Going the Distance

I remember a conversation I had with my uncle some time ago.  We talked about what it was like when we first start dating someone.  He always used to say dating was a young man's domain because people his age didn't have the energy for it anymore.  I chuckled at the humor of what he said but didn't really give it much thought.  A few years later a friend of mine was getting into a new relationship and telling me about how they were spending their time.  It was those stories that brought the conversation with my uncle back and made me smile at how right he was.  At the beginning of a new relationship we will drive for hours just to see someone for a few minutes.  We'll stay out til 3:00 AM on a date only to make it to work by 8:30.  We'll spend weekends out of town, leaving right after work on Friday to barely make it back to work on Monday morning.  It's something we've all done and many great memories and relationships have come out of that effort.  It was in meeting Kevin and Sarah that I found out how much energy it sometimes can take. 

Sarah is an avid runner.  She's done multiple marathons and works hard to stay fit.  Kevin started running longer distances as he got to know Sarah.  It was what helped them bond and get to know each other.  It was their time together.  For Kevin though, he took it a bit further.

Sarah's passion for running eventually became Kevin's passion as well.  With time, marathons weren't enough for him, he started running triathalons.  One led to another and most recently Kevin finished an Ironman Triathalon.  Now those not familiar with the Ironman, it's a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2 mile run all in the same day.  Sarah had already agreed to marry Kevin before he did this so this had to be his own motivation.

I say I was impressed is an understatement.  Any one event is a feat, add them all together and it's a major accomplishment for a non-professional endurance athlete.  But more than the Ironman, I was impressed by how much of an interest Kevin took in Sarah that something she loved became something so close to his own heart.  The best in her inspired the best in him. 

As I write this I can't help smirk that no matter what Sarah has in store for their lives, Kevin will always have the energy to keep up and make their lives as fun and exciting as the first few weeks of a new relationship.

Check out the day at www.dennisleeslideshows.com/sarahandkevin

Click to Cure 2010

I’d like to announce the third annual Click to Cure photo day to fight cancer. This year we are working to help Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Inc. Bear Necessities Pediatric is a national organization founded in 1992 and has been actively contributing to children stricken with cancer. President Kathleen A. Casey and her 8-year-old son, Barrett “Bear” Krupa, started Bear Necessities during a long, exhausting str...uggle to defeat this devastating disease. Ultimately, the disease took the life of “Bear”.


Cancer is the #1 disease killer in children under the age of 15.

Bear Necessities is there to provide hope and support through medical research grants, information and support grants and their Small Miracle Program which works to fulfill special wishes to help brighten the life of a child going through cancer.

This year we selected Bear Necessities because so many of my former couples and friends were having babies. Everyone was asking when I was holding Click to Cure and asking if I could wait until the latest member of the family had a chance to arrive. With all the newborn babies, it was the perfect fit. Witnessing all the nerves, joy, excitement and worries that come with a new baby, I can’t even imagine what it must be like for families who have a child with cancer.

I get requests all the time for family and baby portraits and it’s not something I offer. This is the one day all year that I will be pulling out all the stops to spend a day making some great portraits.

Here’s how it works. For a minimum donation of $100.00 (you can always donate more and would love it if you did) I will spend 10-15 minutes doing a portrait session of you, your family, your pets, your friends or even something you want to sell on e-Bay. Just show up. You’ll get a large amount of images in that time; I shoot fast and everything is already set up. All the photos are burned to disc for you to take home. No reservation times needed so show up anytime, but expect a longer wait around 11:00 – 3:00.

Lastly, as in previous years, every single dollar contributed goes to Bear Necessities. The event is fully sponsored so you know 100% of the money is going to a fantastic cause.

So come and help out an important organization and enjoy the start of the holidays with snacks and great conversation.

November 13, 2010. Saturday
10:00-6:00
Studio 415
415 W Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60654

If you can't make it to the event but would still like to send in a donation, please mail a check made out to Bear Necessities and send to

Dennis Lee Photography
7311 N. Honore St. #3
Chicago, IL  60626

Just Call Me.

So I don't text.  Yeah sure, I know that might date me as much as one of my favorite sayings before I go into a wedding, "time to make the donuts" as a reminder of the hard work and dedication of the Dunkin Donuts man in their commercials of the 80's.  While I like to know what my friends are doing, I don't think I need to know where they're currently having lunch.  Maybe it's my disdain for texters who seemingly don't know the difference between there, their and they're or your and you're.  I mean if someone writes, "your the best" can you really believe that?  Now, please don't think I'm some grammar czar correcting all manner of grammatical sins, just read my previous posts and you'll see I'm not.  Honestly, I still mix up my who and whom all the time.  Could it be I just like human voice communication better?  Wow what a crazy concept.

An old study I often reference says that 60% or more of communication is non-verbal.  It makes sense.  FBI, CIA special agents trained in detecting lies pay more attention to body language than the words coming out of a person's mouth.  It's the tone, speed and inflections that really seem to get the message across.  I doubt anyone reading this, who will be married, will mention texting in their vows as what they love about the other person or as something they built their relationship on.

