Matt Addington Photography

AMPI Shoot - Ingvalson Farm

2010-02-09T07:34:00.001-08:00

Just had a fabulous time Saturday morning with Mike and Kris Ingvalson down by Caledonia, MN. They milk about 450 cows in a really neat family farm operation. Come to find out, we had a lot in common and a lot of common friends, mostly through the basketball world. It was a great morning and some great coversation with Mike and Kris about teamwork, success and life. All things that they have found their way with in unique ways.

Thank you for sharing part of your morning with me.

Kirby & Ashley's Engagement Session

2010-02-07T16:03:00.001-08:00

A little snowy & cold, but a good time nonetheless. I am so excited to shoot their wedding in August. It's gonna be a great day. Meanwhile, Kirby can keep telling me how many timeouts we have during games...yep, he's one of the top three assistant coaches that I have!!

Tim & Kendra's Engagement Session

2010-02-03T19:53:00.001-08:00

Had a quick little session with Tim and Kendra today in Cannon Falls. They had just returned last week from a little Mexico getaway and looked so nice and tan. Ahhhh...these Minnesota winters are wearing on me!!

I am so excited to be shooting their wedding next September in Minneapolis. Until then, enjoy these photos and be sure to check out more from this session in their proof area!

Sonja & Adam's Wedding

2010-01-19T09:31:00.001-08:00

A wonderful evening in St. Paul at Como Conservatory with Adam, Sonja, friends and family.

Jodi & Kasey's Wedding

2010-01-12T06:53:00.001-08:00

It was a great Sunday afternoon with Jodi, Kasey & their friends at the Stillwater Public Library overlooking the St. Croix River. What a great venue for a wedding, especially with the personal connection that Jodi had growing up reading books there. It was so great making new friends and realizing the small world of good friends that I live in. I am amazed week after week how many connections with people there are in this world. So many great friends.Enjoy!

The Latest from The Valley

2010-01-09T17:29:00.001-08:00

Well amidst all this snow piling up I was feeling a bit like there were piles of untold stories about what's happening in our world here in Sogn Valley. Our kids are growing up quickly and changing like crazy. Leah is even blogging now, so atleast one of us keeps a little update. Check out her blog Sogn Valley Mom.

We had a wonderful Christmas and really got to be home quite a bit. More than ever in my life, that is the place that I most want to be. It was nice to have time off from school and a relatively slow photography schedule outside of work on the computer.

Emerson is walking everywhere now and just basically follows her brother around and does whatever he does. Her personality is really starting to shine now and she is mumbling all her own language all the time. She clearly knows what she is talking about, but we just smile and talk along with her.

Cameron is working on his potty training and is loving to play on his new train table (which Emerson climbs all over) and is looking forward to his using his new "glub" (baseball glove) this spring. He talks about playing catch with his best buddy Kevin Slowey next time he comes over. He loves to watch the deer, turkeys, pheasants and "Jumpy" the squirrel out the window. We've all had some fun times out in the snow this past month as we have gotten a ton of it. Even mixed a couple snow days in there!

We've just been blessed to be able to be in this place together and the best of life's times are just hanging out together.

Anders & Adriana

2010-01-03T19:12:00.001-08:00

The temperature was -15 degrees, but what a fabulous day with Anders and Adriana in St. Paul, MN.

It was such as blessing for me as Anders had played ball for me back in the day and great to reconnect with many old friends because of a great celebration. So in a personal, selfish way, it was really great to see so many of those folks. It was also wonderful to again meet so many great new people including Adriana's family and friends.

This was a great day to kick off the 2010 wedding season and I was again blessed to spend my day with wonderful people!!
Enjoy

Senior Session - Sam

2009-12-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

Brrr..r.r.r.r.r.rrr...

Well not really, but I was the one wearing two sweatshirts!! Great to work with Sam on this nice winter day.

Katie & Joel's Wedding

2009-12-13T16:00:00.001-08:00

What a fabulous winter day in Red Wing at the historic St. James Hotel. Katie and Joel, their families and friends made this a joyous day for so many reasons. It was so much fun for me to be a small part of it. Great to see old friends and make some new ones.

Enjoy

Senior Session - Mitch

2009-11-07T05:10:00.001-08:00

Finally hooked up with Mitch for a great session on a beautiful late fall day. There haven't been too many of those!

Mitch is a senior at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School.

My Favorite Things

2009-11-04T06:53:00.001-08:00

Gosh, I just don't spend enough time blogging about MY favorite things in the world. Everyone says the day will come soon when "these days" are gone. Why can't I just slow down enough to really enjoy them!??!

Emerson is starting to walk. She takes about three or four steps and then goes back to walking on her knees...which she just seems to love. Then when she really has to GO, she's back to the power crawl. She loves attention and really doesn't like it when you're not in the room looking at/talking to her!

Cameron is just a big brother that loves his little sister. We have been talking about being a "big boy" lately. Big boys: Take care of their sister, say their prayers at night, eat their supper, clean up their messes, stop and listen when adults talk to them, go potty on the potty chair. Stuff like that. We just need to keep reminding him of those things!!

Trash the Dress - Schnorbich's

2009-11-03T07:23:00.001-08:00

Had a great time with Jason and Angela in Minneapolis on Sunday. These two were childhood friends and spent a lot of time on the trampoline! A nice little reunion of childhood memories. Got some great shots and had a blast!!

Senior Session - Jenna

2009-10-07T08:00:00.001-07:00

Well, we got some photos in before the rains came down! We knew that weather was going to be a bit of an issue, but didn't think it would totally shut us down after about an hour. Had a great time with Jenna and got some great photos in that short time. Jenna is a senior at Rochester Century High School.

Early Season Bowhunts

2009-10-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Had some great time in the treestand already this year. It's been a beautiful fall and really a rewarding feeling to sit in a stand over a food plot that you put a lot of hours into with your own hands. I'll admit a sense of pride when I watched a couple deer feeding in the plot.

