dn.jy | Blog

Engaged! Andy & Meg // Cobden, IL

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:02:05 -0600

Engagements are such happy news — I realize this reality increasingly as more of my friends are becoming engaged to be married…it is such a joyful experience for everyone!

I met Andy and Meg at Vine, and they are such genuine people. As a couple, they are so very handsome together! Cobden and Alto Pass were fitting locations to express their fun-loving and peaceful personalities :) If you’ve never been, Yellow Moon Cafe in downtown Cobden is a contemporary-rustic hangout spot filled with friendly people, and that’s where we began our photo-journey :)

It’s hard to miss the Cafe during the day because there is this beautiful midnight-blue wall with a huge yellow moon on the side of the building :) I love this sequence below on the blue wall — shows off their goofy side!

Meg brought a quilt that her grandmother made to be featured in the photos — which also helped keep them warm in our weird southern-illinoisan winter

This yellow wall is pretty striking as well!!

Andy made wooden flowers for Meg to mark significant moments in their relationship: the white daisy on their first date, all the way to the full bouquet when he proposed — such a unique and heartfelt way to symbolize love :)

Getting to Skyline by the sunset was perfect, as we got different colors and lights to match the epicness of the bluffs and mountains. It was completely breathtaking.

So. Epic.

I’m ending with some shots from the Cafe, where their deep, deep joy was evident from the very start :)

Canon 7D, 35mm f/1.4L; VSCO

Family: Eloise is One! // Carbondale, IL

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:36:00 -0600

Remember baby Eloise? She is ONE! Better believe it…PINK — everywhere!

Eloise’s outfit is fantastic - especially the crocheted crown/headband, the tutu, and glittery-squeaky shoes! Gorgeous birthday girl :)

and, of course, joyful parents :)

Eloise eating cake, non-stop :)

HUGE pink balloon!

Happy 1st Birthday, Eloise! I know you will only grow more and more beautiful and strong, just like your parents :) Zach and Colleen, thank you so much for letting me capture the growing Joy in your family. Eloise’s first birthday is indeed a milestone, so congratulations and keep up the amazing love…oh, and don’t forget to celebrate always!!!

Canon 7D, 24-70mm f/2.8L, 35mm f/1.4L; VSCO Film

Musician: Danielle Kurant // Orlando, FL

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:15:35 -0600

I love Danielle Kurant.

Now that that is out there, I can go about my usual blogging :) I’m super excited that Danielle is coming out with a second CD! Her first CD, Beginnings, is fabulous. I also cannot believe that she trusted me enough to do her album portraits and layout. I have included some samples below…I get nostalgic seeing pictures I took with my first DSLR, a Rebel XT. We had so much fun on Clearwater Beach for that shoot!

Anyway, these pictures are from the recording of her second album, which is highly anticipated by yours truly (I cannot emphasize this enough!). Sometimes, I blame the fact that I like to do everything interesting on my friends. Danielle is one such lovely soul. She is in medical school and still highly active with writing and performing music (shout out to Trey Penton, another close med student/photographer/artist/musician/filmmaker friend!). All of my friends inspire me SO MUCH!

Also noteworthy in these pictures are Jed Mootsey on the guitars and Brody Murakami, the sound mixing magician! Danielle has such a way of drawing awesome people into a little movements of awesomeness and beauty :)

BTW, that gold mic is like super duper expensive because it has GOLD on it. what!

Music lights up Danielle like nothing else :)

Check out the video of her in studio, even her “warm ups” are amazing :)

Graphics from her first album, portraits shot at Clearwater Beach, FL:

Canon 7D with 16-35 f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, Speedlite 430EXII

Canon Rebel XT with 300mm f/4

Life: Mandy // Tampa, FL

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:53:20 -0600

One of my favorite things about being alive is experiencing friendships with creative people. Mandy is one of these people, loving photography, graphic design, the blogosphere, etc. etc. Her laugh is contagious, and we share a severe addiction to loose leaf tea :) We wanted to get some portraits of her made in order to showcase how gorgeous she is and so that she can use some for her sites.

