Photography by Megan Sneak Peek Blog!

Headed To Florida and Happy Halloween!

I just wanted to let all you faithful blog followers know that I'm going to be out of my office for the next several days as I head down south to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to shoot a destination wedding!  I'll be back in my office on Tuesday, November 4. As usual I won't be returning e-mails as quickly and the sneak peeks and galleries will return to normal when I get back.

I also wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween!  (I added a little picture I took of my pumpkin in the back yard at sunset!)  I also have lots of fun pictures to share of kids and their costumes that they wore during their sessions.  So many great shots!  See you all when I get back!

Aiden and Rylan

Fall is still holding on tight!  In fact, we had the absolute perfect morning for pictures with plenty of fresh yellow leaves to play in with brothers Aiden and Rylan!  Our location had yet another little red barn and even an old schoolhouse!!  The schoolhouse included the original floors and desks so we had some fun going back in time.  Also, if you're wondering how to dress your kids for fall pictures, look no further.  I LOVED the denim and the hats and their adorable navy blue pea coats.  These two should be in a magazine!

Brady

Brady is two!  The last time I took his pictures was a year ago and he's definitely growing up fast!  This time we headed over to my favorite local spot next door at my husband's grandparent's farm with the fabulous little red barn and the oak tree trails!  (And the ducky on the fence post, too!)  Brady had a matching red lollipop which worked perfectly--even the bottom of his shoes matched!

Claire, Emma, Greer, John, and Elle

...and their Moms and Dads and Grandma and Grandpa, too!  You'll recognize Emma and Claire from a session at their house last winter.  This time they included the whole family with their cousins at the park.  Although it had been a crazy windy day, once we were in the shelter of the trees it turned out to be quite nice!  There were trails in the woods and lots of neat places to shoot; I may just have to come back to this spot again sometime!  Here are my favs of this fun family!

Kirk and Bethany - 10.18.08

Bethany and I go WAY back--all the way to kindergarten!  She moved away shortly after that, but we reconnected in college and became friends again and had many great times with all the girls!  It was fun to be able to capture this special day as she completed her family in marriage to Kirk with her beautiful daughter McKenna right by her side.  I still remember when McKenna was born--it seems like yesterday!  The weather was windy and cold, but I still managed to sneak a few shots of the couple outdoors at a spur-of-the-moment spot behind a building where I found a pond reflecting the most gorgeous golden light! 

Cassie, Charlie, and Anna

This is my first session with this family, but my third time at their house!  Little Kate and Emma are cousins with Cassie, Charlie, and Anna, and their home is so photogenic and charming that we used it as a backdrop for their pictures.  It was fun to finally photograph this family in the house, although we ran into that awful WIND again!  I did manage to grab a few shots where the wind let up for a moment, but at the same time we did a few funny shots exaggerating them being blown away by the gusts!

Anders, Ella, and Mae

I'm sensing a theme...here's another new baby to add to the mix of posts including new family members!  I last saw Anders and Ella this past summer and I came back to capture them with their new sister, Mae!  Our weather wasn't as great this time, I think it was the WINDIEST day ever!  We grabbed a few outdoor shots but mainly stayed inside.  The last of fall is approaching, and this is definitely a sign.  I just wish it didn't get so cold!

Kajsa and Quin at Papa and Grandma's Creek

Time for another session with my adorable and cute beyond words niece and nephew, Kajsa and Quin!  We decided to shoot some pictures at Grandma and Papa's house in the backyard down by the creek.   It was a perfect day for cozy vests and throwing leaves in the last of the pretty fall colors!  It's also almost time for Quin's first and Kajsa's fourth birthday.  I can't believe how fast they're growing up!  This first shot makes me smile, they were having so much fun laughing and Quin looks like he's on a roller coaster!

 

Hunter and Connor

More babies!  Meet Connor, the newest family member and little brother to a boy you may have seen here before, too!  Connor moved right into Hunter's old room, so Mom and Dad switched the name above his crib, and of course I had to get an updated shot!  Connor is just as tiny as Hunter was at that age, so it was fun to look back on previous sessions.  The boys also modeled their Halloween costumes for me.  I can't believe it's that time of year again!

Madyson, Hayden, Tyler, and Brynn

Meet the newest member of the family, Brynn!  I photographed her big brothers and sister along with Mom and Dad last fall in the woods.  This time we stayed home in order to do some cozy newborn shots.  It took awhile to get Brynn to sleep but eventually she dozed off in big sister Madyson's arms!  Which worked perfectly so we were able to pose her better in the blanket she happened to be wrapped up in. She seemed to like being curled up the best!

