Kate's Blog

choices {project 365: day twenty-two} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Part of being a parent is giving your child the freedom to make choices, and letting them deal with the outcome---good or bad. And no matter what, I keep my mouth shut. I have to be okay with my kids making mistakes now, so that when they make big ones later on, they aren't afraid to come to me. I don't allow them to get into unsafe situations or anything, don't worry!

I like to give the kids choices throughout the day, usually over trivial things that don't really matter much in the scheme of things. If I can help them to make good choices now, with the small things, they will be better equipped to choose wisely in the future, when it matters.

This was one of those "I'll let you choose" moments. We got home late on the 22nd, and I had promised the kids that they could play out in the snow before they went to bed. Judah had talked ALL DAY about his snow "outfit": his favorite Cubs outfit (that is 2 sized too small), snow boots, and...well, that was it. No coat, no mittens...no socks. (He was wearing underwear.) I checked with him a few times, asking if that was all he wanted to wear, and he assured me that he'd be good.

I fully expected him to run outside, get a good chill, and come back in to put his snow pants and coat on. I was wrong. I thought he would give in after he fell face-first into the snow. Wrong again. The only thing he really complained about was that the snow was getting in his boots. Finally, after about 10 minutes, I made the kids come in, and he was so MAD! I'm beginning to think that he would've stayed out there for an hour if I would've let him! What a booger. So much for learning (what I wanted you to learn) from your choice!

Please excuse the shoddy photography...Sometimes it matters more that you get the shot, than if it's technically great (or even okay).

sleeping beauty {project 365: day twenty-one} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Lilly fell asleep with a tiny smile on her face the other night. How sweet is that?!

wrap it up! {project 365: day twenty} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

I started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago, and I won't lie, it's been rough. I like cooking...but I do NOT like cooking and having to track every ingredient. Not fun. I've been surviving on frozen dinners until I get this thing under control. I've used WW in the past, and I did great, and then I found out I was pregnant with Zion, and had to quit. This time around is not so easy.

I've been looking for quick, easy, low point-value food to incorporate into my daily diet, and this wrap is just that. And Lilly begs for them, too...so that's a great bonus!

My recipe is simple, and super filling. (For all of you WW'ers out there, one wrap is 5 points.)

Tuna Wrap
1 can drained tuna (in water)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1 dill pickle spear, diced
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 tbsp mayo w/olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
a handful of Romaine lettuce
medium tortilla (look for the ones high in fiber)

Makes 2 wraps.

Enjoy!

my lilly-face {projects 52 & 365: week three & day nineteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was a "free choice" week in my Project 52 group on Facebook. After a few mishaps trying to photograph something else, Lilly asked me to take a photo of her that would look like my self-portrait from the week before. So we headed over to the window, and started shooting away. I ended up with these two images...

I love them both. My daughter is beautiful, inside and out. She's just so gorgeous!

beauty {project 365: day eighteen} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-26T18:51:00.002-05:00

~Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.~

{Ralph Waldo Emerson}

defying gravity {project 365: day seventeen} | South Bend Wedding Photographer

2012-01-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

I grew up dreaming of being a professional singer. I adore musicals, and I won't lie, I'd still love to be on Broadway playing Eponine, or Dolly, or Elphaba...which brings me to today. I bought the Wicked soundtrack on iTunes, and Lilly has been listening to it all day long. She made me find literally dozens of videos from the musical on youtube, including how Elphaba's makeup is applied, and then I had to read the entire plot to her word for word on wikipedia (do you think this counts as musical education for her homeschooling?!). She cried...yes, cried her little eyes out...when I told her that the show isn't playing anywhere near here until June, and even then the tickets are WAY out of our budget. And then I had to break the news to her that the movie likely won't come out until 2014. Sad day for this little girl. Well, this is how she ended the day today...playing "Defying Gravity" with her Barbies. It wouldn't surprise me if one of them "accidentally" turns green. She drew quite the picture, too. You can see Elphaba, Glinda, some munchkins, the scarecrow, and Dorothy & Toto. She is quite the artist.

fake laughing...is funny {project 365: day sixteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today Calli, Hannah & Lili came over. My Lilly was geeked, to say the least. Last night before bed, she made a list of things they were going to do together, and was greatly disappointed when she found out that she was not in charge of the day today.

Lili & Hannah dropped by this morning to watch the kids so I could go out for a session, and Calli showed up at lunchtime. We watched movies, baked muffins and cookies, played "house/camping/Cinderella," and had a good time together. My kids adore these young ladies, and I think they're pretty great, too. (And yes, I had them "fake laugh" for this picture. Acting stupid = Good picture!)

sexy {project 365: day fifteen} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, baby.

meetings {project 365: day fourteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

I was at a meeting at church all day Saturday, and forgot my camera, so this one was taken with Matt's iPod.

We are entering a really exciting time at church, where things are changing, and we spent the day identifying the things that we do well as a church body, and the things that we want to focus on over the next few years. This is the beginning of many hours of development, but I really feel like we have been hearing from God about these things, and are looking to Him for direction as we move forward.

powder {project 365: day thirteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-16T15:36:00.000-05:00

So, for those of you who have read my other posts (or my Facebook status updates) mentioning Jude's sneaky kitchen-related antics, here's another one for you.

I was changing Zion's diaper, and in walks Judah, with POWDERED SUGAR all over his face. Who knew he could tell the difference between the powdered sugar and the flour?! Man, it is hard to correct this behavior when he cracks me up so much. What a 3 year-old! I hope he forgives me when he's older for posting photos of him in his tighty-whiteys.

one snowy night {winter mini-session} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

This is Eve and her beautiful daughter Isabelle. Yesterday morning, when I woke up, I had the urge to get some people together and do a nighttime snow shoot for the first really big snow of the year. Before I was even out of bed, I got onto Facebook and asked if anyone wanted to model, and Eve volunteered herself and her "night owl" little girl! I spent the day prepping for the shoot, talking about outfits, charging about a million batteries, formatting memory cards, and planning the shots. I was blessed to also have my friend and fellow photog Khara come and be my lighting assistant, and, afew hours before the shoot, Cara & Brad (below) offered to come and model too!

While there were a few bumps in the road (darn flashes!), I did end up with three amazing shots that came freakily close to what I had pictured in my head!

It was FRIGID out there, so the shoot was pretty much a micro-mini session, and by the end of it all I could not feel my face, toes, or fingers. Isabelle was a trooper for keeping a smile on her face the entire chilly time she was out there! These mother-daughter shots were taken in the alley behind my house. Not too shabby for a really ugly alley, if I do say so myself!

Brad & Cara attend my church, and they are the cutest newlyweds! I adore Cara's fashion sense, and Brad's hair always makes me smile. When Cara offered to come out, I was super excited to photograph them, and I hope they'll let me shoot them again---maybe when it isn't quite so cold out! The image below is so great. I love everything about it.

I would've taken more of them, but my flashes were being particularly finicky, and it was so cold that we eventually just gave up, but that's okay, because when you end up with a shot like that, you don't really need to do more, right?!

Eve, Isabelle, Khara, Cara & Brad---Thank you all for coming out on a late winter night to let me "play"! I had fun, and, now that I've thawed off, am looking forward to the next time. Maybe you'll join me?!

the little podj-rawkers {project 365: days eleven & twelve} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

My kids are weird. And I like 'em that way. When I was working on my self portraits on Day 11, the kids wanted a photo shoot, too, andI was happy to oblige. Even though it was WAY past their bedtime, (and that's why Zion didn't make it into the shoot), we took a few photos really quickly and just had them do their thang.

