My Candid Moments

I think the most difficult part of any photo session is figuring out what to wear.  This becomes even more difficult when you find yourself trying to dress not one, not two but sometimes three or more famlies to do a large group portrait. 

There are a few options ranging form tradtional to more modern an funky. The key to all of them is to co-ordinate your style.  You do not all need to wear kaki pants and white polos to achieve this either, but you do need to plan ahead and all be on the same page.

To start with pick a style.  Will you be casual, formal or something in between.  Once you have your ’style’ then figure out a color scheme.  I love what Megan Cristillodid with a recent large group.  The familes all dressed in brown, lime green, organe and white and the results were stunning.  Click here to see how to you can match without buying the same outfit for everyone.  

Once you have a color scheme then you can start to put things together. I suggest you pick one outfit as the central ‘idea’ and go from there.  Just the difference in your starting outfit will take you in different directions.

These three dresses while all in similar color schemes would send me coordinatingmy extended family two different ways.  I would have to outfit: a two year old girl, four year old girl, two six year old boys, a 18 year old female, 19 year old male, two thirty something Moms, two forty something Dads and a Grandma.  

Inspiration dress A would take me down a road of bright colors and funky outfits.  Inspiration dress B would have me picking fun easy styles in knits and mixing solids and stripes and other fun colors.  The inspiration dress would having me going more traditional with colored shirts and polos in solid and more muted colors. Each look would be great, but totally different!

In fact I love the idea of Menga’s session so much that I will give a $100 print credit to the first LARGE group that contacts me and is willing to try something similar!

Their faces just Melt my heart!!

It is the time of year that I start to do a fair amount of family sessions. One of the questions I am asked most often, is what should we wear. To help with this I am going to do a thing I borrowed from another photographer, Chelsey Mach, Fashion Fridays!

This week I put together a quick assemble for a family of four!  Mom, Dad, boy aged 6-10 and daughter age 2-5.  Let me know what you think!

This is what happens when I try to take a photo of my son — it goes from Good to silly in an instant.

Spring is finally here, but in true Minnesota fashion it came late and a bit windy.   However when the wind dies down, I try to get out and stretch myself as a photographer.  I love to try macro photography with my flowers.

This is a moss rose, just before it’s ready to bloom.

Adorable.  That is the only word to describe Miss A.   She is a feisty three year old that it totally in love with her parents.  The G family was so much fun.  Anyone who tells you that a three year old is easier to photograph then a two year old, has not meet this gal. She was happy and fun, but BUSY, which is just the way a three year old should be!

Miss A was adopted last year and they came to me via an organization I participate in, Celebration Adoption.  Photographers who are a part of this group agree to give newly adopted families a photo session for their new family member — as a way to mark such a great milestone in their lives! 

Miss A - clearly keeps her parents on their toes.  She loves anything princess and managed to go home from our session with a rock or two and a stick.  The best part of my job is meeting so many wonderful families and seeing the unique connections with in each family.  The G family was no exception. I am sorry your sneak peak is a bit late — I hope to have your gallery to you shortly!

Today I am posting an image I call solitude, because that is something I long for with the advent of summer and both kids home full time.

I am finally back from Vacation!  We took the kids to visit my family in Michigan, with a stop in the Wisconsin Dells along the way!

The trip was much less stressful then we had anticipated.  Even little K did really well in the car, for being only two and not being able to as many actvities as her brother could.  However, when we came home in the early morning hours Sunday, we discovered that our refrigorator had gone out!  Let me tell you the mess was amazing.  Some things are never meant to be seen totally thawed out, like ice-cream!

The refrigerator  fiasco has put me a couple of days behinds so if you are waiting on a client gallery, they all got delayed while I sorted out the repairs yesterday. 

In the mean time I can’t have  a post without an image. I just love the feeling of this one — from my session with Miss E.  What you don’t see is that she is looking at a bunch of kids running along the path a head of her — and  you an just tell she wants to go with them!

This week we finally saw glimpses of warm weather here in Minnesota.  I am blessed that I also had my first outdoor session this week as well.  I am excited for the summer season to start and to be back outside doing what I love, photographing babies and their families.

This little gal and her family drove all the way to French Lake Park on a very blustery morning so we could do her one year photos.  She had just turned one and was busy and active, just like they are at that age.  She, naturally wanted nothing to do with me or having her picture taken.   However, my patience prevailed and I captured a few of her smiling before we were all blown away by the wind! 

P family, your gallery is coming!  I hope you enjoy your sneak peak!

I love doing one year old sessions.  They typically NEVER go as planned and always go according the the wishes of the one year old.  That is when the ‘magic’ happens.  It is the moment that you let them direct the session you get the biggest smiles and the most natural candid expressions.  At this age the expressions are genuine, weather they are happy or not! 

So, for me, the excitment is that the same combination of things will never yield the same results twice.   I think the most challenging part of any one year old session is to get them looking at you – they would prefer to explore and are always going the opposite direction of where you are.

Little Miss M - was so full of life and giggles - just what being  ONE is all about!  I had a great time watching her explore and give us some amazing laughs as she played.  I was also very excited that I got to try out one of two new chairs that I have — this find has to be my FAVORITE all time chair for this age.   I hope to get your gallery to you soon little Miss. M!