So, this year has been a ride, to put it politely. Things are no where near "normal" yet and I'm not holding my breath waiting for them to be. However, I am trying very hard to see life through the lens of gratitude.

​ June and July this year was the first time this year my business felt like it was, well, approaching business as usual.

​Between having our new baby Archer in the beginning of this year and Covid shutting down businesses and shutting us in this spring, it felt AMAZING to meet up with clients again this summer. I shot 16 sessions the past two months (small groups, nearly all outdoors, and touching no one).

​Here is ONE shot from each session this summer.

Kristen and Justin's engagement session at Willow River. SWOON!

Carl's one-year photos and cake smash session at Tamarack Nature Center.
​Such a cutie!!!

Recital photos for The Dancing House students.
​Note to self, must photograph MORE dancers!

Reece's one year pics and stylish, socially distanced 1st Bee Day Party.

The darling Esbjornsson family, now a party of 5!

Baby Oliver's newborn photos at Birkmose Park.

Stella, Norman, and baby Wallace. The most adorable set of siblings!

A mother-daughters session with Lacy, Abigail, and Bailey.
​One of the sweetest sessions I've ever shot.

Grabbed a little golden hour magic at Willow River for Aly and Stephen's engagement session!

Met my longtime friend Marla and her family for some outdoor newborn-ish pics for their new girl Madison!

I also met up with the Horner family to get some family pics and fresh photos of their precious new arrival Claire. 

Brekayla was such a good sport/fabulous model as we took her senior photos in downtown Hudson.

This is my boo Sara Capecchi and her family, also shot in downtown Hudson. Love, love, love these guys!

While my nephew Cameron was in town visiting from Texas, we managed to squeeze in senior photos for him too!

I also shot a beautiful backyard wedding ceremony for Alexandra and Tom here in Hudson, More to come!

Lastly, I shot an extended family session for one of my favorite longtime clients, the Massee/ Miller family.

Well, it's been a lovely ease back into business. I'm gearing up for the volume of sessions to more than double in the coming months which is a crazy (and good) thing!

I've been trying to think of new ways, big and small, to show appreciation for my many rockstar clients who have been with me from the beginning when I was shyly portfolio building... those who believed in me before I really believed in myself!

One thing I'll be doing is featuring one of my longtime clients in a their own blog post each month.

The Andersons were one of the first families who came to mind when I initially arrived at this idea.  I've known Kristina and Tony for FIFTEEN years, I first met Kristina in 2005 at the U of M when she encouraged me to try out for the Gopher Hockey cheer team. Being part of the team shaped my college years and my life!

​Years after college we still remained connected. When I first began portfolio building, she was one of the first people who reached out to me for photos and we've shot a huge variety of sessions together since then. 

It was a bee-utiful day and it warmed my heart to be part of something joyful "normal" this summer.

Now I'm going to throw it back to the good ol' days before all of the six feet apart business to when I first started portfolio building with the Andersons.

Addie was one of my very first baby and toddler models. She was so sweet and precious and still is. 

(Addie's 3rd birthday party)

(Addie's 4th birthday party)

(And Addie's 5th birthday)

Over the years, I've been asked to attend and photograph Addie's (and most recently Reece's) birthdays! As you can see, Kristina is a party planning wizard and every celebration I've attended is such a pleasure to be a part of. It's like Pinterest, but way better since it's real. (My kids have even been able to attend some parties and they would whole-heartedly agree!). What's wonderful about these jobs is that it's such a win-win-win. This type of candid event documentation is probably my favorite type of photography plus if I'm taking care of the pictures, it frees up Kristina more to be present at the party.

"I'm always so busy running around hosting the event that I don't always get to SEE and enjoy everything that came together. You always do such an amazing job of capturing the day, the details that I spend so much time on, and the guests/friends/family. It allows me to go through the albums and EXPERIENCE the event as our friends and family did. I frequently go back to old birthday parties in my phone albums and just scroll through, looking at the party that took months to plan, looking at everyone's faces - it's so fun, I love it!"  says Kristina.
​

The Andersons have also gotten in on the holiday mini sessions I began offering three years ago. It's at this point in the blog post that the question must be asked... What is her method of of styling everyone? How does one family manage to look so festive and incredibly put together?

​"I start like 2 months out because I don't want to spend an arm-and-a-leg, I look for good deals on Poshmark for Tony and myself, and for the kids, I usually buy from a handmade shop (on Instagram). To be honest, the whole family coordination is usually based on a dress that I first find for Addie - haha!
Once I find the token piece (whomever it ends up being for), I build the rest of the outfits around it/to compliment it." Kristina says.

