NEW LOCATION

HELLO ALL,

please visit my blog at it's new location:

www.dartise.com/blog





SEE YA THERE!!!!!

Jeff and Nikki

Every once and a while you run across a couple that you know shares something more special than others...from their families to their 3 little girls... Jeff and Nikki have so much to live for...and much more to be thankful for...

Please enjoy some highlights from their wedding day:

j+v

I once heard that "Love is a choice you make from moment to moment.."

And although I met Jose and Veronica for the first time on their wedding day...I exude admiration for their decision to choose to love one another...

Their wedding day was one to remember...So please enjoy some highlights from the day:

The Party of the Year!!!

I pray one day to find the connection that Dave and Jenni share...their love for each other and their love for life and family alike is the perfect example that Best Friends are truly friends forever...

Please enjoy some highlights from their wedding day...





I must mention again that the reception was the party of the year....

Forever...

Brett and Heather together forever...their dream to be one has now become a reality...Just under a month ago these two began their journey into an everlasting friendship that they will forever enjoy...






I'd also like to thank Chris and Alison Vincent of Chalet hills golf club and Two Rings Productions for their help and commend them on an awesome job on the services they provided for Brett and Heather...they truly made my job as simple as it could be...

Next Top Model....

Ladies and Gentlemen....

I'd like to present to you....

Ms. Lalah Sanah



America's Next Top Model




I'd once again like to thank Ms. Niena Drake for her fantastic wardrobe styling...

Truly Inspiring...

I had the opportuniy once again to work on a project with the fabulous Ms. Stefanie Newell...I really enjoy shooting book covers...

This time the book is titled "Pull Your Pants Up...and be a man! " A self help book that every teenage boy needs...One that is truly inspiring...

I had a chance to meet the author Ms. Bernice Harris on a cold Saturday morning in late February...She and the model/music producer Joe Hill as well as Stef were shivering silently as we caputured the images on the South Side of Chicago....

And talk about doin' it BIG...

the forward was written by Actor Malik Yoba....



Check it out....

Click here to order your copy...

Lipstick on his Soul...

When I heard that line in a song I thought to myself WOW, that's gonna happen when I fall in love again...But when I witnessed the interaction between Steve and Marlo I realized that's what happened to him...

She left Lipstick on his Soul...and now they're engaged to be married...

Enjoy a few images I put to music for their engagement session:

Spring is Here!!!

Meet Mykhall and Tiffany...



They were one of my first couples to take my Spring Time Special and put it to use....







These two recent college grads were bitten by the love bug...and I wish them the best...

The Perfect Love Story...

On February 5th, 2009 they became an official couple, and on March 17th 2009 they were joined together in the holy union of marriage....

Meet Daryle and Tracy:





We had a chance to spend a Saturday morning together...these two are full of love and compassion for each other and the Word of God...

Please take the time to visit tracy's blog to read up on the 3 part story of how they met...and subscribe to her blog as she share's with you what God has shared with her...

on a cold, cold wet day....

It's very difficult for anyone to keep a straight face let alone smile when it's freezing outside...and even more difficult when it's supposed to be warm...and you dress for the warmth and it turns cold and then starts raining...

Of course this happened on the day of our shoot....but I thought Anisa did an Outstanding job....and I must thank her for her determination to make this shoot happen under the given circumstances...

Enjoy!

Jeff+Nikki

All I can say is WOW...

I fall in love with all my couples...We met for the first time on a cool Sunday morning near Hyde Park here in Chicago...the temp was maybe a tad bit cooler than we would've liked...but hey, it's Chicago...What do you expect?

Jeff and Nikki came dressed to impress...and there was plenty of "shuga" shared between the two of them...

They met on the train a while back...and they plan on riding it together...to the last stop and back again until the end of time...

Click here to meet Jeff and Nikki before the two collide in an awesome August wedding later this year...

Reflections Of Love...

Muhummad + Emily...




"The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer."Oliver Wendell Holmes



I met these two through six degrees of separation...They agreed to meet me at North Avenue Beach here in Chicago...After a few warm up shots...they were all ready to go with gracious grins and giggles...



Although they're busy planning a September wedding...they had time to meet me early Saturday morning to show me their pearly whites : )



I am excited to capture the memorable moments on their wedding day...The love they share is genuine...

Lunch Break musician...

Ever wonder what musicians do on their lunch break?

They Play:



Juan works with me at my 9-to-5...and we just happened to be on lunch at the same time...(that almost never happens) He goes into an unoccupied room and puts a cd of his favorite artist in the computer and plays along with them...if he doesn't know the song...he figures out how to play it on the spot...I've seen him in action...He's amazing...

Don't Feed the Photographers...

Of Course I'm joking...you should always feed the photographers : )

This lovely family invited me to breakfast before our shoot...Rhonda must've read my mind...because one of my favorite things to do outside of taking pictures is eating...lol...

Meet siblings Rhonda, Lolo, and Tiff and their beautiful families...















I had the opportunity to capture Lolo's (aka laura) wedding day...and I appreciate Rhonda and family bringing aboard for "picture day w/ breakfast"...it was alot of fun...

A-licious

After going back and forth with myself about posting this I finally gave in...As my photography mentor put it, "it's some of your best work, why not display it."

So I present to you a black and white artistic expression of the lovely model AJ...I call this piece A-licious....Enjoy: