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A Grateful Morning…

So I started my day the way I usually do… cuddling with Mouse, my 12 year old cat, listening to my dog Sasha’s tail wag against the floor as she hears me stir, and glancing out the window to see if I’m up against more rain or if its going to be a sunny day. So I grab my phone off the charger  to check early morning emails and sift through Facebook before I get out of bed, and two things caught my attention this morning that gave me a completely new perspective about life in general. I’m not usually a “gush about my personal life” kind of person here on my blog, but after watching two separate videos that each made me cry (and yes… I’m a total crier), I took a pause to think about the reasons people take pictures in the first place. The first video was an interview with an older woman who had lost everything in the Oklahoma tornados. I won’t go into detail as its a really short video, but it ends with her finding her dog, miraculously alive among the rubble of her house. As a person who loves her pets like children this really touched me, and though it just seems completely unbelievable that this could be real, I took a minute to look at my animals, all safe and warm and cuddled up on my bed and on the dog bed, and I just felt a rush of gratitude for how much they enrich my life on a daily basis. I spent my summers in Oklahoma at my Grandparents farm when I was a kid…. and the visuals of peoples lives leveled to the ground touched me in a way I can’t express.

 

The second video I watched was much longer, about 22 minutes, and documents the last days of a kid named Zach who died yesterday of cancer. It shows how he chose to live his last few months of life while facing such a horrible fate. Now, I am usually not a super sappy person, and I almost never watch heartfelt videos like that that others post on Facebook. I am much more likely to page through quickly to see shots that other photographer friends of mine post, funny Cyanide and Happiness comics, and see if anything is going on that I might want to check out later in my day… but playing Smurf Farm Village Poker, posting things about my personal politics, or watching videos that have been shared from the internet are usually out, unless they are news related. I have no idea what made me click on that video this morning and then sit there for 22 minutes and watch the entire thing… but I am so glad I did. I sat there, tears in my eyes thinking about how lovely this guy was, and how many people are sitting at his house today brokenhearted by the loss of such a wonderful person. I then started thinking about all the people in my life that make me supremely happy on a daily basis that I never stop to acknowledge or thank, for the love, support, and laughter they bring. My parents come to mind… but I figured I would leave them for a completely separate post, so I focused on the my very small circle of friends that touch my life on a daily basis in a very profound way. I know there are a few that I don’t have a picture of here, and I hope you know who you are (Jaime and Dennis Viera, Luis Canales, and Ed & Alex McCarson to name a few) but I quickly went through my “personal” drive and picked out a few shots that made me smile, that I had yet to get around to editing. It makes me sad that I take pictures of some of my favorite people and important personal moments in my own life, and then they get saved to a hard drive and never see the light of day. I’ve got so many memories that I am going to make an effort to post here in the coming year because I owe it to my friends to show them how much they mean to me. Here is a tiny little snippet of some of the people (and animals) in my life that make me smile, make me stronger, and make my life so much better. Thank you so much Sasha, Mouse, Kevin & Deirdre, Jennifer, Rachel & baby Oliver, Erik and of course my wonderful partner Alex. I love you all so much, and am so grateful that you are all in my life.  ~With love, Genevieve

 

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Laura and Jonathan – Lincoln Park Engagement Adventure!

This past Saturday I finally got to shoot my long awaited awesome engagement session for Laura and Jonathan. I clicked with these two right away when they came for their initial meeting with Laura’s parents in tow in their Sunday best!:)As we all sat there in my studio I knew immediately that we would get along, and the more I got to know the two of them, and her parents, the more I fell in love with them too! The extremely talented Gina Vittorio Orona from One Fine Day Events is planning their event in record time, and after getting to know them and Laura’s no nonsense style of doing things I can completely see why she gravitated towards both Gina and I. I had lots of visions of how this session would go, and after a few phone calls to discuss details, and some really fun planning via email, we came up with an entire Chicago adventure for their engagement session that just made my head spin with excitement. I know I’m gushing here… but seriously, how many couples would let me photograph them Kayaking around Lincoln Park!?

We started at the Lincoln Park Boat Club, which I never even knew existed and I’d walked past it about 100 times in the past few years! Laura is a member so we were allowed to have the run of the place and borrow some kayaks for the first part of their shoot. They went kayaking for one of their first dates so it was really special to get to be there, alone, with no supervision playing in and around the boats. I found myself sprinting back and forth along the channel with all of my gear on me to make sure I was in the right spot to get them paddling around. I got a serious workout, and was a little sweaty by the end of that part of the day but I’m so happy I did it. The images I captured are so unique and special I wouldn’t have it any other way. We then walked over to the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond where the slowly setting sun gave us gorgeous light, and illuminated the springtime trees that are heavy with pink,purple and white blossoms making the entire place seem like something out of a fairytale. We even got to see the tiniest ducklings ever swimming for the first time out of the nest with their momma… even Jonathan had to admit they were super cute.;)A quick walk south to catch the last of the sunset at the North Ave. Bridge  was the last stop in Lincoln Park, where we got a little silly… and a little romantic. I’ve always wanted to shoot on this bridge and I was so excited that these two were game for my crazy imagination, despite the speeding cards just below us.