I think the actual conversations are what helped build my closeness with Jeff and Cassie.  Cassie would call me at random times asking questions or for insight into what I thought would work for the wedding.  We planned photo sessions, timelines and details for the wedding.  Even after the wedding, Jeff called asking my advice about digital cameras.  By the way, I can't wait to see the photos from Hawaii.

Great photos may have great backgrounds and vistas but look in any museum or at photos of historical events, what you'll always find are moments and relationships whether between people or the subject and photographer.  If Jeff and Cassie are so easy to talk to and build a relationship with, I can only imagine what they are like together.  It's that interest in each other and ease of conversation that, I think, will keep their relationship growing for a lifetime.

Check out how fantastic Jeff and Cassie looked on their wedding day at www.dennisleeslideshows.com/cassieandjeff

You've Got The Look. The Look of Love. And Other Great 80's Songs.

Here's a little secret.  I don't own an iPod or any other portable music device.  I was given an iPod but it quickly became the property of my girlfriend.  I don't wear headphones when I exercise or play music when I'm working.  You see I think my life and most everyone else's can be set to its own soundtrack.  It's what I like to call the 'soundtrack of our lives'.  It's the music that if played at any given moment would fit perfectly.  Let me give you some of my personal examples.

When walking around alone on 5th Ave in Manhattan in the afternoon in the summer, usually Staying Alive by the Bee Gees is playing in my head.  Go ahead, imagine it.  It fits eh?  Here are some more.  Late fall in Chicago, it's Diana Krall's warm voice that I run errands on Michigan Ave to.  When I'm working with models it's almost always INXS.  It's this, uh...could it even be called a talent, that I find myself using at weddings. 

Sure during dinner Michael Buble or Frank Sinatra may be playing but often a different soundtrack is playing in my head as I'm watching my couples.  That was never the case more than at the reception of Stephanie and Matt.  You see, from the moment they saw each other that first time walking down the aisle, they never took their eyes off each other. 

All through dinner, there were looks and glances being traded back and forth.  These quick looks were little moments alone between them in a sea of activity.  It was a way for Stephanie and Matt to quickly reconnect during an event filled evening.  Since I'm a big 80's music fan, of course all 80's was playing in my head.

You've Got the Look by Prince, The Look of Love by ABC, and other great 80's songs provided my soundtrack as I was photographing them.  I can only think how crazy Stephanie and Matt will think I am once they read this. 

Looking back to the wedding day, I wonder what in 10 , 20, 30 years will be the soundtrack of Stephanie and Matt's life.  A life that started with so many great glances, stares and touches is going to provide enough great moments for one awesome compilation. 

The day and the music can be found at www.dennisleeslideshows.com/stephanieandmatt

Beat the Heat

This has been an interesting summer all around here in the U.S.  My friends in New York have suffered through one of the hottest summers on record.  Chicago hasn't been much better with a record number of hot days in a row.  Now while I know that my other friends in Florida are laughing at us complaining about the heat, consider this.  During the hottest months of the year, Chicago and Miami have only an 8 degree difference in average temperature.  Yet, during the coldest month of the year there is a 46 degree average temperature difference.  Thus Chicago gets near tropical summer temperatures during the summer and sub-freezing temps in the winter.  All this combines to make for a very interesting wedding year.

Wedding planning in Chicago is always an exercise in contending with the weather.  I think the smoothest weddings are the ones that work with the season.  Eliane and Danny did just that.  There wedding was not only in the summer but was also on July 4th, one of the busiest driving days of the year.  How did they get around all this?  Well, they planned for all their wedding festivities to be held at one location.

The Intercontinental Hotel with it's eclectic mix or artwork and gorgeous ballrooms made for the perfect plan to beat the heat.  Without worry about the heat or travel, all the guest were quickly able to relax and enjoy a wonderful day.  It's this level of planning and thought that really is typical of Eliane and Danny.  From the first time I met Eliane we had much to talk about with her background in design.  We talked about the potential designs of the album and how photographs should be displayed.

For those of you reading this who are planning your wedding, remember to work with the season and that'll help make for a fantastic day.

Check out Eliane and Danny's wedding day at www.dennisleeslideshows.com/elianeanddanny

Wedding Confidential

This post comes at a really appropriate time.  It's almost as if the cosmos had aligned Jill and David's wedding with my mood.  This year also marks a certain anniversary that I'm sure goes unnoticed to most both inside and outside the food loving community.  It happens to be the 10 year anniversary of chef, world traveler and food author Anthony Bourdain's ground breaking book Kitchen Confidential,  which gave readers an unprecedented view into what goes on behind the scenes in New York restaurants.  Why does all this matter?  You see Jill and David are both avid food and wine enthusiasts. 

So in celebrating the wedding of two foodies and with Anthony Bourdain in mind, I'm going to give readers a peek into the behind the scenes world of weddings.  Will this raise a few eyebrows? Probably.  But the more couples know, the better clients they are.  Welcome to Wedding Confidential.