 

Whitney and Blake

It's been over a year since I last saw these two and they're definitely getting taller!  This time we met up at the park to capture some of those last colors of fall, which matched perfectly with Whitney's pretty butterfly vest!  The kids definitely had fun running around so I had to run too, just to keep up with them!  Good thing I'm quick on my feet!

 

Miles

I've said it many times that one of the coolest things about returning clients is watching their babies grow, and being able to document their lives over and over again.  It's such an honor and I think it can also make for some pretty neat pictures.  Check out this first set--the baby on the left is actually Miles over a year ago when he was just a few months old!  I also snapped him in it again last winter, too.  And this time, we put him on the exact same red chair.  Side by side you can even see how much the PLANT has grown! 

Brooklyn and Katie, Fall Edition!

I'm beginning to think of these two as the All Season's Girls... I've now taken their picture in every season!  Summer was our last visit.  This time, it was of course fall and we had a blustery leaf-filled morning for our session at the park.  It was also our first session where the SUN was actually shining (all the others had been cloudy) so this also made for a different element, being able to play a little bit with the sunlight shining off their beautiful hair!

 

Jada, Jasmine, and William

It was a windy COLD day for our session but it sure made for some fantastic skies--if only for a few moments the sun decided to peek through the clouds!  I tried to make the best of the cold with shivering kids so we shot photos FAST and I made them hug a lot to keep warm!  And to think, it isn't even winter yet!  We still got some amazing shots of this photogenic family (who I also photographed last year, too!) before we ventured indoors to wipe noses and get a few more close-ups!

 

Lauryn, Zachary, and Liam

The first time I was scheduled to photograph this family was last year.  But Mom called me and said she would have to reschedule because she found out she was expecting her third child!  So we rescheduled just in time for baby Liam's six month pictures along with his big brother and sister.  But there was a chance meeting before he even came into this world when I was on a corporate photo assignment working with Altru hospital earlier this year.  I ended up taking pictures of many patients that day and one of them happened to be Liam's mom--I photographed her as we listened to his heartbeat!  It was so fun to finally "meet" him in person!

Annika

It's been quite awhile since I saw Annika... she was only five days old at our last session, and now she's very close to turning one!  Full of smiles and giggles (after some coaxing from Mom and Dad!) she was happy to make silly faces and have some fun, especially in her adorable crib.  However, she wasn't quite sure what to think about her birthday cake...not sure she liked that as much!

Gus Is Two!

Has it really been that long since I've photographed this little guy?  He's definitely growing up fast, and next spring he's also going to be a BIG BROTHER!  Our session was exactly how I imagine a two-year-old little boy to be... in overalls playing in a mud puddle without a care in the world!  Luckily the weather was warm for October and it had just finished raining so we were able to steal a few moments outside before the sun went down.  The results were fun, simple, and totally and completely Gus. 

And, last--for comparison, I think he's making almost the same face from his session last year!

Tatum, Seven Months

We almost got rained out for Tatum's session... in fact, it actually DID rain while we were taking some of the pictures.  It just goes to show you a little rain doesn't always stop the show.  However, at her Mommy and Daddy's wedding (which I also photographed!) it rained a little too much and we weren't able to get pictures outside like they had hoped.  So this sort of made up for that, and the leaves were gorgeous to boot!  Also... Tatum was probably the HAPPIEST baby I've ever photographed.  She smiled the whole time!

Alex, Isaac, and Chloe

This family added a new member since I last saw them a couple years ago!  Little Chloe joined her big brothers Alex and Isaac, and she was definitely ready for her close-up.  She is an extremely happy baby!  The boys are definitely little boys, so they had a great time running around at the new location I scoped out for them at my husband Nathan's grandparent's farm!  I may have to come here more often.  Red barns, trails, and lots of pretty oak trees and grass... a perfect spot for three busy kids!

 

 

Isaac, Jazlynn, and McKinley

It's been almost a year since I've seen these three last!  Youngest McKinley has grown the most, especially her hair!   It was fun to be able to be outside this time, and even Dad got to join for some family photos.  The kids showed me the cows and the horses on the ranch, including a miniature pony who was the perfect size!  My favorite accessory (besides the animals) had to be three colorful chairs that Mom had painted for fun...they were PERFECT for this first shot.  We had just asked the kids, "Where's your belly button?"  

Ron and Alicia, a.k.a. My Parents!

