Indo-Pak National Basketball Tournament
- August 27, 2008 -
I remember going to my God-parents place, and folding and stapling the programs together. I remember going to the tournaments watching the bigger guys play some highly competitive games, and shooting around during time outs and halftimes. I remember doing a toned down play-by-play for a couple games and keeping stats. Oh, and I remember getting free t-shirts for a couple years too!
In 1989 my cousin Matt Alex started the Indo-Pak Basketball Tournament in Chicago, as a response to the need for a quality, competitive and respectable basketball tournament catering to the Indian and Pakistani demographic. Over the years, it had grown much larger than some might have expected, with people traveling from all over the US and Canada to play in the Chicago Invitational, as well as satellite tournaments being held in other cities.
This past July, celebrated its 20th year hosting the tournament, and I was able to capture a bit of the action throughout the weekend.
Along with celebrations, it was a bittersweet moment at the end when Matt announced that, after 20 years, he was stepping back from the overall logistical responsibilities of running these tournaments and handing over the reigns to a new set of leaders. There were many heartfelt words of thanks and tears shed during these final ceremonies.
Much respect to the Maryland 5 Pillars who (true to form) took home the title yet again.
It was my joy to take part in the 20th anniversary of this tournament, and I look forward to another 20 years of quality basketball in the future!
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natemathai | 
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[08.08.25] Monday Night Recap
- August 25, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] August is coming to a close, so be sure to start sending your images in this week!
- [Cubbies] 5 games up in the NL Central with 31 games to play. It’s exciting times around here!
- [Fantasy] With the NFL Season right around the corner, that means that start of updates from my fantasy football happenings. I’m in a league with a few friends, with the winner getting an NFL jersey of their choice! Wish me luck (I missed the draft and even though I pre-ranked my players, it didn’t work out that great). If you guys have suggestions of which jersey to get when I win, let me know!
- [ABDC] SoReal Cru had never been up for elimination at all this season, yet SuperCrew wins the whole thing. Do you think it was simply the novelty of b-boy that got it for them, or were they truly better dancers?
- [Phuc and Sherry] On Saturday, I had a chance to second shoot with Kenny Nakai again for the wedding of Phuc and Sherry. It was tons of fun and very cultural with two tea ceremonies! Here’s the teaser for now…
- [Sudha and Stinson] I had the honor of doing a family shoot with Sudha, Stinson and their two beautiful daughters on Sunday out at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. I’ll get the full story up later, but for now enjoy the teasers:
- [Equinox] For those who have followed my blog for awhile, you know that I’ve had a great membership at Equinox in the Loop. The only problem with the membership is that I really haven’t gone…I think I’ve been there about 4-5 times this year! But now it’s time for a change! They’ve upgraded their membership cards and I just got mine in the mail, which has renewed my energy already (I feel very prestigious with it). So keep me accountable in at least improving my regularity with working out through this next year (…my current rate is a little under once a month, I think). Any suggestions on how to stay motivated/disciplined in this area? I think I’ll start this Thursday or Friday.
- [The Tipping Point] OK, I’ve fallen very far behind in my reading goal of 12 books in 2008. But I finished The Tipping Point a little bit ago for book #4, and am almost done with The E-Myth Revisited. The Tipping Point is a really interesting read that makes me look a lot deeper in the details of outcomes and effects rather than accepting the obvious or norm.
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natemathai | filed under: PersonalFree to Succeed?
- August 19, 2008 -
DJ and Jasmine* came to Chicago today for the Free to Succeed Tour…and I didn’t go. I’m semi-kicking myself for not registering and going, because I feel like I just missed a great opportunity. So for anyone who did go, any glimpses? I’m assuming DJ spoke, Jasmine spoke…Bob Davis? Did Kenny do any talking? Any surprise visitors? I seriously should have just gone…
On my way home from my day job, I did grab this pic of the Tour bus on my iPhone (I was going to get closer but every lot of the hotel was gated!):
Alright…enough of that. I’m over it… :)
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal[08.18.08] Monday Night Recap
- August 18, 2008 -
- [Cubbies] Yep…still going strong. 5 games up on Milwaukee, and 8-2 in the last 10. I’m a happy, happy person. White Sox aren’t doing too shabby either right now, which means Chicago is buzzin’, and it’s only going to get better.
- [iPhone] I announced it yesterday, but I did get the new iPhone. I love it because it keeps me connected a lot better. I don’t like the battery life though. I haven’t had any signal/service issues, though, so that’s always a good thing. Now I need to figure out what to do with my {branded} iPod Touch. Anyone interested? Make me an offer! You can’t even see the branding if you put a case on it!
