{All The Jazz} Eagan, MN Senior Portrait Photographer

Come on babe
We're gonna brush the sky
I bet you lucky Lindy
Never flew so high
'Cause in the stratosphere
How could he lend an ear
-To All That Jazz
{All That Jazz from the Broadway Musical Chicago}

What happens as a photographer when you show up to a senior portrait session for a fine young man and realize you were his school counselor when he was in sixth grade?
Now standing in front of you is an incredible young gentleman entering his last leg of his school experience.
Drop your camera bag in shock?
Yes?
Feel rather old?
Yes
Realize how fast time goes by.
Absolutely.
Congratulations to Connor Swanson, Eagan High School Class of 2012, a classy, talented, bright student whose year and future will take him to the moon and back.

{family matters} Elk River, MN Family Photographer

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

{one} St. Paul, MN Child Photographer

{Conner} Minneapolis, MN Children Photographer

"There are no ordinary moments."
— Dan Millman

After a summer photography break I had the pleasure of photographing this family over the weekend. I am short of words today but the session was inspiring, beautiful and just a delight. It had been a year since I had seen Conner and his family and he is growing into an incredible boy. I truly enjoy when clients return and I am able to capture another period in their lives.
It perpetually amazes me how time unfolds so simply and beautifully. Always as it should be.

{Book Worm} St. Paul Lifestyle Photographer

Books Stores, Shel Silverstein. Two of my favorites woven together quite nicely.
I had the chance to finally check out the Red Balloon Bookshop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul after years of it sitting on my "to do" list. It is a marvelous store full of beautiful new books, colors, ideas, children, toys and fun. I'm only sorry I have been there when my children were smaller and taken in their stories hours led by puppets and mingled with songs, books and themes.

I sat down and read through my old favorite Where the Sidewalk Ends as we waited for story time to start. It took me back to 3rd Grade at Grandview Elementary School where I would hoard Shel Silverstein, Boxcar Children, Ramona Quimby and Peanuts Cartoons during Library Day at School. With that I'll leave yo u with a few pics, since that is my thing to do and one of my favorite Shel poems of all time. I think you ever quite out grow this one...

God's Wheel
by Shel Silverstein
GOD says to me with a kind
of smile, "Hey how would you like
to be God awhile And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.

Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"

"Gimme back that wheel," says GOD.
"I don't think you're quite ready YET.

{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!

{Deliverance} St. Paul, MN Baby Photographer

“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.”
Charles Dickens

{Snapshot} Twin Cities Family Photographer

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it."
— Gabriel García Márquez

{this is two} St. Paul Children Photographer

"Poetry is the exquisite expression of exquisite expressions."
Joseph Roux

Two year old children cannot be more of an adventure to photograph. To me, they embrace everything that is true about life. Curious and cautious. Adventerous but needing security... mom and dad within eye shot. Smiles, Kisses, Hugs, Tears, Frowns spiced with Passion. So much Passion
Old and New Souls mixed up about perfectly.
Simply. Poetry. In. Motion.

{Discovery} Twin CIties Child Photographer

I believe it was Plato that said that you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than an hour of conversation. Play was our first work, before getting too serious. You know, the mortgage, the job to pay for the mortgage, the rat race..etc....etc...But back to play. Oh yes. because Play could take us anywhere. I recall childhood, where most days I lived on Jupiter and made visits to Mars. (I hear the snicker from the peanut gallery. Feel free to laugh. It release endorpins, we need it...people are wayyy to serious... and we are in a recession). There was the most beautiful woods next to my house with a tree straight out of Swiss family Robinson. My friends, sister and I would tumble through the sumac trees (itch itch) armed only with the broken sticks and leaves that served as swords, wands, flashlights or whatever we pleased. And at night the firebugs would filter through the trees and well...it was just magical.
Looking back, I remember distinctly my own imagination was more exciting to me than most video games , star wars figures, barbies and episodes of the "Facts of Life." Although each of those were a fun pastime, I was simply swept away by where my creativity and play could take me. While I love where technology and advancement (Wii, text, facebook, photoshop) has opened up other doors, I mourn and worry that simple, imaginative play is just. Lost. Sigh.
I can say, to this day I dream in technicolor and while it is a wild and often crazy ride (yes. crazy. we can talk 'bout that later), I would not trade it for the world. And now, I get this great opportunity to sit back and watch my children play. It is one of the few activities that can bring me into the moment. Where I watch and there 100% because, my friends, they too live in technicolor. Such raw and true art. And while I'm tempted to get the wii and love the text, for now I will simply relish in the lost art of play.

{Artist Favorite} Twin Cities Wedding Photographer

I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.
-James Joyce