Casey & Anthony

Casey & Anthony had a lovely intimate wedding in November.  They invited about fifty guests to celebrate their marriage.  They had their ceremony at the Gruen Galleries which was a beautiful open space with lots of nice wood accents.  Before tying the knot, the couple got ready downtown at The Wit Hotel.  After their ceremony, they held dinner for their closest family and friends at Blackbird.  Unlike most of our couples, they took all their romantic photos at night.  You can see how this gives the images a completely different feel and adds to the drama of the photos.  Chicago is such a great city because whether you get married in the summer or winter, you can still have backgrounds for great photography!

Maria & Jordan

 Salvage One is such a great place to have a wedding.  It's unique, vintage, and has a homey feel that is unmatched in many other Chicago venues.  Since Salvage One doubles as an antique store and a venue, they use their display furniture for the wedding set up.  All the tables for wedding guests are made up of dining room tables that Salvage One is actually selling.  Not only is that awesome because you don't have to rent furniture, but since their inventory is always changing, you never know what you're going to get!  Maria & Jordan named all their tables after streets in Chicago and decorated handmade centerpieces of flowers, twigs, and old jars.  Their menus were also Chicago themed with a map that displayed different areas of the city.

 Maria & Jordan had their entire day inside Salvage One - they got ready there, held their ceremony on the first floor, and partied on the top floor!

Even though it was freezing in mid-November, we still made it outside for a quick shot in Salvage One's backyard.  Check out their slideshow to see more!

Tara & Brad

Tara & Brad had their wedding the day before Halloween - one of the last beautiful fall days in Chicago!  You can tell that the lighting is superb and the autumn colors are just beautiful -- but not as beautiful as Tara's dress!  It's classic, edgy, and photographs so well!  The couple got ready at the Ritz Carlton before having their ceremony at one of our favorite spots, Old St. Pat's.  They then went to Carnivale for their reception - a perfect spot with a gorgeous color concept and great food and drink!

Engagement Shoot over Chicago with Jessie & Brian

As we reached the tail end of this lovely fall we were able to do an awesome shoot with Jessie and Brian. Brain is in the construction business and was able to get us access to the rooftop of the unfinished Legacy at Monroe building which has stunning views. It was very cool to be able to photograph Jessie and Brian on the site of a project that he's been working on for at least a couple of years. One of the things we strive to do as wedding/ portrait photographers is incorporate something meaningful to the couple into their photographs. I think it's easy to say we accomplished that mission and gave something to the couple that is definitely unique! Check out some of our favorites below!

60 Looks in 60 Minutes: Kurt Gerber's PartnerCon Workshop

We were so happy with the turnout today at the workshop in New Orleans.  Kurt would like to extend a big thank you to everyone that participated.  As promised, we are now going to post some key points covering what we demonstrated on the streets of the French Quarter.

Framing

Don't be afraid to take the time to change your position, your point of view, or your lens.  Take a look at your subject from different angles, below, above, and to the sides.  Allow yourself to think about the image you want to create and from which angle it will be the most powerful. 

Background

Before the shoot, scout some natural backgrounds in the area.  Pay attention to what time of day you will be shooting and how that will affect your lighting.  Utilize textures like brick, stucco, peeling paint, wood, flora, and public art to make your photos more dynamic.

Details

Details are what your clients have chosen to make their weddings unique.  Use your own perspective to zoom in and capture the details dramatically and artistically. 

Emotion

Clients are filled with many emotions on their wedding day.  Use your eye and your instincts to capture the emotions as they're happening. Sometimes the moments between moments yield the best photographs so always be present in your view finder. Real emotion is gold.

Focus

Current trends in wedding photography use a shallow depth of field.  We use focal length and aperture to isolate the couple.   

Framing

Natural and man made objects can be used in unique ways to frame the couple.

Light

Light is essential in turning a good photograph into a great one.  We look for situations in which we can make silhouettes, find shadows, bounce light, backlight, and utilize lens flare. Good light can even be found at mid day if you keep your eyes open.