Had an amazing night on Sunday with dad and Dan Dummer. Setup on the edge of a CRP field between two beanfields. Had seven year and half old bucks file out and spend about an hour sparring out in front of me. All within bow range at some point. There was one tremendous buck that came to the edge of the woods, but didn't step out. All those young bucks scattered towards dusk leaving me to think that the big boy was coming out. But never showed. Dan sat in a ground blind in the middle of all this too. Dad had great action around him too with two 10-point shooters running around him.

Really a great night and gets me really jacked for the next month or so of being out.

Emmy's First Birthday Party

2009-09-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

What a great day we had on Sunday with everyone. Actually talking to Cameron, it was pretty much everyone that he knows! He was so excited that all of our friends and family joined us for a little birthday celebration for Emmy's upcoming first birthday (Oct 5).

Leah and I made a butterfly cake the night before (of course). Actually Leah did the important parts...I just put some finishing touches on.

We can't thank moms and dads enough for all their help getting the house ready too!! We are so thankful. Thanks everyone for coming!!

Batdorf Family

2009-09-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

The Batdorf's came down today from Albertville, MN for a great little session in the drizzly Sunday morning weather!! We got some great photos despite the weather. The sun made some great light as the clouds moved quickly though the sky...not much for consistency, but very cool nonetheless. A great looking family and so grateful that we got the chance to meet up.

Senior Session - Leah B

2009-09-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

Great session today with Leah. She is a senior at Owatonna High School. The colors are really starting to come alive on the trees...nowhere near peak, but just enough that really adds some great light to the photos.

Mark & Julie's Wedding

2009-09-21T05:07:00.001-07:00

What a great day with the Simanski's in White Bear Lake. It was my pleasure to spend such a great day with so many fun people!

More photos are coming...Enjoy

ESession - Jesse & Ashley

2009-09-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

Had a great time with these guys tonight. Some of the best candids as they are so funny together. Lots of laughs and funny looks...true love!! haha. I am so excited to be a part of their upcoming wedding too.

Baudoin Family

2009-09-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

AJ's Senior Session

2009-09-10T19:46:00.001-07:00

A great session on a beautiful fall day with AJ. His mom Tammy seriously booked this four years ago!! Awesome!! AJ is a senior at Lakeville South High School.

Enjoy

Food Plot Photos

2009-09-05T06:51:00.001-07:00

Boy, it's been a while since I have had the opportunity to blog what's happening in this part of my world. The food plot has been okay, but not great. The soil was really resistant to growth and weeds have been an issue. I think over the next couple years that I can get the soil more fertile and acceptant to my planting. I have a couple spots where the clover has done well enough to keep deer traffic coming and going. These are a few great photos of a couple bucks I have watched. Needless to say, I am anxious to get out in the stand now in a couple weeks.

Senior Session - Morgan

2009-09-04T13:11:00.001-07:00

My goodness this was a great shoot. Morgan came down on an absolutely perfect day. We had a great session in some great morning light and the photos turned out fabulous! She certainly made it easy on me by having a great smile and totally natural demeanor around the camera. So easy to work with...and the phtoos are evidence of this. Morgan is a senior at Lakeville North High School.

Senior Session - Katie

2009-09-02T08:24:00.001-07:00

Had such a great time reconnecting with the Nunez family this past week. I can't believe that Katie is a senior, but man, we got some great photos.

I worked with Katie's parents, John and Marty and Wilderness Ranch in southwest Colorado for a couple summers in the 90's.

Katie is a senior at Broomfield High School in Broomfield, CO. We did some shots around there and went to Boulder for some shots too. Such a great time.

The Schliep Family

2009-08-25T07:42:00.001-07:00

Well we've only been talking about it for a couple years and finally got it done. The whole fam gathered at the farm for some great photos. Don got a couple favorite tractors out and it was a beautiful night for some photos.

Cakes & Beans Tutu Girls

2009-08-25T05:53:00.001-07:00

Full disclosure here...I am biased. It is MY beautiful daughter and neices. But those tutus are pretty darn cute too!!

Alisha Perkins has put together a great little business of creating custom tutus, headbands and the like. She is based out of Lakeville and does all kinds of cute little custom creations. Be sure to check out her Cakes & Beans website.

Tatum & Ryan's Wedding

2009-08-24T14:41:00.001-07:00

What an amazing day in St. Paul!?!? This was a fantastic day with some great people. Ryan and Tatum went to the Nth degree with celebrating their day and I was blessed to be a part of it. The ceremony was in Rice Park, post-ceremony travels to Ryan's restaurant, The Loop in Minneapolis Warehouse District and the reception back at the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul. It was a great day. Congratulations and blessings to the Brevigs!! Enjoy Hawaii - Mahalo.

Senior Session - Calli

2009-08-24T06:57:00.001-07:00

Even though we had to postpone from the prior rainy day, it paid off with a great session on Friday with Calli. Calli is going to be a senior at Southland High School.

Senior Session - Eric

2009-08-20T14:11:00.001-07:00

Another great morning session with Eric today. We just escaped the drizzle that just started as we were finishing up. Eric was another easy subject for me as he had a great smile and did so much of the session without being prompted on "posing"...not that I am ever much into making people "pose". It's all about just capturing "You Being You"...Eric will be a senior at Rochester Century High School.

Senior Session - Nate A

2009-08-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

A great session with Nate this morning. The radar was not looking great as it was all green, but we got this one in. It was actually perfect light for shooting...and dry. Nate and his mom, Suzanne were so easy to work with and really made this an easy session. Nate is going to be a senior at Northfield High School.

The Schoenfelder Family

2009-08-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

It was a great night to run out to Jeff and Emily's place! It was such a pleasure to meet baby Trey and see how proud big sister Kyra and big brother Preston were of their new little guy! Kyra also just had her FOURTH birthday, so we got some shots to commemorate that as well!! Great friends and a great time with a great looking family.

