Six-Month-Old Baby Photographer | Henry

Henry is growing! The first time I met met Henry was at his home for a session when he was about a month old and he is definitely different (see it here). This time we met at his grandma's farmhouse over Thanksgiving. At first he was very curious about the camera and mister serious. After a few tummy tickles from dad, that quickly changed! He was giggling and smiling and we were laughing right along with him. I mean, how can you not? 

St. Anthony Main Engagement Photographer | Emily and Justin

Emily and Justin are such an adventurous couple! They enjoy being outside and really wanted to have outdoor images for their session, so we braved the negative temperatures and headed out. It really was not above zero that day....Yikes! And for Emily who is from the east coast, this is her first winter here in Minnesota. To warm each other up, lots of  snuggling and squeezing was needed. Regardless of the temperature, Justin and Emily were so carefree and shared lots of laughs. They were die-hards and powered through the cold and I would definitely say it was well worth it!

After the cold got to us and our coats didn't seem to be keeping us warm anymore, we headed to a little cafe in the area.  What better way to recover from the windchill than scooching close to your fiance and a warm latte in a cozy cafe?

So glad I had the chance to meet Emily and Justin-they are really caring, friendly people and I wish them the best with their wedding out east in May.  I have such great memories from their session!

Minnetonka Family Photographer | Gotreau Family

This was the most fun fall session! For one, this family is fantastic. We had a great time walking through a woodsy park near their home-one which they walk through almost every night after dinner. I love exploring and finding new beautiful parks and it's so fun being in a place where they are so at home!  You can tell this little guy loves the park too. He's such a happy baby! He probably should slow down this growing thing a little bit though. I took photos of him when he was just a few days old, which you can find here, and holy cow! He is so different! He has so much personality...Can't you just feel it in the images? I don't know about you, but it makes me want to laugh right along with him!

Minneapolis Photographer | Kristen and Rob

With all of this sunny but crisp autumn weather we have been having, I can't help but think of this beautiful October wedding! This wedding happened last year when I was the second photographer with Erin Johnson Photography. It was the perfect fall day and the couple was so fun to be around. They were warm, friendly, and relaxed as were their friends and family. Makes our job easy! 

Remembering this wedding makes me excited for all of the upcoming weddings I will be second shooting this October. Even though fall is not my favorite season, summer definitely takes the cake, the vibrant colors of the leaves and the cool, crisp air are inspiring and refreshing. I do love getting out and enjoying the last warm days before bunkering down for the winter. 

Upper Peninsula Camping Trip

Earlier this summer we went camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a week. It was a great place to truly disconnect from the world, partly because you have no choice since there is no service in the middle of the forest! We have had a rather crazy summer so a week with no distraction and solitude was needed. I would highly suggest it, but make sure to bring a heavy sweatshirt and pants!  

 There were a million little waterfalls up in the Munising area tucked back into the woods. Not something I expected from this area, but fun exploring. You had no idea what was around the next corner. I think on this trail we saw three different falls. 

 Another waterfall just outside the city of Munising. Much larger than the others we had seen that morning. 

 In the late afternoon we went to a part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Since we had our dog Boomer with us, we were pretty limited which trails we could go on because it was part of the National Park system. We were able to take a little trail to see this, which is Cathedral Rock.

 When we got back to our campsite we decided to walk around a bit and check it out. When we got in the night before it was all wet from rain earlier in the day. We came across a couple of small hidden lakes that all connected to one another. Would have been awesome to have a kayak and navigate through all of that!

 Up the next morning with eggs and coffee for breakfast before packing up. I got some hot chocolate for the ride and immediately after taking this photo spilled the whole cup on myself. It was hot. Very hot. We had to pull over to the side of the road since I was soaked in hot chocolate. Luckily my suitcase was just in the backseat so I could change out of those icky clothes...on the side of the road.

 Before we headed to Twelve Mile Beach, part of the National Lakeshore, we had to see one more waterfall.

 Apparently the night before at our new site in Tequamenon Falls, they had a really bad storm and the campground was quite flooded. It looked pretty good to us when we got there though! Right on the river and really quiet. We started a fire, a challenge with wet wood, and had to experiment with some star trails! 

 Then we woke up and saw this as we walked out of our tent. Whoa. Not bad.

 During the day we went for a long hike at Tequamenon Falls. We started at the lower falls and headed up to the upper falls area. 

 Boomer wouldn't walk down the steps because they were metal grates. None of the other dogs there would walk down them either so our dog isn't just a wuss. Matt carried him all the way down and back up again. True love!

 On the way back we looked behind us at one point and saw this. Amazing. This is a river in between two large waterfalls! Sadly, this picture doesn't really do it justice either....

 A stunner. The sunset from our campsite after our long day of hiking. There are not crazy editing tricks used here. It really was that incredible.

 Lastly we headed to Mackinaw City and then over to Mackinac Island. No cars are allowed on the island, so it feels like you are traveling back in time with the horse drawn wagons and bikes. It's such a quaint and surreal little place. And a trip to the island wouldn't be complete without some Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream!

 Our hotel in Mackinaw City was just a few blocks from the bridge. On our last night there, we took Boomer for an evening stroll before bed. Great way to end the trip.

Minneapolis Family Photographer | Poganski Family

I had a great time meeting this family! They were warm and welcoming and those three boys were champs through the session.  In remembrance of their grandpa, they brought along $2 bills and some of his golf gear since he couldn't be with them. So heartfelt. Speaking of heartfelt, these two are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year...pretty awesome! So great to see a close, connected family like this one.  And they are funny! Can you find the kids photobombing the parents? Good stuff!

Minneapolis Family Photographer | O'Connell Family

So happy to welcome this new little red-headed boy! I know these two new parents well and it is so exciting to see them interact with their baby. They really have this parenting thing down! Dan and I have been friends since childhood, and it was very heart-warming to observe him simply looking at this little guy.  And those cheeks! Pretty sure he'll be getting Amy's dimples as he gets older. So stinkin' cute! Can't wait to watch him grow up and hopefully keep all that red hair!