Archive for October, 2009

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Jennifer through the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, where she holds the position of Executive Director. After seeing some of the images from my Limited Edition sessions, she decided it would be fun to book a session for her and her boyfriend Ray. So after some gentle persuasion Ray gave in to the idea, under one condition….he could wear his hat in some of the images :-) I’d say that’s some good negotiating, for both parties!Add an Image

The day of the shoot turned out to be a sunny, semi-decent Saturday (which were few and far between this year!). The morning was nice a sunny but then a light layer of clouds rolled in for the early afternoon shoot, creating fantastic lighting. Good timing Mother Nature! We trucked around Axdahl’s Garden Farm, doing some of the standard posed shots and some fun action shots as well. Oh and you can’t forget our rendition of American Gothic that Jennifer and Ray acted out in the barn. What a fun session!

Here are some of my favorite images from this Limited Edition session and stop by my Facebook Page to see some more! Thanks Jennifer and Ray for coming out for the session. And a big thanks to Ray for humoring us and taking his hat off for a few of the images! :-)

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It was a cool, windy October day (much like all the days have been this month) and I was out at Axdahl’s Garden Farm scoping out locations for my Limited Edition engagement shoot with Nicole and Doug. I had just briefly met Nicole one day when her and her mom had come into the studio to pick up her sister, Danielle’s, senior portrait order. I knew from the short meeting that I wanted to do some fun, casual shots with the couple and Axdahl’s was the perfect place. Even though it was a little cold and windy, it was a great day for a shoot because the overcast skies allowed for me to use some great spots that would normally have been in direct sunlight (which is not the greatest lighting for photos!). We first started the photo session by taking photos by the bright orange Beetle that was parked in the front of the farm. Ever since my first visit to the farm I’ve been wanting to take photos there and this was the perfect day and the perfect subjects! After that, we wandered around the farm taking photos at various places chatting about the upcoming wedding. Towards the end of the session, Doug had an idea to have Nicole hold a giant pumpkin while he held a little one. I love it when people feel comfortable enough with me to do crazy things during their sessions! :-) I had so much fun during this session and loved capturing the fun and sweet moments between Nicole and Doug! These are just a few of my favorites from the session, more will be posted on my website and Facebook page so make sure to check them out, too.

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I met Danielle through the wonderful world of Facebook. She’s a flower designer here in Stillwater and we have chatted about the world of weddings and photography. So when she contacted me for a Limited Edition session I was so excited! Not only was I getting a chance to photograph her cute little family of three that I had seen on her Facebook page, but I was actually going to meet Danielle! :-) As soon as I met them at Axdahl’s Garden Farm I knew it was going to be a fun session. We first started with capturing a couple images of the family before turning the little one loose and grabbing some action shots. The 18 month old kept me on my toes as he ran around the farm, inspecting all the pumpkins and exploring all the corners of the barn. Photographing children is always a challenge because you never know where they will go or how long they will be in a happy mood. But the challenge of capturing the different expressions and moments is a nice change from the world of seniors :-) Here are just a few of my favorite images from this session, more can be found on my Facebook page.

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The best part of my job, I think, is getting to meet and get to know a variety of people. Tom is a very creative senior who plays guitar and sings in his local band Say Goodnight Graciee. He has a very distinct personality, style and is a natural in front of the camera. So easy to photograph! Since this October has been super crazy weather wise, we split his session and did the indoors part on one day and then the outdoors on a different day (luckily it wasn’t raining then too!). Even though we captured some killer shots indoors, I think my favorite images came from the outdoor session. Not sure if it was because it was an overcast day so we could go ANYWHERE in downtown and have great lighting or if it was because Tom brought along his guitar and played a little during the session. Either way I’m so excited to post some of his images!!! If you’d like to see more, I’m posting some to my Facebook page and then to my website in the next couple days. So check them out! And if you’d like to hear some of Say Goodnight Graciee’s music, check out their Myspace page. They’re pretty awesome and will be playing locally here again soon.