Cullen & Breanna's Wedding

2009-08-16T15:02:00.001-07:00

Had a wonderful day with Cullen and Breanna in Northfield. Breanna's dad, Dan is the pastor at Rejoice Lutheran in Northfield and led a beautiful, worship-filled service. Cullen and Breanna's faith was such a focus of this wonderful day.

The Perkins Family

2009-08-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

Glen, Alisha, Addie and Lyla came down this morning for a little family session. It was a great morning for lighting in the valley and we got some great photos before it got too hot. Lyla just had her first birthday this week, so it was nice to capture some photos at that milestone!

We are looking forward to her birthday party tomorrow. Enjoy.

Senior Session - Katie

2009-08-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Had a super session with Katie this afternoon. Katie is going to be a senior at Rochester Mayo High School.

Senior Session - Austin

2009-08-11T13:48:00.001-07:00

A fun session with Austin today who is going to be a senior at Cretin-Derham Hall High School.

Enjoy

Senior Session - Katelyn

2009-08-10T21:14:00.001-07:00

I had a great second session with in the valley this afternoon. Actually took a few with her twin brother Tylor who was a trooper to tag along. I shot some with Katelyn earlier this spring and finished up with some stunning photos today. Katelyn will be a senior at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School.

Jill & Steven's Wedding

2009-08-09T20:37:00.001-07:00

It was a fantastic day in western MN, eastern SD with Jill, Steven, their families and friends. Honestly, my first trip to St. Leo, MN. Go ahead and Mapquest it...it's really there. Needless to say, we didn't need directions to the church once in town!!

It was about as humid as one could imagine and it did sprinkle a little during the ceremony. That little rain cooled things off wonderfully for the rest of the day.

As you can see in the photos we stopped at some "agriculturally related" locales on the way to Clear Lake, SD. Both Jill and Steven come from rich agricultural backgrounds. Jill's brother Mark did a great job of calling the cattle in from across the pasture and the wedding party rocked going out there. A wedding day first for me!! So was the wheat field and the photos are some of the best ever.

There are more photos located on my Facebook Page and also in a "quick picks" gallery on Jill & Steven's proof area.

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment if you want at the bottom to say hello!

Enjoy.

Connor's Senior Session Video

2009-08-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Got some great photos up at Crane Lake for Connor's senior session. Finally got them into a video to check out.

Enjoy.

The Bakke Family

2009-08-05T19:53:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful evening with the Bakke's who came down from Lakeville. The twins, Annika and Kate are almost 3 1/2 which is amazing. It seems like just yesterday that Leah was babysitting them each day before we were even in the kid business ourselves! Man, how life changes. It was great to catch up with them, let the kids run around the yard and the dogs chase close behind.

The Erickson Family

2009-08-05T19:36:00.001-07:00

It was so great to see Amy (Mongeon) and her family today. They were in town from just outside of Bozeman, MT. Amy and I went to HS together in Rochester back in the day and after much reminiscing (thanks for your patience, Monte) we concluded we hadn't seen each other in 18 years. "Monge" hasn't changed a bit!! It was so great to catch up and snap some photos of their family. Next session is at their place FOR SURE!!

Midway Technology Solutions Vol 2

2009-08-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Got to cruise around Minneapolis and the north metro to shoot some of the best looking audio/video setups around. Midway Technology Solutions does an amazing job of implementing the highest end audio and video around. These photos only do a small justice to the overall quality of their work.

Chris' Senior Session

2009-08-04T21:14:00.001-07:00

A great sunny day for Chris to head over for his senior photo session. He is going to be a senior at Zumbrota-Mazeppa High School. Got some great shots with his golf gear and he is very involved in FFA as well. He is his chapter's president this upcoming year after being a Region VIII Officer this past year. Good times with Chris today! More photos in a gallery on Matt Addington Photography's Facebook Fan Page.

The Severson Family

2009-08-04T08:27:00.001-07:00

Missy, Dean and Isaiah rolled into town from Wausau, WI and we hooked up for a little session with their new little man, Isaiah. He woke up from his nap and really took his time getting that big camera thing figured out. He was so intrigued and serious looking at me with the camera. Great big brown eyes that were so darling to look at and photograph. It was great to reconnect with Missy after a number of years.

Griffin & Cora

2009-08-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

Bill and Ruthann Griffin brought the grandkids out for a great little session here at the farm. The kids loved running around the yard, swinging and playing with some of the toys. They live in Yankton, SD and have had a great time at grandma and grandpa's house in Red Wing, MN.

Thissen Family

2009-08-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Had a great session with the Thissen family in Litchfield on Sunday morning. It was a beautiful drive out there early. I love having the sunrise in the rearview mirror on a quiet morning.

Brian & Dani's Wedding

2009-08-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

It was just a wonderful day in Owatonna with Brian, Dani and their families and friends. It was a gorgeous day and a wonderful evening at Farmamerica just outside of Waseca, MN. A great indoor/outdoor reception on the prairie!

Minnesota North Country

2009-07-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hope that the photos will speak for themselves. Had a wonderful trip into north country.

Jake & Stacy's Wedding

2009-07-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just a fantastic day with the Koelln's and the Hill's in the Twin Cities on Saturday. Here is a little video for now. Photos to follow in a bit.

Caption Me Contest Poll #1

2009-07-24T18:28:00.001-07:00

Please only vote in one of the two polls below. There was a maximum of 10 answers to each poll. Fortunately we had lots of good entries.

Voting will be open until Monday night. Good luck and thanks for participating. Visit Matt Addington Photography Page on Facebook for complete entries!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Is Twitter Taking Over the World

2009-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have been on Twitter for a couple years now but I am becoming increasingly more amazed each day to the level that it's filtering into every corner of our society. I signed up and didn't really tweet much, just kinda had an account and lurked around a bit. I mean, my gosh I am following the leader of the free world! Facebook status updates kept me up to speed with those around me and I left it at that.