A few fun facts about these two:

Judah LOVES footwear. It started with his first pair of shoes when he started walking. I remember how he used to prance around and only smile down at his feet whenever his shoes were on. Now, he is constantly wearing either his "clompers" (snow boots), "worker boots" (those yellowish work boots), or his Cars slippers.
He is also fascinated with these tiger pj's from my mom's house. He begs to wear them, and she caved and let him wear them home the other day. He proceeded to wear them the entire next day, and plans on wearing them tonight when they come out of the dryer. In anticipation of that moment, he is currently refusing to wear anything but his tighty-whiteys right now. (And Cars slippers.) As will be evidenced in my next P365 post that will likely be written later today.
Lilly loves her "zebra" dress. She used to wear it at least twice a week, and now she sleeps in it, because (according to Lilly) it "makes a better nightgown." Whatev.

I've written in the past about Judah's love of "monster rockin' music"--well, this is the face he makes when he dances to that music. He also has his own little song to go with his "moves": "Suh bash cra-crack uh-huh UH-huh." The emphasis on the second "uh" is super important to him. If I say it wrong, he corrects me. I love this little dude.

Yesterday was Day 12. We decided to go outside and enjoy the dry ground one last time before the snow and slush arrived last night.

While we were out, the most exciting thing happened...the recycling truck came!!! You would've thought a celebrity was coming to our house, the kids were so psyched.

After all the excitement died down, we went for a walk. We only got around the corner when it started raining and had to make a hasty return to the warm and dry house for the rest of the day.

Okay, so I know this last shot isn't of the kids...but without this guy, they wouldn't be here...so there you go! This image was taken on Day 11 as Matt posed for me so I could focus the camera for my self portraits. He had just walked in the door from work, hence the stylin' threads. I don't know what is going on with his expression. But I'm posting it anyway!

I'll be back soon with some great images from last night's snowy mini-shoot and then today's P365 as well. Later, peeps!

my face {project 52: week two} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

This week my Project 52 assignment was to create a self portrait...something that can be a challenge, to say the least! I worked on my image for a few hours yesterday, and wound up with two shots that are post-worthy. The first was shot in natural light...literally inches from the only good north-facing window in my house. I set up the tripod, manually focused the lens, and began shooting away.

For those of you who care, here are the settings for this image:

Camera: Canon 5Dmkii
Lens: Canon 16-35 2.8L
Focal Length: 33mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/80
ISO: 800

I chose the 16-35 because I could trigger it from arms length without using my remote or the timer. I am BLIND without my glasses on, so being within arms length of the camera and not having to move around much to tweak things was important to me. I also knew that the lens would slim my face a bit more than my go-to 85mm & 50mm lenses would...and what girl doesn't like to look slimmer if she can!

Now, for the next image, I wanted something a little less obvious that a straightforward headshot. I had some significant space limitations, and it was getting dark, so I set up a light stand and decided to use only backlight as my light source for the next shot. This image was lit with a flash diffused with an umbrella placed directly behind my face, pointing straight into the camera. I wasn't actually laying down...I just rotated the image in Lightroom in post.

Here are the settings:

Camera: Canon 5Dmkii
Lens: 85 1.2L
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/200
ISO: 50

So, which one do you prefer? Have you ever taken a self portrait? I'd love to see what you've come up with! Leave me some love in the comments!

new friends {project 365: day ten} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

For much of my adult life, I have have a very small circle of true close friends. And that small circle was comprised of my family members, for the most part. I didn't do the typical college thing after high school, so friendships were made at my jobs. And eventually those jobs ended...so the common bond holding those friendships together weakened. Don't get me wrong, I know that is the way that life is...people come in and out of your life, and a few are there for you for the long haul. I am grateful for the friends that have come my way over the years, and there are some that I miss deeply. It is hard making and maintaining friendships in a world that is so busy...it seems as if everyone is always going four ways at once and its hard to be in the same place with anyone long enough to create a lasting friendship.

Which is why I am so glad that I met Katie. Katie is the gorgeous blonde in the images above. She is my PUG leader (PUG is a local photographers group that I am involved with), my workshop co-leader, a wonderful photographer and business woman, and, I am proud to say, my friend. I met Katie a few years ago, and she was one of the first area photographers that I was able to get to know on a personal level (outside of the ones I had worked for years earlier). We met every week for awhile before the PUG group ever began, and now we talk often, not just about photography, but about life. We've prayed together, laughed together, and commiserated together.

As much as I miss the friendships that have gone by the wayside over the years, I am equally grateful to have new friends like Katie. Thanks, Katie, for putting up with my shenanigans at PUG, and hanging out with me the rest of the time!

{PS-These images were taken at tonight's PUG meeting. And Katie puts the "Katie" in Katie Whitcomb | Photographers!}

Thy Word {project 365: day nine} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. {Psalm 119:105}

At 10:30 tonight, I realized that I hadn't taken my Project 365 image for the day yet, so Matt & I scrambled to create an image. We tried some things with creative lighting, and then did some time lapse stuff involving a tripod, cell phones, and an iPod. As I sat down to edit what we did, Matt got into bed and began reading the bible from his iPod. And I was inspired.

Matt loves me, but only second to God. He LOVES God! I have never known anyone so enamored with the Lord. So this is the perfect portrait of my husband. Spending his final waking minutes of the day with the One who he loves most.

worship {project 365: day eight} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

I am on the worship team at our church, and yesterday I had the privilege of leading worship in the morning at our regular worship service, but also singing at The Well, a monthly service where we meet with Christ-followers from across the region to worship and enjoy our vast community of believers.

When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a singer. I even went out to audition for the second season of American Idol (but didn't get an audition...they ran out of audition slots within 1 hour of the doors opening--I think they underestimated how many people would come out). I even went to college (briefly) for vocal performance.

I truly believe that I could have made a name for myself in music had I continued to pursue it. But God had other plans for me. MUCH better plans! He gave me a husband and family that are priceless to me. He planted me in a church where I get to minister with my parents and siblings daily. He afforded me the opportunity to work at home so that I can raise up and teach my kids myself.

So I worship Him. Not because of what He's given me, but because of who He is. My life is saturated in Him, and I cannot imagine anything better, more rewarding, or more valuable than that. So I sing for Him, and Him alone.

our little artist {project 365: day seven} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

This is Judah. He keeps me on his toes, to say the least. Right now, as he naps in his room, I have gated his doorway with not one, but two gates (one right above the other--forming a 4 1/2 ft. tall gate), complete with bells to alert me to when he attempts to break out of his "prison". And no, I'm not kidding. A couple months ago, he started getting up at odd hours and raiding the kitchen. Namely, he'd eat entire loaves of bread when we were sleeping. So, we put the bread in the wall cabinet, out of reach...and he's just find ways to climb on the counters to get the bread.

Then he discovered the joy of cutting things with scissors. I about lost it when I caught him trying to cut the couch. Which reminds me of that afternoon that I found him drawing on the couch with markers. My bright red couches...with black dry-erase markers that only bleed when you try to clean them. Awesome.

Needless to say, there is never a dull moment with Jude around! Which is why we could only laugh when we came into his room on Saturday to see that he had drawn a "village" of people on the walls around his bed. Seriously?! We are trying to get this house ready to sell, and this is why it's taking us so long!

I love my boy. He can be a stinker, but my life is so much better with him in it, messes and all. He is one of the funniest kids I've ever known, and I look forward to hanging out with him each and every day. Plus, his cheeks are so squish-n-kissable!

