I shot Brett and Rachel's session all over town but we made it to the swings just in time for some gorgeous evening sun flare! The abandoned playground at the old school is definitely one of my favorite local spots to shoot. Those of you who live around here might even recognize some other little nooks and crannies! We had fun exploring and finding new places for pictures!
Seriously, I couldn't have picked a better "rain day re-schedule" day than this one! It was absolutely gorgeous and the skies only got bluer throughout the afternoon. My next session at the park was an engagement session with Jena and Jon, and we ventured down to the dock to capture a fabulous reflection of clouds behind them! It was fun to play with the light a little more as it changed every few hours. I've never shot so many pictures in one location, but with the moving sun it kept things interesting!
It's never too late to get pictures as a couple--even after the engagement and wedding have passed by! Nancy and Jordan were married last summer and wanted some updated shots, just in time to get those early fall colors and possibly get some images for a Christmas card. The only mishap was Jordan getting stung by a bee in the parking lot! Luckily, he was just fine, but still--Ouch!
You may have noticed I've been away the past few days, but that's because I've been photographing almost nonstop since Thursday! I had a full day of sessions on Pelican Lake, a wedding on Friday in Moorhead, a family session in Kennedy, and a senior session and wedding reception in Thief River Falls on Saturday....yikes! I'm finally home for a little bit now so I have some time to catch up and get a few BLOGS going. I've got so many pictures to share! Let's start where I left off... Marc and Veronica are engaged to be married next spring so we met up at the University of North Dakota Spiritual Center, where their wedding will be taking place. Veronica's son Javier joined in and we had fun exploring the area and getting some great shots. It was my first time shooting here so it will be neat to go back again when they get married!
Ryan and Krystal decided to do a last minute engagement session around Mesa, Arizona the day before their wedding... just in time! We had gorgeous evening light and of course I loved taking advantage of the desert landscape. We also headed over to Starbucks because that's where they first met! Ryan's son Ethan joined in for a few shots, too. Stay tuned for their wedding pictures soon!
I met Shanda and Brock out at Lake Bronson State Park (future site of my mini-sessions!) and was able to scope some amazing spots, including the beach, the observation tower (with the great brick and perfect reflected light) and of course the usual pretty trees and grass backgrounds. It was also wonderful weather-wise... I have really been spoiled these last couple weeks! Let's hope it holds out and things are nice for the week to come. I've got loads of sessions and two more weddings until I leave for vacation!
I had a fun session with Shelley and Roger and their Border Collie, Shadow. We met up at the park where Shadow had tons of room to run around and play catch with his ball. It was another bright, sunny, and WINDY day for our session but we made the best of it and got some great shots--and lots of action! Shadow loved to chase that ball and I got a few of him reaching up to get at it! And it was a neat session idea, too... who says you still can't have those fun "family" shots after the kids have grown up and gone away to college!?
My last session in Arizona was with none other than my wonderful hosts, Grant and Kelli. We ended up walking to a place to eat one evening and took pictures along the way... in alleys, on the train tracks, and in empty lots. In other words, a photographers creative dream! I love using non-traditional backgrounds and thinking outside the box. And of course with friends like Grant and Kelli it's hard to go wrong. They're great subjects! I even took a shot on our way home after dark, trying some 'light painting' with my camera to draw hearts with the streetlights. Here are just a few of my favorite shots!
It's a real plane--we were right in the flight path and one flew over every couple minutes!
Well, first up, the computer news. I've got myself set up temporarily on my MacBook laptop, and I have transferred what I need for the time being. I'm bringing my iMac desktop to Grand Forks tomorrow, so hopefully they can take a look at it and let me know what to do from here. Again--all photos are safe and backed up, so no worries there!
Now.... BACK TO THE PHOTOS! We left off with my posts from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area sessions... I took Jared and Beth's engagement shots near downtown Minneapolis (St. Anthony's and Main) on a brisk March morning. It seemed we had the place to ourselves, as not many shops or restaurants had opened yet--which was perfect for photos! I loved shooting in this area. There were so many neat backgrounds to choose from and the possibilities were endless. Here are just a few of my many favorites!
Lacey and Adam get the award for Bravest Couple of the Year. They endured temperatures around 2 degrees and a foot of snow (Lacey wore heels, which I loved!) and were STILL so happy and full of life, making the perfect subjects for photographs. We explored a park and downtown, and even visited the spot where their wedding reception will take place in June, sans snow. I, of course, had way too many favorites to count! Here are just a few...
I love a couple with a great imagination, so when Kayla and Shane suggested heading over to a fun playground for a photo shoot, I was all for it! We went to Sherlock Forest, a place I, surprisingly, had never been to before... even in all my kid sessions! It is a GREAT spot, and there were so many cool locations for unique pictures. I am definitely going to have to go back there again, hopefully, before the snow comes!
Here are some of my picks from Kayla and Shane's session... can't wait for the wedding, guys!
Cal and Leanna had a hot and windy day for their engagement pictures, but you couldn't tell in these shots! We went out east to the cabin in the woods for a beautiful backdrop and they couldn't have picked a better time of year. The trees were brilliant with changing leaves, and even the time of day we headed out was perfect for the lighting that filtered through the forest. It was a photographer's paradise! I can't wait for their wedding next year.
This is why I love fall!
Jason and Jill came out to the cabin (same one from my previous post) for their engagement session... and of course stayed for some burgers, steak, and a camp fire afterwards. It was a blast, and we got to explore the tall corn rows again as well as the acres and acres of aspen trees and trails. I could take pictures out there all day, there are so many great locations!
Here are some of my favorites...
We had a beautiful evening to shoot Brittany and Matt's engagement pictures. We started down by the river and the evening light was perfect, and then headed into town for some fun shots near my favorite blue doors behind the lumber yard!
They are a great couple and had a lot of fun--here are my favorites!
Maureen has been my friend for as long as I can remember. I think we really hit it off in second grade when we had matching pink shirts with puff-paint pandas on them. And in sixth grade, when we sat next to each other in science class and there was a fish carved into the desk which we aptly named Mr. Fish. We're dorks!
At any rate, we both grew up--and now she's engaged! She's found a wonderful guy named Brian, and they were made for each other. Maureen and Brian are so much fun, and it's totally obvious in these pictures! We did their engagement session at a park in Eagan at the exact spot where they got engaged. It was a beautiful day with equally beautiful lighting!
I can't wait for their wedding in October!
After a whirlwind vacation /road trip, it's time for me to get back into the swing of things! I really had a great time on my break, though, and it was so much fun to spend time with my husband. Summer is truly picking up speed as the days go by; since I last posted I've had a wedding and two photo shoots that I need to add to the blog, and they'll be coming soon, I promise!
The first preview belongs to Brian and Ashley, a GREAT couple who were an absolute blast to work with. They were open to all my crazy suggestions and were so relaxed and as a result I got so many fun shots that it was nearly impossible to even choose for this sneak peek! I'm also shooting their wedding in a few weeks, and I know it's going to be just as fun.
Here's a few from our session in downtown "urban" Grand Forks!
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