Sweet little baby Hailey.

Get a load of her beautiful hair!  Loved it, loved it.

I’m looking forward to documenting her milestones over the next year, I can’t wait to see what she’ll look like for her 1 year session!

Heidi you’ll have to give her like 5 haircuts her first year!

So on to the session ::

Wow she was a complete ROCKSTAR the entire time.  She let us move her, twist her, put her on a dresser & put her outside in a random crib.

Hailey’s mom & I both went to college at Bradley University a few years back & we were also in the same sorority Sigma Delta Tau.   I haven’t seen her in years & it was great to catch up with you Heidi!  You have a beautiful home!

We used a few different locations in Heidi’s home & when I saw Hailey’s nursery I knew exactly what we had to do.

I really love doing newborn sessions at clients’ homes because it really allows you to personalize your session even more & you can go away with some really fun, amazing images of your nursery.

Thanks for the nice afternoon & enjoy the sneak peek!

s. {natale}

I could have photographed in this nursery all. day. long.  It looked wonderful.  From what I hear Hailey’s daddy is quite a handyman.

*BLOG CONTEST REMINDER*

Leave a comment for Hailey & her parents to win a $50 studio credit & at the same time your entered to win a $50 studio credit as well.

Contest Information :

If a client {Bridal or Portrait} get 15+ comments on their BLOG post they will receive a $50 studio credit toward their print order or wedding album.

ALSO….

For the next MONTH I will randomly pick one winner a week from the comments that are left on the BLOG that week & they will ALSO get a $50 studio credit.

So to summarize :
Go to the BLOG, share the love, leave a comment or two, win free stuff & help my clients get free stuff too. Pretty simple really.

Jennifer & Andy were married at Lake Windsor Golf Club in Windsor Wi.

Absolutely a beautiful venue.

The rain held off & the day was amazing.  We had perfect weather for an outside wedding.

The day started out at The Ultimate in Monona & after a quick lunch next store at Ken’s Meat & Deli where Jen used to work we took off & headed to Lake Windsor Golf Club.

Jen had four fabulous attendants that helped her with everything that day, it was great to see how much fun they all had together.

Jen & Andy opted to see each other prior to the wedding & we as photographers love love LOVE that because it allows for a lot of shooting time!

We had about an hour and a half prior to the wedding just to photograph J & A and their immediate families.  After the ceremony ended we photographed the entire Bridal party & of course a few more of the wonderful Bride & Groom.

FYI all of the images are taken on the grounds of Lake Windsor somewhere.  We found a funky old shed in the back area & it was perfect.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the golf course and the views but we wanted to capture a few different angles & locations.

If you are looking for a venue in the Madison area I highly HIGHLY recommend Lake Windsor.  It is beautiful & has wonderful yummy soft light!

Lake Windsor Golf Club

{Please scroll to the bottom of this post to see a complete list of Wedding Day Vendors}

Jen & Andy ::

We had a wonderful day photographing your wedding & loved working with your family friends!  You guys are simply adorable together & made our job super duper easy.

Enjoy the sneak peek

s. {natale}

Yes that is a shower head.

Could they BE any more adorable?

The very serious Jen & Andy.

Mother & Father of the groom.

Andy, were you superman in another life?  WOW that jump was fantastic.  Thanks for the wonderful capture Michelle!

The reception looked dynamite.  Loved the details.  Great job!

Jen & Andy hired a fabulous wedding coordinator :: Jayme Galanos from Beyond Elegant Events.  I highly recommend her!

Jen & Andy’s wedding theme = the Pear

The Bride’s brothers

I photographed Adam & Nicole a couple years back & Nicole is Jen’s sister & MOH.  Love getting the opportunity to work with the same family twice!

First Dance : love

Very old fashioned looking to me.

I have the best Bride & Grooms!

Jen & Andy, you rock!

A few moments alone at sunset, before they went in to continue the rest of their reception.  I love these moments in the day.

Wedding Day Vendors

Wedding & Reception Venue :: Lake Windsor Golf Club

Wedding Coordinator :: Jayme Galanos with Beyond Elegant Events

Hair & Make-up :: The Ultimate Spa & Salon

DJ :: Jukebox Bandstand

Cake :: La Brioche

Every newborn that comes into the studio has their own little personality.

