I don't know what's in the water around here, but I have been slammed lately with baby and maternity requests. I had never shot a maternity session before this summer, and I was pretty nervous about having a session that felt like me and captured my style and ... was not cheesy. But I have to say, I had an amazing time on these shoots. One of my very favorite things about being a photographer is taking pictures of people who "always take horrible photos" and showing them how gorgeous they really are. I think this comes through in both senior portraits and maternity shoots a lot because the more your body is changing, the more unsure you are in your own skin. Um, or at least that's how I was as a teenager -- I won't speak for all of you.
Anyway! Showing people how amazingly beautiful they really are is by far the best part of being a photographer, and these sessions that I was so nervous about just reaffirmed that for me. So take a look at these gorgeous women!
These two darlings are getting married THIS WEEKEND! I'm so pumped for their wedding. We met up the other night to go over some last details and snapped a few shots downtown Minneapolis. Stay tuned for their vows. ;)
One of my favorite parts of shooting engagement sessions is when the couple
gets totally into it. Emily & Adam not only chose this gorgeous location of the Japanese gardens at Normandale College, but they were also willing to stand on every bridge, sit on every bench, kiss under every tree and even take their shoes off and stand in a stream for me. I'm very much looking forward to their wedding at the Landscape Arboretum this summer. Based on the engagement photos, I know their chemistry on their wedding day is going to be utterly delightful. Hurrah for willow trees and afternoon light and black puppies named Charlie!
When Julie and Erik came to my studio a few months ago for our consultation I knew right away that I wanted to shoot their wedding. They are lovely people with whom I have a lot in common, but the two things that sealed the deal were: they met in geology club in college, and they are getting married at the Minnesota Zoo. How could I NOT want to work with such an awesome couple?! We shot their engagement photos around Lake Harriet and the Peace Gardens on a grey afternoon last month. I had such fun
getting to know them better and seeing how sweet on each other they are. Julie & Erik: your wedding is going to be so killer! Can't wait until the big day.
You guys remember Missy and Mike? They won my free wedding a few months ago, and I got to shoot some engagement photos for them this weekend. We decided to shoot around Minnehaha Falls as Mike works for the forestry service... or something (he does something with nature and trees and these two are very outdoorsy), and we wanted nature to be a big part of the photos. Several times while hiking around to various spots Missy or I would ask what kind of plant/tree we were seeing, and he could tell us. It was awesome. These two are getting married in the forest on the edge of Lake Michigan in the fall, and I cannot wait to shoot their wedding. I think they make for some pretty lovely images.
These crazy cats are too cool for words. Which is why last Sunday we took lots of engagement photos in Minneapolis last weekend! Jenny and Bart are seriously hilarious and m.a.d.e. for each other. If you're with them for even one minute you would see how crazy they are about each other. Bart makes Jenny laugh like no other and seriously...check out her smile. GORGEOUS. I'm pumped for their wedding this summer.
Boom...yea, we're fierce.
This. Wedding. Was. Awesome. Mimi & Brian (who are not only beautiful but also ridiculously nice) got married last weekend at The Enchanted Barn in Hillsdale, Wisconsin and I cannot wait until someone hires me to shoot there again. Seriously. This place was nuts! Horses roaming around, a barn with soft, dreamy light and, oh yeah, the most incredible staff...seriously. SERIOUSLY. Brides: if you don't have a venue yet, let me just go ahead and recommend that you check this place out. Okay, enough waxing poetic about this perfect location. Let's talk for a moment about the handsome groom and his merry band of seersucker-clad groomsmen. Dapper for days. And then there was our bride Mimi, decked out in a Tara LaTour gown that couldn't have been more perfect for this bucolic location. All in all, I'd have to say this was one of the most picturesque weddings I've had the pleasure of shooting. Mimi & Brian, I am so thrilled that Jess and I got to be your photographers on your wedding day! We grinned the whole time and I think you're going to like the images we made for you.
Sometimes home really is where your heart lies...so why not profess your love and marry your favorite person at home? It's ridiculously fitting for these two. Here are a few favorites of mine from last weekend with the super awesome Photogen-Inc. crew!
The Sunday before Memorial Day was supposed to be 96 degrees and raining. You know what happened instead? The weather was GORGEOUS. It was hot and sunny and windy and gorgeous. You know what else was pretty gorgeous? This fine-looking couple. They were married in a quiet ceremony in front of their family and then had a rocking party at the Crowne Plaza. These two thought of everything and their day was spectacular; from the dramatic floral arrangements to the way their entire family dressed in black and white (resulting in some seriously killer family portraits) to the fact that they rented a vintage Ford to drive us around for portraits. Travis & Teresa: thank you for choosing me and for letting me be a part of your lovely wedding day. I wish you all the best!
Minnesota is an unpredictable place. It's hard to know when you can schedule outdoor events and have them go off without a hitch. For instance, you may have scheduled a whole test shoot for a new makeup company with a florist and models and a beautiful location...and then it might rain. And you might not have a backup plan. What to do then? Well, then you make lemonade out of those darn rainy lemons. You call makeup artist Alice Berman and Lisa Roy of Flora Bella and you even convince an old family friend to model for you. If everything goes the way you hope it will, you end up with images like the ones below (and some really tasty lemonade). Special thanks to Elizabeth Messina for inspiring this shoot.
