Lauren and Kevin :: June 7, 2008

Yes - 06-07-08! What an awesome date to be married! And awesome it was! Lauren and Kevin's wedding is by far the most eventful and crazy wedding I ever encountered in my life!

The day started out in the mid 80's - hot, sunny and humid. I was happy when I entered the church to find out that the AC was on full blast! Lauren and her girls were getting ready in the bride's room and Kevin and his guys were in the parking lot decorating their pick-up trucks.

The first challenge of the day came from the pastor of the church. I wasn't allowed to come up the middle aisle for any part of the ceremony. That meant I couldn't be in my usual spot for the rings, the unity candle or the kiss! Luckily the pastor allowed me to be half way up on the side aisles... I captured the exchanging of the rings from the right aisle and Jason Samsa (a photographer shadowing and second shooting) covered it from the left aisle. I ended up sitting as a guest in the pew for the kiss and popped out at the last moment to get an awesome shot from the center. I was able to capture all the moments as they happened and from a more unique angle.

After the ceremony and receiving line we were ready to start shooting the group formals. At that exact moment the tornado sirens started to blast. I hurried and completed all the family and wedding party poses. After the last group the power flickered and eventually the church lost all power. The sirens went off again and eventually everyone that was left in the church found their way to the basement.

Sometimes challenges can lead to more creativity in the way I shoot and not having access to light is a major challenge! Another challenge was to keep the momentum of the day from dying out. So we played! Jason came up with a great idea of painting with light. I had all the bridesmaids and the bride open up their cell phones and trace letters in the air while I photographed them with a long exposure. The results were fantastic!!! We had soooo much fun and it made the one and a half hours in the basement of the church go by without stress.

We finally made our way to the reception hall, thank goodness the power was on! I was able to shoot about 15min outdoors with no rain. I decided to stay past my end time to get some outdoor shots of the bride and groom alone. It was worth staying the extra hour to get beautiful images of Lauren and Kevin on the golf course.

Here are some more highlights:

In good company...

Last night I attended the Wisconsin Bride Magazine Best of 2008 awards event in Milwaukee. It was held at the beautiful and historic Ambassador Hotel downtown. I was lucky to run into a bunch of Fox Cities vendors when I first arrived. It was very nice to see some familiar faces and to hear that many of them were nominated!

I also had the opportunity to hang out with some photographers that I have become friends with this past year. Especially Molly from MThree Studios, Michael Krakora, and Craig Stodola from CS Photography.

Molly introduced me to Monica (The White Box of Wedding Design) a fabulous wedding consultant in Milwaukee. These girls are so cool and fun to be around!

The evening ended quite late... I made it home around 12:45am. It was so worth the trip to Milwaukee to hang out with other wedding professionals who have the same passions (and funny stories) as I do.

Local Vendors who where nominated for WI Bride Magazine Best of 2008:
Marshall Florist - Kaukauna
Lenz Studio (Videography) - Appleton
Artistic Cakes and Cookies - Kimberly
Elegant by Design - Appleton
Paine Art Center and Gardens - Oshkosh
Heidel House Resort - Green Lake
Copperleaf Boutique Hotel and Spa - Appleton


Look for the Fall/Winter issue of Wisconsin Bride Magazine on newstands in a few weeks!

Coming Soon....

I am excited to introduce my latest project. Unveiled Portraits by Ardent Photography. Unveiled Portraits are boudoir photos that are sexy, sweet and sophisticated. Do something fun for yourself and create the perfect gift for your husband-to-be or the perfect anniversary gift.

I believe that every woman is beautiful and deserves to express that beauty in professional photographs.

Sessions include a 1.5 hour session, up to two looks/outfits, private online proofing, a 5x5 peek-a-boo album, and retouching of all images. Additional photographs can be purchased a la carte starting $10. A stylist is also available for an additional fee.

Please email me at info@ardentphoto.com to book your session. I have 7 spots available for the July marathon session. Mention this blog post and receive $50 off the session fee!

Upcoming dates:
July 11 and July 12

If you are interested in reading more about Boudoir check out this article: What is Boudoir?

Laura and Rocky :: May 31, 2008

Laura and Rocky were a blast to photograph. From the getting ready shots to the reception... the entire day was filled with emotion.

Laura dressed at her parent's home in Green Bay. This room was absolutely perfect for the final phase of "getting ready" - the lighting was beautiful and the room had great space.

These earrings are real diamonds were loaned to the bride (along with a diamond and sapphire bracelet and necklace) from their jeweler in Chicago.

I love dramatic angles and selective focus. Here, I focused on her grandmother's ring (her something old) and also captured a beautiful smile as she looked up at her parents on the deck.

Aren't they gorgeous!?

Rocky was sooo excited as they left church he did a heel click. I was literally "shooting from the hip" for this shot. I am sooo happy I captured this moment!

