This handsome little guy is going to make me want another baby! He is so soft and gentle. He maintained complete composure as his mama and I molded his tiny body for each pose - I can't say that too often! He just went with the flow, making very little noise during our session until..... he started snoring : ) Of course, I had to sneak in a few sleepy shots, too!
xo Kelly {the beautiful bride} and I are related by marriage. Her mother is my husband's cousin... (confused yet?! : ) Anyway, a few years ago, we chatted at our annual Christmas party and they were interested in hiring me for their July 2012 union. While I was tickled pink, I was also a little nervous about shooting such an important event for a relative. I LOVE weddings - I LOVE photography - I LOVE family - but, naturally, it made me a little anxious. I encouraged them to do an engagement session and while we were shooting they were so calm & composed. They came up with some amazing concepts and were up for anything I threw at them. Instantly I knew working with them would be F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S! see their engagement session here
{the day} You may recall, mid June through the first part of July was excruciatingly hot. But July 7th we dropped back into the 80's and it was so awesome. I was extremely happy for this couple and their families since the ceremony took place outdoors in a beautiful MN Landscape Arboretum garden. The reception was held in the Snyder Building, and was gorgeously decorated. I might be a tiny bit bais, but this couple's friends and families were so sweet and easy to work with. Everyone was so welcoming and happy. It became very clear to me that this couple has an amazing foundation and support system. I am so excited to share their story with you. This couple is so. much. fun! Their playful and cute personalities were such a joy to be around. A little background - This couple booked me at an expo in January 2012. We had planned to shoot their engagement session in the snow this past spring. To my unfortunate luck - I slipped on the ice and broke my wrist just 24 hours before their session. It was terrible to call and cancel on them but they were so accommodating and understanding. So, we pushed the session out for about 6 weeks. When it came to shoot the second time, it started raining just an hour before their session. Again, I had to call and cancel. I was totally bummed because I knew Matt had an upcoming surgery and would be taking a break for a while... At that point, I felt like we'd never get their session done. So, we waited. Once Matt got back into the groove, we planned for a mid-July session. I woke up the morning of, pleading with the injury and rain gods not to throw anything our way. I am so excited to share the images - it was totally worth the wait. After the session, I headed back to my car and found this surprise......
I guess the streak continues! I am often asked what the difference between a Digital Negative and an Edited image looks like.... Well, ladies and gentlemen, take in a visual of basic skin and eye corrections.
You can also click here to learn more! [Chorus:]
Living in a digital world And I am a digital girl You know that we are living in a digital world And I am a digital girl Okay, so this is my edited version of an incredibly catchy Madonna hit! I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but, hell... here it is: To-date, I have yet to print any of my wedding images. I insisted on paying "more" for digital negatives when I got married. Most of my clients, still many years later, are still following this trend. While I completely agree with obtaining rights to your images, I do not agree with leaving an album out of the mix. When I talk to my clients about albums, I usually hear a loud "ewww", "ugh" or "nah". And, they often say, "I don't want one." I just about scream WHAT!? Let's think about this for a moment.... When you hire a photographer, you hire them based on quality, creativity, or from a referral. When my clients hire me, they are also getting someone who knows the business, is offering the highest quality products, and someone who really cares about them. As you know, I am sentimental. This emotion, simply stated, doesn't come from a disc of images. It comes from a collection or a story. (This is where I convince you to buy an album : ) In all seriousness, albums are the way your friends and family can relive your day over and over again. What's shocking to me, is that at an expo people want to hold an album or book. Something substantial that you can show off, flip-through, etc. But when it comes to your own images, you want just a disc. Again, on a personal note, I took my discs of images after my wedding and (attempted) to catalog the 500 images. It was an extremely long process finding images that I wanted to use for my thank you cards. I was really confused as to the order and how my photographer named the files. The times have changed a bit, so discs hold hundreds of images now, but back then, I received 12 discs! Talk about frustrating. Anyway...... I got so annoyed with the process that I ended up picking just one image and sending it out. I think I even used a pre made template at Walgreens (I still cringe). After that, I decided I wanted to make my own album. I didn't want to pay anyone to make something that I could easily do myself. I thought I was pretty creative - yes, even before pinterest! I used a company called Shutterfly. Again, I spent hours attempting to upload my images. I can't even pretend to tell you how many times my dial-up internet failed and I had to refresh, and start ALL OVER. (Again, totally dating myself with the dial-up!) Never the less, it was such a pain, I never did complete it. I had always hoped to "find the time" to get one done.... But, sooner than I expected, I was expecting. 9 months of baby stuff followed by 6 months of sleep depravation didn't really give me any free time. So here I am, many years later, and two wonderful kids, with 12 discs of images that sit in a box. I have a few prints, that were included in my collection, still in frames around the house. My three year old daughter looks at them daily and tells everyone, "my daddy was a prince and my mama was a princess." My heart melts! Someday, it is my goal to take those lousy 12 discs and convert them to something else. My biggest fear is their shelf life will expire and the discs will not work when I finally get around to using them. The moral of the story, there is a huge disadvantage of digital. If I had just taken my photographer's advice, I would be snuggled up on my couch with my sweet little Olivia showing her all the fabulous images of her 'prince and princess' parents. Someday, I hope to give Olivia an album. One that sits on her coffee table. One that she can snuggle on the couch with her darling children and share. One day she will have a copy of our love story.... the one that ends with, "and they lived happily ever after" xo Britny and Daniel are the sweetest. They wanted a very simple engagement shoot so we found a nice little area at a local park. To my surprise, Britny pulled out a fantastic read - Emily Dickinson! Seriously, how sweet is that! Daniel was very attentive to his lovely bride-to-be; anything she wanted, he respected. And, Britny..... Can I just mention she has the softest most porcelain-like skin I have ever seen. Really, she is beautiful!! They are getting married this September in Plymouth. I have a real tender spot for this couple, as they are celebrating their vows at the Millennium Gardens where I was also married. The smaller, more intimate Sunday weddings are becoming quite popular, and I am thrilled that I will be shooting at a very local and familiar location for these sweethearts.
xo I am truly honored to have been the photographer for this event. When asked, I gladly accepted. However, I was completely unaware of how emotional and incredibly overwhelmed I would feel at the event. The energy that filled the camps was unreal. I had very mixed emotions that entire night. Happy tears that streaked my face as I cheered for the survivors, heard their stories and hugged their families. And, the salty tears that burned my tender eyes, as watched very young children participating in honor of their mothers who were unsuccessful in their battles. For the first time in my life I really realized CANCER IS REAL. Both my mom and my mother-in-law are survivors of breast cancer. Even during my own mother's diagnosis and treatments, I never really believed she might not be here with me today. I faced the news with my battle gear on, as did she. Her initial scare was in 2008. Then more news in 2009. After that, she decided that she would proceed with a double mastectomy, just to be safe. I am thankful for her decision. Fact is, I am thankful for her.
But, my heart is so heavy. Shame on me for being so naive. After this event, I can no longer walk around each day feeling invincible. I have made some serious changes to the way I have directives and funds allocated. This, of course, is for my children. The ones I love. The ones that I live for. As we all do, after an event of this caliber, I hug my children tighter, tell the ones I love, " I LOVE YOU SO MUCH", and really cherish my husband for all he is. I, personally, get so wrapped up in daily life that I forget to stop once in a while. I am so consumed by work, planning, and what is next. shame on me. As my favorite John Lennon says, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Isn't this the truth?! I strongly encourage you to Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back. xo See the entire gallery here. |
|