This little guy : Max, he had a mind of his own.  He loved to be held by his momma & cuddled in nice & tight.

We worked it out though & he cooperated with us, thank-you Mr. Max.

In case you missed it, here was momma’s maternity session

Max brought in his mommy, daddy & two older sisters : Jasmine & Tia.  They were so incredible with him & it was absolutely adorable to watch them together.

You have quite the helpers on your hands mom & dad.

Enjoy the sneak peek!

s. {natale}

Older Sisters :: ms Jasmine & ms Tia

the fam.

HELP!

“We have a family portrait session coming up & we have NO idea what to wear?”

Been there? Done that?

Yep I figured.  So here we go.  I decided to go ahead & put a few things together for your upcoming sessions, whether they are with me or another fabulous photographer in the area.  I really hope you are able to take some information out of this post & turn it around to work for your family!

{warning :: I am not a fashionista, not in the least bit.  with that said, proceed with caution}

{helpful websites along the way}

Colour Lovers

this is a fabulous website for many things.  but you can build, search, & save your own color palettes.  print them out & take them with while you shop

Awkward Family Photos

If you have NOT seen this website you’ve been living under a rock probably.  {ok maybe a cave}

But this serves as an example of what NOT to do, enough said.

———————————————————–

This first slide I wanted to go with a more class palette of grey & black.  A lot of my families are going this route for the fall & I love it.

Just because you use classic colors in the images does not mean that they’ll be “classic” & “boring” themselves.  Don’t be afraid to go with your gut instinct.

I love the variety of texture & color here.

Oh & obvi the “peace” shirt is my fav.  I just wish there was the word “out” down below {peace-out}

FYI all pieces in the below slide can be found from the GAP

With this palette I wanted to use colors that complimented well & that worked with all members of the family.

You can easily swap the maroon out for a navy sweater & pop in a little hot pink action for another fabulous color palette.

{Below is a mixture from GAP, Old Navy & Janie & Jack}

{But wait, I can NOT afford $89 for a dress I’ll only wear once?}

Word.  I hear ya, for sure.  Please keep in mind these are only to SERVE as a vision, an inspiration & a starting point.  Heck you could get the same look from hittin’ up some fancy garage sales, the goodwill or your friends closet?  Be creative.

{YO, I am NOT a size 6, or even 10 for that matter!}

UMM, again, word.  From personal experience I am not a small & tiny person.

For this I would direct you to looking online where there are more plus sizes available

Lane Bryant

Nordstorm

The following are websites that I suggest looking through.  Some perhaps will be within your budget & some will not.

Also I must give a gigantic shout out to Etsy.

WOW = addicting.

Fabulous hats, accessories, scarves etc.  When in doubt, check etsy!

{p.s. don’t blame it on me when your etsy bill is $100+ a month…}

One of my absolute favorite places for FUN, BRIGHT colored clothes especially for girls is Hanna Andersson

{hint :  search craigslist}

Some of my favorite GIRL findings

{GAP, Old Navy, Gymboree}

Some of my favorite BOY findings

{Gymboree & GAP}

DON’T BE AFRAID

*to be bold, have fun with color

*use props {whatever those may be}

*use accessories

*add on layers

*be open to new, funky, random locations

Another fun idea is doing your family session {or part of it} in super amazing Holiday PJs like these here from Hanna Andersson

{final thoughts}

matching polos are NOT a good idea, even though someone told you they were

trust the professional photographer that you hired to capture these images & enjoy your family

be open to options, ideas & craziness

choose a color palette & pick clothing that coordinates NOT matches exactly

stay away from Dora the Explorer & Spongebob t-shirts

keep your eyes on & off the camera : remember some of the best images can be captured when your not looking

and again :: HAVE FUN!

{heads Up}

please feel free to share, pass on & even comment below.  heck you can even e-mail me with questions on where I found a certain sweater or dress

I sincerely hope that this was helpful & somewhat amusing, if not well too bad.

thanks, peace out & happy holidays

s. {natale}

Happy 2nd Birthday Anika!

