Last Minute Holiday Photos! – a limited promotion by Nakai Photography
-A mini studio session (30 minutes at my new Lincoln Park studio) – for couples, families, dog owners
-1 8×10 print
-2 5×7 prints (of the same image as the 8×10)
-50 Holiday cards w/custom designs (designed for exclusive use by Nakai Photography)
-All for a special promotional price of $200!
-and in the spirit of the holidays, bring in a new toy to donate…and you get $50 off!

So please spread the word on this promotion! It’s only going to last for a couple weeks! I’m looking forward to shooting more families in my new Chicago studio! Feel free to email me at: info {at} nakaiphotography {dot} com to set up a time for a photo session!

I had a great time with my cousins who drove in from the suburbs to Chicago. Dawn & Yutaka have the cutest girl and I adore the way she says my name! She almost sings my name! The emphasis goes up in the middle and down at the end. The. Best. They brought some cute props and we had a great time taking these holiday photos! It was their first professional photography session, so I wanted to make sure they got some good photos! =)

We start off with a nice family portrait

I love how she is standing on her tippy toes in this photo!

Her smile just makes you want to smile!

Dawn and Yutaka both have personalized stockings, so we had their little one carry hers too!

An awesome portrait of the reindeer!

Nothings says anticipation of Christmas better than milk and cookies! =) I think it helps bring a smile to everyone’s face!

Thanks you guys for a great photo session! It was a fun time! I’m glad that you guys were able to see the new studio! And a shout out to Dawn, Yutaka, Keith and Donna for the studio gift! It was a surprise and will no doubt be used on a daily basis! You guys were so thoughtful and generous- Thanks for all your support!

with love,

Kenny

Contact – Portfolio – Facebook – Twitter
Studio Location: 855 W. Blackhawk St #104 Chicago, IL 60642

Last Minute Holiday Photos! – a limited promotion by Nakai Photography
-A mini studio session (30 minutes at my new Lincoln Park studio) – for couples, families, dog owners
-1 8×10 print
-2 5×7 prints (of the same image as the 8×10)
-50 Holiday cards w/custom designs (designed for exclusive use by Nakai Photography)
-All for a special promotional price of $200!
-and in the spirit of the holidays, bring in a new toy to donate…and you get $50 off!

So please spread the word on this promotion! It’s only going to last for a couple weeks! I’m looking forward to shooting more families in my new Chicago studio! Feel free to email me at: info {at} nakaiphotography {dot} com to set up a time for a photo session!

Christy & Dennis are a couple I ran into at T’s first birthday party this past spring! I was the photographer for that birthday celebration, and Christy and Dennis had expressed an interest in having me photograph their family at sometime in the future. Well…they happened to hear about my “Last Minute Holiday Card Portrait Promotion” and thought it was a great idea for their family!

So they headed into Chicago to visit me at my new Lincoln Park studio! I love my new space and I can’t wait to have more family portraits taken here! We started with a photo of “N” next to frosty. =)

And of course…a family portrait w/frosty! It is a holiday card portrait session!

The loving family!

The next time “N” visits the studio for a portrait session, he won’t need mom & dad’s hands to stand up…he’ll be running around!

He liked his moose. So much that he wouldn’t turn him around for me to take a photo of the two of them! =)

A fun family portrait! So simple, but yet I love it!

I love all of their expression in this photo!

And lastly…a portrait of the little guy. “N” crawled right up to me and was staring at himself in my lens. He was so close…that you can see a reflection of me in his eyes!

So if you happen to know of anyone who might be interested in a “Last Minute Holiday Card Portrait” let them know about this limited-time-only promotion!

Thanks Christy and Dennis for stopping by the new Chicago studio! I hope you enjoy the photos!

Contact – Portfolio – Facebook – Twitter
Studio Location: 855 W. Blackhawk St #104 Chicago, IL 60642

Last Minute Holiday Photos! – a limited promotion by Nakai Photography
-A mini studio session (30 minutes at my new Lincoln Park studio) – for couples, families, dog owners
-1 8×10 print
-2 5×7 prints (of the same image as the 8×10)
-50 Holiday cards w/custom designs (designed for exclusive use by Nakai Photography)
-All for a special promotional price of $200!
-and in the spirit of the holidays, bring in a new toy to donate…and you get $50 off!

