Whoa baby!!!

Life with baby Emmarie has been a bit rough these first few weeks. We battled a case of thrush, constant crying for 3.5+hours a day and acid reflux. We think we finally have the pretty little thing figured out - it makes me feel so good to know that a little bit of medicine can really ease the pain that she was feeling in her belly.

So now with a sleeping baby and a well-behaved 3.5 year old I am able to finally update my blog!

I am so excited to start my shooting season with Crystal and Greg's May 1st wedding tomorrow. The reception will host over 400 guests - the largest event I've ever been to!

Earlier this week I became an accomplished speaker with the Professional Photographers of Michigan. I presented a boudoir program and hands-on demonstration to a group of 50. I had a great time speaking and think I may have found a new niche for me! I'll blog more about the event with more details and photos over on the boudoir blog at www.unveiledportraits.com

And, just a reminder to become a 'fan' or 'like' both Ardent Photography and Unveiled Portraits on Facebook... I will soon release the dates and availability for High School Seniors as well as specials and a BIG announcement!

Happy Friday!

Drew 3.5yrs Emmarie 7 weeks - snapshot with a mommy-cam

Announcing....

Emerson Marie
"Emmarie"

Sunday, March 14, 2010
1:12 am
9lbs 8.2oz
21 inches

Emmarie - 1 day old...

Being over due with a baby over 9 pounds is not fun. I was on a self-prescribed bed rest the week that I was overdue. It was really hard to move, sleep and pretty much do much of anything. The day I went into labor I decided that I had to just do something... get out of the house - anything.

Saturday we went and saw Alvin and the Chipmunks as a family. I was pretty emotional at the theatre thinking this might be the last time we are a threesome. I was really uncomfortable during the entire movie but found comfort in eating the yummy theatre popcorn.

That evening I was even more discouraged with sitting on the couch. I got up enough courage to go to a store to pick up a few things. I was scheduled for induction the following Monday and knew that if I didn't buy my last minute things I would never have another opportunity.

While at the store Andy texted me to take my time - I ended up going down almost every aisle! It was fun to wander and look at things... I bought Drew some big brother toys, some lip gloss and some baby necessities. A labor inducing shopping spree?

Later that night during Saturday Night Live I felt a small pop... when I stood up I realized that I my water had broken and that I would soon be feeling contractions. Within 10min I was feeling contractions about every 5 min. We called my midwife and mom. About 45min later we were on our way to the hospital.

We arrived at Mercy around 12:15am on Sunday, March 14. Luckily, the staff on the OB floor where aware of my quick deliveries and had already started filling the water of the birthing tub. Grandma and Auntie Trish arrived to help watch our 3 year old Drew - who by the way was a champ at the hospital in the middle of the night! When the tub had enough water in it I was able to enter... about 12:50am. Emerson was born about 20min later. It was an awesome experience. Even though she was 8 days late, her quick delivery made up for it all.

Now we are adjusting to life with a newborn baby. I just love having a little girl in my life. Drew is a terrific big brother... always wanting to hold, kiss and hug her. Andy is a great hubby - helping at night cooking dinner and with middle of the night diaper changes.

Waiting for baby...

Well, my first due date was March 1 - but I guess my "official due date" was March 6. Either way I am overdue and patiently awaiting the birth of my sweet baby girl. It is so hard to sit and think it could happen at any moment.

During my wait I'm taking a bit of time for myself. I'm finishing up a few projects in the studio and getting closer to finishing her nursery. The image below is a collage of some of the things in her room. The theme is birdies surrounded in soft pink and buttercup yellow. I just love the look of stylized birds... I love that my grandfather made birdhouses almost everyday... I love the sounds I hear of the birds that live in the bushes on the side of our house... So I concepted this design. My mother created the custom bedding, I painted a 20x40 canvas and made the mobile, Andy re-did the electrical and all the hard labor in the room. Overall I'm so pleased and can't wait to show it to baby G2!


Keep checking here for updates and baby photos. Let's all hope she comes real soon!!!

Special album offering for a 2009 couple

I offer many products and albums for my clients. Sometimes a couple will request a product that I don't have on my rate card. I am all about making my clients happy with images and albums that they will cherish as their first family heirloom and welcome any such requests.

When Tricia and Bob mentioned to me they wanted a traditional slip-in album I was a bit nervous. This was the type of album I received from my wedding photographer back in 2001. I was nervous because it was something I've never had to layout or order. You see, instead of designing an album with software and sending the files to a album book binder, the slip-in album needs to be constructed in a totally different way. Individual photographs are printed in various sizes, mats are ordered with different sized openings. Both are then hand assembled into a beautiful album that will definitely stand the test of time.

I am very proud of the way the album came together. I'm sure Tricia and Bob will be satisfied with their choice of a more traditional album for years to come!

Pembine Wedding photographer :: Another ordered fav!

Another ordered print from the bride and groom... I just love when they choose the beautiful artsy wedding photos!

Fav from a recent DePere engagement session...

This session was shot in October. We snuck into one of the dorms at St. Norbert College to warm up and make use of this amazing window light! Crystal and Greg will be my first wedding of the 2010 season. Their wedding is going to be jam packed with amazing things!

Wisconsin Wedding Photography - The autumn light

I just had to post this remarkable image from Leah and John's September wedding in Little Chute, WI. This is the image they chose for their wall portrait and I couldn't be happier with their selection!

The Collection - our TV debut!

This week was wedding week at TMJ4 and NBC26 on the Morning Blend. Members of the Collection were interviewed to present ideas and tips on choosing the right photographer for your wedding.

