Simon McConico | Valo Photography

Rain. It’s a part of life. I just hate that sometimes it is a part of weddings as well. Vanessa and Drew’s wedding was my first experience shooting in the rain and it seemed like they barely even noticed it.

Their wedding was in the same church as Jason and Allison’s, but the decor and vibe were quite different. It is really cool to see how the same space can be used and decorated very differently. Vanessa went to school and does graphic design and you could see her design influence all throughout the day.

They had a cake/hors d’oeuvres reception after the ceremony and then we left to take photos. We arrived at our location and it started to drizzle. We got the group shots done and then it started to pour. We ran around and found overhangs and some cover to shoot in. Eventually we were all soaked, so we just shot in the rain. (I’m super glad all my gear works. Thank God for good equipment!) We finished outside and Jake and I still wanted to take photos… a photographer is never done. One more shot NEVER, means one more shot. That is like a preacher when they say they are almost done… fiction. Anyoldways. Jake suggested a coffee shop might be fun and so we headed to the closest one, which was closed. Awesome. Well, guess we have to… go… ho… wait. Grocery store in the rear view mirror. Wonder if they would be up for shooting there? They were and it was epic.

Drew. Vanessa. Thank you so much for being amazing and trusting that even though Jake and I had never shot in a grocery store before, we would come up with something interesting and a memory like no other for your wedding day.

(If you saw their sneak peek, you know you can click twice on the last photo to see it large. It’s a combination of about 7 photos that I stitched together. If I printed this at it’s original size it would be 60 inches wide by 13 inches high. I hope they have large walls…)

P.s. What are you watching on TV? Americas Next Top Model doesn’t come back on for a while and I need a new show.

P.p.s. Leave some love on the blog for Drew and Vanessa, not just the TV show

6 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: @jakedavidrohde, brookfield, cool milwaukee wedding photographers, milwaukee, milwaukee wedding photographers, milwaukee wisconsin, sendiks, Valo Photography, wedding photography, wisconsin photography, wisconsin wedding photography. | #

Weddings. Love. Those two things are pretty great separate, but when you put them together, it makes the day so much better.  Joey and Mehgan are a fantastic couple.  Joey is a very kind, gentle person and Mehgan is a person you talk to and know that she is 100% genuine.  It was such a privilege to be invited to shoot their wedding day.

Their day was perfect (other than some crazy wind).  They got married at the Wilson Center for the Arts, which is a fantastic place.  As a photographer, it was awesome due to the fact that one wall was full of windows.  Light is key to photos and this place had some of the best light I could have asked for.  Check out the photos below:

Vote for us on WI A-List: http://bit.ly/nydRR

4 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: brookfield, Brookfield Wisconsin, canon 5d mark 2, midwest wedding, midwest wedding photography, milwaukee, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, Photography, simonmcconico, Valo, Valo Photography, wedding, wedding photography, Wilson Center for the Arts, wisconsin. | #

Okay… so this is a dual purpose post.  In all of our packages with Valo Weddings we offer a DVD with the proofs for you to keep.  If you want to print them, put them on Facebook, or store them for your kids, you can do that.  Sometimes I get asked what the difference is between a proof and a retouched photo.  A proof photo is not a bad photo by any means, it is just a photo that hasn’t realized its full potential.

All of the proofs are color corrected and have a little contrast and saturation added to them, but they don’t have the special Valo touch that we put on all of the prints that are ordered from us or in your album.  Post processing doesn’t make a good shot, but it does make a good shot better.

Chad and Holly were a great couple to shoot because they were up for anything and were both looking fantastic.  It is amazing what type of art we can make when the couple trusts your eye and judgment.  I had so many good shots from this wedding I didn’t know which to post, so I just took two.  Hope you enjoy it.

Proof:

Retouched:

Proof:

Retouched:

3 Comments | In: Before and After, Weddings | tags: @jakedavidrohde, Before and After, brookfield, canon 5d mark 2, lakefront, milwaukee, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, Photography, simonmcconico, Valo, Valo Photography, valo photogrpahy, wedding, wedding photography, wiscon, wisconsin, wisconsin wedding photography. | #

Love, to me, has always been a choice as much, if not more, than a feeling. When the choice and the feeling are both there, it is electric. It is also obvious to tell when both of those things line up in a couple. They can’t stop smiling when they look at each other. They hold each others hand and are giddy when they are close. They have a glow about them and the only way to explain it is that they are in love.

Mike and Deb have been married for several years. Have four boys who are almost all grown up and love to dance. The two of them did not have a large, formal wedding when they were married, so they wanted to do something special for their 25th year anniversary. They decided to renew their vows to each other in front of many of their friends, family, and their boys.