I keep trying to have the foresight to see what it's role will be in another six months/1 year/5 years. At some point it/they will have to try and mesh it with capitalism, huh?? It just can't stay free for this long! No doubt it's been a great tool for those in business and industry. The media is absolutely gorging on it as well.

Anyway, how many of you are actively using it? What for? What do you enjoy about it? I am just curious. I have thrown it out to my Facebook friends and fans on Matt Addington Photography as well...

Facebook AND/OR Twitter...Tweet me and let me know:

Playing on the Floor

2009-07-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's really been a great couple days at home with Cameron. We've had fun playing and I seem to have been laying on the floor a lot!! Amidst this, I have gotten a lot of work done too. I had (have) a lot of catching up to do, but am getting there.

I found some really, really interesting plugins to simplify and streamline my workflow IMMENSELY. After a session, besides processing photos, I do a lot to try and share that recent work. The workflow would be something like this:

import files into Lightroom (LR),
flag some quick picks,
process those photos,
(LR) export them for blog,
upload/blog photos,
(LR) export photos for Facebook,
upload/tag on profile page,
upload/tag on Facebook Page,
(LR) export photos for Flickr,
upload to Flickr,
add photos to groups in Flickr,
then ultimately revisit the entire shoot in Lightroom and start processing and fine tuning all the photos and upload low res files to my proof galleries. Needless to say, I was spending a lot of time to share a small sampling of photos after each shoot.

I knew there had to be a better, more efficient way of doing all this and tonight I found it. I have used some plugins for Lightroom developed by Timothy Armes called the Mogrify plugins. These have been immensely helpful in my exporting functions allowing me to resize, watermark, batch process very easily. I added plugins tonight that will in the same function export those files to Flickr, Facebook and my blog ALL WITHIN LIGHTROOM. Much thanks to Jeffrey Friedl who is another amazing code writer on stuff like this. I can actually make galleries, add to groups, and write blog entries right in Lightroom. It's going to be such a timesaver for me.

So ultimately I can lay on the floor more with Cameron!

I also did a little research on where are this photo sharing/promotion is going. I never really know if people are reading my blog, but I can see that it's being viewed in several countries. Pretty cool to get your info, photos and thoughts out there beyond your own little world. I also found some great news from my Facebook Page recently. The numbers of fans has kind of exploded in recent weeks and I now have fans in 14 countries!! I also have an ad running that was shown on almost 65,000 Facebook pages just this week.

Thanks for stopping by, viewing work, reading, and commenting. It makes all the effort worthwhile for me. Drop me a comment here sometime to say hello.
I hope you enjoy the experience.

Avery's 3 Month Session

2009-07-21T19:22:00.001-07:00

Baby Avery made the trip out today and was just a little angel. She is really a doll. We are going to do four sessions this first year for her. It will be great to see her grow up through these
photos.

Not Often Enough...

2009-07-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Did Avery's 3 month photos this afternoon and then Cameron asked if he could climb up and get his photo taken. Can't believe that he asked, but I wish I did this more often. He's a little character and made lots of funny faces and poses, but these were a couple of the best good ones.

CAPTION ME Contest #1

2009-07-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

CAPTION ME CONTEST #1 - Give a caption for this photo!
Winner receives a $10 iTunes gift card.

Simply leave your entry in the comments - at the end of the week, you'll have the opportunity to vote on the captions to decide the winner.

This is also being run on my Facebook page. You can check out some other comments there too!!

Christine & Travis' Wedding

2009-07-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

Had a super time with Christine, Travis, their families and friends at the Embassy Suites in Bloomington, MN on Friday. It was a small, private ceremony in the courtyard which was beautiful. Travis saw Christine for the first time as she rode down the glass elevator with her dad. Festivities moved into the ballroom however and it was far from "small and private"!!

My best to you two as you begin your journey together. Enjoy San Fran and stayed tuned here for some more photos to follow. I just wanted to get a couple out there!

Brittany & Paul's Wedding

2009-07-16T21:15:00.001-07:00

So, so, so many great photos from this wonderful day with Paul and Brittany. It was on Summit Avenue in St. Paul at an old mansion. Great friends and family got together to celebrate this wonderful day. It was my pleasure to be a part of it.

Nansen Studio #1

2009-07-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Got great news from Pat and Beverly Watson on Friday...we got the "go ahead" with the remodel of the Nansen Creamery into my studio/gallery!!!

I have been thinking/dreaming/praying about this since last spring and it seems as though some of those are coming to fruition now. There is a lot of work ahead, but it's going to be fun and really worthwhile to have a tangible place for Matt Addington Photography to call home. This is a photo that I took last spring. The building has served many functions in it's long history. Besides being a cheese factory, it's been a general store, dance hall and post office. A long history that I look forward to being a part with my work.

You can visit an old post from back this spring when I added some photos on the inside of the place too.

Trust me, you'll see more of this process here!

Midwest Dairy Shoot #2

2009-07-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Had a really fun time today with the Olsons near Hutchinson, MN on their century farm. Dr. Laura doubles as a family practice physician in nearby Glencoe but milking cows is the other half of her working life. Her husband Loren shares in those duties. Loren was a huge help today and did a great job of getting those black and white girls to pick their heads up for me!! haha. MDA Intern, Sarah Brown was also along today and was also a big help.

A beautiful farm on a beautiful day with some great new friends.

The Carlson Family

2009-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

Did some photos for the Carlson's up at Deer Lake before we took off. Denny and Sue have been longtime family friends and have always graciously opened their doors to us. I have spent many, many days hunting and fishing with my dad and Denny and some of my greatest childhood memories are up at and around Deer Lake.

It was great to have the whole family there. Gretchen lives in the southeast metro, Angie lives in NYC, Eric and his family recently moved back to Hibbing and Libby and her family live in Brainerd (at the lake for the summer, however).

