We made a cake for the holiday yesterday, and I let Ezra have "the licks." Oh man, did that make his day! And then we had fireworks! And hot dogs! And water balloon fights! And squirt gun wars! And friends over! And corn on the cob!We had fun. I hope you did, too.Now? Back to work.And for your internet shares of the day:+ I love how this man is taking on Paul Ryan.+ 35 cheap recipes from Bon Appetit.

Yup, I'm still posting photos from the zoo. I know it was last week, but it's a holiday weekend and my motivation to sort through recent photos is low. Bear with me.We've spent the weekend playing at parks, swimming in pools, napping, grilling out and seeing movies. It has been wonderful. And now I'm hoping to hop off this computer as quick as possible so I can continue this amazing streak I have going in this fabulous 80 degrees and breezy weather. I encourage you to do the same!But first, some leopards!

I guess I disappeared there for a bit, didn't I?Sorry about that! I've been out shooting on locations every day from sunrise to sunset, and with these long days, that leaves not much left in my fuel tank by the time I return to the hotel.Today I got up and shot for a bit before meeting one of my very best friends for lunch. Seeing my college roommate at home with her adorable boys? That was pretty amazing.Then I drove to the airport, and due to a delayed flight, I have a few moments to blog. This photo is an outtake shot from a scouting session I did for Colorado State University. The campus was beautiful, and it was so fun to see so many buildings, programs and students. We photographed labs, stables, hikes in the mountains, hikes in the woods by the river, two breweries, downtown nightlife and the fermentation lab on campus (where beer makers get their education). It was all a blast, and I am so fortunate they found me and hired me for this gig.And now I'm going to fly home and collapse into bed and sleep forever. Or at least until Ezra wakes me up tomorrow at 6 am.Thanks for your patience guys -- no internet shares today. I haven't even seen a newspaper since Tuesday, which is super rare for this girl.

 Is this eagle cool or WHAT?I had a shoot a while back at Buffalo Days in Buffalo, MN, and the Raptor Center was there doing a presentation. And you know me and birds... Total sucker. So needless to say, I loved this shot. This eagle is 18 years old. It came to the center as a baby with a broken wing. They mended the wing, but it's not strong enough for her to fly in the wild, so they use her for education. I think her name is Maxine.I am flying to Colorado tomorrow for a work trip (by myself -- no toddler!), so posting might be a bit sporadic, but I'll try to stay on top of it.And here are your internet shares for the day!+ Documentaries to keep your kids busy and learning this summer. Also? I want to watch them as well.+ Tips on buying wine.+ Perfect places for Wes Anderson. Or for me! Let's go take photos there!+ This movie hits Minneapolis on Friday and I want to see it SO BAD!

