the krakoras

wedding and portrait photography in madison, wisconsin by michael and heather krakora

Welcome to our Blog!

We are Mike + Heather Krakora, two best friends that get to work, play and laugh together everyday. How lucky is that? We live in Madison, Wisconsin with our two vivacious boys, two very fluffy dogs and a bullfrog named Bob. We absolutely love what we do – photographing people at such pivotal points in their lives is a huge honor.

Our blog is where we will post all of the recent happenings in our lives and in the lives of our clients. So don't be shy, leave a comment. We love comments, they make us smile. :o)

Winter Creativity Workshop

03.05.2010

So, I have a secret. I have never really considered myself a photographer. (Myself being Heather.) Once upon a time I wanted to be an architect, then a nurse, then a painter, then a graphic designer, then an art therapist, then a graphic designer again and now, well, I’m a photographer. It is funny the directions that life can take you. A while back I posted about a creativity workshop that I was a part of this winter. Our latest assignment was to photograph in the style of an other photographer’s whom we admire and put our own spin on it. There are a lot of photographers whom I admire, but to be quite honest, the artist that inspires me most is Georgia O’Keefe. One of the best classes that I ever took while in college was a Women in Art History Class. I love Georgia O’Keefe’s work for so many reason, but what I love most is the woman who created the art. She is fascinating in that she was terribly misunderstood, always trying new things and she was married to an amazing photographer, Alfred Stieglitz. See the connection? I could go on and on…

I’ve always wanted to do a flower study and used this as my excuse. I tried to create some compositions that were similar to works that Georgia O’Keefe has done. However the pieces that came out of this assignment that I love the most are the one’s where I broke away from my intentions. I love it when that happens.

:: thanks to Andrea from Fleurishes who supplies the flowers ::

Posted in Personal

by Heather

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03.8.10 - 11:11 pm

Kira - gorgeous!

03.6.10 - 2:37 pm

Andrea - Heather, they are amazing! My favorites are #1 and #2, but all of the images are really beautiful.

03.5.10 - 6:16 pm

casey - #2 and #4 are my favorites too. Number 4 is just divine. See you in a few weeks! Can’t wait to see what you’ve done to the studio since I was there last.

03.5.10 - 5:24 pm

anda - #2 and #4 are so amazing to me (they are all gorgeous though). missed you today!

03.5.10 - 3:00 pm

Laura - Beautiful!

American Photo Cover :: senior fusion portrait photographer madison wisconsin

03.01.2010

Waaahhhoooooooooo! Okay. Now that I got that out of my system!

In January we were contacted by American Photo because they found a senior fusion piece that we did a last year with Taylor. They wanted to do an article about the changes that are quickly taking place in the senior portrait market and the inclusion of fusion (video and photos combined). Mike + I were so excited to be included in this article! We have been playing around with fusion both on our own for family portraits and along side local videographer King Carnahan Visuals. American Photo wanted us to submit some of our favorite senior images from last year. We had several in the running and while we were at Disney World we were told that our image was up for the cover! We flipped. Then, in mid February, we were told that we got the cover. Being the pessimist that I am, I wasn’t going to believe it until I saw it.

Here it is!!!

We are so excited to be offering senior fusion as a part of our senior portrait packages for the Class of 2011. We will be updating our website soon to reflect these new options, so stay tuned. In the mean time, if you have any questions, contact our studio for more details.

**Depending on your internet speed, you may have troubles loading the film. Press play then pause right away and wait for the film to load. Once it is loaded, press play again. Trust me, you will want to see this without the breaks for loading.

Posted in Fusion Films, General Annoucements, Portraits, Seniors

by Heather

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03.8.10 - 11:11 pm

Kira - so awesome!! congrats!

03.2.10 - 7:36 pm

Aliza Werner - Congrats! What a fun surprise to see your work when my magazine came in the mail. Oh, if only senior portraits were this fun when I went to high school!

03.2.10 - 10:43 am

Amy Gaerthofner - Awesome! Great job with the fusion/senior combo – I would have totally loved this when I was a senior!!!

03.1.10 - 6:02 pm

Shannon - Congrats Krakoras!!!! So excited for you!

time for a change

02.25.2010

You may notice something a little different when you go to our Krakora Studios homepage. Its not a whole lot, just a little something. Something to make sure I keep on track. It has been about seven months since we have been “working” on our new website design. SEVEN months. Lame, I know. See, there is this funny thing that happens thats called life. And yes, we are as guilty as the next guy – we get a little wrapped up in it. :) Being a graphic designer in my past life is a bit of a curse. I think I have a little bit of ADD when it comes to our identity and such. SO, I think I have just about finished our basic layout and now it is time to start plugging in the images. (Yet another pandora’s box.)

Our next bit of news is that we will be in Milwaukee this weekend at the Magnificent Bride Show at the Pfister Hotel. So if you live in Milwaukee and would like to meet with us, we will be there on Sunday, February 28 from 11am – 4pm! Can’t wait!

Posted in Uncategorized

by Heather

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Madison Wedding Guild :: Madison Wedding Vendors

02.16.2010

Come visit us at the Madison Wedding Guild show being held this Wednesday from 5:30pm – 8pm at the Brink Lounge!

Posted in General Annoucements, The Madison Wedding Guild, Weddings

by Heather

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jessica + mike :: married {galena wedding photographers}

02.12.2010

Some of the most amazing relationships begin with a friendship. Two friends, that over time, realize that they are so much more than friends, they are soul mates. Jessica + Mike are a living example of this evolution. Jessica was first introduced to Mike’s in high school when his feet boyishly kicked her desk from behind. Their love is so sweet and carefree.

The day began at Jessica’s parent’s house in Galena, IL.

Hmmmm. How excited was I when I saw these bright blue shoes!?!!?

I was even more excited when I met their Jessica and her parent’s dogs. I LOVE dogs! But I think I love dogs and brides even more!

Their ceremony (and first meeting) was held at the historic Turner Hall. I am glad to say we did not meet up with the Hall’s ghost, Spencer. Though I really think that Jessica’s Dad was hoping for that.

Jessica and her Dad were so sweet….

A lot of our time was spent hiding out upstairs. The light was so super yummy – I remember how I felt when I took this shot.

When I said these two were playful, I wasn’t kidding. They have their own secret handshake. They have added one part per year they have been together. Its a pretty long handshake. I wish I could see the handshake after they have been married for 50 years.

Meet Jessica’s brother. He pretty much danced non-stop. When I arrived in the morning, he was dancing. Before the ceremony, he was dancing. Check out his Thriller moves. Niiiice!

The reception was held at Eagle Ridge Resort. Jessica had decided that she wanted her reception to be more of a brunch so that the guests could enjoy how beautiful the room and the outdoor surroundings were. Good call!