As you may have noticed, we are a little short on space here on the website, so if you’re wondering where we keep all of those cyclocross photos, here’s the scoop:

Most of our 2011 ChiCrossCup photos are housed on our storefront, which facilitates easy ordering of prints directly from our lab. The uploading process is extremely slow, and we’ve also been slammed with holiday photo sessions since early November, so we’re editing and getting things up as quickly as we can. Keep checking back for more photos in the coming weeks–we’ve got coverage of most CCC series races with the exception of Ted’s Doubletrack Adventure, and yes, because we’re early risers, there’s some Masters 40+ and 30+ in there!

We also have some photos posted on our Flickr account–check here for cyclocross sets. There are collections of the 2010 ChiCrossCup races, and the 2009 ChiCrossCup races.

There’s a handful of images on the Cyclocross Magazine website from the CCC New Year’s Resolution race weekend, and you can find those here (women’s coverage, day 1), here (men’s coverage, day 1), here (women’s coverage, day 2) and here (men’s coverage, day 2). Full sets will be on Flickr as soon as we get a chance to upload them.

And of course, we post things on Facebook. Have you “liked” us yet? We post a lot of updates here, too, because it’s the easiest way to share photo goodness with you when we’re on the road, so liking us is a way to guarantee plenty of awesomeness in your news feed.

If you see an image you’re interested in having printed or you would like to purchase a digital file, contact us at liz-at-tippingpointphoto-dot-com. Also, while we’re on the subject, remember that all images posted in any of these venues are protected by copyright, which means that you shouldn’t be swiping them off of any of the online spaces and using them in any way. Period. That includes using them as your Facebook profile photo. Thanks in advance for respecting this…and you can be guaranteed a lot of bad karma if you don’t!

Also, in case you don’t know us personally and just happened to find this site and post via the interwebs,  you should know that we are both bike racers and photographers, and we have day jobs in addition to this very cool photography business we feel so lucky to have. We volunteer our time to come out and shoot these races. I know some of you may be wondering, “Where are all the photos from Race X back in October?” Well, we frequently find ourselves wondering “Where are the 25th and 26th hours of the day?” In all seriousness, though, we are working as fast as we can while trying to maintain high quality, meet client deadlines and keep our sanity. We always welcome inquiries via e-mail (liz-at-tippingpointphoto-dot-com), but also appreciate your patience!

Congratulations to everyone on a very successful 2011 ‘cross season!

Holly is a fellow cyclocross competitor–though far faster than I am! Over the past few years I’ve taken several dozen photos of her at races, and I was so excited when she called me about taking some photos of her adorable pregnant belly and her pet pugs as a surprise for hubby Kevin.

I met up with Holly at her house in southern Wisconsin over Memorial Day weekend. It was a great change from the usual urban settings I work with, and the large trees and lavender wildflowers were the perfect setting to capture this gorgeous mama-to-be…and two sometimes mischievous pooches. Now that she’s surprised Kevin and baby Max has safely arrived, I wanted to share these fun shots with you. A sampling from the set is here.

Are you expecting? Consider hiring us to catch some snaps of this unique and special time for you and your family. Rates and more info available by e-mailing liz@tippingpointphoto.com.

We met Greg and Kristin in summer 2010 when Greg, a fellow Chicago Endurance Sports runner, inquired about business headshots. We did a combo headshot and engagement session with them, and were completely smitten. In addition to being a good looking pair of people, there’s an amazing loving energy between the two of them. At the time of the engagement session, they didn’t have a date nailed down for the wedding, but I secretly hoped that when they did pick a date, they would call us!

And so, on April 1, we were honored to be the photographers at their celebration. Little details like Kristin’s gorgeous jewelry and peacock-patterned clutch spoke of the simple elegance that characterized this event. With the threat of rain looming, we traveled to Union Station for bridal party photos–and made rush hour very interesting!–then settled in for the evening at Spiaggia. Much to everyone’s relief, a very nervous groom managed to stay upright throughout the ceremony, and Kristin surprised Greg at the reception with a L.A. Dodgers cake.

Check out all of the elegance.

What a day! Erin and Gabe connected with us through a mutual friend we know through Chicago Endurance Sports‘ marathon training program. (Thanks for the referral, David!) We’re always excited to work with new clients, but it’s especially awesome to work with a bride and groom who are committed to each other, and also to working together as a team to have an awesome celebration of their marriage. In the case of the latter, mission very much accomplished!

