when you are having this much fun, who cares about a little hail? hillary and Jason's wedding

yep, you read that right, I said hail. on hillary and jason's wedding day there was hail, sleet, sun, rain, just about every kind of weather you could imagine....in may!....in wisconsin. even though they had to make the call to have their wedding indoors instead of out, like they planned, they didn't let that detail get them down. one thing I can say with certainty is that hillary and jason and their family and friends like to have FUN. and they definitely did so on saturday. it was great to be able to spend time with such happy people just enjoying their time together! thank you jason and hillary for having me be a part of your day! 

waiting on baby….vanessa, angel and fabio

the last time I saw this adorable little family, it was fabio in vanessa's adorable baby belly. It was so lovely to see them again as they await the arrival of the newest member of their family--a baby girl. we didn't quite have the sunny glorious evening to photograph in that we did last time we met, but it was still a gorgeous may evening, and I so enjoyed watching this family interact! 

a beautiful day in may for carly and scott's wedding

when I photographed Carly and Scott's engagement session, we discussed how since it was super cold they day they GOT engaged, and very chilly on the day we took their engagement session that their wedding day would be lovely. well, i got a little worried leading up to this past saturday when the forcast called for rain and chilly temperatures, but Carly and Scott's wedding day ended up being a lovely day. no rain! I had an amazing time photographing Carly and Scott, their friends and their family. They are all SO MUCH FUN! And they are so surrounded by people that love them. It is amazing to be able to spend time with people like that. Not to mention the elegant, simple and sophisticated touches that Carly incoorporated into the day. I loved it all! Thank you so much to Carly and Scott for having me! And a big shout out to Jessica Brandau of Forever Dear Photography: thank you so much for second shooting for me! 

pause

sometimes I wish there was a pause button i could press. to stop them growing up so fast, to freeze time so certain moments lasted so much longer, to keep them from passing up some of the stages their are in now with such alarming speed. but since there is no pause button to press, I press the shutter instead. thinking with each click " this way I can at least keep some of this time for ever" hoping I can look back through images and recapture what it was like now. I am also trying to reevaluate and recognize that which is really unimportant to spend more time and energy on the things of GREAT value. (which is why I no longer have a personal facebook account....among other things) 

mamiya 645//canon 1V//kodak 400

a walk in the woods with tara and matt

//winter day, couple in love, beautiful light. 

//film and digital mix

sarah and luke's intimate ceremony

i often get asked what kinds of weddings are my "favorite" to photograph. up until recently my answer probably had a lot to do with details, venues, and a general aesthetic--and while, i still do love it when people put thought and their own personality into the "look" of their day, all that pales in comparison to the FEELING of the day. hands down, my favorite events (of any kind) to photograph are events full of joy, full of family, full of people who care about EACH OTHER and their marriage above all the details of a wedding that can stress out the best of us . 

Sarah and Luke's ceremony was just that, my favorite kind of event.  It was an intimate ceremony with just some of their most immediate family members, held at the Rooted Spoon in Viroqua (um...if you are having an intimate gathering, RUN don't walk to check out this venue. they were amazing...the atmosphere is so laid back, the space was warm, inviting and unique,  the staff was so helpful and friendly, the food. oh my goodness THE FOOD. seriously, you won't be disapointed). The whole day was just so lovely, sincere, and  full of joy. Sarah and Luke are such genuine, loving, easy going people and it was a complete honor to document their day. 

thank you so much Sarah and Luke and family for including me in your lovely celebration! 

snowfall kind of love….amanda and grant

I want a snowfall kind of love. The kind of love that quiets the world.I want a snowfall kind of love.'Cause I'm a snowfall kind of girl. I want a snowfall kind of love. That lights up the sky from below. I want a snowfall kind of love. That brings people to their window. Won't you bury me in your quiet love. Oh bury me in your quiet love

---Ingrid Michaelson, Snowfall

I am going to go out on a limb here and make a bet that amanda and grant's wedding day will be a wee bit warmer than their engagement session this past weekend. Beginning of August? yeah, it's got to be a little balmier than the frosty morning we had....but amanda and grant didn't let the cold bother them. My friend Dani Stephenson and I are co-shooting their wedding and shot together for their engagement session as well. Thanks so much for a fun morning Amanda and Grant! We can't wait for your wedding! 

sunshine is coming

when it looks bleak, remember, this will not last forever. sunshine is coming. the moment you are ready to quit is often the moment right before a miracle happens. don't give up. sunshine is coming. winter never lasts forever. listen to this. hold on. sunshine is coming. 

the way you look tonight….

so, I was updating my website (have you been there lately? well you should go, now!) and I realized that I am really drawn to photographs of brides, alone, on their wedding day. maybe since I know how it feels to be a bride. the whirlwind of the day. the anticipation of seeing the love in your grooms eyes as you walk down the aisle? whatever the reason, I decided to share some bride, solo photographs with you all today.....

happy new year! and LOTS of notes of interest

hello! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season... I know we did. I am so looking forward to this year and working with a lot of very lovely people! 

I have a lot of notes of interest.....so read on! 

* don't forget my winter wedding special. there are only NINE more days to get a contract in and take advantage of this special!

*I've decided to offer some fun winter/snow mini sessions.... right now they will be Saturday January 26th, but if I have interest for Sunday, January 27th I would be open to some that day as well. Remember mini sessions are 20 minutes long, and include a disc of 15 images. investment: $150

I am also offering a VERY VERY limited number of full family sessions. PLEASE NOTE, my approach to these family sessions is very documentary. I will NOT pose you. I want to photograph your family in your natural setting, interacting as you would on any given day. real life. not anything staged or overly forced. again. I will NOT POSE YOU. if you are interested in this sort of session, please contact me for more information. 

a note for photographers: while I have decided not to offer anymore workshops at this time, I have had some interest in one-on-one mentoring. If you are interested, please contact me for more information

*i do have availability left in my wedding schedule as well to add some more lovely couples. while june and august have proven to be crazy-popular months, I have dates available in July, September, October and November. 

*don't forget I offer birth photography services. 

annnnd I will end with this:

a year in the life of...my kids...in case you missed it on facebook. THIS is why I am a photographer