Hey everyone! I can never help myself and I want to do a year in review post (even though the year in review happens to be 2020). But I think it's important to take a good look at where you've been in order to figure out where you want to go. 

January and February of 2020 were mostly spent at home surviving on maternity leave. In March, when I originally planned to pick up sessions again is when the world effectively shut down (and then continued to open, close, reopen partially, etc.) This generally resulted in the majority of this year's sessions being shot outside. Here's a glimpse of some of my 2021 projects.

But fortunately in early March I did get to squeeze in a day of boudoir minis before and I photographed several BEAUTIFUL ladies at the Hive House in St. Paul.

In early May, I held Mommy and Me minis and it felt like a great way to segue back into shooting and a new season.

Speak of new things, people continued to request newborn photos from me even though I really don't specialize in newborn photography. I do think I'm continually getting better at it though! Back in April, I even made a little tutorial video about how to shoot your own newborn photos at home during the initial  stay-at-home orders.

This summer I also got to photograph some newly-turned 18-year-olds in the name of senior photos! 

There were a few engagement sessions in the mix too. Good thing for love, right? I feel so heartened just by looking at these photos and remembering how sweet it was to watch these couples interact with each other. 

I'm so in love with so many of the sessions I had this summer. I utilized the glowy fields and long grass at Willow River whenever possible, My other go-to spot was Lake Elmo Regional Park.

My fall sessions had an array of vibes. There were some gorgeous colors to be found, especially at Homestead Parklands. My day of mini sessions at Tamrack Nature Center was nearly canceled due to blizzard conditions. And somehow, I only had perfect days when I traveled to the west metro to shoot at Burwell Park.

Last, but not least, I shot 5 covers for Hudson Neighbors Magazine in 2020!

I'm approaching 2021 with cautious optimism. I'm keeping my plans and dreams big but my feet on the ground. Things to look for in 2021: a WHOLE rebrand, more boudoir, new session packages, and the same me, but I like to believe that I get better with age. And I also believe that nothing good happens without hard work and a top notch network of support. And I gotta say, I know I have both!

Happy New Year once more friends!

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!

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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.

Can't stop, won't stop. We also obviously needed fresh photos in October for our holiday card and updated photos of our kids NOT taken by me. Enter McKenzie of KNZ Photography who managed to make us look all normal and delightful. You can't even tell that I'm alternating between yelling idle threats and also bribes in the form of McDonald's happy meals in order to get these kids to freakin' smile (and not look like lunatics). At this point I was about 30 some weeks pregnant and in the middle of my own busy season. My feet hurt, my belly was bursting, and I was not feeling like a babe most days, but I still love these preggo pics of myself and I'm so, so glad we made this session happen.