It was my pleasure to take a little time to capture some special photos for them in the most special place in their hearts...The Hideaway.

Midwest Dairy Shoot #1

2009-07-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Had a quick little shoot with Mark Berning up near St. Michael, Minnesota with his Little Brother, Trevor. Mark and Trevor have known each other for over three years and have done lots of great activities together through the Big Brothers Twin Cities Organization. They were actually just leaving on a camping trip when we did this quick shoot at Mark's farm. Pretty raw photos for now, but we'll dig through them and tweek any changes that need be over the next few days.

Excited to get out to Hutchinson Monday and then East Moline, Illinois and Mapequata, Iowa later in the week.

Angela & Jason's Wedding (UPDATED)

2009-06-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

If you've been here, you've seen the video, but now the post is finally updated with some photos!! These are just a few from this wonderful day with Jason and Angela. I was fortunate to shoot Angela's sister Betsey's wedding with John (Garvey) last summer and this one was another great day with the Witt Family in Northfield.

I felt that the photos really captured what was a great celebration of lives together for these two. They grew up as childhood friends on the same street and finally wandered back together many years later. A true storybook ending.

My best to you two. I can't wait for our Trash the Dress session coming up. Everyone stay tuned!

More of their photos from the day are in their wedding area on my website. Check them out there!!

Angela's sister, Betsey made all the jewelry for both Angela and the bridesmaids. Very, very elegant. Email her if you are interested in seeing some more of her work.

Photos are on their way!

Marcella & Ryan's Wedding

2009-06-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Or should I say "Roy"!?!?! Haha...when we first met last summer, I thought Ryan introduced himself as Roy. He is so soft spoken and polite that he didn't say anything until later in the conversation when he corrected me...still makes me laugh to this day!!

What a fabulous day with these guys, their families and friends.

It was HOT. Sunny and HOT.

Bad news when I rolled into church (same church Leah and I were married in)...there is like the Super Ultra Town of Zumbrota Mega-Festival going on! That's right...all the streets and most importantly the park across from the church where I REALLY wanted to shoot were filled with people selling trinkets and crafts, eating things off of sticks and running loud generators!

My top notch student Katelyn came along for part of the day as well and was a big help. Holding reflectors, changing batteries, etc. Took a load off me for sure!!

We made do and got some great photos!! There are more photos in the proof area Quick Picks gallery on the website too.

Enjoy!

The Nebraska Week

2009-06-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

We've had an eventful week here in Nebraska. The main bullet points:

Cameron has thrown up 6 times and hasn't been himself all week.

He has made the name change from "daddy" and "mommy" to "dad" and "mom". Much to "mommy's" dismay and sadness.

Emerson has continued to smile and eat everything in sight. Labecca definitely has the best tasting business cards.

We survived the tornado on Wednesday night. It actually never even rained on our side of town, but the west side got destroyed. See the previous post.

Cameron has asked all week to "go home to my yellow house"

We have made countless trips out to the cornfield/fire hydrant to check the bird baths (puddles) along the way.

Nebraska Tornado

2009-06-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

What a night we had on our trip in Nebraska!! We are staying in the small town of Aurora, NE for a national FFA event.

Your typical very humid still evening turned pretty crazy pretty quick. The event center we're in is on the east side of town right on HWY 34 which runs east/west through town. We got word that there was a tornado warning in our area and be prepared to take cover. We had just put the kids to bed and thought we would just keep an eye on things. While I was taking photos of the birds on the wire in the lightning, word came that there was a tornado on the ground just west of town heading down HWY 34.

We got the kids out of bed and took cover in an interior conference room since there was no basement.

We had the weather radio going and they were talking about the tornado moving along HWY 34 right towards town. Pretty scary stuff.

We had the kids tucked under the table and Cameron never woke up through the whole thing!

The next morning I drove out and snapped a few photos before the Nebraska Highway Patrol yelled at me. A freight train was turned over as well as the damage that you see here. Pretty amazing to see the path that the tornado left through the cornfield.

Chad & Lindsay's Wedding

2009-06-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Had just a fabulous day with these guys, their families and friends. What a fun group to be around and really made my day an absolute pleasure.

And it was my first 5D Mark II wedding...whoa!! Awesome.

Enjoy the video. Some photos to follow soon!!

Midway A/V Design/Condominiums

2009-06-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Did some really cool work today with Midway which is a company that works under Hunt Electric in Minneapolis. They specialize in home audio/video design and installation. We went around to a number of the trendiest, contemporary condominiums in northeast Minneapolis.

Really great to meet some very interesting and kind folks along the way. Got a great bottle of wine from Jim, who undoubtedly has forgotten more about wine that I will ever know. His great place in the Cobalt Condominiums was very contemporary with ultra clean lines and great views from all directions.

Also had Walter the cat make his presence a part of our shoot with Diego and Sharon at the Phoenix on the River Condos. A very photogenic feline, I might add. He did some of the best posing I've shot in recent memory!! Of course he knew to pose in front of the television on the wall!

I really look forward to our next shoot with Midway. There are more shots from today's shoot here. It was great to reconnect with Sarah and spend time with her and Chad in such cool places.

Nick & Rachel's Wedding

2009-06-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Despite a rainy day in St. Peter, we had a fabulous time with Nick and Rachael. I just love days with couples that can't stop smiling at each other they way these guys do. They are so happy and their families were a joy to be around.

More photos in the quick picks gallery.

Blessings to you and your life together.

Marit & Eric's Wedding

2009-06-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

What a great day with great friends and family, the Sviggum's and the Lindquist's. We had just a fabulous time with Eric and Marit for their big day in Bloomington. The reception at the Minnesota Valley Country Club was spectacular.

There are more photos in the quick picks gallery. And enjoy the little music video I put together as well!

Kenyon-Wanamingo Seniors

2009-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little shoot today with the graduating class of 2009. All but one of them had their black shirts this year!! yeah!!

