April in May

For someone who claims to "not know what they're doing," April sure was a natural model---it's another thing in a long list of things she's good at....fixing cars, riding motorcycles, playing an electric guitar.....oh, and did I mention she's also a Marine and mother of a 2 1/2 year old? She's totally rad, and it was a pleasure to shoot her today!

I took her to a few of my favorite places to shoot--the Kasota Prairie, the old truck we found last week, the pedestrian bridge along the railroad tracks over the river, and a great stairwell on the back side of some bars downtown.

She was a great sport, and I can't wait for our next shoot!

sunny day shoot

After a few days, the wind finally calmed down in Minnesota, just in time for an engagement shoot with Erick and Dana. They're a great and easy going couple, which always makes shooting a good time.
We started out at Como Park, before moving to Minnehaha Falls. I'm looking forward to shooting their wedding in June!




Thanks Dana and Erick!

Windy Day in the prairie

Steph and I had scheduled a photo shoot today, but were a bit worried when the winds were blowing all morning and afternoon. Not being one to shy away from such conditions, we ventured out to the Kasota Prairie anyway. The wind picked up her hair, her dress, and a couple times HER!








On our way back to town we spotted an abandoned property, and being the happy trespassers we are, we decided to stop. This amazing old truck caught our eyes at the same time and Steph and I shrieked with excitement!


It was another great shoot...it was hard to pick just a few for the blog....there's about 175 that I didn't pick, but still loved!
Thanks for a great shoot Steph!

Andy and Danielle

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Minnesota, and I put it to good use while shooting Andy and Danielle's engagement photos. We first did some shots and Como Park Zoo, but seeing as it was field trip day, we were hard pressed to get a shot without a wide eyed child in the background. We decided to check out St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis afterwards, and we were so glad we did!

For those of you who haven't been to St. Anthony Falls, it's the ruins of the old Dam and Mill District on the Mississippi river in Downtown Minneapolis. The "new" Stone Arch Bridge is there, with the lock and dam, and some amazing old iron rail bridge pieces.









We had a blast shooting, and I'm really looking forward to their wedding in September!

rainy day

They don't have to give you the blues. They're not only a great day to enjoy some tea and conversation, they're actually a surprisingly good day for photography!

Take your child outside in their raincoats and boots--let them play in some puddles--there's nothing like the pure joy on a child's face when they're getting dirty! Teenagers love to get wet too--don't bother with rain clothes there--just let them roll up their jeans and have a blast!

The light is usually a nice haze or cloudy afternoon when it's raining and skin will look great, plus you can look in any direction without squinting!

Don't forget to protect your camera and lens though if it's coming down, if you're only going to be out for a bit, a simple plastic/ziplock bag with a hole for your lens and a lens hood should do the trick.

some clarity

I've had some people asking about my other blog, (scraparoniandcheese)...yes, it's been a while since I blogged there--but I PROMISE I'm not abandoning it! I've been busy and traveling, and been generally procratinating, BUT I WILL post their again....craftiness, musings and love. :)

In the meantime.....back to working on the new site....hopefully it will be live within the week.

change of mind

I'm told that women change their mind a lot....well, if that's true, I'm certainly no exception. After weeks of looking at logo proofs....yesterday, I had a complete change of heart....none of them were quite "me" enough. I want a logo that portrays my personality...I'm fun and bubbly, and let's admit it, darn cute. lol......and I thought about things I love--I love cameras, I love colors, and I love birds too---why can't we combine these things! A friend of mine is currently working on a new logo, which will hopefully be done by monday......so fingers crossed.
and hopefully this is my last change of mind (and heart).