Metropolitan Imageworks

Annnndddd here’s little Gem-Gem as a not so little babe anymore!  She is two and as cute as ever! Chit-chatting and interacting and she LOVES to show off her little tongue.  We got some holiday pics, family pics and of course a ton of Gemma and her little girl antics.  See you again in 6 more months!!!

Marc and Cynthia are some of Metimages original wedding clients from 2001, back when I was operating as Rachael Silvers Photography.  They were married in June and while I had photographed a handful of weddings and special events in the years prior, their wedding was particularly special since they had been good friends of ours for a few years and I knew a lot of the cast of characters through other photographic projects.  Fast forward a year and a half later and Marc and Cynthia were two parts of the brass quintet that played during my own outdoor wedding ceremony.  Funny how life happens, jobs change, people move, families grow and it’s often a full circle.  Marc and Cynthia moved from Illinois to Southern California in 2004, and my husband helped them drive a huge moving truck across the country.  Now since our migration to Orange County, California earlier this year, we are only about an hour and a half apart from Marc and Cynthia rather than half a continent!  I met up with them at La Jolla Cove last weekend for some fun family portraits and of course loads of goofing off and fun portraits of their darling daughters.  Some say there is no place like home.  I say there is no place like being near friends.

Laura and Todd needed some head shots, they also wanted some updated pics of the girls and of course while we’re at it, why not get the holiday card photo out of the way too?!  They came to Chicago for the long weekend all the way from Minnesota, and as it so happened, I was in town too!  I photographed Laura and Todd’s wedding in 2004, Laura was one of my own bridesmaids in 2002 and we go way back to our high school days in the early 1990′s.  It was such fun to see Maddie and Sasha as little girls and their interactions as sisters are just so cute and sweet, mostly!  We were also very lucky with some great late summer weather in Chicago. Can’t wait for the next session and I hope it’s sooner than in seven more years!

Our awesome Metimage’s intern, Barb, filled in for a Milestone portrait session with Bianca a couple weeks ago in Chicago, and it was hot out!  Bianca and family met up with Barb on the grounds of Dominican University and spent a lovely morning documenting Bianca’s 9-Month session.  Fortunately they were able to escape some of the heat and prevent a melt-down a little longer by heading inside one of the buildings to finish off the session.  Bianca once again aced the portrait session and showed her many smiles and smirks!

I met up with Aiden and his parents at the beach in Evanston on Father’s Day.  It was an overcast morning and the fog rolled in during our session but it really gave the shoot an East Coast feeling!  The little birthday boy was shy at first and then warmed up, as is his usual MO.  Mom was smart enough to pack a soccer ball which elicited some smiles and giggles and of course running around in dad’s arms always get the laughing action. Dad just needs to work on a gentler touch-down and we’ll be all set for the next time!

I know I have said this time and time again, but it’s totally worth repeating.  My heart sings with joy when I get to photograph the newborn babies of former wedding clients.  Gwen and Jarret were married in 2008 and recently welcomed little Maddie to their family.  I was ecstatic that her birth coincided with one of my recent visits to Chicago and I was able to introduce Maddie to the wonderful world of Metimages portrait sessions.  Her older (fur)bro, Buddy, was very helpful in both his posing and gnawing on my baby basket between sets.  Totally ok, because he made up for it in snuggles!

This.  This is why I photograph people in their element.  It’s not just about the smiling faces, it’s also very much about the un-contrived moment. This is why I don’t put my camera down.

Check out the scrumptious baby hammock my awesome client, Amanda, knitted for me!

Their first “child” deserves a moment in front of the camera, too.

And, it’s a wrap!

Anytime I make it up to Madison for wedding related work I also make sure to stop in and visit with Sasha and Ethan who have been fixtures on my blog since each of their births!  This time Sasha is a vibrant and spunky three-year old with a penchant for dramatic flair. Truly a little girl after my own heart!  Ethan was hamming it for the camera, after a quick power nap, and delighting me with all of his numerous faces.  It doesn’t hurt that these kiddos are my family so I know we share some of the same cuteness genes. This portrait session was made even more special by the fact that Buscia recently moved from New Jersey to Madison and now gets to spend more time with Sasha and Ethan and watch them grow.

Last Tuesday I spent an afternoon with some very loving sisters and I was bombarded with snuggles from the get go.  Taylor just turned one and it was time for her one-year portrait session.  Big sis’ Mikayla was delighted to join in for a few photos (and play the Hide part in Hide N’ Seek with mom’s cell phone while we were at the park – note to all Droid owners with mischievous three-year-olds, set your “Where’s my Droid?” text app now!)  After a fun session running around at the park, we located all missing items and made our way back to their house where we continued with some outfit changes and more portraits of Taylor, complete with delightful tutus!

My girlfriend Bianca is back on the blog and almost all smiles!  She is such a little ham for the camera and had me cracking up throughout the shoot with her little antics and a couple funny faces she would sneak in.  Her folks brought her to the hotel I was staying out for my IM Marathon the following day and we got to use a variety of backdrops within the hotel suite and it worked out very well.  It’s funny to me how we save the family shots for the end and one of the adults, not naming names, grumbles and finally agrees to do the shot and somehow they always end up to be the most incredible moment that captures a glimpse into the dynamic of their entire family. I joke that they can hate me now but in 10 years they will thank me for creating this memory.  (Thanks to my associate Liz who came up with that gem at a wedding a few seasons ago!)  After yet another successful portrait session we all decided it was time to eat so we headed out for a celebratory meal and Bianca snoozed through most of it in her car seat and Toni was the epitome of a perfect child out at a restaurant late on a Friday night.  After working with clients for 5 years, the lines between client and friend start to blur and they simply become a very important part of my life.