All these pictures were taken by Dan :)

Am I the only one who thinks these pics are straight out of an Urban Outfitters’ catalog?! Incidentally, Mandy works at one :p

Juxtaposing some industrial shots with nature to see both sides of her personality :)

We love pictures of people and/or things levitating :)

Ahhhhh levitating!

We love Mandy!!!

Canon 5D Mk II, 24-70mm f/2.8L, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

Family: the Nguyen's! // Seffner, FL

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:11:28 -0600

I’m excited to introduce our first shoot of 2012, featuring Dan’s family! Yes, this is THE “DN” in DN.JY and THE Dan Nguyen of Simplexity Studios :) This family is definitely near and dear to me, and it is fitting to start of a good year with some perfect subjects :)

We decided to do a morning shoot in the neighborhood, as the sunlight in Florida can get really harsh very quickly. As it turned out, the morning light was gorgeous for such an awesome family with such great personality :)

Enjoy!!

One thing characteristic of Florida landscapes is the Spanish moss…I usually resent them, but I now love how they frame the portraits!

Feet shot of the three brothers — nguyening!

Found a worn gate that looks like a studio setup! whoa.

killer jumping picture, Aidan!

Honestly, what an awesome family!! Thanks for letting me make portraits to celebrate the new year!

Canon 5D Mk II, 24-70mm f/2.8L

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!!!

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:14:00 -0600

Most of us think we want Christmas to be like this:

…when perhaps what most of us need is this:

May you all know true Love and Light that wrap around and around and around and never let go.

To all who gave me the privilege of helping to make memories with those you love, THANK YOU! You have enriched my life through DNJY more than you will ever know <3

Below is a slideshow of one portrait from every shoot in 2011, enjoy!

Community: Art for Change Project // Carbondale, IL

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:28:00 -0600

WHAT: this is an experiment in the power of community. It’s smple: Art for Change!

“For every photo you take home, drop some change into the rice bowl.”

ONE full bowl feeds ONE child for ONE month

Common Grounds Coffee House, my favorite hangout and study spot in Carbondale, graciously hosted this community experiment this Fall. I heard about RiceBowls and thought it would be fun to try out this idea, since I had a lot of extra prints of my random travels lying around. All these pictures span about four years of my life and feature locations from all around the US!

Words fail to capture how meaningful this journey was — meeting new people who have amazing passion and kindness, inspired artists who also love their community, and of course, the amazing work that the staff and partners of Rice Bowls do everyday to bring food and Love to orphans all around the world! I am blown away by their commitment to doing all they can to spread this joy!

I would collect the full bowls every other night or so, and mark them off — super exciting!

I should have taken an “aftermath” picture, as there were about 20 pictures left out of about 3/400.

Needless to say, the project was a HUGE success, as we raised $320!!! Thank you for your extraaavagant GENEROSITY, coffee-lovers!!!

I realized that I didn’t actually own a hammer, so I had to smash these with the backs of screwdrivers…sorry for the random bangings, neighbors!

Be sure to check out Rice Bowls for truths about malnutrition around the world and how you can help!

Family: Jenn & Yancey // Carbondale, Illinois

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:59:57 -0600

Jennifer is one of my really great friends from Vine — as my first small group leader, and partner-in-crime for so many videos and creative projects, sometimes I think she knows what I’m thinking even before I say anything :) It’s always good to have that kind of connection :)

Yancey has grown so much taller in such a short time! Super rambunctious and fun-loving personality aside, Yancey expresses a growing courage to me. In fact, both Jenn and Yancey stand for an enduring courage.

They picked out a pair of costumes just to be silly and warm up for the shoot, and how awesome is this?! Robin Hood and Jenn the Princess :)

It was one of the rare sunny days we’ve had here in wintery Southern Illinois, so it was nice to take advantage of lens flares and the such :)

Silly Faces!!

