This week I had the unique experience of being surprised. Thinking I was on my way to photograph the inside of a local boutique sneaker shop in downtown Chicago, I found myself photographing two young entrepreneurs named D.J. Grant and Brandon Williamson.  They are the innovative minds behind a new iphone app that locates sought-after sneakers and the retailers that carry them.  ”Sole Search” is the product of a lot of hard work, and a deep love for unique footwear.

The Blizzard of 2011, one I heard referred to as “SNOW-M-G,” buried the Windy City in over 21 inches of snow this past week.

Walking through the neighborhood the morning after the snowfall, we saw it all.  This van shown burnt to a crisp was one of the strangest. No one was hurt in the explosion, which we heard was caused while trying to floor it out of the mountainous snow.

Let’s face it, winter in Chicago in 2011 has been no walk in the park.  When a good friend asked me for a headshot, we agreed to brave the elements and get out into the world again.  We had to warm up in between these shots but we were so happy with the results.  The overcast sky, combined with the beautiful light reflecting off of the snow, and of course a lovely model, made for a fantastic winter shoot.

On a beautiful Chicago day, I made the trip to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park.  My goal?  To find beautiful ingredients to take home for a backyard photo shoot.

After a few laps around the festivities of the market, I honed in on what I wanted to bring back to my studio.  I had my eye on rich colors and interesting textures.  These flowers I picked up looked gorgeous pre-styling, but I gave them my own touch by placing them in a vintage etched bottle I’d found in a San Fran thrift store a few years back.

The farm-fresh foods held as much visual interest as the floral displays.  The experience was nothing like the traditional grocery store.  It was great to meet the people who grew what I was about to eat.  Well… what I was about to photograph, and then eat!

The final product after styling here was beautiful.  These photos are all lit with simple sunlight.

Photographer Jim Jurica and make-up artist Jean Harrity held a fantastic workshop just South of Chicago this past weekend. As a photographer who works with a lot of people, I often find myself in the situation where a makeup artist did not show up, or more likely, one was never called in the first place.  Be a jack of all trades, fellow photographers, and jump in there yourself with these simple tips and tricks to save the day!

What to do with limited time:

Jean suggests focusing on three elements of the face for a “quick fix:”  Eyebrow, Mascara, Lip. It’s that simple.

For eyebrows use an angled brush to apply medium brown eyeshadow to fill in brows, instead of a waxy pencil. Strong eyebrows will frame your models face and give her a finished look.  For mascara, all you need is black or brown, and always comb through those clumps. For lips, use this ingenious technique to set your color.  Apply your first coat of lip stain. Cover lips with a 1-ply tissue or piece of toilet paper.  Then with a powder brush, apply powder on top of the tissue over the lips.  Remove the tissue and apply lip stain one more time.  This in-between layer of powder will set your lip color for the entire shoot.  No need to re-apply!

One tip for perfectly blushed cheeks:

Start from the hairline and sweep blush just under the cheekbones, stopping two fingers width from the outer corner of the nose. Don’t apply blush all the way to the corner of the nose, this can look unnatural.

Another interesting fact about blush: every makeup company has one blush color designed to look great with all skin tones. For Mac try “Cheek,” and for L’Oreal try “Caramel.”

The Master Amateur: What to keep in your Bag

Foundation: Light, Medium, and Dark.  You can always mix them together to create custom shades. Matching powders to set.
Brushes: Angle Brush, Eyeshadow Fluff Brush, Concealer Brush, Blush Brush, non-latex sponges for blending.
Blush: One color that works for every skin tone (see Above).
Mascara: Black or Brown.  Disposable wands from Sally Beauty to prevent the spreading of germs.
Eye Shadows: Best bets are taupes, browns, and purples.  For light eyes use warmer tones, for dark eyes use cool tones. For green eyes, try cool purples and bold blues.

The gorgeous final product!  In closing, remember hygiene is key.  Nothing ruins your shoot like an outbreak of conjunctivitis! For more tips on how to hygienically apply makeup on clients visit: http://www.ehow.com/how_4423424_apply-hygienic-makeup.html

One April 22, 2010 I had the pleasure of attending the Three Stages Photography Tour at Prairie Productions in Chicago, IL.  This tour was presented by Hasselblad and Resource Magazine.  Guests were given the opportunity to shoot with Hasselblad’s new H4D line of cameras in three separate shooting spaces.

The CL Wedding Studio Staff was on hand at the event!  Here’s Colin shooting with the new Hasselblad H4D40.  Photographers could instantly check out their work on monitors, and even received their images on jump drives.

Photographers specializing in Hasselblad equipment from across the country were on hand to demonstrate all the features of the new equipment.  In particular, I met renowned photographer Joe Drivas from Florida.  He showed me pictures he’d taken of Gia (when she was just 19) on his iPhone!  There he is setting up a food shot.  Next to him Colin and Katie check out 40 megapixels in action!

Prints from “Hasselblad Masters” were displayed around Prairie Productions Studio.

Here the entire staff of CL Weddings poses for a rare group shot.  Myself, Colin, and the fabulous new intern Kelly.  Next to us Colin and Katie kicking it after a fun and educational photographer’s night on the town.