Portraits by Bobby McFall

Alisa and Josh

2011-10-23T22:51:00.000-05:00

The Mankato Wedding Expo was October 9, and I had a booth there. I offered a door prize of an engagement session and signature book (a wedding/reception guest book made with pictures from the engagement session), and Alisa and Josh were the winners. We met on Saturday for an extended engagement session at Sibley Park. (I'll digress a bit here...it doesn't seem to matter what season we're in; Sibley Park is always beautiful, always well kept, and has dozens of beautiful locations for pictures. The City of Mankato, and it's park employees can be very proud of Sibley.)

OK - back to task :)

As fate would have it, we'd met before at a wedding I photographed in June - the wedding of Luke and Ashley. Ashley is Josh's sister.

Alisa and Josh are the proud parents of Gavin, who is 20 months old. So Josh's parents came along too, and kept an eye on Gavin while we did engagement pictures. As you'll see, we also did a few family pictures as well.

Enough said...here are a few pictures.

Is this baby adorable or what??? Such a little cutie - and smart, too!

Alisa and Josh, I hope to have the privilege of photographing your wedding next September!

Mallory and Luke's Engagement Session

2011-10-19T22:57:00.000-05:00

Mallory and Luke will be married next July, and we met this past Sunday for their engagement session. We started out at the Hubbard House, and then headed to Sibley Park, and as we were losing daylight, hurried out by Minneopa Park for the final images of the session.

With a vested interest in how their engagement session would turn out, they carefully planned clothing choices and props to coordinate with their wedding colors, and knew in advance specific poses they wanted, sharing sample photos with me, and suggesting several ideas of their own. Mallory's mother decorated an adorable parasol with their wedding date...and voila - save-the-date cards!

Here are a few photos...

Melissa and Paul's Engagement Sesssion

2011-10-15T20:39:00.000-05:00

Fun engagement/family session today! A couple of bumps and bruises along the way...and I shouldn't forget to mention the pile of wet leaves...but...fun session! Paul's children, Rylie and Gannon had lots of interesting ideas for posing, and Rylie even took a few pictures using my 30D and 70-200 lens. (One is included here.) Paul's mom, Brenda, braved the cool, windy weather to keep an eye on the kids while we did the engagement photos. And as you'll see here, "We start and end with family."

Melissa and Paul, I'm really looking forward to working with you next August. If today is any indication of how fun your wedding will be, then I predict it's going to be a blast!

I can explain...a certain photographer thought it would be a great idea to make a leaf pile, and have everyone jump in it. Which they did. Rylie wound up on top of Gannon. Everyone shot back up as quickly as they landed because the leaves were wet just beneath the surface. Not all ideas are great ones...

At the gazebo near the Tourism Center in Elysian.

Gannon

Rylie

Rylie using my 30D.

Rylie's shot - not bad at all!

Rachel and John

2011-10-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

I think rural churches are awesome. Steeped in local history, with membership running generations deep, they exude a sense of family ties. Trinity Lutheran Church of rural Gaylord, established in 1866, is no different. It's where Rachel and John were married last Saturday, and where Rachel's parents were married many years ago.

The day was remarkably warm and windy for early October - temps in the mid-80's, and lots of hot, dry wind.While outdoors doing photos, every vehicle that passed by honked a greeting.

Their vendors:
Flowers: Uncle Charlies Flowers II, Winthrop
Reception: Johnson Hall, St. Peter, MN
Cake: HyVee, Mankato
Caterer: Country Convenience Store Catering
DJ: Midwest Sound and Lights

M O N T A N A - Day 5 (September 30)

2011-10-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Day 5 – Friday, September 30

Jim and Kit left for Bozeman early in the morning, so Shawna and I went to into Ennis for breakfast, then drove what’s called the Varney Road in the hopes of seeing sandhill cranes. We did see a couple at quite a distance, and managed to get a few photos of pronghorns. Wildlife viewing opportunities haven’t been abundant on this trip.

We saw this buck right after leaving Jim's driveway.

And he'd gathered a bunch of does.

This is the Varney Bridge over the Madison River.

Looking south-southeast from the Varney Bridge.

Sphinx Mountain

We got back to Jim and Kit’s a few minutes before they returned from Bozeman and settled in for a visit. In a short time, they received a call that their horse, Kato, was out. Catching Kato was no problem, but Jim needed to figure out why or how he got out. He quickly saw that a vehicle had run off the road and broken two sections of his jack fence.

Here are the tracks of the vehicle that missed the curve near Jim and Kit's driveway.

The jack leg on the ground collected the vehicle's sideview mirror.

Another view of the damage.

Broken glass from one of the passenger side windows.

The exit path - it sure looks like the vehicle drove over these rocks - and we found scrapings on the biggest one.

Sphinx Mountain. Sigh...........

Sphinx as the sun is setting.

Jim and Kit fixed fried rice and fresh walleye (amazing breading of Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese) for supper, and we packed up the car to prepare for our two-day, uneventful (well almost uneventful) and hot drive home.

This is Sphinx at sunrise on Saturday, Oct. 1. Heavy sigh......

That's all, folks! Thanks for visiting!

On Sunday or Monday, we'll return to "regular programming," as I post photos from Rachel and John's October 8 wedding.

M O N T A N A - Day 4 (September 29)

2011-10-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

Today was another travel day, from Whitefish to Ennis, where our brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Kit, live. We planned just one stop – in Garnet Ghost Town. We drove through the Swan Valley on Highway 83, and stopped several times along the way at scenic turnouts. It was a beautiful, leisurely drive.

Swan River

Summit Lake

Upon arrival in Garnet, we learned the town had closed for the season three days prior. This meant we wouldn’t be able to go into any of the buildings, but we could still walk around a get a small sense of what life might have been like in the town’s heyday, some 100 years earlier.

An overlook on the path leading to Garnet

On the trail to the mines

After walking around the town, we felt we were making good time and could afford to take a small (20 minute) interpretive hike to the gold mining area of Garnet. About an hour and a half later, we made our way back to the parking lot, quenched our parched throats with a couple of bottles of water (each!), and headed south, in the direction of I-90.

The people who tried to eke out a living here left many scars on the landscape.

I’d visited Garnet before (when I had a Ford Explorer). I remembered a bad road, but our drive in (approaching from the north) was pleasant – a nice, wide road that started out paved, then turned to gravel. I assumed they’d improved the road since my earlier visit. There’s that word – ASSUME.

We’d gone maybe a hundred yards or so of the 12-mile descent out of Garnet, and saw a sign that said “I-90.” (How could we be off course – there was no other road.) Then we saw a sign that said something about narrow…limited turn outs…unimproved something… And it was too late to turn around.

So I started swearing. Every time we hit a jarring bump, my shoulder belt cinched tighter, chafing the left side of my neck. The sign should have said, “Only accessible by 4-wheel drive.” It should have said, “I’d go back if I were you.” It should have said, “You’re nuts!” or “I hope you liked your Nissan Altima.” I’m pretty sure we were on the original wagon trail that headed into that godforsaken place. Actually, I’m positive we were.