:) :)

Canon 7D, 16-35 f/2.8L, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

Family: the Emrick's // Carbondale, IL

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:05:05 -0600

It has been a wet start to the winter here in Southern Illinois. Normally, when it rains, people cancel shoots, but Nathan and Krystal braved it and came out anyway, and we had a fabulous stroll around downtown Carbondale :) One rule that has never failed is that an overcast sky is the best lighting!

I haven’t known Nathan and Krystal for long, but right off the bat I noticed that even though they have different personalities and different ways of loving the other, combined, they have a married energy I have never known before. They have great style too, no? :) I love that when I asked Nathan how he usually makes Krystal laugh, he replied, “Just my sense of humor,” which proved so true — she cracks up with the brightest smile when Nathan is just being himself.

Nathan and Krystal, thanks for the fun afternoon, and for making it easy for me to make such great portraits!

Canon 7D, 24mm f/1.4L, 45mm TSE f/2.8

Family: Leah is Almost ONE! // Southern Illinois

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:00:00 -0600

This is a post that is close to my heart, as Omar and Mayumi were the first people who really reached out to me right from the first weekend I moved to Carbondale, and have since then become like family to me!

As with all families, there are ups and downs, and this year was definitely not an exception. This blog is my way of remembering Omar and Mayumi’s first year with Leah, and a glimpse into the strength and depth of love that continue to baffle me :)

Part One: Leah entered the world at the end of last year, so we did a Winter photoshoot to celebrate!

Part Two: Mayumi surprised Omar after work one day with a picnic at Evergreen Park. We had an awesome get-together just to hang out the week before Omar had to start chemo. It was a difficult time, but having Leah there and so many people praying really brought out a Joy that is like the diamond in the rough. Mayumi wrote Omar a sweet love letter, and made these loving notes with encouraging verses. It was a great Spring afternoon, and the rain stopped for an hour just for us :)

Part Three: This December will be Leah’s FIRST birthday, time passes by so quickly! She crawls, talks, sings, and, last I’ve heard, has eight teeth now. EIGHT TEETH. We brought some color-fun balloons and had some fun around Walker’s Bluff, which is turning out to be an amazing resort and landmark for Southern Illinois!

Taking advantage of WB’s Christmas decorations :)

On top of everything, Omar is now cancer-free, and we are all so incredibly thankful and joyful for that. What a year!!!

Canon 5D Mk II, 7D, 24mm f/1.4L, 35mm f/1.4L, 45mm TSE f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8L

Family: the Franklin's // Cobden, IL

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:00:06 -0600

I love doing family portraits because every family has its own personality, and everyone in the family matters. Josh and Brittney’s family is unique in this aspect because every single one of them - yes, even Peppa - brings in a different flavor to the family, and together, they create a great masterpiece (see evidence below). I was going to say that it’s like they create an awesome ice cream sundae, but ice cream melts and masterpieces are timeless :) The kids might like the ice cream analogy better though.

It was great fun to learn about how their home was built, to stroll through the wheat field, and to hike up to the bluffs that are in their backyard! I love exploring, so getting to do it and take pictures at the same time was a blast! Further, I thought it was apt to have their family pictures by the bluffs as the grandness and formidability of it all was expressive of their family. It’s like Josh and Brittney so effectively created a fierce shield of love to protect their family.

THANK YOU, fabulous Franklin family, for letting me hang out and showcasing the beauty of wide open spaces. Enjoy!

