2009 in review | pictures!

taking a cue from my friend johanna price photography. 2009 was my year of learning. i started with a nikon coolpix, upgraded to a d80, invested in a photography class, started religiously following photobloggers, did a few engagement sessions, family sessions and a wedding (all for free... that's what you gotta do before people ask you to do anything!), made a book, entered a contest and got published in another book.

and i still feel like there is SO MUCH TO LEARN!

i've never had a "passion" for anything before, but i can say now i really do absolutely love making beautiful photographs. so i think this is here to stay!

so here's the progression throughout 2009...enjoy...


making it home before sunset, chicago. january 2009.


a cold cold lonely day wandering around north avenue beach


my first experimentation with depth of field


ahhh... paris! february 2009.


and a little more paris


esta colombia! march 2009.


me gusta colombia!


photowalk along wells street, chicago. april 2009.


a furious lake michigan


last assignment of photography class: take pictures from a different angle and tell a story. may 2009 (p.s. to remind myself in case i want to move back, it was a freaking cold memorial day weekend!)


first attempt at "people" photography. my friend's son, orlando.


first attempt at "food" photography. june 2009.


DoF! lincoln park conservatory. (this one ended up in the book!)


trying to figure out suncircles/sunflare, graceland cemetery, chicago. july 2009.


the-lovehandle.com was born! dinner party at elaine's. august 2009.


brick chicken


hasma. look it up.


my first engagement shoot in destin, fl. it was a surprise! september 2009.


playing with a polarizing filter, picnik, and realizing i need to buy lens cleaner


attempt to shoot grafitti/posters, new york city


attempt to be sneaky and take photos of people while they weren't looking, new york city


my second engagement shoot (not a surpise). attempt at shoot-through. garfield park conservatory, chicago. october 2009.


more lovehandle!


first family shoot, chicago.


second family shoot, chicago.


third engagement shoot, london. attempt at silhouettes. november 2009.


third family shoot, marietta, ga. december 2009.


first wedding! marietta, ga.

still editing these pictures, so come back for more!

well i thoroughly enjoyed that! i have learned so much from following flickr photographers, some amazing wedding photographers and photobloggers, pestering photographer friends with questions and other friends to 'please! pretty please pose for my portfolio!', trying and failing and trying again.

thank you to everyone who sat on the other side of my camera, made goofy faces, got outside of their comfort zones, offered invaluable advice and guidance.

specifically, thank you:
- aimee & scott for being my first "clients"
- elaine for hosting weekly dinner parties so i could practice my food photography
- danielle & mason for being so willing & creative at the conservaory engagement shoot
- erin & joe for really getting out of your comfort zones for my camera
- margaret & cory for asking me to photograph your wedding
- jessica for letting me borrow your lenses & tripod
- shannon stellmacher for spending over an hour on the phone scaring the crap out of me before the first wedding (but i was well prepared after that!)
- johanna price, katie stoops, and ashley jones for answering my photography questions
- the gerbers and patels for letting me photograph your family
- my cousin for letting me take her kid's christmas photos this year
- my small group ladies who bought my book and supported my habit
- my own family for never telling me to 'put my camera down!' and laura & brad for making such cute kids who are the subject of a lot of my photos
- christine & michael who are flying me to houston to taking engagement photos in january 2010

- future friends and clients who will be on the other side of my camera!

2009 in review

2008

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
had my first engagement shoot and my snot froze in my nose one the way to the train one morning

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
sure did, ran a half-marathon; next year's resolution: more running (maybe a full marathon?) we'll see how my foot holds out

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
yes! my sister, to a beautiful baby girl

4. Did anyone close to you die?
thankfully no. but my sister's cat, charlie, died and he was pretty cool, so that was sad.