A funny moment produced a terrific smile from Laura - guys.... you know what I'm talkin' bout!!!!!!

This image was captured on the road leading up to Thornberry Creek Country Club.

Here are some more teasers from the day...

Kati and Cory :: May 24, 2008

You may have seem Kati and Cory on my website... I took their engagement photos I took last fall with an amazing display of color as a backdrop. They are an awesome and fun couple and they make my job as a photographer extremely enjoyable!

I knew that their wedding day would be filled with some awesome moments. The first amazing vision I came across was the beautiful small white church in the middle of the country. The church was so intimate and historic. It aisle consisted of only 8 pews... I could photograph the entire church with my 28-70 2.8L lens!

After the ceremony the wedding party traveled to Lawrence University for their photo session. The flowering crabapple trees were still in bloom making for an awesome splash of color in the photos.

Kati and Cory's romantic photo session was relaxed and fun... having done their engagement session a few months ago really helped them relax and enjoy the moment while they were in front of the camera.

Our coverage time ended with cutting the cake at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in downtown Appleton, WI.

Here are some additional teasers...

Stacy & Jeremy :: May 17, 2008

Stacy and Jeremy got married in the small town of Newton, WI... Here are some highlights...

When they cut their cake they cracked their cake knife in half! I was so happy I was able to get the looks on their faces the moment it happened!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why the name Ardent Photography?
Ardent is a word that, according to Webster, is characterized by eager warmth of feeling, passion, or intensely devoted. The word perfectly describes the passion that surrounds people in love and my enthusiasm for photographing them.

What is your photographic style?
Artistic, romantic, sophisticated, wedding & relationship photography that is just a bit edgy.

Do you shoot digital or film?
Digital. But I sometimes snap a few frames with an antique film camera for a unique look.

Do you have a studio?
I have a small studio/gallery in my home. I use the space for photo sessions during the winter months and for client meetings.

Did you go to school for photography?
I have my bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from the Universtiy of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. In addition to my design degree I also have my minor in art history and many credits in photography.

How long have you been shooting weddings?
I have been shooting weddings unofficially since 2002 (I assisted my first in 1995) and I started Ardent Photography in 2005.

Why do you offer an engagement session with all of your packages?
I offer engagement sessions as "get to know you" time. I love learning about how you met, how you hold hands, what makes you laugh... Plus it is a great time for you to get used to my shooting style and dumb jokes.

How many photos do you take at our wedding?
I average about 200 frames per hour when I shoot with two cameras. The actual amount of proofs you will see is quite a bit lower than that. I go through every photo and hand select the very best images from your day. I remove blinks, motion blurred images and duplicates from the bunch. You will end up with around 600-900 final proofs in your proof book depending on your package coverage.

What kind of albums do you offer?
I offer hardbound coffee table albums in a variety of sizes. I also offer custom art books with leather cover options.

In what format are the initial proofs offered?
You will receive a hardbound proof book contact sheets of all your photos. In addition to the proof book you will have a private website of your wedding images to share with friends, family and co-workers. The proof book is yours to keep forever, the website is live for 60 days.

How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
I always post a few teaser photos on my blog at www.ardentphotography.blogspot.com. The proofs in their entirety are ready for viewing on your personal website up to 4 weeks from the wedding day.

How do my family and friends know when my online proofing site is ready?
At your reception I will place an email sign-up list near the guest book. Guests will be encouraged to add their information to the list. They will be notified by email when your wedding website will be ready.

Do you retain the copyright for the photos?
Yes. You can purchase the personal rights release and high resolution images from me at any time. Some packages have the high-res files included in the package.

Are your high res files large enough to print larger than 8x10?
I include the same high resolution files I print your photos from on your DVD. The files you receive from me are large enough to print 16x20 and higher, unlike many photographers who say their files are high resolution. Of course, I recommend ordering from Ardent to ensure the highest quality enlargements - plus they will come retouched and mounted on archival board to protect the print for generations.

Do you shoot destination weddings?
Yes. I have done weddings in Boston and California. I have my passport and would love to quote of your destination wedding!

Do you have a replacement photographer in case you become unavailable on the wedding day?
Yes, in the very slim chance an act of God does not allow me to shoot a wedding I have a large network of qualified photographers that could take my place.

What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day-of?
2-3 professional digital SLR camera bodies, a variety of L-Series lenses, 3 flashes, reflectors, up to 36 GB of digital media, a laptop computer, ladder and umbrellas.

Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction?
Yes. I have back up equipment for everything.

How do we reserve our wedding date with Ardent?
Whew! You are still here? Great!!! The first step in reserving your date with Ardent Photography is to find out if your date is available. You can check my calendar section on the website or shoot me and email. The next step is to set up a complimentary photography consultation. After we talk about your wedding dreams and details you will be able to look through printed samples and albums. All I need to retain your date is $350 and a signed contract.