{family matters} Elk River, MN Family Photographer

and this one I could not resist posting with those wonderful lashes, baby toes and chubby cheeks:)

{Hot Town, Summer In The City} Minneapolis/St.Paul Lifestyle Photographer

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ah sweet summer. My favorite time of year. Long days, Afternoon Naps, Beautiful nights. Ice cream. Road trips. Last day of school. Picnics. Pool Visits. Fireflies. Fireworks. Fourth of July. Canada Day...(for my wonderful Canadian friends). Carnivals. Corn on the Cob and Oh sweet delicious Watermelon. Strawberries. Blueberries. Juice stains on your hands. Bubbles. Sprinklers. Dumping too much sand out of your shoes. T-ball. Hot Dogs. Ballgames. Sleeping In. Early Mornings. Hot Coffee and Cool Summer Mornings. Cabins.Weddings. Anniversaries. Birthdays. The State Fair. Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes. People Watching. Sidewalk Chalk. The First Day of School. Labor Day. Hiking. Camping...Gooey gooey smores. Yum Yum. Lemonade. Foggy Goggles. Sand in your toes. Sand castles. Bike riding. Picture Taking and Burger Making.
The smell of sunscreen, beach, sea, popcorn, cotton candy and sweat.

I really hope your summer is full of wonderful memories big and small. May you pause and take time to enjoy this moment of the year when there seems to be a unspoken permission to slow down, be lazy, nap more, laugh more and simple just be more.


I will be out of town July 3-July 29th. I will respond to email and voicemail but for the most part be spending the month embracing the beauty of summer and having fun with friends and family back East.

I have only two sessions available in August left. Please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in a session.

That's it folks. Stay cool . It's nice and toasty out there. Ahhh. Time for a nap!

{Here Comes The Sun} St. Paul, MN Family Photographer

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”
-Pablo Picasso

Life has been quite busy as of late. I normally always post previews of recent sessions but have not been able to keep up with this task. This session was truly a favorite of mine and although it occurred almost a month ago I feel like sharing a lot of my favorites of the evening. It combined such lovely things as a adventerous, creative, fun and loving family, beautiful golden hour light that lit the session simply perfect, a location that is one of my favorites in St. Paul and mostly doing what I love doing...tagging along with a family and documenting the fun they have together.

Oh and a big welcome back to the sun. Which is shining brightly today. I have dearly missed you!

{a rose by any other name} St. Louis Park Maternity Photographer

There should be a song for women to sing at this moment or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because there are no words strong enough to name that moment. "
— Anita Diamant (The Red Tent)

Waiting for a new little person. After such a long time of knowing each other but in a different way. There is an intimacy, closeness and love that cannot be named. Even at the moment when he finally is welcomed into the world. Breathing on his own. Completing the family after a long period of anticipation and wonder.

{facts of life} Twin Cities Family Photographer

Ya Take The good
ya take the bad
ya take em both and there ya have
The Facts of life, the facts of life

There's a time ya gotta go and show and grow
And now ya know about the Facts of life
the facts of life

When the world never seems
to be living up to your dreams
and suddenly your finding out that the facts of life are all about you...

{The Facts of Life TV Show}

Bare with me as we wander through childhood nostalgia. I could not figure out what part of this song, from one of my childhood favorite tv shows, to put as my quote so I put the whole darn song and it probably will now be stuck in your head all day. My apologies. It just seemed fitting for this lovely family shoot with such a genuine and loving family of five. Anyone with family, family with small children, family with lots of people....Ok just family in general know that the facts of life involve simple pleasures, getting through your day, sniffles, tears, running to work and praying your kids don't miss the bus and realizing you have pj and j on your nice work t-shirt after you drop them off and walk into work. Yup. Sigh.

....and then at the end of the day, flopping at the couch, staring at your own facts of life and realizing as you trace through your day {the parts you can remember} that it is all about you. A bit philosophical? Zen? I guess I used to be a counselor so you can frame it in your own way. For me, this family was flat out fun to photograph. Not only are they simply beautiful, but the love they have for each other was not hard to capture. That fact of life cannot be faked. It is a blessing and I simply feel so lucky to be able to document these moments for life and print. It was simply wonderful to see you again Jen. Thank you for bringing your family to the studio and spending time among the love, laughter and chaos.

