Hillebrand Photography Blog

The McIntosh Family

jhillebrand — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:36:26 +0000

It was really fun working with Nick and Halie again. You may remember them from their engagement session and wedding a few years ago. (Nick was the mohawked groom.) One gorgeous, fun-loving mommy + one breakdancing, bartending, prank-pulling daddy = one hilarious, energetic, and precocious toddler. As you can see from the pics, little Miss Zoey is really not shy at all! She had me laughing the entire time and looking at these pics still makes me smile. Below are just a few favorites from our alley session in Royal Oak. Enjoy!!

Kim & Troy

jhillebrand — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:53:06 +0000

It was a sunny, October day for Kim and Troy’s wedding. This lovely couple (who you may remember from their engagement session) have such a genuine love and respect for one another. It was evident in their gorgeous, emotional ceremony which involved Kim’s children in the lighting of the unity candle, symbolizing not only the beginning of a new unity between Kim and Troy, but also that of their family. Seeing the four of them standing at the alter made both Gabe and I choke up. There were so many highlights from the day including: Kim getting ready at the historic Montegue Inn, her stunning Soterro gown and incredible Renee Pawele custom-designed headpiece, earrings and necklace from Crowing Glory, Troy looking debonair in his tux and tearing up when he saw his bride walking down the aisle, Kim’s hilarious and personality-filled kids, the super-fun DJ Ryan Rousseau, and the overall warmth and welcoming spirit we felt from their family, wedding party and guests. Kim and Troy: It has been such a pleasure working with you both this past year. You are kind, beautiful souls and we are so happy for your new beginning together. We have many favorites from you big day, so enjoy a few highlights below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see even more!! Enjoy!!!

To see a slide show with more images as well as to link to the full gallery (click the “Order Pictures” shopping cart icon), click here!! The gallery is password protected, so please contact us or Kim if you’re interested in viewing.

Selah: 3 Month Session

jhillebrand — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:17:22 +0000

Time continues to race by and our baby girl is getting bigger by the day! Literally. Because we’ve been so busy we haven’t had a chance to work on our own personal projects, such as Selah Gabriel’s 3 month portraits which we photographed in November. Next month she will be 6 months old already and that is another photo shoot! Ah well. So goes our lives with a baby and a business in tow. Here are a few favorite snapshots from our little peanut’s 3 month session! Enjoy!!

Click here to link to the full gallery! The gallery is password protected, so please contact us if you’re interested in viewing.

Anthony & Emily

jhillebrand — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:10:52 +0000

Anthony, a nurse practitioner, and Emily, a physician assistant, were an absolute delight to work with. Fans of John Mayer and Phish, their friends have nicknamed them “Crunchy” because they “recycle and eat granola.” In addition to being awesome and liking camping (one of our very favorite things as well), Anthony and Emily enjoy skiing, running, and going up north together. In fact, they got engaged on an island on Lake Michigan during one of their up north excursions. We are so excited about these pics and can’t wait to shoot their wedding this coming June. Enjoy a few favorites below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see more!!

2011 Year-in-Review

jhillebrand — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:26:38 +0000

Since a picture is worth a thousand words we decided to sum 2011 up with some of our favorite pics of the year, professional and personal. In addition to shooting our usual portion of weddings and portraits, we moved into our first house, got our first dog, and had our first baby. It was one.crazy.year…filled with amazing clients, gorgeous imagery, and many blessings. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU to all who have chosen us and continue to choose us to document your most precious events, moments, and people. Your lives inspire us. Looking forward to more beauty and life in 2012!

Ashley & Craig

jhillebrand — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:24:51 +0000

It was a perfect September day for Ashley and Craig’s wedding. (You may remember them from their engagement session last fall.) It was one of those amazing weather days when you hope someone, somewhere is getting married. Not only was the weather perfect, Ashley looked absolutely stunning in an elegant lace gown, her dark hair beautifully pinned up and her blue eyes especially piercing. And despite having a head cold, Craig looked devilishly handsome in a stylish all-black tux. There were so many highlights of the day including the special bond between Ashley and her dad, the fun-loving wedding party, the beautiful flowers by English Gardens, the super fun dance party with Music Box Productions, and the always amazing Indian Springs Metro Park. Ashley and Craig: It has been such a joy working with you both this past year. You are an incredible, inspiring couple! It was beyond excruciating to narrow this blog post down to just a handful of favorites because we have SO many! With that, enjoy just a few highlights below and click the link at the end to see more!!