At one point the entire width of the road was submerged underwater. There was no stopping, so we crawled through without scraping bottom on anything. At several points, we rode the ridges instead of grooves, and still scraped bottom. At one of the two turnouts on the 12-mile stretch, we encountered a pickup coming up the hill. Talk about divine intervention!

On the bottom of this trail, it opened into a wide, circular gravel pit, and we encountered a semi pulling doubles. Here’s where we ran into unwanted choices. I opted to continue south. The sign said “Bearmouth, 7 miles.” It wasn’t on the map. There were no more signs for I-90, and the mile markers we’d seen previously went away. Instead, big blue numbers were spray-painted on trees. We hoped we were on the right road, and lucked out.

It was on this stretch we saw a big cat, most likely a bobcat, cross the road several yards in front of us. That was a first for both of us.

Eventually we made it to the interstate, and we headed east to Three Forks, then south to Ennis, arriving at Jim and Kit’s well after dark, where the yips and howls of coyotes greeted us.

M O N T A N A - Day 3 (Wednesday, Sept. 28)

2011-10-05T23:07:00.000-05:00

Day 3 – September 28

Today we headed west to Kootenai Falls, near Troy, and to the Ross Creek Cedars, near the Idaho border. I’d been to both these places before and was eager to share them with Shawna.

We passed through Kalispell on Highway 2, and I saw a sign for a camera shop. I’d been feeling sorry for myself because I didn’t have a circular polarizer for my lenses (a 70-200L, and a 24-105L, both 77mm). YAY – the shop had just what I was looking for, and at 20 percent off! In chatting with the owner, I learned he was from Hutchinson, MN, and had managed two Century Camera stores in the Twin Cities area before he and his wife decided to move west – some 31 years ago. He commented on my nice camera rig, and I told him I have the world’s best boyfriend. :)

Kootenai Falls is a county park near Troy, Montana. It’s just off Highway 2, and features class I-IV rapids. Because it’s late season, water volume is down, and I was able to walk around on rocks that were underwater the last time I was there. We also walked across the swinging bridge, suspended high over the river, and offering amazing views both east and west.

I love waterfalls.

Kootenai Falls runs for about a tenth of a mile, and must have 40 or 50 waterfalls in many various widths and heights. Shooting them on this day was difficult because of when we were there (between 10 and 2), and because of the bright overhead sunshine. My brand new polarizer helped to cut some of the bright light, and a 2-stop neutral density filter also came in handy to slow down this fast-moving white water.

The sign near this rock described this as ripple rock, and has something to do with
glaciers and water during the last ice age.

If you look closely, you can see the swinging bridge spanning the river.

From there we headed to the Ross Creek Cedars. This is a small, old-growth cedar forest that has trees with diameters of up to 12 feet. The trail through the cedars is well-marked, and many signs are posted explaining the life cycle of the trees, and the many varieties of plants and animals that are dependent on them.

Finally - a photo with people. This is Shawna and me in front of one of the impressive cedars.

I talked Shawna into standing in this patch of "devil's club" to give an idea of just how big these leaves are!

Ross Creek was, for the most part, dried up, and someone took the time to stack dozens of rocks.

On the way back to the motel, we encountered a freshly killed bear on Highway 2. The road was flat and straight, and had wide shoulders. The tree line was many yards away on both sides of the road, so I have a hard time grasping why this animal was hit. It wouldn’t have bolted out of nowhere. Someone wasn’t paying close enough attention.

DAY 2 - September 27

2011-10-04T22:03:00.004-05:00

Welcome back to Day 2 of our vacation. Since we didn’t make our drive in on the Sun Road from the east side on Monday, we decided on that for Tuesday morning. Mother Nature had other plans, but we were blissfully unaware.

We left the Cheap Sleep Motel, donned our sunglasses, and headed toward the park. We drove Highway 2 around the southern perimeter, and returned to the Two Medicine area, hoping to get better photos of Two Medicine Lake with the sun at a different angle. We stopped a few times along the way, marveling at the bright blue skies and beautiful fall colors.

Holy cow for wind!! I mean, we knew it was windy, but this was a lean-in-to-it-or-get-pushed-backward wind. Even though I shot from a tripod, most of my pictures show vibration jitters. (I need a beefier tripod.) We managed a few shots in the Two Medicine area (with cameras on shutter priority, at 1/500 sec.), then headed to the St. Mary park entrance and the Going to the Sun Road, with intentions of heading up to Logan Pass, where the road construction would again force us to turn around.

Two Medicine Lake - high winds and clouds forecasting our future photography efforts

According to "Plants of Waterton-Glacier National Parks" this is Cascade Mountain Ash.

What we noticed right away were cloudy skies ahead, although it was sunny at the visitor center. I bought t-shirts and postcards for my grandkids (another off season plus/minus – souvenirs are marked down/selections are iffy), and we came out to sunny skies and light rain being blown in from the distant clouds. We headed west on the Sun Road where the sunny skies abruptly ended, and a steady rain began. We drove in only a few miles, to the iconic Wild Goose Island turnout. Temps were now in the upper 40’s, and the rain was non-stop. Picture making wasn’t going to happen here, so we turned around and headed east – into blue skies.

Wild Goose Island - our only shot from the Sun Road

At the St. Mary entrance, we headed north toward Babb and the Many Glacier area. Again, as soon as we were inside park boundaries, we hit rain. But for every storm, God gives us a rainbow, and a fine one it was :)

Behind us - steady rain

Before us - a feast for the eyes

This is the "rainshine" we dealt with on the edge of the park.

Playing with my fisheye lens

Another image of the "rainshine" with the fisheye lens - this is unedited.

We again turned around and decided to head to West Glacier in the hopes of getting out of the rain, and also hoping for the opportunity to get decent sunset photos. The weather on the return drive was cloudy, and Highway 2 was wet. About 25 miles east of West Glacier, we were second or third on the scene of a rollover accident. An eastbound SUV lost control on a sharp curve, slammed into cement barricades on the west bound side, spun out, and flipped. Both occupants were out of the vehicle and appeared uninjured. We stopped to offer help, but volunteers were covering traffic in both directions. None of us had cell signals, so we continued west, and when we finally picked up a signal (near West Glacier), we saw two emergency vehicles heading east, so we knew help was on the way.

Grateful no one was hurt.

Our hunch with the weather was right on, so we went to Five Lake, near the town of Hungry Horse, and took sunset pictures on a glass-calm lake. We met two photographers (a husband and wife team). They were talking to a young man who was on the Sun Road construction crew. He said work on the Sun Road had been halted earlier in the day due to high winds. Get this – a gust of 94 mph was recorded at Logan Pass!

This is a photo merge of four portrait (vertical) images of Five Lake.
It spans nearly 40 inches, so this doesn't do it justice.

M O N T A N A - Day 1

2011-10-03T23:17:00.000-05:00

My sister Shawna and I just returned from a much-needed vacation to Montana. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25, were travel days -- across North Dakota to Glendive, MT on Saturday, and through Lewiston and Great Falls, and on up to Whitefish on Sunday, where we stayed four nights. I knew before we left that all the places we wanted to visit in and around Glacier National Park couldn't possibly be crammed in to our scant time there. So we did what we could.