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Last Saturday afternoon, after completing some much needed tasks at the studio, I ventured out in the cold to experience HarvestFest 2009 in downtown Stillwater. This is an annual event, filled with family fun events (such as the kiddie tractor pull), chili cook-off, beer tasting and the ever popular Pumpking Weigh-off. I’ve NEVER seen pumpkins this huge before! They were all over Lowell Park and some had come great distances to be there. I missed out on most of the activities of the day (darn responsibilities!) but was there for the great pumpkin drop. They hoisted a massive 1300 lb. pumpkin about 5 stories up in the air then dropped it to the ground. I’ve never seen a pumpkin smash like that before! I was quite a ways back, behind the safety fence they had set up, and STILL got nailed with some flying pumpkin goo. It was a pretty cool site to see! Here’s some of the photos from the day. If you’d like to see all of the images (including the ones from the great pumpkin drop!), check out my online proofing.

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When I first opened my studio, back in January of this year, I decided one of the first things I was going to do was join the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. I figured this was a great way to not only get my name out in the community but also a great way to network with different businesses around the area. And just recently I’ve been asked to photograph the ribbon cuttings. What a fabulous way to meet newer businesses in the area!

Just this past weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph the ribbon cutting at St. Croix Music, a new business located on the north side of Main Street near the Staples Mill building. When I walked into the building I was greeted by smells of hot cider (perfect for the cold day!) and the sounds of a quartet of musicians jamming in the entry way. I couldn’t resist – I had to take some photos of the musicians! Then after the ribbon cutting, I got a grand tour of the music store by owner Gary Brown and took a few more photos of the store and him with his guitar.

I’m not sure if it was the fantastic music or the hospitality of the Browns but this event really warmed up a cold Saturday! If you’re in need of an instrument or lessons, definitely check out St. Croix Music in downtown Stillwater!

Want to see more? Check out the Facebook page!

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I’ve done quite a bit of work with Amy, owner of Karma Clothing Co. in downtown Stillwater, and have loved every minute of it. So when I decided to do the Limited Edition Fall Portrait Sessions at Axdahl’s Garden Farm I knew her family would be perfect models! And sure enough they were. Their four daughters are the cutest things ever and they LOVE being photographed. I used some of their images on the promotional pieces but wanted to share some more with my loyal blog followers. These are just a few of the great images we captured during the session. You can find more on my website and my Facebook page. AND if you’re like me and in need of a new fall wardrobe, you definitely need to stop by Karma Clothing Co. to check out her inventory of comfortably broken-in name brand clothing.

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I had such a blast photographing Bailey for the Limited Edition fall portrait session ad pieces I had to share a couple more of my favorites! She’s such a cutie and pretty sure you couldn’t take a bad picture of her if you tried. Since her mom and grandmother both work at Axdahl’s Garden Farm, Bailey knows her way around the farm like the back of her hand. She definitely knows which are her favorite spots. Want to see more images from the Limited Edition sessions? Check out my Facebook page.

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Limited Edition Session at Axdahl's Garden Farm

The fall season is here! So to celebrate this beautiful season, we are offering special Limited Edition Fall Sessions at Axdahl’s Garden Farm. Bring the kids or the whole family and come out to the farm for a fun 30 minute portrait session for only $49! We’ll capture action shots as well as a nice family photo for holiday cards (don’t forget Christmas is right around the corner!).

These special sessions are limited to weekdays during October so call (651) 491-5571 today to book your Limited Edition Fall Session!

Click here to view more images from the Limited Edition Fall Portrait Sessions!

Fall Limited Edition Portrait Sessions at Axdahl's Garden Farm

Hello fellow photographers! As many of you might know, a couple months ago I released my first collection of senior graduation announcement templates. Since then I’ve had a lot of questions and comments about the templates and have decided it’s high time to open up an online store. A one stop shop where you can find various card designs for any occasion and at an affordable price! At the Design Boutique you can browse my designs, pick out which ones suite your needs and purchase them right then and there. Now instead of waiting for a CD to come via snail mail, you’ll receive a link to the downloadable files within 24 hours of your purchase. Right now there’s lots of senior designs and some of my new holiday designs as well. More will be added shortly so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, make sure to check back! Soon I’ll be adding baby announcements as well.

And for all you loyal blog followers, I’m offering a 15% discount on your order between now and October 19! Just use the promo code KLPD15 when you check out. (Limit one coupon per customer) Stock up now for the holidays or senior announcement season – both will be here before you know it! Click here to start shopping!

Check out the Design Boutique - Creative Design Resources for Creative Photographers