Archive for April, 2008

[04.28.08] Monday Night Recap
- April 28, 2008 -

• [Photo Challenge] FINAL NOTICE! April’s challenge of “symmetry” is coming to a close. Get your submissions in ASAP!
  
• [lensrentals.com] Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to LensRentals. I wanted to try out the 70-200 before purchasing, so I rented it for the weekend. Quality condition, and extremely fast shipping (2 days!). I am very impressed. Oh, and here’s an image of what I was dealing with:
  
  
  
  
• [Deb and Cabin Preview (and #25)] This past weekend I went out to St. Louis (next bullet point) to second shoot the wedding of Deb and Cabin with Kenny Nakai, which was a great time to try out the 70-200. I had a blast, and Deb an Cabin were an absolutely gorgeous couple (they made my job so easy)! Here’s a little teaser as I start going through the images…I’ll blog a bit more as I get through all of them. Be sure to check out Kenny’s blog as he’ll be posting soon too! (And #25 of my ‘28 in 2008‘ list has been completed- second shooting with someone)
  
  

  

  

  

• [1 of 5 States (#6)] …And that also helped me completed part of #6 on that list. I’m not much of a traveler, so going to 5 states in one year is a lot for me. Being in St. Louis, MO was state number 1. We were literally there for less than 24 hours, so not too much sight seeing or visiting friends, but it still counts!
  
• [Never Eat Alone (#7)] This post is long overdue, so I figured I’ll just throw it in here. My book for March (I know…I’m a month late…sorry!) was “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi. Its an interesting read, covering his life and view of the world around him. He stresses the importance of networking, and more so the value of your network. By providing various case studies (many from his own life), he shows just how important we can be to the people around us (and them to us). By looking at relationships and networking with an unselfish motive, it provides the greatest benefit to all.
  
  
  
  For April, I purchased 2 books, and started one of them: “How To Win Friends and Influence People”. It’s a classic and a good foundational book, which is mainly repeating many of the standards and views I was taught growing up. A long read though, which I won’t finish this month. Ah well, I will still read at least 12 books (and purchase 12 books) this year.
• [The Office] I don’t believe I blogged about this recently, but The Office has been back with new episodes for the past couple weeks! I love Thursdays again! If you’ve never seen it, go and watch them, and set aside your Thursday nights for this. I’ve been impressed/entertained greatly with the new episodes…have you?
• [Leadership Meeting] On Sunday, my church had a meeting among the leadership body of our youth/young adult ministries. It was good for us to re-connect and start progressing in standards of leadership. I’m excited to see the growth and change that is going on, and look forward to what’s ahead.
  
  

  

  

  

  
  

  
  
• [Chicago Weather] Who wants to complain with me? This is what see today from my Google weather:
  
  
  

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal, [MNR]

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[04.21.08] Monday Night Recap
- April 21, 2008 -

• [Photo Challenge] There’s about a week left in this month’s challenge (symmetry). Get creative and get your responses in!
• [Michael Clayton] My girlfriend came home for less than a day this weekend (woo hoo!), so we rented Michael Clayton. Was anyone else as confused as as I was? I mean, it seemed like it had great potential, but I kept getting lost every other scene. Maybe it’s just me. I feel like I needed to focus a lot more to get it.
• [Weekend Wedding] I had a friend’s wedding this past Saturday, which is the first of like 42 (exaggeration…more like 8) weddings that I’m invited to as a guest this year. Liju and Stacy’s wedding was held at the St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church in Lombard, IL, and the reception was at the Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village. Congrats guys!
Some coaching for the flower girl…



Seriously…got to love the white socks…





Ring bearer with some pre-wedding reading…









And here’s a little ‘details’ spread for you…



• [BBQ #1] To celebrate the first sign of consistently pleasant weather, we had the first (un)official BBQ! BBQs were the ‘thing to do’ for us last year, so we’ll see if history repeats itself. I’ve snapped some pics of our shopping spree and such, but figured that wouldn’t be as interesting for you all, so here’s something you can take home with you. What’s an important thing to do at parties? NAME YOUR CUP. Everybody gets the same looking cup, puts a liquid in it, takes a few sips, then gets up and walks away. Now you have 15 cups on a table, with nobody knowing whose is whose. So now, when you enter a party, grab a sharpie and label your drink!



• [Facebook Chat] For those who haven’t noticed, facebook has rolled out a chat system now. When you log in, at the bottom of the screen you’ll see a chat bar (which you can pop out), and if your friends are on facebook, you can chat with them! What do you think? Worthwhile? Useful? I’m not sure I want another chat open, but if Adium supports Facebook in the future, I’ll like it. Let me know what you guys think of it.
• [Spam Comments] Woo hoo! I got my first one! I feel like I’m starting to make a name for myself! (one of the reasons that come year-end, we’ll have a whole new look!)


