Our newest addition

Maybe it is cheating on my self-assigned project, but our new baby girl served as the perfect subject for our June Inspiration Session - newborn photos and birth announcement creation. She arrived on her due date (very prompt kiddo!) and we think she is just perfect. ;) 
-Gretchen



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Home Sweet Home


I grew up in Duluth.  Although I now live in Minneapolis, I need to make the trek north on a regular basis.  I need to breathe the fresh air.  I need to feel the breeze off of Lake Superior.  I need to see the waves crashing against the rocks.  I need to hear the cry of the seagulls.  Duluth is home.  It grounds me.  It centers me.  

I feel so at ease, so comforted and at peace when I am on the shores of Lake Superior.  It is my spiritual retreat, my therapy.  

My most recent trip was spectacular.  I camped in Moose Lake with a friend and ventured into Duluth to visit my family and, of course, Lake Superior.  The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the skies couldn’t have been bluer.  

Seriously, if you have never been to Duluth, set aside a weekend this summer to make the short trip north.  Duluth has so many great things to offer for any kind of traveler… family, foodie, dog-lover, adventurer, etc.  It’s really a great get-away-for-the-weekend destination. 

~sarah








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Jack is one!

I can't believe it was already a year since I met Jack at his newborn session. How fast they grow! I love one year olds. They are so busy, interested, and excited about everything and Jack is no exception. He is such a delightful, handsome little guy and so much fun to play with. Thanks Andrea and John for all their hard work over the last year (parenting is hard work - even when they are this perfect :). You've done a great job!



 




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What are you doing that for?

It is so easy to get caught up in the "doing" of life and forget to pay attention to what you're doing it for. I feel like I go through the day constantly looking to the next thing, focusing on the problems that need solving, and dealing with things that "need" to get done. And I feel like it keeps me from being able to see and appreciate what is right there in front of me.... and what's there is really all that matters....

I try to remind myself to "chillax dude" (as I tell my sons to do when they are having an irrational breakdown, often from being forced to wait more than 2 seconds for anything), to soak in the small moments that are so fleeting in life. Take time to inhale the smell, sink into a hug, taste the food, and acknowledge the immense beauty in a loved one's face. Enjoy the moment because it is only there for a moment. What a simple concept.... so why is it so hard for so many of us to put into practice?

One thing I love about photography is that it can help preserve some of those fleeting times. A great photograph can bring you back in time and allow you to relive a feeling, an emotion, a moment. The thing to remember is that you had to have lived it once in order to relive it. Although it is impossible to appreciate every moment, I wish everyone a few great moments in every day of doing that they are reminded what they are doing it for.

-Gretchen



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Michele

It's not too often in life that you find someone that loves and accepts you for exactly who you are, the good and the bad.   Someone you can be yourself around, and they around you.  Michele and I have that unique friendship and I treasure it.  She gets me.  I get her.

Michele and I worked together many years ago and right from the start we hit it off.  Since then, she's moved, I had a baby, she moved again, I had another baby.  And yet, our friendship has never faltered, in fact, it has only gotten better.

This woman is strong, yet kind.  Brash, but considerate.  And though she may act tough, she wears her heart on her sleeve.   She is honest and loyal and thoughtful.

I love who I am when I am with her and who we are when we are together.  We can be really serious and have some good, deep conversations or we can be total goof-balls acting like children at the Mall of America.  

She reminds me what is important, when to have fun, how to relax and who I should turn to when I need help.  

It didn't take long for her to be a part of my family.  She always makes me feel welcome, loved and comfortable.  When she is around, it feels like being at home. 

Now living in California, Michele spends her time cooking, working with a few web design clients, and catching all the latest movies.  And, when she has time, she tries to come to Minnesota.

There is always too much time between visits, but we always seem to pick up right where we left off.  Thank goodness for cell phones, Skype, email and Facebook!  If it weren't for these great technologies, we would be keeping up our friendship by snail mail and VERY expensive long-distance phone bills! 

Michele's recently discovered a new passion--performing improv comedy in the Bay Area.  On her most recent trip to Minneapolis, she asked if Wink could take some headshots.  Of course, we were delighted.   We played in the studio, trekked around our building and even trespassed onto the nearby train tracks (sssshhh!  don't tell anyone!).  We had so much fun photographing Michele.

I am very happy and proud of Michele and this new adventure she is taking.  It has been such a joy to watch her let go of her inhibitions, take a risk and give improv comedy and acting a shot.  It's not an easy thing to do, but she does it, and she does it well.

~sarah




(Love ya, M!)

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Day at the Park


A couple of weeks ago, I took the girls to the park.  It was a lovely spring day and I happened to have my camera with me.  I figured it would be a good time to practice all that I have been learning.   

Here is what I learned that day:
1. Kids move.  Fast.
2. Noon-time sun is not so flattering in photographs.  Clouds were a welcome relief.
3. Playgrounds force you to photograph from different perspectives.

And finally, I need to practice MORE!  Camera settings have not become second nature to me yet.  Right now, I have to think too much about where my ISO, shutter speed and aperture need to be at and end up missing the shot I was hoping to get.  I know that this will all come with time and more practice.  

I’ve been spending a lot of time shooting on Program mode (the P option on your camera dial) until I get the hang of recognizing the proper ISO setting for a given environment.  However, after this day at the park, I may try shooting in the shutter speed priority mode (the S option on your camera) when trying to photograph my girls! 

Hey  - have you been practicing too??  We’d love to see your photos!  Post them to our facebook page and feel free to ask us any questions.  We love helping other parents capture their kids in photos! 

Have a great weekend!

~sarah






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