Here's Day 1 (Monday, Sept. 26):

Whitefish is about 25 miles west of the park, so we decided we'd drive the Going to the Sun Road on Monday. We entered at West Glacier, and the first thing we saw was a blinking sign warning us the Sun Road was closed 14 miles ahead for road construction. Dang! We figured we could go in as far as possible (to the Avalanche Creek area), then turn around, drive around to the east side of the park on Highway 2, and tackle the Sun Road to the east end of the closure from the St. Mary entrance.

I've not seen much of this world, but of the places I've seen, Glacier and northwest Montana are my favorites. My bucket list has several entries for long visits to Glacier, in all four seasons. In spring, all that run off from winter's snow engorges the rivers and creeks and results in spectacular waterfalls. In summer, the wildflowers are in full bloom. In fall, the coats of animals look best, and fall colors abound. (We were fortunate to heat peak color during our short time there.) Winter - well I'd probably have to think that one through.

Here's a little photo essay.

This is taken through the water of Lake McDonald at Apgar Village. The water is truly crystal clear.

This is Avalanche Gorge - as far in on the Sun Road from the west as we were allowed to drive. Here's the downside of fall - there's not a lot of water moving. I've been here in the spring, and so much water is rushing through this gorge, you can't hear yourself think. It is truly amazing.

McDonald Creek. We read that this creek was originally called Sacred Dancing Creek, and we like that name better. Again, the down side (it's a very small down side) to visiting in the fall is that the creeks and waterfalls aren't as full as in spring and summer. But there are fewer tourists in fall, making it much more peaceful.

Where enough sunlight is able to break through the forest canopy, ferns grow in abundance, and they make a beautiful fall forest floor.

This was taken on Highway 2, heading toward the east side of the park.

This was taken on Two Medicine Road, on the southeast side of the park.

Two Medicine Lake. We were here late enough to have the sun be a problem (where picture-taking is concerned).

Two Medicine Lake through a fisheye lens.

And one more for good measure - Two Medicine Lake

This is called Trick Falls, (and also Running Woman Falls).
It's a very short walk from the parking area, and well worth the walk.

Another view of Running Woman Falls.

We ran out of time on Day 1 (who'd have guessed!), and didn't make the trip in on the Sun Road from the St. Mary entrance, but we made it back to Lake McDonald (at Apgar Village) in time to catch a beautiful sunset.

Another view of the sunset on Monday.

Melissa and Eric

2011-09-18T23:23:00.000-05:00

Eric and Melissa planned their wedding day events to a tee, commencing at 6 AM to decorate the reception venue (the Wildwood Lodge Pavilion). We would take getting ready photos beginning at 10 AM at the Wildwood Lodge in Lake Elmo, and board the historic Empress Adiamo at 1:30 PM. The sun would come out at 2 PM. All went as planned :)

The "first glimpse" photos are always some of my favorites. I prefer they be in a private setting, but just off to camera left is busy Highway 36 going into Stillwater. Traffic is backed up bumper to bumper, and a few well-wishers are honking their horns as Melissa approaches Eric.

It was pretty windy. The bouquets on the dress not only look good, but they held her dress in place, as the wind kept flipping the train.

A relative made the flowers - they were gorgeous.

As if on cue, the moment the processional began, the overcast skies turned to partly cloudy...

...but the wind kept things interesting.

I must say Eric had the most unique approach to retrieving the garter that I've ever seen!

Amanda and Chad

2011-09-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

Temps in the mid-80's, low humidity, bright sunshine - all wonderful elements for a beautiful wedding, and we were blessed with all three on Sept. 10. Amanda and Chad were married in rural Meriden. their Their first glimpse came with Amanda approaching Chad on horseback. Following the service, they staged a grand getaway that began in a '32 Ford street rod, and continued in a horse-drawn wagon to the National Guard Armory in Owatonna.

Dana and Logan, the flower girl and ringbearer were precious! Initially a little shy, they quickly warmed up and enjoyed having their pictures taken.

Chad's love of fishing was incorporated into the wedding theme with lures on corsages, a creel card basket, and party favors at the reception.

The coupe belongs to Amanda's parents.

Amanda's aunt and uncle own the horses and wagon.

Dana had quite a few special requests for photos. And such a charmer, she was hard to resist.

Is Logan cute, or what!

Their vendors:

Hair: Hair-i-tage, Owatonna

Caterer: Divine Swine Catering

DJ: PSL (Performance Sound and Lighting)

The flowers, cake, and decorations were made by family and friends.

Jessica and Jeff

2011-08-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

This particular post might have happened a year or so ago, but duty called, and Jeff was deployed overseas. Plans were postponed, and rescheduled...and voila! The much anticipated wedding of Jessica and Jeff came to be on August 27. Good things come to those who wait!

I'm glad photographers don't have to wear high heels - gorgeous shoes, but I'm pretty sure they'd kill my feet!

This place is a riot! And one of Jessica's bridesmaids happens to own it! If you're ever in Cobden, check it out!

Their vendors:
Hair - Classic Trends, New Ulm
Flowers - A 2 Zinnia
Decorator - Chris Fischer Designs
Reception - Jackpot Junction Casino and Hotel, Morton
Cake - Wendy Besel, St. James
Limo - Knights Luxury Transport, Comfrey

Jackie

2011-08-22T22:56:00.000-05:00

Jackie had her high school senior session this past weekend. We made images on her grandparents farm, and around Elysian, including Lake Francis. Jackie is the second in a family of five, and her mother assured me I'll be photographing the remaining three children for their senior pictures as well! (There is nothing better than return customers!!) Here are just a few of the many images we took.

We literally chased the sunset to get this shot - knew we wanted it - just had to run to get it, around 8:20 PM. Too bad our days are getting shorter so quickly! Looking forward to a winter session with Jackie as well!

Leah and Andrew

2011-07-10T16:18:00.000-05:00

They met in college, Leah and Andrew, and during the reception speeches, we got to hear about their first date...how Andrew was ready and pacing his apartment long before he was supposed to pick Leah up. Early on, all of Andrew's friends knew Leah was THE one. And indeed she is. I love new beginnings!

I learned about ELK - the inseparable trio of Erin, Leah and Kelsey...college friends turned lifetime friends, and bridesmaids!

Andrew is serving our country with the Navy, and, as I post this blog, is probably on a plane headed back to Virginia to finish training. I consider it a special honor when asked to photograph military weddings, and deeply appreciate the commitments and sacrifices these young people make for our country.

Here are a few photos from the day.

Ashley and Luke

2011-06-20T22:19:00.001-05:00

Ashley and Luke are a FUN couple. I think FUN pretty well sums up their wedding day (June 18). They had a beautiful ceremony in Winthrop that honored two faiths and blended two families. They had an awesome wedding party that took advantage of Ashley's pre-ceremony nervousness, placing bets on how many times she'd cry before reaching the alter - all in jest.

While rainfall at the Schell Brewery cut our outdoor picture taking short, they made the time between the wedding and reception FUN with improvisation, and we headed to a bar.

At the reception, Elisa, the matron of honor, gave one of the best toasts I've ever heard. The entire room erupted in laughter. The New Ulm Country Club is a beautiful setting, the meal was delicious, and service was fantastic.

Thank you, Luke and Ashley, for allowing me to be a part of your day. Congratulations!