- [Olympics] I really haven’t blogged about it, but I’ve gotten more and more hooked as the games went on. I used to be hardcore about it in the past, staying up into the wee hours of the morning following it. This year, I guess I was just old…but I’m starting to do it again. My highlights? Phelps- a beast! That man is amazing. Then there’s the Indian who made the US gymnastics team as an alternate and got the bronze medal…gotta represent!
- [Tropic Thunder] Has anyone seen this yet? It’s starring Ben Stiller. I’ve wanted to watch this ever since I saw it in the movie previews a couple months back, but I don’t think I’ll be able to convince my fiance to go see it. Anyone want to watch it with me?
- [Engaged] Culturally, even though I already proposed to my fiance, we had a formal engagement ceremony/party. it was just for our close family/friends, and pretty much a formal announcement of our desires to get married and things like that. It wasn’t a huge thing for me, but thinking about it I really do like how formal it is. Marriage is not something to be taken lightly…and it’s not just a covenant/contract between two people, but also two families, and the church body. So in that sense, I liked it. Here’s a pic of us taken by my soon-to-be brother in law:
- [Save The Date] Our awesome photographer Kenny Kim hooked me up with a couple early previews of our e-session we did even with his busy schedule, so that I could get some save the dates made for our upcoming wedding. What do you guys think of these that I designed? I like a concept of having multiple save-the-dates of similar styles with different pictures from the esession…if I offer this service, would people be interested?
- [Wedding Website] Also, I got our wedding website up and running! It’ll still be a work in progress (because that’s just how I roll), so if you have any ideas of things to add, let me know by dropping some comments! Oh, and leave us some love/encouragement in the guestbook area of the site especially as we get closer to the wedding date…we’ll need all the help we can get!
- [Twitter] I’ve become a bit more ‘addicted’ ever since I got TweetDeck and my iPhone (and yes, I did twitter from my engagement party). Again, you can follow me with my username natemathai. But now I have a question: I know in many places its become illegal to talk on a phone while driving without having a hands free system. But now, is it illegal to Twitter while driving, or just dangerous? I guess the same question is for texting, too…what do you think?
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natemathai | filed under: [MNR]Just a random post…
- August 17, 2008 -
Alright, before I continue with my things-to-do today, figured I’d do a quick post. Last Wednesday I got the new iPhone, and I LOVE IT! I had the Touch for awhile now, but I quickly was limited with the need to be connected to wifi. So with my contract at T-Mobile ending, I made the switch and am pleased. The main downside (and you’ve probably heard it) is battery life is terrible with 3G, but I’ve got myself a car charger to help me out on that.
Ok, just wanted to share that bit of joy with you instead of waiting until tomorrow! Oh, I also went to the beach with my fiance and her siblings/nephews/niece, and so here’s a couple pics taken from my iPhone:
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal No Comments | add a comment
Linzy and Christiaan :: wedding
- August 14, 2008 -
Linzy is a fellow Illini alumn who graduated a few years before I did. Her career took her away from her hometown in Illinois, but it led her over to the east coast, and more importantly to Christiaan. I had only conversed with Christiaan through e-mail/phone prior to the wedding, but from the very beginning it was clear how much he loved Linzy. And these thoughts rang true throughout their wedding day, clearly seen not just between them but also by the closeness and fondness of their friends and family. Not only was there so much love, these guys sure know how to have fun, too!
It’s a special thing for me to shoot weddings, but I love it when I get to participate in this way for my friends. Now…get prepared for an onslaught of images!
I arrived in North Carolina the day before, and was able to stop in to see the BEAUTIFUL Duke Chapel during the reahearsal.
A bit of prep-time in the morning. A big shout-out to Gigi of Hairstyles of Gigi who took care of all the girls early in the morning…
The flower girl…
Linzy and her sisters…
Prior to the wedding, the bride’s side met together with the priest to pray for Linzy…
After the ceremony, we took the bridal party out to Duke Gardens for a few portraits (love it!)…
And then we returned back to the grounds of the Governor’s Club for just a few more on the course. Everyone was traveling in style!
The reception was held on the grounds of the Governor’s Club, and here are a few details…
The first dance…
v2…
This little one was ready to dance from the very beginning…
I always wondered…wouldn’t it just be easier if one of them took the picture and shared it with the rest? :)
Then it was time for toasts…
The groom’s younger brother and best man had the entire place laughing and tearing in the same moment. This time he was talking about a game they played when they were younger, where Christiaan would take a nerf ball on a rope and swing it around his head, while he had to try to tag him without getting hit. I’m sure it sounded like a fun idea at the start of the game :)
Afterwards the dancing began, and everyone had a blast! The floor was packed the whole night!
