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CaseyBower Photography bio picture

welcome.

Hello and welcome to my photoblog. I am delighted to have you here! This blog serves as a way of sharing my most recent photo sessions with clients and their family and friends, and is also the first place to hear recent announcements about the studio as well as special blog-reader only discounts.

I am a primarily natural light portrait photographer based out of Madison, Wisconsin. My focus is on babies, children and families, although I also love to shoot a limited number of weddings per year. My portrait sessions take place either on location or in my natural light studio located in downtown Madison (or even a combination of the two).

In addition to my blog, please also check out my main website (it is the "my website" link on the menu above). If you have any questions or would like to book a session, please click on the "contact me" link in the menu above to send me an e-mail. Thanks again for stopping by, and please enjoy your visit!

style.

My approach toward photography is deceptively simple, whether the session takes place in my studio or on-location: catch real moments of your children really being themselves. Silly giggles, sweet kisses from mommy, tickles from a big sister, laughing while watching doggie run through the park... These are the moments that make up real life. These are the moments from childhood that pass by all too fast. And these moments, to me, are where the real beauty of childhood resides. The same philosophy governs my approach to wedding photography.

My style is largely photojournalistic and non-obtrusive, while at the same time I am always working to create beautiful and lasting memories of life as it unfolds. The most common words used to describe my photographs are the ones I have chosen as the tagline for my studio: Modern. Fun. Real. Life. People often comment that my photographs have a sense of warmth and emotion to them -- which I consider the highest compliment possible.

album share.

I just realized I have never posted one of my finished wedding albums on here. And since I just finished up with the proof of one that I really love, I thought I might as well share it here. This is the album for Alyssa and Mike’s lovely Milwaukee May wedding. My style in album design is to keep the pages clean and relatively simple. White backgrounds. I never use graphics and I rarely use text. I think that by keeping the focus on the images, the albums will feel more timeless. I like to think that Alyssa and Mike could open this album on their tenth anniversary and still love the way that it looks…

Enough talk. This is the album. It is 10×10 inches square, so all the layouts but the first and last pages show a two page spread. Once I get it back from the printer, I might update with photos of the real thing. Believe me, these albums are just gorgeous in person.

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September 2, 2010 - 11:01 pm Heather - :) I'm the first to comment! Loved your shameless plea on fb! Such a great album design. I love the simplicity of it. Really calls attention to the great images! Beautiful work!!!!

September 2, 2010 - 11:06 pm Emily - Beautiful as always. This looked like such a fun and classy wedding! Loved everything, particularly the mermaid dress.

washington island. door county.

The setting was one of the most perfect places on earth, for one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen. Lovely, happy couple. Amazing weather. Fantastic (seriously, beyond words) location. More photos to come, but I had to share this one…

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rebecca & jeremy.

This was a very special wedding for me. Not only because every part of it, from the venue to the ceremony music to the extraordinary details at the reception, was just so incredibly creative. But also because I was there from the beginning… or at least from the beginning of their engagement. Way back in fall of 08, Rebecca contacted me to schedule a session with her boyfriend and their dogs. Sneaky Jeremy surprised everyone (including me!) by proposing during our session. (You can see their engagement photos here). I was beyond honored when they chose their wedding date based partially on my availability. And of course it was so very fun to be part of their story from the start of their engagement to the start of their marriage. Jeremy told me toward the end of their reception that he hoped I would be their lifelong photographer, for any future family members that might enter the picture down the road. I love that. I love being a small part of their story. Congratulations, you two. Anytime you need a photographer, I’m your girl.

