chicago wedding photographers in illinois. nate mathai photography

Babymoon 2012

2012-01-16T15:35:58Z

Babymoon? Yeah, I had no idea what that was either. But my wife sure let me know early on that we were taking one. :)
Seriously, though, the wife and my schedules have been very busy that its been a bit difficult for us to actually have some extended time just to relax. And since the wife is unable to relax while being at our house (she will always find something to clean, fix, organize, work on, etc.), it was necessary for us to physically get out of our place and get disconnected from everything.
We spent the weekend in downtown Chicago and stayed at the Wyndham. A week ago, Chicago was boasting an unseasonable warm winter with 50 degree weather…sadly this time around we were in the teens. Coupled with me being a little under the weather, the plans didn’t go exactly as we expected, but we still had a great weekend away. We spent a good deal of time just laying around and watching movies, before catching a showing of Second City- I feel like at every improv show I go to, there’s about 2 people who are extremely funny and make the show worth it, and then the remaining cast is just OK. Definitely had a good laugh though! Afterward, we had dinner at the Grand Lux…the wife was initially wanting to go someplace we’ve never gone before, but I was in the camp of getting something that we knew we’d like. I won this one. :)
We ended off our weekend stay at the Bongo Room, which is small and busy, but had a great brunch (according to the wife who got a chocolate tower french toast…I’m not much of a foodie so I stuck with an egg sandwich). All in all, it was definitely a great escape for us to just spend time with each other and plan and look ahead to 2012, as we get ready to raise our first child in this world.

We also planned to do a faux-maternity shoot (“faux” in the sense that I’m not really a maternity photographer), so I brought a handful of gear along. But the cold weather and my sickness didn’t allow us to do as much as we/I envisioned. But one thing that I always wanted to try was “freelensing”, and I finally used this opportunity to mess around with it! I took a handful of images of people passing by our hotel room on the streets below (all the freelensing images were shot with the 135 f/2)-

The wife wanted to make sure that both of us were in some of the images together, so we set a few up with us two, but then I got to have a bit of fun just photographing my model (and doing a little freelensing on her as well) :)

March 25th is right around the corner!

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Copyright © January 16, 2012
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Winter OIL 2012 : Gospel Obsession

2012-01-09T04:37:34Z

2006 was my final year of undergrad at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Champaign, and my first time attending Winter OIL, and conference held by my campus church every January. Six years later, a lot has changed (especially the location, as they moved from Montrose, Pennsylvania to Sandwich, Illinois :)). More importantly, though, the heart and quality of the conference has continued to be the same. Seeing as it was much closer now, the wife and I were able to make the drive during the week for one day of the conference, and that in and of itself was such a blessing- I can only image how great it was for everyone who was able to be there the whole time! Below are a list of the main speakers I was able to hear and a few excerpts that I loved from their messages. (I only took a couple images throughout my time there as the OIL staff had more than enough photographers covering the event ;))

Dr. Eric Mason is the founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to his role at Epiphany Fellowship he serves as President of Thriving, a ministry dedicated to aiding ethnic minorities to be resourced and trained for ministry to the urban context. He has also contributed to multiple publications to service the body of Christ. Dr. Mason is known for articulating and proclaiming the gospel with clarity, passion, and authority at churches and conferences nationally.

// we are unredemptively concerned with being distinct
// your distinction doesn’t come from your flyness, but from His Highness
// total depravity ends with Jesus Christ- after that, you are becoming progressively sanctified

Dr. Paul Tripp is the president of Paul Tripp Ministries, a nonprofit organization, whose mission statement is “Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.” This mission leads Paul to weekly speaking engagements around the world. In addition to being a gifted communicator and sought after conference speaker with Paul Tripp Ministries, Paul is on the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he preaches on Sunday evenings and leads the Ministry to Center City. Paul is also professor of pastoral life and care at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas. He is the executive director of the Center for Pastoral Life and Care in Fort Worth, Texas, and has taught at respected institutions worldwide. As an author, Paul has written eleven books on Christian Living that are read and distributed internationally, including Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands; War of Words; Broken Down House; and Crossway’s Whiter Than Snow.

