Happy Holidays!!!

Between Koeplin coming down with a nasty cold right before Christmas and running around to celebrate the holidays with family and friends we missed posting our holiday wishes sooner.
But as they say, "better late then never."

We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and wish you much happiness in the New Year. Thank you for a great 2008!

Much Love,

April, Derrick & Koeplin Look

11.29.08 Miranda & Adam are Married!

Last March we were able to get together with Miranda and Adam to shoot their engagement session shortly before Adam's job took them both to the East Coast and a new home in New York. (Ironically Their engagement session was one of the first things we posted to our Blog). So this November when it was time for their wedding, it was also a home coming of sorts for them as they gathered with friends and family to officially become husband and wife back in Good Ole' Madison, Wisconsin. Even though there was some lingering snow left over from flurries a week or so past, it was actually a beautifully day for November making braving the elements possible and for a great photo session with stops at the Union, the Capitol, the Overture Center and even on State Street for a few night shots. We made the most of our time and Miranda and Adam made our jobs easy as both Photo and Video went off without a hitch. Below are some previews of their proofs.








"Now that's living the High Life!"

11.15.08 Jessica & Josh are Married!

Jessica & Josh's wedding was truly a celebration of the relationship they've built together. From finding one another on Match.com to the 100-and-some "first dates" they had and documented in really fun displays at their wedding. They've appreciated and taken full advantage of every moment they've spent together and their wedding day was no exception. Their ceremony took place at Black Hawk, which If you've never been to you have to see the place to fully appreciate the sheer size and beauty of the facility. November in Wisconsin makes things a bit chilly, but Jessica, Josh and their wedding party braved the elements for just enough time to get some great pictures both at Black Hawk and the Capitol. With a couple of boots of beer downed at the Essen Haus, their party was off to the Heights in Verona to officially begin the celebration. A great time was had by all and of course both of us really enjoyed working with this wonderful couple on the first date of their married life together. Below are some previews of their proofs.

Holiday Promotion

Just thought we would let you know all know about this great holiday promotion. Have a Happy Tofurkey Day:) -April



*Gift Certificates may not be purchased at sale price & then used to purchase on sale items.
Gift Certificates must be used towards products and now towards packages, session fees, or package balances.
**Print Credits may not be used towards sale purchases.

Our First Family Vacation...

We were looking forward to our first real trip as a family as we loaded the car to embark on our 1000 mile car ride to the Denver area, to yes do a little shooting, but mostly visit with our best friends who call the mile high city home. Our son rarely makes it an hour in the car without growing tiresome of the experience, and when he grows tiresome he lets us all know it, and not in a polite way either. Planning this trip for months, we fully envisioned the hellish car ride it would be. So preparing for the worst, we left during the night so that he would hopefully not wake up until the trip was almost half done (this is a pretty effective strategy by the way), of course he woke up early on in the trip and proceeded to stay awake into the mid morning hours of the morning, but surprisingly he didn't really protest the situation. Some how during the whole planning process we overlooked the possibility that he may just be...good, the entire way. So with the hard part of the trip over, and it not nearly being as hard as we expected, we thought nothing but good times were a head. I was able to keep part of the trip a secret from April, one of our favorite performers Andrew McMahon and Jacks Mannequin were playing an intimate show at Blue Bird Theatre in Denver and I was able to find some tickets to this sold out show from a guy in New York on Stub Hub a few days before we left. On the car ride out I had to keep the radio off local stations as much as possible as they were getting a lot of coverage. We actually heard promo for their Omaha show on our way through Nebraska, but I was able to brush it off as it was too bad they weren't going to be in Denver when we were out there. Our friends role was to play it off as they were taking us to a local gig of a band that they knew of as something to do once Koeplin had went to sleep for the night. Then sometime during that day he begun not feeling so well. And of course this made us hesitant to leave, even for a few hours, but knowing that our friend Sarah's mom, who is a pediatric nurse, would be watching him while he slept, made it possible for me to keep the concert a secret. However, April began to get a clue that something was up seeing how I was so proactive about seeing this insignificant act. It wasn't until she saw the marquee on the theatre though that she knew for sure. And even though we were late, missing part of the first set, the show was still incredible and the venue was awesome. It was well worth the hassle of finding the tickets and I think April was pleasantly surprised. We skipped going out after the show to get back to Koeplin, that's when the fevers came on. Becoming a parent has taught us both this new fear, the fear of your child being sick and you being fairly helpless to do much about it. We entered into the regiment of Motrin & Tylonel, along with cool baths and watching fluid intakes for days as his temperature bounced between 100 and 105 degrees. We felt bad for our friends, as this was their vacation too, and this situation wasn't making for a very fun time. But as it goes with good friends (especially those that live in another time zone), it's not necessary what your doing together that counts, it's just being able to spend some time together that matters. After about 4 or 5 days his fever finally broke and we began seeing signs of the pleasant and fun child we're blessed with on a daily basis, but who had been feeling so crumby for so many days. That's when the rash broke out in full force. Covering his body with chicken pock like dots. Another trip to the urgent care office left us with a diagnosis of Roseolla. A virus characterized by high fevers for 4 or 5 days followed by a nasty rash that subsides in a few days. I guess this is in part what they always meant when we would hear people say "ah, the joys of parenthood." Of course the weather had turned cold by the time Koeplin began feeling better, but we were able to take a few hours and drive up to Estes Park for an abbreviated trip to the mountains. It was here that we were able to see the famous Stanley Hotel from the "Shining,' walk crazy close to a large heard of Elk, and Dustin was able to get the great picture of the three of us smiling and having fun on our first official family vacation. And as we get to see and share in so many wedding day "Growing up Picture Shows," It's photo's like this that transcend time and come to represent family outings, trips and other important events. And though we expect Koeplin to remember little about this trip if anything, he will at least always have this photo to look back and see us three together having a great time in Colorado when he just 16 months old.

11.1.08 Jami & Chris are Married!

We like to do engagement shoots and initial consultation with all of our clients, as much for our clients as for us. And even though this isn't always possible, we feel it's important to build as much of a relationship as we can before jumping head first into such an important and intimate day with them, as their wedding day obviously is. With Jami & Chris (better known as Harvey), schedules didn't allow for these things, so we didn't know exactly what to expect when we both set out to shoot their wedding in Prairie du sac. With the weather now doing a 180 from the weeks before, it was really a beautifully day especially considering that it's already November (Where did the year go?). Things were running a bit behind for the two of them, which isn't really uncommon on wedding days, but once everyone arrived we couldn't of been more pleasantly surprised by how friendly and fun everyone was. From the minute Jami zipped up her white boots she was ready to be a bride as well as strike a pose. One of the things we pride ourselves on being is efficient when it comes to shooting wedding days, and before we knew it we were able to make up for the lost half hour in our 'itineraries' and get things right back on schedule. Following their short, but sweet, 15 minutes ceremony we grabbed a few shots in and around the church as well as with Harvey's pimped out wedding express of a 'Just Married' Jeep Wrangler before heading to some train tracks to finish up their group photos with the wedding party. Jami & Chris made our jobs easy and were very comfortable with the camera. We took a few final portraits in a alley way in down town Sauk before heading on an almost epic bar hoping bus tour of the country side on our way to Waunakee and Rex's Inn Keeper for their reception. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Harvey! Below are some previews of their proofs.

10.25.08 Michelle & Brandon are Married!

I have to get it out there right away, Michelle & Brandon have a lot of friends. I haven't been to many weddings better attended than this one. From the 300+ guests at their ceremony, their XXL wedding party, and of course all of their families; Michelle and Brandon were well supported every step of the way through their wedding day. Michelle is a self proclaimed 'planner,' and it showed. Great detail and thought was given to the entire day. Having both the ceremony and reception at the Marriot West made things so easy and more enjoyable for all of their guests. We made some stops around down town Middleton, including the new fire station, and at the Irish Pub for photos. All making for great back drops. Obviously most of our grooms wear black so usually we have to give little consideration to getting them dirty during portraits, but with Brandon also in white we had to try to keep both of them as 'clean' as possible. And when we left the reception anyway, he had yet to spill anything on his tux. I don't think I could of personally made it the whole day, so he deserves some extra points for that. Michelle & Brandon had a great day, and we enjoyed covering it with both photography & videography for them. Below are some previews of their proofs!

10.25.08 Megan & Jon are Married!

Megan & Jon were married at Christ Presbyterian Church on lake Mendota on what turned out to be a brisk and windy October day. From the moment I arrived at the church, there was a sense of calmness. Megan was waiting to finish getting ready in the Bride's room with her mother. Jon and the groomsmen, having to get ready in a nursery room, entertained themselves with all of the toys and even took a few moments for story time. Working with stress free and pleasant couples like Megan & Jon make our jobs so easy. Especially when the groomsmen come ready to strike a pose and give their groom direction and 'motivation' with his shots. Even with Teeth chattering, Megan didn't let the cold come between her and great wedding photos. She was definitely a trooper. After taking photos by the lake we headed to the capital before arriving at the reception in Verona at the Heights (where coincidentally we've shot 2 of our last 4 receptions with 1 more to come in November). I truly enjoyed working with Megan & Jon on Their wedding day! Below are some previews of their proofs.