I will be traveling to St. Louis in June to attend a fabulous Newborn Workshop taught by Robin Long.

While I’m there I decided to open up my schedule for a day & a half of sessions.

The details are as follows :

*reservation credit is $100 {which is due at the time of reservation & will be used as a credit towards your final order}

*session fee is $150 {due a week prior to your session}

*the locations/times will be given at the time of booking.

*there are only a few spots available {so that means not to dilly-dally}

2 Sessions are still available for Tuesday & 1 Session available for Wednesday morning

Please feel free to pass this on to your St. Louis Family & Friends

Thanks!

Stephanie Natale

Andrea & Josh

{wedding | 05.21.11}

Good thing the world didn’t end that day, we had a wedding to celebrate!

If mother nature really existed I would have given her one big HUGE giant hug that day.

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful day to celebrate A & J’s wedding day in Madison.

Going into the weekend there was an 80% chance of rain/thunderstorms.  Thankfully that forecast was wrong!

We started off at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Madison.

Both Andrea & Josh agreed early on that they wanted to see other prior to the ceremony.

I love these moments, those first few seconds when the couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day.

After the ceremony we headed straight to the Capitol.  We saw many Bridal Parties there that day but easily got a spot on the steps & spent some time doing Bridal portraits.

The Capitol is especially meaningful to A & J as this was where he proposed, only it was inside & the Christmas Tree was up.

After we photographed outside we attempted to get into the Capitol {we had gotten a permit prior to the day} but the doors were locked & closed.

Luckily we met a very nice security man who let us in, with less than 5 minutes to shoot.  It was very important to A & J that we get inside on their wedding day & get some images where he proposed, I was very thankful to that security guard.

After that we headed quickly to Olin Park & found some lovely trees that coordinated with the bridal party colors. #winning

We arrived at the Coliseum Bar for the reception shortly after that & got the party going!

Andrea & Josh had a great wedding party, a lot of fun & very easy going.

Every time I turned around people were laughing & enjoying the day.

It was our pleasure to be apart of the day!

Andrea & Josh :

You are such a lovely couple & we wish you the best!

{s. Natale}

Waiting to see her groom for the first time

Love this angle, from Michelle’s perspective during this moment

Moments before the ceremony, with Dad

Grams & Gramps after the wedding.

{notice the adorable coordination?}

This is where Josh asked Andrea to marry him.

Hearts.

In order to get the Bride & Groom to kiss guests had to hula hoop.

One of the bridesmaids due with her first baby in a few weeks.  That is her husband cheering her on.

The amazing card box hand made by one of the groomsmen, man that was heavy.

First Dance

The couple from the longest married dance = TOO adorable for words.

This is how you learn to pose in a picture when you go to UW-Stout

Andrea & Josh’s Wedding Vendors

Ceremony  | Holy Cross, Madison Wisconsin

Reception Venue | Coliseum Bar, Madison Wisconsin

Photographer | Natale Photography

If you liked Andrea & Josh’s wedding BLOG post be sure to leave us some comment love

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TOO @ Natale Photography Facebook

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ Natale Photography Twitter

Miranda AND Adam

{beloved session}

definition of the word beloved : dearly loved | dear to the heart

Many of you are probably wondering what exactly is a Beloved {be-love-ed} session?

Recently I had the opportunity to sit in on a workshop @ WPPI in Las Vegas & listen to an amazing man, Jesh De Rox speak about what his vision was for our industry & his beliefs behind the Beloved Collection & Experiential Photography.

It resonated with me, his words, his body language, his heart & love for not just photography but the people it will affect.

It is hard to accurately put into words how incredibly moving he was.

He is empowering photographers to look at their work in a new light, look at the relationships they are apart with a new responsibility.  Not just to simply photograph them & document that moment, but create a moment, strengthen relationships & form new bonds with your couples/clients.

The Beloved Collective is something I knew that I believed in immediately, something I knew I wanted to be apart of.

The VISION for the Beloved movement

“Beloved is the belief that as photographers we have the ability to touch the world one relationship at a time.  Instead of reflecting the surface we become an invitation to those we work with to experience the richness with in them.  Beloved is a remembrance of whats most important & celebration of love.” -Jesh De Rox

The concept involves establishing a ritual every 1-3 years where a couple re-experiences one another in a new way, celebrating their relationship.

So simply, Beloved sessions are specifically focused on couples & on the celebration of their relationship.