// divine power + divine compassion = everything you need
// the grace of God is not necessarily the grace of relief or release, but the grace of refinement
// Jesus wasn’t concerned about transforming the moment, but transforming the people in the moment
// there is a critical and profound difference between being amazed and having faith
// when we grow as much as we want to grow or are as righteous as we’d like to be, our hearts are hardened. the greatest issue with Christians is not dissatisfaction, but we become too easily satisfied and lose our hunger and need for Christ.

Dr. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) in Champaign, IL where he has been serving for 21 years. Along with his pastoral duties, he is a board member for Serving in Mission (SIM), Korean Inter-Missions Network (KIMET), and KOSTA. He is also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary. Dr. Chung’s messages always bring a powerful impact to Winter OIL attendees every year. He received his Master of Divinity as well as a Doctorate of Ministry from Biblical Theological Seminary.

// the goal of Christians is not to be less wicked, but most Christ-like
// when I think about this generation, I have hope

It was also great for me to sit in on the seminars by Rich Kohng (“Social Justice”) and Thomas Kim (“Pursuing a Professional Career For Christ”)- great reminders of what should be of priority in my life and vision.
It was definitely refreshing to reconnect with many of the pastors and friends from years back and get refocused in perspective and passion. Conferences like this can be sort of ‘information overload’ at times, but I’m Looking forward to reflecting on what I’ve heard in the near future and putting things into practice for an exciting and purposeful 2012!

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Copyright © January 9, 2012
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Baby Nicholas {chicago, illinois}

2011-12-24T18:07:48Z

A little over a year ago I got to photograph Pontus, Ulrika, and their firstborn Alexander, so it was a pleasure for me to come back and capture images of their second son Nicholas! It was a great way for me to end off the year with a a fun, relaxed family session.

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Copyright © December 26, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T17:37:54Z

2011 was an amazing year for us, and we are so thankful for all the God has blessed our family with. Just wanted to take this time wish you all a blessed Christmas and an amazing New Year- looking forward to big things in 2012!

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Copyright © December 23, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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The Joshua Next Band {chicago, illinois}

2011-12-21T05:16:53Z

Every now and then I get to step away from my regular coverage of weddings and couples, and I had a blast working with The Joshua Next Band. These guys are a worship band from the Chicagoland area who have been playing together for quite awhile and are starting to take the next step.

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Copyright © December 21, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Melanie + Jason : modern weddings {villa park, illinois}

2011-12-15T16:52:01Z

Groom’s Prep: Embassy Suites Hotel in Lombard, Illinois
Ceremony: St. Alexender Church
Portraits: Cantigny Park
Reception: The Abbington in Glen Ellyn
Photography: Nate Mathai
Florist: Shamrock
Transportation: Ace Limousine
DJ and Lighting: DJ Scandall (Fantastic DJs)

Melanie and Jason’s beautiful wedding was one of the best ways to end off my 2011 wedding season. It’s always a blast for me to be a part of two families, and in this case, two cultures, coming together. This was one of the few times I was able to capture both the groom and bride’s prep on my own as they were pretty close to each other, so I had a great time with both sides. And as always, gotta love a good party to end off the night, with special thanks DJ Scandall!

Melanie and Jason, thanks again for inviting me into your lives and allowing me to take part in your special day. Wishing you guys all the best- take care!

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Copyright © December 16, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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What’s In My Bag?

2011-12-09T04:46:11Z

I got a recent request to do a “what’s in your bag?” post, so I figured now is as good of a time as any to get this thing posted. I’m in the works of getting videos together regarding taking better images (and its not about the gear), so it’s kind of ironic for me to start off with a gear post. But, oh well! :)

My first camera when I jumped into photography in 2007 was the Canon 30D, which is what these images are taken with. It’s probably the first time I touched this camera in a couple of years! (Anyone looking to buy a solid dSLR? Hit me up!) The lens I used to take these was a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8, and I have another Sigma 17-35 f/2.8-4 as well. This set (30D and 2 lenses), have sat in a backup bag for years. This is my “oh-crap-somebody-stole-all-my-other-gear-and-ive-got-a-shoot-tonight” gear. Worst case scenario, I would have still been able to shoot. :)

Now onto the the gear that I use much more regularly. I don’t bring all of this along to weddings (definitely not on portraits), but it’s normally a decision I make beforehand as to what I’m planning on shooting. Every lens is purposeful, and so the vision/idea dictates what I use. On to the gear!