He's an enthusiastic dancer, he loves what he refers to as "monster-rockin-music", and I think he's destined to be a drummer/guitarist.

Oh, and he rocks a stellar mohawk about 9 months out of the year. My grandma hates it. But it's so "him". I never thought I'd be buying hair glue (yes, hair GLUE) for my toddler, but Judah deserves the spikiest 'do possible! You can look for the 'hawk to make a comeback in a couple months. We only shave it off in the winter so he can wear hoodies and hats.

The last thing I'll say about my boy is that he is most adorable when he's praying for his friends. Not a day goes by that he doesn't mention his buddies from Sunday school in his bedtime prayers. Melts my heart. I love my Judah-buddy!

i heart faces {best face of 2011} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-09T08:33:00.000-05:00

Occasionally I enter images into photo challenges and contests. When I saw that today's challenge on I Heart Faces was for the best face from last year, this image immediately popped into my mind. I absolutely love this image. It was created when Robin was having her makeup done before her wedding. I was blown away by how peaceful and calm she was on a day when many brides are a bundle of nerves. I also think she looks like a mix of Lauren Hutton and Cameron Diaz. She's gorgeous! So, here's my entry for the challenge. Who knows, maybe the folks over at I Heart Faces will like it, too!

rollin' with my homies {project 365: day six} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2012-01-06T20:23:00.002-05:00

First off, I'll give a Starbucks gift card to the first person who correctly names my inspiration for the title of this post in the comments. You'd better guess it quick, y'alls! It's from one of my favorite movies of all time. (Don't judge.)

This is my daughter, Lilly Blessing. She is five years old going on fifteen. Tonight she decided that we needed to go to the beach, so she got out shorts and a tank top for herself, and made Jude strip down to his tighty-whitey's and laid beach towels on the living room floor to soak up some rays. If you look closely, you can see her infant sunglasses (the kind with a strap to hold them on a baby's head) hanging around her neck.

I love this girl, and am so proud of her. She has a kind heart, is the smartest little girl I've ever known, and she has brought so much joy into our lives. She sparkles.

Calling all high school juniors! {2013 Rep Program Launch} | South Bend IN Senior Photographer

2012-01-06T18:03:00.000-05:00

Why should you be a 2013 Senior Rep for Kate Podjan Photography? The answer is simple: It's fun, and you receive tons of free gifts and great discounts!

Kate Podjan Photography is looking for enthusiastic seniors that enjoy having their pictures taken, and love showing off their own personal sense of style with other students in their school. Most of all, we are looking for Senior Representatives that set a positive example for their peers.

What a Senior Rep gets:

2 free photo sessions...one locally in the South Bend area, and one on-location at Lake Michigan!
Free mini accordion-style album with six to eight images
Free images on Facebook tagged with your name and Kate Podjan Photography’s logo – you'll be set with profile pictures for the whole year!
DVD of the hi-res edited images from your sessions
35% discount off all regular prices for senior products or services at Kate Podjan Photography
Unlimited personalized rep cards to be handed out to your friends with special offers just for them!

What a Senior Representative does:

Sign the Kate Podjan Photography Senior Model Representative Program agreement.
Have your senior photographs taken exclusively by Kate Podjan Photography (you may also have them taken by your yearbook photographer).
Hand out marketing materials in the form of rep cards.
Talk about how much fun it was to have your portraits taken by Kate Podjan Photography.
Be active on social sites like Facebook and Twitter, providing positive feedback about your photo session and it’s resulting images.
Generate referrals for senior photography sessions with Kate Podjan Photography.
Communicate regularly with Kate Podjan Photography reporting your progress and to get replacement rep cards.

What a Senior Representative earns:

Each completed senior session referral will earn you one of: $10 cash; $10 iTunes Gift Card; or $15 towards custom albums, graduation announcements or print products created by the studio.
One entry into the 2013 Senior Rep Drawing for every 5 completed senior session referrals. The Grand Prize is a $250 VISA gift card! (You also get a FREE entry, just for being a rep!) The drawing will take place in May 2013.

How the Kate Podjan Photography Senior Representative Program works:

A limited number for Senior Representatives will be selected from each of the local high schools in the Michiana area.
Each Senior Representative will be scheduled for the local photo session based on photographer and student availability. Rep may choose one of two dates to complete the Lake Michigan session. Sessions must take place between February-May 2012.
The studio will select the best images from the photo sessions that will be used to create the mini album and placed on Facebook.
The studio will print up rep cards for the student. These rep cards are a marketing tool giving your referral a discount on their photo session and earning you rewards. The more you love to share, the more you’ll get in return while simultaneously helping friends, peers, and even family members earn a discount at one of Michiana's premier photography studios.
The student will be responsible for following the rules of conduct set forth by the studio.
The student will encourage other students to follow Kate Podjan Photography on Facebook and Twitter.
The student will encourage other students to consider Kate Podjan Photography as their senior portrait photographer.
DVD of hi-res images will be delivered in May 2013.
By December 2012, student will recommend three 2014 Seniors for the next year's rep cycle.
The student’s parents can also hand out the rep cards if they so desire. Kate Podjan Photography business cards are also available to hand out to prospective wedding clients. A referral bonus of $50 is awarded for each contracted wedding referral.

How to get started:

Get your parents involved in the decision to apply. You will be much more successful if your parents support you in this.
Fill out the application below.
If selected to continue, you will meet with Kate Podjan Photography to get started.
If not selected, you will still receive a discount on your senior portrait session for taking the time to fill out the application.

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i heart books {project 365: day five} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

I love this book. I have the original one, the deluxe one (that came with the audio version on CD), and I have it on my Kindle app on my iPad. There's another version out that is a larger book, and I want that one, too.

If you have never read The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, you are missing out! It is not just for the kiddies. I remember the first time I heard about it at Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God concert a few years ago, and we went out and bought it right away.

This book tells the story of Jesus from the Beginning, and "whispers His name" throughout all of the OT stories I grew up learning in Sunday school, but never really realized how connected those stories were to the message of the gospel. When I first started reading this book to my kids, I couldn't get through a single story without tears in my eyes. It is truly moving, and has enhanced my understanding of God and how much He loves all of us. I cannot recommend this book enough!

{And just incase you were wondering, I am an equal-opportunity reader. Give me something to read in book form, in a newspaper, in a magazine, on a blog, or on an e-reader, and I am a happy girl.}

What books have you read that have shaped your worldview or consistently move you to tears? I'd love to know what you're reading. Leave me some love in the comments!

Other books that I rave about:
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Chronicles of Heaven series by Gene Edwards
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

What I've read in the last month (or am currently reading):
Behold the Lamb of God by Russ Ramsey
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Loving Our Kids On Purpose by Danny Silk
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Living a Life of Fire by Reinhard Bonnke

the ladies {project 365: day four} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

This is Ashley and Calli. They are two of my Soul Pardoners--members of the youth group that Matt & I pastor at our church.

My kids LOVE these two. They have been babysitters more times than I can count, and there are many days that Lilly or Judah ask me if I have a wedding to shoot, or a client to meet, so that Ash or Cal can come over and play.

In September, Calli made the trip out to Kansas with me and the kids as our nanny, and I was able to keep her on a couple days a week for a few months...those months were the most sane I've been in recent history!

Ashley has been my assistant for a few weddings, and she has schlepped more bags and gear that I'm sure she'd like to admit for me. I love it when she comes along!

These two have become good friends of mine over the years. I love having them over to our house, going on roadtrips, doing makeovers, baking, and sharing our lives with each other. They are both amazing, beautiful young women, and I am honored to be their friend and pastor. My life wouldn't be the same without them.

