Burdick & Lee | Photographers

We had a really fun Engagement Session with Cynthia and Brian today! We met at a Starbucks in Lakeview, and over coffee we talked about the photos they were hoping to take. Emboldened by chocolate croissants and strong coffee, we warmed up with some edgy shots in an empty lot. Went to Lincoln Park and walked along the waterfront. It was a warm, breezy day and the skyline was just –bam!– right there. And since Brian’s a huge Cubs fan, we took some great photos of them in front of Wrigley Field. Thanks for a fun session, guys! We think you’ll be thrilled with your photos.

We spent last week in Portland, Maine with our friends Tim and Chris of Riley Photographic . Leaves, LL Bean, lobster and libations. This is our second annual trip to Maine and we had a great time. This year Tim asked me to photograph an engagement session with him. It’s really interesting to work with another photographer and see how they interact with their clients. We met Anne and Joel at a park on the coast and it was great to watch Tim joking around with and drawing the best emotions out of them. Tim’s a natural and the four of us together got some great photos. Thanks to Anne and Joel, and of course to Tim as well.

I’ve been working on Kristi and Matt’s album this week, and I’m so excited about this wicked cool shot of Matt and his groomsmen that I had to put it on the blog. Dude.

Nicole sent us this note a few days after the wedding: “Things have settled down a bit. I wanted to drop you two a quick line to thank you again. Everyone loved you both and thought you two were the best photographers they’ve ever seen at a wedding. A couple people just want you to be their friends and come to their parties, they said you two were so cool. Marquis and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we can’t wait to see the pics.”

Thanks for your kind words, Nicole! We had a blast and we know you’re going to be thrilled with the photos. Talk soon!

We had so much fun with Kristi and Matt today. We’ve become quite good friends and we were really glad to be with them from start to finish! And we were fortunate to have some beautiful late-summer weather. It was sunny and bright all day. Kristi and Matt were such a handsome couple, but the flower girl and ringbearer almost stole the show, they were so adorable.

After the ceremony and family photos I grabbed Matt and his groomsmen and dragged them out into the road. For pictures. Fortunately there was no traffic, since I was laying on my back in the road, taking what is becoming one of my trademark shots, from Reservoir Dogs. The shots turned out fantastic. Can’t wait for you guys to see them!

The reception was held at Venuti’s in Addison, and let me just say, what a terrific place. The restaurant, grand staircases and banquet hall are exquisite. The food was excellent, and the service commendable too. We recommend it highly!

What a fun day! We photographed the annual neighborhood block party on the 23rd block of N. Janssen in Chicago. We met our friends Paul and Kim Froning and spent the afternoon photographing the festivities, and also offered studio prizes for the raffle. We found ourselves focusing on the kids, including Eva, who was having her 6th birthday, complete with balloons and cake.

The band James Party of 4 rocked the block party til late. We had a riot. Thanks, you guys! We’ll be there again next year!

We’re in Peoria, IL at a seminar with the super-swanky and super-talented Jeff & Julia Woods. They do a lot of senior photos, but not the stodgy ones that were taken when I was in High School. These days the photos are edgy and very fashion-oriented. The photo here is from a demo shoot that Jeff and Julia set up, with us shooting over their shoulders. Cool stuff.

Dave is a retired United 777 Captain and is now flying for stylish international carrier Jet Airways. Linda is a Customer Service Agent for United at “the world’s busiest”, as they say. She’s a real sweetheart with a fantastic personality and everyone just loves her.

To say they’re well-travelled is an understatement! They’ve been around the world many times over y’all, and they selected little ol’ us to photograph them. (I’ve still got the accent from being in North Carolina a couple weeks ago.) How cool is that!

My family is having a reunion this week and we’re staying at my parent’s mountain cabin in McCall, Idaho. It’s a nice break in our busy wedding and portrait season, though I must admit– my trigger finger was getting itchy, so I’ve been focusing my lens on the local wildlife.

There are three hummingbirds (I think there are three, anyway) that visit us in the morning, chirping and chasing each other through the trees. They’re very entertaining. I managed to catch one of them in repose, and I’m thrilled with the photo! John loves it and says it should be in a calendar, but I think it’s worthy of National Geographic. Maybe I’ll give them a call? — Jeff

We had an awesome time at the wedding. It was a very easygoing, relaxed, comfortable day. Holly and Bart weren’t feeling anxious (at least not outwardly!) and everyone was in good spirits. We all stayed at the Princess Anne Hotel , with Holly and several of the bridal party. It’s a beautiful historic hotel and when you’re in Asheville we highly recommend staying here. We spent the morning with Holly, Brooke and Julia as they prepared for the day, taking “getting ready” shots and sipping on champagne and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres as well. Very civilized. We took advantage of the hotel’s architecture and elegance for portraits of Holly on our way to the ceremony.

It was a bright, hot summer day and everything went smoothly. Their good friend Fletcher is a minister and he presided over the ceremony. The afternoon was beautiful and the setting couldn’t have been more perfect!