seeds of thought - bella photography blog

Great Wedding Guests Make for Better Photos!!!

2012-02-16T10:52:00.000-06:00

Having great wedding guests can really help us to capture great wedding day images for you! Pictured here is the result of some really great bubble blowers! And they really do make a difference! :) What a great memory captured for our bride and groom!

-Rick Bella for Bella Photography

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

It is almost here... February 14th. Valentine's Day or its official name: Saint Valentine's Day. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards know as Valentines.

It is also a common day for engagements. What better time to give your loved one but with an engagement ring! I remember having many "valentines" in elementary school when you could pass out many cards to many different people and it was accepted.

Our plans on Valentine's day this year will include me preparing a filet steak dinner for Jodi complete with all of the trimmings. She will be providing dessert and we plan a quiet evening at home. Something we don't do as much as we used to. Whatever your plans, we hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day... and if you happen to "pop the question", give us a call, we would love to capture your wedding day for you.

Go Red for Women!

2012-02-02T21:20:00.003-06:00

Bella Photography photographed an event yesterday at the Go Red for Women breakfast at Harre Union in Valparaiso University. I thought “well just another corporate event.” I was wrong! It was the first time that Bella Photography captured this event and I was impressed by the amount of caring attendees who all came out early on a weekday morning to make a difference.
It was an early start, with folks arriving around 7:30 a.m. Over 300 or so women (and a few men) were in place by 8:00, mostly dressed in red to support the Go Red initiative helping the American Heart Association.

As I moved around capturing images, I could tell that these people were special. All focused about the cause and wearing bright red dresses, blouses, and scarves. There were even some red colored purses, shoes, and hats! Naturally, of all days, I was not sporting my red necktie… so I obtained a red dress pin and proudly placed that on my jacket lapel.

Dawn Collins, a Valparaiso Real Estate Professional and her committee did an amazing job organizing the breakfast. The guest speaker was Maggie Wilderotter, the CEO of Frontier Communications who shared her hectic paced life while building businesses, being a working mom, and trying to find balance in her life. She continues to walk 6-miles four times per week to help stay fit and offered that people can take care of themselves even if you are busy. She offered that you just need a “balance.”

The event was a huge success. Congratulations to everyone who made the event possible and especially to all those who donated to the Go Red for Women cause that morning. Find out more about the Go Red program at: http://www.goredforwomen.org

Watch the video below… it just might save a life.

-Rick Bella for Bella Photography

Seniors by Bella Photography

2012-01-24T21:41:00.000-06:00

Your Senior Photos won't be PRETTY! You aren't pretty. We won't define you by six little letters. The culmination of your 12-years of school smashed into one word? We don't think so. Your senior pictures won't be pretty. They will be a reflection of YOU. They will be pretty amazing, pretty incredible and pretty awesome. Because THAT is who your are. They will be your personality; what a senior photo should be.

You're no lemming. You don't do what everyone else does just because that's what everyone else is doing. You are your own unique individual. An island in the stream of sameness. You know you aren't like all the other students. You know where you are heading and how you are going to get there. You don't follow the worn path; you blaze your own trail. Are you ready to reflect that? Or are you okay with looking like every other senior? Your decision. Are you a groupie? Or are you a ROCK STAR?

Call your agent - 219-736-5217

Book your GTKY (Get to Know You) session - this is where we find out how rockin' you are, what clothes are going to be in your session and where this 'change the world' photo session will take place. It matters who you are. We need to find out what that is, pick locations that will show the rest of the world.

Get ready to ROCK AND ROLL.

Beauty is all around us... take advantage of it!

2012-01-22T17:25:00.001-06:00

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Beautiful backdrops: Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan offer engaging landscapes

These days, the backdrop of one's wedding photos can tell your love story like never before.

"I recently shot an engagement session for a couple that isn't from Indiana, but who met at Valparaiso University and wanted to have their portraits shot there," explains Stephanie Wallace of Stephanie Wallace Photography. "We used recognizable landmarks from around the city and the university campus in their portraits. These portraits will help them share the story of how and where they met with future generations."

And for many area couples, the vast and lush landscapes of the Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan areas also offer an endless array of options. Some Indiana favorites of area photographers include Deep River County Park in Hobart and Centennial Park in Munster.

"These locations offer a wide variety of backgrounds all within a few hundred yards," explains Rick Bella of Bella Photography in Valparaiso, Indiana. "This allows us to capture many different scenes by simply walking around the park. Not many other places have such beautiful natural resources like Lake Michigan and the beachfront that is available to us here in Northwest Indiana."

Often, skylines and historic buildings not only offer a unique backdrop for wedding photography, but also a chance for the wedding couple to capture history on canvas. "It is important to highlight city landmarks for the long memory of the images," Bella says. "Wedding photography will be around for almost longer than any other type of photography and in some cases, city landmarks will offer the memory of the day and highlight the location of the wedding. Who knows, in thirty to fifty years from now, some of those landmarks may even be gone, allowing the wedding photos to archive images for the couple and the couple's family for generations to come."

Meals on Wheels, Dine with the Chef's event coming soon...

2012-01-18T11:50:00.004-06:00

We love donating our time and services to Meals on Wheels of NW Indiana. They are a great organization doing great things to assist with senior hunger in our area. Each year, they present the "Dine with the Chef's" event held at the Avalon Manor in Hobart. Almost 500 dining guests participate with all profits going to the charity. It is their single largest fund-raising event of the year. Area Chef's donate their time and their respective locations donate the food to provide a wonderful dining experience.

The event is a wonderful Sunday afternoon and will be held this year on February 26, 2012. Learn more about Meals on Wheels at their website: mealsonwheelsnwindiana.org/

-Rick Bella for bella photography

New Year resolutions... maybe!

2012-01-18T10:26:00.001-06:00

We are in the middle of doing some minor remodeling at the studio. Just a little fresh paint, carpet cleaning and rearranging to get ready for the new year. We will be expanding our meeting room to upstairs and will be projecting images on a big screen for our clients to enjoy. We have also partnered with a new frame company and will be offering very unique frames for your artwork. Watch for details about that soon. If you feel like doing some painting, give us a call... we'll take the help! Naturally there will be some dry washing involved. It's just too easy to paint one color!

It's Hip to be Square!

2012-01-18T09:38:00.001-06:00

We enjoy capturing families inside their own environments. Lifestyle portraiture is a great way for families to remember and share their lives in a real and natural way. Displayed here are some examples of portraiture presented in square format with a white mat. This approach allows images to be displayed on any color wall since the white mat serves as a buffer between the wall and the actual portrait. We loved capturing Michaelle, Cynthia and Ed. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Assorted Bella Wedding Photography

2012-01-11T17:25:00.002-06:00

The Wedding of Julie and Kenny - December 9, 2011

2012-01-10T16:33:00.003-06:00

Capturing Family Memories...

