I’m looking for a couple of volunteers to pose for a mock (or real!) engagement session for a workshop I’m doing for a photography club at U of I. I prefer former couples that have hired me in the past, but current or new clients would work as well. You’ll get the session for free, along with my processing and editing, and you’ll be able to see the proofs online… $150 value! You will then have the option to purchase the images as prints or on a CD.

Maybe this isn’t the right gig for you or you don’t need couple’s photos? But maybe you can think of some friends who are looking to save some money prior to their wedding, or that just want to get in front of the camera for fun! Send them my way! To lock in your spot for this unique session, please email me at holly [at] hollybirchphotography [dot] com or call 217-737-0971. Thanks!!

Scheduling Sarah & Kevin’s engagement session turned out to be quite a hassle, but we finally nailed down a time to get it done! When Sarah first contacted me about photographing their fall 2010 wedding, she was very excited about their engagement session and had two requests: 1) she wanted it on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University (where they met), and 2) she wanted it when there was snow on the ground. Now with as much snow as we’ve had this year, you wouldn’t think this would be a problem, but we came upon just about every setback you can imagine! I’m very happy with the way the photos turned out though, and I hope my readers and Kevin & Sarah enjoy them too!

The adorable pooch in the first photo is their “daughter” Madison. The poor little thing was shivering even though we only had her out for about 5 minutes, but she did a great job and got Sarah the exact shot she was hoping for!

Oh, I almost forgot… this was also the first session where I got to use my new 24-70mm f2.8 Nikon lens… and I LOVE IT. Can’t wait to use it on all my weddings this year!

Sarah warned me that taking pictures is “not exactly his thing,” but Kevin did great and didn’t seem to tense at all. This is why I love engagement sessions too, because it gives the couple a chance to get comfortable in front of my camera prior to the wedding day.

I LOVE the way this one turned out of Sarah’s bling:

Ooh, and this one too! Pretty!

Sun, snow, blue skies, happy couple… you can’t ask for much more than that! And this just reinforces the fact that engagement sessions are one of my absolute favorite things to photograph!


Does anyone else think that Sarah resembles Kate Beckinsale here? I’m thinking Kate in Serendipity…

Thanks for a fun shoot, you guys! Can’t wait until your October wedding!

Also, for those keeping score at home… I’m now at 30 weeks in my pregnancy (and was when I did this session!). Will post belly pictures soon!

To all of my 2010-11 clients:
You may have received an email from me yesterday with incorrect billing information in it. This weekend I set up a new bookkeeping/office management software and it sent out emails before I was ready for it to! Please continue to go by the original paperwork I gave you after you signed the contract. I plan to have all the kinks worked out soon so that this doesn’t happen again!

If you have any questions at all about your payment schedule, your contract, or making payments, please contact me at any time at holly [at] hollybirchphotography [dot] com or 217-737-0971. Thanks so much for bearing with me through this software transition!

I haven’t posted too much basketball or football this year for a couple reasons. The main one is that I want to try to keep my wedding and portrait work on the forefront. Also, both teams are performing a little under expectations, and I don’t see people flocking here to see my sports photos because of it. I had to post this one though because it’s just one of those things you don’t see in every game and it’s one of the freshmen that I haven’t posted photos of yet. This was a few games ago, so I don’t remember exactly what was happening, but I believe that DJ Richardson was chasing down a loose ball got tripped up in the process. No worries–he was ok!

I’m getting a lot of calls and emails lately for dates I’m already booked in 2010 (and some dates in 2011 are already gone too!), so I wanted to post my calendar here so you can check this out prior to contacting me. A link to this calendar is also always available on my Contact page.

My friend Elizabeth asked a few weeks before Christmas if I could get a few shots of her, her mom and her sister before they add her fiance Mark to the picture next October. Mark and Elizabeth are both good friends of mine and Aaron’s so we’re very much looking forward to photographing their wedding and partying it up at the reception (they are adamant about me putting down the camera and enjoying myself once my work is done!).

It was a FREEZING afternoon between Christmas and New Year’s and I don’t know how they all 3 stayed out in the cold so long without their coats, but we got in what we could before their noses all turned too red!

I have been a total blog slacker since before the holidays!! My apologies, loyal blog readers.

Here are a couple favorites from a family session I did one cold afternoon a few days before Christmas.

I haven’t posted much of my sports work this year, but I got some pretty good shots at last night’s Illinois-Vanderbilt game, so I thought I’d share a few.
Demetri McCamey finished with 23 points and 5 assists.

Mike Tisdale had 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Mike Davis had just 4 points, but added 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Bill Cole has been putting in a lot of quality minutes coming off the bench.

McCamey attempts to take a charge, but the foul gets called on him.

I got to visit my friend Stephani and Joel a couple weekends ago, just about 8 days after their new baby Walker was born. Good thing we moved my visit from the weekend before like we originally planned! Walker was welcomed home by big sisters Miriam and Cora. You may remember them from their session last winter.
Daddy’s hands with Walker’s tiny little feet:

I was the first person to say that he looks more like Cora and Miriam. Time will tell, I suppose!


I did not Photoshop her eyes in this photo. They are just that gorgeous. I just wish she wasn’t giving me that goofy grin!

She seems so pensive here. I wonder what she’s thinking about…

They’re going to have so much fun growing up together–all three of them.

And a personal update… I am now at 20 weeks in my pregnancy! A reminder to those looking to schedule sessions next spring, I will be on photography maternity leave from March 28 through May 7 (and some days after that too, but will be working part-time).