5. What places did you visit?
london & paris, colombia (yeah - as in south america!), new york, houston, orlando, and london again!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
well, i didn't lack this in 2009, but i want to continue to grow closer to God and become more rooted in my faith letting it guide my decisions and actions towards others, continued peace about where i am in life, all that good stuff!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
the day my niece was born. she timed it perfectly for me! she was due on july 12th, so i bought a ticket from chicago for friday july 17th, thinking i would have a week with her as a small baby. then the 12th passed, and i suddenly feared 'what if she doesn't come at all when i'm down there?' but on july 17th, the day of my flight, i get a call from my brother-in-law telling me they were headed to the hospital. i went to the airport early and got on a morning flight and made it to the hospital as they were bringing my niece and my sister into their private room. i was present when my nephew was born, and it would have killed me to not be there for my niece. and she's the cutest thing that ever lived. ever!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
i was completely and 100% debt free for about 2 months. :) i paid off all my consumer & education debt in summer 2008, but in september 2009 i sold my house (at a loss, but who isn't taking a hit these days?). then i bought a car in november, so back in the debt category. felt good for a few months though!

9. What was your biggest failure?
my lack of real estate sophistication

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
i hurt my foot running, does that count? got food poisoning - that sucked.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a laptop (i call it 'compy'), first one i've purchased since my senior year of college

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
captain sully sullenberger!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
the despicable gang behavior in chicago, particularly the beating of derrion albert

14. Where did most of your money go?
my condo...

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
my camera when it arrived, my photography class, first engagement shoot and a wedding, seeing my niece & nephew!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
the 'timeless' album, by sergio mendes with the black eyed peas. reminds me of wandering the neighborhoods of chicago and riding the L to work or photography class.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? thinner :)
c) richer or poorer? richer-ish

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
been nicer to people, especially my mom

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
probably spending money

20. How did you spend Christmas?
photographing my little sister's wedding and watching my nephew open tons of presents at my sister's house

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
with dear little gabrielle lea

22. What was your favorite TV program?
i consistenly watched wgn morning news

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009?
went to london for work, but got to hang out with my friends

24. What was the best book you read?
what i talk about when i talk about running

25. What did you want and get?
to sell my house

26. What did you want and not get?
to make a profit selling my house

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
i was most excited about seeing twilight & new moon ;) but not sure if those were my favorites

28. Did you make some new friends this year?
sure did, elaine; jill, mandy, and my small group friends; frances, erin's roommate

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
counting my blessings...daily

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
it's work clothes in layers, nike running shorts & shoes, big poofy coat & snow boots

31. What kept you sane?
my small group who met on monday nights and psalm 37:4

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
um... pass?

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
the healthcare debate

34. Who did you miss?
most definitely my niece and nephew!

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
well, i will not place a big emphasis on a city, person, or thing anymore to fill a void. it took moving to a city of millions of people to feel 'alone'. i learned and will never forget: wherever i go, whatever i do, God stays with me and my faith in Jesus can propel me to do things i never had the ability to do myself. :D

1 year

so it all began one year ago. well officially, it began in july 2004: my long slow process to chicago.

in june 2004, i started working for my company right out of school. when they offered me the job i was all "awesome, i'm getting paid!" but they threw in a company car and 10 weeks training at the home office in chicago. 'icing on the cake,' i thought. after a few weeks at the branch, i pack two suitcases and flew into o'hare airport.

i had been to chicago once before in the early 90s tagging along with my dad for an AIA convention. AIA = American Institute of Architects. apparently chicago is known for that: architecture. the only things i remember of chicago is that it was windy, the bulls had just won the 3-peat, and my parents left the kids in the hotel to order room service while they went to charlie trotter's.

so in summer 2004, it was a brand new city to me. ok, please don't laugh at me because i was somewhat oblivious in my youth. i didn't know chicago was in illinois, or on lake michigan, or that the sears tower was here. i'm just being honest. i knew where paris was and the gulf of mexico and i'd been to los angeles and new york. i just didn't think much about the midwest. oh, but i was missing out!

that summer i spent every day in a classroom, every afternoon walking around neighborhoods, and every evening on the lake front watching fireworks or movies or concerts. on weekends, friends would come visit and we'd explore the city together. this place was so alive! everyone outside! and it was nice in the middle of summer to be outside! i took the train, learned to navigate the city, had amazing food, and drank in all the beautiful architecture. the city was mesmerizing. i was the only person in my training class really sad to leave and go home. after training, i told my boss "once i pay my dues, i'm moving to chicago." and that was a cloud over his head for the next three and a half years.

