Lightening down Lincoln Ave

The Big Thunderstorm that rolled through Chicago on June 30, 2011.  This photo was shot from my apartment window looking down Lincoln Ave. towards the city.  You can see the Hancock Building in the distance and St. Alphonsus Church's steeple on the right. 

copyright Pamela Luedeke 2011

Kid Sister's West Coast Tour

I feel so lucky!  One of my passions is shooting live shows and musicians.  I met Melisa (a.k.a Kid Sister) a while back and she has asked me to tour with her to document everything about being on the road.  From neck pillows on airplanes to press appearances to the stage, my goal is to show what it is really like for an up and coming artist like Kid Sister to get a foothold in the industry...this girl works hard!  My trip began in San Fransisco where I met up with Melisa and her crew to shoot a show there at The Rickshaw Stop then on to LA for a big show at The Echo, press, manicures and club appearances in Hollywood.  If you look back at older posts you will also find some photos of my trip to Japan with Kid Sister.  Fingers crossed that the opportunities keep rolling in!

Ben & Jessi's Wedding in Freeport, IL

My good friends Ben & Jessi were married in my home town of Freeport, IL a few weeks ago.  It was so much fun to go home and shoot a wedding in the place where I grew up.  I got to show Andrea (my other photographer and good friend) around town, and of course my parents loved the idea because it brought me home for a few days during the busy wedding season.  It was a gorgeous day out and there were so many places I could think of for photos, but we could only pick a few.  Ben and Jessi chose the Little Cubs Field that was just built just about a year ago, it is a scaled down replica of Wrigley Field for the little league kids in town.  And then we rode over to Krape Park for some photos near the creek and on the merry-go-round.  It was a really fun day and I was honored they wanted me to capture it for them!

Sam

Ah!  What a cutie!  About a month ago an old friend from high school called me up asking if I photographed kids.  I used to photograph children all the time, but recently only for past wedding clients who are now having kids, so I was excited to have this chance to get back into it.  It was so great to see Laura and her husband Mike again, and to meet Sammy for the first time.  She is AH...doreable!  We played in the grass for an hour or so, trying various methods of catching her attention...wood chips, believe it or not...Sam is captivated by wood chips.  Once we had her attention the great shots just kept coming.  A big thank you Laura and Mike for the fun day and delicious dinner!

emmalinebride.com <--- Great new wedding site!

I happened to stumble upon this site the other day, EmmalineBride.com.   It has everything from DIY wedding ideas to recommended wedding vendors (like me! chck out the illinois vendors section).  A fun place on the web to lose yourself for a while....

Katharine & Ro

Kathie and Ro had a gorgeous Chicago wedding on August 29th. Kathie got ready with her Mom and Bridesmaids at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown, where the reception was to be held later that evening. Everyone was so relaxed and just eased right into the day!  Once Kathie was all ready I took a few portraits using the beautiful window light and we were off to the ceremony to get them hitched!

The Ceremony was held at Holy Name Cathedral, such a beautiful choice of location.  We followed up the ceremony by heading out for a photo outing! We started on Michigan Avenue by the Wrigley building and made our way around the city from there.  It was a gorgeous day, sunny with a few clouds, perfect for shooting. Kathie and Ro are always so great to shoot and they are always up for anything!  (I shot their engagement photos in the winter on a very cold and snowy day, but because they were such troopers their shots were beautiful!)

Once we finished our photo safari we headed back to the Hyatt Regency so they could enjoy cocktails with their guests and listen to the Mariachi Band!  And after cake, they danced the night away...

The Third Coast Bride: Camus Cool

The Third Coast Bride: Camus Cool

A great new blog I found for the Midwestern Bride! Check it out, it has great ideas, links to fabulous vendors and more!