I had heard so much about this train ride from Oslo to Bergen, that I wasn't sure it could live up to my expectations. I was so wrong.And I must tell you that while I do think some of these photos are lovely, the train ride is so much better than I could ever convey.Part of that is because what is so breathtaking is how the scenery never dulls. It's 7 hours of gorgeous view after gorgeous view. The other reason is because my kid was exhausted on the day of this trip and had a complete meltdown on the train. Because Jamie and I were trying so hard to keep him calm for the rest of the trip, I'm afraid we didn't get to view as much scenery as we would have liked. But still, what we saw was so beautiful.Also, I would like to give a shout out to the amazing family across from us on the train, the Leafblads from Minneapolis. They were so kind and patient even when Ezra was at his worst, and I still feel badly about his behavior in front of them. But toddlers will be toddlers, and once he got in some good sleep things got better.
Today's post will feature some of the more modern architecture in Oslo.Whenever I think of Norway, I think of the wooden houses from the 17th and 18th century -- and you do see some of those as well. But when we first arrived on the airport train into the city, I was mesmerized by the modern architecture surrounding the station. And right across from it is the opera and ballet center, which is gorgeous and modern as well (as you'll see). I love the stark contrast between the old and the new.You'll also notice a lot of construction around this area. The last photo shows a giant sign with architectural renderings of what the area will be like once completed -- which I thought was so fun to see.
This is the Oslo Opera House. You can walk up the roofs all the way to the top, which is lovely. There is also a really nice patio with tables and people sipping wine and watching the water. I will do that with Jamie when we return in 2034 (the year Sir Ezra leaves for college... hopefully).
One side of the building has solar panels built into the windows. You have to look pretty close to recognize what they are.
This is a sculpture in the water just past the Opera House.
This is the opera house patio I was mentioning.
Lots of people stop and pose for photos on the roof of the opera house.
One thing I love about this rendering (that my photos don't show) is how the Opera Center "roof" descends all the way into the water. Lots of people were down there dipping their toes in.
I wish I had the time and energy for more words tonight, but I'm really beat and need to head to bed. Here's what I will say:Visiting a foreign country with Ezra is so, so different than going childless. Obviously.The highlights are:+ You learn to sleep in again because your kid is doing it, and man is it awesome.+ You never skip meals.+ You learn to explore all the playgrounds and you learn that kids have somewhat of a universal language regarding sharing and the like.+ You spend as much time outside as you can.+ On that note, while you love eating at restaurants, take away is your best friend as service abroad is much slower. Plus, who doesn't love eating in a park with an accordion playing nearby?+ You cherish and value your friends abroad even more than normal as they welcome you into their home and let your child take over their house / toys / musical instruments.The lowlights?+ I am a bit embarrassed about how little sight seeing is happening over here.+ Forced daily naps. Wait, should that be a highlight? I'm thinking yes.+ There is no hiding that you are an American when your child is yelling constantly about trains, cars, buses etc. We have become the loud Americans. For shame.+ Never enough time. Just like life back at home, there just isn't enough time in the day when a toddler is involved.Below are today's photos. They include: An amazing food market, a wonderful playground with a fantastic water feature that Ezra adored, and dinner at Kevin and Ina's (and Olivia's) where we had reindeer pizza (not lying!) and the kids played all kinds of musical instruments. Enjoy!
Oh hi! Remember when I was talking about all those deadlines?Well, yeah. I had an awful lot to get done before traveling 12 hours over a big ocean to arrive in Norway! And man, has it been worth it!First, yes we brought Ezra. Second, we might be crazy for doing so, but up until now at least, it's been really fantastic. Sure he sometimes says he wants to go back to Minnesota (he misses his dog!). But he also is having a blast riding trains and buses and airplanes and soon a boat! So I think we are even. The scales might tip by the end of the trip though, we'll see.The highlights of the trip so far have been meeting up with our friends Ina and Kevin and their daughter who is Ezra's age and seeing the two kids interact, hitting up the folk museum (photo above and more below) and frankly just exploring parks and cafes and wandering the city in this 70-degree weather! It is glorious!I can't promise I'll be posting every day as we have a lot of travel ahead and we have a toddler with us, but I'll try my best. Until then, enjoy the photos!
And just like that, wedding season is here!I* was so happy to start this year's ceremonies at a new venue (for me) over in St. Paul -- The Science Museum! It turned out to have amazing light, and Janet and Devin here were such a great couple to work with. They were clearly mad for each other, and they were super laid back and fun, which makes my job much more enjoyable. I love seeing couples who crack each other up all night long -- talk about a recipe for a successful union!These two also got married on the absolute nicest day of 2017 (so far) as it was 80 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze. Photos on the rooftop patio at sunset were perfection for a variety of reasons! So congrats you two!
* I am forever grateful to 
It was really cold and rainy in Minneapolis this weekend (well, cold for May anyway), and so our plans of outdoor concerts and baseball games faded away, and we decided instead to take the tot bowling. My, what a success that was!Who knew this guy would have so much fun! He loved the "silly shoes" and the big ball. He didn't so much care about knocking down the pins as much as he just liked carrying the ball around and rolling it down the floor. And he also liked that he could eat french toast while doing all of these things. Overall? It was a huge hit.
We have a lot of busy stuff coming up over here, and on top of that I have a ton of big jobs I've been shooting lately that are all coming due. Because of this, the blog might be a bit sporadic this week. Bear with me -- I promise when I return to posting there will be some lovely photos to show you.+ 
Look at this puppy!I'm in the studio still shooting for Scotch Brand this week (tape! so much tape!), but one of the crew members brought in her new puppy, and so of course I took a break to snap some shots. I mean, how could I not??
For your internet share of the day, all I have is this.+ 
Today I was shooting over at Shelter again for 3M, and I noticed these spare C-Stands (they are used for a gazillion different things on set, like holding up backdrops or holding lights or holding reflectors etc, etc, etc) and I loved how they were placed in front of this black velvet curtain. It reminded me of when you go to see an orchestra, and all you see are the silhouettes of the players beforehand with the basses and cellos and the bows of the violins all in the air before the music starts.Nothing special, just something that caught my eye.For your internet shares today:+