Amy & Mike

jhillebrand — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:40:09 +0000

You know you’re off to a good start when, right from the initial inquiry, a person comments on your musical preferences. Amy and Mike are an absolutely delightful couple and, in our opinion, have fantastic taste in music. Residing in the lovely Ann Arbor, Mike is a scientist and a rock star. A musician of many talents, he’s a member of the bluegrass/country/swing/gypsy/eastern group, Orpheum Bell. And Amy is a super-gorgeous, soft-spoken, kind-hearted law student at MSU. Together they have an adorable English Bulldog named Raiza and I was very sad they didn’t bring her to the shoot! Oh well. There’s always the wedding! In addition to being big fans of Mike’s band, they love M.Ward (score!), Sufjan Stevens (double-score!) and Mason Jennings (triple-score!) They also enjoy ice-cream, going for walks, and…Scrabble. Amy and Mike: We are so glad to be working with you and we cannot wait for your barn wedding in May! Enjoy a few of our favorites below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see even more!

Jessica & Bryan

jhillebrand — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:38:23 +0000

It’s always great to be a part of weddings that happen in the gorgeous Northern Michigan. Jessica and Bryan, who you may remember from their engagement session, were married at the lovely Castle Farms in Charlevoix this past September. It was a bit of a crazy weather day…things were off to a good start and the skies were clear all the way until literally the *moment* Jessica was ready to walk down the aisle. As if on cue, the skies darkened and rain poured down, causing the guests to run for cover! In superb last-minute planning, the Castle staff and DJ Ryan Rousseau made things happen in the reception room where Jessica and Bryan said their vows on the dance floor. Both were super troopers about the whole thing. Then, as if on cue again, the moment the ceremony ended, the clouds parted and the rain ceased, just in time for a few photos before the reception. It’s things like this that make for good stories for the kids. Highlights of the day include the beautiful flowers by Marvin Gardens, the gorgeous cake by The Cake Connection in Traverse City, Jessica’s ethereal and princess-like dress from The Wedding Shoppe in Ferndale, and the stunning make-up and hair styling by Katie Shefferly and Talulu in Petosky. Jessica and Bryan: It has been such a pleasure working with you over the past year. Jessica, we’re sad that you will no longer have our same last name but Allen is okay too. You guys were so wonderful and supportive to us this year and we really appreciate it! We’d also like to extend a huge thanks to our dear friends Chris and E’Lisa Campbell for collaborating with us on this event. Now without further delay, we are so excited to share some favorites from the day! Enjoy!!

Caroline & Adam

jhillebrand — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:52:17 +0000

Hilarious, self-deprecating, adorable, match-made-in-heaven Caroline and Adam. This session was a riot to shoot not only because Caroline and Adam are very dear friends to us, but because they are absolutely hilarious to be around. For starters, there’s Caroline. Long, lean, ridiculously goofy Caroline. She has a way of spontaneously doing and saying the most comical things that takes whoever is around her by surprise, causing them to stop what they’re doing and laugh out loud. She’s beautiful, charming, and is so much fun we can hardly stand it. Then there’s Adam. Laid-back, contemplative, life-loving Adam who has a serious case of wanderlust, a deep love for the outdoors, Detroit and gospel music. Together, they make me smile. So very much. They balance each other out perfectly and are like two parts to a whole. They are a truly amazing couple and we are so honored to be their friends and to document their relationship through photographs. We’d also like to give a shout out once again to the very talented Patricia Oltean of PS Cosmetics for her perfectly skilled make-up artistry. Now…without further ado, enjoy a few of our favorites from their engagement session below and don’t forget to click the link at the end to see even more!!

Valentina

jhillebrand — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:09:13 +0000

Valentina is a beautiful, talented 15 year-old singer and actress who we had the pleasure of photographing earlier this fall. A student at Eisenhower High School, Valentina is heading down to Orlando, Florida to audition for the Walt Disney company. She’ll be among many young hopefuls looking to land a role on a Disney cable show, movie or maybe even get a recording contract. It was so fun to shoot her in a variety of looks and locations, and she looks amazing no matter what she’s wearing! As always, we want to give a special thanks to Patricia Oltean of PS Cosmetics in downtown Rochester for doing yet another impeccable job with make-up! Enjoy a few of our favorite highlights below and don’t forget to click the link to the slideshow to see even more!!