i learned a great deal in atlanta and can truthfully say i worked with the best people i have ever known. but in the back of my mind, chicago kept calling. in the meantime, to satisfy my desire to be there, i found every possible way to get up there: training, meetings, presentations, and one girls' weekend in 2006. it was that weekend that i began my earnest search to transfer.

it figures when i decide to do something that nothing happens. i made calls, talked to people, searched the company website for jobs. nothing. and more nothing. i think it was one conference call with former trainees, that someone got a whiff that i was moving to chicago with or without my company. luckily, they wanted to keep me, so they put me in touch with the home office internal recruiter (why didn't anyone tell me she existed before?!?). within a month (november 2007), i had an interview for a position that i honestly wasn't excited about but would have taken just to move. i believe that Someone upstairs knew that wasn't a good idea, so i did not get that job. but i was asked to return as soon as possible to interview for another position. this one was actually in line with my skills and experience. i interviewed first week of january 2008, accepted a week later, and asked for a start date of april 1st (thinking that the city would have warmed up by then... ha).

i put my condo up for sale, found a place to live in chicago, arranged for a truck, and packed everything i own and moved on march 26, 2008.

so 1 year later, my condo is still for sale in atlanta, i still have boxes i haven't unpacked in my apartment here, and i do think upper-40s is warm! i've gone from knowing no one to having a growing group of friends. i've played every intramural sport from kickball and softball to volley ball and floor hockey. saw the cubs and sox play. went to the taste and the scene. been back to atlanta, been abroad, been on work trips, but now chicago is home.

2008 in review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? left the south, went on a blind date, experienced sub-zero temperatures, saw snow and no one freaked out, became an auditor, sailed on a 40ft Sydney, played floor hockey…

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? yes, i had a running resolution to be debt free and it finally happened. well consumer debt free. now i have to get rid of my house.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? nope

4. Did anyone close to you die? nope, thankfully

5. What places did you visit? england, orlando, atlanta, wisconsin

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? sell my house (1 bedroom condo in fabulous midtown atlanta, interested?)

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? march 26 – moving day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? becoming debt free

9. What was your biggest failure? being homesick even though I was so ready for change

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? nope

11. What was the best thing you bought? a plane ticket to england to visit my best friend

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? becoming debt free, making new friends, surviving a new culture-cold-new job

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? er...drinking too much (chicago is a beer town with a beer problem)

14. Where did most of your money go? a mortgage AND rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? going to atlanta to see my nephew!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? gavin rossdale’s wanderlust

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? A mix at times
b) thinner or fatter? A few more pounds (I think it was the beer…)
c) richer or poorer? Richer (no more debt) and poorer (2 housing payments)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? praying

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? complaining

20. How did you spend Christmas? as a visitor in atlanta, living out of a suitcase and splitting my time between mom, dad, and sister

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? with chicago, yes. a person, no.

22. What was your favorite TV program? fox & friends

23. What did you do for your birthday in 2008? my sister came up to chicago to surprise me. i took ½ a day off from work and we had cake for breakfast and watched "you’ve got mail"

24. What was the best book you read? i honestly didn’t read any good books in 2008…

25. What did you want and get? to move to Chicago, a DSLR

26. What did you want and not get? to sell my house (it's a great bargain! perfect for an investment property!)

27. What was your favorite film of this year? batman

28. Did you make some new friends this year? yeah, a lot

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? being closer to ethan

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? work appropriate monday-friday, wicker park friday-sunday

31. What kept you sane? planning vacations, going to church

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? gavin rossdale, was slightly obsessed with him in junior high through college, then he left public eye, and then he came BACK!

33. What political issue stirred you the most? the whole freaking election and being in chicago for it

34. Who did you miss? ethan

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. where you are located will not make you happy; you have to be content with your life where ever you are.