2012-01-10T16:10:00.006-06:00

We recently enjoyed photographing a family at their annual reunion. We had photographed John and Amy's wedding last year. It was such a great idea to have a photographer there to capture the entire family. That way, all photos will have everyone in the picture. We had fun posing the family and different groups of families during the day. Posted here are just a few. Naturally we captured the entire day and many detail photos so they can remember the gathering in years to come. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Christina and Kevin Engagement Session - Save the Date Video

2011-11-23T14:52:00.000-06:00

Live at the Alley - Episode 3 - Todd Kessler & Stephanie Ruggeri

2011-11-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

2011-11-21T10:24:00.001-06:00

What a wonderful time we had photographing this event. On November 20, 2011 over 1,000 people kicked off Thanksgiving week by receiving a meal sponsored Jelly Pancake House of Merrillville, Indiana and the Embassies of Christ Kingdom Ministries located in Gary, Indiana. The two groups have been working together for months fighting hunger in the area by providing a monthly breakfast to hundreds of people at the Embassy hall. A wonderful team effort put smiles on the faces as a full plate of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans and pumpkin pie was served. There was no cost for the meal and food was provided by Jelly Pancake and E.O.C. Almost 50 turkeys were baked by Jelly as well as additional turkey breasts. Dozens of volunteers from E.O.C. helped to prepare, serve and host the event. We were honored to provide photography services for the event. What a great way to kick off Thanksgiving week. -Rick Bella for Bella Photography

The Wedding of Lisa & Eric - October 29, 2011

2011-11-05T08:04:00.001-05:00

Lisa and Eric Engagement - Chicago - October 9, 2011

2011-10-14T11:07:00.001-05:00

Live at the Alley - Episode 2 - Great Local Talent!

2011-10-13T23:20:00.002-05:00

Episode 2 - James Weston & Mr. Blotto from LIVE @ THE ALLEY on Vimeo.

Assorted Bella Weddings...

2011-09-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

2012 Wedding bookings have started.

2011-08-25T22:44:00.000-05:00

Call us at 219.736.5217 or email info@bellaphotographs.com to schedule your no obligation consultation.

Cynthia II

2011-08-02T09:55:00.002-05:00

Melissa and Rob's beautiful Taltree Wedding - 7-16-11

2011-07-18T09:23:00.002-05:00

Cynthia

2011-07-14T10:03:00.002-05:00

Ecolab 2011 Chairman's Reception and Silent Auction

2011-05-25T11:48:00.002-05:00

Battle of the Bands

2011-04-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

The annual United Way, Power of Youth, Battle of the Bands took place on April 10, 2011. It was another great event and we are happy to support such a great event. Congratulations to Skyline Savior for winning this years event. They won a recording contract as well as a album cover photo shoot donated by bella photography!

Enjoy the video - slideshow below. All of the bands did a great job!

A great engagement session with Nicole and Wes!

2011-04-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

We really enjoy photographing engagement sessions with our brides and grooms. It allows us the chance to get to know them better, show them how we photograph and put them at ease in the whole process. Then, months later; we are not strangers showing up at their wedding with cameras! It really works out nicely and allows us to communicate with them prior to their wedding day. They select images, design the guest book, and share images with family and friends.
Take a look at the video slideshow of Nicole and Wes' session:

Happy 16th Birthday Michael

2011-03-07T17:49:00.000-06:00

I had a great time photographing a birthday party on Saturday night. A great family and wonderful party was held for Michael. Good food, drink and plenty of dancing made capturing this party fun. Enjoy the video! Happy Birthday Michael! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Meals on Wheels, Dine with the Chef's event draws record 400 guests for fundraising dinner

2011-03-01T23:33:00.000-06:00

This year's event for the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana turned out a record 400 dinner guests for the multiple course dining experience. The organization celebrated its 10th year anniversary of the annual fundraiser. Chef's from Lake and Porter Counties, as well as their respective employers provide food and the Chef's to prepare a wonderful dinner highlighting some of the best culinary minds in the area. Below is a slideshow/video of the days events that had every foodie in the audience delighted as each course was presented.

This is one of most favorite events that we photograph highlighting these great Chef's and their creations. The event was Sunday, February 27th at the Avalon Manor in Hobart, Indiana. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Makenzi - Winter Senior Pics

2011-02-10T09:00:00.003-06:00

Assorted Bella Weddings...

2011-01-13T14:40:00.003-06:00

Jori and Ryan's Engagement Session

2010-12-10T05:43:00.001-06:00

Jori and Ryan's life has been crazy the past week. Can you imagine winning a $100,000 Dream Wedding from the number one morning radio show in Chicago? They can and have been busy planning their wedding in just two weeks! They are getting married on December 18th. Eric and Kathy from The Mix (101.9) sponsored a Dream Wedding contest. There were over 100,000 votes cast and Jori and Ryan received 56% of the votes; after being selected one of three finalist. Crazy, right? We are photographing their wedding and other events for the lucky couple.

We braved the weather yesterday in Chicago to capture some engagement photos for Jori and Ryan. Check out their video. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Last weekend for Santa at bella studio

2010-12-08T16:27:00.000-06:00

Let's face it, the guy is busy! So this is the last weekend for Santa to be at bella studio. Call or email to schedule your special time with Santa. Email us at info@bellaphotographs.com or call toll free 888-736-5217. Small groups are welcomed too... weekend special - $20 for a 20-minute to half hour session and two 5x7 prints of your choice. Come on out... we'd love to see you.

The Mix 101.9 Dream Wedding planning begins for Jori and Ryan

2010-12-06T23:44:00.000-06:00

We met Jori and Ryan today at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. They are the winners of the Eric and Kathy 'Dream Wedding Give Away.' The wedding valued at over $100,000 will take place on December 18, 2010. We also met the DJ company (Energy Productions - Northbook) as well as Topiarius, the floral design company providing the flowers for the elegant wedding. The Fairmont is going all out for this event and Wayne Harth, their Director of Catering was right on top of all of the details. The hotel will provide a spectacular backdrop for amazing photography.

Jodi and I took some photos to document this crazy journey for this lucky couple who just found out that they had won the contest last week. Jori and Ryan offered that it has just been a whirlwind since they entered the fast paced contest. Jori is providing blog posts at the new Mix Wedding Planner: http://www.wtmx.com/bridal/bridalclub.php

We will be posting images here and making fun video slideshows. Below is our first post to show you how their day was today. It was a successful day with flowers and table cloth colors selected and other decor, a meeting with the DJ company, the photographers (us), and food tastings of appetizers, salad, the main dish and wedding cake! This wedding is really going to be awesome.

Jori and Ryan also get a rehearsal dinner at the posh Aria restaurant located inside the Fairmont Chicago - Millennium Park. Watch for more posts here as their wedding plans unfold. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Holiday Gift Certificates Available

2010-11-30T13:26:00.000-06:00

We are pleased to offer great gift ideas for your holiday shopping needs this season. We have gift certificates for children portrait photography, high school seniors, family portraits and even wedding photography. They can be in any amounts, but we recommend gifting an entire package. Just give us a call for your own customized gift certificate. We will design it for you making it personal and mail you a photo gift certificate to present as the gift. Call 888-736-5217 or email us at: info@bellaphotographs.com You can also visit us on Facebook under bella photography. -Rick Bella for bella photography

WIN A DREAM WEDDING! Valued at over $100,000!

2010-11-29T07:05:00.001-06:00

If your only excuse for not getting married is because you haven't had time to plan a wedding, then Eric & Kathy have the solution for you!

We're giving away a dream wedding, complete with engagement and wedding rings, a reception for 125 of your closest friends, the rehearsal dinner, DJ, photographer, flowers, spa treatments, the honeymoon and more...all valued at over $100,000!

The only catch...we have also picked your big day - Saturday, December 18, 2010!

Sound interesting? Here's all you have to do...just scroll down to the bottom of the page, complete the form and be sure to include a jpeg photo of you and your significant other along with 25 words or less as to why you think you should get married on us.

Deadline to enter is 10A on Wednesday, December 1, 2010. On Wednesdayafternoon a panel of judges will pour through the entries and select the top 3 finalists.