Kristina has also been able to attend some of my Mother's Day mini sessions as well which I'm so glad about. We mamas are almost always taking photos but are hardly ever in them! Plus, it's just dang difficult during the hustle of every day life to hand off your phone to someone else to take a picture of you and your kids! Her littles do so well with pictures so I asked what her secret/bribe/strategy is.

"I try to make sure to pick a time of day when the kids aren't whining/cranky (aka nap time), and we usually make the photo shoot a "fun thing" for the day -- we all get ready together in the morning and we usually plan something fun afterwards, like going out for dinner. These days it would probably be picking up some ice cream and heading home for a nice treat as a family. That makes it an anticipated and fun thing for the kids and hubby too! " she explains.

One of the most special sessions I've ever shot in my life was Reece's Fresh 48 session in the summer of 2019. I suppose it could have been called a "Fresh 2" because he was only two hours old when Kristina and Tony had me come to the hospital. There is something so sacred and soul-soothing about being in the presence of a freshly born baby and his parents. I'll remember this session forever!

Just a couple months later I attended and photographed Reece's baptism which was a sweet and special day! It was also a little nerve-wracking being in front of an entire congregation taking pictures, but I figured it out!

Lastly, Kristina and I have done a few fitness photo shoots together and she was able to use the images for various marketing purposes.

​For as long as I've known Kristina, she has been incredibly passionate about health, fitness, and helping people. After many years of working as a coach for the U of M Spirit Squads, she's embarked on a new exciting path as a Beachbody coach! Give her Instagram a follow! She's warm, real, seriously knowledgeable, and very inspiring!

I guess the only thing she and I haven't done lately is get an updated picture of the two of us together! I told you we go way back! Let's make that happen next time we have a shoot.

Thank you again, Kristina for always asking me to document the big and little moments, for sharing my work, for motivating me, and referring friends and family to me. Thank you for being patient over the years as I developed my own shooting and editing style, learned how to pose people, and how to smoothly run a business. You are a dream client but also a wind-beneath-my-wings bud and your unwavering support and friendship is truly a gift.

I was thinking lately if I had to just choose only a few different outdoor spots for photo sessions, I definitely have some clear favorites. So, today I'm listing out my top three favorite places to take photos in the Twin Cities.

​Depending on the season, area, and time of day, photos taken at these locations can look drastically different. 

This grassy areas and field near the campgrounds is one of my favorite spots. I love that you can see dark pines in the back and I love the grass stalks that add texture and whimsy.

This big, endless looking prairie is just yards away from the green grassy area. You'd never know that those two spots are so close together and provide two totally different looks!

​

Lake Elmo Park Reserve is another go-to of mine in spring or fall. 

​The birch trees, the vibrant fall colors and well as the gentle light greens in the spring make for gorgeous photos, no matter the season.

But also look check out how Lake Elmo photographs in late summer! 

Dreamy, dreamy, dreamy. I joke about enlarging these clients' photos over my fireplace. I haven't done it... yet.

In and around The Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum in Minneapolis is one more frequently visited venue by me. Between the glossy blue building, the backdrop of the city and the ruins, it's extremely versatile and a perfect location for family photos, engagement pics, or branding and headshot photography.

Oh man, I thought I was cool when I managed a mirror selfie in this area a couple years ago.

This spring I met with James and Sessahly to take their engagement photos in Osceola, Wi at Cascade Falls. I had previously met Sessahly a couple of years ago at one of my Mommy & Me mini sessions. I was so thrilled when she reached out to let me know she was engaged and wanted me to take photos for her and James.
The morning we shot at the falls was COLD, but I asked them to move and hug a lot which I think (I hope?) helped!

​I absolutely love how their session turned out! All the little details, like the glimpses of tattoos, the way Sessahly's hair perfectly swooshes around, the glimmer of her engagement ring, and how adoringly these two gaze at each other, give me goosebumps!

Congrats again, you guys, on your engagement! I foresee a beautiful wedding and a life full of love and happiness ahead of you two!

Due to the stay-at-home orders in Minnesota and Wisconsin, I wasn't able to get out and shoot much as I would have liked this spring. However, outdoor photography in Wisconsin has been allowed for the past couple weeks and I was able to announce and book a few Mommy and Me mini sessions before Mother's Day this year. I offered less spots than normal and allowed for a 10 minute time window between clients, touched no one, withheld  hugs, but still managed to get a lot of shots for each family. 

