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Brig & Adam's MN Renaissance Festival Wedding

3/8/2020

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Back in September 2019, I photographed Brig and Adam's wedding at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. When they initially reached out to me and described their day as "A traditional Norse/Celtic wedding, with a hand-fasting and medieval/renaissance period garb," I knew I needed to be a part of it. I played it cool in my emails, but inside I was shouting "pick me, pick me!" Fortunately they did and I had the most lovely time traipsing through the mud on their wedding day, driven to capture every tender, hilarious, and heartfelt moment. It began with a parade, continued with royal toasts, and ended with a ceremony that had all attendees in tears. I love all of the thought and care that went into the details of the day... the shield, the hammer, the cloaks, and the words. I'll be quiet now and let the photos tell the story of the day.
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It was an honor and a privilege to have been part of this beautiful day and unique celebration. I wish these fellas a lifetime of endless love, laughter, and of course, mead. Hugs from afar to you both!
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Professional Happenings in 2019

1/15/2020

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I think  I'm not alone in saying that January is pretty much the worst, but on the bright side, we are out of it! Also, I'm probably the best and most productive version of myself. In an attempt to distract myself from the dark days and worst weather ever, I usually try my best to fill the time with decluttering, organizing, making plans for the new year, getting our taxes taken care of, and of course, reminiscing and reviewing the year that has just passed.

​Turns out 2019 was my biggest and best year yet when it comes to photography! This is far from everything (there were more than 100 family sessions alone!)  but here are some of the highlights:
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One of the first things I did at the beginning of 2019 was begin offering boudoir sessions. I created a separate website and Instagram account to showcase that side of my work. (All photos have been shared with client permission!)

What began as a "why not?" endeavor turned into a full on passion project and I'm thrilled to continue offering these  services into 2020 and beyond. 
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In the spring, a couple of my clients were awesomely laid back and flexible and allowed themselves to be part of a promo video shot for my photography business! It was intimidating to have actually video footage taken of me, but I'm so glad I actually bucked up and did it and have a nice snippet of who I am/what I do to easily share!
​YouTube video here: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyZCcNxBjng
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2019 was also one for ALL THE BABIES! I shot numerous newborn and fresh 48 sessions. Newborn photography used to be my area of apprehension and I was always too relieved to recommend a different photographer to those searching for a newborn photographer. That has definitely changed as I feel I've improved technically and have developed a style for these shoots that I have confidence in.
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One of my mini session offerings that is a hit every year was Mommy & Me minis. This year I held them at Lake Elmo and I'm thrilled with how each of the images turned out. Only 3 more months until we can do these again!
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In the summer I also hosted a beginner's photography workshop at my house for some lovely and talented ladies. This idea had been on my heart for a long time and I'm so glad it finally got brought to life! I held a secondary workshop in October and will be planning these again in 2020!
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I held two different rounds of fall mini  sessions. The first was outdoors in October at Tamarack Nature Center in White Bear Lake. It rained on and off that morning, but all who signed up showed up and ended up with a lot of lovely photos!
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For those who preferred not to gamble with the weather, I also held indoor mini sessions at Studio 130 in November. In addition to family sessions, I also shot a couple headshot sessions there too. I'll definitely be booking time here again, so if you like the idea of a fuss-free indoor shoot, lemme know!
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​

One of my favorite parts of this year was just connecting with other photographers. I was able to attend various social nights, skill shares, and shoot & shares (aka, headshot swaps). It's been one of the most valuable things to find support in the industry and I am kicking myself hard for waiting so long to find a network!
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Above are photos from each of the seven weddings I shot this year. Every couple, every venue, every wedding was completely different (and I'll share more from all of these soon), but the common thread through all of these were that these couples were all crazy in love, just wanted their friends and family to have a great time, and they were delightfully low-key when it came to photos... a whole lot of "we trust you!" which was music to my ears!
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Thanks for visiting my 2019 highlight reel. I don't have a highlight reel from 2020 yet as it's just been REAL so far with the day-to-day newborn life. But I've just been feeling the right amount of stir-crazy and inspired to start getting projects started and shoots booked for the new year. If you've been following me along, what are you interested in? A photography workshop? Family pics? A boudoir sesh? Tell me, tell me! I'd LOVE to know!

Thanks again to all my friends, family, and clients who made last year so big and special! Let's do it again!

xoxo,

​rachel

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Dan and Kalyn's Wedding Day

8/2/2018

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Exactly two months ago I worked with Sweet Roots Photography and helped photograph Dan and Kalyn's wedding. These college sweethearts got married at a Catholic Church and the reception was held on Dan's family's farm.  Speaking from experience, being young and in love is kind of the best, and I feel privileged to have helped document their day. Below is some of the highlight reel!
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Dan and Kaylyn had  a sizable guest list (around 400) and a big ol' bridal party so this day truly felt like a huge celebration from start to finish.
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Even though the day began with some serious downpour, it ended up clearing up and drying up after the ceremony and we managed some great outdoor bride and groom pics on the church grounds as well as the farm

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It truly was a beautiful start to a new life together!
I wish these two nothing but the best in love and in life!Thank you again for letting me be a part of your amazing day!
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    Welcome to my photography blog!

    Rachel again! Here's where you'll be able to find blog posts about all things photography: recent sessions, upcoming events, and just fun musings on photography in general. Can't wait to fill 'er up with content!

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