On Thursday we will post the finalists and open the voting our listeners! You'll have until 9A on Friday (12.3.10) to cast your vote. The couple with the most votes will be awarded our dream wedding that will include:

Rings from Albert's Diamond Jewelers. For her a Claude Tibadeau style with an ideal-cut one carat diamond. For him, a Scott Kay Cobalt ring.
A wedding reception in the Crystal Ballroom at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park featuring a cocktail hour, three course dinner with choice of entrée; a sweet station and custom designed wedding cake and complimentary Parking for Guests.
Entertainment provided by Energy Productions of Northbrook.
A Wedding Gown from Boutique Victoria along with custom designed jewelry and veil.
Formally Modern Tuxedo will provide (7) seven, 2010 tuxedo for the wedding party.
Flowers from Topiarius for the wedding and reception including product and services. Flowers to include 15 centerpieces, 1 bridal bouquet, 1 groom boutonniere.
Photography from Bella Photography including: Mini dates session, photo guest book - custom designed guest book using photos from the engagement session. All day coverage with 2 photographers and 20 page custom designed album.
Pre-Wedding activities include: Spa services at MySpa at Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park including Massage, Facial, Mani and Pedi, Spa Bridal Luncheon for Bride, Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom and Maid of Honor in Aria.
A Honeymoon that includes 5 nights in a Fairmont Guestroom at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, 2 Freedom Class Tickets on Porter Airlines from Chicago to Quebec City, Quebec , $500 Gift Card Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Platinum Honeymoon Promotion, Transportation to the airport for your honeymoon, Round Trip airport transportation at your destination.
Private Dance Lessons from the Arthur Murray Dance Studios including 5 private lessons and 5 group lessons.
A first anniversary getaway with an overnight stay at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park including $150 gift certificate to Aria restaurant.

Visit THE MIX Wedding Planner your resource to plan your perfect wedding.

Check out the photos in our Wedding Gallery. More details at: http://www.wtmx.com/contestEntry.php?contestid=EKWeddingGiveaway10

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2010-11-13T07:43:00.001-06:00

And he is coming to Bella Studios. Parents can enjoy seeing the joy and surprise on their children's faces with Santa greets them by name, and already knows what the kids want for Christmas! He just knows!

We offer more than just a quick photo... kids get to talk with Santa for 20-30 minutes and we only take the image when the kids are comfortable and relaxed. No screaming children photos here!

Call 888-736-5217 to schedule your personal session with Santa. He will be here on November 20, from 11 to 3 - December 4th & 5th from 11 to 3 p.m., December 11 from 11 to 4 and December 12 from 10 until 1 p.m. 5x7 photos will be provided within 3 days of the session. Cost is $25, you know to help Santa's Toy Fund! Siblings can all be photographed together. Additional 5x7 prints will be $12. Call now to reserve your time. Email us at: info@bellaphotographs.com.

Shore Bride Magazine

2010-11-09T11:56:00.001-06:00

We were excited to be offered by Shore Bride Magazine a chance to feature one of our weddings. They first post engagement photos of one of our wedding couples on Monday, then continue to add different parts of the actual wedding on Wed and Fri of this week. We were happy to offer my niece's wedding that we photographed on September 10th of this year.

You can check out images and other details that they will be offering on the Shore Bride website: http://nwitimes.com/app/shorebride/?cat=3

They will also offer details of the images like location and the different wedding vendors who provided the beautiful cake, decorations and flowers. Cindy and John's wedding was just perfect. We were so happy for her and were also honored to be able to provide her with photographic memories of the day.

Gamba Halloween Bash a Great Success

2010-11-01T00:48:00.000-05:00

The Gamba's transformed their reception hall into a great Halloween Party atmosphere jam packed with decorations and themed food items for their guests to enjoy. DJ Lori rocked the house to club dance songs while offering some ghoulish delights to keep the mode right for the night!

A wide variety of guests included Batman, Robin, Beetle Juice and even a NASCAR driver. Everyone was blown away when famous chef Paula Dean walked in to surprise the Gamba's. She was naturally promoting her new book! From Devil's to Potato Heads, guests filled the banquet hall. Fred and Wilma Flintstone were there as well as some Lady Pirates and Clowns. There was even one big and ugly gangster boss, not sure who that was, but he looked mean holding a big cigar in his mouth.

This was Gamba's 2nd annual affair and I have to say that they know how to put on a party. The dance floor remained full all night and Gamba gave away great prizes for best costumes and best dressed couples. You won't want to miss this one for next year! Cocktails served from two bars and heavy Hors D'Oeuvres were served all night.

Enjoy the video slideshow of the event. I would highly recommend this party done in a nice local setting by folks who really care. Nice job Gamba. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Little Lady, BIG Sound! Kimberly Izzo sings Lord's Prayer

2010-10-18T16:15:00.002-05:00

Mary and Joe's wedding was this past Saturday, October 16th. The couple was blessed with one of the nicest mid-October days in recent years. The sun was out, deep blue fall skies and mild temperatures.

It was our number nine in a series of weddings that all seemed to come in late summer and early fall this year. It was okay with us, since we think it is a beautiful time of the year and I naturally like the cooler temperatures while photographing a wedding.

So there I was, in the church and watching (and shooting) as the wonderful ceremony at St. Ann's of the Dunes (in Beverly Shores) unfolded. The church doors were open and every once in a while you could hear the wind stir up some leaves. Some even blew inside the doorway.

St. Ann's is a beautiful church set inside a heavily wooded area off of U.S. Route 12 in Northwest Indiana. The front of the church features a wall of windows that overlook a wooded area. You could almost see the trees changing colors as they gently moved in the wind.

One of Mary's bridesmaids was her college room mate named Kimberly. A small framed girl, size four, (all of them were size 4) in her mid-twenty's who just happened to study music (voice) in school. We had heard at the rehearsal the night before that she was going to sing at the ceremony and we naturally thought that it would enhance the ceremony.

She sang at the beginning of the ceremony and then again during some of the Catholic parts of mass where appropriate. Her voice was heavenly! Late in the Ceremony she started to sing The Lord's Prayer. Although we shoot still photography, I often capture some video clips to sprinkle in slideshow's that we present to the bride and groom with highlights of their day.

I am glad I had that little high definition FLIP with me on Saturday. Watch and enjoy this clip. Turn up your speakers. Absolutely lovely Kimberly, wonderful job, wonderful voice. Let us know if when you are ready for promo photos. I know you will be on a CD someday soon!

Parents welcome son knowing death was near :: Jerry Davich :: Post-Tribune

2010-10-18T10:08:00.000-05:00

Many don't know of another service that we provide and it is a service that we hope never is needed. Unfortuently, it is needed more that we'd like. The Post Tribune featured an article about parents losing a son shortly after birth. Bella Photography offers remembrance photography free of charge when situations like this happen at area hospitals in Lake and Porter counties in Indiana. The group that we volunteer for is called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a non-profit organization with over 5,000 photographers world-wide offering this wonderful service. Details are in the article. The charity website is: www.nilmdts.org Jodi and I serve as area coordinators in this area. There are other area photographers who also volunteer their services.

Parents welcome son knowing death was near :: Jerry Davich :: Post-Tribune

Trivia Night hosted by Discoveries Unlimited

2010-10-15T14:12:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Lisa and Tony

2010-09-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

One thing we realized on Saturday; the Verta's can really throw a party! This was our second wedding with this wonderful Italian family. We photographed their daughter Eva's (Eva and Wade) wedding about 18 months ago. The family has become great friends as well as our extended family too!

