Engagment :: Elizabeth and Bill

Queeny Park really is a great place to shoot. I have quite a few clients that request to have their engagement sessions at Queeny and since I've been there so many times, I'm starting to get to know the place pretty well. There are so many unique spots there that it's hard to get bored!

I took Elizabeth and Bill to the park and we couldn't have asked for a better day. Blue skies, a couple in love and trees ready to burst into spring... yeah, I was excited :). And what a fun couple they are! They were totally up for anything, and I made them do pretty much everything... twirling, jumping, traipsing up a small mountain. And they were great sports, especially considering they had just done a boot camp class the day before!



So classic









Oh look at that. I got me some sunflare.






One of my students inspired me to take this shot :). Shadows are her theme for her final project.

Jim and Christy :: Engagement

When Jim was in high school, we played in a band together. Yeah, you heard me right. I was in a band. this wasn't any ordinary band, however, this was a ministry team band. super cool, mind you. we would go to disciple now events and youth weekends and revivals and play our music and hang out with junior high and high school kids, and even though at many times I dream about being in a heavy metal, screamo band, being in the ministry team was one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do.

I was a junior in college and Jim was a senior in high school. I used to call him Jimothy. He would hang out with my little brother and play Shane and Shane songs till the cows came home. And now, little Jimothy is all grown up and he's going to marry the girl of his dreams.


Christy is one of the sweetest people I've met, and what's better is that she's got a quick wit about her, which is perfect for Jim :) We met up with them on a cloudy day in early spring for their engagement shoot and here are some of my favs:


this photo feels so vintage




After posing underneath a tree, Christy got attacked by said tree. She's such a good sport :)








Thanks for braving the weather me, Jim and Christy. Can't wait for your wedding!!

Marvelous Monday #6 ::

Ugh. I still hate Mondays.

I had a great wedding this weekend in Kansas City, but dang, I am a little low on the sleep after all the shooting and traveling. And after staying up really late editing (again), coming to work this morning was a little rough. I keep thinking about sleeping, and dreaming that I'm sleeping, and pretending I'm still sleeping, but it's not helping. I'm at work. On Monday morning. Boo. But this is my marvelous monday post, so I guess I better make some attempt to not be so negative....

I kinda hate this guy:


Recognize him? Well, if you've ever seen an infomercial from Beach Body, you should.
This is Tony Horton, creator of numerous workout videos and dvds which promise really great results. The infomercials that feature this guy (P90X and Power Half Hour, just to name a few) are so enticing that poor schmucks everywhere are buying his workout dvds without even giving it a second thought.

Well, I am one of those schmucks.

My little brother in law bought the Power 90 series and swore it was amazing, so after watching the infomercial again and again, I broke down and spent my future child's college fund on this series. We started doing it, and dang it, it's hard! That Tony, ugh, I just wanna punch him most of the time. He makes terrible jokes and he really only does half of the workout. At one point, he even pretends to take a break by leaning on an imaginary bookshelf. And he kind of likes that girl in the back too much.....

But the dvd series actually does give some pretty astounding results. Jon has already lost 20 pounds, and he looks TOTALLY different than he did at Christmas (if you haven't seen him since then, prepare to be shocked). I actually had a male professor come up to me at the university to tell me how good Jon looks. That was an awkward conversation. But yeah, he looks good :).

So if you're looking to drop some pounds by summer, you should check out Power 90. Tony's ridiculous jokes will make you want to throw a cheeseburger at the TV, but the workout really is good. And it's pretty simple (aka - perfect for men).


Oh, and here's a quick preview of the bride I shot this weekend in KC (more to come soon!)


Go get yourself some Starbucks and have a marvelous monday

Wes + Rachel

During my first year in St. Louis, I started going to church in south county with some of my friends from college and I quickly got involved in the college group. We had planned a mission trip to Spain, and to raise money, we hosted a dinner theatre. The college students performed skits and songs and lots of fun stuff. That was the time I sang by myself for the first time in public. And it was the last. Ugh.

After I had gotten through my performance on the first night, I heard this male voice whisper, "Hey, Lisa, can you help me with my lip liner?" I turned around and my friend Wes, clad in a shimmering gold jumpsuit and dark 70's-style wig, was prepping for his Tina Turner-esque performance. I lauged the whole time I was helping Wes with his make up. And I giggled even more when he sang and danced to "What's Love Got to Do with It."

