The K Family
Ok....so my family is visiting our good good friends in Michigan. The Koopmans. And the mom, Martha, shows me this image that she wants to model a quick family shoot after. We head to the Salvation Army to grab a few wardrobe pieces for the boys and head back to the house for everyone to get ready. We obviously didn't have access to my Minneapolis studio so guess where we shot these photos......the garage. I have often used a garage to shoot photos because the light actually is fantastic. It's controlled light and you still get the beautiful reflections in the subject's eyes. When I loaded the photos, I just loved them! But look at my subjects....totally Vanity Fair rockstars! They made my job easy! This first image took us a few different poses to get just right.
So I want you to know.....some shoots you can do literally on a dime....with used clothing, a blanket and a garage. You don't need to break the bank to get a great image. I can't wait to see this as a large black and white framed canvas in their living room. Thanks Koopmans...for trusting me when I said, "I think we are gonna shoot this in the garage." :-)
The D. Family
Meet the beautiful and expressive D. Family. Their little girl is the most expressive little girl EVER! And her big sister has a lot of sassy poses that make for a great shoot. The night was perfect. A great friend, a beautiful family and awesome weather.
Meet Emily
Oh my goodness...I just can't believe Emily is a senior! I was there when she was born and I remember long walks with her mom about what we thought it would be like to be a mom. Then Emily blew up our world with love, joy and an abundance of gratefulness. What an honor it was to be a part of her senior photos. She had great props with sentimental meaning. And there was this chair, that has been in her family for years and years and has writing on the bottom side. Now Emily's mom can add to the list of ways the chair was used and write, "Emily's Senior Photos." Even the family dog photo bombed the shoot and added some giggles.
Meet Charlie...
This is Charlie. I met him doing a commercial shoot in Grinnell, Iowa. He was was about to get in his old truck and I told him he was cute. Well, that sparked an hour conversation that I will hold dear to my heart.
He had a huge stuffed Tigger in his passenger seat....among other random items, Taco Johns cheese sauce, stuffed animals, McDonalds food bags, tools, etc. And in the bed of his truck were a couple of large branches from a tree.
We talked about the farmer's market in Grinnell, God, his daughter rejecting the used Tigger from a garage sale for his grandchild, {which I told him I did with my dad too....eeewww...germs....ha!} and his wife who passed away 9 years ago. He talked about taking care of her during the last two years of her life. So very sad but they shared 57 years of marriage and love.
Then he invited me around the other side of his truck in the back seat. He opened the door and there was a pile of about 30 handmade canes. Some with bike handle bar tops and funny rubber bottoms. Some had twists and turns and others straight. All colors, styles and sizes. He said that he makes them for those in need. It took all of me to keep it together when he told me to pick one out for myself....to give away. I told him I'd love to keep it for myself to remember him by because I was pretty sure I too would need a cane someday. He showed me how to choose the right size and insisted I took one.
I hugged him goodbye and brought it to my car and cried the whole way. He reminded me of my dad. He. Was. Adorable. I hope you have the pleasure of meeting him someday or using one of his canes.
Thanks Charlie.....for the cane and for reminding me about the amazing breathtaking thing we call the human race.
Joyful, Joyful Paige
What an honor and pleasure it was to photograph Paige. She was filled with so much joy! At first it was giggles with her mother, and soon turned into a smile that could light up the sky tomorrow during the eclipse. It was fun to explore Minneapolis as I had not been able to do that yet. Izzie's Ice Cream was super accommodating and they grabbed some ice cream from their back room that was the perfect color! You can't help but smile when looking through these photos....or at least, want to eat ice cream! Enjoy!