We ended the evening on the roof deck of Laura’s building overlooking Navy Pier, which was not only meaningful because we got to incorporate Laura’s super cute dog, but it was also the place Jonathan proposed to her. I kinda melted when I heard that story.:)These two are so perfect for each other I could not imagine a more perfect pair. Watching the way Jonathan looks at her when she’s not paying attention really says it all… and I know that if I looked these two up in 50 years, they’d still be happily married, and probably still kayaking. <3

 

Thanks Guys… can’t wait for the wedding!

 

 

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Caitlin & Mike – Chicago Cultural Center & Spiaggia

Once upon a time Caitlin took a holiday to Italy, and there in the middle of her exotic trip she happened to meet Mike who swept her off of her (very tall) feet. The connection was immediate, and as they say… “The Rest Is History”. Enduring such a long separation only strengthened their love for each other, and when Mike proposed there was no question that Caitlin would be leaving her Aussie roots to move here to the Midwest! Of course, with Visas to arrange and strict timelines to adhere to, their wedding was planned mostly from overseas, and what better place to host such a perfect Chicago love story than the ever classic Chicago Cultural Center, and one of our cities finest restaurants, Spiaggia. Since the wedding was on the small side, it left us a huge amount of time to run around the city and take some of the most stunning portraits I’ve had the pleasure to create. Caitlin really connected with the Cultural Center when she had come here on holiday, so it was a perfect place to introduce them as an official married couple to the Chicago scene, and made for some stunning family and couples portraits too! The weather was unbelievably cooperative for a January day, and we were able to run around the Riverwalk area of downtown to get all of the 60′s era Mad Men splendor in their photos as well. Overall, the day was rich with exquisite details including Caitlins custom engagement ring, The stunning one of a kind vintage hair pin she found at Mignonette Bridal, the jeweled purse her sister used at her wedding, and probably the coolest wedding gift I’ve ever seen, given to Caitlin by her lifelong best friend. The people were only the very closest and most important people in both their lives, and it made for a truly laid-back happy vibe that was hard to resist!

Caitlin and I had to work together pretty closely during the entire process since she was so far away, and we connected on a real level over our love of Mid Century fashion, good cider, and of course, really awesome photography. Two days after I finally met them in person I had the pleasure of having them over to my house for a Christmas party ,and fell a little further in love with these two as a couple. They fit right in with my motley crew of friends and it really put the pressure on to create something extra special for them. I was truly honored to be able to capture this day for them with Michelle as my amazing second photographer, and I know that very soon we’ll be meeting up again for a Wednesday Re-wind at the Logan Square Theater!

 

Congratulations again to Caitlin and Mike… I wish you all the very best in your new life here together. <3

 

~With Love, Genevieve

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An Open Letter To A Photo Thief

As a professional photographer in a world where Pinterest and Facebook have made it possible for people to share the images I create freely, I have to admit that I have a pretty lax stance on the subject. There have been many times I have seen my images appear on someones Facebook page or their Pinterest board without any photo credit at all, and instead of throwing a fit, I tend to take the stance of “happy they liked them enough to share them with family and friends”. Most of the time these images are uploaded by my clients from the set of digital negatives that they purchased from their wedding or portrait session. There is no malice involved here, no ulterior motive, and I have faith that if asked by someone “who took that photograph?”, they would send them to me. There have been a few shares on Pinterest that I have been puzzled about what the source was, and sadly yes, these also do not include a photo credit, but again, in an age where you can search images through Google I can’t help but hope that even these would lead someone back to me and the work I do in the end. I live in a visual world where the only thing that sets me apart from the other photographers out there are the images that I create. The skill set I have spent 14 years creating is no accident, and I am constantly striving to improve as a photographer. I study the masters and learn from them so that I may continue to grow and continue to create beautiful, meaningful, and timeless imagery for my amazing clients. So it is even more hurtful and devastating to find that a fellow photographer has decided to use my images with no shame, and pass them off as their own.

Joshua Bombard Photography did just this, and in this instance I felt I could not let it go without saying a few things. The first is of course the obvious, “Who do you think you are?”! I have spent years getting to the place I am both in business and with my work. It has taken many long nights and early mornings, countless hours in studios and darkrooms, years of trial and lots and lots of error to learn my craft and get to a place where I feel comfortable calling myself an artist, and I am not shy in saying that I am extremely good at what I do. There is no difference in the skill and love I put into the imagery I create than the masters of painting, sculpture, mixed media or performance art. Just as a singer or musician spends years working on their “sound”, I have spent years working on my “look”. You my dear photo thief, have decided to skip everything that gives art any kind of soul, taken an image that I am particularly proud of, (and those of countless other photographers I might add), and put them on your website in hopes that someone will see your amazing body of work and hire you! I find this to be appalling not only from my personal vested interest in the work I create, but from the point of view of the poor clients that may have the misfortune of hiring you.