Now, I’ve been to my share of weddings, but this was a first for me. The song ‘Footloose’ came on, and two of the guys lined up and started swinging an imginary jump rope a la double dutch. And for the whole song, people took turns ‘jumping rope’! IT WAS AWESOME! Here’s Christiaan and his older brother breakin’ it down…
Linzy and Christiaan, thank you so much for giving me the honor to serve you guys in this way. Everything was beautiful from start to finish. I wish you guys all the best as you begin the rest of your lives together. Take care!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal[08.11.08] Monday Night Recap
- August 11, 2008 -
- [Comments]
There seemed to have been people who were unable to post comments (which is sad…I like comments!) I’m not sure what the issue was/is, but hopefully everyone can do it now. The screenshot above shows you where the comments are. At the bottom of every post (and the welcome at the top), you’ll see a gray bar. If you click on “show comments” you’ll see everyone’s comments…if you click “add a comment” you can add your own comment…so simple! (You’re name and e-mail are required to help prevent spam…and don’t worry, I won’t spam you!) Let me know if you guys are still having issues…
- [Facebook Fan Page]
Right after I launched the new blogsite, I set up a Facebook Fan Page as well!First, be my friend! Then, be a fan! At the page, I’ll be posting some mini-albums from shoots that I do, and my blog posts get uploaded there as well (in case you find yourself only able to access facebook for some reason). Also, I’ll post a random question in the ‘Discussion’ area so make sure you go there and respond! The first question is already up- If you had $10 that you HAD to spend by the end of the day, what would you buy?
- [ABDC] It’s been awhile since I posted about America’s Best Dance Crew…mainly because I haven’t been watching. But I was able to catch a recap of last week’s show, which surprisingly leads us into the finals this week. Now, I was a huge fan of SoReal and I love bboys and breakers, but Fanny Pack seriously stole the show! I can’t believe they got sent home, especially with their last routine. They definitely are the most creative group this year. Ah well, so who do you think will win it…Super Crew or SoReal Crew?
- [Cubbies] Just finished up a series with St. Louis and won 2 of 3. This gets more and more exciting as each day goes by…Cubbies in the WS!
- [Ekta & Dig] This past Saturday two of my college friends had their formal engagement ceremony (this first in our group of friends). It was very interesting culturally for me, because although I am Indian, this was my first Hindu ceremony. Here are a few pics…
Generally, this was my view, so I wasn’t able to get as cultured as I would have liked :) - [The Dark Knight] Am I the last person to see it? Probably…I’m always late with movies. I was a little concerned that it wouldn’t live up to the hype for me, but I was really impressed with it. Of course, much of the time I was just watching the scenes and figuring out where in Chicago it was filmed (I remember seeing props and cars and such last year while they were filming), but it was one of the movies that had a bit of everything for me. Oh…I never was much of a superhero/comic book guy before, but I think I finally found my favorite: Joker! Seriously, when of the best played roles right there.
- [Adobe Air] Have you guys heard of Adobe Air? It’s basically Adobe’s attempt to bridge the web and the desktop computer. Although I heard about it before, I recently found out about TweetDeck, which is a Twitter environment, and figured I might as well see what it’s all about. And like everything, once I get something like this, I have to search through all the programs and start trying everything out. I think I’m done searching for now, but here are the 4 that I like:
TweetDeck
I no longer need to login to twitter! Plus, I can create different groups of people, and get notifications of when people reply to my tweets or just others tweet. It actually makes twitter more addicting, but I like it! (It will get out of control, though, when I get the iPhone…then expect 1 tweet an hour [just kidding...hopefully])
Google Analytics
I use Google Analytics to track my web stats – how many people visit my site, where they are coming from, etc. It’s a very powerful program, and now it got even more simpler because: I don’t need to open up firefox and log in! Just fire up the program, and all my stats are there.
Snackr
And this is how I become chained to other people’s blogs. I’ve imported all my blogs from Google Reader into this program, which puts a little ticker at the bottom of your screen that shows all the recent posts. It also shows an icon of the first image in the post, as well as has its own little pop up environment to view the full posts. The downside is it doesn’t interact with Google Reader so even if I read something through Snackr, it will still show up as unread in the reader. A good thing is that you can also hide the ticker if its too distracting.
Adobe Kuler
Kuler is an online color picker, which is an amazing tool for designers. I use kuler to create different color swatches to use for design and such. Now I still need to create these palletes online (I think), but with Adobe Air I can see my own creations and other people’s swatches without going online, and automatically import them into Photoshop. That makes designing so much more faster!