Lisa's day started at her mom's house with hair and makeup as well as a beautiful spread of food including sandwiches and many home-made sweets. Verta's provided a bus to coach guests from Lansing to the majestic St. Rita's Catholic Church on the south side of Chicago near Midway airport.

As Jodi stayed to capture the girls getting ready, I moved on to Tony's parents home where we had some fun capturing images of the guys who all seemed relaxed and ready to go including the groom! Tony was sporting a new hat and he looked calm, cool and collected! Tony remained happy and smiling the entire day as everything (well except for the limo) went very smooth and the weather held off allowing us to capture some outdoor images at the church as well as the reception hall at Wicker Park.

Posted here is a music video slideshow of selected images. We will post another version soon that will include some video clips captured by M & M Productions. We had a blast photographing this wedding and coordinating scenes with Mike and Melinda from M & M. So the much anticipated Lisa and Tony wedding comes to a wonderful ending. We wish you the very best and look forward to designing your memories in a wedding album soon. For now, enjoy the show! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Senior Photo Time! Call now for cool fall colors!

2010-09-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, so you are back to school and starting to get back in the groove! October is a beautiful time to get outdoor senior photos done. We're not talking about your mom's senior photos here, we're talking cool photo shoot with multiple clothing changes in multiple locations. Here's our secret: the images should be about YOU! Be a Rockstar for the day with our open shooting approach. Bring along your best friend too! The more the merrier!

Give us a call or email us to get your October date scheduled. The call is even free: 888-736-5217 or email: info@bellaphotographs.com

Bella "UNWRAPS" - Well our version of Food Network's popular show called Unwrapped

2010-09-22T17:14:00.000-05:00

I recently toured Affy Tapple caramel apple production in Niles, IL. It was great seeing how they make one of my favorite fall foods - Taffy Apples. Affy Tapple has been around since 1948 and first located in Chicago. They are the Original Caramel Apple and their familiar package can be seen in many local grocers throughout the area and surrounding states.

On my tour, I was able to see where they produce the gourmet Mrs. Prindable's Handmade Confections. The Bride and Groom Gourmet Chocolate covered apples naturally caught my eye. Yes, my wheels have been turning ever since. Can you image these used as YOUR favors at your fall wedding? Or perhaps as a special thank you to your wedding party. How cute!

They have a fun website too that kids would enjoy. Watch the video, then check out their website at http://www.affytapple.com -Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations Danielle and Dane

2010-09-21T16:51:00.000-05:00

The weather held off and Danielle and Dane were able to have their outdoor wedding, but not on the beach. Early day rain dampened sand but not spirits and the couples friend(s) quickly moved things to the reception area inside the Beachwalk development in Michigan City, Indiana.

A huge white tent greeted guests with a Moroccan decorated flair. Although temps fell just before the ceremony start, the rain mist that had started subsided allowing for a wonderful outdoor ceremony overlooking dunes and beach vegetative surroundings. It was a great event and a fun filled evening with dinner, drinks and dance. Congratulations Danielle and Dane. We hope you enjoy your music video slideshow. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations Kelli & Tony

2010-09-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Our triple wedding weekend ended on Sunday with the beautiful wedding of Kelli and Tony. Their ceremony was held at Meyer's Castle in Dyer, Indiana. The grounds there offered wonderful backdrops to every image captured. Inside, was just as magnificent offering a glamorous reception. It was the perfect end to our busy weekend and another reminder that each and every wedding is different and unique in their own way. Enjoy their video below. Congrats again Kelli and Tony. Enjoy your honeymoon... we'll see you soon. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations Katy & Jesse

2010-09-13T00:19:00.000-05:00

Another perfect wedding on Saturday. Katy and Jesse had a wonderful ceremony at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Michigan City. Then a stunning reception at the beautiful Blue Chip Casino. The early morning rain left the area and the sun actually came out right during some outdoor photos with the wedding party after the ceremony. Congratulations Katy and Jesse! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations Cindy & John

2010-09-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

We were so proud of our niece Cindy on her wedding day. She looked absolutely beautiful (like all bella brides!) and the day was just perfect. Oh, John looked nice too! It was especially cool that we photographed her wedding and that really meant a lot to us. Sure, we could have had one of many great photographers in the area shoot it, but the trill of capturing her lifetime memories through our eyes was very appealing. Enjoy their video of selected images from their day. More posts will come soon. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Consider Swing Assembly for "LIVE" entertainment at your wedding!

2010-09-01T09:47:00.002-05:00

We love the big band sound! Who doesn't? The horns, bass, drums and the beat that will get most anyones toes tapping. Seeing a dozen instruments all come together to make beautiful music is amazing. All musicians have an equally important part to make the total sound. Without one element, the final sound would not merge together. That mix of sound is one that Swing Assembly has put together for your listening enjoyment. Music that you will recongnize from Chicago, Frank Sinatra, Buble, Glenn Miller, Motown, Disco and Swing, guests will also be treated to great vocals by Saalik Ziyad, Anna Lawlor and Sarah Marie Young.

We recently attended the Jazz and Razz event at the famous Roundhouse in Aurora, IL to see Swing Assembly. We naturally snapped a few images (okay a lot of images) and wanted to share them with you. Don't think that this group (as large as it is) is out of reach for your wedding budget! Starting around $1200 will allow you to impress your guests with top-notch "live" entertainment at your wedding. Check out their website at http://www.swingassembly.com/ for more details.

Okay, so since I am a music lover and just to be crazy: If you book them and bella photography for your wedding... take $300 off of your photography package costs! That will about cover the difference between other entertainment and "live!" Call us toll free at 888-736-5217 or email info@bellaphotographs.com -Rick Bella for bella photography

John & Amy Engagement Session

2010-08-31T14:30:00.000-05:00

We had a great time with John and Amy in Chicago! This October wedding couple are planning a wonderful day and we are excited to capture their special day. Enjoy the variety of Chicago images in their video! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations Felicia & Thom

2010-08-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

Felicia and Thom's beach front wedding ceremony was perfect. Blue skies and a nice breeze greeted guests at the private beach in Long Beach. The bear footed couple exchanged personally writen wedding vows as a full cast of wedding attentants witnessed and showed support. The reception was at the beautiful Barker Hall in Michigan City, Indiana. Enjoy their wedding video slideshow set to music that they choose for their first dance. Congratulations Felicia and Thom! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Taltree offers a beautiful backdrop for weddings

2010-08-17T07:50:00.000-05:00

Brides often ask us about where they can have a beautiful outdoor ceremony. Our normal reply is Taltree Arboretum & Gardens in Valparaiso. The Ecologically diverse reserve of woodlands, savanna, wetlands and prairie offer a wonderful backdrop for an outdoor ceremony. We have attached a video slideshow of assorted images that really offer "a thousand words!" Find them at http://www.taltree.org/ or at 71 North 500 West, Valparaiso, IN 46385-9231.
-Rick Bella for bella photography

Gamba/Bella Bridal Show update

2010-08-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

The Gamba/Bella Bridal show was held on Sunday, August 8 at Gamba Ristorante allowing about 80 guests to mingle with top-notch businesses in the area. Guests gathered information about a variety of services from how to lose 10-pounds in 4 weeks by Inspiration Fitness Camp http://www.inspirationfitnesscamp.com/ to a cool comparison demonstration of the difference between High-Definition video offered by VU Production Video Service http://www.vuproductions.biz/ , and ideas as to where to have that special outdoor wedding ceremony offered by Taltree Arboretum & Gardens http://www.taltree.com/ .