I was fortunate to participate on Tuesday's show... where we talked mainly about the importance of hiring a professional wedding photographer and how the Collection benefits brides planning weddings in Wisconsin. I was really nervous being on live tv! I don't know what came over me... but all-in-all it was a terrific experience.

Visit the Morning Blend website to view clips from the show...
January 5, 2010
January 8, 2010

If you are on a Mac you'll need to download the latest Windows Media Player

That's me! The cute 8 months pregnant girl on the right...

Album sneak peak - Appleton Wedding Photography

Here are some shots from one of the wedding albums that I designed and delivered for Christmas 2009. It is so important for a bride and groom to have a finished professional representation from their wedding photographer. Whether you receive professional prints, canvas or an album - a finished piece of art is an important part of wedding coverage.

Today too many brides are only focused on the disk. Believe it or not, many brides never print images from their disks. They get caught up in life, family and their jobs... leaving them with nothing. Don't let this happen to you! Make sure your wedding photographer offers more than just a disk of your wedding images as part of your wedding photography package. I feel a long blog post coming on...

Back to the album.

This album is one of my Fine Art leather albums. Heidi and Dave opted to add a couple of features to make their album a bit more personalized... Their cover features top grain leather, silver imprinting and a cameo image. They also added their names to the spine...





This wedding album lays flat. The pages are hand mounted flush to the thick page. I have all of my albums with a split gutter ensuring the longevity of the book. This split page design ensures your book will not crack or peel in the gutter over the years.




We needed to squeeze in a bunch of images onto this spread. I usually recommend 2-3 images per page. When you are planning your album you will want to choose between 90 and 100 images for a 30 page album.


Each book is blind embossed with my logo on the back cover...

This Fine Art album is my mid-range album. I also offer an heirloom album that is just exquisite! Contact me for more information on album choices...

2009 :: A look back

I'm sooo excited for this new year... before the clock strikes 12:00 I want to recap the wonderful adventures of 2009...

An Ardent Photography Photobooth

2009 was a terrific year for Ardent Photography... I started out the year shooting a wedding with Rachel of www.mergeweddings.com in Key West Florida. I flew to the island in a ridiculously small 8-seater airplane - in the co-pilot seat! I knew from that moment it was going to be a fantastic year!

In March I returned for my second straight year at the WPPI conference in Las Vegas, NV. I had a blast rooming with Molly Michel of m three studio and participating in classes and shootouts all week long. I bought my first "real" purse and necklace at Tiffany's... thank Molly for introducing me to nice things.


That Easter Andy and I took off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for some along adult time. It was so very relaxing to have nothing to do besides sit and soak up the sun.

Shortly after our trip to Mexico I was hired to shoot my first destination wedding in the Dominican Republic. I brought along friend and photographer Miranda Zynda-Kneeland of Reminisce Photography to be my second shooter. It was a true honor and privilege to photograph Robin and Justin's wedding in Punta Cana.

My busy wedding schedule only allowed me to take a limited number of High School Seniors. This year I shot 10 sessions and had a blast photographing seniors from Xavier, Appleton East, North and West as well as a senior from Winneconne High Schools.

The summer's weddings brought lots of joyful moments in couples lives - and I loved shooting at many new locations. I especially loved shooting for Tracy and Tim in Pembine at the Four Season Resort and in Door County for Kirsten and Andrew at the family's private residence. Thank you to all of my wedding couples for making 2009 such a fantastic season!!!


The most joyful news of the summer had to be finding out I was pregnant with our second child - a GIRL!!! Drew will finally be a big brother - our due date is March 1, 2010. He wants to name her "Cook"... it's actually quite cute, we are calling her that for now... but we do have several cute girl names on our list!

In other business 2009 news... Unveiled Portraits - my boutique boudoir photography venture has been such a dream come true. I've shot more than 75 boudoir sessions total and in the month of October I raised $900 for my first ever Boudoir for Breast Cancer fund raiser with the help of matching funds from Invitation Consultants.

I was also featured in Wisconsin Bride Magazine as an expert in boudoir photography. I am beyond excited to continue photographing boudoir session in 2010 and continue to make Unveiled Portraits the best boudoir photography studio in the state of Wisconsin. Thank you to all of my wonderful ladies!!! Here's to a new year of loving your sexy-self just the way you are!!!

This year was also a great year for my family. We took our very first family vacation in December to Disney World. Seeing Disney through the eyes of a 3 year old was definitely magical.

Drew had the most fun on the Triceratops ride at Animal Kingdom and getting his face painted up like a dragon. For Andy and I, our favorite part of the trip was getting selected to see the fireworks show as VIP's at Epcot. We were the only people in the entire park that got to sit alongside the people who designed the show and just yards away from where the fireworks are shot off.

To help make way for lil' sister "Cook" Drew said goodbye to his toddler bed and hello to a big boy bed. He is doing great in the bed and hasn't fallen out yet... He also was bumped up in his swimming class at Swimtastic Swim School. He can swim all independently for 3 feet, he is also jumping into the pool and swims to the side - all by himself!

Andy caught the biggest fish at my brother Nic's bachelor party in Pickerel Lake, WI - the thing was a HUGE 42" and very very tasty ;-) He has also been very busy playing in his softball and pool leagues. We are very fortunate his company has been so successful this year and are looking forward to what the future holds. We are both so lucky to have careers we love and a family that we adore!


Have a very happy and prosperous 2010!!!!

xoxo Amy