Raths Family

2009-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Had a great session with the Raths Family in Wanamingo on Sunday afternoon. They have a wonderful old barn which provided us some great shooting. And Jason just finished the restoration of this sweet Mustang! When he had gotten it a few years ago, it came in a 38 foot trailer...in pieces!! Much hard work has led to a classic! A great prop for some great family photos!!

Niebur Family

2009-05-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Had a great session with the Niebur family in Cannon Falls on Sunday afternoon. The Neiburs are 10 brothers and sisters from all over who got together for a great reunion. On such a beautiful day, the sun was a little harsh, but there were plenty of adequetely shaded areas in and around the yard.

It was fun to be a part of so many great smiles and laughs with the Neiburs.

Stevens Family

2009-05-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Had a great session with our old Albert Lea friends, the Stevens family. Glen is the pastor at our old church, Crossroads Church. It was great to catch up a bit and I can't believe how big all the kids are getting.

Engagement Session - Cullen & Breanna

2009-05-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

We had a great little engagement session with Cullen and Breanna. They came out to the farm a little later than we usually shoot and it was fun for me to find some new ways that the light falls a little later in the evening. I love how the sunlight passes through the green of the spring leaves. It creates such a warm glow to things.

We're also in the prime of the flowering tree season. We're lucky enough to have ten flowering apple trees on the farm and they provide some great backdrops for photos.

It is a big week for Cullen and Breanna. Cullen is off to NCAA Nationals in the 1500meters. Then college graduation on Sunday. Best of luck with all that. I am really excited to shoot their wedding in August!!

Randomness 1.0

2009-05-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

I know that bloggers all over the universe are writing about things much more astute and academic and meaningful and useful, but I couldn't pass this one up.

For three days, I have driven to work on County 14 in rural Goodhue County. And for three straight days I have seen this printer sitting on the shoulder of the road. A few thoughts about this:

It is nowhere near a home.

It didn't appear to crash out of someone's truck bed at high speeds

All the accessories are neatly placed next to it.

So my mind wanders...is this some sort of roadside memorial for a printer that was involved in a fatal crash at this location? Was someone working here in a wireless remote office setting and just went to town for coffee or more toner? Was it just placed here so someone like me would pull over, put it in reverse, take out the camera and subsequently blog about it?

Kelsey Senior Session/Loftus Family

2009-05-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jess and Joey and Peyton came out for a nice little session around the farm. Got some great shots of this little cutie pie again. Joey also brought his new Harley and the whole family donned their "gear" for a couple shots. It was a great time. Cameron loved having someone closer to his own size to wrestle with a bit too. Emmy just laughs at him when he wants to play!!

Kelsey came down from Burnsville this morning for a quick little "second half" session too. We did some shots late in the fall to meet her school's yearbook deadline with the thought of doing some more in the spring when things greened up again. So we finally got to it! Kelsey is one of those lucky people who just always has a great smile on for photos. She looked great and the same in every shot!!

Mangan Girls

2009-05-16T12:59:00.001-07:00

\ , .l [[[ ===========\\\\\\]\dssssdfff <---Thank you Cameron for contributing to the blog!! We had a great session with the Mangan Girls today!! Finally after three rainy day postponements, we got it in! It was a bit chilly but the girls were AWESOME!! And so darn cute. Boys watch out in about 10 years!! More photos are in the proof gallery.

::enjoy::

Engagement Session - Jessica & Kyle

2009-05-13T05:32:00.001-07:00

Jess and Kyle came down for a little pre, pre, pre wedding engagement session. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. I am really excited to be doing their wedding in 2010. They were one of the first 2010 bookings from way back when. Things are really filling up quickly now.

:: Enjoy ::

FFA State Convention

2009-05-12T05:54:00.001-07:00

I have had several people asking "Where are the photos from the State Convention??". Well I posted them on my old website here. I had to get the high resolution versions available for the State Convention newsletter publisher, so I just put them all there. I only upload smaller low res versions to my proof area just to save time/space since people are only viewing from there.

So for all of you FFAers looking around...

HERE THEY ARE!!

47 pages worth!! Enjoy.

ESession - Lindsay & Chad

2009-05-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

I got a few photos on earlier, but wanted to add a couple more since the rest of them are in their wedding gallery area now. We had a great time at Como Park, though our plan was to go in the Conservatory. However they wanted $25 for a half hour of shooting and they couldn't use the bathroom!??! Funny.

We went down the road by the lake and got some great shooting in. I am really excited to do their wedding coming up! It's going to be a great day!

Dan+Amanda's Wedding

2009-05-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Had a fabulous day with Dan+Amanda for their wedding in Pine Island and reception in Kasson. It was a perfect day for shooting. Just enough blue sky to be happy, but just enough shade to keep the camera sensor happy!!

Food Plot - Planting 1

2009-05-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity to get out the past couple evenings and get some seed in the ground on the food plot. What a good feeling to use your hands and hopefully see this growing process happen over the coming months. Cameron and I first went out in Maring's big John Deere tractor with the digger and worked the ground up a little more. We went home and got the four wheeler with the cultipacker and headed back out to roll the ground some. After doing that, I planted about 1/2 acre of Antler King's Red Zone. This was in the northwest corner of the field. Cultipacked again on top of it and rode home.

Yesterday, Cameron and I went out and planted 14 test plots with a variety of Antler King and Whitetail Institute products. This was again about a total of 1/2 acre. We'll see what come of those different seeds and what I might do different next year from the results.

The best part of the planting came at 9:15 last night when I went back out to cultipack that plot and then planted another 1/2 acre of Whitetail Institute's Double Cross. It was just getting dark and it was so quiet out there. It really made me think ahead to this fall and hopefully a lot of quiet evenings will be had sitting on the edge of the plot watching deer.

Sarah & Brian's Wedding

2009-05-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Just had an absolutely great day with Sarah and Brian Saturday. Both of them were former students and was a great reunion of old friends for me especially. There were a lot of kids that I hadn't seen in years and was such a great time to catch up.