Calli & Ashley--I love you guys!

Boudoir Pre-Session Questionnaire | South Bend IN Boudoir Photographer

2012-01-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

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my "office" {project 365: day three} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-03T12:28:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, I made the switch from PC to Mac, and, I won't lie, I pretty much love my new computer! I am well on my way to loving all things Apple. I got the iPad in early 2011, bought the MacBookPro in the fall, bought Matt an iPod Touch for Christmas, and am just waiting for my contract to expire on my Blackberry before switching to an iPhone. Whenever we sell this house, and move into one with an actual office space for me to store all my photography gear and techie stuff, I'll invest in an iMac or a big-daddy Mac Pro. Assuming I keep booking weddings. :0)

For now, my office is the armchair in my bedroom, or the bed, the living room couch, or the random portable banquet table in the corner of our room that is supposed to be my workspace, when it's not covered in clutter. A quick inventory of the tabletop right now: TONS of makeup, a box of photos from the 80's, sheet music & music books, a half-unpacked bag from our trip to Kansas, the printer & relevant odds and ends (ink, paper, etc.), CD's to upload to iTunes, DVDs for burning for clients, magazines, books, external hard drives, and various cell phone/iPad/camera/battery chargers. Conspicuously missing: actual tabletop space in which to work on.

A final note on the image above: I think my kids make great wallpaper images. They're funny.

my youngest {project 365: day two} | South Bend IN wedding Photographer

2012-01-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, I won't lie, I'm kind of getting this P365 shot in at the last minute, so it may not represent the best of my work...but I love the subject, so that makes up for it, right?!

This afternoon all three kids were laying on my bed watching iCarly on Netflix (don't judge...I like the show), and I ran to get my camera, forgetting to grab the flash. So, I ramped the ISO up to 6400 (yep, that's high), and shot as fast as I could to freeze the movement of my wiggly offspring. So, nevermind the noise, and just enjoy the adorable little guy and his big sis creeping in the frame.

Zion is a happy little dude. He is just over 15 months old, and he keeps us on our toes. He's been walking for a few weeks, and life isn't quite the same for his tired mama. We have baby gates EVERYWHERE. And I find bottles and sippy cups in the strangest places. He hasn't quite grasped where his nose is...he points to his mouth and says, "nah, nah, nah" (that's "nose, nose, nose" for those of you who don't speak baby).

He loves eating and following his big brother and sister around. He is a fantastic dancer, and particularly enjoys my recordings from when I was in All State Choir in high school. He really gets down to the song "Ngana" from my senior year. My boy loves him some aboriginal folk music!

So, that concludes my submission for Day Two of my Project 365 for 2012. (And yes, I know that there will be 366 days this year, but I don't care. I'm still calling it a P365. So there.)

I've been working tirelessly today on Gary & Jen's wedding images, and hope to have their blog up soon. Until tomorrow, have a great day, be blessed, and be a blessing to everyone around you. Peace out, my homies. (homeys? I have no idea how to spell that. oh well.) Later, peeps.

Happy New Year! {Looking forward to 2012} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2012-01-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

Hello! I am back from Kansas, and ready to get this year off to a good start! I have been pondering what I would like to see happen in my life, family, and business this year, and can think of no better way to get my butt into gear, than to put my goals and hopes out here on the internets for all to see.

Without further ado, here are (some of) my personal & professional goals for 2012:

1) Photograph at least one birth. I soooo want to do this!

2) Blog (almost) daily. I used to be good at blogging, and I hope to regain that discipline in quick fashion.

3) Lose a LOT of weight. I subscribed to Weight Watchers yesterday, and dusted off the Wii Fit board-thingy (and even recharged the batteries!). I'd like to lose between 25-40 lbs. before trying for baby #4.

4) Develop a Boudoir brand of the biz. Here's hoping that the Boudoir Special is successful!

5) Participate in both a Project 52 with some area photographers, and a Project 365 for myself. Shooting daily and growing as a photographer is a priority, and I hope to challenge myself (and not just slack off and take pictures of my kids goofing off every day). I want to create images, not just take pictures.

6) Be a better mommy to Lilly, Judah & Zion...and a better wife to Matt. I'll do this by keeping Christ at the center of my life, and only saying yes to what He calls me to. This was why I chose to focus on weddings (rather than running myself ragged with family, newborn, children and senior sessions) this year. There are times that I miss the income, but the trade off is more than worth it. Being selective with my commitments has allowed me to spend quality time on the things that matter most.

I'll end this post with my first image for my Project 365...I am already learning new things! These are the lights from our tiny Christmas tree, and a snowflake bokeh technique that I have wanted to try out for awhile. I think it's fun. Maybe not my best image ever, but it is festive, no?! (The image at the top of the post was from last night's NYE wedding...it's also my first Project 52 image.)

What are your hopes and goals for 2012? Leave me a note in the comments!

Until next time, have a great day, and be blessed in this new year!

Boudoir Sessions Special | South Bend IN Boudoir Photographer

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! | South Bend / Mishawaka IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Best of 2011 {Bouquets & Dancing} | Columbia MO Wedding Photographer

2011-12-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I already posted images from this wedding, but I just had to share 2 of my favorite moments (for personal reasons) of the day. The first was watching my cousins Aly & Drew sing and dance their hearts out together at the reception. That was so fun to watch! The second was when my daughter caught the bouquet. She carried that thing around for DAYS. And let me tell you, the 10 hour drive home in a van with 3 little kids did not do that poor bouquet any favors. But Lilly was sooooooo happy!

Best of 2011 {Lesli & Michael's Wedding} | Mishawaka IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-16T09:30:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my favorite images from Lesli & Michael's wedding. It was a beautiful day, and so much fun!

Branding & Vision Workshop for Photographers | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

Best of 2011 {Christy & Mike's e-session} | Chicago Wedding Photographer

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have such a fun job. When Christy & Mike asked me to photograph their wedding and engagement session, I had NO IDEA how awesome the process would be with them! First off, Christy is a woman after my own heart. When we went to Chicago for their e-session, She had mapped out all of the locations she wanted to hit, and created a plan of attack for the day. She had chosen amazing outfits, and had a clear vision for the shoot. It was easy to be inspired and have fun, because she had done all the "work" beforehand. I truly believe you get out of the experience as much as you put in, and Christy & Mike put in a lot of thought and effort for their session (and wedding!).

P.S.- Christy, I'm so not kidding...if you ever want to do another session like this, or renew your vows, like, every year...call me!

Eight Years! {Happy Anniversary} | South Bend / Mishawaka IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary, to my amazing husband, Matt! It has been a wonderful 8 years...I am so thankful that God brought you in to my life.

First Snowfall | South Bend & Mishawaka IN Wedding & Portrait Photographer

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

One month ago, before the ground was covered in white, I had just tucked the boys in for their afternoon nap, and Lilly was taking a break from her schoolwork. She went to get the mail for me, and was thrilled to see the first snowfall of the season! She spent the next half hour twirling, dancing, and running around the yard, trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue, singing about the snow, and begging me to let her build a snowman. (I'm pretty sure she greatly underestimated how much snow old Frosty would need.)

Flowers from Danica | South Bend/Mishawaka IN Wedding & Portrait Photographer

2011-12-10T08:42:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, a friend and fellow photographer, Danica Clark, borrowed one of my lenses for a wedding she was shooting. When she returned the lens, she brought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers for me as a thank you. It was such a sweet gesture, and the flowers brightened our dining room for quite awhile. Danica, you are truly a wonderful person, and I am so glad to have gotten to know you this year! You exude joy, and you radiate God's glory! Be blessed, and thanks for being such a good friend!