It was great that Mr. Moon came out to be in the shot :)

Canon 7D, 24mm f/1.4L I, 45mm TSE f/2.8

Engaged! Sarah & Kaleb // Carbondale, IL

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:45:01 -0600

She said, “YES YES!!!” :)

http://www.weddingwire.com/sarahandkaleb

Music: “101010” by Sleeping at Last, “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall and Oates, “Next to Me” by Sleeping at Last

I am breaking the norm and blogging at the end this time. All I really need to say [after all these expressive portraits] is that every night, I thank God for the people I have and will grow to know and love in my short life here on this planet we call Earth. Kaleb and Sarah are great examples of people who have become such great friends to me, no words can describe it. Perhaps this is indicative: there is not a time when I don’t laugh until my stomach hurts when I am around these people! :D

I met Kaleb and Sarah while helping out at Vine with videos for the kids’ program. Not only are they super fun people, they are incredibly talented as well — acting, singing, stand-up comedy (shout-out to Kyler!!!), filmmaking, and arts of all kinds. More importantly, they are incredibly genuine and kind in a way that is extremely rare and valuable.

If you watched the video above, you’d have caught a glimpse of the amazing love they share. If they hold this kind of love and patience now at the engagement, I can’t help but be extremely excited for what their marriage holds as they cultivate and grow further down the years together :)

I love you both so much, and I can’t wait to party at your wedding!!! :)

Canon 7D, 16-35mm f/2.8L, 35mm f/1.4L

Teaser: Franklin Family // Cobden, IL

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:16:00 -0600

Family: the Reedy's // Carterville, IL

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:00:05 -0500

Making portraits for the Reedy family was a riot - the really awesome kind of riot, of course :) Dan was introduced to me as the guy who knew everything about everything. I have now found that to be slightly inaccurate — the truth is that he knows more than everything. And then, I met his drop-dead gorgeous wife and fabulous children, and became speechless.

I am always SO THANKFUL for the people in my life, and I love getting to know more people, as everyone has such amazing stories. Getting to know the Reedy’s was fun, as the kids quickly warmed up to me, and Dan and Lauren got to share stories about how they were high school sweethearts, how they garden and homeschool, and all the places where they’ve travelled. The Reedy’s have a great home — super unique and personalized, and it is very obvious that both of them are incredibly creative and real about their creativity :)

Dan and Lauren, thank you so much for sharing your family and stories with me; and kids, thanks so much for playing with me and teaching me all about Edinburgh :D

I’ve noticed that bringing out the silly in kids is sometimes the quicker way to loosen up :)

So much LOVE!!

Lauren had the great idea of having the kids make something for their grandparents :)

I think the best part about pictures is that they express the level of closeness that words fail to describe. Especially in this case…words fail miserably to describe these cool people :)

Here are some elements of their home :) Lauren let me go with her to harvest lettuce from the garden, along with some flowers that compliment the salad so perfectly with a little sprinkle of spice :) Yummy!

Dan has been teaching himself to play the banjo, and is too modest about it. It sounded awesome! I think Evs agrees!

Perfect collage to close:

Cannon Park // Canon 7D, 35mm f/1.4L, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

Family: the Major's and Miller's // Bloomington, IL

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:42:00 -0500

Today’s post is longer than usual because I am featuring two beautiful families, six kids total, and I like to give everyone enough blog space :)

Making portraits for these two families was truly special for me, as I got to visit Bloomington/Normal, as well as ClearView Church, one of our network churches. Honestly, no words can express how refreshing it was to spend time getting to know the Major’s and Miller’s. I had typed out a whole paragraph about how joyfully strong Titus has grown, how pure of a love I experienced with these families and at ClearView, but the words didn’t come close to what that weekend really meant for me.

I guess what I really wanted to share is this: all my life, I’ve known people who inspire because they allow the hard, hard struggles and suffering in life to yield endurance, beauty, wisdom, and so much value — I know this through my parents’ lives, as well as the lives of many others who lived before our time. Somehow, when we go through our own struggles, we forget how brightly hope shines and how firm and formidable it really is. When I hung out with these families, and when I worshipped with the ClearView family, I saw before my eyes this very brilliance — pure and fierce. It’s true that so much of our world and reality is dark, so being able to share and capture such Light was like…getting a really great hug from an old, old friend.

Props to the City of Bloomington for maintaining such awesome trails around the neighborhoods! Oh, and note the “Michael Petrik” jacket making some appearances :)

Titus is SO getting this walking thing down! Sometimes, he gets ahead of himself in a jog :) What a stud.

