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My name is Olivia, and I am the owner and photographer of Olivia Leigh Photographie, a boutique photography studio based in Chicago, specializing mainly in weddings for unique clients across the country. I am so very lucky to do what I love every day -- to be allowed to observe and artistically interpret the love between what are truly the most divine clients from Chicago to New York, DC to San Francisco. If you are new, thank you for taking the time to take a peek; if you're a current client, stay tuned for the latest updates and work; if you're a lovely regular reader, thank you as always for reading and viewing.
My Chicago wedding blog is a collection of my recent work, wedding style that I adore (particularly fond of vintage and quirky details), other bits of inspiration and snapshots from my personal life as a Chicago wedding photographer. New posts will show up below, so scroll down!
You can view my rarely updated full wedding portfolio here. I definitely recommend searching the blog for the latest wedding photos!
Some summer posts you might enjoy:
Julie + Brett (architectural artifacts wedding) | Autumn + Brian (lake engagement) | Julie + Matt (sneak / wedding i / wedding ii / engagement / film) | Mary + Dan (warehouse district engagement) | Matt + Catherine (Chicago wedding) | Jessica + Jeff (lakeside wedding in Minneapolis) | Classic NYC wedding
I have been trying to work on black and white conversions lately. So many digital black and whites look so terrible in my opinion; very few as good as black and white film and the great grain that comes with it. I was experimenting with Sudhir and Chrissy’s wedding from the Modern Wing, and just loved these two in a new black and white recipes. So interesting (to me at least) how different they feel in bw versus colour.
Joel and I flew out to Scottsdale about two weeks ago to shoot Anna and Darin’s wedding. Arizona is home to sunny skies more than 300 days a year, but unfortunately we were met with rain and cloudy skies for about 90 percent of the weekend. I felt so badly for Anna and Darin, but this wedding was still one of my favourites. Incredible venue, beautiful dress, fifteen guests, delicious food. It was wonderful, and I was so happy to be a part of it. Full post coming next week but wanted to share a favourite before skipping off to Vegas later this weekend.
Does anyone else feel like 2009 when stylized wedding photographs really exploded? I feel like last year was the year when brides all across the country really became concerned with styling their wedding photos, really considering props and accessories and how the end photo would look.
One of the big trends that I’ve seen over the past few years has been wedding parasols. But unlike some trends feel completely dated five years from now, parasols have that perpetually classic look, evoking romance and style regardless of the decade. Megan had parasols for her guests at her outdoor Morton Arboretum wedding, and we also took a few photographs with it after the ceremony.
Below are some great resources for beautiful parasols of all different types!
Bella Umbrella has the most amazing selection of vintage umbrellas. They are very pricey to buy, the site actually allows you to rent them. Sounds a little crazy, but a great option if you know you aren’t going to be carrying a ruffled pink parasol around downtown again anytime soon.
For traditional paper parasols, Pearl River and Asian Imports have great deals. You can pick up a range of lovely parasols for your bridesmaids for less than $50 in many cases
eBay is also a great resource for vintage-inspired parasols. I have always loved battenburg-style parasols for their romantic and mysterious potential in photos. eBay has great deals in a selection of colours, including soft pastels for a sweet vintage look, or even black for a crisp, modern style.
And if you want something completely unique, I have always loved these handpainted parasols from I Do Originals. They are just so lovely and make for beautiful photographs; particularly great for a thank you or post-wedding card.
(Photos by Elizabeth Messina and Gwyne Mark Photography)
If you know of any other great umbrella/parasols outlets, leave a note in the comments. I always like to keep my list current!
I shot several sessions this fall and winter, and as usual, absoultely loved photographing them. I just love shooting boudoir; it is so much fun on the day of, and such a positive experience for the woman being photographed, even if the original motivation is often to get a gift for a fiance or husband. Unfortunately I can’t share most of my sessions, but here are a few from the fall that I could post. These were shot in my studio in Chicago.
I was meeting with one of my out-of-town clients on Friday, when she and her mother asked me for hotel recommendations. I had been meaning to write a post about great hotels and the impact they can have on your photography, and our conversation was certainly a great impetus to revisit this.
The photography is one of the most important parts of the day to my couples, and many of them also love the “getting ready” photos as much as I do. This is always one of my favourite times to shoot during the day — there is a wonderful sense of anticipation, things are still a little calm, and it is generally a wonderful opportunity to take beautiful images of the bride and her details. That said, the room where she is getting ready can really make or break these images!
I always recommend that brides consider getting ready in a room that has, primarily, great windows! Natural lighting will really make you look beautiful and also provides great options for creative detail shots without the use of flash. Another reason to maybe think about your getting ready hotel is because a wonderful lobby or restaurant can also serve as a nice location backup should it be a rainy day (as can happen in Chicago).
Here are some of my favourite hotels and suites in Chicago for getting ready. All pictures via their site unless mentioned:
The Trump (401 n wabash // 312-558-8000)
The new trump tower has beautiful rooms with great modern textures and colours, wonderful lighting, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the river.
The Elyisan (11 e walton // 312-646-1300)
This is a brand new hotel and it is just so stunning. Inspired by the designs of Coco Chanel, the rooms all have a lovely, feminine, European flair to them, and the lobby and grounds are absolutely breathtaking. The spaces here would be a stunning backdrop for romantic and modern photographs, rain or not!
Hotel Monaco (225 n wabash // 312-960-8500)
While many of the rooms here are a little overstylized for my tastes (simple is often better!), the “Tranquility Suite” here is just gorgeous and one of my favourites in Chicago. The corner suite is bathed in shades of white, ivory and champagne with window seats a plenty, and is the perfect location for a bride and her girls to get ready (so much prettier than the photo below)!
Four Seasons (160 e pearson, 312-280-8800)
If you want beautiful views, it is hard to beat the bridal suite at the Four Seasons. Julie got ready here in June and the pictures were wonderful!
Hotel Sax (333 n dearborn // 312-245-0333)
The Hotel Sax is an old favourite of mine in Chicago. The suites in particular have wonderful light, and all have visually interesting rooms with lots of texture, and a sexy baroque feel (no pictures available unfortunately!). It is also home to the sexy Crimson Lounge and right outside Marina City, both great settings for romantic and urban images.
With that said, you certainly don’t have to get ready in a luxe hotel. I’ve seen girls get ready from everywhere from a small room in a church to the basement in a wine bar, and whatever you choose, the anticipation and the emotion are always the most important facets. But if you do opt to get a hotel room and will already be spending the money, as so many brides or couples do, consider looking into an option like those above, as a beautifully styled room with ample lighting will generally lead to better photos than a dark corporatey room!
A few months ago, I thought 2010 might be a little slower travel-wise for me, but now it looks like I’ll be dashing around just as much as last year. I always like to give people a head’s up of my travel plans in case you or a friend might be in a city where I’m visiting. I love shooting in new locations and find myself feeling extra-inspired by new locales. Here is an update of some of my travel for the next few months:
Feb 19-22: Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
Feb 27-March 2: New York
April 9-11: Kentucky
May: Savannah/Charleston
June 26-27: Michigan
I will also possibly be in Vegas in early March.
If you are in any of these locations and want to do a unique connection session, family session or boudoir session, feel free to contact me, and we can discuss (olivia at olivialeighweddings dot com).
by Olivia
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