Spending a little time at the Lake... Sherwood...

... with some awesome folks to celebrate the anniversary of the facility. And I got to take photos of these smiling faces.... Check them all out at http://pictage.com/1427570!

2012 ACCLAIM AWARDS

Louisiana's Forum for Equality's annual awards celebration happened this past Saturday. It was a great event and you can check out all the photos from the evening at:

http://pictage.com/1331899

 

LA FORUM FOR EQUALITY

WHAT A GREAT NIGHT at the JW Marriott last night. I volunteered to photograph the event, LA's Forum for Equality 14th Annual Acclaim Awards, held last night in New Orleans. Check it out: http://forumforequality.org/wordpress/forum-for-equality-la/ The five award winners were: 2012 Forum For Equality Chairs’ Award: Patrick Lee - Civil-rights attorney & award-winning theatrical producer. 2012 Faith and Equality Ward: Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy - President of Interfaith Alliance and author of more than 20 books 2012 Health and Wellness: Ginger Bouvier, M.Ed, RD, LDN - Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist 2012 Political Leadership: Louisiana State Representative Austin Badon Jr.- native son of New Orleans 2012 Political Activism: Adrienne Pendery Critcher - Houston native, moved to Shreveport and proud parent of her gay son

CELEBRATE YOUR LOVE AND COMMITMENT!!!

Starting June 1, 2011, gay couples will be able to legalize their unions in Illinois. It is a day to celebrate when inclusion is the norm, acceptance is the order of the day... when our differences are less important and where love rules the heart of all of us.

Who doesn't want to find that special someone and spend the rest of their lives together? It is what makes us alike, related... the desire to connect with someone, to build a life together, to be able to live that love out-loud and not in secrecy and shame.

CELEBRATE!
10 a.m., Thursday, June 2 - City of Chicago's Celebration of Civil Unions - Wrigley Square in Millennium Park 

5 p.m., Friday, June 3 - Unite with Pride: A Community Celebration - Uihlein Plaza @ Chicago History Museum (www.jointcra.org)

For more information about Illnois' legalizing of Civil Unions, please visit http://www.eqil.org/civil.html.

MOMMY PHOTO BOOTCAMP

Time to do a little photography education... There's no need to be scared of your camera... I'll show you how to use it and make it easy and give you some tips on getting great pics. You know you need it... two hours of your life and you'll walk away all excited and ready to go. Give me a call and we'll sign you up and get you going. I'm ready to teach the masses!!!

MOMMY PHOTO BOOTCAMP
Want to take better images of your children?
for birthdays, vacations?
at family gatherings, school events?

DO IT NOW! Don’t wait for ‘some day.’ DO IT NOW!
It will make a difference in the memories you capture.
Hey Mom, It’s ok if you can’t come; send Dad instead!

LEARN FROM A PRO:
· Basic photography concepts including when to use and not use flash
· All the buttons on your camera – what do they do AND how they can help you
· Practice shooting what you’ve just learned so you really understand and know what to do
· Have your images critiqued – right then and there, what you’re doing right and key pointers to improve

9-11 A.M.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Winnemac Park @ Daman & Winona
(behind Amundsen High School)
Space is limited. No more than 10 in a class.
Must bring your own camera and camera instruction manual!

CALL TODAY
312.388.8631
ONLY $29
Guarantee better images of your children to cherish a lifetime!

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. - Henry David Thoreau

natalie marionneaux
www.nataliephoto.net
natalie@nataliephoto.net
312.388.8631

THROUGH MY EYES

A friend of mine asked me if I'd be interested in showcasing some of my photography in an empty space that lets artists show their stuff month to month. Of course, I said sure. Turns out it is Unity Church on Thome behind Misericordia. I used to go there regularly but must confess that other than weddings, my church going is utterly inconsistent. They have a big room upstairs that they use for many different things. Lots of windows but bare walls too. What a great idea to allow artists to showcase their work in the space.

Hence, during the month of May I will be hanging my images. Yeah!!! I'm always excited (and nervous) to showcase my work. I've been a framing monster for the last two days. "The Great Frame Up" has always been the place I like to go... best prices, best selection and best employees who are helpful and friendly.
I'm hoping that everyone who sees it enjoys it. Here's the information so you can take a look for yourself...