It was awesome to see how in love Mike and Deb still were. They kissed passionately, held hands, and were giddy like two people newly in love. It was fantastic to see two people who have been together for so long love each other so much still. Here are a few photos from their ceremony and party:

They were both really happy. They couldn’t stop smiling.

Grandma was quite the photographer. She was a lot of fun all night and tore up the dance floor.

Mike and Deb love to dance and all of their boys do as well. They were workin the dance floor like a 9 to 5.

No Comments | In: Weddings | tags: 25th anniversary, brookfield, canon 5d mark 2, milwaukee, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, Photography, renewal of vows, Valo, Valo Photography, wedding photography, wisconsin. | #

Here is a sneak peek of a Vow Renewal that I shot on Friday.  It was great to see a husband and wife still very much in love after being married for 25 years.  In a day and age where love seems to be fleeting it is fantastic to see two people breaking that idea.  Love it.

No Comments | In: Weddings | tags: 25 year anniversary, brookfield, canon 5d mark 2, char house, mike and deb, pano, pano's char house, renewal of vows, simonmcconico, Valo, Valo Photography, wedding, wedding photography. | #

Hey everyone!  I have the application to become a part of our street team avalible for download here:

Valo Street Team App
You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this.

Tell everyone you know… that is if you want The more the merrier.  I would like to have 5 seniors for our team, but will consider more if I get enough apps.

1 Comment | In: General Information, Senior Photos | tags: 2010, brookfield, cedarburg, class photos, highschool, highschool photos, mequan, milwaukee wisconsin, new berlin, oak creek, Senior Photos, senior portraits, south milwaukee, street team, tosa east, Valo Photography, whitefish bay. | #

Valo Photography is looking for a few juniors to help us spread the word about our senior photos by being a part or our Street Team in their school. We are looking for a team of two seniors from each high school who are involved in activities and have a great individual style. Valo photography is edgy, modern, and cool and we want juniors who reflect us and to be our face in their school. Your photos will be used to advertise our studio on our website and in print.

What’s in it for you?
1 – You get 75% off of the top photo session with Valo photography. That is $375 that you save.
2 – You will get sweet cards to pass out at school or wherever you and your friends hang out. The cards will have a code that will be individualized to you so that we know when you refer people because…
3 – Everyone you send our way will get you entered another time into a drawing for a Nintendo Wii, Gift Cards, and Prints that will be drawn monthly.
4 – You will also get a 50% discount on the prints that you order and once the senior season is over (November) we will give you any large prints we make of you, some of which are valued over $100.

All right, all right… by now you are probably wondering how you can get in on this sweet deal. Next week we will have a sheet that you can download from our site, fill out, and mail/email back to us. We will contact the senior that we select and set up a time in March/April to shoot your photos.

So keep checking our blogs next week for your chance to be a part of the Valo Street Team.

If you are not a senior, not in high school, but know someone who is a Junior, we would appreciate it if you sent them on over to check out the site.

No Comments | In: General Information, Senior Photos | tags: amazing, brookfield, ceaderburg, milwaukee, Photography, Senior Photos, street team, Valo Photography, whitefish bay, wisconsin. | #

Yesterday I posted an old senior photo of myself. Kinda scary. Here is one more for your enjoyment and one from Teecycle Tim. He emailed me one of his senior photos (which is amazing)! It is really interesting to see how photos have changed throughout the years and what is considered creative and artistic.

Behold, the Tim:

And here is one of mine. Lots of energy in this one… check out the backdrop:

Mind blowing right? Well here is a taste of the senior photos I shoot:

Have a little fun and send in your senior photo to simon@valophotography.com

2 Comments | In: Senior Photos | tags: brookfield, fun, milwaukee, old school, Photography, Senior Photos, Valo Photography, wisconsin. | #

Aight… here is the deal. Senior photo season is going to be kicking off pretty soon and I am super excited.

(P.s. Not Senior, like Citizen, Senior like Class of 2010)

I am going to be looking for a few seniors to rep Valo Photography and our work at their local high school.

I will be posting more info on how you can get some pretty sweet perks and awesome photos to boot. I will have more information on being a part of our Street Team on Thrusday night, so keep your eyes peeled.

Till then, I am going to post one of MY old senior photos. I found them lying around in my basement (Class of ’01 Baby!!)

So hott.

(If you have any good senior photos you want to show the world, shoot me an email with the photo to simon@valophotography.com)

No Comments | In: Senior Photos | tags: brookfield, ceaderburg, Class of 2010, milwaukee, Photography, Senior Photos, simon mcconico, south milwaukee, valo photograph, whitefish bay, wisconsin. | #