Gwen at Nuptiae featured one of my engagement photos today on her blog. I love how she mentions the importance of having photos taken by your photographer prior to the wedding day so that you can see how you look in the photos, but more importantly so that you will be more at ease with your photographer (and vice versa!). The opportunity to interact with the two of you and learn some of your habits is so important. It helps me learn if you are a blinker, if you need to be encouraged to smile, what positions you are most comfortable in, and just the general chemistry between you and your fiance. I could rattle off a bunch more things that are so beneficial to me as the photographer when it comes to e-sessions, but I’ll spare you now! I’m currently booking engagement sessions this fall, so call or email me at holly [at] hollybirchphotography [dot] com if you are interested in getting on my calendar! Engagement sessions are only $150 if booked in addition to a wedding.

I just had to post this one from last weekend’s engagement session with Elizabeth & Clark!

Oh, Clark, what are we going to do with you at the wedding my friend!?

Elizabeth + Clark are so easy to work with… they made their engagement session so fun & relaxing! I can’t wait to photograph their September wedding in Ivesdale!

Showing off their true colors.

Sparks fly…

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who grew up in a small town with hopes of going to the University of Illinois and becoming a dentist. She did just that! Not long after graduating, she met a boy from a nearby town who wanted to be a lawyer. The only problem was that this boy was a graduate of the University of Missouri! But she liked him anyway, so they started spending time together, watching both their alma maters hash it out on gridiron and the hardwood along the way. They eventually decided that they were meant for each other, and so Sam proposed to Lindsey. They’ve chosen to be married at Allerton Park in Monticello, with their reception following at Memorial Stadium.

Then they booked Holly Birch Photography as their wedding photographer. The end! Enjoy their engagement pictures!







Love this one!



Baaaaa-liiiiiiiiing!

I love this one, but I think it needs cropped just a little… thoughts?

Lindsey and Chris are getting married in December (yay for winter weddings!) in Champaign, and I can’t wait! We had a great time traipsing around Champaign and then Urbana taking photos for their engagement session. I threw 2 locations into the mix that I hadn’t shot before, and 1 that I use very infrequently. I love they way they all turned out, and I hope they like them too, as well as you–my readers!

Edited to add: I have to thank Gwen at Nuptiae for hooking me up with Lindsey + Chris’s wedding!

We started out at Scott Park, which is at the corner of Third and Springfield in campustown. A few years ago the city built a bridge there and put in new benches, flowers, a pavilion and a playground. I wanted to challenge myself to shoot in this location that’s a mix of urban buildings and nature.


They both took my instructions very well!

Gorgeous!

Then we moseyed over to this mural that I’ve always loved (though someone recently grafitti’d (is that a word?) it with a not-so-nice word. Aaron and I actually had some of our wedding pictures taken here.

This one is a definite favorite!

Sassy!

They’re going to be doing a lot of driving between here and Chicago in the few months left until their wedding, so this one was my ode to their travels.

Our last stop was Meadowbrook Park in Urbana.




This one I love.

The end. But it’s actually the beginning. Yay!

AND I got you guys home in time to watch the Blackhawks beat Philly!

Katie & TJ asked me to meet them at a unique location for their engagement session, and I was very happy to oblige. It’s a historic Kaufman mansion near downtown Champaign, and it’s for sale if you’re interested in owning a piece of Champaign history. After we shot in and around the mansion, we walked a couple blocks down to the famous Osage Orange tree at Trevett-Finch Park.

I first met TJ at a “Tweetup” hosted by the News-Gazette in 2009. Then a month or so later, I met Katie at a bridal showcase hosted by the Illini Radio Group. Katie proceeded to tell me that TJ had already decided that I would be their wedding photographer based on my work he’d seen that I had posted on Twitter. Social networking for the win!

One of my favorites!!





I think they both look so great in this shot!

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they own the place!

I was loving this garage door for some reason!



Katie’s dad brought over his 1927 Model T Ford for us to use as a prop. They get to use it for the wedding too!

On Friday, the UIUC Photography Club at U of I hosted a workshop at the Arboretum on campus. I was invited to be the guest speaker and opted to do an engagement workshop since e-sessions are my favorite thing to shoot! There was a really good turnout (I’d say 30+ students?), most of whom brought along cameras and I invited them to shoot along beside/behind me. I started out with an introduction of my self and my business, followed by an introduction of our volunteer couple, Sydney and Steve. They were fantastic! I warned them ahead of time that there would be many cameras pointed at them, but they didn’t flinch at all and were totally at ease with the whole process.

After the introductions, I talked a bit about my camera and the settings I use. Then we just started shooting and I explained my process (physical and mental) when working through an engagement session.

The student group was very attentive and asked a lot of really good questions. You guys made the experience so easy for me!

Doesn’t Sydney just look gorgeous here? I love her eyes and the way the wind was blowing the hair off her face here. And we got a little engagement ring action!

And Steve’s very handsome himself. He has the perfect serious look here!



I set up this shot and then let the students each take turns with it as well. It’s one of those where you have to be in an exact spot to get the right shot:

They just look so happy! This is why I love photographing couples!

Thanks to the UIUC Photography Club and to Sydney+Steve for the great session and workshop! My one regret is that I forgot to get a group picture of everyone as I was talking!

***POSITION FILLED!*** Thanks for the inquiries!!

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!

I first met Kinnerly and Matt at the wedding expo I did in September. I was already booked on their day, but after a cancellation, I contacted Kinnerly again (thank goodness for gmail’s search function!) and they hadn’t yet booked a photographer, so it worked out perfectly! I was pleasantly surprised that they brought along 3 musical instruments with them. To quote Matt, “She got a ring, and I got a banjo.”