Recently we photographed Anika around a few spots here in Janesville for her 2 year session.  I’ve photographed Anika several times the past couple of years & due to the time of year & weather we’ve shot inside all of the times until now.  It was great to get outside, especially with a little 2 year old – they love to run!

She was great during all of our outfit changes, just like a champ.  Other than her favorite outfit, the TuTu. {which mommy got from etsy, btw}

Thanks for a nice morning & have a fabulous time at the Yo Gabba Gabba Concert!

s. {natale}

Halloween BOO Sessions

*8×10 (1) – 5×7 (2) – 4×6 (2) – wallets (set of

Natale Photography

Halloween BOO Sessions

Saturday October 9, 2010

9:30 – 9:55 – BOOKED

10:05 – 10:30 – OPEN

10:40 – 11:05 – OPEN

11:15 – 11:40 – OPEN

11:50 – 12:15 – OPEN

12:25 – 12:50 – BOOKED

1:00 – 1:25 – BOOKED

1:35 – 2:00 – BOOKED

2:10 – 2:35 – BOOKED

2:45 – 3:10 – BOOKED

Natale Photography is bringing back the Halloween BOO sessions that we did a few years ago, but this time bringing them to the studio!  Many of you know that Stephanie’s birthday is on Halloween & it is her FAVORITE time of year!

Bring your little ghost, goblin, witch or Dora the Explorer in to get photographed & get the images or DVD prior to Halloween to hand out!

COST :: $125

{*If you book your Halloween BOO Session before October 1 you will receive a complimentary set of wallets with either collection}

$50 will reserve your spot

INCLUDES ::

The session fee, online gallery & your choice of the following :

Digital Collection {mini-session}

*5 images on DVD with rights to reprint

*Halloween Candy

OR

Print Collection {mini-session}

*8×10 (1) – 5×7 (2) – 4×6 (2) – wallets (1)

*Halloween Candy

{{Your choice of collection (Digital or Print) will be available to pick up on Thursday October 14th. – so you can print & hand out by Halloween}}

REMINDER ::

*Session fee covers up to three children

{inquiry for the cost of additional children}

*Halloween Costume’s only please

*Please plan on arriving at the studio 5-10 before your session

For further information or to book your session ::

info@natalephotography.com or 608.289.9264

For the 4^th year in a row we’ll be offering our Fall Portrait Session Days on-location.

This year we’ve decided on two dates :

Saturday September 25^th – Evansville, WI

&

Saturday October 16^th - Beckman Mill, Beloit, WI

With 5 available spots each day.  We offer the session fee at a discounted rate from our regular on-location session fee.

Session Fee
$75
{1/2 of the session fee is due when you RESERVE your spot & the remainder is due the day of the session}

Please plan on arriving 15 minutes prior to your session time to stretch, have a snack, use the restroom etc, so that you can get the most out of our time/session together.

Please contact the studio ASAP to book your spot

608.289.9264

stephanie@natalephotography.com

These events have also been posted on our Facebook for more details & information check those out

Evansville Wi Fall Portrait Day – Facebook – September 25th 2010

Beckman Mill Fall Portrait Day – Facebook - October 16h 2010

Looking forward to seeing old clients & meeting a lot of new ones as well!

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

s. {natale}

Jessica & baby girl L.

So we had a lot of visions for this session.  But we knew we wanted something outside, something different, something fun.

With a good mixture of creativity I think we got what we were looking for.  Mama is an art teacher at heart & certainly is an artsy mama.  She made the first outfit she had on, well sort of.  Anyhoo it is always fun brain storming ideas with this gal.

I had a great afternoon j & I hope you enjoy the sneak peeks.

s. {natale}

Seriously how YOUNG does she look here?  Is this ‘96 girl?

OK so this has a super long back story.  We won’t bore you with the details, but K-mama & Bob, this is for you.

Really it is an image like this that keeps me coming back to maternity sessions as one of my favorites.

You absolutely can not get that feeling back, that tiny itsy bitsy moment where you feel that baby kick & your belly looks like a volleyball.

the smile, the skin, the face, the love.  There is absolutely nothing else in the world like it.

I {heart, heart, double heart} maternity sessions.

Thank-you goes to a random wealthy person outside of Lake Geneva for letting us “borrow” his cool forest for a few photos.