HyVee did an awesome job on the flowers.

Ashley had three pairs of shoes for the day.

We literally had minutes to shoot at the Schell Brewery before it began to rain.

Elisa's toast was one for the record books. Amazing!!

The skies cleared during the reception, and we were able to get a few photos outdoors.

This groomsman is holding the wager sheet for bets placed on pre-ceremony nervousness.

Cheralynn and Troy

2011-06-17T00:19:00.000-05:00

I met Cheralynn and Troy over a year ago, and then learned that her dad, Ron, and I were classmates; we even rode the same school bus! We also both work at MSU, Mankato. Small world. June 4 truly was a perfect day for a wedding - mild temps and sunny skies - and a couple so completely in love with each other, that big smiles and tears of joy ruled the day.

We began pictures at the historic Hubbard House in downtown Mankato. Troy was so eager to see Cheralynn, and even more eager to begin their lives together as husband and wife. Mary's Flowers of St. Peter did an outstanding job on the flowers. The soft pastels perfectly complemented the muted lilac color of the bridesmaids dresses and the light cream color of Cheralynn's dress.

Following the ceremony at Grace Lutheran Church, we headed to the reception at Old Main Village (click on the weddings link in the left menu). I love that venue! It is gorgeous!

I must, once again, thank Diane Schrader of Schrader Art and Photography for her assistance. It is such an honor to work with a gifted artist and mentor!

Troy, you were one eager groom, and so excited for your first glimpse of Cheralynn!

Cheralynn and Troy - you are so sweet! Really! You began to dance to the music coming straight from your hearts. Completely natural - completely unscripted.

I can only imagine how much work went into these handmade labels. Each guest received a little bundles of them.

So very sweet. So very much in love. So happy for the two of you!

Anastasia and Joshua

2011-06-13T22:58:00.000-05:00

Anastasia and Josh celebrated their June 3 marriage with a small, intimate ceremony in Mankato at the Verizon Wireless Center, in the First National Bank Building. Simply understated...it's a gorgeous venue. They married in front of the old bank vaults, lit by the suns rays passing through gold-toned stained glass. Minnesota State University, Mankato, is special to the couple; Anastasia teaches philosophy there. So we went there for pictures following their ceremony. Raindrops sent us running for cover for all of about 30 seconds, and then cloudy skies gave way to sunshine. I must once again thank Diane Schrader of Schrader Art and Photography for her assistance.

The marriage ceremony, held in front of the old bank vault.

A few raindrops, enough to spot the sidewalks, had us briefly scrambling for cover,

Their dog, Piper Jane, was a part of their ceremony, and wore a lei.
One of her flowers fell, and Anastasia asked me to capture a photo.

Amanda and Chad

2011-06-02T22:55:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in the last post, I had two engagement sessions last Sunday, and the second of these was with Amanda and Chad. They'll be married in September in the tiny town of Meridan, near Owatonna. They will receive a guest book made from their engagement session images, so we had an extended shoot at Bray Park. These two are so comfortable with each other, it's as if they've known each other forever. I'll just let these pictures do the talking...

Amanda and Chad

It's so soggy here that they're probably standing in water. I know they dodged puddles getting to that spot.

One of the reasons I really like Bray Park is the paved path winding beside a meadow, and through a woods.

Samantha and Adam

2011-05-31T22:01:00.000-05:00

Sunday was a busy day with two engagement sessions, and both couples getting a guest/signature book made with images from their session. This is a wonderful option that the majority of couples whose weddings I'm doing are choosing. Samantha and Adam were the first couple of the day.

Samantha attended the Owatonna Wedding Expo last January, and won my door prize drawing of a guest book and engagement session. Although she and her fiance, Adam, have a photographer booked for their August wedding, an engagement session wasn't part of their package, so this turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for them.

We met out at Bray Park, under very cloudy skies and humid conditions. Clouds = good, but humidity...well...just plain yuk! Add to that the fact the ground was literally spongy-wet, so once again, the majority of images were taken with Samantha and Adam standing or walking. We got several nice images - plenty for their guest book, and I grew to understand their respect and appreciation for the outdoors (they picked up litter as we walked around).

Samantha and Adam

I was telling Samantha and Adam that Madison Lake is known for walleye. They love to fish, and wouldn't you figure...a fish jumped as we took this picture. You can see the ripple in the upper right corner.

Rachael and Josh

2011-05-30T01:14:00.000-05:00

Rachael and Josh were married on Saturday. I knew this couple was special from the moment they returned their contract for my services. On it, Rachael put a post-it note with two words, "CAN'T WAIT!"

Meticulous in her organizational skills, the day was carefully planned with precise times for hair, dressing, pictures, the ceremony, the send off from the church, the grand march at the reception, and dinner. Anything that well-planned simply has to have a wrench thrown into the works, and that wrench came from Mother Nature, who decided, twenty minutes prior to the ceremony, that severe storms were called for, so the storm warning sirens blew in LeSueur, and the minister had everyone seek shelter.

And after the ceremony, a wrench was needed for the bus that was supposed to take the wedding party from LeSueur to Mankato. For whatever reason, the only gear that engaged was reverse. But the problem was solved, and, you guessed it; the party bus arrived at the reception site at 6:15, right on schedule!

From a photographic standpoint, the cloud cover and heavy air created a scrumptious, soft light for our outdoor pictures at Sibley Park. Many thanks go out to fellow photographers, my daughter Stephanie Williams (You've Been Framed Photography), and Diane Schrader (Schrader Art and Photography) for their help and skills. I can't wait to see their photos, and know Rachael and Josh will love them!

Carmen from AmeriCinn's Conference Center in Mankato was AWESOME!! She was onsite for most of the evening seeing to everyone's needs, and genuinely concerned when she heard about the bad weather in LeSueur. Weggy's catered a delicious meal of stuffed chicken breast and pork tenderloins. DJ Bob Iddings of Silver Sounds and Lights did a fantastic job engaging the crowd. I left at 11 PM, and the party hadn't begun to wind down.

Rachael and Josh, you're such a sweet couple, and your families are fantastic, too. I so enjoyed working with you, and am grateful to have had the opportunity to photograph your engagement session and wedding. I'll be busy with the blog this week because of the number of sessions I have lined up, but will try to post more photos from your wedding. I'm especially excited to get photos from Stephanie and Diane, and will post some of theirs as well! In the mean time, here are a few images from yesterday.

This photo should be entitled, "Anticipation." Rachael approaches Josh, who is waiting for his first glimpse of his bride.

No direction was needed for these two. They're so natural together.

Sharing a first kiss as husband and wife.

Rachael and Josh's dads filled hundreds of balloons for a post-ceremony send off. Notice how the skies cleared.

Melissa and Eric

2011-05-08T23:20:00.001-05:00

Long time no post! Lots has been happening, and I'm way behind on work. (Now there's a news flash!) Today between a rain-delayed start, and a rain-break during, I met at Sibley Park with Eric and Melissa, who will be married in September, and we did their engagement pictures. Their dog, Rascal, came along, too, along with Michelle, Melissa's sister. And after our rain break, my daughter, Stephanie, joined us too. She assisted and made a few images as well.