Best of 2011 {Jen & Gary's e-session} | Notre Dame IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am looking forward to photographing Jen & Gary's wedding in just a couple weeks! Here are some images taken from their Notre Dame engagement session this fall. Enjoy!

Best of 2011 {Ginette & Josh's Garden Wedding} | Illinois Wedding Photographer

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've known Josh for years. Many moons ago, he was one of our first kids in the youth group we pastor. We developed a really close relationship with him (at times it seemed like he lived with us!) and it was bittersweet to watch him leave us for college. Through many twists and turns, he met, fell in love with, and eventually married Ginette! She is so beautiful! Their wedding was one of my favorites this year, from the lovely dress, to all of the handmade details at the garden reception held at her parents' landscaping nursery, this day was perfect. I will have a more detailed post of their wedding in a few weeks, but here are some of my absolute favorite images to hold you over until then!

Oh yeah...this is the family photo we took in the photo booth at the reception. And yes, it's one of the only family photos we have of all of us in existence. Try not to be too jealous.

Best of 2011 {Caity's Senior Session} | Mishawaka IN Portrait Photographer

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some of Caitlyn's images from her senior session earlier this year. Caity really knew how to accessorize! She had hats, necklaces, scarves, and shoes galore! I love me some accessories! Enjoy the rest of your senior year, Caitlyn!

Best of 2011 {Kelsey & Burl's e-session} | Salina KS Wedding Photographer

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Kelsey is my gorgeous cousin. And this year, she married a WONDERFUL man! I love their engagement images. The first one was taken at my aunt's farm outside of Salina, KS (the same place that Aly & Matt had some of their images taken!). The other images were taken in the field behind my grandma's house. Kelsey & Burl are adorable together, and I know that they have many happy years ahead of them!

Best of 2011 {Ellen & Sean's Rock the Dress Session} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2011-12-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

Ellen & Sean were married on a cold day in January, so we waited until April to Rock that Dress! Rock the Dress sessions are designed to give the bride one last time to wear the dress and get some images that there just isn't time for on the wedding day. When we do these sessions after the wedding, most brides are less concerned with getting the dress dirty, and are more free to just "be", without worrying about dirt or tightly schedule timelines.

I loved this session. Ellen & Sean are wonderful people, and it was so easy to photograph them. Thanks, guys, for being so awesome!

Best of 2011 {Aly & Matt's Wedding} | Missouri Wedding Photographer

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

A few posts back, I showed off some of my cousin Alyson & Matt's Kansas engagement session. Well, here are some of the images from their beautiful wedding in Columbia, MO. (We just received word that the wedding will be published in a local wedding magazine! So fun!) Aly was a beautiful bride, and we had a great time at the reception. Lilly caught the bouquet, and partied until midnight! In the last set of photos, you can see Lilly dancing away with my uncle Mike, and Zion having a blast with my aunt Kathy. I have more images from the reception to come in a later post, so enjoy these for now!

Best of 2011 {Robin & Kenny} | Lake Michigan Wedding Photorapher

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love Robin. She is such a special person, and I am so glad that my job affords me the opportunity to meet and become friends with such amazing people like Robin! We met a few years ago when she was the maid of honor in another wedding that I photographed, and in the time since, I've photographed her family a couple times, I've photographed her in one wedding, and her girls were in another one that I photographed!

Robin had her fair share of "hassles" preparing for her wedding day. Her dress was stolen from the car outside of the dress shop mere days before the wedding, and the beautiful beach wedding she planned was overtaken by a VERY rainy day, but none of that really mattered...because that was the day she married her best friend, Kenny. Robin, you are gorgeous, inside and out. You deserve all the happiness in the world. May God bless your marriage, and your family, with love, wisdom, and joy for all your days. I can't wait to see what He has in store for you in the years to come!

Best of 2011 {Patrick & Beth} | Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

This summer, I went up to Wisconsin and photographed my brother's father-in-law's wedding. The wedding was in a cute little white church in the country. (It even had an outhouse!) These first images were right before the processional. Beth's son was looking over toward where she was tucked away, preparing to walk her down the aisle, and became a little emotional. Patrick came over and the two had a little moment right before the ceremony began. It was a very special moment.

Included in this post are also images of my daughter, Lilly, looking beautiful (!), and my nephew marveling at the lights during the reception. He stood like that almost the entire time!

Best of 2011 {the L family} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

2011-11-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

I had a fun time with this family, walking their neighborhood, and following little miss M on her adventures. These images were part of their Slice of Life session, a session that documents a day in the life of a family, doing what they normally do, wearing what they normally wear. These types of sessions are loosely planned, and the intent is to get a tiny snapshot of what life is truly like for the family. We had fun, and I think we got some really special images.

Best of 2011 {Lilly turned 5} | Mishawaka IN Portrait Photographer

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

We hosted our fair share of parties at the house this year. Here's some images from Lilly's 5th birthday last April. We love life, and we love each other! So, here's to my gorgeous girl, and to many more fun-filled parties in the years ahead!

Best of 2011 {Happy Anniversary!} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

2011-11-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

In a couple weeks, Tricia & Jeff will celebrate their first anniversary! Here are some images from their wedding last December. Tricia's bridal detail portraits are some of my absolute favorite from the last year. Congrats, Tricia & Jeff, on your first of many anniversaries!

Sick Day 2011 | Mishawaka IN Lifestyle Photographer

2011-11-28T16:31:00.000-05:00

Some days just don't turn out like you'd prefer. It's been a rough 24 hours here at the Podjan pad. Matt, Lilly, Jude & Zion have all come down with the flu, so we transformed the Blue Room into a hospital room, complete with a laptop for movies, beds galore, a rocking chair, and a bucket for each person. Lucky us. Admit it, you're a little jealous...what? You're not? Weirdos.

Best of 2011 {Handsome Little Man} | Edwardsburg MI Portrait Photographer

2011-11-28T09:00:00.004-05:00

This little guy's mom is quite possibly my biggest fan. I can trace the majority of my clients back to her, and for that, I am forever indebted! Each year, I get to photograph her boys, and I can't believe how grown up Mr. B is now! I've been taking pictures of him since he was born, and I have loved seeing him grow through the years. Ashley, I love you, and am so blessed to call you my friend. I wouldn't be sad if you had another baby so I could keep sneaking you in some shots for a few more years! (For those of you who know Ashley...no, she is not pregnant...to my knowledge.) :0)

Best of 2011 {The B Family Session} | Mishawaka IN Portrait Photographer

2011-11-23T15:00:00.005-05:00

Years ago, my dad and Ryan's dad were pastors at the same church. Ryan was a bit younger than me, and my best memory of him was one day when he and his brother and sister's came over to our house, and he spilled popcorn all over the coffee table and living room floor, and I was, like, soooo annoyed. (My 8th grade self was NOT the best host. Sorry, Ryan.)

Well, imagine my surprise when, years later, his wife (wait, when did that little kid grow up?) contacted me to take their photos this fall! What a small world! It has been fun catching up with Ryan, and getting to know his beautiful wife (PS- Brittany, I think you're gorgeous, and it has been so much fun meeting you...let's hang out!) and meeting his handsome little guy. Thanks, guys, for letting me take your photos this year!

Best of 2011 {Ashley's Senior Session} | Elkhart IN Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-11-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

Ashley is one of my Soul Pardoners. (Soul Pardon is the youth group that Matt & I pastor.) We have grown incredibly close these past few years. Ashley has accompanied me to weddings as my assistant, she babysits my kids, she let's me cut her hair (!), and she is a great friend to me. Ash, I love you, and am so grateful that God has brought you into my life. It is richer with you in it!

