Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Coming Soon: Baby G

Baby G will be here any day and lots of people are waiting to meet her! (Including me.) To mark the occasion, her parents came in for some photos! This session was so much fun. Not just because Dani and Will are fun, but because I LOVE shooting in the 'Golden Hour.' That is the hour right before the sun sets. You know, when everything is golden and the light is soft and makes everything look perfect. Here are just a few from the night!

The B Family

I met up with the B family at the lake, too. Oh, do I love the lake. There's just something so relaxing that screams 'famiilyyyy!' Okay, maybe screaming, isn't so relaxing.. how about it relaxingly says family. :) Yeap. That's it. Here are a few from their session-

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Do It Yourself: Photography Prop Nest

Hey fellow photogs! I was recently looking online for nests to use for a newborn prop and I couldn't believe how much people were selling (and buying) them for! Instead of paying $40+, I decided I needed to make one myself.

I went to Hobby Lobby and found three wreaths that are two different sizes. One larger on top and two smaller on the bottom. I stood in the aisle stacking different wreaths until I got the perfect fit, but later on figured it wouldn't have mattered because when you tie them together and tighten the wire, they merge together nicely no matter which way you put them.

Here's what you need:

  • Three grape vine wreaths. I would say experiment until you find what size and style works for you. (My local Hobby Lobby has tightly wound wreaths and the wreaths that I chose, which are a little messier and I thought would look better as a nest.)
  • Floral wire.
  • A pliers to help you tighten the wire. 

I purchased two 14" wreaths for $3.99 and an 18" wreath for $4.99... Here is the kicker. They were 50% off! I also already had some floral wire on hand, but a roll of it is only about $3. So, instead of paying $40 (plus $10 shipping) I made myself a wreath for under $15. I've found that making my own props helps me to be able to keep my prices low for my clients and still have very cute options!

Once I got home, I stacked the three wreaths on my table with the largest on the bottom and the two smaller wreaths on top. I positioned them to where I thought they looked best and then flipped the stack over to make sure it looked great and was sturdy enough for a newborn to lay in.

I simply took the 18" pieces of floral wire and bent them in half. From the largest wreath, I wove them through the stack of wreaths so that it would be sturdy and so that the wire is hidden. I tightened the wires on the smallest wreath (the bottom of the 'nest') and cut the left over wire and made sure the ends were bent and could no way hurt or touch the baby when he/she would be laying in it. I I did this in three spots around the wreath.


You can do all sorts of things with it once you get the main nest. You could add some moss or to make it more girly, maybe some vines, flower blossoms, and a lady bug or too. When I use it, I will most likely use a tan colored fur in the middle and have the newborn wear an owl hat or a very organic looking hat. 

Here is an upside-down view of the nest. You can see that the three wreaths fit great together when you tie them with the floral wire and tighten them together. It gets a little narrow at the bottom, but not enough that it will tip over when you place a baby in it.


I can't wait to use it! :)

The R Family

The R family and I met at Lake Elsie for their family pictures. It was a nice cool morning and they are a pretty cool family, so it worked. ;) Here's a few from the morning!



Tucker was his normal, handsome, self. 



Ellie is 6 months!

Ellie came to visit me again for her 6 month session! (She is one of my Bud to Blossoms babies! If you have a baby coming soon, be sure to ask me about this awesome package!) Her momma and I had so much fun planning out what we were going to do. I had a few things to use already and she had to get a few things and... viola! Super cute lemonade sweetness. :) I think she will have a very successful business.



If you are wondering, E's headband is from Neisha's Blue Baby Boutique and the owl hat is from Malane's!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Josh & Lacey

So, Facebook still isn't letting me upload pictures, so it looks like I will just be posting another blog post. Better than nothing, I guess!

Josh and Lacey had a beautiful wedding on a beautiful day. I loved the colors they chose and the dresses were gorgeous! Here is a glimpse into their day-


 As you know, I love the details that go into the day!


We started out the day at the church and headed to Lake Elsie for a few of the beautiful bride and handsome groom. It was a little windy, but we made it work!


 I will have your gallery up this weekend!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Steven - FHS Class of 2012

This session was a first for me, as I've never had an ambulance or a fire truck in a session! Steven is on both teams in his hometown and I think it's great. Here are only a few that we did the morning of his session!

The M Family

Monday, August 22, 2011

Threshing Bee & Update

 Alrighty, everyone.. just an update. Pretty much all of last week was spent getting ready for the Rosholt Threshing Bee! I am back at work again, glued to the computer until everything is done. I also started my LAST semester at MSUM today, so I will be busy with that in the mornings for a few weeks. After Labor Day, I will start student teaching, so you will have to contact me in the evenings. I will be sure to remind everyone in the September newsletter.

As some of you noticed and asked- No, I didn't have a booth this year in the big building. I am so busy running around trying to catch everything that I never have time to visit with anyone or restock pens, cards, etc. Instead, I had a parade float!  Here are some snaps of my lovely hula girls and surfer guy (who looks super happy). Thanks to Becca, Kaitlyn, Alyssa, Grace, Carson, Katie, Kay, Derek, and Travis for riding and handing out the candy and beach balls!






Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Monday, August 15, 2011

Carson

My little buddy, Carson, is almost 4! To celebrate we drove old pickups, chased toads, and raced cars! I'd say that's a pretty good birthday preparation. :)


Why do boys always have the best eye lashes?


Carson has this cool superhuman power - He can wiggle his eyebrows! I love fast cameras and how they can catch things like this.


 We went to the highway nearby that isn't used very much. Not a car in sight the whole time we were there... well, besides Carson's race car!


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Dillon - Class of 2012

Dillon came to his Senior session with a lot of ideas that he wanted to try. I always think that's a great thing when the Senior has ideas they've come up with. It really personalizes their session for them. Here are a few from his session-