Did you know that it has now been 4 years that I've been doing this whole photography business full time? That's like a college education in running your own business!So I think it's appropriate to both celebrate this milestone, and to tell you about the next one. Are you ready?I have officially added a second photographer to the staff! How exciting is THAT?!?Not only is it exciting because I can now help more clients get more work done (yay!), but it's even more thrilling because my new coworker is the The Amazing Lucy that you guys have been hearing about for the last few months (and whom you can see up top there). And man, are you about to hear some more.Lucy and I met a few years ago while shooting concerts (I used to work with her husband at the Strib). And then we starting taking walks together around the lake because 1) we both love nature 2) we both are bird nerds 3) we both love Conor Oberst and 4) she was starting her freelance photography work and had questions. And man, did I have answers. If you've never met me in person, I have OPINIONS. And I love helping people learn. And I love walking around lakes. It was a win-win.I eventually hired Lucy to second shoot a wedding with me, and then another. She started assisting me on corporate shoots and then second shooting with me on other shoots, and our workflow was becoming seamless. I had clients raving about her on-set demeanor, I was charmed by her work ethic, and I always love others who are as passionate about learning as I am. And did I mention she takes amazing photos?So as my year has gotten busier and busier (my weekends are almost all booked up until November right now!), I thought it would be good to bring Lucy on staff. I can refer her to my clients when I can't take jobs on certain days, and we can also serve as backup for one another if needed.But there's even more.Not only does Lucy love to shoot photos, but she loves styling them. Which means that now we can work as a team to both style AND shoot for clients when it comes to fashion, food or product photography.  This makes Shuttersmack even more of a one-stop shop, and that is super exciting for me.But enough about the benefits to me and how this came about, eh? Let me show you some of Lucy's work. I'll let it speak for itself and then you can fall for her just like I did. Also, answers to more questions below. Q: Does Lucy shoot just like you? Do you have the same workflow? What are her strengths?A: Lucy shoots very similarly to me, for sure (see above). Her specialties are food, nature, concerts, portraits and weddings. When it comes to dogs and infants, I'm probably still the one you should reach out to (for now). Our workflow on editing and processing varies a little, but we both have a very similar style.Q: Are you guys charging the same rates?A: It depends. Some work that we both have a ton of experience in are charged similarly. Other projects that Lucy is still learning the ins-and-outs of might have a cheaper rate for her for the next year or so until she builds more experience.Q: If I want to book with Shuttersmack, but I don't care which photographer I get, how can I reach out?A: You should still email leslie[at]shuttersmack.com. I can check on both of our schedules and get back to you.Q: You said Lucy liked to style shoots. But she's also a photographer?A: Yes. One of the many, many wonderful things about Lucy is that she's super collaborative, and she can wear a lot of hats. She works well as a lead shooter, a second shooter, as an assistant on set and as a stylist (arranging and choosing props etc). She's also interested in producing shoots. It's great because she wants to learn every aspect of the business, and it makes Shuttersmack much more versatile (one person can only do so much!).Q: I'm interested in hiring her! What do I do?A: Email her! You can reach her at lucy[at]shuttersmack.com. She can tell you her schedule and her rates and you two should get in touch asap!Q: Will Lucy be blogging in this space, or will it still be mostly about your life/work/adventures?A: Lucy is welcome to blog here when she has fun work to show off, and I might have her guest post for me every once in awhile! She is a great writer and has so many amazing nature photos that you'll love to see. That said, I don't want to force the responsibility of tons of blog posts on her. I like blogging to be fun and not work. So we'll see what happens!  

This week was spent on lots and lots of baby photos. And wedding photos. But mostly baby photos!I've had a bunch of kids in the studio lately, and these were a few of my favorite shots from Monday's session. And you guys? It's almost the weekend!I am taking this entire weekend off from photography (birthday gift to myself! yay!), and I am super excited about all the family time I have ahead of me. So far it looks like we have a trip to the zoo (kangaroos!) planned and a party with some dear friends. Otherwise, I'm hoping for some relaxation and cooking and that's about it.What are you guys up to this weekend? Oh yeah, and here are some internet shares for you:+ Perfect new music for grey days.+ The first outfit that caught my eye this week from The Sartorialist (those shoes!). And the second.+ House envy. But yeah, I'm not living in Arizona.

Here are a few shots from a smash cake session I had last week. This kid was BRINGING IT with the facial expressions! And his mom? She was so prepared with props, wardrobe, etc. We had a blast.Happy first birthday, kiddo!For your internet shares of the day:+ I want to have this for dinner soon. Like, maybe, tomorrow?+ What do white house correspondents pack for their trips? (I feel like there are so many punchlines to be had here)+ Did you know Ikea is now on Amazon? I HAD NO IDEA! (Hat tip to Margaret for the find!)

Last night, a bunch of friends and my family drove 2 hours into Wisconsin to have a pizza picnic on a farm.It was amazing.I have been hearing about the Pizza Farm for AGES, but they are only open to the public on Tuesdays. It is really hard to get away from work early on a Tuesday and drive 3-4 hours round trip before bedtime just to eat some pizza.But it was so worth it.If you are interested in going (AND YOU SHOULD BE), here is the info. For your internet shares of the day:+ My own family is very fortunate. I am reminded of this daily. Other families have serious struggles, and I think this one is worth helping.+ Well, crap. Now I want to go to Alaska.+ I love suggestions on kids books. It might be why Ezra's room is overflowing with them.