Earlier in the week, when we were photographing Lake Superior and it was snowing, my camera inadvertently focused on the flakes instead of the shoreline. And I loved the result, above. I've always been a sucker for snow photos, and this is no exception.I hope you all have a fabulous and relaxing weekend ahead! Here are some links to get you started:+ How to photograph elephants. Oh come on, you know you've always wanted this info!+ This cauliflower pasta is calling my name.+ I didn't know the Clooneys were having twins, but the headline pleases me very much.+ Amazing tip on removing stickers!

Last week I had a super fun newborn session with this little lady right here. How cute is that hand on her cheek? What an adorable kid!Since I had so much fun earlier this week up in the woods on Lake Superior, I'm sad to report that I'm paying for it with all the catch-up that 2 days out of the office entails. So I've been in meetings and on my computer for most of the day, save for a chilly but sweet engagement session I had this afternoon. More on that later...But until then, here are some internet shares for you!+ I really liked this Super Bowl ad.+ And this one made me laugh. Isn't it interesting how these ads might be seen as trying to persuade people into more than just the products they are selling? Hmmm...+ This video made me so, so nervous! Would you do it? Not me. Way too much of a chicken over here.

I'm back in Minneapolis again, after a white-knuckle drive home through a snow storm. It was a great (but short!) trip up north, and visually it was so inspiring -- which is 100% completely necessary in this line of work.Above is one of the outtakes from my shoot with the opera singer in the woods. For the "real" images we took off the coat to show off that amazing figure and beautiful dress, but I adore this shot because the red pops so well in the woods. And those trees. My word.Below is an image I took on the hike to the spot above. I loved the bleakness of the sky and the frozen pond, but the trees in the  middle had so much texture. It reminded me of a Bob Ross painting. And while it looks a tad grainy, it's really the snow that was coming down. It was the kind of snow that is super small and icy, so it doesn't show up too much in pictures except like that. Anyway, I still like the image.For your internet shares today, there is NOTHING political. Seriously. Probably because I feel defeated and beat down and am so depressed that after ALL those calls that ridiculous Betsy DeVos still was confirmed. But whatever. On to the next fight.+ I was looking at a blog earlier and loved, loved, loved this shirt. Then I found it online. Who the hell pays $450 for a SHIRT? That's a plane ticket, my friends. (Also, if you pay $450 regularly for shirts, will you please buy this one and then hand it down to me when you're finished? Thanks.)+ This essay about parents on Craigslist made me laugh. If you don't have toddlers, you can skip it. If you do, please enjoy it to the fullest.+ I cannot believe I do not already own this cookbook! 

You know I'm a happy girl after seeing that image up there, don't you?Today I drove up to the North Shore with my buddy Lucy, and we shot images of the windy, snowy shores of Lake Superior for an amazing secret project that I can tell you about in a few weeks.We dined at Scenic Cafe (one of my favorite restaurants in the world) and then drove 40 minutes north to hit Tettegouche State Park and to photograph the movement of water. It was breathtaking. It was so fabulous to have a day away from any news that may have made me crazy.Like this.But in all seriousness, Lucy and I are cozied up by the fire, editing images from our adventure, and later today I'm heading out to take head shot photos of an opera singer in the woods while it's snowing. Somebody pinch me. Oh! And before I forget! Here is a photo Lucy took of me. Love that lady and her mad skillz.

What a weekend! Let's see... we had the lovely shoot featured above (this 13-year-old girl had mad hops!), and we had a trip to the zoo, along with hosting brunch, visiting friends, having company for a delicious chili dinner during the big game and a date night where we finally got to see Arrival (wonderful!). So a pretty great weekend!My two internet shares are political.+ The first will make you laugh. Oh wait, here's a second that will also make you laugh!+ And the second will make you want to fight. Or at least it does for me. (Special thanks to long-time reader Tom for finding it!)

I meant to blog yesterday, I really did. But my internet was down for the entire afternoon, and then I had a photoshoot with this adorable guy in the studio and then the boys came home from work/school and we had a pizza party with friends and... I just forgot.Sorry.It was nice to just let yesterday happen, and to be honest, it was nice to not have internet for a few hours. I still had my phone, which is a pain when attempting to answer work emails on that tiny keyboard, but other than that it was a pleasant break.Now, let's talk about that photo! Look at that darling boy in his tie! With that expression! So dang cute!I hope you guys  have a great weekend. We're going to attempt a trip to the zoo and I have a shoot and we might have friends over for brunch. We'll see how it all goes.Here are some fun internet shares for the day:+ I want this bag BAD.+ This is a great poster to hang in your house or to carry to your next protest!+ And something non political! But it might be scarier! (Psh, as if.)

Last night, I met up with about 5,000 other people in downtown Minneapolis to protest the Muslim-centered travel ban that Trump put into place last weekend.I seriously urge all of you who are disheartened by the news and events these days to attend protests and meetings and just surround yourselves with others who share your beliefs. There is nothing else that makes you feel like a) you can accomplish something and b) gives back a little faith in humanity.Here are a few of my favorite photos/signs from the event, but you can see the full set over here.

 You guys, I am exhausted.Every time I get on the internet, there are more things happening in this world that are making me want to set my hair on fire and run screaming into the street. But instead, I take a deep breath, I take a long sip of coffee, and I pick up my phone and call all of my political representatives.So I thought something pretty might be a nice break. This orchid up there was gifted to us by our friends Spike and Kathy when our dear, beloved Memphis died in 2012. Jamie has made it his mission to keep it alive and man, he is doing a bang-up job! I can't keep a SUCCULENT alive for a year (you know, those plants that need NOTHING) and his orchid is going on five years!Now. Back to business. For your internet share of the day:+ I found this podcast that I'm loving called Pod Save America. It's done by a group of guys who worked in the White House (many under Obama) including Jon Favreau, who served as Barack Obama’s head speechwriter from 2005–2013 (!!!). It's pretty enlightening. It would make me happier if women or people of color were in the group of talking heads, but beggars can't be choosers.+ On a lighter note, here is a kitchen remodel that I love.