This is Barett. We met him (and his moms) when we used to take Merlin and Memphis to obedience school when they were puppies. That was about 13 years ago, meaning this guy here is an old soul. But man, is he a sweet heart. Since he and Merlin were buddies as pups, it's always sad (yet great) to see this guy still ambling along and doing so well. And he reminds me so much of sweet Merlin -- it's truly a joy to have him in the studio. More of my favorite images from our session on Saturday are below. Enjoy! And lastly, this photo was taken in 2011, but I had to share it. What cuties.For your internet share today, let's all go to Greece, eh? Wow does that look amazing.

This is Kashi. Sweet, sweet Kashi.She is 10 and is a labradoodle. Her mom and dad were a poodle and a labrador, so she is less curly than the newer generations that are bred with two labradoodle parents (and are therefore curlier). And you guys, this dog is the sweetest thing ever. A perfect lady. Here are a few of my favorite shots. For your internet share today... there is so much hardship in the world right now. Between Istanbul and the mess in Europe and Trump ... sometimes you can get really brought down by it all. But this? This made me smile. Because dogs and french fries are a wonderful combination.

Oh you guys, you guys. I could dognap this pup right here. Like, tomorrow.(Don't worry sweet Sarah -- Bruno's mom -- I wouldn't do that to you!)Bruno is 6 mos. old and came into the studio on Saturday and I almost melted right there. He's a mix between a Great Pyrenees and an Australian Cattle dog, and frankly he reminds me of a smaller Merlin that I want to cuddle up next to on a chilly Sunday morning.He was a perfect gentleman in the studio, and I wanted to show you a few of my favorite shots. I spent 20 minutes photographing each of the dogs that day, and you'll get more of them later this week. I know they are "old" images, but I'm on set with 3M this week from 8 am until 6 pm, and that leaves me little time for extra blog images. Plus these dogs are gorgeous, so I think you'll love them.    For your internet shares of the day:+ These crib sheets are absolutely adorable. But there is no way on earth I'm spending $45 on material my kid can crap all over.+ Preach on Aziz.

Look at these two lovebirds! I had an engagement session with them last night, and I loved how the light was hitting her clavicle and jawline. Sexy, indeed! What you can't see is the swarms of mosquitos that were eating us alive while we shot this image. Oh, the sacrifices for art!I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I have tomorrow booked full of dog shoots in the studio (!!!) and then brunch with friends on Sunday. Pretty excited for that!Here are a few things to keep you entertained from the internet:+ I love this approach to kids' allowance.+ I cannot get enough of seeing what people pack for vacations.+ And I never wanted to take a screenwriting course... UNTIL NOW.

This weekend while I was toting my camera around shooting hikes or families or whatnot, I kept stopping to photograph the details. And then I realized it wasn't so much the details as the different textures that nature offers. These are a few of those snaps. It's just amazing how much beauty is all around us every day and how numb you can get to it. Lots of internet shares today! Enjoy :)+ What does David Sedaris pack when he travels the world on tour?+ How to talk to kids.+ A podcast that's purpose is to bore you to sleep.+ My new favorite food blog.+ Just plain trippy! Click this! Do this!

Did you hear about the strawberry moon on my birthday? Of course I had to see what time it was rising! 9:05? Oh yeah. You better be sure I was gonna photograph that!After dinner, Nyberg hung around for a bit, and then we headed down to the lake to watch it happen. It was a gorgeous night, and so much fun.In the photo above, the moon looks a little "smudged" in the top, right corner. That's part of a whispy cloud! And the sailboat is out of focus because it was moving pretty fast and I had to keep my shutter open for awhile to capture the light off the moon. Still, I was pleased with this image. I particularly like the reflections on the water. Quite the birthday gift from mother nature!As a reminder (not your internet share), you can buy this as a print along with a bunch of my other nature shots over here.And for your internet shares of the day:+ Recently there was a Friday Night Lights reunion, and I'm sad to say my Riggins crush just ended.+ A friend of mine had a large brain tumor removed last fall and is throwing a huge party to raise money to help with her expenses. If you live in Minnesota, you should come.+ I loved this piece on how to be the best hostess. (stretch goals...)+ I need to buy some of these for Ezra stat.

So this weekend we celebrated Father's Day and my birthday (!!) and we got a haircut and we ... recovered from illness. Oh, don't you worry about Ezra. That kid is a-ok healthy. It's the viruses he spread to us, his poor parents, that brought us down. And Jamie got hit the hardest (just what he wanted for Father's Day! Thanks, kid!). Anyway, luckily for Jamie, ice cream was what tasted best this weekend, and that's what I wanted to eat for my (very small) birthday gathering. So it was a win-win. Photos below -- enjoy!This week was a FULL ON, REAL haircut. Meaning, not only were clippers used, but Ezra wore a cape and the hair dryer was brought out, and the kid took it like a champ. That Barber Bob is the damn best.And as a reward, Ezra got to finish Jamie's smoothie at Panera. That kid loves his smoothies/popsicles/ice cream. Can't imagine who he gets that from...And since we all know ice cream is my favorite food ever, we invited a few friends to meet us at MilkJam on Saturday to celebrate my birthday. We ordered "All of Them," which is all 16 flavors built into a sundae. It was amazing.We demolished it. (There was more eaten after this photo. Which might have caused my stomach ache that night.)But this kid was thrilled!The next day, I snapped this while he was enjoying a yogurt. This kid and cold dairy are a match made in heaven.And here the boys are on Father's Day.I like how it looks like Ezra is giving Jamie a backrub for father's day here, and not climbing all over his poor, sick father.That evening, we had a picnic at the lake, listened to some classical music at the bandshell and then watched the ducks.On Monday, Jamie and I went for a few short walks, and on one of them I spied this deer. Wait, Jamie spied the deer. I took the photo.And then that night, Nyberg came over for my birthday dinner and played with the kid. After dinner, she and I headed down to the lake to photograph the moonrise. You'll get to see that tomorrow :)For your internet share of the day, I loved this story. If only we were all that polite on the internet.

I'm finally finding the time to really go through and spend some time with the photos from last week's wedding, and what a wonderful day it was. This couple and their friends and family were just so wonderful and supportive of each other. There was no stress or worrying or frantic-ness about this day. It was easy, and fun and all about enjoying the moment -- which was a treat for everyone. The bride refashioned her mother's wedding dress and she was married in the same church as her mother, which as a really nice touch as well. Wishing these two the best in the many years to come!Enjoy the highlights*...       Also! Note that I won't be blogging on Monday as it's my birthday and I'm gonna try to stay away from all work possible. You'll get your family update on Tuesday! Cheers!*Special thanks to the fabulous Lucy who helped me second shoot this wedding!