{round and round} Twin Cities Family Photographer

Slowly, oh so very slowly

Accept that
There's no getting off
So live it, just gotta go with it
Coz this ride's, never gonna stop...
Don't forget enjoy the ride
-Jem

Family sessions are pure enjoyment to me because within an hour of time you can see the dynamics and preview into what someone calls their home. I think this family can understand what I am saying. Family systems. Correct Kari? I'm lucky with this job that it reunites me with favorite people from past, present and future. Kari and I attended graduate school together and spent many colored days learning psychology of human, community and family spirit and soul. She always had a way to make me laugh even during the most stressful periods of our program. When I greeted her at the studio door, with her family now (please note this was missing in grad school and husband was then only boyfriend), her smile and wit was just what I remembered and made me very happy. Our session was full of giggles, energy, family systems and psychology....ok ok.. forget the CSP talk...yes giggles and yes...parenting and marriage and getting your kid to sit still for a photograph and snuggling right after. Whew...and. Oye! I can't believe eight years later, here we are. Different and the same. What a journey, what a ride.
Thank you so much for your visit to the studio, for introducing me to your beautiful family and providing a session that gave me quite the work out. We are planning that reunion. Life is too short not to.

{A story} Twin Cities Family Photographer

Lovely. Lovely. Isn't it just absolutely just lovely? -Jan Brady {The Brady Bunch}

They jokingly call themselves the Brady Bunch which I just love. They are two families coming together about to unite in marriage this spring and working through all the newness, challenges, love and work that comes with a new story. I happen to have known half of this story for awhile and think the new half is enriching and growing the story quite nicely. The family is absolutely lovely. Five children with energy and spirit like I've never seen. Two parents that love each other and the entire lot a whole "Bunch." It was a complete joy and honor to spend the time photographing their story. The truth is there are all sorts of ways to form a family and that is why, I love, they call themselves the Brady Bunch.

{sorta} Twin Cities Family Photographer

If I’m honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all."
— Audrey Hepburn

If I had to be honest. I'm an idealist. Dont' stone me. I believe most days the glass is half full, people are good and love will conquer all. Feel free to surf a new blog or puke in your nearest trash can but, for me, as person, as photographer, it's the truth. When it comes down to it, what I've learned from my job as a counselor and one as a photographer is that human relationships trump all. When it comes down to it, we all want to be accepted for who we are. Dare to show our worst and best as we are and still have the people we love the most stare...unfased and say "ok, come on, that's it, let's hug".
My most recent session is just that. I love this family. They are so loving. So spirited. So real. Their love breathtaking. (grab your trash can ok) I'm sorry. I love my job. People are beautiful. Families are beautiful. And I love my job.

{Click} Twin Cities Family Photographer

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away-author unknown

Warning blog rant and picture overload coming up...

Here is my blog rant. Why does life go by so fast and why is it so hard to stay in touch and hold onto such special relationships as it passes at lightening speed. Hmmm. This makes me angry. I want to hold onto these people forever, and keep them recorded just like I remember. Am I asking too much. Am I just a tad of a control freak? No. Me. Never...Could I get an extra 2 hours in my day. Maybe?

In all seriousness, as I get older I realize the specialness and seasons of the people that enter, exit, re-enter, disappear and ebb and flow. Knowing this adult reality {boo to growing up...I'm a bit of Peter Pan} I try to stay in the moment and enjoy each precious exchange, laugh, breath and goodbye. Then to quote the Office, I take a mental picture and put in my vault for future memory surfing.

I was so happy to reconnect with a dear friend that I met when I first moved to Minnesota 11 years ago as a energetic and idealistic graduate student. We were both in the same program and, with along of few of my other dear friends, plowed through courses, studies, professor looongggg lectures, comps, papers and so on. As life goes, we fell out of touch for many reasons probably the biggest being she betrayed me and left the school counseling track and went into college student affairs....{kidding}. Well, long sweet story, we find each other over Facebook, caught up slowly but surely and when we met Saturday on such a sunny and gorgeous day in a week of wetness and dreary, it was a lovely reunion I cherished. Her family is absolutely beautiful. Not surprising, as she has always been an incredible woman with energy, a great sense of humor, fun and adventure. My dear friend, thank you for the pleasure of our session. I enjoyed our time together and capturing the beautiful, genuine love and connection your family shares together. It took my breath away. Don't exit too long now:) Click and Save...