The ceremony was at Dale Lutheran east of Kenyon, MN and the reception was at the Northfield Ballroom. We spent a little time in between walking down by the river in Northfield. It was a bluebird day and the sun was warm on our faces all day. A little on the windy side, but great nonetheless.

The ceremony was one with heavy hearts as Brian's brother Matt died only a month or so ago. It was a great tribute to him to hold his spot in the wedding party and many wonderful words were shared about his life. Both Sarah and Brian and their friends and families have endured the pain of losing loved ones unexpectedly. This day was a great celebration of those lives as well...really awesome!

From a technical standpoint, this was one of my more frustrating days shooting. My camera strap got hooked on a pew as I was setting up the large group shots in the church and 40D, 24-70L and Pocketwizard went flying. All in slow motion as $$ signs are flashing in my eyes!! Fortunately it landed on the lens hood and the only damage was a little scuff and a broken base the PW. I can glue that. Then my 10-22EF lens focus ring is a little on the fritz. Sometimes working, sometimes not. Between those two things, I was thinking more about my equipment than usual which was really distracting for me. It made me realize how important good and reliable equipment is and how fortunate I have been. Regardless of my own distraction, we got some great shots.

Food Plot - Lime

2009-05-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

In order to raise the pH level a bit on the soil, I had Al Hernke come by today with his lime truck. The pH is about 5.7 currently and ideally it would be around 7 which is perfectly neutral. Al spread about 10 ton on about 3.5 acres for me today.

It was really neat how the grass had started to grow back a bit now after our burn. Still very desolate, but it will grow quickly now with the good rains we've had.

My plan is to disc the field good a couple times in the coming days and then dig it to smooth out the soil a bit before planting. I would like to have some seed in the ground by next weekend.

The Ultimate Baseball Bed

2009-05-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Vision Custom Design is the other little gig I've got going with my partner Kurt Weber and really works hand in hand with so much of my photography stuff. Our Minnesota State Fair experience has really evolved into a partnership with Kurt and we've been doing lots and lots of projects for a wide variety of people.

Our company motto is "Your Dreams, Brought to Life". We kind of pride ourselves on answering yes to the question, "Can you?..." Projects range from wide format printing, wall graphics, furniture, awards & plaques, fine art, and even an outdoor bar. Everything custom to meet the clients dreams!

This was a project Kurt just finished up for Hunter. His daddy plays for the Minnesota Twins. Kurt is an absolute master woodworker and assembled this amazing piece from scratch which includes 15 game-used bats from the Twins as well as official balls from MLB and the World Baseball Classic.

It is accented with a 40" laser engraved design that states, "Where Dreams Begin".

For now there are more photos in my proofing area here. But stay tuned as our new website is about ready to launch...

Dan & Amanda's ESession

2009-04-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

It was a little breezy and rainy, but we got some great shots with Dan and Amanda at the farm. I am really excited to shoot their wedding in a couple weeks. It's going to be a great one.

Enjoy

A Busy Tuesday

2009-04-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Had a personal day from school and spent the day in the the cities. Shot the final session of the 2009 MN FFA State Convention at Northrup Auditorium at the University of Minnesota. This has become a yearly tradition for me since my wife works for MN FFA. Throughout the year, I am fortunate to photograph many events for FFA and love working with those kids. This is also the day that the state officers for the upcoming year are announced which is always exciting. It's sad to see the past year's officers go, but I can't help but think about all the times new officers will be in front of my cameras over the next year.

Following the Convention, I headed off to Como Park for Lindsay and Chad's engagement session. We had a great time on this beautiful, sunny, spring day and got some great photos. I am anxious for their wedding coming up in June!!

Also got two more client meetings in following this session, so like the title says...it was a busy, but really productive Tuesday for me!!

Featured on Crystal Velvet Weddings

2009-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

One of this weekend's photos was featured on Crystal Velvet Weddings. Crystal Velvet Weddings aims to bring you the latest news and products from www.crystalvelvet.co.uk as well as a wide range of wedding information, products and advice. Crystal Velvet is based in South Cave in East Yorkshire in the UK.

The site is managed by Karen Clark. Karen is a Tiara, jewelery and wedding accessories designer and creator from the United Kingdom and does some really beautiful work. Check out the site!

Sarah & Dave's Saturday Sneak Peek (now with Video)

2009-04-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous day with Sarah and Dave in Wabasha, MN!! One of those days where I just couldn't take a bad photo...just pushed buttons! Well, it might have been a little more than that, but it certainly was a fun day for me. Dave is 6-10 and typically it would be such a challenge with a groom that is 16" taller than his bride, but it was amazing how well these two fit together.

Here is just a little sneak peek at a couple photos and a great video. More to follow.

Enjoy~

More HDR & New Cards

2009-04-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

A couple things on the docket...

I did some more HDR photos the other night just before dusk. The wind was really blowing hard so it made the clouds have a real "creamy" look to them. The three exposures were quick, but the cloud movement between shots when merged really added to the "ominous" look of the final processed photo.

I am so blessed where I live. There are so many things to photograph within steps of my door. I grabbed these images right after taking the kids inside. Set them down, grabbed my camera and ran back outside.

I also put in new order for business cards...that's a good thing (I must be giving them out!). I want to keep the same branding, but just altered the look just a tad. I also did them with rounded corners which should be cool and different. I love the photo of the red chair that I got last summer. It really brings to mind a lot of different thoughts for different people. A very introspective photo...one that should be good to hand someone on a business card. Maybe they'll walk away thinking about it...and theMOMENTS that Matter.

Facebook Best of 2008 Contest

2009-04-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well the votes are in and tabulated...no recounts, court cases, or appeals here!

