Graciebelle Photography

Won’t You Be Mine?

graciebellephotography — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:57:41 +0000

Happy Valentine’s Day y’all!

I don’t know what’s gotten into the typically-cynical me. While I’ll never pass up a box of candy, I’m usually not that big of a Valentine’s Day person. But today, I’m feeling a little festive, I suppose. And while I know it’s a Hallmark holiday aimed at increasing consumerism and all that jazz, I don’t see anything wrong with expressing love to those that mean something to you. Of course you should do that each and every day, but I guess today I don’t see anything wrong in going a little bit above and beyond…And anyway, Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year, and Tuesdays could always use to be spiced up a little.

In any case, here’s hoping you have an enjoyable time with ALL your Valentines…two-legged and four-legged alike. And just to help you get in the spirit, here’s a picture of my mom’s dog Phinney and my aunt’s dog Roo. They’re both Chihuahuas and probably the most adorable things ever. I figured this image was fitting for Valentine’s Day.

I’m Published

graciebellephotography — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:04:44 +0000

So in my ongoing quest to catch up with all the work I’ve done in the past six months, I figured I’d mention that I’m a published photographer now. A friend of mine works for The Woodstock Independent, a weekly, subscription-based newspaper for Woodstock, Bull Valley and some of Wonder Lake. Back in May, my friend posted an SOS call for a photographer (seriously, what would we do without Facebook?). The Torch, a publication of The Woodstock Independent, was running a series on the various attractions at all of the stops along the Union Pacific Northwest train line. The publication was in need of some images for its feature on Jefferson Park. Always looking for an opportunity to grow and experience things behind the lens of my camera, I eagerly volunteered.

I mainly focused on a charming little cafe a few feet away from the train station. I went out early in the morning, ventured around, took some pictures and then hung out at the cafe until I could take the train back home. It’s been a long time since I made the commute toward Chicago. And while the hustle and bustle of the morning train ride was refreshing, I think it’s safe to say I’m glad I no longer have to do it every day.

The article with my pictures ran back in June, but as you are all well aware, I haven’t been the timeliest in getting my work up here on the ol’ blog-a-roo. So here’s a couple of PDFs with the article…Click on the links to read the whole article. And if you ever find yourself in Jefferson Park, be sure to stop in and check out Cafe Soroni.

Torch_3_6-24-11

Torch_4_6-24-11

Fall Flashback

graciebellephotography — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:47:23 +0000

So now that things have slowed down a bit and I’m all caught up with clients’ photos, I decided to do sit down a couple days ago and edit my own stuff. And I just had to share some pictures I took of the Pi Face one fall day in early October. Editing these pictures reminded me of what an absolutely gorgeous fall we had. And while I can’t rightfully complain about this winter as it’s been unbelievably mild, I’m still ready for it to be over. I’m just not a cold weather person. (And yes, I realize we still have to get through the rest of February and most of March before spring starts to shine through, which is a very scary thought.) In the mean time, I’ll post these images and keep looking forward to summer days filled with sunshine and warmth and then onto the crisp fall days filled with gorgeous colors.

Weddings Weddings Weddings!

graciebellephotography — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:35:03 +0000

I am super super super psyched to announce a new development in my ongoing betterment as a photographer. I’ve always had an interest in wedding photography, but the very idea of shooting a wedding on my own for the first time ever has always turned my knees to Jell-O, made my palms all sweaty and increased my heart rate to horribly uncomfortable levels. So when an old high school friend moved back to Illinois and invited me to be her second shooter for her brother’s wedding, I was unbelievably honored and crazy excited. The reason I was so honored is because this isn’t just any old high school friend. She’s actually Erin Smith, an insanely talented wedding photographer. She started her business in California, but now that she’s back in Illinois, she’s shooting around the Midwest. (Although she’s always up for shooting in warmer climates .) If you are planning a wedding right now, I highly suggest you check out her website. Seriously, the girl is ah-maaaaaaa-ziiiing. And crazy fun to work with. She’s all business, but this girl has a true gift in helping her clients feel at ease and natural in front of the camera. I’m so glad to work with her this upcoming summer and gain some insights into the hectic, sometimes terrifying and intimidating, and wonderful world of wedding photography.

After her brother’s wedding, Erin invited me along to shoot another late October wedding with her. It was a blast. I also had the pleasure to shoot my dear friend Amanda and her bridesmaids before her wedding in September. (You may remember Amanda from the engagement session I shot last year.) Amanda is a second-generation hairstylist who works at her mother’s salon so that’s where all the ladies got ready. It was a super intimate, comfortable setting and a lot of fun to shoot.

Here’s a hodgepodge of images…hope you enjoy them!

I’m Still Here!

graciebellephotography — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:33:47 +0000

Welllll…a couple weeks, huh? I am well aware that it is nearly the end of January, exactly one month since I last posted. And when I last posted, I promised I’d put up some stuff within a couple weeks. Time goes by too quickly I tell you.

So, without further ado…let me dive right in and play catch up!

The first shoot I’ll share with you is with the “L” family. Their son, Aiden was a ball full of energy, but one of the sweetest little guys I’ve ever met. It’s the first time a client has invited me out after the shoot! Yes, Aiden asked if I wanted to join his family over at his aunt’s house to celebrate a family member’s recent birthday with cake and ice cream. Of course, I had to decline, but it was pretty much the cutest thing ever.

The next session I’ll share is Stephanie’s senior shoot. I’m a friend of Stephanie’s sister and she tagged along for the shoot. Stephanie was a little nervous at first (which I can’t really blame her, I react horribly when I have a camera put in front of my face), but she soon loosened up and we were all cracking up every two seconds.