Trans Audio DJ Service http://www.trans-audio.com/ announced door prize winners including gifts from Albert's Jewelers http://www.albertsjewelers.com/, Bella Photography http://www.bellaphotographs.com/, Gamba Ristorante http://www.gambaristorante.com/, and Lansing Cleaners http://www.lansingcleaners.com/.

Michael Angelo's "The Event Company" provided a large display of wedding accessories including a lounge set-up and wonderful wedding day decor http://www.michaelangelosevents.com/. Gourmet Express Services provided pieces of wedding cake http://www.gourmetexpressservices.com/ that guests enjoyed while reviewing honeymoon vacation sites at the All About Travel booth http://www.allabouttravel1.com/. A first for this show was Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery of NW Indiana, http://www.cosmeticsurgeryofnwi.com/ to assist brides in looking their best for their wedding! Wedding Essentials Magazine was on hand passing out the free wedding publication http://www.newweddingessentials.com/.

Catherine's Bridal Boutique provided "brides" to model various wedding gowns for brides to view, http://www.bridalboutiqueonthenet.com/.

R.S.V.P. provided a beautiful display of custom invitations and personalized gifts http://www.rsvpgiftsonline.com/ which complimented the equally beautiful Noteworthy Expressions display, http://www.noteworthy-expressions.com/ of note cards and stationary.

Guests seem to take their time spending time with each business representative to learn more about their services in a relaxed and no-rush atmosphere. Gamba provided light apetizers as well as beverages throughout the day. Enjoy the video slideshow above of images from the day. Many thanks to the guests and vendors who really made this show special. Gamba Ristorante is located at 455 East 84th Drive in Merrillville. All vendor names listed above are also "linked" to their respective websites. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Ragtime - The Musical Hits the Mark!

2010-08-02T07:51:00.001-05:00

Ross Music Theatre and M&M Productions have done it again presenting NW Indiana with a great summer musical. Ragtime, based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, tells the story of three groups in America struggling during the early 20th century. Jerauld Reinhart directed the musical as he has for many decades bringing top-notch and affordable entertainment to the region. We caught just a few images at the final Sunday afternoon show and have presented them below set to the opening prologue song of the show. Nice job by all on this wonderful presentation. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Happy 50th Anniversary to Larry & Letitia Bella

2010-08-01T12:31:00.002-05:00

My cousins Larry & Letitia Bella just celebrated 50 years of marriage! Their children, Lance, Lori and Lynette, (my second cousins) invited over 100 friends and family for a wonderful party at The Lighthouse in Cedar Lake. The upstairs banquet room was hopping all night with live music from the band Swing Assembly, a band where my other second cousin Greg is a member http://www.swingassembly.com/ . Okay, so there were a lot of 'Bella's' there!

Everyone had a great time and naturally we (Jodi and I) snapped a few images to capture the memories for Larry and Letitia. Enjoy their music video below. An album deal is in the works for Larry and his brother Frank singing the song 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head' with the band will be out soon; watch for details. :) Below the video is another link to view a gallery of images captured throughout the evening. Congratulations to Larry and Letitia for 50 years of marriage. Happy Golden Anniversary!

Click here to enjoy images from their party: Larry & Letitia Anniversary
Enjoy! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Details...

2010-07-29T16:23:00.000-05:00

Look at this image. It looks like you can just reach into your screen and touch those rose petals. That's the type of details we like to capture. The detail is due to using real glass lenses. It might be hard to capture this much detail with a less expensive lens that uses plastic instead of glass. We do pay for it both in cost and in weight, but as you can see, it is well worth it on both fronts. -Rick Bella for bella photography

How to make someone smile: Tell them NOT TO!

2010-07-23T16:46:00.000-05:00

Above are outtake images just like when creating a movie. As photographers we also have moments like those while on a photo-shoot. These were just to precious not to share. Sarah, was posing and smiling like crazy for her Sweet 16 photos. We were having a great time with her, her mom, little sister Julia and friend Katie. We wanted to capture a couple more serious poses and facial expressions so we asked Sarah not to smile! She just couldn't do it! So naturally we all got on her shouting "don't smile", "do a serious look" and that's all it took for her to just bust up laughing and smiling even larger than before! Naturally I was like OMG, click, click, click as Sarah just had a great time. Below are the fun image series as well as a couple that she forced herself to get serious for! Great times with wonderful people. We can't wait to photograph her senior photos in another year or two. She has had us smiling ourselves since the photo-shoot. How can you not? -Rick Bella for bella photography

Happy Sweet 16 Birthday Sarah!

2010-07-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sarah recently turned 16 and we enjoyed capturing many memories for her to remember years from now. Some of the images include her little sister Julia and one of her many bff's named Katie. Take a look at her music video featuring a few of our favorite images.

Kelly, Tony and daughter Taylor Fun in the Park!

2010-07-12T23:45:00.000-05:00

Capturing family images for Kelly and Tony was great at the Centennial Park in Munster. In almost every direction was another wonderful backdrop for this couple and little girl. What a great looking family! (nice Harley too Tony!)
-Rick Bella for bella photography

Congratulations to Katie and Dave!

2010-07-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

We had a great time capturing the wedding of Katie and Dave. Take a look at their video slideshow. We'll post more images later this week. -Rick Bella for bella photography

One of our most favorite times of the year: WEDDING SEASON!

2010-07-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

It has started: Wedding Season. And we look forward to it every year. What other job allows you to go out on Saturday evenings, enjoy a nice dinner, great music and to be surrounded by wonderful people all having fun? Well, okay, so it's hard work too and not for the faint hearted. Today's wedding photographers work very hard and usually all day long to capture memories for their brides and grooms. We simply love it! Period! It is a huge part of our photography business. Enjoy the video below highlighting just a few of our weddings over the years. Then, give us a call when you receive that engagement ring! 888-736-5217 or visit our site at http://www.bellaphotographs.com/ -Rick Bella for bella photography

"Weddings in Wonderland" Magazine photoshoot for Wedding Essentials Magazine

2010-06-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun capturing the images for Wedding Essentials Magazine for their Color Palette's section coming out today in the Summer 2010 issue. The shoot was themed as Alice in Wonderland and the model bride and groom were having a tea party! Wedding Essentials is owned by Northstar Media Group, Inc. and is a quarterly published magazine for brides offering a sophisticated design style that specifically targets local brides in need of regional vendors to participate in their wedding. Below is a video and as well as the page spreads that are featured in the magazine.Wedding Essentials Magazine is available free at participating vendors in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties in Indiana. You may also view the magazine at their website as well as see vendor locations where it is available. -Rick Bella for bella photography - Click here for: Wedding Essentials

Don't Miss the Gamba/Bella Bridal Show... mark calendars for 8/8!

2010-06-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

Brides and grooms will want to make this show! Held in Merrillville at the beautiful Gamba Ristorante. This show offers top notch wedding vendors from the region showcasing their offerings in a wonderful, quiet and relaxed setting. You will actually be able to spend time speaking to vendors and getting information that will really assist you in your wedding planning. The date is August 8 from noon until 4 p.m. Call Gamba in advance to purchase (reserve) tickets or email bridalshow@bellaphotographs.com Also, visit us on FACEBOOK for more details about participating vendors. Updates will be coming soon.