Photography is a luxury item in our world, not a necessity, and so for many people the money they invest in hiring a photographer to capture their family portrait, their new baby, their engagement, their 50th birthday party, or their wedding, is precious. As a photographer you are responsible for telling that families story in a way that preserves the joy in their lives for all future generations to come, and by defrauding them they way you have I can never look at you with any kind of respect. I love my clients, I talk to them, I get to know what they like and what they don’t like visually so I can create something beautiful for them that they will treasure. What would you have done if they had hired you based on these outstanding images on your website and then were disappointed with the outcome? The only proof these people have that they should put their hard earned money and their faith in you is the portfolio of images that you claim to have created, and so sir, I ask you to put yourself in their shoes and really ask yourself if you are doing the right thing here?

The last thing I will say is that you obviously care very little for who the person is in the images you steal. Who that person is, is paramount to the core of my business, and so I will tell you photo thief, exactly whos precious memory you have commandeered for your own personal gain. Her name is Beatriz, and that is her foot stepping into her amazing wedding dress on her wedding day. She is not rich, she is not a celebrity, and she is not royalty, but on that day she was the absolute center of the universe and the joy that radiated from her during every moment of that event was contagious. Her and her now husband Ed had a beautiful and simple ceremony overlooking the ocean in mexico with just 13 guests in attendance, and it was every bit her dream come true. I know how special that dress was to her … because I was there, and I listened to her tell me about finding it and how it came to be hers. I know how overwhelmed she was and blessed she felt to have the wedding of her dreams come together, even in a year when her fiancee had lost his job half a year beforehand. I also know how elated she was with the photos I created for her because she wrote me one of the most beautiful thank you notes I’ve ever received, and she then thanked me again when I let her know that the image you ended up stealing, won a coveted top 20 placement on the WPJA’s contest. I know all of these things about that photo, because I am the one who created it, and it is extremely meaningful to me, and all of the people who were involved in its creation. I have attached a few images for you below of Beatriz taking a deep breath while getting ready to calm her nerves, one of Ed fixing his hair for the 5th time, a beautiful portrait of Beatriz radiating love and happiness alongside a shot of her and Ed together, and of course, the image you stole complete with my watermark this time… which of course didn’t dissuade you in some other instances but somehow seemed necessary here and now.

I am sure it means nothing to you to tell you all of this, because in the end, I can not imagine someone taking an image like this, or a stunning image by Holly Schumacher, Dani Dunca, Esh Photography or any of the other talented souls you have pillaged if you had stopped for one second to think about how your use of that image might affect the person in the photo. Whatever your motivation for this, its sad, and mean, and just plain pathetic. I am so thankful to the awesome Corey Ann for running the blog Photo Stealers, which sheds light on the likes of you who continue to pretend to be what I actually am; A talented, and well respected photographer.

 

Sincerely,

 

Genevieve  Lauren Burruss

*To see how he used not only my images but countless other images on his website click HERE! 

*As of the next day my images had been removed from his website, but those of Holly Schumacher, Dani Dunca, Esh Photography and a few others still remained here and there.

 

 

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The GWA on WGN!!

I had the most awesome morning today at the WGN studios photographing some behind the scenes fun with some of my fellow Green Wedding Alliance members. With our annual Green Wedding showcase “Committed” fast approaching, WGN decided to do an awesome feature on how brides can choose to be more green when planning their weddings from the dress, to your catering, and right down the the flowers. As a member of the GWA myself I was so proud to see the beautiful table, cakes, and dress samples my fellow members had to show! Lynn with Pollen walked the host through some of the alternative choices for floral and how repurposing a vintage gown, or two, the way Kpoene from Mignonette Bridal did in one of her stunning samples can add a touch of vintage charm and use eco friendly fabrics at the same time. Molly from Fig Catering then stepped in to walk us through food choices and how much choosing local and sustainable treats can really cut down on your weddings carbon footprint! Carlene from Naturally Yours Events did an amazing job helping to organize all the chaos and putting together a beautiful table with Kelly From Nimble Well, and some of the other amazing vendors who are members of the GWA were on hand to lend their talents as well… sick beats provided by Cage & Aquarium, Exquisite truffles, caramels and other treats by Katherine Anne Confections, and the surprise standout (for me anyway) were the natural wooden wedding bands provided by Simply Wood Rings.  I was also very taken with the design of the invitations provided by Spilled Ink Press and Tweedle Press, both of who use pretty letterpress and sustainable papers and inks to create beautiful art! The amazing looking food by Pure Kitchen and classy cakes from Luscious Layers Bakery were also extremely pretty, and it was all topped off with flowers with that perfect touch from Larkspur! All in all I think we all had a blast, and I hope to see all of you this coming Sunday, February 24th between 12 and 4PM at the Greenhouse Loft for Committed!!!

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