My first session of the day was for Melissa and her five kids. Melissa is my friend, business coach, and dance teacher who also owns and runs a studio in Hudson. I'm always happy to take any kind of photos for her... be it for family or for business purposes. She shines from the inside out and has made it her life's work to help other's shine their light too. Really, I could do a blog post someday on just Melissa!

Speak of people who will probably get their own future blog post... my friend Kristina! My next session was for her and her daughter Addie and son Reece. It warmed my heart to be able to see each other and I loved documenting all the thoughtful details they brought to the table, everything from Addie's elegant hair, to Reece's little suspenders, Most importantly, I loved catching all of the love an affection between this bunch. Truly, my heart swells just looking at these pictures.

Katie and her kids Amelia and Everett were next! The last time I had taken photos for their family, Amelia was much tinier and Katie was pregnant with Everett. It was so cool to see how their family had grown and how much these kids adored their mama.

Camille and her incredibly photogenic bunch was next. I'm still not quite over how sweet her kids were or how perfectly styled everyone was too! Just from looking at these photos, I feel like their family vehicle probably has the aroma of peonies and no one yells or complains...

​(My car on the other hand smells like McDonald's and everyone is deliberately poking each other and whining after we've been in the car for five minutes.)

Next up was Lindsay and her beautiful daughter Elsa. This was their first photo shoot and not something I took lightly! They were absolutely delightful and Elsa is basically a real-life doll. I definitely hope to do more photos for them in the future.

Lastly, I took photos of Kayla and her boys. (We also took full family photos too with dad, but for the sake of consistency, he's not in this blog post. Sorry, Jeremy!) I took maternity photos for Kayla in the fall and it was so cool to now see little Vinnie on the outside and to also finally meet big bro Liam. 

So there you have Mommy and Me 2020! It was a little smaller, a little quieter, but still absolutely special. Happy Mother's Day to all these beautiful mamas and EVERY mama out there! 

Months later, I am still swooning over Matt and Mary's Dia de los Muertos themed wedding that took place last fall at Next Chapter Winery in New Prague. They had actually been officially married over the summer but chose to have a bigger celebration later in the year. There were so many unique and downright wonderful things elements at this reception. First of all, their three dogs were in attendance, but those weren't the only furry friends. They had invited Second Hand Hounds to make an appearance to give exposure to the organization. What did that mean? There were PUPPIES AT THE WEDDING for the cuddling! So let me just recap, puppies, endless tacos, wine, dancing and love overflowing throughout. Is it weird to want to go back and relive someone else's wedding day? Because I would do it in a heartbeat!

I wish so much love and happiness for these two. This celebration was perfection and I hope they have joy like this always.

Due to reasons you can probably figure out, I had to cancel my indoor mini sessions at the beginning of April. I was bummed out because I was excited to reunite with clients and it was also going to be one of my bigger shoots as I emerged from maternity leave. 

However, I know that better days are (eventually) ahead and I'll be shooting up a storm someday again. In the meantime, I'd love to share my indoor mini sessions I held last November at Studio 130. The studio is a beautiful, versatile blank canvas and proved perfect for a variety of family sessions as well as a couple headshot/branding sessions too! Here are just a few shots from each family I worked with. Above are the Warners. I'm sad that they've moved away from Hudson, but thankful that I had one last shoot with them.

My friend Kristina is one of the most wonderful, inspiring people I've ever met and I've deeply treasured our 14 year friendship. Not to mention I've LOVED photographing her growing and beautiful family over the years!

​Amy, my friend, client, and Beautycounter consultant also took advantage of this fantastic studio space and we got some great headshot and branding photos for her. So glad you were part of this day, Amy!

Photos for the Mueller family were a breeze, no surprise there. I met them last fall and was delighted that they signed up for these mini sessions once again. I'm lucky to have you guys as my clients!

The Woodruffs are an easy and energetic bunch and they are a blast to have in front of the camera. Let's do this again soon, ok??

Kathy was my second headshot/branding session of the day. She is a mom, tap-dancer, Prince lover, and marketing extraordinaire. I'm so glad I was able to take these photos for her!

This was my first time meeting the Theobalds and I have to say, I need to figure out whom to contact to get their photos in a magazine or an album cover. They just photograph beautifully!

The Engbrecht boys never stayed still for a second, but I didn't mind one bit. It was a sweet glimpse into boyhood and brother life. What I loved even more was how relaxed and chill their parents Melissa and Tyler were. Their relaxed demeanor made all of the photos looked natural and easy!

The Conways were holiday card perfection. They are another family whom I've had several sessions with over the years and they are a joy to meet up with every time!