Fun with Shelly & Andy's Wedding Party

2010-06-28T22:02:00.003-05:00

Although the weather "experts" predicted rain, the skies were bright and sunny all day long for Shelly and Andy's wonderful wedding on Saturday, June 26, 2010. A beautiful ceremony with a full-house in attendance started off the perfect day! Enjoy a variety of images from their day in the video below. The other images were some fun photos with the Wedding Party. We all had a great time capturing these memories for Shelly and Andy. Congratulations! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

We thought it would be fitting to provide a music video of some of our Father/Daughter dance photos that we have taken over the past few years. A tribute to Father's! This particular dance is always packed with emotion and one of the most important feature dances to capture at the wedding.

There are usually not many dry eye's in the house during the touching song selections. One of the most favorite selections is "I Loved Her First" from Heartland. From their album of the same title, the six piece band from Alabama made it back into the spotlight. The song describes a father seeing his little girl all grown up and gazing into the eyes of her new husband. It was written by Walt Aldridge and Elliott Park (not of the band).

It is laced with a sweet fiddle, the melody even tugs your heartstings. So click the arrow below to view the show, but you just may want to have some tissues around - yup, guys too! Happy Father's Day to all! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Senior Photos - Any Time

2010-06-09T15:44:00.002-05:00

We would like to remind you that we will schedule senior photos for any time of the year. We do not have a "special" time to take them. So, once your get your tan on, give us a call so we can capture you at your best! Email us at info@bellaphotographs.com or call us free at 888-736-5217

Bethany - Crown Point - Class of 2010

2010-06-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

Below is Bethany's first video from her first photo session with us. This session was focused more on school activities. These are great memories of high school. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Makenzi - Crown Point High School

2010-06-03T14:57:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed our time with Makenzi capturing many different aspects of her high school life. Take a look at her new video! Thanks for being such a great sport (literally)! :) -Rick Bella for bella photography

Graham Senior Photos - Class of 2010

2010-06-03T14:42:00.002-05:00

We had such fun with Graham capturing many different looks! Thanks for coming to us and playing around with different clothing changes and locations. We like to offer some variety and we feel we captured that with Graham's photo-shoot! We photograph senior year-round. Call us to schedule your personalized senior memories. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Bethany's New Video

2010-06-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

Enjoy this new video of Bethany's second photo session with us. This one will play in 'high-resolution. Let us know what you think. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Summer Fun with Bethany - Senior Photos

2010-06-03T10:56:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed our time with Bethany who graduated from Crown Point High School this year. A delightful and refreshing young lady with sights now set on college. Our two sessions allowed for a wide variety of images that she will enjoy many years from now. You only are 18 once in your life! Congrats Bethany and thanks for allowing us to be part of these wonderful memories. -Rick Bella for bella photography www.bellaphotographs.com - Call to book YOUR session. We photograph seniors year-round allowing the senior to select what time of the year works best. Watch for Bethany's new music video soon.

Even Kid's know what's RIGHT!

2010-05-28T17:33:00.001-05:00

We have been enjoying our time with Alexis. Our youngest supporter. Here's what she has to say...

We can't wait to photograph her wedding... let's see in 2025! :) Cookies won't last long with this princess. It's going to take some diamonds I'm afraid! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Hot Day, and HOT Lindsey Photos!

2010-05-27T21:17:00.004-05:00

We had fun photographing Lindsey's photos on her parents beautiful grounds. Lindsey will be heading to Nursing school. Best of luck. You took some great senior photos!

Vincent Laforet's Thoughts on House finale shot with an SLR!

2010-05-27T11:36:00.002-05:00

A blog that I follow is written by Vincent Laforet, a well known and respected photographer/videographer in the industry. His talent is unbelievable. I wanted to share a recent post from his blog talking about the use of an Canon EOS 5D MarkII used to "shoot" the season finale of the popular TV show (on Fox) called House. From Vincent:

I have to admit that on a technical level (and overall) the Season Finale of House was STUNNING. I had to pinch myself a few times and I have to admit that the question: “Was this REALLY shot w/ the Canon 5D MKII” did run through my mind more than once. The full episode will be available on Fox’s site in 7 days for those who missed it, or of course on iTunes.

Three things stood out:
1. The lens sharpness was phenomenal. Why? The lighting. Sure we all caught some glimpses of people/faces falling out of focus at times - something all 5D MKII and HDDSLR operators are well acquainted with… I’m sure this could be remedied with many of the newer 3rd party lens options out there today. I am told this episode was shot with Canon EF Lenses - including the 24~70mm 2.8 and 70~200mm 2.8 - lenses that are particularly difficult to set focus marks with, as they were never really intended to be used as cinema lenses.

2. The image quality was phenomenal. No noise. No artifacting whatsoever. No blocking up of shadows. Why? In my opinion: The lighting.

3. The Lighting throughout was phenomenal. Basically - it was lit in a very similar way if not identical way to the high standard that House has been filmed in the past. DP Gale Tatersall understood something that I have formulated over the past 2 years with the Canon 5D MKII: While the camera does produce incredible results in low light - you still need to light for it carefully - and often, you’ll end up lighting it in very similar ways to how you would light for just about any camera out there. The difference is that you may need 1-2 stops less overall in lighting at times.

So yes, you may need less light, BUT - the quality of the light and the time and care you invest in it won’t change if you want to get the results Gale got with this season finale. The point is: this season finale would probably have looked good on any camera out there - it just so happens that Gale proved that when you give the Canon 5D MKII good material - it can play with many of the big boys out there.

To date, my conclusion is that the Canon 5D MKII and HDDSLRS in general offer an incredible entry into filmmaking for a wide variety of individuals that would otherwise never have access to similar tools that would allow them to obtain the “professional film” look. The economic barrier that has been around for so long (in terms of the incredibly high cost of cinema equipment) is being chipped away in part - due to the low cost of these camera bodies.

For productions - the lightweight nature, small size of the camera body, and full frame sensor offers great advantages - in that the camera is smaller, lighter and much more nimble - not to mention cheaper. It also will offer up new technical challenges that cannot be ignored - and a Director/DP that is aware of how to overcome them will become an incredibly important asset to any production. This new technology offers almost any production out there the choice of shooting multiple cameras simultaneously - and to work a little faster (though not magically, at lightning speed - as some people would wish!) both due to it’s low light performance, and lighter weight. In low light, and at night - this camera simply sings. However - good lighting, great crews, the time it takes to put together a great production - won’t go away anytime soon. And if anything - that’s what this episode proved to me: Gale has incredible talent, and was surrounded by an incredibly talented team of professionals - and they produced incredible work as a result - in some ways the Canon 5D MKII was simply along for the ride - and definitely rose to the occasion.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t compliment the director Greg Yaitanes and the screenplay writers for what was an extremely strong screenplay and great direction. Besides being a technical triumph of sorts - this was also one of my favorite House episodes to date. Once again: the content was there and it was very well told.

Lastly - I did mention in the last post that the production cost more and took longer to shoot than normal. Clearly - the Canon 5D MKII was very likely NOT the cause… the production value on this episode was HUGE - relative to a standard episode: large cast of extras, destruction, and mayhem after a crane collapse into a building.

fx with Ashley images

2010-05-24T12:31:00.005-05:00

We had some fun with a few of Ashley's images. These were the looks we were after during this photo shoot. That fun grundy look making Ashley's images special. Let us know how you like these "fx!" -Rick Bella for bella photography

Ashley's new Video

2010-05-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

The music video below is of Ashley's second photo session. All images were photographed in the City of Valparaiso, Indiana.