Miranda & Adam are celebrating 10 years of being together & it was my pleasure to be a part of this session for them.

They are fabulous photographers in the Milwaukee area.{Reminisce Studios}

Before our session together I had M & A put a Relationship/Love Map together for me.  It serves as my studio guide if you will to prepare prior to our session, to help guide us through & for me to get to know some details about this couple.

{how they met. how he proposed. wedding details. relationship misc. what they love to do. what drinks they like. what weird things they say or do to each other.}

I always say the more random the better.  It is a jumping off point for us & a place to start, a way to immediately relate with your clients/couple.

I’ve been doing this with my Bridal clients & decided to integrate this into my Beloved sessions as well.

See an example of page #1/#2 from M & A’s love map.  For their protection, I blurred out the deets

I had a great time getting to know you both Miranda & Adam & enjoyed spending the afternoon with you & meeting Jacque.

Enjoy the sneak peek

{s. natale}

If you are interested in scheduling a Beloved session or want more information, please contact the studio.

*BELOVED BLOG CONTEST*

Leave some comment love for Miranda & Adam

Contest Information :

Leave a comment below about M & A’s recent Beloved session, tell us what you loved about their session & why you’d like to win a complimentary Beloved session yourself.

We will randomly select a winner on June 1, 2011

Thanks & GOOD LUCK!

Derek & Nikki

{engaged}

Wedding | October, 15, 2011

L.U.C.K.Y. in love.

We just kept hitting the jackpot during our e-sesh in Milwaukee last week.

light. location. love. sweet beautiful adorable couple.

We started out @ Miller Park & started shooting inside, asked around a bit to see if we could get in & shoot in the stadium & kept getting the run around by the ladies in the gift store.  We asked someone out in the hallway & eventually we were let into the private little patio from T.G.I.Fridays.  It was perfect.  But that was not good enough for us, we still wanted the seats.  So we walked around to the side by the Ticket Booth & a couple of doors happened to be opened & so we went it.  {of course, right?}  Well right there, with ZERO baracades was the entrance to the lower level seats.  Perfect.  Thanks much Miller Park, ‘ppreciate it.

We managed to get some beautiful light & hit some pretty great spots, but we weren’t selfish.  We got in & out before security was called.

“Oh sorry mr. security guard sir, we didn’t realize…”

We headed down to the 5th ward, downtown Milwaukee.  I had a few possible options in mind, but was going to make the judgement call once we got down there & I could check out the light, buildings, etc.  And then boom, I turned the corner & it was like a vision.  I pulled in, looked for a “No Trespassing” sign, didn’t see one & put the swagger wagon in park.  Heck YES.

This was an old abandon warehouse-type.  Beautiful light. So many little nooks to tuck in & shoot at.

Anyhoo it was simply fabulous as was Derek & Nikki!

They were very up for anything & it was great exploring with them & finding the perfect spots for their session.

D & N are having a wedding in Beloit/Janesville this fall & I can’t wait to document that for them.

They are so adorably in love & it was so much fun to capture that for them!

Enjoy the sneak peeks!

{s. natale}

Danielle & Michael.

Sister & Brother.

“It was nice growing up with someone like you – someone to lean on, someone to count on…someone to tell on!”  ~  Unknown

Often times I photograph siblings as they are much much younger & it was fun & refreshing to photograph D & M, who are obviously a bit older & they were really fun to work with.  When we first started out, the thought of touching their sibling was just simply out of the question, but by the time we ended our session together they were laughing, hugging & jumping around.

As a mother of a Daughter & a Son myself, I can only hope that my two get along this well in 7-8 years.

Thanks for the fun afternoon D & M & Amy your children are great, you should be so proud!

Enjoy the Sneak Peeks

{s. natale}

Danielle & Michael were super cute together, this was @ the end when I told them to give their best bear hug.

Because this is part of a Birthday Surprise for Dad {sssh!} we had to throw in a little Brewer action too.

Sweet little Charlie was absolutely perfect for his 6 month session @ his Grandma & Grandpa’s farm.

I love photographing on-location, to me it really personalizes their session & in some circumstances can be a bit more meaningful to the family as well.

We decided to photograph at the family farm for Charlie’s session & I was so excited when I got there to see all of the possible spots to shoot.

Mom came very prepared with adorable outfits, shirts & hats {may from www.etsy.com } & some great ideas too.

You can certainly tell that this little guy is very VERY well loved.