• [Cubbies] They are on fire! Number 1 in the NL Central, and pulled off another win today against the NY Mets, 7-1! You know how we do. It might have taken about 100 years, but now’s the time. Anyone want to take me to a game this summer? Let me know when, and I’ll free up my schedule. :)

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal

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Some More Madelyn…
- April 19, 2008 -

It’s been some time, and she’s transforming a lot, so here’s a quick glimpse as to what she’s up to now:

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal

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Baby Vivek’s Baptism
- April 17, 2008 -

I posted some preview images of baby Vivek’s baptism last week, so I just wanted to get a bunch out more to you guys. Have I mentioned how much I love photographing children? Oh… Enjoy!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Modern Events

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[04.14.08] Monday Night Recap
- April 14, 2008 -

• [Cubbies] An off day today, but we’re still above 500! It’s the little victories that keep me going…it’s still early. I still haven’t seen a game yet (not even on TV!), but that’s why its a 162 game season.
• [Photo Challenge] We’re halfway through the month! Keep taking those pictures and get your images in for the photo challenge!
• [UIUC] So this past weekend I made my last trip of the semester down to U of I to visit my wonderful girlfriend (and all the others). It was a rather busy time for everyone, so I wasn’t able to make my visits and such like I normally do, but I still had a blast. It’s always great to go back…my home away from home.
• [CFC] I got in Friday night, and caught the end of large group at Covenant Fellowship Church, the church I attended during my undergrad. Although I’ve been gone for over a year, it still feels like I’ve been there every week day in and day out. On Sunday, Pastor Min game a message on our dual natures which makes me want to go back and hear the podcast from last week’s message (since this was part two). A little something-something that caught my attention:
• Don’t be too impressed with the greatness of people, and don’t be too surprised by their sin
• Growth is not a weaker propensity of sin, but just a stronger ability to fight
• [ICF] My other ministry on campus was the Indian Christian Fellowship, and I was able to hang out with a select group on Friday night. A quick game of catchphrase followed by a rousing time of the bowl game kept us busy until the wee hours of the morning. Good times!



• [Bloomington] On Saturday, Nithya and I took a trip out to Bloomington to visit my good friends Jason and Susan, and their little one Isabelle. One thing I love about Bloomington: the price of gas was $3.20. That was about 20 cents cheaper than what was at U of I, which is a few cents cheaper than up here! It was a fun catching up with them and spending some time with Isabelle. She’s quite the character!






And here she is getting ready to enjoy her long awaited dessert:




• [Colbert] Anyone watch the Colbert Report today from Philly? He sang the National Anthem with John Legend. I must say, he did surprise me…he’s got a decent voice.
• [Delayed Posts] Keep an eye out, as I’ve fallen behind on quite a few posts that I wanted to get out. Things like an S&P on TaDa Lists, a book review on ‘Never Eat Alone’ (I’ve started my new book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’…it might take me over a month to finish though), and some photography tips are just a piece of what to expect. Sorry for the delay!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: [MNR]

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Pimp My Ride
- April 9, 2008 -

Back in the day, I spoke about how my dad was MacGyver-esque in the way that he was fixing up our van…a 1991 Chevy Astro. And (this post is slightly over do), I’m here to announce that he is truly amazing in his skill. Screw West Coast Customs or GAS, my dad’s got mad skill. Who else can take a vehicle that looks like this:

And turn it into this:

OK, all joking aside, it’s finally happened. The Big Red Van had been through alot…logging many, many miles. I remember trips to Canada…and Detroit…and Philadelphia…and New York (…yeah, we never flew places…). It was the ultimate caravan. And the best transporter whenever someone needed help.
But earlier this year, it took it’s final breath. Well, technically it still worked, but the brakes were shot. So you could drive it, you just couldn’t stop it. So, after a little look into fixing it by my dad (he seriously wanted to keep it), he finally decided to give up and buy a new car. So he’s gone from the ‘vintage’ Van to a pimp Accord. We donated the van to the American Lung Association (I wonder what they plan on doing with it), so at least someone will put it to use.

It’s been a good…17 years (my goodness…I’ve had this van longer than some of you blog readers have been in alive!). Fun times…rest in peace.

