Photography by Cage and Aquarium
Meet Cage and Aquarium When Shelley Anderson and Tyler Huffman, coowners of Cage and Aquarium, fell in love and tied the knot, combining their professional specialties into one became the next natural step in their lives together. With a deep-rooted love for photography, Shelley began shooting weddings in 2004; as a lifelong musician of many instruments, Tyler expanded his repertoire and became a DJ in 2007. As the two grew in their separate fields, it quickly became evident that they should fuse them together.
“A wedding photographer has completed their job when they can string together different moments to tell a complete story.“ Now, Cage and Aquarium, a boutique event company that serves Chicago and New York, cleverly combines three services: DJ, photography and live music. “Our uniqueness stems from our connection to Chicago music and arts scene,” Shelley says. Turntables, beatmatching and scratching are the elements of everyday life for Cage and Aquarium DJs; their photographers offer a fresh, photojournalistic approach. With more than five years’ experience, Cage and Aquarium is careful to take a limited number of engagements to ensure each couple receives the attention they deserve. Be ‘U’
We picked their image-capturing brains to help guide you through the do’s and don’ts of planning pictures. With these helpful tips, rest assured there’s no way you’ll be left with awkward photos of when you didn’t want to be photographed. Do… consider each segment of the day—and the details you’d like your photographer to highlight. A bride and groom should think of their day in sections, such as “Getting Ready,” “Ceremony,” “Family Photos,” “Location Photos (Bride/Groom and Bridal Party)” and “Reception.” Once you can view the day that way, consider what elements you want your photographer to concentrate on. Are all 30 of your cousins coming to the wedding, and you would love a group photo? Is there a special and unique moment happening during the ceremony the photographer might not be expecting? You can trust your photographer will do a great job capturing the overall day, but don’t hesitate to tell them what specifics are important to you. Don’t… let your photographer fly solo. Couples tend to love the photojournalistic moments the most, and that gives good reason for them to book a package with two photographers. Two photographers can be focusing on different things throughout the day and provide more coverage than just one. There are always moments happening at a wedding and the couple will have no idea they occurred until they see the photographs.