As summer nears, the weather is improving providing for some very nice outdoor shots at weddings. The church, at Hamline University, provided for some really nice architecture photographs indoors as well. With the bright, sunny day, the stained glass was a very cool place to take photographs with the light pouring in.
Last Saturday we did photography of Inna and Joseph renewing their vows at St. Petersburg restaurant in Robbinsdale. We photographed their wedding 10 years ago, and it was an honor to photograph them renewing their vows. Something like this can be especially fun because there isn’t as much stress for the couple as a regular wedding. The restaurant was beautifully decorated, with plenty of food! This adds a lot to photography because photographing the people is the most important, but making sure to document what was there is always important to include. Watching their family grow is something special being able to photograph them 10 years later.
The wedding of Matt and Alison on April 30 could have been a wash out, but instead the changing weather provided for some unique photography. With rain comes some added benefits. The clouds allow for even light, and the umbrellas provide a unique prop and some added color. The wedding took place in the Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, which was connected to the Capella Tower atrium that provided lots of natural light. The beautiful wooden stairs with a fisheye lens looking down is a very cool perspective. Taking some pictures at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the scenery made for some compelling photographs of the city and Mississippi River in the background. Understanding how to adapt and make use of potential downfalls is what makes wedding photography fun, and we hope it shows in our photos.
Upon arriving back in frozen Minnesota from sunny south Florida, it’s apparent why people travel there. Natalie and Brian’s wedding brought us to Boca Raton for a destination beach wedding. Staying at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the hotel provided fantastic landscaping with stunning architecture for very unique photos. The trick actually was finding shade to not only stay cool but provide even light. The ceremony was held on the beach at sunset and the reception in the club overlooking the ocean. This isn’t a typical wedding for the soul reason there were many photo opportunities not available in Minnesota such as certain vegetation to provide really colorful and different backgrounds. Though, it wasn’t just the Florida scenery that made this trip an experience. It’s traveling and spending time with the families, taking pictures in the airport from the first day to casual pictures the day after the ceremony. We captured a story rather than a single event.
Monday, March 14th
Another awesome engagement session. What a great mix of casual, dressy and Minnesota winter!
Can’t wait to show you more fun images on Wednesday.
Friday, March 11th
Good morning! Before I share preview images from an engagement photo session I just did with Kaylen and Patrick I thought I’d share some FAQ, useful info and tips on engagement photo session
Question: Do we really need to do an engagement session?
Answer: Yes. I won’t shoot your wedding unless you do 
Just kidding.
Well, not unless you live in NY and won’t be in Minnesota until your wedding day. Trust me – it’s fun, you get comfortable in front of the camera, you see your pictures and go “oooh – we look good” and then you totally relax on your wedding day because it’s just little old me. Oh – and you get some great images for save the dates, wedding websites, newspaper announcements, holiday cards…
As summer moves along, the days start heating up. For the wedding in the beginning of July, it was hot, humid, and the wedding was in a non-air conditioned church. With the ceremony and reception on the University of Minnesota campus, we took the opportunity to go down to the Mississippi River for some photos. With nice light entering the church, we were able to get a very soft look to the photos, adding to the appeal. Using the photo stitching technique, we could get the entire wedding party, the church, and more background then with a single image.
This wedding provided a unique experience when it comes to wedding photography, though can’t say it’s surprising because sometimes you run into awesome opportunities when it comes to photographing weddings. In between the ceremony and reception, we went with the wedding party to the bride’s family farm to take some pictures. Along with very interesting props, it was mostly overcast, which provided an even light. Still using a portable second light, we were able to ensure a good exposure. Things such as the bails of hay in the background added fantastic texture to the photo.
The ceremony for this wedding was held at the Millennium Gardens in Plymouth, Mn. An outdoor wedding on a sunny day provides more challenges then the weather made pleasant. With a lot of contrast, it took select locations to get an even light. Nonetheless, it was great weather with beautiful scenery. It was an American wedding with Chinese tradition mixed in it. During the ceremony, the bride and groom served tea to their parents as sign of respect. The reception was held at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. On the 14th floor in a bubble if you will, the view was awesome with the skyline of Minneapolis right in the background. Again, we used the photostich technique to put the right perspective on such a unique setting.