Zoom Lenses
Canon 16-35L f/2.8 [link]
When I finally started buying Canon lenses, I started with two zooms, this and the 24-70 (up next). At 16mm, this is the widest lens I have at my disposal. I love using this lens on the wide side for more scene/room settings. It allows me to show the vastness of a reception hall or church. Although very few of my images are made using this lens, I still find a time at every shoot to use it. This lens is especially important when I’m stuck in some tight quarters, and helps me still tell a story.

Canon 24-70L f/2.8 [link]
This used to be my workhorse- the ability to go from 24mm to 70mm in an instant was extremely vital for me, especially early on, when capturing all the details and activities going on at most of the Indian weddings that I cover. The more I’ve shot, though, the more I’ve become much more picky with my captures. I’m better aware of what’s coming next and make a lens choice well in advance. This still serves its purpose when I’m in need of fast-change of wide/tight shots, and its pretty much my main lens for the formal family portraits, when I’m given 10 minutes to capture 50 groups, ranging from 4 people to 70 people. :)

Canon 70-200L f/2.8 [link]
This lens is a beast! I fell in love with this one when I first got it, and haven’t been able to put it down. It’s a necessity in churches where I’m limited as to where I’m allowed to move around or how close to the alter I can get. While perspective-wise I can’t get the same images as when I get the freedom to roam, I’m still able to pull off great images from a distance. This is also my ‘fly-on-the-wall’ lens when I start with portraits. So that a couple doesn’t get scared with me all up in their faces to start, I can back off of them and allow them to get comfortable, and slowly move in. It’s quite a heavy lens to carry around, but the beauty of the images makes it total worth it.

Prime Lenses
Canon 24L f/1.4 [link]
This is the newest member to the NMP family :) For awhile, the widest prime I had was the 35mm, which isn’t wide enough for my style. The 24 gives me the added space I was looking for, and makes me feel fully confident in shooting 100% prime (well…99% prime, if we count the family formals ;)). This isn’t a perspective that I take a huge amount of images from, but I hate when I see a shot I want, and realize that I’m not able to get wide enough with my framing. So while it might not be a huge percentage of my images, its still a vital range for me, especially as a scene-setter.

Canon 35 f/2.0 [link]
I love this little lens. This has become my go-to personal lens when I’m trying to pack light, and it’s become one of a my favorite pieces of gear at weddings too! This lens probably stays on my camera throughout the wedding day the most, especially during the prep and ceremony. It’s such a unique perspective for me, and forces me out of my comfort zone (and into my subject’s personal space, a bit) to really bring a different dimension to my images.

Canon 50 f/1.4 [link]
When I first decided I wanted to make the move from zooms to primes, I did the obvious one and got the 50. A 50mm prime is lightweight and fast, so it’s a great lens for shallow depth of field and low-light situations. Since I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted, I bought it used, and it’s…seasoned. The AF is a bit messed up, so it’s pretty much fully manual focus with this lens. The 50 on a full-frame (35mm) body is pretty much what the human eye’s perspective is, so it gives the most natural look/composition. While it’s not my favorite lens, I still keep it for some reason.

Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro [link]
Rarely does this lens see the light of day. I always bring it with me for high hopes of getting some great macro ring shots and such, but that’s just not my style. If I get a lot of time I’ll pull it out to do details during prep, but it’s not a major focus in my body of work. It’s a good gadget lens for every now and then.

Canon 135L f/2.0 [link]
If there was ever a lens to make me put down my 70-200, this is it. It’s much lighter than the white beast, and the f/2 makes a huge difference. I LOVE the compression and bokeh I get with this lens, too, so it’s become a staple on portraits for me. Generally at receptions, I’ve started to shoot with 2 bodies, and I keep the 135 on one with the 35 on the other.

