dougphoto featured on Bride-Buzz blog

Bonnie and Michaels wedding in Lake Geneva WI is being featured on Bride-Buzz check it out. It's super cool.

Contest Time Again!

Well it's january so it's cold in Chicago and I'm so looking forward to the wedding season again when it'll be warm. Last year about this time I had a double contest giving away two free weddings, they ended up being two of my best weddings ever I really got pumped up doing, so I'm doing it again. This year I'm going to be giving away one wedding, and here's the deal. Once again I have the same two judges to pick the winner, my super fab girls. so write in your story and send a picture of you guys so the girls can take a look at you and I can read your story to them, last year they picked some really great winners so I'm sure this year they will too. Rules are the wedding must take place at least 500 miles from Chicago, and you must be a totally fun couple. What you win is 8 hours of coverage from me, a disk of images at full resolution, and an online gallery of images. All you need to cover money wise my transportation costs to get to the wedding. Start sending me emails so I can get those kids of mine to work. I must get you email by Feb 22nd.

Last years winner #1

Last years winner #2

Judge #1



Judge #2

Laura and Pablo engagement photos chicago

I had such a good time shooting these engagement photos. Laura and Pablo couldn't be a sweeter couple. The sad part is they are from Argentina and will be getting married down there drat. They have such a great story they have been dating for many years but for the last couple they have been separated by 5587 miles, while Pablo is working on his masters in Econ at Northwestern Laura has been finishing up her undergrad back in Buenos Aires Argentina. They been dating via skype, gmail chat and occasional trips, during Laura's summer break our winter. I wouldn't have expected these two to be very weather tough but they had a great time running around the city to make pictures, braving some cold and windy Chicago weather. Laura had a lot of great ideas for the shots which we worked into the session and it really made the day extra fun. Now if I could just get them to move there wedding to Chicago.

I did it again!

I placed again in another http://AGWPJA international photo contest 5th place this time I'm move'n up!

Is your photographer really a photographer?

These days it would seem everyone with a digital SLR is a wedding photographer, I guess they think it'll justify the expensive lenses they want to buy. Some of these people are hanging a virtual shingle out and taking jobs, and this scares me, not in the they are taking away my business way, more in the I think they could hurt your wedding memories way. Generally these people are on the low end of the wedding photographer market but some can get up there in price. My worries for brides are several, first if they have a good full-time job with health care etc... and the boss decides they need to attend a conference the weekend of your wedding what happens to you? what if they get transfered? beyond that there are the technical problems that could arise, you wouldn't want me to do your taxes and you wouldn't want my accountant to shoot your wedding. before I went off on my own I assisted for lots of other photographers for six years, I also have a BFA and an MFA so my training is pretty solid, you would be amazed if you where to search some photography boards online how often you see posts about very basic technical issues like how to use a flash, that start out "so I have a wedding this weekend and I can't figure out how to....." the person who shoots your wedding should know there cameras backwards and forwards you run into lots of different technical situations at a wedding you need to know how to react to them. You need to have professional gear and back ups of professional gear. Then comes the issue of digital storage of your images how do they archive the images? If you get a disk that's great but if your disk is damaged or lost can they give you a new one 10 years down the road or have they moved onto another hobby? Most professional photographers spend a couple thousand dollars a year on gear, software, computer stuff, and repairs of equipment that takes a beating every day. It's hard to justify those hefty expenses unless you are doing this full time. When you go out and interview potential wedding photographers make sure you ask them if they are full time shooters, there are some great part time shooters out there but if you decide to use one make sure you ask them some of the questions above to know you're covered.

need not apply

I love old St. Pats church I've shot some of my favorite weddings in that bright, beautiful space, but now I can't, in fact most of you can't either. Old St. Pats church in Chicago has decided to only let 5 studios shoot in there space, and all five studios are large companies who I don't want to disparage but well, except for one of them I would not want them to shoot my wedding. One sticky situation I've heard is brides who've booked last year with photogs who aren't on the list have to find new photogs and loose there retainers, or have no pictures from inside the church, that would be a major bummer for all involved. I think Old St. Pats has really made a bad decision here, it doesn't help anyone and hurts many. Sure some photogs take advantage of church's and are intrusive at ceremonies but I really feel that they are the minority of photographers at least I hope they are. After all doesn't Old St Pats have the worlds largest block party where they claim many people have met and gotten married after? All you brides should complain to them.

I'm a winner!

So I'm a member of the artistic guild of the wedding photo journalist association, which is org that you have to be juried into and they are pretty exclusive. Well they have quarterly contests among there members who come from all over the world and this time I have an image which placed 8th in the brides category so yeah me!