{Westbound} Whittier, CA Family Photographer

“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” ― Taylor Swift I took these pictures last August for a good friend who I have known since my ASU college days. I absolutely love her family. They are beautiful people that radiate love, energy, grace and beauty. This Friday, I am excited to make a return visit to do some more picture taking (a lot changes in a year!), fellowship and visit the lovely California beach complete with sticking my toes into wonderful sand and enjoying sunsets and the ocean.

{Getting Caught Up} Mesa, AZ Wedding Photographer

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.” ― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet These are shots from one of my best friend/beautiful angel wedding from six months ago. I feel horrible that it has taken so long to work through these photographs but I plead that I took many many beautiful shots. The above quote has been heard at a few weddings I have attended. It is truly what I believe embraces marriage, friendship and togetherness.

{The Mom Gaze} Edina, MN Child Photography

“My mother... she is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her.” ― Jodi Picoult Of course I love when I can have children give me the great look straight into the camera but there is something special about shots like this. I call it the mama or dad gaze. It's where they naturally look with love and comfort.

{Perfect shot} Edina, MN Lifestyle Photography

“Sometimes I arrive just when God's ready to have someone click the shutter.” ― Ansel Adams

“Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors.” ― Khaled Hosseini

{Outside the Box} Edina, MN Child Photography

“There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into sun” ― Pablo Picasso This is how we roll in our house. You should see the masterpiece that didn't land on their faces. I absolutely love it!

{Back In the Swing} Edina, MN Child Photography

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ― Confucius After a bit of a break from photography sessions, I had the privilege of photographing this family who I have been working with for the last three years. It was a wonderful time and it was great to see how much these kids have grown. Thank you for our time together and enjoy this small preview!

{Summer Wind} Edina, MN Child Photography

Wonderful session today. Couldn't resist posting a quick photograph of this beautiful lady. More later.

{Precious Fleeting Moments} Minneapolis, MN Child Photography

“To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” ― Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers Oh the moments you will find at 4am when insomnia has one cleaning out their Lightroom Catalog clogged with 11,000 pictures of memories. Couldn't help but posting this one from 2008. Thankful for my camera and snapshots like this.

{Pals} Minneapolis, MN Child Photography

“Just thinking about a friend makes you want to do a happy dance, because a friend is someone who loves you in spite of your faults.” ― Charles M. Schulz

{Those Tender Moments} Edina, MN Photography

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” ― C. JoyBell C.

{Cuddles and Hugs} Minneapolis, MN Photography

“A hug is the perfect gift- one size fits all and nobody minds if you exchange it. ” ― Irvin Ball

{Hazy Shade of Summer} Edina, MN Child Photography

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

{Woods Wander} St. Louis Park, MN Fine Art Photography

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ernest Hemingway

{Awakening} Minneapolis, MN Child Photography

I was recently given this poem by a friend. It's long so I only added my favorite parts that I feel really speak to my life right now...which still is a bit longer blog post. You can find the rest of the poem here ...A time comes in your life when you finally get it... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere, the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying, or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes, you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening... ...You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right, to want things and to ask for the things that you want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. You allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you, to glorify you with his touch and in the process, you internalize the meaning of self-respect. ...More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time; FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears, because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear, is to give away the right to live life on your terms. ...Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind, and you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. -Virginia Marie Swift

{Feeling Groovy} Minneapolis, MN Child Photography

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ― Marilyn Monroe

{What A Sister Is} Edina, MN Child Photography

“Sweet, crazy conversations full of half sentences, daydreams and misunderstandings more thrilling than understanding could ever be.” ― Toni Morrison, Beloved