Meghan & Tom

What a classic event!  Meghan and Tom had a chic black and white affair.  Meghan wore a Vera Wang dress with Manolo Blahnik heels.  She had a white sash around her waist for the day and a black one for the reception.  It's great how little changes like that have such a cool effect on the entire look!  They got ready at Hotel Blake, had their ceremony at Old St. Patrick's, and held their reception at the Harold Washington Library.  Their theme was black and white, which went great in HWL's Winter Garden.  After Tom's family sang the newlyweds a traditional song, the party started and everyone had a great time!  Thanks guys!

Gina + Larry - Salvage One

Gina and Larry tied the knot the first of October at Salvage One. Without a doubt Salvage One is one of our favorite venues in the city of Chicago! It's completely unique, and ever changing. One of our favorite features is the back courtyard space, which must have appealed to Gina (an interior designer) who ended up having their ceremony there at Dusk. Another thing that's neat is that Gina and Larry were able to get ready there which meant we had access to some different pieces to photograph her dress and jewelry on. We really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of their party and had a blast working with them on their wedding day. Congratulations, Gina and Larry! 

Check out some of their pictures and slideshow below!

Tara & Brad Engagement

Just recently most of the Studio was in Washington D.C. for a wedding of one of our very own shooters. While there we were able to connect with some of our upcoming clients, Tara and Brad, who live in D.C. and we got to shoot an engagement in their hometown! It was a great opportunity to get some pictures of them in a place that was important to them and their story. 

Another thing we enjoyed about the shoot is that we got some of the most terrific light by waking up early and doing the shoot at 7:00am. A little tip to those of you who haven't used your engagement shoots yet - the best time of day to shoot is when the sun is the closest to the horizon. It gives the opportunity to make some really beautiful pictures in soft, warm light. When trying to schedule your shoot, just keep that in mind.

Anyway, we can't wait to see Brad and Tara at their wedding coming right up on October 30th! 

Check out some of our favs below.

Kim & Justin

We knew Kim and Justin's wedding was going to be an amazing event. After shooting a few of their friend's weddings and their engagement, we knew we were in for a fun time! They tied the knot in the historic Empire Room at the Palmer House. You couldn't ask for more beautiful weather as we rode around downtown taking snap shots along the way.  Stopping at the south garden of the Art Institute, Kinzie St bridge and LaSalle St, we had the opportunity to take some incredible photos. The good times didn't stop as we made our way to Carmichael's for the reception where we closed the night out with great food, drinks and dancing. Thank you Kim and Justin for letting us be apart of your day! 

Love the Love: Hostess With The Mostess

We are also thrilled when blogger share our work! This week,  Hostess With The Mostess, blogged about Laura and Jonathan's spectacular wedding.  

Thank you HWTM! Click here to check out the complete post.

Lindsey and Dustin

Lindsey and Dustin were married this past saturday the 11th at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles. Outdoor ceremonies can be hard to pull off and in the days leading up to the wedding the forecast was predicting rain, however, the rain stopped and the clouds parted at 10:00 am that morning. The perfect amount of time for everything to dry out and the wedding to go off perfectly. We really love photographing outdoor weddings, especially in the fall because the weather is cool enough that people aren't sweltering and the light takes on a golden hue with is just perfect for pictures. After the ceremony we took Dustin and Lindsey to a couple spots around St. Charles (thanks to the trolley provided by the Hotel Baker). From there on the party was on its way! With a little help from the good folks at Toast and Jam the lit dance floor was packed all night! A big thanks and congratulations to Lindsey and Dustin for letting us be a part of their day!

All the best from the team at Orange 2 Photo!

Check out their slideshow below:

Amanda & Todd

Amanda and Todd... where do I begin?  The girls got ready at the fabulous triangular shaped Swissotel.  They had a beautiful suite overlooking Navy Pier and Lake Michigan.  The sky was clear and you couldn't have asked for a better view.  Amanda's bracelet, necklace, and shoes belonged to her grandmother.  Can you believe that?!  The bracelet and necklace is awesome, but the fact that her grandmother's shoes are still in tact and wearable (not to mention the same size) is just crazy!  They had their ceremony at Assumption which is a great little church with incredible lighting.  Amanda & Todd had a table at their reception adorned with a sign saying "Where we come from."  It was such a cute detail that shared photos of their families with all their wedding guests.