Did someone say storage unit?

I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.  So we stopped off at good ‘ole DQ for a LARGE Ice Cream cone.

Good times.

The lighting that afternoon was so nice

Love love love these fun little blurby signs.

Thanks for taking my vision j. & running with it.  You’re grand.

{FYI there are more where this came from, I just stocked up on  a lot of these fun signs for weddings & future sessions, thanks again etsy.com}

the. end.

see you soon baby girl L

Jaryd & Kaleigh were able to get inside Wrigley Field for a portion of their Engagement Session in Chicago Illinois.

We started mid/late afternoon & being as though Jaryd had previously e-mailed WF & asked permission to shoot inside he was not giving up.  He went in & spoke with someone & with a small dontation to the Chicago Cubs charity we were able to photograph inside for approximately 45 minutes.  It was fantastic.  I think we all were giddy with excitement.  Whether you are a Chicago Cub fan or not, you can’t help but think this stadium is absolutely beautiful!

It was a great way to kick start a fantastic e-session in Wrigleyville.

Thanks to the Chicago Cubs for helping us out that day!

After we left WF we walked around the area & even hit up the L-train nearby.

Fun people. Fun textures. Fun times.

We just simply could not help but laugh when we were with K & J.  They are so cute together.  Laughing, making jokes & having lots of fun together.

Thanks for being up for anything & sitting on the dirty dirty floor whenever we asked.

We can’t wait for your wedding this December!

Enjoy the sneak peeks!

s. {natale}

Love it.

I imagined this shot when we were inside, in my head & this is exactly what I imagined.  It feels so old fashioned to me.

I think K just got done making fun of J here for answering his phone, mid session.  Sorry J, you deserved it

Absolutely, hands down FAVORITE of the day.

Another fabulous ring shot by Michelle b.

Nor really sure what I said here, but I love the reaction nonetheless

We thought about eating a snack here, but it was too busy.

Kaleigh, shut your hair in this shot.  It is fantastic.  {props to the train going by up above}

Good times.

Love the look that J is giving the Ice Cream man as he passes by here…

{again a big fat HUGE thank-you to the super rad second shooter :: michelle b.}

Shut the sliding glass door.  These two are frick-frackin’ adorable.

We had a BLAST shooting Chris & Crystal’s engagement session in Wrigleyville.

We started out fairly early in the morning & walked around the area surrounding Wrigley Field & found some amazing colors & textures, even a beer truck.

After trying very hard to get inside of Wrigley, we decided a Roof top view would do & WOW was it amazing to be up there & look down @ Wrigley Field.

We had a great day & ended with a wonderful lunch @ Vines on Clark st. {thanks again Chris & Crystal}

Enjoy the sneak peek & have fun in Las Vegas

s. {natale}

BTW they look this cute, naturally.  AHHdorable.

This is what happened to get this next shot.

Us : walking down the street by Wrigley, in front of Bar Louie, passing by a beer truck

Dudes in the front seat of the truck : “What’s going on here?”

Me: “Oh, an engagement, why?  Do you want to let my clients sit in the back of your truck?”

Dudes: “Oh, for sure, hold on a minute…”

Now who said Illinois people were not friendly?

Super fabulous shot done by the super fabulous Michelle b.

Starting to shoot around Wrigley, good ‘ole Harry Caray

Their fav # is 21

I think my favorite image from the day

OK so we were not able to get in to Wrigley Field, but while we were shooting around the outside Michelle happened to notice that one of the rooftop buildings behind Wrigley was offering FREE tours.  Who were we to ignore that?  So we toured this fabulous building & our first stop was in the middle & was this fabulous, uber-modern suite with 25+ flat screen tvs & fabulous furniture & it appeared to have it’s own kitchen.

After we cooled off in the suite, we continued upstairs to the top & this was our view :

Then as you went to the very top & near the back, this was the view.

Love Chicago. Love this shot.  Love C & C

Another great shot by Michelle, in front of WF

{Have I mentioned how much I am in LOVE with my Fish Eye lens?}

{{ A big huge THANKS to my wonderful wonderful second shooter Michelle B.  I had a BLAST shooting with you, your the bestest }}