Fun with Ashley - Part 2

2010-05-23T07:33:00.001-05:00

We had another fun time with Ashley, our senior model during her second photo session with us. Our goal this time was to capture some fun "grunge" images. We had a blast exploring many different locations throughout Valparaiso. There are many great areas for this type of photography. Ashley did another great job and seems to be a natural in front of the camera. Take a look - what do you think? -Rick Bella for bella photography

A Day at the Park with Alexis!

2010-05-20T20:09:00.015-05:00

We had fun with Alexis this week shooting her 6 year old photos. We went all over the park and she was great to work with. Naturally her mom and grandmother (nana) had fun and helped to keep Alexis smiling. I am still not sure what her mom (Tammy) was doing behind me at times, but hey it worked as you will soon see in her first video debut! Enjoy the show and her special message at the end! -Rick Bella for bella photography

An afternoon with Brittni

2010-05-19T08:09:00.010-05:00

We spent a couple hours with Brittni on Saturday. A delightful young lady graduating from Merrillville High School in about three weeks. Her plans? Heading off college this fall with a full-ride scholorship! Yes, Brittni is very talented. She plays the cello, dances on the school dance team, obviously gets fantastic grades and will be setting goals for herself this fall. She is already taking college classes this year in HS. Our time with her was fun and refreshing. Brittni did an excellent job with posing too! Some examples are below. Remember, there are NO sitting fees with bella photography packages. A photo credit program is all you pay which is given back in photo products. Call us to schedule YOUR customized 'photo-shoot'. -Rick Bella for bella photography 888-736-5217 or just email us at info@bellaphotographs.com

Capturing Moments

2010-05-14T11:39:00.006-05:00

We could not have written the script better for this "cake cutting" event at Leslie and Tommy's wedding. All was good and the happy couple seemed to be ignoring rants from the bridal party to smear cake in their faces. Then, all of a sudden, Leslie got the upper hand (literally) and got an unsuspecting Tommy in the face during his cake tasting.

These moments are certainly fond memories of their special day. Wedding photographers need to be aware and alert the entire day to capture these memories.

Tommy got the final say when he grabbed Leslie for a big kiss - yes with his messy cake filled face. Great fun, great memories - real life! -Rick Bella for bella photography

More details on our favorite subject: FOOD!

2010-05-13T08:38:00.012-05:00

Okay, we're foodies! Who isn't these days? The food network, America's Top Chef, and a host of other food related shows, magazines and blogs are all around us, everyday. All dedicated to FOOD. We are by far one of the most fortunate nations on earth growing an abundance of food. Our supermarkets are well stocked offering food from all over the world. So in our travels (and at one great Italian wedding with a 40 foot long 'sweets table'), we have captured some food photos! We hope they make your mouth water. -bella photography is not responsible for any weight gain that you may have while viewing these images. View at your OWN RISK! Enjoy! -Rick Bella for bella photography - www.bellaphotographs.com

Details, details, details... we capture them!

2010-05-12T10:47:00.009-05:00

Wedding memories are not just people photos... we always capture the details of the day as well. Many times, our brides and grooms tell us that they never saw us take some of the images that we captured of their day. These ring details are just an example of some of the details. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T09:21:00.003-05:00

Merrillville Multi-Agency SWAT Training - May 2010

2010-05-06T10:59:00.003-05:00

Check out Ashley's Video

2010-05-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

Fun with Ashley's photo session!

2010-05-01T11:22:00.009-05:00

We spent a couple of hours yesterday with Ashley, a junior at Valparaiso High School. This is the first in a series of photo shoots we have planned with Ashley. These examples are what we can accomplish with a two hour session allowing for multiple locations and different clothing changes.

This approach allows for great variety in senior photos as well as lasting memories of these important teen years.

We would like to thank Ashley (and her mom Sue) for being so easy to work with. We really had a great time walking around to different locations and shooting downtown.

If you would like more information about 'bella senior photo programs' please call or email us for details and to schedule your personalized photoshoot. http://www.bellaphotographs.com/, call 888-736-5217 or email us at info@bellaphotographs.com -Rick Bella for bella photography

More Storytelling Images

2010-04-24T12:37:00.001-05:00

Andrea and Jim's wedding allowed us to capture images of the them prior to their ceremony. This allowed us to spend some time with just the two of them capturing many great images inside the old Crown Point (Indiana) courthouse on the square. The all black and white album is printed on metallic paper. The images seem to "jump off" the pages! Enjoy!

View many more images at http://www.bellaphotographs.com/ -Rick Bella for bella photography. 888-736-5217

About Storytelling Photography

2010-04-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Wedding photography doesn't have to be an endless series of line-ups and poses. Wouldn't it be wonderful to relax, simply have a good time and know that great images will follow?

With Bella Photography's storytelling approach to photography, the focus is on the overall experience rather than the traditional process of picture-taking. We encourage the bride and groom to have an amazing time with family and friends, we find ways to enhance and extend the best moments, and then we capture the flow of those moments along the way.

We take our time and let the story happen. This relaxed approach takes awkwardness and stress out of the equation, and leaves more room for pure fun. In fact, taking photos with Rick and Jodi is not an intermission between the more enjoyable parts of the day - it IS one of the enjoyable parts of the day. - Rick Bella for bella photography http://www.bellaphotographs.com/

A Private Moment - Captured for a Memory

2010-04-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

We wondered what Jessica was thinking before she got dressed for her wedding. The bride was simply looking out the window pondering about something. Only she really knows. Capturing moments at all events is what we do. Moments that tell the story of the day and occur often throughout the entire day. Rick Bella for bella photography. http://www.bellaphotographs.com/

Bella Featured on The Times Shore Bride Magazine online!

2010-04-13T16:03:00.000-05:00

This week we are excited to share that we are the feature photographer on the Times Shore Bride website: http://nwitimes.com/app/shorebride/ Today you may visit the site to see our "Mini Dates" sessions (engagement sessions) that we offer. We call them mini dates since we go to places that mean something to the couple. Places where they go and enjoy. We often go to two or three different locations so their engagement photos really represent who they are; not some stuffy park or studio photos that really don't mean anything to them. Later this week, they will be showing one of our real weddings... featuring different parts of the wedding day. The Shore Bride Magazine will be published twice per year now and they have really developed a very nice website allowing today's brides a chance to source information about weddings right online.

Be sure to visit the site later this week to also see the wedding photo postings. We would like to thank the Times of Northwest Indiana for this opportunity and honor. Our "Mini Date" couple is Becca and Frank and our wedding couple is Alison and Chris.

Becca and Frank enjoyed their photo shoot on Navy Pier in Chicago. Frank proposed to Becca while on the Odessy Cruise. Naturally we captured them standing in front of the ship! Alison and Chris were married last November during one of this wonderful Saturday's that we experienced last year. It was in the 60's and made for a wonderful region wedding.

Digital Photography - will it stick around?

2010-04-11T11:31:00.002-05:00

Although we are not asked much anymore, there was a day when brides and grooms would ask if we would shoot their wedding using film or digital. We have been an all digital studio for the past 7 years and have never looked back. Below is a video on the progression of information technology, researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman. It is a great view into where we were and where we are going with technology. Pretty amazing really... and it is all moving so fast!

April & May Is: Senior Photo Time!

2010-03-29T23:32:00.001-05:00

Check out the video below. Call now to schedule your photo shoot!

Time to book your photographer for your summer/fall wedding!

2010-03-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

9th Annual 'Dine with the Chefs' event a huge success!

