Olivia Leigh Photographie Blog :: Photos and Experiences from a Chicago Wedding Photographer » Film

Four Seasons Scottsdale Wedding Photos :: Anna + Darin

Olivia — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:57:58 +0000

It’s hard to imagine a better wedding than this to kick off my 2010 weddings. Anna and Darin originally booked me for a summer wedding in Anna’s hometown of Ann Arbor. A few months ago, however, I got a phone call saying that they decided to first have an intimate wedding in Scottsdale, Darin’s home, in the winter. Despite the weather woes over the weekend, this was one of my favourite weddings I have photographed. I have noticed this practice of having a family-and-close-friends-only ceremony first, followed by more of a party reception afterwards, gaining in popularity and it is one of my favourite “trends,” as you can really have a wedding you dream of with wonderful vendors for the ceremony and still have a great party later with all your friends. It was so wonderful to be part of such an intimate day, particularly with Anna and Darin’s incredibly kind families. Many thanks to the beautiful Four Seasons Scottsdale; what a venue! I could not recommend it highly enough if you are looking for a destination wedding venue. Thanks also to Joel for coming out and shooting video (posted below). Can’t wait for Ann Arbor in June!

Anna and Darin from Studio 272 on Vimeo.

PS – If you are viewing this via Facebook, please click over to look (and comment!) on the blog. I have noticed the colors on fb have been less than desirable lately.

Fort Lauderdale Wedding Photographer :: Matt & Wendy (Film)

Olivia — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:48:45 +0000

I shot a lovely wedding in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. I travelled so much this year and this was my last journey of the year (excited for Lexington and Peru, in particular, in 2010!). I photographed the wedding of Margaret, a mutual friend of Wendy and me, last year, and I was so happy she asked me to be a part of her big day down in Florida. Matt and Wendy are both in the wonderful improv community here in Chicago, and are both, naturally, so funny. It was really great to be able to photograph them and see them in a different light, as when they are together, they are incredibly sweet in the way they interact. This is what I love best about photographing couples–having this idea of who they are separately but then being able to also see the nuances of how they are when they are together, the way they look at each other or hold each other–it’s incredibly special.

Anyway, it is the end of the season and I was feeling like I had to mix things up a bit, so I shot some film on a Hasselblad at this wedding and another beautiful wedding here in Chicago. Everyone talks about the immediacy of digital, but for me, film is almost even more immediate–no needing to download and backup everything, sort through and process the ones I like–just drop it off, pick it up, and post a favourite or two. More to come from this, plus many other fabulous weddings, soon.

Travel Update + B/W Film

Olivia — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:15:54 +0000

Summer is here, which means I’m travelling quite a lot. Here is a little rundown of some spots where you can expect me soon. If you or someone you know is interested in a session in one of the cities, certainly contact me. I also offer some specials for sessions that I do while out of state. I’m also always available to come to you!

June 26-28 :: Charlotte, NC
July 10-12 :: Madison, WI
July 12-13 :: Western WI (La Crosse area)
July 24-26 :: DC/NOVA
Sept 12-13 :: Galena, IL/Dubuque, IA
October 17-18 :: Fort Lauderdale, FL

And here are a few quick grabs from some of the BW film I shot at Matt and Julie’s wedding. I haven’t looked through them all yet, but these were just four quick grabs. I really love them, and think Julie will so enjoy them (I hope!). People always ask me if I can tell the difference between film and digital, and I think you always can. I love digital, but the texture and feeling to film is simply the best. Film always seems to capture a certain feeling in a way that digital can’t, and it’s such a little treat every time I get it back. For photographers, these were with a Canon EOS 1-V with Ilford HP5 plus 400 film. For other clients of mine, I’ll probably be offering film upgrades as an addition to collections if you would like a roll or two at your event. Contact me for more info. :: more of these to come ::

Film Portrait + the Fourth

Olivia — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:06:09 +0000

At Jamie and Sam’s wedding, I shot about five photographs with a roll of medium format film on a Mamiya. I used to shoot a great deal of film, but fell into the digital trap for time, convenience and security reasons. That said, a lot of clients have recently been asking me about using film at their weddings, so I believe I’m going to be offering it as a special add-on. If you are a new or current client and are interested in having me shoot some photographs with film, please inquire for more details.

Here’s a lovely portrait of Sam. Very similar to digital one below, but I think film carries a lovely, real-life texture and works with colour in ways that digital can’t always.

And, a completely unrelated photo, but here is one I shot on the blue line using a long exposure. Some might call this a mistake, but I love these sorts of photographs, especially when they showcase parts of the city.

Last, but not least, I’m on my way out the door to head up to Michigan for a few days. I got a new toy yesterday, so perhaps you’ll see something unexpected after I get back! At any rate, e-mails may be delayed a bit over the weekend. I hope everyone has a lovely Fourth of July weekend spent with friends or family, and be sure to check back soon. I have one more post related to Jamie + Sam’s wedding followed by weeks of all weddings all the time.