Amy + Zack

These babes. Together. Non-Stop Laughing.

It's ridiculous. 

I guess that's what happens when you've known each other since the freakin' 7th grade. Yes, the 7th grade. After many years of tutoring each other (and a lot of flirting) they finally made it official in the 11th grade and have been together ever since. Seven years later, Zack finally proposed to Amy with this KILLER Heidi Gibson Gatsby-inspired ring. He did a good job. He knows it too, and won't let people forget that. 

I've known Amy for a year or two now. She's a fellow photographer friend of mine. While we've bonded over both the glory and struggles of photography, life, food, and coffee, I had yet to meet Zack.  He had to have been a cool guy if Amy had kept him around for seven years, right?

Oh yes he is.

Zack + Amy together are dynamic. In some ways they're opposite: He's tall. She's short. He's an accountant. She's a photographer. However, when these two beautiful souls come together, it's nothing more than silly laughs, tender kisses, and tons and tons of goofing around. When Amy is with Zack, she lights up and her smile radiates her surrounding environment. You can tell that Zack truly cares for, respects, and loves Amy in the most genuine way.

Case Study #1: 20 minutes before their session was supposed to start, it started POURING in Minneapolis. As I looked outside my window, I saw the poor little souls on the street attempt to run for safety. A few didn't make it out alive, that's how bad it was. Okay, it wasn't thaaaat bad, but still. The weather was not an ideal situation. Amy and I were texting to try and figure out what exactly to do. She was stressed. I was stressed. There wasn't really a good date to reschedule. We had to shoot that night. BUT THE WEATHER WAS BEING SO CRUEL TO US. Later, Amy told me that she was more on the angry side because of this situation. Much like I would do in this situation, she became very stubborn and didn't even want to shoot! However, Zack told her everything was going to be alright and to stop worrying. I don't know if he had a little chat with the weather gods up there, or what, but the clouds cleared and we were left with the KILLER light. It was Zack's words and comfort that allowed Amy to calm down and de-stress. I told him that telling her it would all be okay was probably the best thing to say in any situation like this (words of wisdom to the fellows out there, hint, hint). 

I can't wait to see what the future holds for these two. Here's to 7 more years of happiness and love (times an eternity, duh).

PS: I'M NOW BOOKING 2016 WEDDINGS! If you wanna get goofy with me, let's chat. 

Mackenzi // Class of 2016

yup, I blogged her again.

she's just that exceptional.

I literally owe my whole senior season to this girl. In May, we did this mock senior shoot and I told her to tell her friends about me. I didn't expect much to come out of it, maybe get 3 or 4 girls from her, because many of my photographer friends have done senior reps before and did not get the results they wanted. Well, Mackenzi delivered. She delivered good. I can attribute 90% of my seniors to this girl. I dunno if it's her stunning good looks, if she's super popular at her school, or her warm, genuine personality. Whatever it was, she rocks.

I decided to blog her real senior photos because I feel like they're even better than the first time around. It might be one of my favorite senior shoots to date. I think what made this shoot so successful is the fact that she and I really click. Like, really click.  We talked like normal friends would. We did weird things like normal friends would. We goofed around like normal friends would.

She truly gets what I'm trying to do: stray away from the normal senior photo. I'm not trying to make you into a super model. I'm not trying to make you look perfect. I'm not trying to make you into something you're not. I'm trying to showcase you in the most genuine, raw, and real way. I want to shed light on what makes you, you. This is the kind of stuff that gets created when photographer + client are so in sync with each other. This is the kind of stuff that I strive to produce and send out into the world. This is the good stuff.

Thanks Kenz for being so kick ass and for reviving my love for photography. <3

Jenna + Michael // In-home Cuddle Session

There's literally nothing more satisfying than coming home to the one you love most. I never wanted to be "that" girl who spent every dying moment with her boyfriend and while I still make time for myself and my friends, sometimes all I want to do is snuggle on the couch with Mykel. When squished on our tiny Ikea couch watching Netflix, my right facing impending doom (aka on the brink of loosing feeling cause I'm almost always big spoon), and facing the uncomfortable situation of needing to pee, I still feel most at home- when I'm with him. I guess I never knew what this was like until I started spending even more time with him and eventually moved in. To have someone who can support you so you can conquer the world, to have someone who you can be lazy with, to have someone who becomes so selfless because they love you so, and yes, to have someone to have burping contests with is a pretty damn great thing. Once you find that person, you'll want to spend all your time with them, trust me. 

To also have a space that is uniquely the both of yours, where you spend you time pouring your passions and love into is also a pretty damn great thing. I've been wanting to do an in-home portrait session with a couple for ages. There's only so much intimacy that can be portrayed outside on a backlit field or urban parking garage. What better way to show authenticity than shoot in the place where any one person is most vulnerable? If I've learned anything recently, it's that vulnerability equals authenticity. As uncomfortable as that might seem, especially when it comes to photography, becoming vulnerable in front of the camera is what allows all those feelings to come out. 

So, I was thinking how the heck I make two lovers vulnerable... have them take off their clothes, duh. There's something so sensual + intimate about two lovers + two bodies. I'm not talking about naked bodies in the over-sexualized way that our culture has made them out to be and I'm not talking about sex. I'm talking about two people who love each other more than they could ever image. I'm talking about when two bodies come together and that feeling of electricity and sweet passion... that warmth that is so comforting you'll never want to leave. 

Jenna and Michael are just that.

He came home from a 9 hour shift that morning. He was tired. He was overworked. 

She had come home from a full wedding weekend, including a wedding in Iowa. She was tired. She was overworked. 

However, when these two came together, there was nothing but sweet giggles, tender kisses, and quiet relaxation. They were finally together after a long weekend. You could sense the love + care + respect these two have for each other. They were home. 

Thank you two for getting down to your skivvies and showing me just how much you love each other. Also, thanks for having a really freakin' awesome loft + for having killer style.

Going forward, I'm challenging myself to showcase my couples in the most genuine + intimate way and I think I'm off to a decent start.

Nico // Class of 2016

I reached out to my good friend, Lailah, and asked her if she knew any upcoming seniors with killer style. She gave me a few names and I reached out to a few, including Nico. 

Nico and I met on a exceptionally warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon. He told me that his mom said our moms used to work together! Quickly, I attempted to remember the ladies my mom worked with way back in the day, and then it clicked. "WHAT!?! You're little Nico with the curly hair!?" I exclaimed. Turns out, Nico and I used to be daycare buddies while our moms worked, but all I really remember is his mom feeding him Kraft Mac and Cheese (yumzzz) with sliced up hot dogs. 15 years later, he's going to be a senior in high school and I'm taking his photos. It's crazy how small the world is.

Nico is going to be a senior next year! Oh, how time flies! I will be taking applications for the Class of 2016 very very soon (as soon as I find out about summer internships) so email me if you're interested in me shooting your seniors

Rachel // Class of 2015

This is Rachel. She's cute. She's spunky. Oh, and she's a great dancer.

I was thinking a while ago about how I really wanted to photograph a dancer. I wanted to photograph a dancer who was not only beautiful, but also strong, edgy, and most of all passionate. Rachel's mom emailed me the day after I had that thought. Talk about timing!

We ventured to one of my favorite parking garages in Minneapolis. I knew the dark shadows and harsh highlights would create this awesome look for her dancing photos. We were also pretty excited about this mural we found. It was just like Rachel: unique, bright, and fresh!

Thanks for the afternoon filled with fun, Rachel!

HMUA: Jen Des Lauriers