I had the pleasure of working with Melissa's sister, Mandy, and her husband, Justin, in 2006 for their engagement session, and on 7-7-7 for their wedding.

Sibley Park was, understandably muddy, but beautiful nonetheless. It offers so many varied photo opportunities. No wonder it's a favorite location for photographers. We began the day this morning close to noon under heavy overcast skies, and ended close to four with windy sunshine and mild temps...and soggy ground :)

Thanks for being such good sports, Melissa and Eric; and thanks for puppysitting, Michelle; and thanks for helping out and for Mother's Day lunch, Stephanie!

I love the early spring colors and buds popping all over!

I don't know when this arbor/gate was constructed, but it's a wonderful location for an engagement picture with its heart-shaped fretwork.

Taken with a fisheye lens, I laid in my back and shot almost straight up.

This image was made by Stephanie with my fisheye lens. I played with it in Lightroom and PS, adding a filter to enhance details.

Little Rascal has to be on a leash, otherwise he covers a whole lot of ground :)

Melissa's sister suggested this shot, and I love it!

On my way home I drove past an eagle's nest with hopes of seeing the pair, and was lucky to see what appears to be one very large hatchling - better than half the size of the adult - probably closer to two thirds the size of the mature adults.

This one is carrying what appears to be a clump of grass.

I was near the nest for close to a half hour, and this one stayed perched at this spot the whole time. It's about 1/4 mile (as the eagle flies) from the nest, so I got this shot as I left.

They're difficult to see, but the adult "parent" is on the left, and the "baby" is on the right.

Nashville - Day 6 Part II

2011-03-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

OK - here is the last post pertaining to our Nashville trip. On Saturday, our second stop was to the Belle Meade Plantation, which was founded in 1807 by John and Susannah Harding. It was originally a thoroughbred horse farm. The mansion was built in 1853 by their son, General William Harding. He had two daughters who married two brothers, William and Howell Jackson, and in total, four generations of this family lived at Belle Meade.

In 1953, the mansion and several outbuildings were deeded to the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities. While we visited, a wedding was being set up - and what a venue! Talk about a photographer's dream!! It has everything - great light, multiple locations for shooting, lots of texture...

Danne pulls a Minnie Pearl, trying on a smokin' hot hat in the Belle Meade gift shop.

One of the many carriages in the Belle Meade Carriage House

This is the smokehouse as seen from the back side. I like the pattern in the bricks.

Resting place of Enquirer, one of the stallions that made Belle Meade famous.

View of the front of Belle Meade. I read that the columns still have bullet scars from a Civil War battle fought on the front lawn.

The dairy building

This wraps up our visit to Nashville. All in all, it was good times with great friends. We enjoyed an uneventful flight home to snowy, blustery, cold Minnesota. The location for next year's Culver's Reunion is Phoenix.

Nashville - Day 6 Part I

2011-03-10T23:19:00.000-06:00

For our last day in Nashville, I'll divide our day into two parts - The Hermitage, and Belle Meade Plantation. Saturday (March 1) was our first mild, sunny day of the trip, and, luckily, we'd planned a couple of activities that included time spent outdoors.

We visited The Hermitage first. This is the home and farm of Andrew Jackson, our 7th president, and his wife, Rachel. What began as a log home and rather modest farm site, grew into a large cotton plantation with slave quarters, gardens, spring-fed creeks, and orchards, and an impressive mansion. Although we were allowed to tour the mansion, we weren't allowed to photograph inside.

Rachel and Andrew Jackson. She died shortly after he was elected president, and never saw the Whitehouse.

Some of Rachel's dining tableware.

The back porch of the mansion. In Jackson's time, there were no trees; they were clear cut for field use.

The mansion's dining room. This was viewed through a glass or acrylic wall from outdoors, so picture-taking was allowed.

The smokehouse

Don at the back of the mansion.

Tools of the trade. We found this away from the mansion, and wondered if the initials belong to slaves who tended the gardens.

The spring house (foreground). The creek runs through this.

Look!! Leaves are budding!! Someplace is enjoying the look of spring...

The spring bubbling up

Slave quarters

The original farm house, later used by slaves. We're told the second story was removed from the home before it was turned over to the slaves.

This is called "grape myrtle" and lines both sides of the path leading from the mansion to the garden, and Rachel's tomb.

Jackson didn't have any biological children, but adopted Rachel's nephew (Jackson's namesake), and a Creek Indian orphan, who died as a teenager.

Rachel Jackson's tomb. We were told that Andrew Jackson spent time here alone every evening.

The grave of one of Jackson's slaves in the family graveyard. No one knows what happened to the remains of the other slaves who died at The Hermitage.

This home is called "Tulip Grove." It was built by Andrew Jackson's son, Andrew Donelson Jackson. It's on the Hermitage property, and isn't maintained nearly as well as the main mansion. The trees with leaves are magnolia trees.

Nashville - Day 5

2011-03-09T23:27:00.000-06:00

Following a night of severe (tornadic) weather in and around Nashville, we awoke to a cool, cloudy Friday. Mary planned some great activities for us, and her ideas were perfect! We started off with a bus tour by Grayline Bus Tours that took us to several locations throughout the city.

One of our first stops was at Bicentennial State Park, and I really wish we could have walked around this area. The park was designed to provide an unobstructed view of the State Capital. Fifty tall pillars represent each of the 50 states. There's a granite wall built to show the geographic and cultural history of the state, and there's a huge map of Tennessee done in granite (called Map Plaza), with the rivers represented with polished stone, so they glisten. There's also an amphitheater and flea market.

Bicentennial State Park, and the Tennessee State Capital in the distance (top of hill). There are fifty of the foreground pillars; one representing each state.

We then toured Music Row, where many recording studios are housed in old homes or small, nondescript buildings. Following a near wreck on a roundabout, we headed to the original Ryman Theatre, and we were given some time to spend inside. The theatre was originally built to house a church, so the seats are curved pews.

A display in the Ryman theatre - Johnny and June Cash

The stage of the original Ryman Theatre

Love the shoes - makes me think of the song, "King of the Road."

We also stopped with the tour bus at Legends, one of the more popular honky tonks. The walls are lined with records, and near the ceiling, are all kinds of unique guitars and other instruments.

This was called the "One Man Band."

Ahhh - an album cover for Bruce Springsteen!!

I think this happy guy was on a bus headed to a different institution :)

Our last tour bus stop was at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

This was the vehicle of a music producer.

Kris Kristofferson's lyrics for "Help Me Make it Through the Night."

Dress worn by Carrie Underwood

Dress worn by Taylor Swift

The gift shop - look at all the gold and platinum records!

Mary's plans to top off the day included tickets for the Grand Ole Opry. I didn't realize, but this is a live radio program (the worlds longest-running live radio program). The new Ryman Theatre was flooded for several months last year, and the show went on - sometimes in the original theatre, and at other venues in the area as well.

A lot of stars performed that night - Marty Stuart, The Oak Ridge Boys (it was the 30th anniversary of the release of Elvira, and we all sang along with surprise guest, Bo Bice), Vince Gill, Bill Anderson, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, and Allison Krause. We were treated to another surprise guest, Crystal Bowersox, who was the runner up in the last season of American Idol. She performed a song she wrote for her husband, "Mine all Mine." You can watch the performance here on You Tube.