So spread the word on this promotion! It’s only going to last for a couple weeks! I’m looking forward to shooting more families in my new Chicago studio! Feel free to email me at: info {at} nakaiphotography {dot} com to set up a time for a photo session!

So yesterday…I picked up the keys to my new studio in Chicago! Nakai Photography is now in Lincoln Park! I am super excited about this new endeavor…and to kick it off, I had a photoshoot with the Frank & Julie’s family! I have been photographing them since 2007- you can see a previous photoshoot from this past summer here. So it’s only fitting that the Frank & Julie are the first family I photograph in my new studio!

This studio is so fresh that I literally don’t have anything in this new space yet. It’s a warehouse loft…and it’s HUGE! I’m sharing the space with Vale of Enna (floral designer) – though we occasionally work together on weddings, we were friends back in junior high school! I’ll share more about the new studio space in future posts…but I wanted to throw this out there to all the families, couples and dog owners:

Anyways, back to Frank and Julie- here are some more portraits from our session together! I love this picture of all the kids together!

Then some photos of each kid by themselves, I think some of them believe the candy cane is a martial arts weapon-

I love this photo collage of the kids-

And a “Nakai Photography” portrait of Frank & Julie!

Thanks you guys for a great time and for being apart of this new chapter of Nakai Photography! I hope it was worth the drive from the ‘burbs to Chicago!

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A shout out to my friend Nathan, who connected me with Crystal and Joe – most of business comes through referrals, and I appreciate people who help to share my work with others! It’s always good to see you bro!

I hope you enjoy the photos from the youngest baby I’ve ever photographed since forming Nakai Photography!

A quick outdoor portrait- the weather was surprisingly warm for November-

The one thing about newborns, and most moms can attest to this: they change so much…so quickly. After about four weeks, a child looks completely different than as a newborn. I really cherish the opportunity to photograph this little guy after only seven days of life.

Look! He opened his eyes! I love it!

He only smiled for a second or two…but I was able to capture this moment…a photo of mom and dad’s hands- and the rare smile of a newborn!

Another fun part of newborns: the yawns! It’s amazing how big their mouths get!

Another little smile!

The older brother was a great help and even went along with my ‘creative’ photo!

And at last…the new family portrait! Just in time for Thanksgiving!

Thanks Crystal and Joe for sharing your family with me! It was great to spend time with you guys and I’m looking forward to seeing these guys grow up! I hope you enjoyed the portrait session and the photos!

with love,

Kenny

Contact – Portfolio – Facebook – Twitter

And now…he is just beginning to walk! Time just flies! I had a great time catching up with these two and spending time with their little guy- He did a great job hanging in while we played and took LOTS of photos-

On a side note: Hoa just started up a cake making business, so if you were wanting a birthday cake or any other kind of cool/custom cake like they have on the Food Network (ie: Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, etc) check out her stuff at: www.mamawacakes.com

A fun picture of the toss up- One of the best things to do before he gets too big-

A cute portrait…all strapped in his radio flyer

The roles were reversed as Hoa wanted to be pulled!

What a cute smile!

It’s so fun to see kids who are just learning to walk…you can just picture him falling on his booty in this photo-

I think he enjoys pulling on his dad’s hair-

Great hand eye coordination…ET phone home! I love these types of ‘lifestyle’ photos…not anything super posed, just life and having fun!

A nice family portrait- Nakai style!

SOOOOO CUTE!

And lastly…a photo of some hands and shoes- love it!

If you were interested in a family lifestyle portrait session, feel free to contact me! Photo sessions also make great gifts! =)

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment below!

Contact – Portfolio – Facebook – Twitter

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: Waterford Banquets
933 B South Riverside Drive
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Decor: Shaadi Creations

***more photos are on my facebook page – check there tomorrow for more than 70+ pictures!***

A photo of Sheetal’s earrings and her Christian Louboutin shoes- Check out the detail in the silver on the shoes

Another shot of the Louboutin- =)

She wore her sari for the morning Indian ceremonies before changing into an evening gown for the reception-

Sheetal’s make up was done by Jane, a beauty specialist from Saks Fifth Avenue-

Waterford looked great as the Indian ceremony was held outside-

A fantastic set up by Shaadi Creations-

In the background…you can see Sheetal’s mom being overwhelmed with emotions

The only moment where she let her emotions in -the part of the ceremony where she says good bye to her family in Chicago.