Congratulations to the winners:

Chris Quattrochi (Top Senior) from Lakeville South HS
Jamie & Clint Jones (Top Couple) from Winnebago, MN
The Steberg Boys (Top Kiddos) from Wanamingo, MN
Sara Lange (Top Bride) from Rochester, MN

They all will receive a framed and matted print of their winning photo.

Also a big thank you to all of you who joined in and voted. $25 Outback gift cards go to loyal voters Katelyn Schaefer and Angela Fredericks.

It was a fun contest to see what some others are thinking of the photos I've done the past year. We had over 100 votes in each category and have more and more people joining the Facebook Group each day. It's been another nice place to keep folks updated on what's going on in my world.

Dreaming

2009-04-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well just see if this is the first of many, many blog entries about my little idea I have going.

I am not going to write much now as there are a few logistics cooking right now.

Here are some numbers however:

2 levels

1925 square feet upper

1400 square feet lower

117 years old

1 massive insulated wooden door
1000 hours of work ahead
1 big dream

And I supposed I better mention:
1 look-alike cigarette in Peter Schleif's mouth in the one photo. It's actually a sucker.

One Strange Morning

2009-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

A beautiful, foggy morning in the valley this morning. I love mornings like that where the sun is kind of peering through the fog. It creates such a surreal light around you.

Here's the story...I am going to take Cameron and Emerson up to our friend Colleen's house up the valley about 10 miles. We're driving down the highway as Cameron sings and points out every tree, barn, tractor, cow and silo that he sees. The fog is such that I can see ahead about 5 yellow dashes ahead. As we come around a corner, here is what I encounter:

A blind man walking on the shoulder of the road.

In the fog.

Black glasses.

White walking cane.

Neon green, reflective jacket (obviously an intentional walk).

Is this just me or is this a strange, strange thing? Not enough that a blind person is walking...on the highway, but in the fog?? I just felt like I was thrust into some sort of crazy social experiment! I don't intend to make fun of the person being blind, but just couldn't get over the irony of what I encountered.

On a totally unrelated note, here is a cool HDR (high dynamic range) photo that I created from three different exposures from Kamel and Amanda's wedding this weekend. HDR is created by overexposing one shot, underexposing one and correct exposure "mashed" into one image that creates the ultimate in range of tones, values, shadows and highlights. I creates almost a surreal, illustrative effect to the photo.

Kamel & Amanda's Wedding

2009-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day with Amanda and Kamel in Albert Lea, MN. It was a beautiful setting at First Lutheran Church and the day was a great one. It started to drizzle a bit towards late afternoon which put a damper on our outdoor, post-ceremony shots, but a great time nonetheless.

And yes, that is a photographer's shoot through umbrella that the couple is using in the rain. A functional, yet nice accent with the dreary weather!!

Enjoy

Design Workflow

2009-04-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a few projects finished and fortunately for me, getting some design work done. I so wish I had more time to spend in Photoshop just letting the creativity run wild. I am working to find more of a balance in my workflow to do that.

Now off to Amanda and Kamel's wedding in Albert Lea. Gonna be a great day.

Lakeville South Lacrosse

2009-04-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Journeyed back up to my old stomping grounds (I will spare the long story) to shoot the South Lacrosse boys. A quick shoot turned into a pretty sweet poster. This is the first draft. We'll see where it goes from here....

Easter Kids

2009-04-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

Too often I am taking photos of other people and other people's kids. Today I got some great shots of my OWN kids. Also some nice shots of my two nieces too. We had a nice little natural light setup in the bay window at Gma and Gpa's house. I also used an off camera flash/umbrella with Pocketwizard to offset the strong backlight of the window.

It was a great Easter Sunday with the family...and some good photos to remember the day!

Food Plot Creation 1

2009-04-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

Got started with the initial field work on the food plot this weekend. I spent part of the day Friday prepping the 11 acres of CRP/switchgrass to be burned. I went in with a brushhog behind the tractor and mowed down two rows of grass and Phil came behind me with the chisel plow to create a firewall for the burn. The chisel

plowing is also a good start on getting some of the initial ground turned over for planting.

Then on Saturday AM we went over and burned. It was a quite a sight to see the power of fire and how quickly it gets its work done. We started on the downwind corner to create a back fire. This slowly burned into the wind and created a barrier for the upwind fire to burn and die into. Once the upwind fire was started the 11 acres was down in minutes. When the two fires met each other it was quite a powerful updraft. I'm sure they fed off each other in some fashion.

As quickly as it was started the show was over. I also realized that this was the easiest way to shed hunt! Flattened black earth that only minutes prior was 5-6 feet tall! It was amazing that under the torched grass there was already green shoots starting to pop up. Amazing how the spring does this to the earth. This left a nice patch to be disced, dug, rolled, planted and rolled again. Should be some fun.

Ecology Class Turkey Chasing 2.0

2009-04-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Had another great morning in the valley today. Last night I moved our blinds to a different spot more in "the bedroom" of where I thought the gobblers would be. In fact, watched a few toms head into there last night. Good choice. We were right in the thick of it this morning.

We met about 5:20AM again and headed out. Got the kids into blinds, got decoys set up, camera on the tripod and we were set.

Heard quite a bit of gobbling again across the top of the ridge to the north starting at about 5:45. So much chatter in fact, that I was a little bummed that we again weren't in the middle of the action. Just about then, at about 5:52 they started hammering right up the draw from us. And they went crazy for about 20 minutes. There were two or three of them on the roost there.

Rich and I called for most of that time. I did a mock flydown with my hat at about 6:15AM. Within minutes, those birds were also on the ground. We had one tom on his way. He came down the ridge and got to the barbwire fence and hung up at 97.5 yards (according to the rangefinder). Stayed there for a few minutes, strutted and started back up the ridge.

We hollered at him quite a bit, but he didn't like what he saw. I keep thinking about that fence...maybe he just didn't want to cross it. We also had that Pretty Boy tom decoy out there and maybe he was a little intimidated? Who knows. Either way, it was a fun morning and great to have the kids in the midst of all that action.