Best of 2011 {Kim & Tim's Maternity Session} | South Bend IN Maternity Portrait Photographer

2011-11-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

I love Kim & Tim. They trusted me to photograph their wedding in the first couple years of being on my own in the business, and their wedding really boosted my photography business that year. Kim has been my sister's best friend since high school, and Tim is my brother-in-law's brother, so they're practically family to us. Tim is wonderful with my kids...I've caught him reading My Little Pony books to Lilly in the playroom at my sister's house at a NYE party, and my daughter Lilly dresses "like Kim" often! I had so much fun shooting their maternity photos earlier this year...just a couple weeks before beautiful Kiersten was born!

Best of 2011 {Farmer Boy} | Elkhart, IN Portrait Photographer

2011-11-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

I began photographing this little guy when he was in his mama's belly! It's so hard to believe he's two already. This was one of my favorite images from his session. I love the way the light hits his face, his sweet pensive expression, and I'm a sucker for kids driving miniature vehicles of any sort. I love it! (Makes me want to get my kids a Gator for Christmas.)

Best of 2011 {One of the Nephews} | Granger IN Portrait Photographer

2011-11-21T21:00:00.001-05:00

Luke is my sister's son. He is the perfect mix of his parents. I LOVE hugging this little guy! These photos feature his "best" attributes...his beautiful blue eyes, his contagious smile, and his...butt crack. Don't tell my brother-in-law I'm posting that image. He does NOT think it's funny! But I do, and it's my blog, so I'm posting it anyway!

Best of 2011 {Aly & Matt's Salina, KS e-session} | South Bend, IN Wedding Photographer

2011-11-21T14:50:00.001-05:00

I am working up a few more blogs on the last batch of weddings this season, but in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to look at the last year and post a couple of my favorite images that I've taken since last December. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting them often, so be sure to check back soon!

Technically, this session is from 2010, but I shot it the last week of December, so I'm including it in the 2011 review. This is my cousin, Aly, and her then-fiancè, Matt. They came to my aunt's farm outside of Salina, KS while I was visiting last Christmas, and we shot their engagement session around the farm. I am so happy for Matt & Aly, and I cannot express to them how meaningful it was to have the honor of photographing their engagement session & wedding. Love you guys!

It's time to GIVE BACK!

2011-11-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

LIMITED Fall Mini-Sessions Available!

2011-10-05T15:44:00.000-04:00

I am opening up 4 mini-sessions (family/children/couples) for the evening of October 15. If you are interested, call Kate at 574.255.6144 by Saturday, October 8 to secure your spot. Sessions will be 30 minutes long, at a local park (with LOTS of gorgeous trees for the beautiful fall colors!), for only $150. The price includes an online gallery AND a disk of your 3 favorite images for you to print and post to your heart's delight!

lesli+michael | mishawaka, indiana wedding photographer

2011-08-10T12:47:00.000-04:00

In May, I had the honor of photographing Lesli & Michael's Mishawaka wedding. I knew Lesli in high school, and was delighted when she contacted me to be her photographer! With the always fabulous Beth Anne Anderson at my side, we spent the day with Lesli & Michael's wonderful family and friends, celebrating their marriage. One of my favorite personal touches were the outrageous headpieces that Lesli brought to fill out the photo booth. Anyway...that's enough from me. Here's their wedding story, straight from Lesli:

We met through mutual friends about 2 months after I moved from Chicago to Dallas. Sparks started to fly when out on a friends boat on a beautiful sunny weekend a few weeks later, then we decided we should go out on a date and see where it goes. After the first date we knew it was for good, and there was an instant connection. Our connection grew over the next 8 months. Michael proposed in New Orleans for my birthday out on a cruise boat on the Mississippi River. It was romantic, windy, dark, and just perfect!

What were your most important goals in planning your wedding? Not to lose our sanity and for everyone to have fun!

How would you describe your personal wedding style? For the entire 15 months of planning I called it “Romantic Asian Flair.”

What three adjectives describe your wedding best? Beautiful, elegant, and full of love.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your wedding, your love story or your lives? When planning a wedding you can’t let yourself forget the reason you are planning it. The best moment of all is being surrounded by people that love and support you in God’s presence, and committing yourself to the one you love.

What were you looking for in a photographer? Someone that I could trust, that is very detailed, full of creativity, and can get people to relax and have fun when they are getting their picture taken.

What specifically drew you to Kate Podjan Photography and her work? I knew Kate since High School. She always had a creative style, was always in class, and always involved in those classes. I linked up with her on Facebook and saw some of her photos from other weddings and engagement sessions. I thought the photos were amazing. Creative, they captured the moment on film, and you can see she really tries to get to know the couple and connect with them to get the best shots. I knew the moment we had our first conversation on the phone I had made the right decision to have her as our photographer.

Partners:

Photography: Kate Podjan Photography

Wedding Planner: Angi Kuhn

Ceremony site: Mishawaka First United Methodist Church, Mishawaka, Indiana

Reception site/Catering: Windsor Park, Mishawaka, Indiana Rita Knipp

Cake: Arlene's Wedding Cakes

Flowers: Wygant Floral, Inc.

Invitations: Louie’s Tux Shop

Favors: American Cancer Society Donation

Officiants: Rev. Wm. Leroy Wise & Rev. Dr. Joyce A. Kuhn

DJ: DJ Wayne

Wedding dress designer: Symphony

Wedding dress shop: Bridal Mansion of Lisle (IL)

Bridal accessories: A-Richi Designs

Bridal shoes: Myglassslipper.com

Bridesmaid apparel: David’s Bridal

Hair: That Hair Place, Feminique. Mishawaka, IN

Makeup: Julie Schlundt, Mary Kay

Groom & Groomsmen apparel: Louie’s Tux Shop

Rings: Robbin’s Brother’s (Dallas, TX)

A Gorgeous Beach Wedding | Chelsea + Nick | St. Joe, Michigan Wedding Photographer

2011-07-11T08:49:00.002-04:00

I had such a great time at Chelsea & Nick's beautiful beach wedding a few weeks ago! They are such a fun couple. We started the day out at Chelsea's sister's house in St. Joseph, MI. It was a hubbub of activity, with the entire wedding party getting ready there, and the general air of excitement, joy, and giddiness was palpable.

Nick & Chelsea's dog, Wrigley, is their "baby"...he made an appearance in their engagement photos last summer, so we had to include him in the festivities this year, too!

Chelsea clearly adores her nephew, and I was so glad that we made time to have some special photos made of just the two of them. What a fantastic ring bearer!

Thank you, Nick & Chelsea, for letting me photograph your wedding day. May your years be blessed by God, and may you bless one another as best friends, partners, and the loves of your lives.

lots of laughter! {laura+eddie are engaged!} | South Bend, IN engagement photographer

2011-07-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

Eddie has a gift. He causes Laura to laugh so easily, naturally, and effortlessly...and that made my job SO easy yesterday when we went out on the town for their engagement session! I cannot wait to photograph their wedding next May!

married! {christy+mike} | mishawaka, indiana wedding photographer

2011-06-22T17:20:00.001-04:00

How we met…

Mike and I met at Penn High School, back in 1997. We were both cast to be in the musical “Mame”. My girlfriends and I saw Mike in the drama room and thought he was pretty cute. But we, being “lofty stuck up” Seniors, were bummed when we found out he was “just a Sophomore”. I then got the idea that I would set him up with my Freshman sister. Well the more I started hanging out with him during the musical rehearsals I started to get a crush on him. And before long, the idea of introducing him to my sister was forgotten. Mike was just too sweet and cute to pass on to my sister, so I kept him for myself. Mike and I dated throughout my last year of high school, then on and off through college. After college we started hanging out more and got serious again.