Camera Bodies
Canon 5D Mark II | 5D | 30D | G10 | iPhone4 [link]
As I said in the intro, I started out with the Canon 30D, a quality crop camera at the time that still takes great images. But then I jumped to full-frame and never looked back. I upgraded to the 5D and fell in love. Since then, my two primary cameras are now the 5D Mark II, with a 5D falling to a distant backup along with the 30D. I’ve also got a Canon G10 for a P&S (which is basically my wife’s camera), and my always-on camera of choice is my iPhone4.

Lighting
Canon 430EX | 430ERX II | 580EX II | LumoPro LP160 [link]
My main use of flash comes during the reception, where I generally have a 2 or 3-light setup. I have 2 bare strobes up on lightstands highlighting the dancefloor, with a 3rd possibly on camera if needed. When shooting the church formals, I normally have the 2 strobes bounced into umbrellas. This is one area where I have absolutely no consistency with the gear itself – I have a Canon 430 EX, Canon 430 EX II, Canon 580 EX II, and 2 LumoPro LP160s. :) At home, I just picked up 2 500watt softboxes and a 100watt rim light…but I don’t bring that anywhere. I love playing with light all the time, but generally being a solo shooter at weddings with limited time, it doesn’t lend itself to having too much fun with lights.

PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver [link]
To fire my off camera strobes, I’ve got 4 PocketWizard Plus II Transceivers. I used to use the CyberSyncs but I was occasionally getting misfires, so I upgraded to the PWs and haven’t had much issues since then. Oh, and my new battery of choice for my flashes and PWs are Eneloops.

So there you have it. This is what’s in my bag. Do you need all of this stuff to take great images? Of course not. a Canon XSi and a 50mm 1.8 lens is more than enough to pull off cool stuff. But since people trust me to capture great images with consistency at the most important events of their lives, it’d be a disservice for me to come unprepared. While I might not touch half the lenses or only shoot with one body throughout the day, The safety of backup gear gives me piece of mind that if anything were to go wrong (lens drops, mirror falls out of camera, someone steals something), that I still would be able to provide quality images and full coverage without any questions asked.

As I said before, what’s more important is not having all the gear, but knowing how to use the gear that you have to the fullest.

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Copyright © December 9, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Baby Nicholas

2011-12-05T04:08:35Z

Such a great way to end my 2011 shoots :)

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Copyright © December 5, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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The Joshua Next Band {teaser}

2011-12-21T05:04:37Z

get ready…

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Copyright © November 28, 2011
All content and images are property of Nate Mathai of Nate Mathai Photography. Please don't steal my stuff...it's not nice. :)

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Thankful

2011-11-28T15:42:48Z

The initial reports were that the driver did not survive the accident.

Praise God that I heard that my dad was safe and alert in the hospital before I saw the news article and images of the crash. This past Thanksgiving was a bit crazy for my family, with my dad involved in this terrible accident. But at a time when many might ask why something like this can occur, I’m dumbfounded by the question of how someone could survive this (answer: only by the grace of God). I went to go see the car up close, and it just added to my confusion. (They needed to cut the door off the car to pull my dad out, which what is sticking up out of the passenger side of the car in the following iPhone pics)

It is purely by the grace of God that my dad survived this crash with limited injuries. We are so thankful for his protection during the accident, as it obviously could be so much worse. He was released from the hospital this weekend, and now begins recovery at home, so please continue to keep him and our family in prayer during this time.
I’m also very thankful for all the support and care from our close friends, family and community- it’s always an encouragement to know there are so many people willing to help even with just words/texts/emails of help.
Also, just a special thanks in advance to everyone (especially current couples/clients) for your patience, as I’ve been a bit slow recently in email responses and updates regarding images/albums/etc. I’m still working towards meeting deadlines and such, but obviously editing had taken a backseat in recent days.

It’s a bit funny how a week ago, my mind was thinking about the busyness of multiple family Thanksgiving dinners and possible Black Friday breakfasts with friends, and ultimately was just brought back to a place of being thankful. It’s a bit cliche sometimes be thankful for every breath that you can take, but during times like you stop taking those simple, basic things for granted and start being thankful all over again. Hope you all were able to have a truly thankful Thanksgiving weekend!

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