Day 4 - Nashville

2011-03-07T22:32:00.000-06:00

With the Culver's reunion wrapped up, we played tourists on Thursday. Craig was still with us, so we piled in his van and headed to lunch, where he met a friend of his who happened to be passing through on his way to Louisiana.

Following lunch, we toured the Parthenon. It was built in 1897 as part of an exposition in honor of Tennessee's centennial celebration. It is a full size replica of the Greek Parthenon, and today serves as an art museum. Cameras are not allowed on the first floor, but I was able to take photographs on the second floor.

After our visit to the Parthenon, we headed downtown to 2nd Street and Broadway and visited lots of honky tonks. Lots of stimulation here - music, crowds, lights, good times!

The Parthenon - I took a few liberties with some PhotoShop plug-ins to add a bit of drama to the sky, which was overcast.

Athena - Nearly 42 feet tall, holds the goddess, Nike, in her right hand. Nike stands 6'4" tall.

These solid bronze doors weigh 7.5 tons each and are 24 feet tall, and 1 foot thick.

A view of Athena from behind the columns

Sculptures surround the perimeter of the Naos room that houses Athena.

Athena's shield - the face in the center of the shield is Medusa.

Curious George - aka Don - testing the west door. He could easily move it with one hand. Note that he's toting my camera bag. What a guy! He lugged that thing, along with my tripod, all over Nashville!

Another view of Athena

Danne ran to the top of the steps (Rocky-style) for a quick picture.

The Thinker.

SOME OF THE MANY, MANY HONKY TONKS

We had supper here - out on the back patio. Just across the alley is the original Ryman Theatre.

On Friday night, there were all types of vehicles parked outside this place, and people were telling us as we walked by, "We're shooting a video. Don't look at the cameras." Naturally, I stopped to gawk (who wouldn't?!) - "Where're the cameras?"

We stopped here (OK - and a few other places) for drinks.

Check out the tap beers - I think Danne said there were over 70!

Love this one!

Don spotted this in a shop window. I love the contrast - bangles vs cowboy.

The original Ryman Theatre.

Nashville - Day 3

2011-03-05T13:24:00.000-06:00

NOTE: I didn't post anything Friday because I spent the evening with a VIPP (very important precious person) - my granddaughter, Hayleigh.

Day 3 - We wrapped up the Culver's reunion, and I spent the afternoon with Mary, taking photos around the Opryland Hotel - such a beautiful place. There are three linked garden areas - Cascades, Magnolia and Delta. All have water features, tropical plants, palm trees, orchids, and beautiful landscaping. Also included are shots of the Cascades and Magnolia lobbies.

In the evening we attended the gala event/awards ceremony, so I included just a couple of pictures taken just before that got underway. I'm not used to dressing up, so I promised my coworkers (who helped me with accessories and shoes) a picture.

The Cascades - keep in mind there is a roof over this portion of the hotel

One half of the massive main lobby. Directly across this space (to the left) is another check in area identical to this one.

Taken with a fisheye lens, this shows a glass sculpture and stained glass skylight in the main lobby.

Entrance to the Magnolia section of the hotel

A cool 5K will purchase this mirror.

These water spouts "danced" to music.

One of the many enclosed seating areas. I like how the background foliage matches the lamps.

Don and I ready for the gala.

Craig, Brian and Don

Day 2 - Nashville

2011-03-03T22:55:00.000-06:00

We started day 2 in much the same way as day 1 - we set an alarm clock for 12:30 a.m., but this time our flight was on schedule, and we were on the road to the Twin Cities by about 1:15 a.m. The roads were awful, and we hit two areas of black ice, which made for interesting travel :) We got to the airport in plenty of time, and enjoyed a very uneventful flight to Nashville. Craig met us there and brought us to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Talk about opulent! I spent the better part of Wednesday photographing the three main indoor garden areas; more about that tomorrow.

One of the many water features at Gaylord Opryland.

The grand staircase.

Warm welcome for Culvers franchise owners and employees

Once settled into our rooms, we spent the afternoon at Culver's trade show. On Tuesday evening, Culver's reserved the famous Wildhorse Saloon exclusively for Reunion guests. We dressed up in country western garb, piled onto a coach bus, and headed to downtown Nashville for a really fun night that included a great meal, and a performance by country music star, Craig Morgan. Danne, the manager for the North Mankato Culvers was particularly excited to see him perform.

Left - right - Craig, Danne, Bobby, Don, Mary and Brian

Here are a few shots of Craig Morgan. He put on one heck of a show! We learned that most of his band mates are from Wisconsin!

Nashville! Day 1 - Monday, Feb. 21

2011-03-02T20:36:00.000-06:00

OK - Maybe I'm erring on the side of caution, but I'd prefer to share my recent trip to Nashville AFTER the fact, rather than announcing to the world wide web before or during the trip - "Hey - I'm away from home, and my house is going to be empty for the next week!"

So this will be a recap of a trip to Nashville last week for a Culver's Reunion. (For those of you who don't know, my boyfriend, Don, and his brothers own two Culver's franchises in Mankato/North Mankato.) Five of us travelled from Minnesota, and Don's brother, Craig, drove from Virginia. The reunion went from Monday - Wednesday, but we Minnesotans stayed until Sunday so we could enjoy some of the sights and sounds of this amazing city.

Day 1 - Monday, Feb. 20. Actually...I headed to Don's house Saturday night because a huge snowstorm was forecast for Saturday night/Sunday, and I didn't want to have to drive in it. Mother Nature didn't make liars of the weather forecasters. She DUMPED about 18 inches of heavy snow throughout the day Sunday.

We set an alarm for 12:30 a.m. Monday morning (still snowing...) hoping we'd be able to make it to the airport. Brian and Mary came over, and we learned around 1:00 a.m. that our flight was cancelled. The earliest we would be able to leave was 6:15 Tuesday morning.

Here are a few exciting vacation pictures - pre-flight :)

This is Don's son's plow, and my car behind it.

Don was plowing the restaurant lots, so I shoveled his sidewalk and was "snizzled" on while I worked.

This is my car Monday evening, Feb. 21. We'd shoveled the driveway once, but hadn't cleaned my car off.

Happy New Year from one pokey blog poster

2011-01-17T00:05:00.000-06:00

He's from eastern North Dakota; she's from southern Minnesota. They met in college, and the rest is the beginning of their history together. Andrew and Leah, and their puppy, Milo, came to see me today for their engagement session. Every single image we took with Milo involved his full attention - absolutely adorable!! (It helped that my sister, Shawna, was behind me making strange noises that kept Milo guessing.)

We braved deep snow and chilly temps and got several nice images. I'm looking forward to their July 9 wedding, where we'll trade frostbite for mosquito bites! I wish them the best in their upcoming endeavors. Andrew is serving our country as a newly commissioned officer in the USAF, and Leah is a grad student studying meteorology.

