amy coles photography: blog

beth and keith: wedding

2012-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and Keith, congratulations on your marriage! You two have gone through thick and thin together over the past twenty years and it is so clear that you are beyond doubt best friends. It is only fitting that you have decided to honor the Lord by making this commitment to God and each other before your church family, your Breakthrough family, and the throne of God above. It was truly my pleasure to be a witness of this day and to get to know you two a little better. I pray that the Lord will continue to show you who you are in Him and that He will give you a glimpse of the way he wants you to lean back and rest in His loving arms through each other. May the Lord bless you and keep you as you are deeply loved and supported.

amanda, jimmy and baby n: maternity shoot

2012-01-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

For this Monday's adventure, I was able to spend some amazing time with Amanda and Jimmy doing a maternity shoot in the Art Institute's Modern Wing, various other places in Chicago, and finally ending up in their home for a few intimate shots. What a fun eclectic mix of work we were able to create together and what a beautiful day it was for the end of January! I am so excited that baby n (full name to only be revealed upon his birth) will be due in only three weeks time! Congratulations Amanda and Jimmy on this new addition to your family, and may the Lord grant you patience, wisdom and an extra measure of His love for this little dragon baby's arrival.

baby mateo, 2 months: portrait session

2012-01-09T15:20:00.001-08:00

It has been a little over a year since Ellen and Bernardo's wedding, and fresh to the scene is their newest member of the family: Mateo! My camera and I had the privilege of spending this Monday adventure with Mateo and his mother in their lovely new home, documenting his second month of life. When he is awake, ha, Mateo is full of life and smiles. It is such a blessing to see that he is constantly showered with kisses and love from everyone he meets as he is too cute to bare. Congratulations Ellen and Bernardo on your healthy and absolutely handsome baby boy and thank you again for allowing me to share life with all of you!

the garfield park conservatory: personal

2011-12-12T20:46:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love the Garfield Park Conservatory. It has been a place of refuge for me, a place where I can clearly feel God's love, and a place where I consistently receive new life. On my day off today I felt the desire to spend some time among the warmth and light that this haven provides and refocus myself after a busy weekend especially now that two more of its rooms are open after the hail store! I hope you too can enjoy a taste of this beautiful place.

andrea and roger: suprise engagement

2011-12-05T22:20:00.001-08:00

Andrea and Roger, what a blast it was to be able to be a part of your scavenger hunt engagement! Little did you know Andrea, that YOU were my engagement shoot of the day! No need to tell a lie :) It has been a privilege and a bunch of fun getting to know you two as a couple over the past year from mini-golfing to meat challenges and it's a joy to celebrate your love for each other and the fact that you will soon be able to spend the rest of your lives together as best friends under the same roof! Congratulations to you both and may God continue to show you what it is to love another person made in the image of Himself!

the greeley family: family portrait shoot

2011-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Greeley's, your family is full of so much life and joy; every moment is a gift of excitement and opportunity to be had! I am so happy that we were able to find warmth and sunshine admits days of cold and rain to have fun at the Garfield Park Conservatory together and that the kids were feeling well enough to be themselves. Three drastically different boys means parents who know flexibility and what it means to rely on the Holy Spirit for peace and sustenance. Praise God for you, your family and for the strength that comes from Him to conquer each day with the strength, grace, and creativity needed to raise three delightful men of God. Peace and happy fall!

amy and eric: wedding

2011-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Amy and Eric, what an absolutely joyful day full of sunshine and laughter! Your love for each other not only radiated from ear to ear but also from every fiber of your bodies. What a blessing it was to share in such a beautiful and momentous occasion of your marriage at Oak Park's Cheney Mansion! I pray that God would continue to develop and grow the love between you two as you begin to share every facet of your lives together and that this would ultimately lead you closer to Him. There is nothing greater than Love and I am so encouraged that you are beginning to taste even just a glimpse of that here on this earth through your relationship. Congratulations again and may your blessings be too countless to number!