We took photos around the city before making it to the Metropolitan Club in the Sears Tower (yes, the Sears Tower) for their reception.  Notice how the lines on Amanda's dress match the detail on her cake!  Their color scheme was a sleek mixture of purples and silvers with a little dash of green in the bridesmaid's bouquets.  Check out their slideshow and enjoy!

Midwest Wedding & Event Professionals 2nd Annual Charity Golf Outing - A Huge Success!!

Last Wednesday, we took part in one of our favorite charity events of the year.  It's a day of BBQing, golfing, and having a great time all while raising money for the One Step at a Time Camp.  We got tons of people out to support and raised over $2000!!  This money will send multiple kids to summer camp and has the potential to be life changing for any young person experiencing a disease, hardship, or terminal illness.

1:  Bill Dugan of the Fish Guy, a great seafood market on Elston, and his team won the golf portion of the event.
2:  Keith Jorgensen of Poetic Productions won the "best dressed" competition for being dressed just like Carl Spackler from the Caddyshack.
3:  Belen of Gerber+Scarpelli poses with Ali of Engaging Events by Ali.
4:  Attendees bought raffle tickets the length of their height to be entered into the raffle to win our fabulous prizes.
5:  Maggie Thalheimer of Gerber+Scarpelli poses with her mom who drove out to attend the event.
6:  Nick Gerber of Gerber+Scarpelli poses quite enthusiastically with Ali.
7:  Two videographers from I Do Films having a great time at the BBQ.
8:  Laura Black, a make up artist, won a fancy umbrella from the raffle.
9:  Nick Gerber and Louis of I Do Films having way too much fun for their own good.
10:  Ali, Keith, and Kurt Gerber drawing numbers for the raffle.

Midwest Wedding & Event Professionals Second Annual Charity Golf Outing!

Hey All!

Orange2 Photo is participating in the second annual Midwest Wedding & Event Professionals charity golf outing.  This year we are supporting One Step Camp, which sends kids with cancer to summer camp.  We believe its a great cause and we always have a good time with others in the wedding business and our clients!  There is a golf tournament  beginning at noon and a BBQ beginning at 4:30.

Hope you can make it!

Kat & Greg

Kat and Greg are not going to stay in our great city for their wedding as they'll be tying the knot in Santorini, Greece - but really wanted some great pictures for their engagement and to possibly use on their 'Save the Date' cards, so they came to us. We had so much fun going around the city with this tremendous couple, and they made it so easy to get great pictures! We wish we were going to be there with them on their special day (as we really like to do destination weddings) but despite not going, we were delighted to do their engagement photos. We went all over the city including Olive Park, Zed 451 (the spot Greg proposed), and right around our own neighborhood. We wish Kat and Greg the best on their wedding day and if they decide to change their mind (*ahem*) we'll be ready to meet them in Greece.

Mary & Dave

The last weekend in July Dave and Mary tied the knot at the ever terrific Old St. Pat's. Mary, a teacher, had her class from the previous year come to the ceremony so we took a fun group picture with her students as soon as the mass was over. Mary is so dedicated to her students that she wore silly bands around her ankle in honor of her students (You should be able to spot them in a few of the pictures). After that we wandered down to the Chicago Yacht Club where Dave had proposed. Finally we were off to the reception at the fantastic Chicago Illuminating Company. The Illuminating Company is great because it's one of those spaces that is different almost every time we shoot there. With a little help from the crew over at Big City Bride the event design was beautiful and everything ran perfectly. A big thank you to Dave and Mary for letting us be a part of their team!

Suzanne & Brendan

Suzanne and Brendan picked and absolutely beautiful day to tie the knot. We started out getting ready in the always fabulous Hotel 71, which overlooked not only the river but the awesome set of the Transformers 3 filming. Then we headed to St. Teresa of Avil church for a absolutely wonderful ceremony. After a quick photo shoot in church, the couples super cool Bentley arrived to drive us around the city for photos. Our first stop was Olive park where this couple worked the camera and let us get some amazing pictures. We then headed to Union Station, before going to the Wrigley Building. That brought us close to Hotel 71, where the reception was getting underway in the sky high ball room. The stunning view made a perfect backdrop to the beautiful details of this terrific couple's reception. We had as much fun as the rest of the guests the entire night!!!