In May of 2010 we went on a trip to Paris, France to visit our good friend. It was there, in the stunning Parc Monceau on a secluded little bridge surrounded by beautiful flowers that Mike dropped down on one knee and proposed. He was so nervous that his arm and the ring were shaking; it was very adorable! When he was done with his proposal speech he was still so nervous that he was frozen in place. I eventually took the ring out of the box myself, placed it on my finger and helped him stand back up. It was incredibly romantic and sweet. We then went to a very cozy, Parisian restaurant for dinner then toured the streets of Paris. I am very lucky to have been proposed to in Paris and to have married my high school sweetheart!

Wedding Goals & Personal Wedding Style

As I was planning my wedding with the HUGE help of my mother and sister, the main goal I wanted was for my wedding to be personal. I didn’t want the style of my wedding to be at all “the usual”. I didn’t want the “traditional” decorations, favors, bridal look and music. I wanted everything to be done the way I thought was special and had meaning to me and not the way “it’s always supposed to be done”. In fact, my main wedding color was black.

I am a scrapbooker and I like to be creative with crafts. I wanted to make my own invitations instead of ordering them. I found a non-traditional style of wedding invitation and bought the pdf file to print it out myself and then put the black lace on it with a friend’s help. I mainly wanted everything at the wedding to be black and white with an accent color of green. So the invitations were printed in black and white and sent in a black envelope with a green inner return envelope to coordinate. My favorite part of the invitations was the “skinny wrap” that was wrapped around the envelope that had to be broken open to retrieve the invitation. It is from a website called Minted.

I wanted each bridesmaid to have a different dress to fit her style and personality. They were, of course, all black in color, all had the one shoulder style, and we all wore the same apple green colored heels to go with my theme colors. But each girl had her own, unique dress.

I wanted our wedding favors to be homemade and all have a personal theme. Our family’s favorite cookie (that we only make once a year at Christmas) is a Kieflie. My mom and sister spent hours making homemade Kieflies for each place setting. Mike is a huge Chicago White Sox fan so our “thank you” favors were a Chicago White Sox bag of ballpark peanuts and my mom made my garters (both my bridal garter that we kept and the garter that was removed by Mike and thrown to the guys) out of Chicago White Sox fabric. That was kept a surprise from Mike until he saw it when he removed my garter. I wanted him to feel that the wedding was a part of him and his likes too and not just all about the bride. I also love the candy Toblerone. So, even though the candy wrapper color didn’t match my black/white/green palette as my mother pointed out, each person also got a mini Toblerone as a wedding favor.

Another part of our wedding that was personal was our ceremony. My father had a part in marrying us, and that in itself meant the world to me! But both my father’s and Jim Bayer’s wedding message included bits and pieces of Mike and me, their knowledge of us as a couple and as individuals. And it meant a lot to us that that was incorporated into the ceremony.

Furthermore, instead of the usual place card settings, we made a fabric covered bulletin board that held each guests name and table number on a little decorative card with a push pin. And instead of a bird cage for cards, we made our own version of a card box and made it personal with our initials on it. Both of these things were kept to the wedding color palette.

We also enjoyed creating our centerpieces. We made adorable lamps from wine glasses and scrapbook paper that were lit by candles. We made our own table number signs that had three styles of different black lace. All the centerpieces were placed on a square piece of black lace over a white table cloth. I wanted the overall feel of the wedding/reception to be soft and romantic so we had a lot of candlelight and black lace.

My favorite, favorite thing that we did was the display behind the cupcakes. I saw the idea on online and copied it. It was a row of white feather boas and draped across was black doilies with green letters that read Mike ♥ Christy. I loved it how it turned out!!

Everything was soft, elegant, romantic and personal…it was perfect!

Reception

We held our wedding/reception at Riverside Terrace because of its spacious and beautiful design. We knew we had a large guest list and this was a place that could accommodate everyone and do it elegantly. We also like the different levels in that room. We thought it would be a good idea to have everyone already seated at the table, in their assigned chair and we had the wedding ceremony performed on the higher level so everyone could see. That also meant that no one would have to drive to a different locale for the reception. Everything would be done at one place. I also loved the huge dance floor. The dance floor was a big deciding factor when I was reception shopping.

Our Wedding

It’s hard to come up with just three words to describe our wedding, but here they are…personal, elegant and romantic.

Photography

All along, Mike and I agreed that photography would be a major part of our wedding. We had been told by married friends that the wedding day would go by so fast for us so we knew we wanted the most memorable and meaningful pictures taken so we could have and treasure those in the years to come. I had done tons of research online of engagement and wedding pictures realized that I was attracted to unique, amazing, and beautiful pictures that also had a vintage feel and look to them. I knew I did not want pictures with just people standing there side by side as I had seen in previous traditional wedding pictures. I wanted clever designs in the layouts and backgrounds of my engagement and wedding pictures. I wanted a photographer that was not afraid of breaking out of the usual wedding pictures rules to come up with something stunning and memorable. I also wanted someone that Mike and I could develop a good rapport with so that we could express our photography wishes and know that they would be heard and respected. I also needed to work with a photographer that was organized and professional. After considering all these things we could only come up with one person….Kate Podjan.

I have known Kate since we all three went to the same high school, and Mike and Kate have know each other longer than that and were actually each other’s first junior high girlfriend/boyfriend. But, we had not known of her talented and amazing photography skills until we all reconnected on Facebook. Every time Kate would post pictures online I would look at each and every one. I fell in love with her style, her colors, and her eye for beauty. I then fell in love with her organizational skills when I saw her detailed and typed out birth plan while I was her nurse at the hospital. I KNEW we had to have her as our photographer and we would be so lucky if she accepted! Obviously, she did and we have been amazed, stunned, and thankful each step of the way from our engagement to the wedding. I will admit, I was nervous for the engagement pictures because I wasn’t sure what our job was…should we pose ourselves, is there a certain way we should look? I was nervous we would do it wrong. Thankfully, Kate was so reassuring and comforting. She wanted us to be natural. Talk, flirt, hug, kiss and basically just interact naturally. It’s in those special, natural moments between Mike and me that Kate captured beautiful pictures for us. And not only do we have engagement pictures to keep for ourselves, but she then made an awesome guest book out of those engagement pictures for our guests to look at and then write in on our wedding day! I loved it and am so grateful to have that memory token. I just knew any and every thing she would do at the wedding would be spectacular and I had complete and total trust in her. I also appreciated that every meeting was organized and professional. She listened to my ideas and wants and looked at every spreadsheet or list I gave her and she acknowledged what I desired and then was able to combine that with her unique and special style to create marvelous pictures. I can’t say enough about how talented and remarkable Kate is and how Mike and I were so blessed to have her create insanely special pictures for us to have forever! Thank you Kate!! We love you!

Last, but certainly not least, was the photo booth that Kate provided at the reception. I had never been to a wedding that had a photo booth and I was super excited!! Kate and Beth Anne Opperman provided adorable props and our guests were lined up to get their picture taken in the booth. The guests will then be able to look up the photo booth pictures on an online gallery and order prints if they want. It’s so clever and was so much fun; we all loved it.