THROUGH MY EYES
"It's not what you look at that matters; it's what you see." - Thoreau


Sunday, May 2 (runs through the month of May)
Images located upstairs in room next to sanctuary
Images include:
- Tuba players in an Easter procession in Antigua, Guatemala
- Light and shadows down a long hallway in Paris
- An archway with aging details in an old convent in Oaxaca
- Reflecting sunlight on a ceiling at the Louvre
- A golden church dome that seems to rain down glory


UNITY IN CHICAGO
1925 W. Thome Ave.
773.973.0007
Best day for easy access to view images is Sunday

Interest in purchasing images or photography services, please call me at 312.388.8631

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

There are so many things keeping me busy right now and now that spring is here, it's like all of them have sped up. What has been so nice for so many of us right now is the break in the weather... finally. It's like we all hold out for it to break, hang on until to comes, and then when it arrives, we're giddy with excitement. Every year, every spring, that winter reprieve that frees us from 12 layers of clothes, to come out of hibernation and PLAY. Thank you, God.

And with spring's arrival, so begins the wedding season... full steam ahead. There are a whole lot of love stories to capture and tell. Family and friends celebrating. I can't begin to count how many times I've said I'm so lucky to do what I do... to photograph the love story between two people. And then inevitably, a cynic in the crowd asks, do you really like photographing weddings?

Well, to answer that question... I'm sure each and every one of us wedding photographers must be hopeless romantics. Call it corny or whatever else you want but we love a good love story. And we believe in them. I mean if you can't believe in love, then what can you believe in... that the Cubs will win the World Series?

We celebrate love. If all of us thought about whether (when) a couple might not be together in the future, then why bother getting up in the morning? I mean if people don't believe in the concept of marriage, that's one thing. But I challenge you to not believe in love. We see it time and time again. And it doesn't grow tiresome. It makes us happy. It fills us with hope.

What makes you happy? What makes you smile? Hope springs eternal. Welcome springtime... it's time to celebrate!

MARCH MADNESS

March Madness of another sort... for photographers... it's WPPI's Annual Conference in Las Vegas, baby. In case you don't know, WPPI is an international wedding and portrait association for professional photographers. They publish a couple of trade magazine which are great to get to keep up on the latest trends and products in the business. I usually devour them within a couple hours of them arriving in my mailbox. (Then as the copies accumulate over the months, I send them over Lane Tech for their students.)

The annual conference they produce is HUGE. Probably about 15,000 photographers from around the world attend. Besides having all the top shooters from around the world leading anything from a 2-hour workshop to a 2-day school, the tradeshow blows my mind. Sooooooo many vendors offering e v e r y t h i n g you could possibly think of from camera equipment to albums and specialized products. Whew! Wears me out just thinking about it. Sessions all day, squeezing tradeshow time in between and evening/night events going until 11pm. I'm already tired and I don't get there until Sunday.

So looking forward to it. Getting to be the student, taking in as much as I can, connecting with fellow photogs from all around. A Cirque show. Perhaps a little blackjack. Any bets, anyone? It's gonna be good.

A NEW YEAR...

Ahhhh, 2010! A new year full of promise and possibility and right now, a lot of snow. Right? Complete with resolutions too... like blogging more. Haha!

It was a busy holiday season... moonlighting at my other job - Starbucks (in Andersonville). I've been there for as long as I've been doing photography. I actually consider it social time because I've gotten to know so many of the customers. I worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. But it was fun too seeing so many people, enjoying the season.

Now with January, brides begin their planning with vim and vigor. And busy it has been and more busy it will become. But that's a good thing adn I'm looking forward to one hellava busy wedding season with crazy in-love brides and grooms tying the knot and living 'happily ever after.' I know, right, it's a tough job and I love it.

So HAPPY HAPPY! Bring on the loving couples, the dancing, celebrating and gift giving. Yippee!

A VISIT HOME

In November, I took a trip "home" to Louisiana to see my family. More than a quick trip, I stayed almost 2 weeks. Spent some really good time with my 2 sisters and their families. You see, right now, my brother-in-law is fighting a brain tumor. And there's no other way to say that cancer is an ugly word. So you fight it, deal with it and just keep living your life and that's what they are doing. We laughed, we cried. We listened to each other a little more attentively than times past.

My brother-in-law was raised on a farm in northern Louisiana. As an adult, he worked for New York Life for almost 40 years before the cancer made him go on disability last year. He is one of the most stand-up men I have ever met. Straight shooter through and through.

He recently had surgery to 'debulk' the tumor but they couldn't get all of it because it has 'fingers'. Now he'll spend some time at a rehab facility. And a new treatment is supposed to cut off blood flow to the remainder of the tumor.

Strong will, fighter that he is, it does become very tiresome for my sister. But she's been there with him all along. One night while I was staying at their house, I heard them laughing and teasing like to youngsters in love... made me smile... seeing how they still love each other like crazy almost 40 years later. Ain't love grand?