Fun Fact Friday - get your diamond cleaned

Fact: Dirty rings just wont sparkle.
Make sure you have your rings professionally cleaned for their "close-up"...

It is amazing how many ring shots I do and the engagement ring is significantly less sparkly than the wedding band. Ladies, I'm sure the last thing on your mind the week of your wedding is getting your diamond cleaned. But it does make a difference in the macro photos I soooo love to take at every event.

It isn't that you are a dirty girl ;-) It is just that your normal everyday wear of your ring will get it a little grimy. Just think of the oils in our skin or our many beauty products.

You can invest in a ultrasonic cleaner for at home cleaning... this sort of cleaner combines ultrasonic waves and a special solution to remove all the grime. But after doing a bit of research online this may not be the best answer... According to www.diamondvues.com you can buy a simple isopropyl alcohol rubbing alcohol. Let your ring soak for a few minutes, then scrub with a brush then drop back in for another short scrub.



Bling!!!!

Do you get your diamond in for a regular cleaning? How about maitenance to check the prongs?

Jessica and Jerrod :: Married! May 23, 2009

I started the photo planning phase with Jessica and Jerrod over a year before the big day. Every last thing was perfect... we scouted the Paine Art Center and Jessica fell in love with the tulips and various blooms that appeared there in the spring. When spring 2009 rolled around we were praying that the tulips and crab apple blossoms would hold on until the 23rd of May... we were lucky! Many of the blooms were gorgeous and ready for photos.

Minutes before the processional rain drops began to fall... Even in the somewhat wet weather their outdoor ceremony at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh was beautiful and romantic! I loved editing through the shots and seeing the best man hovering over the couple with a large black umbrella. In many of the ceremony shots below you can actually see the rain drops!

After the ceremony all the guests gathered in the front lawn of the mansion for a big group photo. I love the way this image captures everyone in attendance, luckily there was just a mist in the air at this time so we didn't need our umbrellas!

We had special access to certain areas inside the museum. Some of the shots we took inside the mansion are my favorite of the day. Especially the image of Jessica sitting in the grand staircase. Thank you to the staff at the Paine for escorting us around the property and for helping out so much!

This is a candid shot of Jessica's mother and aunt bustling her dress. I saw this with my eyes and almost fell over! It was the most gorgeous light and the most awesome moment!!!

Here are the rest of my favorites from the day! Enjoy!

The Bride's room at the Carriage House at the Paine...

The most darling 18 month old twins! My duty all day was to photograph them in the same shot... it was a fun challenge!

I just love the expression on Jerrod's face here! This was the biggest smile of the day!!!

Dress Designer: Oleg Cassini
Florist: Garden Gate
Invitations: American Wedding
Rehearsal Dinner: Robbins Restaurant
Entertainment/DJ: All Requests DJ, Dave Cronk
Ceremony: Paine Art Center
Wedding Coordinator: Michelle Rector
Reception Venue: La Sure's Banquet Hall
Honeymoon: Sandals Ocho Rios, Jamaica

video of me trying to win a scholarship...

Wisconsin Hillbilly (to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies) on 12seconds.tv

Gene Higa and Jose Villa - both exceptional wedding photographers are hosting a workshop in Tuscany, Italy. They are having a contest to win a chance to attend the workshop... you need to submit a 12 second video and you need to be creative, funny and tell them why you deserve to win! All in 12 seconds!!! You never realize how short that really is until you give it a try.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that they like my off key singing!

my little brother...

Isn't so little anymore. In fact, he is turning 30, buying a house and getting married to an amazing girl all this year!

Nic and Jenny live in Michigan where they are working on their advanced degrees in Art Education and Law, respectively. Seeing them together back home in Wisconsin is rare... their 8+ hour drive from Michigan is quite long and draining on both the couple and their bank accounts.

But I am very proud of my lil' bro. Especially this week. He and Jenny are closing on their first home. This is no ordinary home... it is the home that my father grew up in. It was even built by our family, and now it will stay in the family.

Over Memorial Day weekend I was able to have a bit of fun with Nic and Jenny at our cottage in Pickerel Lake, WI. My mom wanted an innocent headshot to send to the local paper... but alas, I couldn't stop taking fabulous photos of them!

Here are a few of my favorites!

Their wedding is on October 3, 2009 at the beautiful and historic Old St. Joseph Church on the campus of St. Norbert College. Their reception will be at Lambeau Field's Atrium and their wedding photographer is my friend and colleague MiaS Photography in West Bend, WI.

Fun Fact Friday - What's with the guest book?

Fun Fact: I'm not really sure the exact origin of the guest book at weddings.
so I researched it just a bit...

It turns out that originally it was to start a listing addresses for thank you's and for the new couple's formal address book. It was of course to also document the people who attended your celebration... but is this really the case anymore? I'm sure if a couple needed an address of one of their guests wouldn't they already have it since they sent them an invite?

So what is the purpose of signing a guest book have today?

I see more than just plain lined guest books at weddings. This allows couples to customize their keepsake and it may also allow guests to write more than just their names. Allowing for even further customization and well wishes for the couple to cherish forever.

Some things I've seen are the classic photo and mat in frame. A ceramic bowl, puzzle pieces, poloraid photos signed and posted to a decorated board. I've seen a display with large willow branches where guests could hang well wishes... and a decorative birdcage where guests could toss in a piece of paper with a loving note for the bride and groom.

The possibilities are really endless....

One thing that I personally have fallen in love with is the custom photo guest book. A custom guest book will feature 20+ pages of photos from your engagement session. The images are carefully designed to allow space for guests to write. A guest book attendant is suggested to ensure that guests use the correct pen and that the messages are distributed throughout the book. Of course I love photography... but it is such a wonderful heirloom from your wedding. Easy enough to store on a shelf and intimate enough to sit down and read and bring back memories.

Here are a few photos of a guest book I did for Joanna and Ben...



What unique ideas for guest books have you seen or done? What sort of guest book are you planning for your wedding guests... or have you not even thought about it yet?

Baby Ava :: a newborn portrait

I was contacted by little Ava's grandma weeks before she was even born. She wanted a special and uniquely artistic gift to give to the parents-to-be. We were able to schedule the newborn session only 3 weeks after her birth.

I love photographing babies between 2 and 3 weeks of age. They are the perfect size to do many beautiful and artistic shots. This little girl just broke my heart with her beautiful lips.


Ava's father is in the Army and they thought it would be a nice touch to include his dog tags and jacket. The look on the baby's face is the cutest most expressive face I've seen!


Here are some of my favorites...
What a tiny heart breaker!

Portrait sessions are limited. If you would like to schedule a newborn, family or senior portrait session please email the studio at info[at]ardentphoto[dot]com for more information and availability.

Robin & Justin :: Ever After Punta Cana

Ever After Session my term for the celebratory portrait session after your wedding. More popularily known as Trash the Dress.

Robin and Justing had enough energy to get back into their wedding clothes for beach Ever After session just one day after their amazing Punta Cana wedding. I was able to experiment with some new lighting techniques as well as shooting in the ocean for the very first time. It was a blast!

Here are my favorites...