Jill's day started with great weather but unfortunately the hairstylist didn't do a good job on her hair.  In fact, I could tell it was going to be something that would bother Jill.  As a photographer, this is worrisome.  If a bride can't relax, it shows in the photos.  She's not interacting the same way, smiling or moving as if she was loving how she looked. 

Luckily, Marcia Hemphill from An Urban Affair  http://www.anurbanaffair.com/ was the wedding planner that day.  Marcia and I have worked together for years.  She hires and works with the best.  Immediately, she is on the phone with hair dressers all over the city to see who is close and available to fix this.  This is why you hire a wedding planner.  If all a planner is doing is keeping the couple on schedule, they can just as easily ask a friend.  A great wedding planner has great contacts.  The best wedding planners make sure all the other vendors are taken care of and have what they need to make an amazing event.  They facilitate but never get in the way.

Invariably the best wedding planners come from backgrounds in hospitality, catering, event planning, concert productions and even consulting.  These are not the people who loved planning their own wedding and now feel qualified to be a wedding planner; there are too many of those.  Sure it may have started that way, but these people have a deep background in organization.  They work with people because they pick the best for their clients not because the vendors pay a kick-back or referral fee to the planner as some require, which is a little known secret in the industry.

Phillip at Parto Naderi http://www.partonaderi.com/ saved the day.  He did Jill's hair as fast, beautifully and professionally as I've seen anyone ever work.  Phillip and I have worked together before at another wedding.  Phillip does great hair.  I don't believe in "wedding hair", I think that's a term for a bad updo.  I think it should just be great hair that is for a wedding.  Wedding hair is in those bad hair magazines, an overly stiff and curled updo.  Great hair can be up or down and works with the bride's style and you see inspirations of it in InStyle, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire.  Someone who can do great wedding hair is someone who just does great hair.

The rest of the day went as smoothly as anyone could hope for.  The priest at Holy Name Cathedral was charming, gracious and worked with Jill, David and I to make sure we were able to make some fantastic ceremony photos.  With Holy Name's status in the community, they could easily be overly strict and frankly prohibitive to work in as some churches are.  The ceremony could take place in a historic church but the photographer may be restricted to a seat in the back, unable to move for the whole duration.  Or my favorite, one church even requires you hire one of their "approved" photography studios for the ceremony.  Apparently, the mass of weekend photographers the studios hire is somehow trained and certified to be respectful and take photos.  Really?!? Or is it that there is some other reason. But Holy Name Cathedral has never gone to these lengths and thus remains a favorite church of photographers all over Chicago.

Thanks to great planning there was enough time to go to some of David and Jill's favorite locations and take all the photos we wanted.  I love that time of the day.  It's when the couple can just relax and enjoy time together.  I prefer to just sit back and follow them with my camera.  Watching for interaction and those little moments that can easily go unnoticed but say so much.  They hired a Dusenburg convertible to take them around.  I loved the vintage feel of the car and the classic style of Jill and David.  I knew the photos would turn out with that vintage feel.  Yet, there was no way I was going to Photoshop it to look faux vintage.

Every decade seems to have its own wedding photography look.  I've always found this curious considering weddings are timeless affairs.  In the 70's people were peering around trees or floating in brandy snifters or above the alter.  In the 80's everyone looked all soft and foggy and the poses were contrived and overly stiff.  In the 90's everyone was carrying each other; grooms being carried by the bridesmaids and vice versa.  Then with the movie Resevoir Dogs, guys were walking with sunglasses in every alley in the city.  In the early 2000's with Photoshop being accessible to the masses, skin became plastic and featureless; if perfection is great I guess more perfection is even better.  Along with that everyone started jumping off things and fake cheering and fake dipping.  Now the current trend seems to be faux vintage. 

Photographers en masse purchasing the latest special effects created by other "celebrity" wedding photographers.  It's difficult to color correct and work on thousands of images from a wedding and get them to the client on time.  I'll admit, during the midst of the summer, I'm often a week late, but I think it's worth it to get it right.  My pet peeve is black tuxes that somehow look blue in photographs.

My feeling is that vintage should be real like a wedding.  It should come from years of the photo being displayed and stories that develop around it as it's passed around at family gatherings.  Your children should laugh at what you wore and your hairstyle and how you danced.

In the end whether your hair looked perfect or where you had your wedding or even who photographed your wedding means less than the memories that you'll take away and the life that you'll build as a couple.  Memories and stories, over time take on a life of their own and change and get rewritten as our memories fade with age and what was important 10 years ago seem less important now and are replaced with even more important things.

So to Jill and David, your love of food, wine and adventure does inspire and has even inspired this, my longest blog post ever.  Thank you for sharing your class, style, ease, humor and spirit which once again has shown me why I love what I do and what the important things are.

The slideshow can be seen at www.dennisleeslideshows.com/jillanddavid