ENGAGEMENT SESSION CONTEST!!!!

I was REALLY inspired by this video! Their love story exemplifies "for better or for worse."

It was awesome to witness this couple sharing their love and God’s plan for their lives! I bet you cannot watch it without crying, I know I didn’t!

It really got me thinking. I am a photographer because I love telling people’s stories with pictures. I am also a hopeless romantic that is in love with love.

I also thought it was time for a contest. I haven’t had one in a bit. So, I want to offer you the chance to have a beautiful on-location engagement session as well as a slideshow video that tells the story of your love!  Is that cool or what?

So this is how you submit an entry for this contest.

• I want you to write to me and tell me all about your story.
• Tell me how you met, how you fell in love, and any challenges that you faced as a couple.
• I’ll read all of them and choose my favorite.
• I am a sap, so the more it pulls at my heartstrings the better!

Then, I will meet the winners at the Chicagoland location of their choice. I will create video and still shots of you and your spouse-to-be in a fun-loving engagement session.

I encourage the creative and wacky to apply. We creative types always have the coolest images!

Then I will work my magic back at the studio and create a slideshow video that you will want to share for years to come! You will receive a high definition copy of the slideshow video on DVD.

This prize package has a value of $500, and I know you do not want to miss out!

You have until June 1^st to email your story to tracy@tldphoto.com. It should be single spaced, size 12 font, and no longer than two pages.

Get to writing! I cannot wait to hear your story!

Organic Canvas II

I have been away from the blog for far too long. The funny thing is, I've been shooting the whole time. It is just that with the holidays, people are busy, and they have not chosen their final images for editing. I promise, people of the blog, to be a little better when it comes to postings! Look out for a new boudoir post and highlights from some family sessions very soon!

In the meantime, I wanted to share a slideshow from my ongoing project, Organic Canvas. I partnered with Paul and Nicole again at Reggie's in the South Loop for a bit a performance art last fall. This time, we were joined by LaToya, a new model to the project. You will also see Julien Thorn, and his group, Jules Esquire, at the end of this slideshow.

Enjoy, share with friends, and let me know if you would like to become part of this project.

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this collection, I am selling 16x24 and larger signed images starting at $100. Both Paul and I will sign the images. Each image will be printed as a 50 print limited edition. Please call 773.616.9657 or email tracy@tldphoto.com for details!

Organic Canvas

When Vincent Christie called me and told me he wanted me to do something for Pangea's Garden, I wanted to make sure I did something no one had done before. He told me that he wanted me to shoot Nicole Renee Boisseau, and introduces me to her. She is stunning, and I am immediately lost and intimidated by this task. I tried my best to come up with a concept, and somehow I decided that I would cover her in clay.

I have never worked with this medium, so I wondered who I could get to artfully cover her with a thin coat of terracotta colored clay. I immediately thought of friend and artist, Paul Branton. I’d fallen in love Paul Branton's "Urban Queen: Green with Envy" portrait the minute I saw it at Gallery Guichard. I begged Paul to let me buy it, but it was SOLD!

Now here comes the really cool part. While looking at Nicole’s pictures for inspiration, I realized SHE WAS THE MODEL for the painting I was IN LOVE WITH that was sold! This changed my concept completely. I asked him to make her a living painting for me so I could always have her in my collection. In March of this year, we did just that.

(Click the FULL SCREEN button in the lower right hand corner of the slideshow window, and chose 720p, for an optimal viewing experience.)

The story just gets better from there. The original sale of "Urban Queen: Green with Envy" fell through. Next month, it will be hanging near the entrance to my studio!

Please be sure to view Paul’s work at http://brantonart.com/

 

and Vincent’s collection of Black Beauty at http://PangeasGarden.com/

Matriarch

Last weekend, I went to visit my aunt, Lillyan. At 89, she is the oldest living member of our family.

I remember going to see her a few years ago, and she was confined to a chair and not looking so good. I wondered if that was the last time I would ever see her.

I am happy to say that she is doing much better than the last time I saw her. She is even getting around on a walker. As you can see, from the picture above, I have to start with a sneak attack when it comes to taking her picture.

After a while, she warms up and will actually pose for some pictures. On this particular day, she was jazzed up with lipstick and everything to say goodbye to my cousin who was going back to Texas that day.

I am so happy that my daughter gets to see her. It is good to know where you come from.

I think it is important to mention that my aunt is profoundly hearing impaired. She has been since catching scarlet fever as a child. Her sister, Dorothy, was also deaf from the same illness. One of Lillyan's daughters is also deaf. It has never kept me from having a conversation with them. My clumsy sign language and their awesome lip reading and speech allows us to communicate.

They both have an incredible love of animals. There are always quite a few dogs in their home. I think it is because you and a dog don't have to talk to each other to understand how much you love each other. Here are a few of the pooches.

ChaCha is 14 and has cateracts and her tounge hangs out her mouth because she's lost so many teeth. She is frail and barely hanging on, but they love her and will not hear of putting her to sleep. They feed her with a fork.

This new pooch looks like a cross between a Chihuahua and a Doberman. He acts like it too. He is not the kindest of critters, and he has a brother just like him. Don't let the big eyes fool you. He growled at me the whole time.

This is Dolce. He is some type of chow mutt who I love dearly. This is one sweet and playful pup. While out of focus, I love this image. He knew I was shooting and refused to sit still. Here he is doing his best "downward dog."

All of the dogs here respond to sign lanugage. Getting a response when you speak to them depends on their mood.

All good things come to an end. I think she grew weary of my big lens. She went off into the kitchen in her wheelchair, sat there a bit, and came back in the living room when I put the camera away.

Her mind is completely in tact, and she thinks she is slick. :-)

Love you, Auntie.

©2011 TLD Photography All rights reserved
Please do not crop the watermark. Please do not use with permission.

Growing Works/Laundry Magazine Fashion Show for Flashes of Hope

On May 17^th, I had the honor of being a volunteer photographer at the Growing Works/Laundry Magazine Fashion Show. It was a charity event with proceeds benefitting Flashes of Hope. Flashes of Hope (http://www.flashesofhope.org/) is an amazing charity that takes beautiful portraits of children with cancer and their families.

©2011 TLD Photography All rights reserved
Please do not crop the watermark. Please do not use with permission.

The models were beautiful, the food was wonderful, and the fashions were cutting edge. A big thank you to Carrie Gowans from Flashes of Hope for asking me to shoot at this event! Please enjoy a slide show of my favorite images!