You know you’re in love when you sacrifice for the other person. You try something new, let them make the plans, and life is less about you and more about us. That is why when Tim proposed to Andrea he cooked her dinner. Not a proclaimed chef or foodie, but someone who was about to propose that Andrea spend her life with him, it was the perfect gesture that said both “I’m willing to do anything for you & I love you.” Cooking is romantic and it certainly won Andrea over as she said yes and slipped on the diamond ring he gave her.

I met Tim + Andrea at the conservatory in Highland Park for their engagement session. It was a wintry day, but inside the conservatory there was life, greenery, and a reminder of what’s to come. Everyone should stop by the conservatory when they’ve reached the point of too much winter and I promise you’ll feel better.

After the perfect escape from winter inside, we headed out to enjoy the snow and take some pictures in the Valentine’s scene set up by Colleen McCray from Mountain Pie Press. I loved the letterpress signs and the heart chains that were sew together and blowing in the wind.

Andrea and Tim also brought their dog Laila along and she had fun playing in the snow and making her camera debut.

It was an all-around perfect session with plenty of variety and a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy Andrea + Tim and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding day!

When I met up with E+J for their engagement session at the conservatory, I had a little extra time because unfortunately their directions took them the long way. They soon arrived, but in the mean time I was happy wandering around with my nature photographer hat on and did my best to capture some of the beautiful flowers and colors. Seriously, they are so vibrant and gorgeous, but of course I know you’re thinking… you totally photoshopped them… and you’re right! Well, in a way. What does photoshopped mean anyways? That verb – like “googled” has taken on all kinds of meaning and it’s kind of up there with “artsy” to me. Either way, photoshopped when used to refer to editing is what I am talking about.

Editing is a good thing, since not every situation I shoot in has perfect light. Different color temperatures, depending on the light source, also often need correcting. Not sure what I mean by color temperature + light source? Think daylight vs sunset vs candlelight vs florescent… There is, however, a fine line to editing, since in my opinion it should complete a photo so it looks effortless and natural (that’s what I go for, although I’m not afraid to acknowledge that I’ve made mistakes). Every photographer has different preferences with they way they edit as well, which is why it can influence someones style significantly. So, getting to what you want to see, I thought I’d share the originals of these four photos straight out of my camera – so you can see what kind of changes I made. Want to see more before and afters? Hmm… I’d consider it if there were enough requests

A conservatory is the perfect hideaway during a cold winter day. Filled with lush plants and bright colors you wander through the themed rooms and easily forget the snow outside. Conservatories seem to be a somewhat outdated thing, although I really do hope they stick around. I’m talking like they’re an animal on the verge of extinction, but any northerners who endure harsh winters know how important it is to be reminded of life outside of the cold.

When Elizabeth and Jared were planning their engagement session I naturally suggested the Belle Isle conservatory, and trusting my opinion we met up there a few days after Christmas. Not only is it interesting inside, but the outside of the conservatory also boasts some architectural history and visual interest and as you can see it was a beautiful day. Together the variety of light and locations in the photos create a complete set that I really love.

Did you know that Elizabeth and I went to high school together? In fact we were both in photography together so she can vouch for my early interest. Oh, that was back in those ancient days when we used something called a darkroom… I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it. I’m going to have to dig up some of my high school work and show you guys – you’d like that, right?

Snow angels? yes. They were up for anything. I didn’t capture the process as well as I did the kiss afterward. Mark your calendars for August when they’re getting married because I know I’m going to shoot some amazing photos at their wedding!