And now, he's getting married!



For the past couple of years, Jon and I have hung out with Wes and Rachel and watched their love grow. So when Wes popped the question, we couldn't have been any more thrilled. We hung out with them shortly after they announced their engagement, and I just wanted to scream out, "OH MY GOODNESS PLEASE LET ME SHOOT YOUR WEDDING!!!!" Unfortunately, I was already booked on their wedding date, so sadly it didn't work out. I just LOVE these guys, though, so we got together for an engagement shoot about a week ago and it was one of the raddest shoots ever :).





We went to Lafayette Square Park and I just love the nostalgic feeling the background gives to the photos.


And of course, my trusty assistant came with me with the bounce card. It's a marvelous piece of fabric, really. I plan to talk about it's awesomeness on Monday :)


I'd say Wes is a pretty lucky guy :). One of the coolest things about my job is that I can witness the hand of God joining two lives together that he made to compliment each other.




The famous alley that I MUST stop by EVERY time I'm at Lafayette Square




We were having such a great time shooting, and Rachel told me that I had complete creative license to do whatever I wanted with them. So naturally, I made them lay down in an intersection.




They were seriously being so goofy here... lots of kissing and laughing and all that stuff that people in love on an engagement shoot are asked to do by their photographer. The people sitting inside by the window were giving them some really strange looks.


Time for some sunflare




After the shoot, we got a bite to eat at the Soda Fountain, which is quite tasty and I'd highly recommend you pay them a visit


Wes and Rachel, I love you guys and I'm so thankful for your friendship. I'm so glad that God blessed you with each other.

Jeff and Stephanie :: Engagement

It seems like there's been a cloud over St. Louis for the past month and the rain just keeps on coming. I've never rescheduled so many photo shoots in my life! But on the day we had planned Jeff and Stephanie's engagement session, it was absolutely beautiful!




Jeff and Stephanie are getting married in July at Hanley Road Baptist Church, one of my very favorite locations! I"m so pumped to be shooting their wedding!


We started off the session at Tower Grove Park. I just love that park.





And then we headed to Lafayette Square Park.


Favorite shot!

Marvelous Monday #5 - Reuinted

In this edition of Marvelous Monday, I'd like to reflect on something that brings my heart unspeakable joy. For months, something has felt so out of place. Just plain wrong, if you ask me. I go through my week as usual, but there's a gaping void that keeps me awake at night. Usually around Thursday it's most evident. Colors aren't as vibrant anymore. Even food has lost it's savor. But this week, my friends, something will change. At a dinner party...

Yes, they're back


In the mean time, while you wait on pins and needles for 8pm this Thursday, you can check out full length episodes from season 4 on NBC's website.

And that makes this Monday truly marvelous.

Spring Break + Snow + An Engaged Couple So in Love = one of the best times I've ever had on a shoot

After exchanging quite a few emails, we finally got to meet Matt and Aubrey in person when we drove up to Chicago over spring break for their engagement shoot. My trusty assistant and I easily fell into conversation with them while we headed into Chicago rush hour traffic. For weeks we had been planning their engagement shoot in downtown Chicago... I even scoped out places online that I wanted to hit. And of course, it started raining right when we got downtown. Well, it was kinda more like snow from time to time, but it was precipitating none the less. We weren't able to reschedule because our trip was already jammed packed, so we made the best of it, and I'm so glad we did!

We started off by the infamous bean in millennial park.


Good thing we had an umbrella!




We hoped it would let up, but alas, it precipitated in one form or another the whole time. But precipitation was not about to get in our way :). We found lots of of covered locations, like this alley, to guard us from whatever was coming down from the sky at the moment.





Instead of walking in the rain, we took the bus :)


When we got to Navy Pier, it pretty much stopped raining for a bit... right as the sun sank down, which gave us this really cool moody photo.



These two are so stinkin in love they can't hide it!




We then took the bus back to Union Station for some last shots.





After the shoot, we decided to grab some dinner with Matt and Aubrey and chat some more. I just love these guys! They told us all about how they met and starting dating. Aubrey was playing Mary in her church's Christmas show and they needed a last minute Joseph ... Matt jumped in. A little foreshadowing, eh :). Matt and Aubrey, if we lived in Chicago, Jon and I would want to hang out with you guys all the time:) Can't wait for your wedding!!!