Thanks for a great morning Jennifer & Dan, enjoy your sneak peek!

{s. natale}

For more information on how Charlie’s DOC band was personalized, please look here :

Bling Your Band

Bling Your Band – Facebook Page

This was taken in mommy’s family crib.  Love those little piggies.

Four Generations of Farmers.

Charlie’s family has a pig farm here in Janesville, it was Daddy’s idea to get some of the baby piggies out & let them play… they were so cute.

Charlie came into the studio for a quick mini-session.  Mom wants to do a series from his newborn, 6 month & 1 year sessions.

And while he was in the studio he rolled over for the first time!  YEAH Charlie!

This image was from his newborn session…

This image is from his 6 month session

Look @ those legs, love ‘em

Charlie, helping show off a new chair @ the studio

*BLOG CONTEST REMINDER*

Leave a comment for Jennifer, Dan & Charlie 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….

I will randomly pick one winner from the comments that are left on the BLOG & 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.

I will be traveling to St. Louis in June to attend a fabulous Newborn Workshop taught by Robin Long.

While I’m there I decided to open up my schedule for a day & a half for sessions.

The details are as follows :

*reservation credit is $100 {which is due at the time of reservation & will be used as a credit towards your final order}

*session fee is $150 {due a week prior to your session}

*the locations/times will be given at the time of booking.

*there are only a few spots available {so that means not to dilly-dally}

4 Sessions available for Tuesday & 1 Session available for Wednesday morning

Please feel free to pass this on to your St. Louis Family & Friends

Thanks!

Stephanie Natale

Michelle & Michael had a wonderful snowy day for their big maternity {REVEAL} session.

Many of you may recognize Michelle, she is my 2nd shooter for many of my weddings & a super fabulous gal.

I was so excited to do this session for her & her hubby.

So we knew that we wanted to do some sort of {REVEAL} session & Michelle did a lot of planning & asking for help prior to.

She purchased pink & blue balloons & had those ready to go, depending on the results.

Here is the timeline breakdown :

1.  Ultrasound appt on Thursday morning

2.  Technician filled out form & put the results in a sealed envelope

3.  Envelope & pink/blue balloons were delivered to Michelle’s sister Samantha Thursday evening

4.  Samantha opened the envelope & began the process of blowing up several PINK balloons for our session the following morning

5.  We all met early Friday morning & the balloons were brought over in black garbage bags by Michelle’s amazingly helpful sister

6.  We started our session…

I had a blast planning & shooting this session M & M.

It was my pleasure, I’m so SO excited for you both

{stephanie natale}

Before we started the session, I asked M & M what their guess was.

Obviously they were BOTH wrong.

Enjoy the blue guys… it won’t be here for long.

M & M were patiently waiting while I took some “before” shots.

Their eyes are still closed here.

IT’S A GIRL!

This was the first time they found out the sex of their baby when they looked up & saw the balloons released into the sky!

How fun & excited!

I literally was getting goosebumps while I was photographing it!

After the balloon release we headed over to the Apple Hut in Beloit.  We actually photographed part of M & M’s engagement session here a few years ago.

En route to the studio to finish up our session we ran across this fabulous “pink construction” wall.  They were happy to let us borrow it for a few minutes.

Studio {portion}

So this ADORABLE little note was what Michelle prepared prior to their U/S & gave it to the technician to fill out & put in a sealed envelope.

The envelope was then delivered to Michelle’s sister Samantha who helped out greatly in the making of this session.

She opened the envelope & blew 40+ pink balloons the night before our session & put them all in black garbage bags & brought them down early that morning.

Thanks SO much Samantha for your help in the cold for those few hours, your the best!

I love PROPS on sticks.  Fabulous.

*BLOG CONTEST REMINDER*

Leave a comment for the {B} family 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….

I will randomly pick one winner 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.

The {C} family came into the studio this past week & brought their little {ok, not so little} doggies.

It was a blast.  I love photographing animals, especially dogs.

It was great meeting you Robin & Tony {& the pups}

Enjoy the Sneak Peeks!

{sN}

Here is Cooper

Lexus

Ok. This is obviously a bit of a “blooper” shot.  But I could not help myself.  I was trying to get a good shot of Lexus & Cooper was a bit busy in the background.

I just had to include it for a few laughs.

*BLOG CONTEST REMINDER*

Leave a comment for the {C} family 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….

I will randomly pick one winner 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.

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.