Donnell Probst Photography - Wedding and Portrait Photographer » St. Louis

Ankur & Uma | Sneak Peek

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:25:29 +0000

I made a super quick trip to Chicago yesterday to hear the super awesome Sandy Puc and Jared Abrams speak about dSLR video last night and then snuck in a quick session on my way out of town with the winners of our recent contest on Facebook, Uma and Ankur! They were SO amazingly cute and what was supposed to be a cool, rainy day turned into a pretty toasty, mostly sunny day! So we dodged the sun all around downtown Naperville and had a blast! Here is a quick sneak peek from our session! More to come soon!!!

High School Senior Website | Announcements

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:38:09 +0000

For those of you who follow us on Facebook, you may have noticed that I have been a bit quiet lately! Not to worry – it’s not that we’ve forgotten about you, for the last couple of months we have been HARD at work at a BRAND NEW program for high school seniors! And we thought this brand new program deserved a brand new home on the world wide web exclusively for seniors! So, without further ado… we would like to introduce you:

Donnell Probst Photography fans, meet Chrom! Chrom, meet Donnell Probst Photography fans!

Chrom Senior Studios has a TON to offer current and incoming Seniors! Here is a breakdown of all of the fabulous features that both mom, dad, AND senior will LOVE!

Senior Model Program – Seniors can apply to become part of the Chrom Senior Streeet Team and represent Chrom Senior Studios throughout their seniors year of high school! Senior Models will get a 50% discount on both their session fee AND package, a FREE 4×8 Accordian look book to share with their friends, free facebook photos, a free music video, and TEN personalized $100 Chrom Senior Studio gift cards to give to their ten favorite friends! And the best part – for each gift card redeemed by their friends the Senior Model will get $50 CASH! Seniors can earn even more studio credit by referring their friends to Facebook or providing Chrom Studio with referral contacts!

Style Guide – Chrom Senior Studios has an exclusive online Style Guide that is available via password to each of their senior clients! The style guide includes tips for boys and girls to maximize their experience and appearance for their Senior Photo Shoot, a shopping guide so seniors can build their photo shoot wardrobe or draw inspiration from some of the most trendy national chains and local boutiques, and our beauty guide – our favorite local salons and spas for the perfect hair and make-up!

We will be having a big launch giveaway later this week, so make sure you head over and “like” our Chrom Facebook page and tell all of your friends! Gone of the days are cheesy senior pictures! Chrom has something for the entire family… fun and edgy pics for the discriminating senior while still delivering classic, timeless images that mom, dad, and the whole family will love for years to come! We are not your grandmother’s photographer!

Chrom Website HERE

Chrom Facebook page HERE

MacAllister | Studio

admin — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:51:25 +0000

As if his name is not stellar enough, I’m pretty sure Mr. M. could hold his own amongst a room full of rowdy toddlers! The little dude was not feeling his best today, but powered through nonetheless and allowed us to sneak in a few shots. Mom and Dad did an AMAZING job of trusting Heather to snuggle and rock their little guy despite having a bit of tummy turmoil! He was totally and completely zonked by the time they were ready to leave, and hopefully he will sleep a nice loooooong time for mom and dad this evening!!

Wrigley | Pet Photography

admin — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:24:40 +0000

Well, we told you we have been using our “down” time to work on some new and exciting stuff…. and you knew that we were working in the studio now…. but what you didn’t know is that we love animals. So much so that we think everyone should have fun pix of their pooches!! So Wrigley, our fine canine friend was our first contestant in line to be bribed with turkey! And he did a fab job…… Whose next?!

[The Studio is Coming!]

admin — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:56:06 +0000

I cannot tell you how many times we’ve been asked if we do studio work! Up until now, the answer has been “no”! Well, as any good photographer should do, I’ve been working to learn new things this winter so I can offer more to my clients and expand my work into other areas of photography. I have partnered up with my second photographer for weddings and super close photo pal, Heather, and we have been diligently trial and erroring our way through the studio set up process. We totally could plop someone on a white background and call it a day, but we want this to be special… something you don’t see every day… something that stops you in your tracks!

So, the good news is that we are making progress. The bad news is that we’re not quite where we want to be yet. We’ve got the lights and the “stuff” to go with it, but now we need some live people. We are looking for brand new babies (0-10 DAYS old) and babies who can support themselves sitting up, but who are not mobile yet. Yes, this may seem very specific, but we just need to test things out, and that will be difficult enough to do without chasing small people around! Don’t get us wrong, we love, love, love your humans of all ages, but we just need some solid practice. If you haven’t been following our escapades over at The Photo Junkies, it’s a must read. Hopefully you will laugh a little and enjoy our random goodness. So, without further ado, here it a bit of the progress we’ve made in the studio department.

For all interested, we are already starting to book up for the spring and will be adding studio to the mix probably sometime in March – so don’t wait too much longer to book your session!

[Snow Day]

admin — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:27:32 +0000

There is a strange phenomenon that happens here in the Lou’ when it snows… snow days. The amount or kind of snow does not matter… roads cleared or not, there is a snow day. I swear this fear of snow has drastically increased since we’ve moved here, but it is so funny to us nonetheless having grown up in Chicago. I can clearly recall walking in snow up to my knees through people’s yards just to get to the bus stop. I also remember our bus getting stuck a few times, but never remember any injuries on buses in our area growing up. Funny, isn’t it??

{Sneak Peek}

admin — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:00:18 +0000

I had the extreme pleasure of visiting with the Safron Family tonight in celebration of mother/grandmother/great-grandmother’s 80th birthday! They were such a fun – and good looking – bunch! We were even serenaded by her very talented grandson who is an actor/singer out in Los Angeles… such a great family!

