post by Leslie

A few weekends ago, my friend Meredith asked for some help checking on her chickens in the heat as she and her guy were heading up north for the weekend. And yes, "checking on chickens" is real and not code!I knew Ezra would love to do this, so I heartily agreed and we headed over to add ice to their water and make sure all was well. I was hoping to capture photos of my boys holding the birds, but they are two peas in a pod in that they firmly said no. I held them a little, but I can't very well take photos of myself holding a chicken.But you know what else Meredith has in her back yard? A HAMMOCK! So I hopped up there and snuggled with my boy for a bit before the 95-degree heat got the better of us.Special thanks to Jamie for snapping a few shots of me and the boy.For your internet share of the day:+ People are terrible. Especially racists.+ Yeah. Being a woman is awesome. I mean, it is, but...+ I made this for dinner last night and it was awesome. 

post by leslie

I had two more rescue dogs in the studio last week, and this is the adorable Hadley.She's around 2 years old and came from a hoarder's house down south. Because of this upbringing, she was not socialized as a pup, and is a timid girl. Not the kind of timid that runs and hides -- she came up to me for snuggles immediately, but she is pretty nervous around loud noises or small children. She has the kindest brown eyes, and seems incredibly loyal. She would do best in a home with another dog, as she loves having a sort-of dog mentor to show her the ropes.If you are interested in her and would like more adoption information, you can read more about her here.

post by leslie

I didn't write much about the Fourth last week because I felt like I was still enjoying it! Jamie's mother came to visit us last week and we spent the actual holiday at a wonderful parade, teaching Ezra about fireworks and enjoying time away from work.A few days later I was back at the studio with dogs (!!) which you'll see soon enough, but for now, you can enjoy a few images from the weekend. I don't have that many still photos because I spent a lot of time on another video, which I'm super excited about! It's below, if you're interested.For your internet shares of the day:+ This is heartbreaking and important.+ This enrages me. Profit over babies' health. Of course.+ The photos of the story about the soccer players trapped in the cave are fabulous. Even the prayers, offerings, rain gear etc. are captivating!I feel like I must apologize about how depressing my links are these days. But that said, I think burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the state of our country and what this administration is up to is flat out dangerous. Thank you for sticking with me. 

Post by Lucy

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!

post by leslie

On Tuesday, I got to photograph Janelle Monáe's show. I WAS SO EXCITED! I absolutely adore her new album, and I paid more than $100 for a ticket (before I found out I could photograph the show!). And I never do that. Ever.The show was fantastic. The costumes were fantastic. The dancing was fantastic. I was very happy. You can read the review of the show and see more of my images here.

post by leslie

This weekend, I had a newborn shoot with TWINS! Uh, you guys. These parents? Parents of multiples? They should get all the trophies. ALL OF THEM. They are killing it at the parental olympics because they are simply surviving. To say I was in awe of the work, effort and patience that these parents had is an extreme understatement.But those babies sure are cute! Enjoy! For your internet shares of the day:+ How a newspaper cartoonist was fired.+ The government wants to monitor people in the press. THIS IS NOT OK. You know who does this? PUTIN.+ Signs from the weekend protests.

post by leslie

Last week, I got to photograph the lovely Nala here for her first birthday! Believe it or not, I rarely get to shoot Shelties, even though I have such an amazing love for them. She was so sweet, and it was such a great way to spend an afternoon!

post by leslie

Oh man, today's newborn session was fantastic. I love this couple and I loved this little girl! I've been truly loving my family sessions to death this year, and I think a big part of that is having an almost-four-year-old has me appreciating the gentle fog of these earlier years even more now. (Also appreciating that I'm done with them!)Anyway, here are a few snaps from this morning that I adored.  For your internet shares of the day:+ Wonderful travel tips!+ Beautiful photos! That whale!+ How to pose for a photo!