Autumn colors in full swing for this family session!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and the colors and weather this week is exactly why it gets my vote!  This beautiful family chose the perfect week to deck out in their fall clothes and head out for a sunset session!  Darling, darling, darling family is all I can say!  And their dog....amazingly cooperative!  Wow!  The whole family was so fun (and equally as cooperative as the doggy) to capture!  Here are a few from your session!!

just the cutest family!

A Perfect Fall Morning!

I'm so lucky in that I've met some very cool HS Seniors this year!  This darling girl was one of them!  With Autumn being her ultimate favorite season (mine too), she waited to schedule her session hoping for some fall colors.  I'd say she picked the perfect week!  The colors and the weather have been amazing!  And how fun to have a morning session!  We captured so many neat images and I can't wait to work on them all.  But for now, here is a quick peek from your session!  

Love love love this outfit!!

Handsome HS Senior Ahead!

I warned you....this HS Senior is not only handsome but a really nice guy.  I could tell even after hanging out with him for just a couple of hours that he is a very genuine person.  Sorry ladies, I cannot give out his phone number!  He couldn't have picked a more gorgeous fall day for his session!  Amazing color going on right now in Minnesota!  Here is just a sneak peek from your session!

Class of 2012!

It's so neat to have the privilege to work with High School Seniors.  They always impress me.  And, this beautiful girl did just that!  Having traveled the world already before she has even graduated High School!  Loving to work with children, it was a perfect fit for her to travel to Korea this past summer and work with a local school.  I admire young people who take opportunities and make them happen!  We had a ball during our evening session.  You never know what you'll get but when the graffiti train traveled past, we knew we had something cool going on!!  Here's a sneak peek!!

She has these stunning green eyes...wow!

Always fun to make a session their own by incorporating their interests! 

A Fall Family Session!

Some of you may recognize this little boy from past blog posts. But this is the first time I've had the opportunity to photograph the entire family!  And what a beautiful family they are! Despite the chilly morning (and the snake sighting...ewww!) we managed to have a great session!  The colors are starting to turn and made for a gorgeous backdrop!  I love to see the interaction and love between these parents and their children!  Here's just a quick peek at just a few!!

Sorry, I couldn't help this one...I'm a sucker for his serious expression!!

"Going to the Chapel...."

9-10-11 - what a great wedding date!  I met this gorgeous bride five years ago, about the time she and her new husband first met!  It's been so exciting to watch their love grow!  I couldn't be happier for both of them!  What a gorgeous day for a wedding!!  Such a meaningful and emotional ceremony as they took their vows and began their life together as husband and wife!  With both coming from such loving families the day was so filled with emotion - excitement, laughter, tears but most of all filled with love! Congratulations!!!

"I Do."

Today was the day they planned for over a year.  It was perfect in every way.  The weather was beautiful.  Their friends and family were present as they became husband and wife. It was on the grounds of the elegant North Oak Country Club that this couple expressed their love for each other and exchanged vows.  The bride and groom set aside time following the wedding ceremony for just the two of them.  Since they chose not see each other before the ceremony, it was their special time together.  It wasn't hard to capture the deep affection they have for one another.  Congratulations to both of you!!

Could this bride be any more gorgeous?

Just a stunning couple...

I am loving the sun flare...and what a perfect sunset for sun flare!!

This is a fun one!

What a great way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon with this fun couple that are currently living thousands of miles apart from each other!  They had a week to spend together this summer and were able to fit in a romantic little photo shoot.  These two were fantastic letting me try some new poses.  Since this gal is a longtime friend of mine, we had fun catching up with lots of laughs.  Our friendship began 25 years ago - yikes, that makes us sound old.  We even captured some special shots of their little puppy;  what a cutie!  Great to see you guys!!  Here you go with your sneak peek!!

I Love Farms!

I am so excited about this project I can hardly stand it!  I have to admit - I have an infatuation with old farms.  I adore large historic barns with all their character.  I've always been drawn to the countryside landscape.  As I drive past farmlands with barns and silos...it’s just picturesque to me.  I snap the photo in my head and promise someday to use an actual camera to capture the view. 

 I have no idea why I have a such a fondness for old farms.  I always have.  I remember being 10 years old begging my parents to move us out to the country so we could live on a farm and have horses!  Sadly, that never happened.

Now that I live in Woodbury.....a town that was once farmland... I am amazed how many gorgeous old barns are still standing.  Of course, I notice and admire them all.  They are each so unique and hold their own story from the past.

You can imagine my excitement when I found myself listening to Inez Oehlke (91 years young) speak of growing up in Woodbury and raising her family on the farm that sits at Co. Rd. 19 and Bailey Road!  Mrs. Oehlke resided in the darling white farmhouse for over 70 years!  It had belonged to her husband's parents before that.  She and her husband raised two children on their dairy farm as well as had a pasture full of Tennessee Walker horses.  Now, why couldn’t they have been my parents so I could have fulfilled my dream of living on a farm with horses?  lol.  

I grew up knowing my own grandparents were raised on farms in the early 1900's and maybe my love of old farms is a way to bring me closer to that time in history and imagine what it was like for them.  There is a photograph or two of both of my grandparents when they were young living in the country.  Sadly, I haven't found one of the farm itself.  That is one thing I wish I had more of - photographs of the farms that belonged to my great-grandparents.  I would treasure photographs like that.

Now that the Oehlke's farmhouse and land belong to a neighboring church, I couldn't help but feel Mrs. Oehlke should have photographs that could be passed down to her family some day.  Images of the white farmhouse, barns and stables can be treasured by future generations .  I offered to capture some unique photos like the ones I wish I had from my own grandparents' farms.   This week I felt like a kid in a candy store walking around the farm capturing the gorgeous country views and a little piece of the Oehlke family's history.  I’m excited to share a few of my favorites:  

Meet sweet Mrs. Oehlke who showed me around the farm this week.

Mrs. Oehlke and her grandson, who also lived in the home and shared tons of memories with me.  The whole experience was so cool!

Stunning HS Senior: Class of 2012

I loved meeting this HS Senior!  She is absolutely stunning.  The camera loved her and her beautiful eyes!  And yes, those eyelashes are the real deal and just amazing!  I swear she could be a model....so natural in front of the camera!  We had a blast during her session and I had a hard time deciding on just a few images for her sneak peek...but here they are!  I cannot wait to process the rest of your images!!!