A special thank you to Beth Anne Opperman who helped Kate out at our wedding as the second shooter and ran the photo booth. I am so excited to see Beth Anne’s work in combination with Kate’s work on our wedding pictures. These two women are the most talented and phenomenal photographers ever!! Thank you girls from the bottom of my heart!!

Visit Christy & Mike's +Site here: www.christyandmike.katepodjanphotography.com

Ginette & Josh {guest book}

2011-06-16T07:57:00.001-04:00

I am so pleased with Josh & Ginette's Guest Book! They chose a beautiful spring green cover, and I absolutely plan on using this color for my next sample wedding book! With our guest books, we use images from the engagement session throughout, and leave lots of white space for wedding guests to write their well-wishes and congrats on the wedding day. I am so excited for Ginette & Josh's big day in September!

To see more of their engagement images, check out the KPP engagement album on my Facebook Fan Page.

Married! {Patrick+Beth} | Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

2011-06-14T21:11:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I had the privilege to photograph Patrick & Beth's wedding in Wisconsin. Patrick is my sister-in-law Shannon's dad, and he's been like an uncle to our family for years now. We love him, and are so happy for him!

Patrick & Beth were married in a cute little church in the country, and it was a very intimate occasion. The guests were mostly close family, and my dad was the officiant, as he was Patrick's pastor when he lived in Indiana. It was a nice little reunion with my brother, Sam, since he's serving in the Army and doesn't get back here to visit too often. Here are some of my favorite photographs from the day:

Okay, so in the collection of images below, here are some special little details: My niece, Charlotte, loved the lights at the reception. My brother-in-law, Andrew, ALWAYS gives me the thumbs-up when I take his picture. He was ready for me when I was getting some candid shots of my family leaving the church. My brother Sam is also giving quite the creepy face in that shot, too. Nice. Shannon's brother was fascinated with the outhouse outside of the church. Yes. I said outhouse. As in, there is not a bathroom in the church at all. And her brother spent a few minutes taking pictures of the outhouse, inside & out! My dad has a good profile. Almost all of my favorite pictures of him are in profile. My nephew Luke is laying on my other nephew Gavin for no good reason. Weirdos. Shannon likes posing for me. This is not the first picture I have of her smelling a flower. It's likely not my last. And Lilly likes to dance at receptions. A lot.

Visiting the Fire Station! {my life}

2011-06-12T21:12:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back, my sister-in-law, Jen, and I took our kiddos to visit our good friend Shannon's boyfriend, Brandon, at his job. He works as a fire fighter with the Mishawaka Fire Department, and we had a great time visiting the station he was working at that day. The kids LOVED the fire engine, and had a good laugh at Brandon in his gas mask. Thanks, Brandon, for letting us invade your job for a bit!

L+M {photo booth}

2011-06-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE it when my brides take the time to personalize the details in the photography aspects of their wedding. Remember when I posted earlier about Christy's attention to detail on her engagement shoot, and how that made the day? Well, the same things can be said about Lesli's amazing additions to her photo booth at her reception! While the glasses, parasols, dry-erase boards, and moustaches/lips are mine, the FABULOUS headpieces are all Lesli! I think we call all agree, they really make this booth stand out!

Special thanks to Beth Anne Opperman for rocking the photo booth shots so I could cover the rest of the reception!

NEW at KPP! {guest books}

2011-06-03T15:14:00.004-04:00

This year, I started offering these awesome guest books with The Kitchen Sink wedding collection, and they are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself! They are 10x10 linen KISS books, with 7 cover color options, filled to the brim with photos from your engagement session as well as plenty of room for your wedding guests to write well-wishes and happy memories for you on your wedding day. I think it's a great alternative to the boring plain lined guest books of yore...like the one I have from my wedding that I NEVER look at.

Here are some photos of Christy & Mike's guest book. I won't lie, I pretty much love it. So much so that I ordered myself a sample of their book in blue for my studio! (It didn't hurt that their engagement session was practically epic, either!)

C+M {photo booth}

2011-06-01T07:51:00.002-04:00

We debuted the new photo booth this past weekend at Christy & Mike's wedding, and I must say, it was a hit! Special thanks to Beth Anne Opperman for not only second shooting the wedding with me and bringing some fabulous props to add to my prop table, but also single-handedly running the photo booth like a champ! Here are a few faves to tide you over until I blog Christy & Mike's wedding...

{k8}

Christy+Mike {and some session prep advice}

2011-05-23T15:57:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to photograph Christy & Mike's fabulous engagement photos in Chicago. We started off at the adorable Sweet Mandy B's, an old fashioned dessert shop in Lincoln Park.

After a quick cupcake break, we were off to the rooftop at Lightology. Can I say, I would shoot here all day if I could!

Mike proposed to Christy in Paris, and they wanted to evoke a similar feel to their engagement session, incorporating the classic architecture and gorgeous cityscapes to tell their story. Can I just say that Mike and Christy were AMAZING subjects!!! Thanks to Christy's preparation and attention to detail, we had a wonderful day and I can honestly say I wish all sessions were this fab! For those of you out there that might be planning a session in the future, take a note from Christy: Give thought to the tone and styling of your shoot. Pay attention to the details, clothing, locations, overall feel of the day. The more you plan, and the more you put into preparing for your session, the more you'll get out of the session.

Speaking of attention to the details, don't you just LOVE Christy's shoes! Gorge! (as in gorgeous... wink!)

Thank you, Mike & Christy, for letting me drag you all around Chicago for the day. Can't wait for your wedding this weekend!

{k8}

The new website is live!

2011-05-21T20:38:00.001-04:00

Last Tuesday, I went to my local PUG meeting, and had the pleasure of listening to Jim Davis-Hicks speak about his passion, and his humanitarian organization, Thirst Relief International. I was so inspired by his message and his mission, that my husband and I have committed to donating $5/week to Thirst Relief, as well as 10% of all wedding and lifestyle collections booked throughtout the remainder 2011 (and likely beyond). For just $5, someone will receive the gift of clean, filtered water for the rest of their LIFE. Amazing. I plan on writing more about Thirst Relief, and how Kate Podjan Photography will be partnering in some really cool ways very soon, but today I have something fun to get to:

At the end of the PUG meeting, there was a drawing to win a couple of gifts, and I WON a website from Showit for one year!!! With that said, I am proud to unveil the new and improved Kate Podjan Photography website! Check it out and let me know what you think!

{I am aware that there are some bugs to be worked out, especially with the mobile site and the non-Flash-supported browsers, and I hope to have that fixed shortly.}

Until next time,
{K8}

Hello mid-2011. Goodbye lazy blogger.

2011-05-20T12:29:00.001-04:00

Many moons ago, I had a blog. I loved that blog. I updated that blog. And then...

Baby #2 was born.
My photography business picked up.
Ministry opportunities increased.
Life happened.

And along came baby #3.

Needless to say, my life is full, and blogging just got pushed to the back-burner, and then off the stove completely. Which is so sad, because I am a blog addict. I follow over 100 blogs. I am on my google reader all day long. I recommend blogs to people all the time. It's about time I get back in the swing of things, and start blogging again.

I have no idea if anyone will follow me (besides my sister, who is always in need of something to do while at work), and that's okay.

It seems a good time to get the blog rolling again. The 2011 wedding season is at hand, so I'll begin posting engagement sessions and weddings right away. I also have a new perspective on how I'll be photographing my lifestyle sessions from here on out, and I'll make sure to post those ideas and images here as well.

In the meantime, thank you for reading, and maybe even adding me to your reader! I'll do my best to post things that will be amusing, informative, beautiful and interesting as often as possible. Have a good night, and I'll see you here tomorrow. Or the day after. Or maybe next week.

{k8}