This post is a bit twofold...a photo session with MY parents, their dog, Nina, and their gorgeous Arabian horses, Noah and Hot Rod; but also a tour of fall around one of my favorite places on earth.   I met up with Mom and Dad out at the cabin Tuesday last week, at the perfect time when the leaves were at their peak and had not yet fallen off the trees.  I spent the first part of the day with my husband and we went on a few four wheeler rides through the trails and I ended up taking tons of pictures just trying to capture the beauty of this place.  Then, my parents headed out later in the afternoon as the sun started breaking up the clouds, making for some amazing light.   This session was a special treat for them, as they have been wanting photos in the fall leaves for a long time! 

Ken and Cindy's Crew

Well, almost all of them!  Three of the four siblings and all four grandkids were able to make it to the lake cabin (and two out of three spouses) for some fun family photos.  I arrived to the shoot just in time for a fantastic late summer storm to rumble past in the distance, making for some amazing light and background with the dark blue sky.  Even a few lightning strikes danced across the clouds.  Luckily the rain missed us, and I was able to get some great shots on their gorgeous beachfront!

Hannah

My last two sessions of the great Twin Cities "marathon of photography" was on my way home.  First I stopped by Hannah's house as I headed north a ways out of the city.  She was definitely an easy baby to photograph!  Very happy and curious and gave me some great looks.  We had plenty of fall leaves to play with and the colors were fabulous!  We even topped her off with a pumpkin hat!

Marty and Stacy - 9.27.08

Marty and Stacy's wedding was held at the beautiful Calhoun Beach Club in Minneapolis, and even though the day was cloudy, it made for some amazing shots!  The rain also held off for us so we were able to go around the lake and even downtown for some great pictures.  I even got a shot of the groomsmen in the middle of the street--it was a quick one!  I also loved the reception room, the light was fabulous and the decorations were exquisite.  Here are my favorites from the day!

Twin Cities Sessions: Ally and Belle

These girls are looking more alike than ever!  I saw Ally and Belle last fall, and we had a similar day, except this time the rain held off and we didn't need our umbrellas!  We explored the beautiful trails around their neighborhood again and ended up near a gorgeous meadow which was a great contrast to their brightly colored shirts.  So fun!

Twin Cities Sessions: Isaac and Andrew

What a fun, unique session!  I met up with Isaac and Andrew at the New Brighton Fire Department. Their dad is a firefighter so it was the perfect spot.  The boys tried on helmets, dad's coat (it was a little too big!) and posed with the big red firetrucks.  We also took a few shots at a nearby park.  What more could little boys want?

Twin Cities Sessions: Ella, Ava, Jade, Siri...and their parents!

I could have named all the Moms and Dads too, but that would have been quite the title!   I met up with this family at the beautiful Lebanon Hills Park, and it couldn't have been a more gorgeous evening for it!  The sun was filtering through on a hillside I spotted from far away, so we all trekked over and climbed until we reached the perfect spot.  You also may recognize a couple of these little girls, who have had sessions before.  Siri and Jade (Ella, too!) are growing up fast, and I also photographed Siri's parents wedding, long before this blog was started!

Twin Cities Sessions: The Birdwell Family

I was once again honored to photograph fellow photographer, Mandy Birdwell and her family!  (I saw them last fall, too!) We always have a blast together, and what could be more fun than doing a photo session with another photographer?  Mandy made it extremely easy on me and scoped out a gorgeous farmyard hidden right in the middle of the city, complete with barns, meadows, chickens, goats, and more!  Match that up with her adorable kids (and one on the way), some great clothing choices (I LOVED all the colors!) and you've got a pretty fabulous photo session.  Again, we talked shop most of the time and I could have stayed all day! 

Twin Cities Sessions: Tanner and Lily

This session was a surprise for Tanner and Lily's mom and dad... so their Aunt pretended to "take the kids to the park" and actually met up with ME so the kids could get a photo session!  We had a lot of fun, and even though Tanner would much rather have played on the swings instead of smiled for the camera (what kid wouldn't have done the same!?) we still got some great shots and even their Auntie got to be in a few, too! 

Twin Cities Sessions: Mckenna

Little Mckenna was only ten days old the last visit I had with her back in March.  She was so small and tiny it's hard to believe how she's sitting up, laughing, and even sticking out her tongue at me now!  We were outdoors this time, and tried out a few fun chairs and made her giggle in the fall colors with Mom.  She was SO happy and full of smiles, she definitely made it easy on me!