A New York Fashion Week Experience

There is no doubt we have had an amazing year! And perhaps that could explain why we are sharing everything in a "better late than never" fashion, no pun intended. :)

Many thanks to RachelJStyling and Felix Magazine for allowing us to capture the shows of Runa Ray, Shaco Couture, and Chaz Aracil. 

RachelJStyling at Runa Ray fashion show representing Felix Magazine. NYC 2016. 

“We are documentarians at heart, and this is what we would call a #lifemadestill moment.”

— Life Made Still

Runa Ray's show was not a typical runway show, but what they call a "presentation" where models stand in a line, and step forward to showcase their designer's piece for the audience and media.

The best part of being there was that it was Runa Ray's NYFW Debut! When you check out her link above, you'll see her September 2016 show, which has even more breathtaking work. 

We hung out to the end of the show and captured this image of Runa Ray, her collection, and team of supporters. We're pretty sure it wasn't easy to get to this moment, and if we had to pick, this was the best image captured. We are documentarians at heart, and this is what we would call a #lifemadestill moment. :)

Runa Ray and her team of supporters. Our favorite pic, and definitely a #lifemadestill moment. 

RachelJStyling with Runa Ray.

The Angel Orensanz Foundation Event Space located on the lower east side. 

Runway shows for Shaco Couture and Chaz Aracil were held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation Event Space on the lower east side. 

At the end of the runway, there were a set of bleachers for all the media people, and boy was it crowded! We met some super nice people ranging from photographers for fashion bloggers, to numerous different media outlets. We got very cozy with everyone, and utilized every inch space available to us -- this was definitely a new level of shooting conditions for us! 

Designed by Shaco Couture.

Designed by Shaco Couture.

Shaco Couture finale.

Designed by Chaz Aracil.

Overall, such a unique, unforgetable experience. Can't wait to shoot more events like this!

The Best Save the Date Yet

"She Said Yes" by Geraldine Teotico with the help of Ramon Joson and Cindy Sung

It was almost a year ago when this picture was taken. Time flies and these two beautiful ladies were married over the summer!

Wedding day photo by Bethany Kelley in collaboration with Life Made Still.

"She Said Yes" was a personal project and the concept was born after discussing portraits for a save the date card / engagement announcement. But these were two amazing friends -- how could we just do an ordinary portraits?

Friends and supporters of Life Made Still helped create this image. In no way is this a one person production! Working with sparklers takes patience. If you are the "sparkler master", you have to be able to write backwards! And if you are the photographer, you have to get your exposures right and direct everything to a T, because it is all about light and timing.  And if you are the subject of the photo, in this case, you need a good winter jacket and tolerance to the cold:)

Thank you to all who helped with creating this amazing photo. And congratulations to this stunning couple in red dresses. 

Tracy and Matt

Tracy and Matt tied the knot at the Morton Arboretum on Sunday, September 25, 2016. And boy was it toasty!

Hanging out in the shade or air conditioning was key early on, as temps were in the mid eighties. Their ceremony was held just outside the Sycamore room and luckily it was covered!

Clearly the forces of nature were on their side, as the sun and rain brought their portrait session to a beautiful end. It made for a gorgeous moment. 

Sun and rain for Tracy and Matt.

Tracy and Matt celebrated with their closest family and friends and we happy to capture it. We wish them the best!

Here are more pictures from the time we spent with them.  

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Getting married? 

Drop a line with your wedding date and we'll let you know if we're available!

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Printed!

“We loved the expression on their faces. ”

— Design Director, University of Chicago

As photographers we take hundreds of photos during one event, and share what we think are the best ones. And from there, our clients, pick their favorite ones. Many of these images never see the light of day, but when they do, it brings a big smile to our face!

The photo below was taken at the Chicago Booth Private Equity Conference in 2015. More than a year later, this photo has lived on! It will be printed in a book, and be the closing image. 

Getting printed never gets old. :)

The Ford House of Bruce Goff

Chicagoland is rich in architecture and the Bruce Goff's Ford House is one of those hidden gems located in the western suburbs of Chicago. 

It will be almost a year ago since we had the opportunity to work with the folks at PrarieMod and Friends of Kebyar, a niche journal for architecture.

And, well, it's about time we shared some of the beautiful photos that were published!

If you ever have the chance to join an architecture tour that makes its way to this spot, definitely check it out. It is worth the trip. 

Top 5 Reasons to Use a Teleprompter

When we offer a teleprompter to our clients it seems that the response is 50/50, which is surprising. If given the choice, our production crew would hands down opt for a teleprompter. And not just because we are "behind the camera" types!

Here's why: 

1. Clean Message. Your audience has the attention span of a two year old. You need to be succinct. Rambling is the opposite of succinct. And rambling is a good segue to point #2. 
2. Faster Editing. We're not going to lie. Editing 15 minutes of rambling sucks. Know what else sucks? When your final product is baby ramblings stuck together with silver duct tape (See #1, i.e., don't risk losing or confusing your audience). 
3. Consistent Delivery. Practice makes perfect. Control delivery down to intonation and facial expression. Beyond what you say, there is so much power in creating a presence. And this comes with practice. 
4. Feedback. You can get someone's feedback before you even open your mouth and we hit record. 
5. More Relaxed. You're more relaxed because you know exactly what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. No shaky-nervous voice. No forgetting lines. Just reading with presence. 

A teleprompter is a tool that can get you to an awesome video that hits the web faster.

And you can get on with your life. Or, ideally, on to your next video with us...because the other one was a breeze. :) 

What gear do we use?

On occasion our clients are photo and video enthusiasts. So here is a rough list of the equipment we typically use: 

Cameras

• Full Frame DSLR for photo and HD video
• APS-C DSLR for photo and HD video
• Micro Four-Thirds for photo and HD and 4k video

Lenses

• 24-70mm f/2.8 for all sensor sizes above
• 70-200mm f/2.8 for all sensor sizes above
• 17-35mm f/2.8 for full frame sensor

Stabilization

• Tripod
• Monopod
• Slider
• Glidecam

Audio

• Wireless and wired lavalier microphones
• External recorders
• Shotgun microphones

Editing Software

• Adobe Lightroom CC
• Adobe Photoshop CC 2015
• Final Cut Pro X