2010-03-13T00:47:00.006-06:00

We were pleased again this year to photograph the Meals on Wheels annual Dine with the Chefs event this year at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville, Indiana. The event is billed as a Culinary Experience, and in deed it certainly is described correctly. Many of the regions greatest chefs donate their time while their employers donate the food that is provided for this multiple course meal. The fund raiser is one of the largest events that the Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana has to raise funds helping them assist area seniors with nutrition while preserving dignity. This years event was proud to have Enid A. Borden, the Meals on Wheels Association of America's president and CEO give the keynote address. Sandra L. Noe, the Executive Director of the local Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana also provided keen insight about the local need in Northwest Indiana.

The event was attended by about 375 diners/supporters who enjoyed Hors d'oeuvres as well as a silent auction all while enjoying music by members of the NISO and Emerson High School's Band department. The chefs, 16 in all, were led by Chef David Siano with assitance by Chef Jim Galligan. They all had a blast preparing apetizers, soups and entrees for the guests to enjoy. Each chef provided one course as well as the receipe for a keepsake book for attendees.

It is amazing watching these chefs work together to get out that many meals all prepared to perfection. The Avalon allows us access to the entire operation and Jodi and I are like kids in a candy store since we are allowed to capture some very cool kitchen preparation photos. Foodies at heart, we are often bumping into each other while trying to get the next great foodie photo! It is a lot of fun and just getting to know the genuine chefs from some of our favorite places to eat in the area is rewarding. The chefs work very hard to support the charity. We are honored to provide our services to Sandra and her wonderful staff each year as our donation to this worthy event. Enjoy the video which highlight the event as it unfolded on March 7, 2010. For more information about senior hunger in our area, visit their website at: http://www.mealsonwheelsnwindiana.org/ -Rick Bella for bella photography http://www.bellaphotographs.com/

Senior Photo Time! BFF Program!

2010-03-04T13:26:00.012-06:00

Okay, Old Man Winter has been kicking us good over the past few months, but now it is MARCH and besides March Madness Basketball, it is time to start thinking SENIOR PHOTOS! Not photos of your grandmother, high school seniors! We are excited to kick off this season with our BFF program offering you the chance to bring your best friend or best friends along with you for your photo shoot. They can be in all or your photos, or just a few. We can even photograph larger groups of friends or teammates.

BFF sessions start at $150 for a two-hour session and we have dropped all of the traditional rules. You can change outfits as much as you like; bring friends to jump in the photos with you. We will hop around to different locations to give you a great variety of background settings.

Wear whatever you want, something that shows your personality. Bold colors, school stuff, whatever you want! Your session will be FUN. Start thinking of some locations that mean something to YOU. Coffee houses, outdoors, at the school, whatever. We also have some secret places for some cool images. We cannot tell you here! Dah, it won't be a secret then! We also offer individual sessions for one hour starting at $75. You will get a boatload of images to choose your favorites. We also offer digital images for posting to your Face Book, My Space or other social networks as well as wallets for your open house or graduation parties.

Click here to view a senior photo session slideshow video. This is Rachel.

Your photo selections will come fast and usually only takes 3 to 4 business days to receive your photos from the time of order. Don't worry mom, we'll take a couple of those nice portrait photos too!

So bring your friends, bring some props and even your pet if you want! We will have a great time photographing your senior memories that you will cherish for decades to come. We are now booking sessions for March, April and May. Give us a call at 888-736-5217 or email us at info@bellaphotographs.com Check out our website http://www.bellaphotographs.com/ for some cool video slideshows of other seniors. You will also get a show and the link to share it with family, friends, and on your network pages. -Rick Bella for bella photography

Battle of the Bands - Valparaiso, Indiana

2010-02-22T09:43:00.002-06:00

We had fun photographing the Power of Youth and United Way of Porter County "Battle of the Bands" of Saturday night at Valparaiso University. Nine bands competed from different high schools throughout Porter County. What a great time. Over 500 spectators came to see their favorite bands perform. The charity event was to help the Power of Youth program, dedicated to improving and creating a positive perspective of youth through the performance of valuable services that benefit others. Pretty great idea in our book!

The Power of Youth Council announced that this was the first annual event. The winner won an eight hour recording/mixing session with Willowtree Recording with Music Producer Josh Walker. Judging was provided by Josh Walker - owner of Transiet Media Group and the Deconstruction Sound Studio; Lexi Elisha - Singer/Songwriter of the album; "Tear Down These Walls", and Joe Venegas, drummer for the well known The Carlos Ramos Band.

The event was Emcee'd by Johnny Matis, Jr. - Founder and CEO of Livemercial. Enjoy the photos here as well as the video slideshow. There are 500 photos posted on the bella website too! www.bellaphotographs.com Go to the proofing tab and select 'Battle of the Bands' in the events section. - Rick Bella for bella photography

Bridal Show Time!!!

2010-02-03T09:48:00.002-06:00

We are pleased to share with you that we are displaying photography at the upcoming bridal show called Bride Blu at the Blue Chip Casino. The show is on Sunday, February 21st at Blue Chip Casino's Stardust Event Center. The show is called Bride Blu and is presented by Wedding Day Magazine, Blue Chip Casino and Michael Angelos. The show time is 12 noon until 4 p.m. and we will be displaying wedding specific photography as well as many wedding photo albums designed by bella. You may visit http://www.brideblu.com/ for more details about this exquisite show. We hope to see YOU there! -Rick Bella for bella photography - http://www.bellaphotographs.com/

Debbie & Craig's Beautiful Wedding Album

2010-01-29T09:27:00.007-06:00

We are excited to share Debbie & Craig's wedding album design with you. We worked with Debbie and designed her album in about 8-weeks. She did a great job of selecting images that really told the story of her wedding day. Naturally we work with our couples to guide them in the whole process. It was fun working with Debbie and presenting her final review slideshow projected on our big screen at the studio. It's a great way to review and check images as well as design layouts. Click here to view the entire album. Can we design one for you? We are happy to work with couples even if we didn't photograph your weddings. Bring us your digital images with use approval and we can design a great digital album for you too! -Rick Bella for bella photography

New Features on Bella Websites

2010-01-19T20:48:00.005-06:00

We are excited to announce a new feature on our websites: Video Image Slideshows! Now you can view some of our recent High School Senior, Children as well as Weddings and Engagement sessions that we have photographed. The new features can be found at the "video" tab on the bella site http://www.bellaphotographs.com/ as well as the weddings site. These shows are a great way to share your images online as well as posting to Facebook, emails, and other social media. We offer these shows now with all wedding photography packages as well as all senior portrait sessions. Take a look! -Rick Bella for bella photography

Hire a "Pro" for your very special occassions

2010-01-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

We would like to remind you to remember is that there is much more to making great images than simply snapping the shutter on the camera. Using a professional with years of experience will certainly yield great results. How can anyone else compete with a pro-shooter who may capture hundreds or thousands of images per event. Not to mention the equipment, computer programs and everything else that goes into making a great finished product. There really IS a difference. Stop by to let us show you dozens of images on display at our studio. We are happy to explain all of the many services that we provide. -Rick Bella for bella photography

A great time with Alexis!

2010-01-01T13:53:00.001-06:00

We had a great time getting to know Alexis during her photo shoot. She was such a delight to work with and some of our best images came after the formal Christmas dress photos when she was back in her blue jeans and Hanna Montana T-Shirt! It was then that we had time to capture Alexis with her true personality showing through. We have already asked her to model for us this spring and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship with Alexis. Take a look at her video and enjoy! Call us to schedule your photoshoot at 888-736-5217 or drop us an email at info@bellaphotographs.com -Rick Bella for bella photography