Hi there.

My photo
Jill Brown has over 15 years of experience in the field of photography. She has studied photography at Missouri State University and Maryville University, St. Louis. She spent time working on her personal fine art work for many years and in 2003 started her first wedding and portrait photography business in St. Louis, MO. Jill moved to Des Moines, IA in 2005 and has continued her wedding and portrait business along with her fine art photography. Jill currently has work displayed in and around the Des Moines area as well as work in personal collections around the world. Jill uses both medium format film cameras and digital formats to create her images. This is how the artist describes her work: “My work is a reflection of everyday life and places. I chose the medium of photography as a tool to capture the essence of the person or place. I create images to depict the subject as they are remembered in the mind. Not posed or unnatural, but as a window into the intimate world of the subject.” Jill Brown is a member of Professional Photographers of America.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Stacy + Dan = Hitched!!

Date:  March 13, 2010
Ceremony:  Cornerstone Family Church
Reception:  Johnston Lion's Club


Stacy sent me an email... inquiring about wedding packages.  From her very first email I thought... this girl is so nice and sweet and honest and has a great sense of humor.  Yep...  I got all that from our first few emails.  Then we met... OMG!  You'd think we'd known each other forever!  I love all of my brides (and you too grooms!) so much, but there was something really special about Stacy.  Needless to say I was STOKED when she said that she wanted me to photograph her wedding... YES!  I am always excited to shoot weddings for my clients, but this particular client, I wanted to call up a few days before and say... "I can't wait for your wedding day!!".  I restrained myself... it seemed a bit unprofessional.  I found out on her wedding day that she had the same urge, but she restrained as well.  Ha!  Funny! :)


Stacy and Dan are a C-U-T-E couple.  AND... they each have a handsome son.  This marriage was a bit more than just two people getting married... it was the start of a new FAMILY.  There sons are like oil and water sometimes, but really... they are both just two goofy boys who want to have some fun.  I think these two will end up being very good friends as well as brothers.  :)


Dan adores Stacy and Stacy adores Dan.  That was very clear throughout the entire wedding day.  This couple is one who's marriage is first steeped in faith and second in love and that is a good combination.  


Finally... Stacy has the MOST AMAZING SMILE!  Check it out!  Seriously!  :)


Stacy and Dan... Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your beautiful day.  





Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Wedding:  March 13, 2010

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Rollercoaster Ride...

I must apologize and thank a couple of my clients.  They have been waiting very patiently for their weddings/portrait session to be edited and delivered.  Usually I get these things out much more quickly, but this last week has been quite crazy.

It started a week ago last Friday when I left at 4:00 pm from Des Moines, IA to head to St. Louis for the "Jill Brown Photography goes to St. Louis" weekend.  Mother Nature was not on my side.  It was rainy and cold the entire time I was there.  Two of the sessions cancelled and rescheduled for April... I don't blame them a bit!  The weather was so yucky!  The good outcome of the weekend was that I got to spend a lot of time with my family.  Yeah!  AND... I met with my niece to talk about her wedding next  month that I am shooting... yeah!  AND... I picked up a Quantum Battery and some "new to me" studio lights from a friend and photographer...yeah!  So, St. Louis averaged to be a good weekend.  :)

I headed back to Des Moines on Monday morning with plans of being home by 1:00 and spending literally the rest of the day editing the wedding and portrait session from the weekend before.  While driving home, my husband called and told me that he took our 9 year old Black Lab, Sam, to the vet.  He was worried about her and we've been talking lately that we should take her. 

Lately, she'd been gaining weight, but not eating very much.  She's had horrible, clear-the-room gas and she drinking water all of the time.  With in the last couple of weeks she was having a very hard time holding her pee throught the night no matter how late we let her outside or how early we would get up.  We had started to keep her in the kitchen at night just in case she had an accident. 

On Monday morning, Dave woke up and discovered that she had not only peed on the floor, but also took a poo.  She had blood in her poo... hence the reason to take her to the vet.  :(

Dave dropped Sam off at the vet.  They called us a little while later.  She said that she was unable to determine what was wrong with her, but that she may know more with a blood test and X-ray.  Of course we told her to go ahead and do both. 

I arrived home at 1:00.  By 2:00 we received a call that we could come get Sam.  I asked if the doctor was able to determine what was wrong... the woman on the phone said, "I'm sorry, but the doctor will have to talk to you about that."  Not a good sign.  I hung up the phone and Dave and I immediately headed to the vet's office. 

