In the midst of a fall full of family sessions, commercial work and editorial shoots, I've also worked with a few high school students taking their senior portraits, and the sessions have been so much fun! Hearing about their plans after high school is always so interesting (Traveling abroad! Deciding on colleges! Exploring careers!), and it's inspiring to hear about people's hopes and dreams for themselves.Below are a few photos from a few different sessions!
On a recent City Pages assignment, I visited the new Popol Vuh in Northeast Minneapolis. Whenever I'm out shooting at new restaurants, I am never quite sure what to expect - there aren't often photos online, the dishes I shoot are picked by the editor, the restaurant is sometimes packed with people making shooting difficult, etc. Sometimes the food that comes out of the kitchen is less than exciting, and I really have to stretch my creativity to get the shot. And sometimes, every dish that comes out of those doors is more gorgeous than the last. As I hope the pictures below demonstrate - the menu at Popol Vuh is just that - exquisite. City Pages food editor, Hannah Sayle, reviewed the spot - you can read about it here. And after you do that, I highly recommend making a reservation and heading to Northeast.Happy Friday!
Last week I received a weather alert for Duluth: there was a significant storm coming -- winds predicted to be 65 mph, waves up to 12 feet, shoreline damage expected. I have *always* wanted to be on the North Shore during one of these giant storms, and I happened to have a couple of flexible days in my schedule, so decided to trust the weather reports, book a hotel, and head north.The storm rolled in overnight and I woke up to thundering wind and waves and headed straight for Canal Park. Getting out of the car, I was overwhelmed. Winds were so strong it was difficult to open the door. And, it was nearly impossible to see anything with the rain whipping at my face.But, the height of the waves and power of the storm were magnificent, and that was enough to persuade me to get out there and explore regardless of how slightly overwhelming the situation seemed. The gale brought on more than expected. Wind gusts topped 85 mph (hurricane strength starts at 74 mph!), waves were over 20 feet, and tons of rain. All of that lead to destruction along the shoreline, and it was humbling to see that all progress as I spent the afternoon stopping at various spots along the Shore, ranging from Duluth to Palisade Head, and below are a few photos from the day. Seeing Superior in this state absolutely solidified the fact that it's a lake you don't mess with.
On Friday evening I made my way over to Palace Theatre in St. Paul to photograph an old favorite band of mine, Death Cab for Cutie. I adored this band back in high school and early college and I had never seen them live before, so eagerly jumped at the opportunity to shoot the show.I shot these images for City Pages, but sadly, my photo pass did *not* include a ticket to the show. That is fairly common with concert photography, and means that I was allowed into the venue for the opener, and then was able to shoot the first three songs of the Death Cab set before being ushered out of the venue. A bit disappointing not to see them perform some of my old favorite songs, but it's always magical to be in the photo pit, so close to an artist you love.The opener was Charly Bliss, a Brooklyn-based power pop group.
And just like that we're already well into September! This summer has flown by so incredibly quickly, it is actually kind of alarming! Every month this summer was busier with work than the last, and August turned out to be the busiest month of my year so far. And, on top of that, we had the studio move. Whew. But, although things may have felt a tiny bit hectic at times, summer was full of wonderful shoots with clients new and old. And, being in our new space is absolutely wonderful (we still can't wait to show you some more photos once everything is perfectly in place!).One of the new clients I've had into the studio was a super food truffle company, Purple Earth Co. - they make these *amazing* dark chocolate truffles that are loaded with purple foods - head over to their site to learn all about them! They were working on launching a new website, so I took a variety of images - product, ingredient, and lifestyle - for them to use on their new site and social media. As you may know, food photography is one of my favorites, and it was so fun to combine that with styling on this shoot! Yes, it was a busy day styling AND shooting, but I love how it all turned out and would absolutely do it again.Happy Sunday!
I had an absolute blast on this family shoot - the little guy up there just turned three, and he is the smiliest, happiest kid around (just scroll through the photos below to see what I mean!). As summer is winding down (it's 60 degrees this morning! What?!), family shoots are starting to fill my schedule a bit more, which I love! If you are looking for a session, I still have availability in September and October, so send me a note and we can get you on the calendar! 
I hope you had a chance to pick up a copy of last week's City Pages - I had a ton of fun shooting the cover photo and feature images for the very summer-y Ultimate Minnesota Picnic story (you can also read it all here!).This was a rather extensive shoot with several picnic arrangements around various themes (kid friendly, date picnic, vegan options, etc.) - with each requiring different styling (done by myself, the CP art director, and various staff writers). This would have all gone extremely smoothly, except for the day we needed to shoot is was 95 degrees and there were rain showers every 30 minutes. So, while I think the end product turned out very well, there was a *ton* of behind-the-scenes scrambling going on. But those moments are where the memories are made, right?Anyway, I hope the article, and these photos give you some picnic inspiration! We had all better take advantage of this lovely warm weather while we have it around.Happy Friday!
Hello, hello!I have an absolute new favorite spot in Minneapolis, although I think I am a bit behind, since it's everyone else's new fav as well. But, if you have not been, the gorgeous and ridiculously delicious Hai Hai restaurant in northeast Minneapolis should be at the top of your list. This is the second venture from the owners of Hola Arepa, and they hit it out of the park. I have been three times in the last month, and I already have plans to bring a couple of friends while they visit from out of town.What makes it so great? The Vietnamese-inspired menu features street-style dishes brimming with the freshest produce - cilantro, lettuce, basil, etc. - which balances the heavier ingredients perfectly. The cocktails are refreshing and unique - I had the Lychee Keen, a gin-based slushy drink which was almost *too* good. And the bright and poppy interior decor is a stunning backdrop for a meal with friends and family.So, after that love letter, you can imagine how excited I was when City Pages asked me to take photos for their feature on the place! Below are a few of my favorite shots. You can read the review here, and see more of my images here!
