I am healthy and safe...

I've had a few family, friends and clients send me emails about our recent trip to Mexico. We returned on April 16 and were only in the country for a few days.

I am completely healthy and taking every measure possible to stay healthy. Thank you for your concerns!

Sarah & Chad - Oshkosh, WI

I first met with Sarah about 6 weeks before her wedding reception. Sarah and Chad were planning their formal reception for April 18th... I usually book weddings up to 18months in advance and to book a wedding only a few weeks out is definitely unique!

Sarah and Chad were married last summer. They quickly moved up their wedding day so that Sarah's grandfather could witness the marriage ceremony. My heart was touched when Sarah told me she had to make a decision to get married in two days to be able to share the special moment with her ailing grandfather. The couple quickly planned their in-home wedding, got food and drink from the local store and invited their closest family. They had a wonderful heartfelt ceremony at her grandfather's beside.

Fast forward to April 18, 2009... Sarah dressed in her wedding gown and Chad in his camouflage vest and tux. They were ready to celebrate with their family and friends at La Sure's Hall in Oshkosh.

The following images are some of my favorites from the day!

Congratulations Sarah and Chad!

Published - Wisconsin Bride Resource Guide

I am proud to announce that Wisconsin Bride Magazine has chosen my work to be featured on both the cover and inside header pages of it's newest publication, the Wisconsin Bride Resource Guide.

I am consistently submitting my work to publications. Wisconsin bride called me last August to inform me that 6 of my images have been chosen - with two being on the cover. I am so happy that my images were selected.

Some of my couples featured include:
Becky and Jason, Wedding - Kaukauna, WI
Leslie and Josh, Wedding - Appleton, WI
Theresa and Andy, Wedding - Menasha, WI
Rachel and Ali, Wedding - San Francisco, CA
Michelle and Dan, Wedding - Eagle, WI

Cake and ring photos are by Ardent Photography. Other cover photographers include Michael Krakora Photography, Expressive Photography and Artists' Eyes Photography.

Inside pages featuring my wedding photography can be found for the following headers:
A Budget You Can Live With - page 6
The Rings - page 26
Music - page 34
Photography and Videography - page 36

The guide is like nothing else out there. It features not only images from local wedding photographers but real content you want to read. It is also a handy wedding planning tool that can help you figure out your wedding day timeline and keep track of vendor information.

To request your free copy of the guide just visit any Southeastern Wisconsin wedding show or fill out this form at WI Bride's website.

My pre-wedding season vacation

*** note ***
we are healthy and not affected in any way by the swine flu. We returned to the US on April 16th far ahead of the outbreaks.

In the last 12 months I've traveled quite a bit. I've even been to a few sunny locations like Hawaii and Key West. Even though it might seem like I've been on lot's of "vacations"... none of them can measure up to 5 days of nothing-ness all while enjoying it with your husband.

We stayed at the Riu Palace all-inclusive resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The weather was between 80-84 degrees and the only cloud we saw in the sky was on our last day. It took a good day for us to both unwind and actually believe that we were BOTH on this vacation with no responsibilities. No child to potty-train, no dog to feed, no dishes to do, no emails to write... by the second day I told Andy that I had nothing on my mind. No images in my head and no thoughts coming to mind; this has not happened for me in at least 3 years.

Besides laying in the sun we both read 500(ish) page books. I read Twilight and Andy read a thriller. If you know me, I do not read books very often. I'm more of a magazine or blog reader. So for me to finish a book in that short of time is pretty cool. (I could do an entire Twilight review post...)

We also tried out boogie boarding. My friend Marina Miller from Honolulu would be proud that I caught the very first wave with my "rad moves". We only had a little bit of time in the ocean but it was sooooo much fun!

The Riu Palace was excellent. The food was great, the service was amazing, the rooms were modern and soooo comfy, the room service was so much fun and free... I could go on and on.

The only downfall of our entire trip was on the flight from Chicago to Puerto Vallarta... the airline maintenance crew missed flipping a switch that flowed the water to the plane's restrooms. About one hour into our flight the captain came on "we are headed back to Chicago". We had to land, wait almost 2 hours and get on another plane... United Airlines made good on the blunder by offering us $150 towards our next ticket purchase and a free cocktail.

Here are some snapshots from our trip... taken with an 7 year old digital point and shoot camera.

My next "vacation" is only a few weeks away... I will be shooting a destination wedding in Punta Cana for an amazing Kaukauna couple. I am taking Miranda of Reminisce Photography and Design as my second shooter.

If you are looking to book an awesome vacation check out Funjet Vacations online

Introducing Fun Fact Friday

I'm going to start a little series on random facts and tidbits of information I find. Every Friday you will see some sort of useful, fun or ridiculous fact. The information posted could be about myself or Ardent Photography, it could be about wedding photography in general or it could be something just totally random.

Today's topic combines a couple of facts... a little bit about me and some real info!

I have a favorite PMS color
Huh? Actually, it isn't the PMS you may be thinking of. It stands for Pantone Matching System, and it's a color standard of the graphic design and printing industries. My favorite color is the metallic silver color - #877

Spring 2009 colors get introduced the previous fall during New York Fashion Week
The top ten colors that designers are incorporating into their Spring are interpreted into PMS colors by Pantone. Some colors I am all over this year include: Fuschia Red, Palace Blue and Super Lemon. PMS colors 18-2328, 18-4043, and 14-0754 respectively.

You can view the more information on how the designers have used the forecasted colors in their spring lines here.

Finding inspiration from the fashion world is a great place to start for wedding color ideas. Don't be afraid of color. Color brings a unique flair to your wedding photos. You can take a monochromatic approach or have a main color with a few supporting colors. What ever your tastes... incorporating color with bridesmaids dresses, flowers, linens, shoes or accessories really pull your wedding together and helps accentuate the overall feel to your day and make your wedding pictures come alive.

What is the inspiration behind your wedding colors?

Destination Key West, FL

In January I second shot a wedding in Key West, Florida for Rachel Hadiashar of MERGEweddings.com. The shot above is one of my many favs that I shot during the day.

This was my first wedding since attending the One Light workshop and I was excited for the opportunity as a second shooter to play around artistically. The 580exII was placed behind the group of guys. I told them to puff a bunch of smoke up into the air - I guess they got a little loopy from it all because they all had some great expressions! I fired my camera and triggered the flash with a remote device called a Pocket Wizard. My white balance was set for the ambient light coming from the street lamp to my left making the flash appear blue.

This shot is pretty much right out of the camera... I added a bit of sharpening to crispen it up a bit.

I will be posting more of my favorites from this wedding soon... I just think this one deserved it's own post.

Thanks Rachel for having me along on this destination wedding!