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Some of the details:

Ceremony location: Oriental Theater, Milwaukee (first time there — absolutely gorgeous old time theater)

Reception location: Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee

DJs: Sound by Design (the dancing at this wedding was awesome — I might do a separate post just on the dancing photos)

Photo Booth: Beyond the Booth (a huge hit)

Brides’s dress: Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaids dresses: Melissa Sweet (I really loved these dresses)

A million DIY details: the bride herself (kudos)

ps. The beautiful photographs in the collage of the Oriental Theater as well as the portrait of Jeremy are by the very talented Mandy Henry. I was delighted to have her along to shoot both this wedding as well as Alyssa & Mike’s the day before. Thanks Mandy for road-tripping to Milwaukee with me!

treasure today.

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happy as the grass was green.

These are just cell phone camera pics, but I adore them. I wish I had my better camera with me, but I’m still so happy I took them. I guess is another example of why you should always, always have a camera with you to capture these little moments. It all goes by so fast. And right now… it is all pretty special. My boys. Summer 2010.

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ps. The title of this post comes from the poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas. I love it. Here’s the whole thing…

Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
The night above the dingle starry,
Time let me hail and climb
Golden in the heydays of his eyes,
And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns
And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
Trail with daisies and barley
Down the rivers of the windfall light.

And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns
About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
In the sun that is young once only,
Time let me play and be
Golden in the mercy of his means,
And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the calves
Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,
And the sabbath rang slowly
In the pebbles of the holy streams.

All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay
Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air
And playing, lovely and watery
And fire green as grass.
And nightly under the simple stars
As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,
All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars
Flying with the ricks, and the horses
Flashing into the dark.

And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white
With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all
Shining, it was Adam and maiden,
The sky gathered again
And the sun grew round that very day.
So it must have been after the birth of the simple light
In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm
Out of the whinnying green stable
On to the fields of praise.

And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house
Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long,
In the sun born over and over,
I ran my heedless ways,
My wishes raced through the house high hay
And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows
In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs
Before the children green and golden
Follow him out of grace,

Nothing I cared, in the lamb white days, that time would take me
Up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand,
In the moon that is always rising,
Nor that riding to sleep
I should hear him fly with the high fields
And wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land.
Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,
Time held me green and dying.
Though I sang in my chains like the sea.

June 27, 2010 - 4:29 pm Althea - I just love this poem, Carrie. Thanks for sharing!

dreamland.

This post features the sleepiest newborn I have ever photographed. Introducing little baby K, who was just over a week old when she had her newborn session at the studio. She was awake for maybe the first 5 minutes, then spent the rest of the session in dreamland. And she even graced me with some sweet smiles! It was pretty incredible. I love so many of these images — I had a really hard time narrowing down from the original amount I had selected for the blog. Such a sweetheart. Welcome to the world, little one.

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things I could do all day.

1.) Sit at the Union having a drink and/or some ice cream

2.) Watch my littlest guy  having a ball rolling over and getting a huge grin on his face when he catches me looking at him

3.) Listen to my 3 year old “read” the Very Hungry Caterpillar (especially at the end when the caterpillar turns into a “bee-you-ti-ful butterfly!”)

4.) Look at photos of adorable little 6 month old babies

If you are anything like me when it comes to number four on that list, then you are in for a treat. Get ready for lots of adorable 6 month old baby pictures! This is R, and he is just a few weeks older than my littlest guy. He was a total charmer — look out ladies! The funniest thing was that he was absolutely enthralled with the camera. He would pay attention to his parents for about 5 seconds, then quickly glance around to see where I was in the room. And then he’d flash me that big smile. Love it.

You know it will be a fun session when this is the very first photo I take:

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And it was followed by so many more cute ones. Such a personality already!

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We had planned to do more of the photos outside, but it turned out that R isn’t a huge fan of being outdoors (not yet anyway). Still, this face was pretty funny.

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These were the last three frames I took, and I am in LOVE with all of them. So much so that I commented on twitter that I so wish I had a similar picture of me with my boys. To me, it speaks volumes of the love and bond that is so strong between little R and his mommy. Snuggles with a baby boy. That’s another thing that I could easily do all day…

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warmth.

