over the last thirty years, this is one of the
largest personal collections of Tiffany objects in the world.

I’d like to thank Securitas for giving me the opportunity
to photograph these events! I’d also like to thank
all of the guests for being such a great crowd!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Cheers!