We went by the circle, where it was like an awesome shops/restaurants/coffee/arts district, with these colorful murals :)

The Major’s introduced me to CoffeeHound, where I had the best chai ever, and also where they hung out a lot during Titus’ adoption process. Justin loves loves looves coffee, and was roasting his own beans when I got there, so I am totally wondering when Titus will start drinking coffee himself in his sippy cup :)

Chillin’ at home…

And then I got to meet the Miller’s kids, which was so much fun because each has his/her own personality, and it was a challenge to capture them in their element :) I know initially I kept getting their names jumbled in my head ;) What a gorgeous family!

Props to studio photographers who know how to pose kids together and get them all to smile at the same time :)

What a perfect setting, with yellowing leaves all around :)

Canon 7D, 35mm f/1.4L, Rokinon 85mm f/1.4

Teaser: Reedy Family // Carterville, IL

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:00:06 -0500

Teaser: Major Family // Bloomington, IL

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:11:50 -0500

Family: the Miller's // Carbondale, IL

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:44:09 -0500

I love exploring new places, and for some reason, I had not been around to the old trains by downtown Carbondale, by the cool local art/crafts store and the Cellar, etc. So it was super fun to get Lauren’s request to do a family portrait session there :)

I didn’t plan it this way, but it ended up being a red-black color scheme, and the golden light complemented both subtly. Getting to know the kids was fun, as they were shy at first and I had to chase them around a bit. The best part was when I caught the kids off guard - they’re gigglers, I tell you.

Overall, what a contemporary and fun family! David and Lauren, you have a pair of beautiful, lively, and silly children; and your joy is apparent from the time we spent together and in these pictures. Keep up the awesome love and enjoy the pictures!

These kids can totally model :)

I love this family shot so much :) It’s always funny that kids are oblivious to their parents expressing their love — to me, it’s a sign of the safety and security of the Love that holds their family together. Further, a family picture at the head of the train is just epic :)

Canon 7D, 35mm f/1.4L

Friends: One Fall Afternoon // Carbondale, IL

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:00:06 -0500

Fall is amazing. Fun is amazing. Friends are amazing. Question of the season: why not combine all three?!

I had the privilege to hang out with eight wonderful ladies who are friends through one of Vine’s awesome Monday-night small groups :) All of them had such great personalities and beautiful souls. Further, in ways I can’t completely put into words, when together, they become something of a combined force. It’s like they make each other shine brighter.

Spending the afternoon with them gave me a better understanding of how joy can have so many different facets and expressions; and how community involves breadth as well as depth of beauty.

Thank you, ladies, for a fun Fall afternoon :)

Left: Awkward family photos :)

Right: The shoes are a tribute to Casey Raymer - awesome!

Bottom: “SQUIRREL!”

Proof that silly goes hand in hand with fun most times :)

Location: SIU Campus Lake

Canon 7D, 35mm f/1.4L

Friends: Miranda & Tess // Carbondale, IL

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:24:00 -0500

October is always a great month — not only does it kick off the holiday season, it brings the joys of Fall, the breezes of change. The only downside to October is that students have midterm exams and papers and projects. Insert mournful sigh.

This particular afternoon, though, I was stoked to have something to look forward to after exams. One of the most awesome people I know from Law School, Tess, gave me the privilege of taking chill-time portraits of her and her childhood-friend, Miranda. We hung out by the Campus Lake peninsula and had fun, as proven below :)

It was awesome to be around two people who have been friends for what would seem to be forever. Sometimes, I feel like true friendship is rare in our modern, tech-infused world, so it was fun to see how Tess and Miranda are so incredibly comfortable with each other and can carry on a true conversation without thinking about it :)

All in all, what a great afternoon. Tess and Miranda, THANKS so much for letting me capture your friendship! Enjoy the pictures!

Silly faces!

The Lake was absolutely beautiful

Shot on a Canon 7D, with Canon 35mm f/1.4L