And last but not least, here’s lil’ Miss Zoey. You might remember her newborn pictures from last January! We took these pictures early October (actually I had back-to-back sessions with Stephanie in the morning and Zoey in the late afternoon) so Zoey was nine months old and full of smiles and energy. She’s going to be a big sister this summer and I am sooo excited and honored for the opportunity to photograph them as they grow.

Merry Christmas!

graciebellephotography — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:29:04 +0000

Soooo…once again I find myself assuring the blog-o-sphere that I have not fallen off the Earth! Student teaching was a bit of a wild ride…I’d be lying if I said I loved EVERY second of it, but I sure did love the majority of it. I miss my students tons and I think about them a lot. I’m getting some stuff together in the next couple of weeks so I can substitute teach at the school. Hopefully I’ll get a lot of assignments for the eighth grade so I can see my kids.

It’s going to be a fairly short blog entry today. I’m slipping one in among the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations. But stay tuned because I have plenty of catching up to do in the next few weeks. I have quite a few sessions I’m really looking forward to sharing with all of you!

In the meantime, I want to share a little “howl” iday lovin’ from my critters. We hope the next couple of days are safe and filled with fun, family and cheer!

Summer Fun Time Shoot!

graciebellephotography — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 04:32:32 +0000

Here are a few images from the shoot with makeup artist Molly Krause. We both decided we wanted to have some fun with this shoot and do something a little different from the norm. Molly was looking forward to playing around and creating a look totally different from what she typically does with her brides and I thought it’d be a good idea to mess around with my studio lighting, as I’m generally much more comfortable shooting in natural light. So we chose a few bright tones for a color scheme, came up with the premise of old fashioned sundae cups and ice cream and went at it.

I still wanted to squeeze in some outside shots, as I wasn’t totally ready to zip out of my comfort zone. For the outdoor shots, we kept the make up a little more simple. The entire time I was shooting, I was so taken with all of the girls’ beautiful eyes and how much they popped against the green grass and overcast skies. I was sooo excited to get working on those shots.

After being chased down by mosquitoes (they’re really vicious this year…they’re one part of summer I’m anxious to leave behind), we ventured inside to play around with the studio lights. And…uh…let’s just say we had some technical difficulties. Erm. Still, we made do with what we had and the girls were totally game for it. I had such a lovely time working with these ladies! It’s no wonder we’re all already talking about our next collaboration.

Here’s a few of the images…For more, as always, check out my Facebook page.

So Long Summer

graciebellephotography — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:06:42 +0000

Well, it’s the eve of my first day student teaching and I’m a bundle of miscellaneous emotions…I’m a little nervous, crazy excited and sad that summer is coming to a close. I’m happy to report, however, that my last week of summer was pretty fantastic. Last Saturday I went to a bachelorette party for a very good friend and I spent a good part of last week with my mom and one of my aunts. They came with me when I went out to photograph some new horses at HAHS on Tuesday (pictures to come soon). On Wednesday we visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens and Friday we did some shopping and had some lunch. Yesterday I did another fun photo shoot with makeup artist Molly Krause. The models were all delightful and great to work with. So it was a good day filled with laughter and beautiful image making. And it was also totally exhausting. So after this post I’m headed of to bed to catch some quality sleep before my big day tomorrow! Stay tuned for pictures from HAHS and the pictures from our photo shoot. Both should be up sometime later in the week.

And now I have a few images to share from the past week…

Pi going for a swim at my parents' house...

Clue

Jake

Mr. Phineas McGee...Looking slightly pathetic.

Phinney and Pi patrolling the yard...

...Phinney doesn't seem particularly happy about it.

And a couple images from the Botanic Gardens…

Meet Oliver

graciebellephotography — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:02:55 +0000

On Thursday I had a fantastic shoot with one of the most adorable, happy and photogenic babies I’ve ever met. We were out on his grandparents’ property, which was absolutely gorgeous. From the little cornfield in the backyard to the beautiful vegetable and flower gardens, everywhere we turned provided a perfect backdrop. They have also converted a little barn into a sun room, so we shot quite a bit in there (actually, we were chased in there since the mosquitoes were so terrible). But the room got great light and really brought out the blue of Ollie’s eyes. (I mean, check out those eyes, folks. They’re fantastic!) Ollie’s grandma did a wonderful job as prop master, pulling out all sorts of things to keep him entertained while I snapped away. And Ollie was a treat the whole time. He wasn’t fussy a single second, which was amazing considering the shoot went past his bedtime and mosquitoes were eating us alive nearly the entire time.

Here are a few of my favorite images. For more, check out my Facebook page.

Call For Artists (Especially Those That Love Horses)

graciebellephotography — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:30:52 +0000

Back in June, I participated in an event organized by Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Center, a non-profit organization that offers therapeutic riding to people with physical, developmental, emotional and social disabilities. The organization is hosting an ongoing call for artists. On various dates, artists are allowed to roam around the facilities and take inspiration in their surroundings. (And the surroundings are breathtaking indeed!) Beginning in February, artists may submit their work to a jury with no entrance fee. Next summer, all accepted artwork will become a part of an exhibit. The pieces will be up for sale—50 percent of the earnings will go to the artist and Main Stay will get the other half. All artwork not sold will go back to the artist. Seriously, it’s a really great deal, so all interested artists should sign up, as there are more dates available in the fall. It was a fun day to go out shooting and fraternizing with horse people. (And the horses are a blast to spend time with. They’re so personable!)

For more information about the Art of Main Stay event, as well as information about Main Stay’s classes and volunteer programs, visit their website.