"AT FOUND LIGHT STUDIOS, WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IT, WEDDINGS AREN'T ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE WEARING, OR HOW MUCH YOU SPENT ON DECORATIONS."
Your wedding is about love, commitment and two families coming together. We also believe that every couple deserves to have beautiful photos that capture all the love and emotions of their wedding in a way that is uniquely them.
At the moment, most weddings are photographed by yours truly, and as the calendar fills up, I enlist the help of my associates to handle weddings on dates where I may already be booked. You'll still have the opportunity to meet your photographer a few times before the wedding, and I'll handle all the details in between.
Found Light Studios knows the importance of great customer service, so from the first meetings, to the delivery of the final photos, we’ll work closely with you to make sure that your experience is nothing short of perfection.
-Alain M.
Principal Photographer / Owner
About Alain
Music was Alain's first love, but he was always a creative person and had a passion for the arts. When he first got into photography, he was actually reluctant to shoot weddings. "I had an idea in my head that wedding photos were always cheesy, traditional and that there wasn’t a lot of creativity that went into them. But then a friend of mine got married and when I saw her photos, I realized that wedding photos didn’t have to be boring! They could be as photojournalistic and creative as any other form of photography." He also realized how much joy wedding photos bring to couples and loved the idea of being part of that. Fast forward several years and you'll find him in his 6th wedding season, honored to be able to create lasting memories for so many couples.
About Dan
Dan found his appreciation for photography during a trip to Europe in college. Just before departing for the South of France, he decided to buy his first DSLR camera to document his European travels. He fell in love with the idea of capturing a moment in time while photographing architecture, landscapes, churches, rivers and street photography. From there, Dan began photographing weddings and found his true passion in capturing the love and intimacy of his couples' relationships.
When he's not out taking photos, Dan enjoys running marathons, reading (everything from fiction to self help, business, health, wealth and psychology), and a lover of music and film. Dan enjoys being social, connecting with his couples and their family & friends on wedding days, and his deep passion to document and tell your story.
About Melissa
Melissa believes that photographs are powerful in that they create a tangible way to express ideas and have the ability to immortalize a moment in time. She too aims to provide all her subjects with a personalized photography experience while helping educate them on how to create the best images possible to preserve their memories.
She was born and raised in Northwest Indiana with her parents and younger brother. Growing up, she was always involved in sports and music, but never felt like she had truly found her creative outlet. It was during her time at Purdue University Calumet when she realized her passion for photography. On top of the classes she took to gain the technical and compositional skills, she worked at a portrait studio, and also spent her free time taking photos of everything she could. Upon graduating with her B.A., she moved to Chicago where she was given the wonderful opportunity to work alongside some of Chicago's most talented photographers.
About AJ
AJ started his photographic career after making the switch from political science at U of I, searching for something to feed his creative nature, so he enrolled into the photography program at Columbia University in Chicago. For him, photographing weddings is all about the personal fulfillment of creating the visual language that will define the memories of the most important day of peoples’ lives.
Photography skills aside, one of AJ’s greatest strengths is most definitely his ability to interact with others and putting them at ease in front of the camera. In terms of the style of his imagery, AJ leans a touch closer to the traditional while certainly still fitting in with the Found Light style, which works as the perfect compliment to shooting with Alain. AJ is also a successful commercial photographer in his own right, shooting portraits, corporate headshots, architectural work, food, and more. Originally from Glenview, AJ has a work/live space in the West Loop, enjoys mixology, as well as showing up randomly to Alain’s apartment to test his latest cocktail creation.
About JENNIFER
Long before obtaining her degree in Photography from Columbia College in 2011, Jennifer Catherine has relished in the ability to dig deep in telling the story of every photograph. Her ability to connect with and develop an understanding of who her clients are has helped her capture beautiful and honest images for them. To Jenn, photography isn’t just about capturing light. Its about capturing the emotion, memories, and adventures that led to each moment. Her work has been featured in Time Out, Elektro Magazine, CS Magazine, and most recently on Borrowed & Blue. Wether its photographing fashion, music, or something as important as your wedding day, Jennifer loves the challenge of capturing her subjects true light.
Jennifer married her husband Phil which gave her a much better understanding of being on the other side of the lens on your special day. They recently brought their little munchkin Adelaide into the world and have been loving the adventure ever since.
About Wendy
Wendy is a creative professional and a seasoned wedding photographer with 12 years of experience in the field. She comes with a background in photojournalism and has a BA degree in Visual Journalism from the Brooks Institute of Photography. Wendy’s friendly demeanor, creativity, and conscientious fresh approach are what make her style stand out.
In her spare time, Wendy likes to read, see a broadway show during the week, attend indie music concerts, travel to new places, eat out (did someone say foodie?), work on personal photo projects and spend time with the loves of her life: a little Maltese dog named Peluche and her steady boyfriend, Jon.