My own recommendation, though, is to put all the apps on a second monitor…otherwise you’re going to be REALLY distracted with everything.
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: PersonalNMP Challenge Submissions: July- Games
- August 10, 2008 -
Time for me to catch up on some blogging now that the new site is up! A little after the deadline, but I did receive images for the July challenge! The way I’ll do it from now on is I’ll showcase my favorite (or two), and you can see all the submissions through the dropdown link (under Extras->Photo Challenge).
So this time, my favorite is from DM, who took this shot during a game of ‘quick scrabble’. “Forever” is worth 13 points…more if it was on a board and like a triple word score or something!
And I must give some credit to Leena T for this capture of ‘Jenga’…gotta love the nticipation of the fall…
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You can see the rest of the submissions here, or just use the navigation above. Remember to check out August’s challenge!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
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NMP Photo Challenge: August
- August 6, 2008 -
And for August, here we go!
Theme: Signs
Much of the communication we receive and give are visual. We signal hello’s and goodbye’s with a wave of our hands. A circle with a line through it means not to do something. We are directed how to get around a building or where a restaurant is by signs.
For this challenge, show me some signs! Have fun with composition or tell a story with the sign (…like, have a picture of people running past a “Slow Children” sign), or display a universal gesture that has become standard in our lives (…such as the two-finger peace sign).
Send your submissions to challenge@nmathaiphotography.com with the month in the subject, and include your name, link to your site, and a description/explanation of your image (especially if it is a gesture). Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Happy shooting people!
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal100
- August 6, 2008 -
I just came across that I received my 100th blog comment! Woo hoo! Thanks to everyone who leaves the love. I stole this idea from Jasmine* who does something similar, but I did a search for “100″ on Google images and found this:
Sunil was the 100th commentator to my blog, and with that he will receive a $10 iTunes Gift Card! Congrats Sunil! And now you know that it pays to leave some love…you never know when I’m a mood to give some gifts. :)
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal No Comments | add a comment
Reflection…
- August 6, 2008 -
He made dancing fun for me…
It was one year ago – though there has been healing, there is always pain. And I question what to write, what to share, what to post…so many different directions and angles my heart feels like taking this, but not knowing which one is ‘best’. Words will not do justice, and might only make me more restless, or bitter, or something (praise God for the delete key and delayed postings).
I remember December 2006. At our church’s regional conference, Binil asked if he could talk to me, so we found some time to meet up separately between things to talk. It was a question i knew was coming – ‘Are you willing to serve in leadership with CPT?’ CPT was the Creative Presentations Team at our church, which I was a part of way back in the day (mid-90′s), putting on skits and presentations for different events. It transformed greatly over time, and was something that Binil invested so much of his time and effort in. Over the winter, though, many of the leaders were being called to different ministries and stretched too thin, and they were lacking people to take charge. I’d always loved serving in it, and that type of ministry is a ‘fun’ passion for me, but we both knew that I had already accepted the role as VP of our youth fellowship, and it just wouldn’t be right for me to take on more at the moment.
The one thing I always seem to share of him is his passion, and it came out here again. He got into talking about his vision for the ministry, his heart for the people involved, his feelings on the leadership. He was a visionary and a dreamer. He looked at the Kingdom before looking at the situation at hand, and I still don’t know how he did it.
Looking back on the year, many things have changed in my life, and I’ve grown a lot. But these are stakes in history to remind me of different areas where I still lack. I praise God for a relationship that is continuing to push me to not be limited by the practicality of this world’s abilities, and to be a dreamer, to have a vision. And moments like these remind me of what a full life consists of.
His time came at the right time.
But I say that with a mental understanding of God’s control more than a heart-filled conviction that he shouldn’t have been with us longer.
I hear him challenge us with a reflection of his own life:
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
…and continuing to say…
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Do your best to come to me quickly…”
2Timothy4:1-9
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[08.04.08] Monday Night Recap
- August 4, 2008 -
- [Photo Challenge] Was the last challenge that difficult? I haven’t received a single entry…how sad is that?!? Well…as always, there’s a grace period, but I’ll have August’s challenge up in the next day or so.
- [Wedding Photographer] Especially when you are a photographer, one of the most common questions asked is “Who’s going to be your wedding photographer?”, which is commonly answered with “I am. I’m going to set up the cameras on tripods with a remote in my hand and get everything I need.” Seriously though, it’s a tough choice…I know of so many amazing photographers that it’s hard to narrow it down. Setting a budget helps a bit (but you’re always willing to bend on it!).
