I just did a photoshoot with a beautiful young woman who is undergoing a voluntary full mastectomy tomorrow (and reconstruction soon after) because breast cancer has run rampant in her family and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene.
I feel so honored that she chose me and trusted me, a total stranger, to do this, and to do a series of shoots in the coming months documenting her healing process.
Please think good thoughts for her as she undergoes surgery tomorrow.
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October 18, 2017
September 28, 2017
Natasha Samreny - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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September 22, 2017
Jenni Grover, the Chronic Babe! - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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September 21, 2017
Impress These Apes! - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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In the spirit of "you had to be there," here are a few photos from various seasons of Apes (there have been 8 so far, with perhaps more in the future?):
September 20, 2017
Wedding Ambiance - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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At every wedding I always take a few minutes to grab images of the setting itself - it's part of the experience of the day, and surely part of the memories of the celebrants.
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September 19, 2017
Libby Rudolph - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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I've worked with her several times, including photographing rehearsals, fittings, and performances of the The Floating Opera Company's "Quantum Mechanics," which just happened to be directed by my brother, Andrew Snyder.
We also did a super-fun boudoir shoot that resulted in the very first time I ever (accidentally) took a boudoir photo of a cocker spaniel. He didn't care that lights were set up just right and I was taking photo after photo, he just wanted to relax on his bed. Who can blame him?
September 18, 2017
The Maxwell Family - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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I was pleased with our results and Mike and Amanda were pleased to welcome their second child into the world just a few weeks later.
September 15, 2017
The O'Shaughnessies - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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I was also pleased to take her first family Christmas portraits, experiment with colorful decorations, and celebrate the birth of a bright new star in the world.
September 14, 2017
Charlotte Hamilton - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Getting the light right is so important for a good photo. One of my favorite tricks is to shoot during the golden hours, at sunrise and sunset.
In this photo, I was with the lovely Charlotte Hamilton, around sunset, once again at Loyola Park, perhaps my favorite spot for outdoor photography.
I wanted to get that lovely backlit look, hair aglow, wherein my subject looks practically angelic. It took a minute or two for us to get ourselves in just the right position to get this effect, but once we settled in, we nailed it.
September 13, 2017
The Captain Family - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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September 12, 2017
Baby Birthday Party! - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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A recent client wanted to plan something "very Chicago" for her daughter's first birthday, and so booked the back room at the Vienna Beef Factory and Cafe!
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Well-wishers included approximately 15 one-year olds plus their parents. Many a pickle was munched, a smash cake was, well, smashed, and a good time was had by all.
The musical entertainment led us all in a rousing edition of "Wheels on the Bus" (are children born knowing this song? I've yet to meet a kid who doesn't know at least 15 verses of this tune).
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And later, when it was over, and I was reviewing the thousands of photos I'd taken that day, I came across one I didn't even remember snapping - an adorable rear-view that was just too cute not to include in the final collection.
Because when you're serious about partying, there's no amount of tulle or big fluffy diaper that's going to keep you from dancing with your friends and celebrating your special day.
Happy birthday, little L. Thanks for letting me share in your special day, and may you have many, many more happy birthdays to come.
The Lincoln Lodge! - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Chicago's longest-running independent comedy showcase is the legendary Lincoln Lodge, now entering its 17th year. If the show were a person it would be old enough to drive, and old enough to get a fake ID and make terrible personal choices! (Rumor has it yours truly enjoyed a brief stand-up career and herself performed once at the Lincoln Lodge - but that's a story for another day.)
The Lodge is a cast-based show that survived the sudden loss of their long-time venue, the Lincoln Restaurant, and landed triumphantly at the awesome Subterranean, where they continue to highlight the best of Chicago's stand-up and variety talent, as well as bringing in national names and Chicago-spawned comics who have found success in New York or Los Angeles.
I was flattered when the Lodge asked me to take their Season 17 cast photo. The visual gag was "everyone in prom dresses," generally pretending to be drunk, the day after prom, on a playground.
By some utter miracle, the show's longtime producer Mark Geary managed to schedule 8 comedians to show up at my house at 8 AM on a Sunday, and after some fidgeting and emergency clothes-pinning of dresses, we ambled up a few blocks to a playground where I take my kiddo a lot, and we struck 5 different poses in 5 different places, and got some really great shots.
Satisfied that we'd gotten the shot we wanted, we headed back to my house. Impulsively, the cast decided to jump up on a dumpster in my back alley for a few last photos, and - of course - THAT WAS THE PHOTO THEY WENT WITH. The one we hadn't even planned. Funny how things work out that way. The spontaneous, impulsive choice was the right one.
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Mia McCullough in Triplicate! - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
One fun thing was when I learned to composite, combining multiple images into a single photo, a technique that lends itself to lots of fun trickery.
My friend Mia McCullough was kind enough to come over and be my guinea pig, posing in three separate places on my couch, with a different shirt, different pose, and slightly different hair in each photo.
The result was an eye-popping triplicate of herself that led to a fun conversation about how great it would be to actually have three of oneself - imagine how much more you could get done!
September 11, 2017
Art Imitates Art - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Luckily, my downstairs neighbor Elizabeth has three energetic boys under three years old who have more patience with me (and are ridiculously adorable).
This kiddo is posing with "Wilson," the volleyball from the Tom Hanks film Castaway, because, well, his name is Wilson. And he's picture-perfect.
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September 10, 2017
Comedian Adam Gulley - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Comedian Adam Gulley heeded my advice and brought his best suit, and after a few "serious" shots on him in it, we decided to go for a comment effect with my son's rocking bull (which was my husband's when he was a little boy).
The juxtaposition of the six foot something boy-next-door looking guy in a business suit rocking away on a tiny child's toy is one of my favorite silly photos ever.
September 9, 2017
Comedian Leonardo "Lucky" Luciano - - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Leonardo Luciano is one of the latter. He works in the world of fine fabrics (and, not coincidentally, is always impeccably dressed), has been happily married to his beautiful wife for decades, and has lovely children and grandchildren!
The awesome Monique Madrid did the makeup at this particular shoot (yes, sister ofBriette!).
Monique and her husband Corey Rittmasterare both in Los Angeles, both doing acting and comedy but I'll plug her makeup business anyway, since she does that and fabulous haircuts and styles as well - http://
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elizabethmcquern.com
September 8, 2017
Comedian Jeff Steinbrunner - Chicago Photographer and Filmmaker Elizabeth McQuern
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Sometimes it's the actually smooth, self-assured, confident comics who are completely comfortable being ridiculous.
For example, my friend Jeff Steinbrunner, a onetime castmember at my former showChicago Underground Comedy who's now doing comedy in NYC, is handsome and also totally rubberfaced. And fearless.
He showed up to my house with a bunch of props and a small squirty vial of fake blood,which is still on a shelf in my room by my camera gear.
Tell Brooklyn I said "hi," Jeff!
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