After the ceremonies were over, she changed into an gorgeous silver evening gown – And while we didn’t have a lot of time, we were able to grab some great photos of the newlyweds!

She got her Christian Louboutin shoes…and he got to rent a Lamborghini – Pretty good deal for both sides!

Being a little creative with Dhaval’s two loves for the day…his woman and the car-

Another creative photo-

Off to the side of the waterford reception hall, there was a sweet lounge set up…I loved the decorative lighting set up.

A photo of the wedding cake

The first dance

Sheetal & Dhaval: when it was all said and done…what an awesome day! Enjoy the photos!

with love,

Kenny

Contact – Portfolio – Facebook – Twitter

The cousins walking down the hill together-

I love this moment! Joe is into photography as well, and I’m glad that we got a bunch of photos where he is on the ‘other side’ of the lens. =)

And one of my favorite photos of the day! Fun times in Schaumburg!

Here are a couple photos from their engagement session we held this past fall- You can see the rest of the images here.

***More photos are on my facebook page – Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see all 50+ images there***

Make up and jewelry were done by Julie from Poesi. Check her stuff on her website! www.ilovepoesi.com

A quick photo of the wedding shoes and wedding dress-

I love this portrait of her-

I love her smile here – it’s all in the eyes-

We headed out to The Glen for some creative shots. A big “Thank You” to the bridal party for trekking out for these pictures!

We took some photos on the bridge at The Glen-

I love this photo – capturing the flowing veil on the pier-

The Glen had a cool maze for children – it made for a fun photo!

Before the ceremony started, we grabbed this photo of Michael.

Dreaming about her own wedding someday… =)

So much is said in the eyes- love. passion. commitment.

The reception was held at European Crystal and Banquets in Arlington Heights, IL

And yes…the first dance!

Thanks you guys for having me as your wedding photographer! I’m so happy for the both of you as you begin your journey together! May you both continue to be guided by His hand and voice as you allow Him to lead your paths.

I can’t wait to hear some more fun stories over dinner sometime! =)

with love,

Kenny Nakai

I also want to give a shout out to my friend Sandra for referring Sharon to my work- that’s how I get most of my business- through a referral!

Another quick shout out to wedding planner Cindy Kang from “Just the Little Things” for helping to keep everything running smoothly!

***There are more images posted on my facebook page – Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you can’t see all 70+ images there!***

We started the morning at Sonia Roselli Esthetique – one of Chicago’s premier cosmetic boutiques.

Wedding shoes: Pedro Garcia

And some photos of her earrings-

Having a moment with her Jinza Jin Couture wedding dress before putting it on-

The bridesmaids helping to button up-

yes…Sharon looked stunning!

Lawrence was having his GQ moment himself- =)

We spent some time in the downtown area of Lake Forest – I love this quaint little suburb!

Before the wedding ceremony and creative portraits, Sharon and Lawrence had a ‘first look’ moment to themselves. He was blown away!

The ladies were trying to stay out of the background of my shots while still trying to see what was going on! Look at the expression on their faces!

Some creative portraits-

You can see the joy in her eyes-

The reception was held at the Armour House at the Lake Forest Academy- an amazing venue! One of my favorites-

The Armour House at Lake Forest Academy has an amazing garden that has an ethereal feel to it.

Sharon surprised Lawrence by singing for him- he hadn’t heard her sing before- even though all her friends have told him what about her great voice- what a wedding day gift!

It was one of the more moving moments of the day-

And then during the first dance- they busted out the moves!

Sharon & Lawrence: Thanks for having me as your wedding photographer! The day was full of memorable moments and I am privileged to have witnessed it all- congrats again!

with love,
Kenny Nakai

One last shot of the courtyard of the Armour House, where guests can relax and enjoy the evening air-

I also remembering sitting next to Dru when he was first talking to Nicole via cellphone as they started their relationship long distance. After a long engagement process, as well as a daily countdown on facebook, they were finally married!

We started the day at the Marriott Hotel O’Hare for Nicole’s hair and makeup-

For some reason…I really like this next shot-

When I capture moments like this…I am reminded just how much I love wedding photography-

After the ceremony we headed out to the Chicago Botanic Gardens to grab some portraits-

I love the attention Nicole paid to the little details-

I think this image is one of my all time favorite toasting pic

Thanks for an awesome time you guys! I hope these pictures always bring you back to where it all began!

by His grace,

Kenny