We got to the office and were put in a little room with a big TV that had X-rays on the screen and we waited...  The vet entered the room and talked to us about the X-rays.  She pointed out Sam's abdomen... and the fact that she couldn't make out many of her organs because she had too much fluid in her belly.  Sam hadn't been gaining weight... she had fluid in her belly.  She then pointed to some squiggly lines on either side of her belly.  "These are her intestines.  They are not supposed to be here.  They are supposed to be in the middle, here."  I'm getting very worried at this time...  I kinda started tuning out all the 'doctor talk'.  Bottom line...  she wasn't 100% sure what was wrong with Sam.  What she did know was the there was something in the middle of her abdomen that was pushing her intestines in the wrong place.  She did know that we could spend a lot of money we didn't have with no guarantee that it would fix her.  She did think that Sam had cancer...

My sweet, quiet, protective, loving, kind, beautiful Sam... had CANCER.  I couldn't keep it together any longer... neither could Dave.  She gave us our options and gave us time to talk.  We cried... and said that we couldn't make this decision.   It wasn't fair.  We were just taking her to the vet.  We never thought that it might mean that we would have to make THIS decision... not today.  We went back and forth on what to do... but it was clear what we should do... even though we tried to think of any way to not have to make that decision.  Neither one of us had ever had to do this before... Ultimately we decided that it would be selfish to not make the decision. 

Sam was so happy, but she wasn't healthy... and it wasn't fair to her to keep going like she was.  It would have been selfish for us to let her keep going.  We told the doctor of our decision.  She told us that she thought our decision was humane.  She tried to console us with her kind doctor-speak and told us that someone would be in and they would let us know where we could go to be with Sam in her final moments...

...Sam was lying on a steel table.  I'd wished it was something soft and comforting.  Her tail started to wag the moment we walked in, but she was wimpering... she did that when she layed on her side... I think it hurt her to lay on her side... and she was scared.  ...and we were scared for her.  Dave and I stayed right next to her.  Dave stroked her head and I kissed her nose and we both told her how much we love her and that she is the best dog in the world.  ...then she stopped wimpering... and closed her eyes...

She was gone... just like that... gone... my sweet, sweet Sam was gone...

... I was worthless the rest of Monday...  Tuesday wasn't much better...  Wednesday I managed to distract myself with preparing for Dave's birthday on Thursday and a visit from Dave's daughter.  ...Thursday I had lunch with my friend Becky and busied myself with work and Dave's birthday...

Friday... I had lunch with my friend Terri and went to pick up Sam's ashes.  That was hard... now that she's "back home" it makes it real, in a surreal way.  Next weekend we are buying a tree for the front yard.  We are going to bury Sam's ashes in the roots of the new tree. 

Some of you might say... she's just a dog, but she was more than a dog to us.  She was part of the family.

So to my clients that have been waiting patiently for their images... I am sorry that it has taken me a little longer than usual.  But, I promise they will be delivered to you very, very, very soon.  Thank you for your patience and undertanding...

Gracie and Sam... laying in the leaves

Sam and Mary

Sunday Afternoon

Friday, March 5, 2010

Super Duper Hooper Shoot!

Date:  February 28, 2010
Location:  Firehouse Yoga


My good friends Maggie and John invited me to come out to Firehouse Yoga last Sunday afternoon to help John photograph Maggie, Mary and Dawn as they displayed wondrous acts of hooping action (among other things).  John brought all of his lighting gear and we went to town.  It was sooo much fun!  


The girls all gave me an awesome hoop of my own... it's beautiful... green and blue with silver sparkles.  Wow!  The kids and I are going to be hooping in the garage this weekend!  Yeah!


Here are some of my favorites!


Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

JSuper Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot

Super Duper Hooper Shoot!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Klohs Family!

Date:  February 28, 2010
Location:  Klohs' home


It was another beautiful late winter morning (I could get used to this!) when I arrived at the Klohs home.  Little Ella was getting the finishing touches when I walked in - an adorable ponytail right on top of her head.  :)  Little Ella is such a cutie!  Pretty curls in her hair... adorable chubby cheeks and a sweet little smile.  It was a great session!


Thank you Klohs' family for inviting me into your home and allowing me to photograph your family!




Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010

Family Session:  February 28, 2010