With or Without You | Dance Recital Videography

Sigh...I love mixing my passion for video with my passion for dance or theatre.  It makes me furiously happy!

Here is an excerpt from my favorite dance that we captured this year: A contemporary ballet performance to a string version of "With or Without You".  Chills.  Every time.  I love Lisa's School of Dance in Bartlett.  Both my girls dance there and we love each and every teacher.

I was honored to do their photography and video this year, and it was the largest job I've ever undertaken!  I learned a lot from it, and I feel confident that I can take on one or two more studios next year as well.  Feel free to contact me if you know of a dance studio that needs a new photographer or videographer!



With or Without You from Images to Adore on Vimeo.

Josh and Brittany | Cinematic Wedding Film

It was a pleasure to videotape Josh and Brittany's wedding this summer at one of our favorite venues, The Narnia Estate in Lemont, IL.

In our pre-wedding consult, Brittany explained that she didn't want a long boring video that she'd only watch once or twice.  She wanted something short and fun that would be exciting to relive over and over again, and something she could share with friends and family.  She was the perfect client for our new offering: Cinematic Short-Form edits!  Seen here is the highlight.  The main short form film is approximately 20 minutes in length, and shows the ceremony in depth, with the help of toasts and readings narrating their story.  Snippets of the preparation, photo shoot, first dances and partying are added to round out the story.

To be able to achieve the short form edit, we must have two videographers filming the wedding, with costs starting at $250/hour, which includes editing.  As there is less time to tell the story of the day, we require extra hands and eyes to capture everything, and add in extra artistic touches that might not be possible with just one videographer.

Also now available is the option to purchase our edited files suitable for uploading to a mobile device or iPad.  Take your wedding film with you to share and enjoy!

Please contact us at Linnea @ ImagesToAdore.com if you would like more information about how we can create custom photography and video for your wedding day!
See our work at www.ImagesToAdore.zenfolio.com

PS: Special mention to Denise http://www.weddingsbydenise.com/ for introducing me to Josh and Brittany.  She is a wonderful wedding coordinator, whom I'd recommend in a heartbeat!


Adler Highlight Video from Linnea Nowak on Vimeo.

My Irish Dancer

My 5-year old daughter Clara has wanted to be an Irish dancer since she first saw a performance when she was one.  Every year around St. Patrick's Day we would see at least one dance performance, and she would be mesmerized.  She couldn't wait until she was 4 and would be old enough for lessons.  I did a tiny bit of Irish dancing for fun and exercise when I was an adult, and I always wished that I had begun dancing at a younger age.

Clara dances with Trinity Irish Dancers, and I can't say enough great stuff about Trinity.  We've made some friends already who I think will be wonderful friends for a long, long time!  Here are a couple favorite photos that I've taken over the past year and wanted to share.  I'm a really proud mama for all that she's accomplished this year!

PS: If your child is interested in trying an Irish dance class, feel free to contact me!  There is a free class session in mid-May.


Watching the big girls dance:

 Winter Weekend festivities:

 Clara's first dance medal:

 Trinity Founder Mark Howard gets his dance on:

 Aboard a float during the Chicago Southside parade.  This photo was taken with an iPhone, but I love it!

 Performing at a local school:

 Friends:

 She looks so grown up!

Meet our most recent couples!

I'm slammed with lots of editing projects, so this will be a quick update, but I thought I'd share two photos of our current wedding clients.

Christina and Nestor were married in January and are about to receive their edited wedding film. Christina's family owns the Royalty West Banquet Hall in Willow Springs, so they naturally had their ceremony and reception there!

Katie and Brian were just married in Sycamore last weekend and had their reception in Rochelle. Brian's sister organized the entire wedding and did a fabulous job! I actually didn't get a chance to meet the couple before their wedding, but I felt very touched at their ceremony; it was quite emotional! Love can really change someone's life, and Brian and Katie are proof of that!

Both couples opted for video-only coverage, but I always bring my still camera with so I can snap a photo for the blog and their DVD cases!

Baby J | Bartlett, IL Newborn Photography & Video

Congrats to the Reed family for their latest addition: Baby J! This is baby boy #3 for them, and I think they just make the most beautiful babies! I've been videotaping/photographing their family for the past 6 years now, I have to say that I feel so blessed to be able to capture another special milestone, and that they feel comfortable enough to ask me to be with them just hours after giving birth!

I also captured video which will be incorporated into a 1st birthday video of Baby J's growth!

A few days later I visited their house, and Baby J looked so different already! Huge changes happen in newborn in those first few weeks. Even if you don't have a professional photographer, make sure to document their growth with pictures and video often!

I love this pose! I saw it on Pinterest a while back, and luckily mom saw it too and loved it! Mom's hand was right by the baby in case one of the big brothers got a case of the wiggles. They did a fantastic job. Mom had them practice without the baby for a day or two before the photo shoot! I just love how all the colors pull together!

Is this not the most precious moment ever?!?!

...closely followed by this shot. Mom didn't want to be in the photos because...well, she just had a baby! But I couldn't resist snapping this shot of her sitting on the floor and calming Baby J. You don't have to have your hair or nails perfect. You just need to love and that will shine through the image until nothing else is visible!

Hugs and kisses to Baby J's family. May the boys sleep well for you so that you can match their energy each day! :)

Jeff and Laura are married! | Sycamore, IL wedding photography

It was a beautiful September day for Jeff and Laura's wedding. It's always nice to take a trip down memory lane, and I had quite a bit of nostalgia during their gorgeous wedding! They were married at Sycamore's Federated Church. A place I used to be a roving Madrigal musician around the holidays. The bride was in my graduating high school class, and I ran into several school mates I hadn't seen in ages. And their reception was at St. Mary's Church, where I had my ceremony 9 years ago! So lots of stars were in alignment for me to capture this wedding, but the brightest stars shone in Jeff and Laura's eyes when they gazed at one another! Congrats, and thank you for having me capture your beautiful day!

Laura wore a stunning dress, purchased from Crystal Bride in Geneva, IL.

First post-ceremony stop was to the Elwood House in DeKalb, IL.

Second stop was to Blumen Gardens in Sycamore, IL. I LOVE this location. Still thinking about having a 10-year anniversary party there next October.

And on to St. Mary's of Sycamore for a fun-filled reception!

Congrats, Laura and Jeff! Wishing you all the best!