My last session of the day was the Schmidt family. You might think this family could not possibly get any cuter EXCEPT hey recently just welcomed a baby boy! I'm over the moon happy for this wonderful family. I hope to see you all again this year to document life as a family of five!

Thanks for reading and checking out what a day of mini sessions look like! Also, a huge thanks to my friend Jess who was my assistant for the day. I was about 37 weeks pregnant when I took these photos and I couldn't have facilitated this day without her!

I've been thinking of different ways, both big and little, that I can say THANK YOU to my rockstar clients, especially the ones who have embraced me from the very beginning and encouraged me to go for my dreams when I was shyly asking to photograph new babies and family portraits.

Something I have decided on is to do a monthly feature on said clients and share some images from their sessions over the years along with some Q & A!

Above are a few of my very first shoots with Kristina and Tony's daughter Addie. I was honored to photograph their pregnancy announcement while I was portfolio building in 2013. I also took a few portrait sessions for Addie when she was a baby and toddler. Addie is easily any photographers dream at any age!

(Above, Addies' third birthday.)

(Addies's 4th birthtday) 

(Addies' 5th birthday)

As you can see, Kristina is a party planning extraordinaire and photographing and attending Addie's birthday parties has been an absolute delight for all the senses and way better than anything you could ever find on Pinterest because it is, like, real.

​I've brought my own kids a long and they couldn't stop raving about how much fun they had!

These shoots are a win-win for me and Kristina because if I'm the one with the camera, then it's one less thing for her to worry about during the event and she can be present to party! 

"I'm always so busy running around hosting the event that I don't always get to SEE and enjoy everything that came together. You always do such an amazing job of capturing the day, the details that I spend so much time on, and the guests/friends/family. It allows me to go through the albums and EXPERIENCE the event as our friends and family did. I frequently go back to old birthday parties in my phone albums and just scroll through, looking at the party that took months to plan, looking at everyone's faces - it's so fun, I love it!" says Kristina

I've held holiday mini sessions for the past three years and the Andersons came to every one! Her family is so consistent about bringing good attitudes and big smiles, I had to ask what her secret, bribe, or strategy was.

 "I try to make sure to pick a time of day when the kids aren't whining/cranky (aka nap time), and we usually make the photo shoot a "fun thing" for the day. We all get ready together in the morning and we usually plan something fun afterwards (like going out for lunch/dinner, these days it would probably be picking up some ice cream and heading home for a nice treat as a family) - that makes it an anticipated and fun thing for the kids and hubby too!" says Kristina.

Kristina has also been able to jump in for some of my Mother's Day sessions (again, something I started in 2018). It makes my heart happy that she has been able to attend because all mamas deserve some great photos with their kids and it's so dang hard during day-to-day life to hand off your phone or camera to someone else to snap a photo, be it posed or candid.

One of the most special shoots I've ever done in my life was Reece's fresh 48 session last summer. It could have been called a "Fresh 2" because he was only two hours old when Kristina and Tony asked me to come up to the hospital to take pictures. There is something so sacred and magical about being in the presence of a newly born baby and I will never forget it.

A couple months later I attended and photographed Reece's baptism. At this point in the post, I'm going to share Kristina's method in dressing her family they  are easily one of the most stylish families! 

"​I start, like, 2 months out because I don't want to spend an arm-and-a-leg, I look for good deals on Poshmark for Tony and myself, and for the kids, I usually buy from a handmade shop (on Instagram). To be honest, the whole family coordination is usually based on a dress that I first find for Addie - haha!
Once I find the token piece (whoever it ends up being for), I build the rest of the outfits around it/to compliment it." she says.

Lastly, these are photos from a fitness photo shoot Kristina and I did a couple years ago. We got her a ton of photos she was able to use for marketing content. Kristina incredibly passionate about fitness and is currently a Beach Body coach! She is inspiring, real, consistent, and truly cares about helping others.
Give my girl a follow on her Instagram if ya can! I guarantee she'll inspire you.

I'm going to wrap this post up now because I have an unruly daycare (I mean, my family) to take care of. But I currently have all the feels from going through all of these past shoots. Kristina, I love seeing the growth of the Anderson family as well as the evolution of my shooting and editing. I am also certain I wouldn't be where I am today without your support, and encouragement over the years, and I don't just mean in my photography business! You have been a wind-beneath-my-wings girl ever since we met! (See below folks... we go way back!)

​The only thing I DON'T have is a recent photo of me and Kristina together! Let's make sure we grab one next time we shoot!

​