Nate Mathai Photography | 2008
- December 25, 2008 - posted by chicago wedding photographer nate mathai

categories: Couples Lifestyle Sessions, Formal Engagements, Modern Events, Modern Portraits, Modern Weddings
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interested in booking? Head over to the the contact page or shoot me an email to info@natemathai.com

I’m a bit of a people watcher. I find myself in an area, watching the subtleties of the interactions between people. What I see is not simply the kiss between the couple, but the shy smile and glance she gives him immediately afterward. It’s not the laughter of a child being thrown in the air by her father, but the look of anticipation right before she is lifted up. It’s these moments before and after ‘the moment’ that get my attention, and play a huge role in the story that I tell through my work.

Throughout the past year, I’ve had the honor and privilege of being asked to participate and document the important moments in the lives of many. Here’s a recap of 2008 (I also have done a handful of family sessions and events, but I wanted to keep these images more…couple-y… ;)).

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[04.26.08] Deb+Cabin for Nakai Photography

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[05.31.08] Dawn+Richard for Nakai Photography

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[06.07.08] Namratha+Lenie

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[06.07.08] Dianna+Joe

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[06.20.08] Nisha+Joel

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[06.28.08] Soumy+Jiju

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[07.05.08] Linu+Sunil

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[07.12.08] Linzy+Christiaan

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[08.23.08] Sherry+Phuc for Nakai Photography

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[08.24.08] Sudha+Stinson

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[08.30.08] Liza+Shibu

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[09.13.08] Carolyn+Chris for Nakai Photography

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[10.04.08] Susan+Jason

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[10.11.08] Julie+Mark

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[11.29.08] Michelle+Suresh

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Once again, a big thank you to all of my clients (or as I like to call them, friends) for allowing me to have the greatest job ever. You all make it so easy for me! :)

2009 is right around the corner, and I’m looking forward to some awesome things to come. If you are interested in learning more about my services or availability, head over to the contact section and drop me a line! I’m looking forward to connect with all of you a bit more in the years to come.

Merry Christmas!
- December 22, 2008 - posted by chicago wedding photographer nate mathai

categories: Personal
tags:

interested in booking? Head over to the the contact page or shoot me an email to info@natemathai.com

A quick little Christmas message…stay warm everybody!

Like last year, I also made a couple of Christmas cards…and again, I have no wife or kids to put on it.  So which one do you like better?

The clean and crisp…

…or the vintage?

Merry Christmas Everyone! Stay safe and warm!

A Message to Parents…
- December 16, 2008 - posted by chicago wedding photographer nate mathai

categories: Personal
tags:

interested in booking? Head over to the the contact page or shoot me an email to info@natemathai.com

My parents worked really hard to provide for my siblings and I so that we wouldn’t have to struggle (they are 1st generation immigrants, moving to the US when my oldest sister was little).  They allowed me to live sort of a western lifestyle without losing sight of my Indian Christian lifeline.  I was able to do any thing I wanted to – I played little league baseball and basketball, participated in many sports tournaments, was a part of a chess team and volleyball team, and so forth and so on.  Educationally they challenged me to strive for the best (…a B+ is nowhere close to being good enough) because they wanted me to excel in everything.  Through all of this, though, my dad was never one to really show affection or encouragement (sort of an Indian-culture type thing).  It’s something that I greatly got used to growing up, and something I never really longed for. My interests (somewhat obviously) were never really in line with my dad’s, as I was completely into sports (just not the ones he was in) and technology and creative arts…and that just wasn’t his style.  And although he ‘allowed’ me to pursue my dreams and desires, he never really participated much.

Tonight I had dinner with my parents, which doesn’t normally happen because of our schedules.  Partway through, my dad says “Remember, one Thanksgiving it snowed and we made a turkey?”  Personally, I didn’t remember, but my mom was saying I was probably in Jr. High then.  My dad started reminiscing (internally), then said “we should make a snowman tonight”.  Normally, I laugh these off and carry on my way.  But I realized my dad was being more serious than not, so I said “Alright, let’s go”.  Now, for those of you not from an area that sees snow, you should only make snowmen after the snow sets for awhile so it gets hard enough to pack…right after or during snowfall its too soft.  I still decided to humor my dad and we went.

After about 20 minutes of building a mountain, my dad finally accepted it and we went in.  Here is what we finished it with…

What I realized though, is my dad is starting to recognize that I’m getting married in less than a year.  It’s sort of as if he’s making up for lost time.  He sort of re-living what he wish he did with me, but couldn’t because of how he was trying to provide for us when we were younger. But it’s better late than never. And I’m going to try my best to do my part for him over these next 9 months to help.

To the parents out there, don’t miss out on those little moments of your kid’s youth.  Play with them as much as you can…you don’t want to think about what you could have done when it’s too late.