I have to share some images from a newborn session that I shot about a month ago. This new little girl was just about a week old.  Her big brother was about 3. And he reminded me so so much of my oldest boy. It was lovely to watch them interact together. Those early moments between new siblings are something that is so fleeting but so amazing. Words escape me tonight, so I’ll rely on the photos. Welcome to the world, baby S. I know your big brother is going to be great at watching over you.

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June 7, 2010 - 12:55 pm mandy - The last one with the thumb is so precious! I love it!

June 11, 2010 - 3:11 pm Chrissy - I love the image of the baby sucking his thumb. Great work! Your photography is beautiful. I love following the blog.

alyssa & mike.

This past weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of kicking off my wedding season by photographing two beautiful weddings in Milwaukee. My first 2010 wedding was the happy nuptials of Alyssa & Mike, who I had met over a year ago when I photographed their engagement session on the UW campus in Madison.  As I was going through their photos to select a choice few for the blog, the thought that kept coming to mind was how incredibly elegant and metropolitan the whole wedding felt. And I heard people say several times on Saturday that they had never seen a groom who looked happier to be marrying his bride — I completely agree. Alyssa & Mike were quite obviously head over heels in love with each other, and their joy really was contagious.  I have a ton more photos to post on the blog, but I couldn’t stop myself from editing just these few as your sneak peek. Congratulations, you two!

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A few of the details…

Ceremony location: Our Lady of Lourdes, Milwaukee

Reception location: War Memorial, Milwaukee

Cake: Extra Special Touch Bakery

Flowers: Petals by Carrie

June 2, 2010 - 7:23 am Elizabeth - You've done it again! These pictures are incredible! You did an outstanding job of capturing all of the emotion of the day. Wow, wow, wow!

June 5, 2010 - 7:49 pm Mom - Made me cry...again.

June 6, 2010 - 4:28 pm Nana - These few peeks of a beautiful couple on their wedding day are gorgeous. Can't wait to see the rest. You captured the essence of the day.

June 7, 2010 - 10:32 am Alyssa - Carrie, wow! Mike and I LOVE this sneak peek! The pictures are beautiful and definitely capture all of the emotions of the day. We commented to each other on how our friends' personalities really shine through in some of these pics too :). We are excited to see the rest! Thank you for posting!

June 8, 2010 - 9:46 am Katie - Absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to see the rest!

June 11, 2010 - 3:13 pm Chrissy - Gorgeous work!

June 23, 2010 - 3:15 pm Grandma & Grandpa - HELLO ALYSSA & MIKE, THOSE PIC'S ARE VERY STRIKING AND YOU BOTH SURE ARE FULL OF SPICE THERE GOD'S BLESSINGS UPON YOU & MIKE TAKE CARE & WE WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. GOD BLESS YOU~ GRANDMA & GRANDPA P

my guys.

T will be 3 years old in July. He is a feisty but sensitive little guy. He talks a lot. He loves to run outside and play with his dog. He also likes to snuggle (I’m savoring each and every one of these moments, as I’m sure we’re getting near the end of the frequent cuddles).  He is now sleeping in a big boy bed. He is an excellent big brother. He still needs his naps, even though he often doesn’t really think that is true. He loves dogs, lions, monkeys, Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear. He is a wonder.

F will be 6 months old in a few short weeks. He is the happiest baby in the entire world. He smiles about 75% of his waking moments (not a bad way to go through life). He adores his big brother. He is now eating solids — we’re still working our way through the introduction to veggies.  He tries to talk a lot. He can move himself across the room through a series of successive rolls, although near the end he sometimes gets tired and gets stuck on his belly. He is a delight.

I hope you have a chance to just sit back and enjoy being with your families this holiday weekend. I will be shooting two weddings so I won’t get to see my guys that much, but come Monday you know I’ll be giving them all kinds of hugs and kisses to make up for that.

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May 30, 2010 - 5:54 pm mandy - Two adorable boys...you are a lucky mom! I love the one of T running...so "3"!