Rosanna and Andy

2010-11-08T10:03:00.001-06:00

My best memory of this wedding - not that it was held at a breathtakingly beautiful venue (The Landmark Center), not that they're one of the sweetest couples I've ever met. No, I'd have to say their parent's love is my best memory. Diane, Rosanna's mom, is a good friend of mine. She rounded up a crew of friends, and together, they made all the floral arrangements, bouquets, table decorations, boutonnieres, etc. Not only that, but Diane baked enough kolacky's to feed the entire crowd - no small feat!

All the parents offered words of praise and best wishes for their newly married children, and Eric, Rosanna's dad, told us, among other things, about Happy, the 4H pig. It's just a pig!

When Andy's dad told him how proud his grandpa would have been for this moment, and how proud he is, and how happy he is for Andy and Rosanna, well, suffice to say, plenty of people were dabbing their eyes.

We enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Bucca di Beppo, and I'm told the party continued until nearly 3:30 a.m.

Here are a few of the images captured that day. Once again, I had wonderful help from my very talented friend, Bobbi Urban. The black and white images are hers. Enjoy!

(See what I mean about the parent's love?) 'nuff said :)

Ashley and Luke

2010-10-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had a wedding and three engagement sessions. Ashley and Luke were engagement session three, and we were blessed with light cloud cover. We did a few images in my studio, then headed to Bray Park and found some fall color there.

Ashley and Luke are FUN and FUNNY. Laughter ruled the session and smiles came easily.

Taia and Brad's Wedding

2010-10-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

Friday, October 15

Theirs was definitely a family event, and when all is said and done, theirs is a family of ten! In the days leading up to their wedding, six of their eight had stomach flu, but Taia and Brad knew better than to panic. What will be will be, and the entire family was there and healthy for the wedding. The ceremony was at German Lake Lutheran Church, and we had bridal party photos at Geldners' Saw Mill. The weather was bright and sunny - not necessarily perfect for picture-taking, but the mild temps made picture taking comfortable.

In every wedding, there is one moment that leaves a wonderful impression; and in this ceremony, it was the lighting of the unity candle. It wasn't just Taia and Brad who lit the candle, but seven of their eight children helped to light it too. (Cameron was excused - he's just three months old :) )

Erica and Aaron

2010-10-16T23:55:00.000-05:00

October 9, 2010... Erica and Aaron were married in Owatonna at the beautiful Trinity Lutheran Church. You'd think that on October 9, one might need to worry about cool, damp weather (as was the case a year ago when I photographed another wedding). On this day, though, we dealt with 94 degree heat. Following the ceremony, the couple had planned to have pictures taken in Mineral Springs Park, but due to recent flooding, and the very good possibility and Erica's dress would get way too dirty, we followed a suggestion from Aaron's dad, and went to the Village of Yesteryear. What an amazing location!! Even with another wedding party taking pictures, we had plenty of room to take photos in an historic setting.

I'm grateful once again for the assistance of the talented Bobbi Urban. Some of the following images are hers.

Erica and Aaron's first dance was beautiful, and exceptionally unique. Aaron composed the music, and it was beautiful.

Bri & Brandon

2010-09-29T23:21:00.000-05:00

It's been far too long since my last post and much has happened. (Updating the blog isn't one of them!) This is definitely a busy time of year compounded by a lot of other factors.

Bri & Brandon were married Sept. 25 - following two days of flooding - and preceding the closing of most roads leading to St. Peter, Minnesota by two days. Now, nearly a week later, the roads are still closed, but should reopen by this weekend.

I think the one thing that stands out most for me from this wedding is Brandon's very touching speech at the reception. In it he professed his abiding love for Bri, and credited her with the planning of their entire ceremony right down to the last detail. And details were important to this couple. Bri, her mom and aunt, made all the reception table floral center pieces, as well as several larger arrangements. They also made the dessert - scrumptious cheesecakes, and mints.

Thank you, Brianna and Brandon, for allowing me to be a part of your special day, and until your previews are ready, enjoy these sneak peeks.

Shelby

2010-08-15T00:46:00.000-05:00

What a neat senior session I had this afternoon. First of all - this horrible, humid weather finally broke! And although I got ringing wet, it was because I knelt down in the bathwater warm lake - not because of the high humidity. Shelby (accompanied by her mom, Raelynn, and her sister, Jackie) had her senior pictures done at her grandma's farm, and here in Elysian. The outbuildings on the farm are awesome, as well as other natural settings - the aged barnwood, corrugated metal, fields, her grandpa's old car, her vintage Oldsmobile, even her bull, Sampson! Afterward, we went to Lake Francis and to an old building here in Elysian for some early evening shots. They left town just as the evening clouds turned a vivid red-orange. Here are just a few images of this oh-so-photogenic young woman...

The Hula Hoop Girls

2010-08-12T21:43:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Steve were married last Saturday, and I mentioned in an earlier post that their wedding was a lot of fun, especially the reception. The DJ had a hula hoop contest and the two junior bridesmaids, Maria and Riauna, and two flower girls, Nevaeh and Alivia, owned the dance floor, with Alivia winning. That child could walk and dance while hula-ing. She was really amazing. Not only that, she could "boomerang" the hoop - put a reverse spin on it and spin it 15-20 feet out before it returned to her. I got such a kick out of watching them.

Neveah, Alivia, Riauna and Maria in the midst of the contest.

I love this stance!

These two hung in there the longest.

Alivia putting the reverse spin on the hoop - it's returning to her now. I love the

"robot" pose of her arms and hands.

Riauna really pouring on the power.

Maria is a fierce competitor.

Alivia with her prize - the blue necklace - for being the best hula-hooper.

This is one of my favorite reception shots. Where they managed to find energy and all that

spirit after such a long, hot day is beyond me. Ahhh....youth!

Erica and Aaron

2010-08-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

I thought it was hot and steamy on Saturday, but it pales in comparison to how much hotter and steamier it was in downtown Mankato yesterday at 6 pm when Erica and Aaron had their engagement session. The one good thing about the weather is that skies were overcast making for wonderful light. I needed only a touch of flash or bit of reflector, and we were good to go.

I also needed a towel continuously to mop myself off, and a lens cloth and to wipe my lenses, which kept fogging up. In spite of the discomfort, were able to make some awesome images, and I KNOW it will be cooler this October when they marry. Erica and Aaron, photographing your wedding is going to be an honor, and a pleasure. Thanks for being such good sports about the heat and humidity.

Rachel & Steve

2010-08-08T23:36:00.001-05:00

Steamy. Make that hot and steamy. That describes the weather for Rachel and Steve's wedding Aug. 10 in Blooming Prairie. And if you stayed late enough at the reception, toss riots of fun in with the hot and steamy, and it pretty much sums things up. Theirs was a big wedding - 14 attendants and four ushers, and many, many guests. And even the hot, steamy weather couldn't dampen the happiness of the day. Stephanie Williams, my daughter, and owner of You've Been Framed Photography in North Mankato, assisted me, and I couldn't be more pleased!

With lots and lots of work ahead of me editing photos from this wedding, along with an engagement shoot today (in even hotter and steamier weather - really - my camera lenses kept fogging up, and my Quantum battery pack refused to work), I'll post just a few of the images from yesterday. Later this week, I have to tell you about Alyvia, Nevaeh, and Marie and the hoola hoops at the wedding reception. Incredible little girls with amazing talent!!

