Lennon - One Month

Here's a picture of the little man at one month old...



He looks exactly like me. So, if we're meeting up for photos for the first time and you don't know what I look like: I look like this, aged 20-some years, with bright red hair.

Cyber Monday Deal for You!

Hey there! I am officially back at this work thingy after taking some time off to spend with the new addition to our family. You'd think I would have a ton of pictures to post of him, right? Well... That would make sense. But being a first time parent is time consuming beyond belief. I'm hoping to do his one month photos today or tomorrow so I have a current picture to share of the little man.

Righht now though I have a Cyber Monday deal for everyone. Through tomorrow you can use the coupon code monday15 in your online galleries to get $15 in free prints. That's right, FREE! All you have to do is order a minimum of $15. Email me if you need your access information resent. All of my 2010 sessions are still online so everyone from the past year can use it. You can't find a better deal on a Christmas gift!

Thanks everyone!

Eric and Nicole's Wedding

I've been so excited to post about this wedding but I kept falling further and further behind in editing and blogging these last few weeks! Eric and Nicole planned a beautiful, vintage inspired, German influenced, romantic wedding that was such a joy to be a part of. After the wedding, they ran off to Germany to have another celebration with Eric's family and to start their new lives together as newlyweds. How unbelievably exciting is that?

Congratulations, Eric and Nicole!

Kelli and Christian's Engagement Photos

Tis the month for engagement photos! It's hard not to share when I have such awesome clients to work with. I went with Kelli and Christian to the bar they got engaged at, then we headed out to a park for some sunset shots. The fall light is just too beautiful not to go out and take advantage of!

We also broke out the orange chair which hasn't made an appearance in a very long time. It totally suited the scene so we used it for a bunch of shots. Then, it sort of started to lurk in the background and show up in shots unintentionally. There's a whole series of photos with the chair peaking out of the corner. I think the chair is kind of like that creepy guy who pops up in all your reception photos. You're not really sure who he is or who invited him, but he's in like 50 pictures.

Jared and Megan - After Sunset Engagements

I usually tell people the best times to book sessions are early in the morning (like earlier than you probably want your photo taken) and late in the afternoon/evening. But sometimes the best times are the times you wouldn't normally consider. Like after sunset with Jared and Megan! We stayed out after the sun went down and snapped some engagement photos in the near-dark duskiness downtown.

New Site, Content and Pricing!

Okay, now we're in business. It took a bit longer than I had anticipated, but everything is up and running now. The pricing packages and wedding packages are a bit different now, but anyone who I was working with prior to the change will be able to book at the old packages. So, don't worry about that!

Everything is a bit simpler and streamlined. I think the new site is awesome. The old Flash galleries are gone. I had several people mention they had trouble using the old galleries so check out the new ones and hopefully these will work out better. A definite plus is that they're viewable on tablets and smart phones! (Look at me joining the revolution about five years too late.)

Thanks everyone for reading the update and for checking out the site!

Dave and Sarah

I wasn't sure about this self-imposed maternity break I'm taking, but then I found myself sprawled out on someone's sidewalk at 37 weeks pregnant trying to photograph their little girl and I realized that it's probably a good thing. We had to bring out their Boppy to prop myself up with. It was kind of embarrassing... But hey, new use for the Boppy! Photographer propper-upper.

I'm going to spend the next couple weeks editing everything and hopefully getting it all mailed out before the baby comes. I'll be saving a lot of posts for November and December when things are inevitably slow anyway. But since we're here you should check out Dave and Sarah in all their gorgeousness!

A Few Updates and Family Day Peeks!

If you're on the blog today you might notice that it looks a little different. And if you're not reading from the blog and you didn't notice... Well, it looks different. I'm getting ready to roll a couple things out. On Monday night the blog and site will be merging and everything will be accessible at christinemcguigan.com.

The other change will be an adjustment to packages and pricing. Session prices are going up a bit but the big change is going to be to the wedding packages. I'm starting to see what works and what doesn't as far as package options, so I'm simplifying big time on those! As always, anyone under contract for a wedding or anyone who has already booked a session for the fall will still be guaranteed the old pricing.

And speaking of fall sessions... I have about a week left of sessions then I'm taking the remainder of my pregnancy off. I'm due at the end of the month and it is getting to be nearly impossible for me to maneuver around during sessions! And once I'm down on the ground to get a shot, I'm pretty much stuck down there. Feel free to still contact me if you're hoping to book something before Christmas. I'm taking a limited number of appointments in late November.

Here's a peek at the families that came out last weekend for holiday mini sessions. I had a lot of fun with everyone and I'm working hard to get everyone's photos done as soon as possible!

Amanda and Matt's Engagement Photos!

Amanda and Matt rock! We went out for their engagement photos and they were incredibly laid-back and fun to work with. It was one of those days where you get the perfect combination of clients, location, weather and inspiration. I had a really great time and I hope they did too!

Dottie and Brandon's Wedding

I have sooooo much to share! I don't even know where to start! (Ya, ok. Chronologically, obviously.) Last week and the upcoming weeks are *packed* with family sessions, engagements and weddings. Saturday was our holiday session extravaganza at Elmwood Park. I was so disappointed when I woke up Saturday morning and it was dark and rainy. Much to my surprise though, all eight families still came out and made the best of it. One family even brought a raincoat for their son. (And yes, it was the cutest thing ever. You'll see.) We'll get to those photos a little later...

...Right now let's start with Dottie and Brandon's wedding! We had some Husker fans in this wedding so the day was divided up between wedding activities and football. They even made time for a little parking lot tailgate party outside their wedding venue. That kind of lighthearted attitude is a rare find on a wedding day! Dottie and Brandon kept everything so laid back and fun. It was a pleasure to spend the day with them!

Anna and Terin's Engagement Photos!

Helloooooo! How much fun was this session? Anna and Terin came loaded with great ideas for their engagement photos. They were such a great couple to work with. And to top it off, it turned out to be a gorgeous day.

Too bad their wedding is still a year away! I can't wait for it!