Erin looked absolutely stunning surrounded by bridesmaids dressed in gray with beautiful yellow and burgundy calla lilies, and Gabe and his groomsmen were polished and witty in their tuxes. Once the gorgeous ketubah–painted by a local artist–was signed, the wedding party made their way from under the eaves of Glessner House to the Women’s Park and Gardens east of the Clarke House Museum. Under pleasantly overcast skies, the bride and groom exchanged vows and Gabe followed the Jewish tradition of crushing a glass underfoot.

We all returned to Glessner House for cocktails and socializing underneath tents in the yard. Following dinner, numerous heartfelt toasts were made, and it was apparent that Erin and Gabe come from phenomenal families, and are also lucky enough to have some fantastic friends, too. Post-toasts, a live band rocked the dance floor, and we were graced with the presence of a surprise special guest—you’ll have to check out the complete set of event photos to find out who it was.

Mazel tov, Mr. + Mrs. Schneider!

Now that the new site is up and running (with only a few hiccups to attend to), I can catch you up on some sessions from earlier this spring. I’ve been trying to connect with the Trapskin family for years now, but their visits to Chicago always seemed to coincide with the holidays, and of course, we were off visiting our own family at those times. I was especially happy to do this portrait session after having helped out with a more somber family event several weeks before. And with two kids as charming as Lucia and Isaac, this session did not disappoint in the uplifting department!
Despite the awful weather, we were able to take refuge at the Elmhurst Art Museum and let the kids meander about with the beautiful backdrop of paintings, sculpture and modern-looking furniture. Most of our time was spent trying to keep up with Isaac as he scrambled around on all fours. You can check out all of the fun here.

Throughout our lives, we’ve used photography as a tool for bearing witness to events and places–some sad, like New Orleans post-Katrina, and some happy. This past Thursday we had another change to witness and capture an event that was not only happy, but historically significant in the state of Illinois.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 was the first day in Illinois that same-sex couples were allowed to file for civil union licenses. On the following morning, the City of Chicago hosted an event at the northwest corner of Millennium Park where 35 couples were joined in civil unions. Thanks to social media, I was able to connect with Dan and Steve, a Chicago duo better known as the Hearty Boys, who were among those couples making their relationship official in the eyes of the state, and they graciously permitted me to be their guest at the ceremony. When it was their turn, Dan, Steve and 5-year old son Nate took their place in front of a judge. Standing on a pile of rose petals and following a beautiful serenade by a guitar-playing friend, they exchanged promises and sealed the deal, surrounded by family, friends and lots of cameras–mine included!
Despite a few protesters standing along Michigan Ave, the entire event was filled with grace, beauty and love. There was a peacefulness that filled the park, along with bright colors, many smiling faces and tears of joy. I was so honored to be able to participate, and to capture images like this one that convey the importance and spirit of the day. Thank you again, Dan and Steve, for letting me be a part of this important event!

Welcome to our new website! This is a huge leap forward for us—from simple pages designed on a Mac, to this beautiful site designed by Marissa Strassel Design—thank you Marissa! The launch also happened to coincide perfectly with the arrival of spring here in Chicago–a sign of good things to come, we hope.

We plan to blog regularly with client previews, photos from our adventures around town and abroad, and other useful information, but it may take us a little bit to get settled into that regularity as we fulfill client orders and learn the back end of site management. In the meantime, check us out on Facebook or Twitter to stay up-to-date on what’s happening and to see photos of life as it happens.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Weesies Family: What happened:

Kids. Cat. More kids. Hairbrush, flowers, shoes, socks, stripes. Cat again. More kids! Shoes Dorothy would love. Bikes, bikes, bikes. Heavy footfalls. Curls. Tears and more tears. Out the door and away we go! Down the street. Greenhouse, pumpkins, flowers, celery picker. “Don’t pick the pansies, don’t hide from the camera, sit with your sister, it’s raining, over here, no, here, no, here.” Tears again, but chocolate! Yum!!!! Back home for snacks. Delicious homemade applesauce–thank you! Mac and cheese for little mouths–gobblegobblegobblegobbleallgone. New shirts, new socks, tutus, that darn cat, to grandpa’s house we go. Climbing, climbing, vroom vroom, zoom zoom. TEARS! Climbing, climbing, climbing. Into the car, down to the farm we go. Corn. Mud. Cowgirl. Dramatic skies. Jumping, sillies, falling down. Apples and fun for all. New friends.

What I saw:

Independence.
Patience.
Boundless courage in little bodies.
Family.
Raw emotion.
Hope upon hope upon hope.
Real life.

(You can see it, too.)