The ceremony was beautiful with the lights turned low, and lots of candlelight adding to the ambiance.

Rachel's dress was perfect for her - sophisticated and elegant, yet not one bit overstated.

Alyvia - the day was equally special for her.

No resemblance here - right? Rachel's sister, Tracy, was married to Chris last August, and I had the privilege of photographing their wedding too.

Moments before the ceremony begins.

"You're joking - right? What do you mean that the organ isn't working?" (It didn't.)

Family Ties

2010-06-29T23:41:00.003-05:00

I've known Tanya and Jayne for several years - both through Minnesota State, Mankato, and because we live in the same small town. Tanya and Jayne own Tucker's Tavern in Elysian. A few years ago, Tanya put me in touch with her nephew, Jared, who needed a wedding photographer. I had the privilege of photographing Jared and Sandi's wedding. Although they live in Illinois, they're visiting the area for a family reunion, and Tanya asked me to take pictures.

There's nothing more gratifying to a photographer than having repeat customers. Talk about an ego booster! And this reunion was special - it was Tanya's parents 50th anniversary! It was an honor to be chosen to capture images of this family!

Back to Sandi and Jared - In addition to their sweetheart of a son, Cam, they welcomed adorable twin girls, Taryn and Tiegen eight months ago.

Here in southern MN, we've experienced a fair amount of severe weather recently, some of it much too close to home (my son's home was damaged - he's lived there just 3 weeks). Friday night was no exception. Shortly after I got set up to shoot, the clouds thickened, and skies became darker - then noisier as thunder rumbled all around us. We wrapped up the shoot quickly, which is a good thing because tornado sirens sounded a short time later.

Because they were fussy, and we were in a hurry, I offered to retake pictures of Cam and the twins, and we had that session tonight. What a difference a few days makes - low humidity, beautiful clear skies, mild temps...Minnesota perfect! We were able to relax more with the babies as well, and the results are great! Here are a few from "round 2."

When I delivered the preview CD tonight, Sandi and Jared asked me if I'd photograph their twins on their first birthday - they'll be back in Minnesota about that time for a wedding. Absolutely!!

Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen

2010-05-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

A marriage eight years in the making, Jen and Nick exchanged their vows May 22. Theirs was a beautiful ceremony that centered on the importance of family, with all their respective brothers and sisters (along with cousins and friends) members of the bridal party. A few snafus delayed our picture taking. (I've learned in the last 8 years or so of wedding photography, that a wedding day isn't complete without a snafu of some sort.) A missing white shirt for one of the groomsmen was really the only snafu, and Jen was unflappable - she quickly arranged a fix, and we were good to go. We worried a bit about rain eliminating our outdoor photo plans, but a brief 20 minute shower before the ceremony was all we wound up with.

Following the ceremony, we went to three locations with the wedding party - the St. Lucas Care Center to see Jen's grandpa, the Riverbend Nature Center to photograph the bridal party on a site donated by Jen's grandpa, then on to Shattuk-St. Mary's with just Jen and Nick. (I could have stayed there for hours.)

Their reception venue, the Vintage Ballroom and Suites, is very cool! They provided the catering (delicious), and Nick's aunt baked their wedding cake.

Here are just a few pictures from their day.

Congratulations Jen and Nick! I'll get your previews out to you in two - three weeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Mohr

2010-05-16T17:20:00.001-05:00

Pure joy. There are many other words that could describe the wedding of Tammie and Brian Mohr, but pure joy sums it up the best. The details were carefully planned, and shared with everyone via their wedding website, www.brianandtammie.com.

It was as if the weather was planned just for their day. Following a couple of weeks of March-like weather, Saturday delivered mild temperatures and bright sunshine through the morning that gave way to "perfect" overcast skies for our outdoor photos at the Schell Brewery after the ceremony.

The day started out at the beautiful Bohemian Bed and Breakfast. Tammie and her attendants got ready here. We then headed to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity for the ceremony.

Here are a few of the many, many pictures taken. A special thanks goes out to Bobbi Urban, who assisted me. I can't wait to see and share her images.

Their getaway car was the same one used by Brian's parents for their wedding August 25, 1979.

Everyone at the reception gathered for a group photo prior to the dinner.

Tammie and Brian, thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding day. It was an honor and a pleasure!

So Much for Resolutions...

2010-02-16T00:04:00.000-06:00

Well, best intentions aren't always what they're cracked up to be. It's been a crazy busy few weeks, and I'm gearing up for another wedding show this coming weekend on Feb. 21 at the Holiday in in New Ulm. It runs from 12-4. I'm happy to report I will be displaying a new sample album - the Zook PhotoBook Plus from Zookbinders. I love it!!

I got some work done on my website and have three sample albums added to the wedding gallery. Woo Hoo - I finally developed a web template that works for SimpleViewer Pro - the program I use for my online galleries. It took a lot of trial and error and some careful note-taking, but the galleries are now about a five minute chore, as opposed to taking a few hours. (So I guess updating galleries should be no problem...right?)

I also had a session with an adorable almost-three-month-old little angel named Lillian. What a doll, and what a head of hair!! Mom and Dad couldn't be more proud, as they should be.

Hoarfrost on Steroids

2010-01-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

Yikes! Our mild weather and saturated air have lead to some foggy driving conditions, but also the thickest hoarfrost I've ever seen. This was unbelievably pretty, so I thought I'd share a few images. Enjoy!

Owatonna Wedding Show a Great Success!

2010-01-10T22:38:00.000-06:00

WOW! A lot of couples got engaged over the holidays! The Owatonna Wedding Show was a fantastically fun event. The staff at the Holiday Inn were exceptionally accommodating with all our requests, as were the staff from the Owatonna People's Press. I will definitely participate in this event again next year.

And the winner is.... Congratulations to Chelsey S. and Mike W. of Janesville. They're the winners of my door prize - a signature book created with images from the engagement session. Special thanks go to Kelsey B. of Lakeville for stopping by to say hi. Kelsey and Dean were married in October of 2008, and she was pleased to see her album proudly displayed at my booth, along with a 30x40 print. (Kelsey thinks I should raise my prices!!)

Rachael and Steve - Thank you for entrusting me with your wedding day photography! I look forward to working with you. I hope to hear from a few more brides with 2010 weddings, and am happy to take reservations for 2011!

To all the future newlyweds who signed up today, I'll be getting a postcard out to you within two weeks that contains pricing and package information.

First Entry

2010-01-05T12:59:00.001-06:00

Hello out there, and welcome to my first blog post. Today I'm making good on one of many New Year's resolutions! (Did I mention this was a resolution for 2009?) On this blog, I'll share sneak peaks from photo sessions and weddings, and will communicate special offers and news about my residential studio.

I'm preparing for the first wedding show of 2010 (Sunday, January 10 at the Holiday Inn of Medford, Minnesota. Doors open at 10 with a style show mid-afternoon.

At any rate, I'm working feverishly at redesigning my website (bobbymcfall.com), establishing a brand, and getting this blog up and running before the show. If I want to stay competitive in this highly competitive photography industry (and I do!!), I need to fully embrace all the tools of the industry-and that includes a blog and other social networking presence. My plan is to post weekly. We'll see how this goes and where it takes me!