Just going through some shots and I found a few favorites that I wanted to share. Isn't she just lovely?
This past weekend I had the pleasure of working at the Wisconsin State Ballroom Dance Championships. This was the 25th year celebration and it was quite a wonderful weekend. A special thanks to Dan and Becky Messenger who put together an amazing event and congratulations on 25 YEARS!!
These two lovely people got married on a
chilly, grey day in Madison last weekend. I think we made the most of it :)
Some of you may or may not know that I've been teaching a course at the University of Minnesota this semester. It's my first time tackling this kind of work, and it has been invigorating and inspiring and... exhausting. I was pretty naive going into the semester about how much work would be required to put together my lectures. But anyway, summer break is almost here and that portion of my workload is finally lightening up. So why am I telling you all of this? Because I finally (finally!) had time this weekend to shoot some photos for myself. April 21 is Record Store Day (every single year), and it's one of my favorite "holidays." Labels release special editions and all kinds of rare music on vinyl, and in general I love how the community comes out to celebrate these small, struggling local businesses. I make a point of visiting one or two of my favorite shops each year, but this time around I wanted to visit five. I chose the Electric Fetus, Treehouse Records, Hymie's Vintage Records, Fifth Element and Yeti Records.
These shops span a variety of "genres" of customer, but they all have the same details that I love: hand-drawn signage and a good sense of humor about them. Below are a few of my favorite shots of the day.
So next year, you guys should join the party. There's lots of great music, some good food and even live performances around the city -- and it's always fantastic people watching as well!
We are incredibly excited to announce that for every wedding booking from now on for the 2012 wedding season, $200 from each booking will be donated to charity! Each of us have chosen an organization to support that has been very close to our hearts and we're excited to give back. As a studio, we are all about finding the perfect photographer that fits your style. Now is your opportunity to not only have amazing wedding photography, but also to make a change and donate to an amazing cause, in honor of your big day!
[quote]I am thrilled to announce that a percent of my proceeds will go toward the Animal Humane Society. As most of you know, I love taking photos of animals, and especially puppies. I have two very large dogs of my own that I rescued, and I'm a big supporter of saving dogs that are in need of a home. Donating some money to help adopt out more dogs is something I am really happy to be a part of. - Leslie[/quote]
[quote]I have an old childhood friend who was diagnosed with ALS a few years ago. I've thought about him often since then and I feel like this is a way to be supportive to him and his family and friends. -Louisa[/quote]
[quote]I have chose to work with the organization ART START. The purpose of ART START is to nurture the voices, hearts and minds of at-risk youth through creative arts workshops conducted daily inside homeless shelters and alternative to incarceration programs throughout New York City. With structure and connection to opportunity, art can be the starting point of a process that turns project achievements into life achievements. - Marc[/quote]
[quote]Giving and helping NAMI is important to me as they are committed to helping those who struggle with a mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. They also focus their efforts on helping the family members and friends of those who struggle with these illnesses. I feel it's important to educate the public about mental health and NAMI is out there to promote community programs, improve services, and reduce stigma. This is close to my heart as I have family members who struggle mental illness and I'd love to be able to help everyone! - Desiree[/quote]
If you are interested in being a part of this amazing opportunity, please check out our portfolios and also the charities we support!
Leslie's Portfolio & The Animal Humane Society
Natalie's Portfolio & Camp Get-A-Well-A
Desiree's Portfolio & The National Alliance on Mental Illness
Louisa's Portfolio & The ALS Association
Feel free to contact us directly for more information and pricing. Cheers to giving back!
- Team Rivets and Roses
Gretchen & Tom decided to get married in Mexico & I couldn't be more happy that they did! The quaint Azul Beach Hotel was the perfect backdrop for their sweet, intimate wedding. And can I tell you, spending time with couples & getting to know them, especially in a situation like a destination wedding, is so much fun for me! These two are seriously so in love...my favorite moment? After the ceremony I had the two of them alone on the rooftop for a few photos in the setting sun & Tom, reached in, pulled Gretchen to himself tightly & sweetly kissed her on the forehead...ahhh...my heart! I am so happy for them & all that lies ahead of them! Congratulations!
Here's a little sneak peek of what I am working on right now! This little gem of a wedding was so! much! fun! I can't wait to share the rest of the images! For now, just a little grooms dinner teaser. Enjoy!
A few days ago I had the pleasure of working with the City House. The City House is a group that connects those on the margins of society, who might be homeless, in prison, or in recovery, with those in the mainstream of our society, for mutual listening, learning, and transformation. I was able to document the days of mentors and leaders in this group and talk with them about the lives they have lead and the lives they currently lead, an experience I won't soon forget.
In a couple of weeks I'm going to be doing an awesome test shoot with these two talented makeup artists, Romeny and Alice. If you are a bride looking for gorgeous, flawless makeup on your wedding day, look no further. These two have amazing skills and delightful personalities. Here are some shots from a 10 minute portrait session we shot last week. Keep your eyes open in early May for our upcoming test shoot!