One thing I plan on doing from now until the wedding is ‘feature’ a couple photographers that I would have loved to shoot my wedding if money/location/time/etc. were of no issue whatsoever. And it would have been cool to have it all lead up to the actual photographer chosen around my wedding next year, but it’s not possible, because I’m going to post some images of his shortly :). I’ll probably still ‘feature’ him at the end with an explanation of why we chose him, but for now, here he is: Kenny Kim (of Kenny Kim Photography).
- [The Proposal] People have been asking about the who/when of the proposal for quite some time now (including my now fiance :) ). It was quite difficult planning one with the busy-ness of our schedules this summer, and more so my sister’s wedding last weekend (can’t steal her thunder…that’d be mean of me). When I met with Kenny earlier in the year, we were trying to find a time for a mini e-session because we wanted to get a couple of images in time for our traditional engagement ceremony/party in a few weeks. He was able to find time for us this weekend in the midst of his nationwide travels, and I immediately knew what I wanted for the proposal.
We scheduled to have our e-session at the beach, and God blessed us with some BEAUTIFUL weather (more on that to come). And so our plan was to meet up with Kenny at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park, and then walk over to the beach. Nithya and I got to the museum a little early, and I texted Kenny to see how long he was going to be (we’d been texting back and forth for the moments prior to set everything up). In the back of the museum was a pond and a bit of a cross-platform over it, which would have been a perfect place for the proposal. The only problem was there was a wedding being held at the museum, so everything was closed off…there were some people from the wedding party hanging out on the platform too. So I took Nithya around the back to walk around while we ‘waited’ for Kenny (…Kenny was making his own pathway through the bushes and found a way up on the platform). Nearby that area, I found a little rocky area just next to the pond, so I stepped in to see if I could get on the platform from there…sadly we couldn’t. But it was a nice enough place, and I knew Kenny could see us there (I spotted him because I was searching for him to make sure, luckily Nithya didn’t)…
After a few more random words, I turned, looked at Nithya, (insert words here), got down on one knee, (insert more words), pulled out the ring, asked her if she’d marry me, she said yes, I put it on her finger, and stood to hug her with the applause of the wedding party. By that time Kenny moved into plain view where Nithya saw him. Here’s one of the shots he got:
- [The E-Session] We carried on the rest of the day as planned. We headed over to the beach to get a handful of shots and call it a day. Let me tell you, it’s very awkward being on that side of the camera. With a camera in front of my face, I never have to worry about my facial expressions or what not…luckily, weddings/e-sessions are all about the girl so I’ll be out of focus in a majority of them :) . There will be more to come, but here’s one that Kenny got to us so far:
- [The Cubbies] As I posted before, Nithya bought us Cubs tickets for my birthday, and we went on Sunday afternoon (after church and getting her ring sized). We had a great view and experienced a great win…Zambrano pitched a decent game, back-to-back-to-back doubles, after being down 2-0, and then after the Pirates tied it up with 3 in the 8th, the Reed Johnson hit a pinch-hit two-run homer to put us back up by two, followed by a solo shot by Soriano. And then Marmol closed it off for the win as expected. For my first (and probably only) Cubs game this season, I can say I was satisfied.
- [The Power of the Ring] I’ve noticed that there is a lot of power that comes with a diamond engagement ring. Prior to the proposal, the perception was it being in my ‘possession’. And with that, I got a lot of attention…everyone asking me about it, when’s the proposal, how am I going to do it, etc. Now that she has the engagement ring, I get nothing. The occasional congrats, but that’s it. Now, its all about her. Every question is now directed to her and I’m all alone. Woe is me…woe is me. :)
A model?
This fun friend helped lead the YMCA in our area…here he is donning the construction hat and the cowboy hat…
The anatomy of a swing, by Derrick Lee (I seriously think he has one of the most beautiful swings in all of baseball – if he would just stop hitting into so many double plays)…
The anatomy of a close, by Carlos Marmol…
version2…
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Couples Lifestyle Sessions, Personal, engagementShe said Yes…
- August 2, 2008 -
{I’ll have more info later…}
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: PersonalWELCOME!
- August 1, 2008 -
Hey everyone! I am Nate Mathai, and I’m a wedding and portrait photographer based out of Chicago, Illinois. I’ve been blessed with eyes that capture authentic moments, and heart that seeks personal relationships, and a mind constantly looking for unique situations. Through my words and images, I invite you to join up in doing life with me. I have such a blast with it, and would love for you to come along!
[mail] | info@natemathai.com
be sure to visit the contact page if you’re looking for a chicago wedding photographer, available nationwide.
natemathai | filed under: Personal