rachelle and matt: wedding

2011-07-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Rachelle and Matt, it has been so fun getting to know you two as a couple this year. It is just so amazing to think about how God brought your two complementary hearts for ministry together. May you both continue to faithfully serve God and His people to the ends of the earth as you move forward in your marriage and may your love for each other/the joy in your relationship be infectious to everyone you meet--giving them a glimpse of Christ's love for us! You two are so wonderful and I am extremely happy to know that God has brought your stories together. All the praise and glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ!

the demateo family: family portrait shoot

2011-07-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Demateos, it was such a joy spending such a beautiful day at the Brookfield Zoo with you watching you all explore, touch, feel, love and try new things. No wonder your kids took such a long nap on the way home, it was a packed morning! You are such a wonderful family as you not only serve each other, but also every person around you. I am so grateful to you all for your encouragement to me personally as a photographer/whole person and to those that I love dearly as they journey through the ups and downs of life. May God continue to bless your home and the work of your hands. Many thanks.

the plichta family: family portrait shoot

2011-07-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Plichta family, it was so fun to come down to Wisconsin and to see you all again under one roof and to spend such a beautiful day by the water! You are such a joyful, loving and hospitable family, it was such a pleasure to spend even a brief afternoon with you all again. Happy Birthday to the young and the "old" and congratulations on graduations, new jobs, and finally being able to take family photos! May you have a wonderful and exciting year ahead and memory of everyone being together.

sarah and steve: wedding

2011-07-02T16:22:00.001-07:00

Sarah and Steve, what an absolute blessing it was to be there for your wedding day. The peace that you have in Christ is such a testament to your supportive families, your strong faith and your love for each other. I could not help but smile the whole day as your ceremony and reception continually pointed to the joy of Christ and His bride and the beauty of the church. Thanks Meagan (from Meagan Lindsay Photography) for letting me shoot with you such a beautiful wedding and for being the easy going, kind-hearted, affirming woman that you are. Congratulations Sarah and Steve, may you continue to build each other up with Christ's mercies each new day.

jessica and jacob: wedding

2011-06-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

Jessica and Jacob, you are finally married! After all that waiting and planning it is such a joy to know that you can relax in each others' arms as a married couple for the rest of your lives! It has been a privilege to travel through the past few months with you two as a couple with prayers and to see the fruit of your hard work and efforts. A wedding is a beautiful celebration and I am so pleased that you were able to enjoy, laugh and have fun on your wedding day. This is just the beginning of a life long journey together and I am excited to continue in that with you through prayer as well. I wish you two the best in this next honeymoon season of life and look forward to seeing your love for each other continue to blossom and grow. Congratulations!

beidler school eighth grade graduation: portrait session

2011-06-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of our graduating eighth graders from the Beidler School this year! Jameisha, Marsean, Lorriell, Ashley, Lela, Raven, Areania, and Desheana--each one of you has such amazing potential (dancers, singers, artists, scientists, poets, runners, mathematicians, honors students, entrepreneurs, and the list goes on), and I am so excited to see how the Lord is going to shape you and your gifts as you move forward into high-school! Please know that you ALWAYS have a home at Breakthrough and that you are loved/have a network of support behind you the whole way! Way to go class of 2011, you've made us proud!!

site visit day: wedding site previews

2011-06-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Although it rained through the night and the greater half of this morning, and traffic was unusually heavy, today turned out to be a fairly lush and cool afternoon which made for perfect site-visiting weather. The air was fresh and I was invigorated to try new things and explore new nooks and crannies. Here is a taste of some of the places that my eyes saw today that we may see again in the next couple of weeks!!

