Paige + Noah: Lake Michigan Engagement

I met Paige a few years back just before her and I set off with a group to Zambia, Africa on a relief and documentary trip. Luckily for us a nice long layer over in London, England and what seemed like an unfathomable amount of time on the various plane rides provided us with plenty of time to get to know each other. Instantly I knew that this was a bright, generously kind, and outright hilariously funny girl that would one day meet a man just as equally wonderful to match.

Enter Noah. It wasn't long after we got back to the states that I started hearing Paige talk about him and there wasn't a question in my mind that she was smitten with him. Over the next year or so after that, through some trying and growing adventures shared between the two of them, Noah and Paige started dating and honestly I could not have pegged a better match for her. Noah's carefree lightheartedness was only surpassed by his compassionate demeanor and it was evident in every look and every smile he had around her that his heart was Paige's and her's alone.

Getting to watch these two grow together as a collective unit, ready to set out and change the world, has been incredible and altogether a blessing for all of their friends and family. These photos just begin to scratch the surface of how much fun, love, and joy is shared between these two for the other, and that is the honest to God-truth.

-Matthew

Happy Mother's Day from ShadowShine!

If we are being honest our moms are basically superheros, so we thought we'd give an extra special gift this year in our latest team film, dedicated soley to these amazing women on Mother's Day!

They gave us life, they raised us, they struck fear in us when necessary, and overflowing joy more often than not. They've always been there as a warm embrace ready to make all our problems go away, and they are always just a phone call away when we've had a less than amazing day. Our mothers may all look different both internally and externally, but they all have one thing in common: they love us unconditionally. 

We each, every single person around this world, are better because of the mothers in our lives. Whether by birth or nurture they are the women who have shaped us into who we are today and continue to teach us what it is to be compassionate, driven, and a good person all ways round. We'll never be able to fully thank them for all that they have done for us, all that they have poured into our lives, or all of the many phone calls we should have made but that they forgive us for nonetheless.

This weekend make sure to join us in wishing each of our moms the very happiest of Mother's Days!

Cornerstone University: 2017 Commencement Commercial Video Series

Every year, we get excited for one of our largest corporate cinematography pieces, the Cornerstone University Commencement Series where we have the privilege of showcasing a few of these unique and weaving colorful stories that make up CU's students. People of varying ages and walks of life, seemingly so different, but united under a hunger for knowledge and a search for a deeper understanding of our Creator. It is a converging of many distinct stories. Different walks of life and experiences meeting and cooperating to reach a goal together that is both individual and collective: Commencement. This is a time of celebration and reflection, but it also serves as a checkpoint, a chapter change in a larger narrative of lives.

These are just a small sampling of the students and lives that have been changed by the community and experience here and we are so excited to see where each of these nine students' journeys take them in their continuing adventure. 

From everyone here at ShadowShine Pictures, congratulations and best of luck to the 2017 Cornerstone University graduates!

Peep-TSD (Easter Bunny Challenge)

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s almost time for warm nights and campfires! Well, we decided to get a jump start on a campfire game with our Easter-themed version of “chubby bunny” using marshmallow Peeps! The competition is fierce, and choosing a winner comes down to splitting “hares” with how close it gets!

Sure, we get a little choked up, but we thought it would be a colorful way to say “hoppy” Easter! And trust us…it gets awfully colorful with all this sugar. But in all seriousness, we at ShadowShine Pictures hope you have the sweetest holiday this Resurrection Sunday!

Happy Easter friends!

World Water Day 2017: WasteWater

Today is World Water Day, a day focused on bringing attention and awareness to the global water crisis. Despite the many advances in technology, a rapidly expanding global economy, and various social justice initiatives in just the last decade alone, there are still 1.8 billion of the world's population who use a source of drinking water contaminated with waste, putting men, women, and countless children at risk of contracting deadly diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and even polio.

Since 1993 World Water Day (formally World Day of Water) has chosen a theme centered around this crisis to help educate the global community on how we might together work to end the injustice of unclean water which is a key contributor to extreme poverty. This year's theme is WasteWater, a growing and systemic issue which is threatening the environment and putting future generations at even great risk than they currently already are at. Wastewater comes largely from our homes, the cities we live in, and from both industry and agricultural development which then flows back into the natural world without being cleaned, treated, or reused first.

According to the UN Water council, by reducing the amount of our wastewater, and then also reusing it in our homes, gardens, city green spaces, and so on we as a planet can create even more sustainable water habits and bring this crisis one step closer to being a begone era.

In response to the crisis of unsafe drinking water there are many organizations and non profits who are working diligently and tirelessly to bring access to this safe water to everyone around globe by 2030. Just a few of these organizations include:

• Unicef
• CharityWater
• UN-Water
• WaterAid
• Water

With our support, from people like you and me, we can make that goal a reality and not just a benchmark. Together through partners such as these we can bring an end to the water crisis in our life time and provide safe and clean drinking water for billions of children the world over.

Out of Luck: A St. Patrick's Day Story

St. Patrick's Day is here! It's time to wear green (don't pinch too hard those who forgot!), enjoy a beverage or five, and pretend to know the history of the holiday. Even if you're not Irish, you can partake in the festivities - but be careful: luck can be a fickle thing. 

Here at ShadowShine, we were planning to give you a pot of gold worth of photographs, but...as you can see from the video...our rainbow wasn't so lucky. Watch our new St. Patrick's Day video and good luck out there today!

Shivani + Neal: The Bhagat Wedding Trailer

We cannot express how much we love these two, nor how wonderful it has been getting to know them over the last several years. We first met Shivani at her cousin, Amity's, wedding back when we had just begun filming weddings, and a couple years later Shivani introduced us to Neal at yet another wedding. Before we knew it the two of them were engaged and were calling us to ask us to join in their wedding weekend and be their cinematographers. Obviously that was a no brainer for us and we instantly said yes!

Honestly, getting to know their families, and specifically the Modys, over the years has been one of the greatest highlights of our entire wedding cinematography adventures. They always greet us with so much love and joy and they are such fun to be around and celebrate with! In many ways every wedding is a new excuse to go see old friends we've grown so fond of, and the fact that it was Shivani and Neal's turn to get married made the weekend all the more amazing.

You can't really sum up their weekend into just a word because there's really no description that could do it justice. The gorgeousness of all the details washed over us and left us speechless, Shivani's radiant smile and exuberant personality glowed the entire weekend, Neal's sense of humor and chill style kept us laughing, and both the Bhagats and the Mody families came together to celebrate this beautiful moment in these two's story together.

In complete seriousness, if we could relive this weekend over and over again we'd jump at the chance. We'll never forget this weekend or how much we are in love with these two, and we'll always be their biggest fans!

Wedding Planer: Rajul Pillai

Wedding Decorator: Colonial Party & Event Planner & Ankita Modi

Photographer: Ray Anthony Photography & ShadowShine PIctures

Florist: Bellisario Florist

Hair and Makeup: Raimonda Pejez and Tammy Pore 

DJ: Sandeep Hans "DJ Sandman" 

Wedding Cake: Sweet Dreams Bakery

Linens & Chivari Chairs: Modern Art Party Rental

Catering & Bar: Rangoli & Krishna Catering

Henna: Neeta Desai

Wedding Gown: Aishwarya

Grah Shanti Gown: Aishwarya 

Henna Gown: Asopalav

Reception Gown: Paras

Venues: Diamond Center, Canton Hindu Temple, & Mody Residence