{Chris + Vanessa = Married}

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:47:05 +0000

I can say with 100% certainty that people like Chris and Vanessa are why I love what I do! You know how you meet those people every great once in a while that are so incredibly gracious and kind that you feel like a better person just for knowing them? That’s how I feel about Chris and Vanessa… and I’m not the only one. There was a buzz at every single location we visited throughout their day – everyone who had been hired by Chris and Vanessa to take part in their special day was just GUSHING about what an amazing, easy going couple they were! Everyone from the band, to the wedding/reception coordinator, the pastor… the list goes on. So I am sending the couple voted as “Easiest Bride and Groom 2010″ by myself and Heather a HUGE thank you from both of us for making the day special for everyone!

On to slightly less gushy business…

So, this will also go down in history as the wedding of “The Fall”. Yes. I fell. On my face. Well, actually I think it may have been more on my side (based on various areas of soreness I feel today) and over a bench. After my camera and lens broke my fall and bounced off of the concrete, I pulled myself up (did a quick equipment check – surprisingly nothing broken… on me or the camera!) and we continued on, got some great photos and had an amazing day. Here are some of my favorite highlights of their story! Also, don’t forget to CLICK HERE to check out their slideshow of these images and more!

We could not have wished for more beautiful venues! We started out at The Coronado Ballroom on Lindell. Not only was the staff amazing (HUGE shout out and thank you to Jaci Burgess of Steven Becker Fine Dining - wedding/event coordinator extraordinaire!! We HIGHLY recommend their services – they were friendly, extremely organized and put on one heck of an event!). The private bridal room was gorgeous… and the company was pretty great, too! ;)

Hello, gorgeous dress!!!
There was a LOT of dress for Vanessa to get into, but her helpers were extremely diligent and got ‘er done! She looked AMAZING!Love, love, love these two… Vanessa looks just amazing.Chris and Vanessa opted for a first look because their wedding was so late in the day. I am a HUGE fan of first looks instead of waiting until you are coming down the isle. There are, of course, benefits to both, but the first look is always so intimate and really gives the bride and groom a chance to take it all in and oogle over each other without onlookers!It is safe to say I could have photographed Chris and Vanessa ALL. DAY. LONG. in this venue. There is so much detail, great lighting… a photographers playground! These two pictures were taken post-fall… needless to say, I was a little rattled, but things seemed to turn out okay! Love these!I just could not bunch these next two shots up with any others… I just adore them. They are so romantic and totally bring the mood of the Coronado… Chris and Vanessa were a perfect fit!After we finished up pictures, we headed over to the church, the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis near the Central West End. It was such a cute little church and their officiant was just so sweet! Oh, and Vanessa… the colors were to die for!! Perfect for a November day!!!This part of the post is for Vanessa… having her grandmother at her wedding meant the world to her. Vanessa was clearly very moved, and I hope these pictures will help her remember this day forever!!After all of the guests arrived, Vanessa and Chris met at the alter to finally become husband and wife… yeah, Vanessa… you’re Chris’ wife… and Chris… you’re Vanessa’s husband! :)Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!Heather caught this one of the girl in the middle… not sure who she was, but she was very much enjoying the wedding!We took this one after everyone else cleared out… just the two of them… husband and wife. Congratulations, you guys!!
Okay, you can say it… totally cool car, right?! Fabulous choice Mr. and Mrs. Allen!!!Hellllloooooooooo Grand, Beautiful Ballroom!Details, details, details… Vanessa and Chris did not leave out any! From the gorgeous center pieces created by one of their family members to the complimentary dancing flip-flops, to the candy bar… loved it all!!Their cake was also gorgeous… the Coronado Ballroom does their own cakes!
Okay… coolest surprise of the night! Well, it wasn’t a surprise for us, but Chris and Vanessa were clearly surprised! The wait staff lines up in a T and does a little dance-type-thingy to bring the salads to the wedding couple and some of the table! It was so fun – there was no detail left undone by the Coronado and Jaci!Dancing was the name of the game! Vanessa has a bit of spunk and kept assuring me that the band was incredible. As a lover of music and reception dancing, that was a pretty lofty claim… but MAN, they were AMAZING! The Downtime Band had amazing singers, a great set list and brought so much energy! Another Big Ole referral for any brides out there looking to book a band! And by the way… Vanessa had SO much fun dancing… that girl can MOVE!The night was over much too soon for Heather and me… we really wanted to stay and hang out with Chris and Vanessa, have a few drinks, dance with Vanessa (Chris did get out there once or twice! … but that probably would have been a little unprofessional)! Alas, we had an amazing time and are so happy for Chris and Vanessa! You are both amazing people and are going to have an amazing life together! Congratulations to both of you!!

Donnell & Heather

{Sneak Peek}

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:28:07 +0000

You may all remember my friend “G” who came to us last year for the first time right around her first birthday! Well, she is now a year older and a year bigger… and she TALKS! It is so funny to not see these little people for such a long time (half of her life to be exact!) and see how much they change! Her parents are clearly g-o-r-geous and her mom also just opened her own photography business – best compliment ever to be picked by a fellow photog!! She just could not be cuter!!! More to come soon!

{Sneak Peek}

admin — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:14:31 +0000

This post makes me laugh… which is totally par for the course with Vanessa and Chris! Chris described it as the “church giggles”, but whatever it was we had a bad case of it the entire time. And Chris was nice enough to reassure me that my corny jokes did help him relax… on top of requests for bush jumping…! :) The best part – we get to spend next weekend together for their wedding! More to come very soon (we have to get them done before their wedding, after all!)!