I promise I will blog more soon!

Crested Butte Trip

Crested Butte, CO

I have a wonderful friend who moved to Colorado in 1996. She has made Crested Butte her home and anyone who visits can understand why. As the years have gone by, we have both gotten married and now we each have two beautiful children. When Jen comes to Mankato, I take images of her family. We have talked about the possibility of my coming out and doing the same for her friends out in her neck of the woods. So...This year we made it a reality. 


Even though this first year was a short trip, we think it was a definite success! I had the privilege to meet some great families and created some fun images along the way! Hopefully we can continue this as an annual event with my CO Crew. I certainly love it out there and the beauty of it all takes my breath away.  


Here are just a few of my favorite images from my Oct. CO Crew trip:

Autumn & Stan Teasers

Autumn and Stand were married on October 2, 2010 in West Saint Paul at the St. James Lutheran Church. The reception was held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Saint Paul.  I have known Autumn since she was a little girl and was one of my gymnasts. It is very bizarre to see her all grown up and married. I am blessed to have been able to partake in this special day. She has chosen a wonderful partner in life, as Stan is such a good guy! I promise to post more teasers soon! What a lovely couple and gorgeous day. 

Little Monkey going Bananas!

Angie brought in Lincoln's very first halloween costume for a part of his 9 month shoot. The Little Monkey was absolutely adorable! We even had bananas to boot! I'm glad that I happen to have a fake banana on hand for him to chew on and bang around. This was so fun. I love doing theme shoots! Thanks Angie for sharing your Little Monkey!

Melissa & Kelly Teasers

Melissa and Kelly were married at the Grand Lodge at Mulligan's in Sartell, MN.  This beautiful wedding took place on the patio at sunset. Kelly and Melissa didn't see each other until her father was walking her down the isle and the love in Kelly's face was unforgettable. Here are a few teasers with more to come!

First Annual Imagine Calendar Winners!

Cover

I am proud to announce the First Annual Imagine Calendar winners for the 2011 calendar year. This year we included the top 16 into the 12 month calendar. They will be open to the general public to purchase for $15 on November 20, 2010, with 100% of the proceeds going back to the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota. You will be able to purchase them on both my website and Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota's. I am taking pre-orders as of today. Just contact Nissa @ www.idealphots.com.


I am also looking for vendors in the Mankato Area who would be willing to put them out as well or purchase as a gift for employees. Please contact Nissa for more information. Thank You for supporting the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota. My goal is to help raise money in effort to gain a permanent site in Mankato for this much needed organization. Our Children deserve a close place where imagination at play can be cultivated.

Back

Little Big Guy Grady!

This little guy was two weeks when he came in with his full head of hair! I think it was the first time I actually had to tuck a newborn's hair behind his ear. Grady was born on August 24th at a whopping 9 lbs. I hope he understands that he has no choice but to be a Fighting Souix fan. He has a good start with the jerseys, hats, stuffed animals and etc! 


Amber and Todd were so proud and he slept very well during all of my crazy business. Once he was out and comfy, I was able to do pretty much anything I wanted.  I look forward to more sessions with Grady and his family. Congratulations guys and he is lucky to have parents who are so obviously in love with him! 

50th Wedding Anniversary

Jen used her session that she purchased from a silent auction, as an Anniversary Gift for her parents. Jim and Elaine Loaney celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in September. All the kids and their families were home to show appreciation and support, even all the way from Arizona.  After the photo session, there was a party with many from the wedding party from 50 years ago in attendance.

We created these images at the Historical Hubbard House in Mankato. They were so great to let me position them in a nontraditional family pose on the porch. I love the vintage feel of this family image. Thanks guys for allowing me to be creative!

Cassidy Miller Class of 2011

Cassidy Miller is a senior at Mankato East High School and is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She was a joy to photograph and we had so much fun that I had to force myself to stop!


We started the session at Reconciliation Park, a location that is very special to Cassidy. Her father, Tom Miller, carved this buffalo from a 67-ton block of local Kasota limestone. The buffalo symbolizes the spiritual survival of the Dakota people.

We continued our session downtown near the train tracks finding some fun areas to shoot. Then we finished up at the studio with a cute dress, sparkly shoes, funky chair outdoor and a jeans, adorable shirt and chandelier indoor.

Thanks for a great time Cassidy! I can't wait until you get to see the rest!