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal, announcement

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[04.07.08] Monday Night Recap
- April 7, 2008 -

• [Photo Challenge] The April challenge is posted here, and for those who don’t feel like clicking the link to see the theme…that’s just sad. (The theme is “symmetry”)
  
• [Cubbies] It’s still early, but I’m liking how they’ve played. Just won a few games (3 straight), and are now above 500 at 4-3. Keep it up, guys! Hopefully I’ll get some time this year to check out a game or so…
• [Baptism] On Saturday morning, I had the honor of photographing my cousin’s baptism. Earlier I had taken his newborn pictures, and it’s crazy to see how much he has grown since! It was also fun to see some of the family again (though the time was short). I haven’t gone through all the images, but here’s a little something-something for you:

Matt, Ravita and baby Vivek (enamored by the candles)…

Big sister Sureya (I LOVE this shot!)…

And I love this! Completely unposed. Am I the only one reminded of The Little Rascals?…

• [Bachelor Party] This weekend we had a two-day extravaganza bachelor party for my soon-to-be brother-in-law Joel, and his best friend Alan (whom I shot their engagement last year). Can’t get into too much details but it was a fun (and draining) time. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue, and then had many fun filled activities through the two days. We had a little fun with some scavenger hunting-ish-ness downtown, and so I was able to get some great pics of one of my favorite things: SUN FLARE! Some people hate the high sun when they shoot, but if you know how to use light, it can be a beautiful thing!

• [NCAA Tourney] Today is the final day…and I’m still in it! This is the first time since the Illini made it the finals that I’ve had my pick for the championship game made it to the finals. And if Memphis wins, I’ll have won my pool that I had with my college friends! (And I’ll probably be in the top 5 for the other pools I was in…awesome!) I’m pretty proud of myself…but first we need Memphis to pull this out. Here’s to hoping!
• [Taxes] Just a reminder, April 15th is around the corner, so take care of everything NOW!
• [Above the Weather?] So at the end of last week, I finally got better. Than the weekend filled with non-stop activities and no sleep has left me not at my best again…so that means time for rest!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Modern Events, [MNR]

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NMP Photo Challenge: April
- April 4, 2008 -

As promised guys, here’s the photo challenge for the month of April:

THEME: Symmetry

1. A relationship of characteristic correspondence, equivalence, or identity among constituents of an entity or between different entities
2. Beauty as a result of balance or harmonious arrangement
3. Satisfying arrangement marked by even distribution of elements, as in a design: balance, harmony, proportion

This might be a bit tougher, but remember, try looking past the obvious, and see things under a new light! And if you think one of these definitions does a good job explaining your image, let me know which one. Also, feel free to “set up” or pose a setting. One of the most beautiful things in photography is having a vision in your mind and being able to capture that in the frame.

The directions are pretty much the same as last time: e-mail it to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com, the longest side should be no more than 500 pixels, and you can enhance it in Photoshop/Picasa/etc., just don’t let it look too ‘photoshopped’. And again, send me your blog/site to link to, and a title and description/vision if you have one.

So now that you’ve got your mission, get out there, seek reality, and start shooting!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal

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Photo Challenge Submissions: March-Yellow
- April 3, 2008 -

So for the month of March, I started a little ‘photo challenge’ to get people more active in taking pictures and being more creative and purposeful with their shots. The first challenge was to photograph “yellow”, and I had quite a few submissions on it. A handful of responses were brought in my Rincey, Leena T, Briana, Reny, and Maya. As I stated before, I’m in the process of building a separate site just for the challenge to make it more accessible, easier to submit, and have the ability to view all the images, but that might only be up and running by the fall. For now, here’s a few choice images.

First, I must declare this one as my favorite, submitted by Rincey (with help from Biji):

(for those who can’t read it, it says “Nate, pick me as the winner of the photo challenge. I’ll hire you as the photographer at my wedding. Nate, even though I go to Marquette…U of I for life.“…and we’ll disregard the last line. Now that’s creative!)

And here are a couple more of the images I liked.
[Leena]

*this would probably finish a close second…

[Rincey]

[Maya]

[Briana]

[Reny]

After doing this first one, it got me wanting to do a few posts teaching about photography…some rules, tidbits of knowledge, etc. Be on the lookout for those to come…’m trying to think of the most efficient way to write it as right now it’s just a mess of disorganized inspiration :) .

I’ll get the challenge for April posted tomorrow (and I’m already getting excited for the ones after that…it’ll force you guys to REALLY get creative!). OK, open your eyes and keep shooting!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Personal

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Engagement | Impromptu Portrait
- April 1, 2008 -

I’m finally getting ‘above the weather’ (not sure what got into me), so I got a chance to go through some of my images from the weekend. On Saturday morning, Sunil and Theresa had an engagement ceremony at Florian Banquets (formally Crown Jewel).

Being invited as a friend/family, I was able to sit back and relax while my friend Kenny Nakai did his thing. Here’s a few of him sporting the D3 (I forgive him) and doing this so-called ‘thing’:

With no official photographic responsibility, I just brought one lens and took a few images at will…which somehow always leads to me taking images of children, as they always find a way to distract themselves with more entertaining things that what their current scenario is giving them.

Probably tomorrow night (or possibly Thursday) I’ll post a handful of images from the recent “yellow” challenge as well theme for April’s challenge. Get your cameras ready!

be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.

natemathai | filed under: Modern Portraits, engagement

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