Thanks to the coordination of Niguel Fink at Cantigny Park, Lawrence Godson and Janet Sevilla at Franzosenbusch Prairie House, and Christina Flores at "New Life" Midway.

tyti goes to prom: portrait session

2011-06-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tyti, it was truly my privilege to not only be one of your bible study teachers this year, but also to get a glimpse of your community of support, your home, and your beauty as a young woman this past weekend in particular. We are all so proud of the hard work you have put into your studies and the example that you set as an older sister and a woman of God. I know that your mother would have loved to see your radiating beauty that day (part of the reason for the many tears before she left for South Africa), but I pray that you would see and know her beauty as she faithfully served God and His other children on that trip. May the end of your senior year be a blast and may you be able to begin to look forward towards college with excitement and peace knowing that the Lord has you in His hands at every moment of every day. Keep Him at the center of your heart and His love for you will radiate an inner beauty out of you more than you could ever dream or imagine. Congratulations on almost being done with High School Tyti, we love you!

the bush family: family portrait session

2011-05-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

The last time we saw the Bush's on the blog, Jaron was waiting for his little sister Risa to be born and to share all their family secrets. Seven and a half months later, we are celebrating Risa's seven month of life! I still remember lying on their couch while Jaemey was having contractions in the other room and their rush off to the hospital to deliver. I also remember Jaemey's first pregnancy with Jaron before they even moved into Little Village! Almost three years later, the Bush family is larger and busier than ever but still filled with the same joy, humor and zeal for life. The last few years have been filled with many ups and downs; times of tears, hard labor and pee in your pants laughter, but you have not let Satan squash your joy. Glory be to God. What a wonderful gift it is to share this daily triumph with your family. Much love.

rachelle and matt: engagement

2011-05-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Rachelle and Matt, I am so happy that the two of you have found someone to share your passions in life with. You guys are so much fun (despite how boring you may think you are :) ) and you clearly bring out so much joy and life out of each other. It was truly a delight to be able to spend such a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Morton Arboretum with you! I pray that you two will be able to find rest and more opportunities to enjoy and develop your relationship and dreams together in the next couple of months before your wedding, and of course in the years to come! Looking forward to the big day!!

jessica and jacob: engagement

2011-04-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jessica and Jacob, I am sure you thought I was absolutely crazy when I paused, squealed and wipe a tear from my eye when I was with you both this afternoon. You two are such an absolutely beautiful couple that it fills my heart with so much joy and pleasure to know that you have found a best friend, lover and place of refuge within each other. It has truly been my pleasure to see the work that your relationship is doing in each one of you as you learn patience, confidence, beauty, communication and strength in many new forms as you learn to persevere as a couple. It has been a privilege getting to know you both more this season and I look forward to continuing our growth as people as you prepare for your wedding around the corner. Peace, warmth and blessings to you and your relationship.

drea and tim: engagement

2010-12-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Spending Thanksgiving with your families was nothing short of a pleasure. Not only was the food amazing, but I was filled to the brim with feelings of peace and remembrance as we explored your historic part of the country, saw your old neighborhood, drank local coffee, watched the Eagles movie, read books on the couch and heard thousands of stories about your rich heritage. Your families have such adventurous and humorous personalities that it is so clear that this has influenced your sense of place in the world, your playfulness and your love for each other. Tim and Drea, I am so excited for your engagement and for your future life together. This is just the beginning of many adventure and I hope that you two find peace in this crazy holiday season ahead as you strive to hold tight to each other while you are still physically close. Happy Thanksgiving!

the stipp family: family portait session

2010-11-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

Stipp Family, I cannot express that pleasure it was to spend Sunday afternoon with you all. It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day and you have an absolutely gorgeous love filled active family! It was so funny to see each of your kids personalities and humor come out as they played with being in front of not only me, but the camera. It was such a gift for me to be able to document your family and the beauty that surrounds them in the neighborhood that you have so intentionally chosen to live life together in. Your home truly is blessed as you continue to be a blessing unto others, including myself. Your lives are an encouragement to me and I want to make sure you know that I am a super fan! Thank you for being open to sharing life with us all.
Go Stipps!