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I find that seniors are always exciting to work with. There are so many changes and questions in life, and the whole world is spread out before them. It’s a time with more questions than answers.

Bobbi is a girl after my own heart. She had just spent some time up in Minneapolis before we did her session. I’ll admit I was a bit jealous, I’ve been missing the cities a bit lately, although not enough to just take off and visit. I’m not willing, yet, to spend four hours in the car with a cranky toddler, but maybe this summer we can give it a try. Bobbi had been checking out MCAD, so I knew just by that comment that we would be having a lot of fun during her session.

Bobbi had some perfect locations in mind for her session. We started out shooting by some graffiti covered train cars, I love the bright colors. Bobbi is a perfect model if I do say so myself. Then we head out for some softer shots in a field of Queen Anne’s lace, went for a little dip in Skillet Creek (no, I do not let my seniors go in alone, I got wet, too) and then ended up at a super secret location that we are not allowed to divulge until she has graduated, but I’ll give you a hint that it makes you feel like you’re on top of the world!

Oh, it was such a blast and so easy taking these shots. I seriously have the coolest job in the world. Except for maybe those people that name the crayons, that would be awesome, too. Anyways, take a look at some of my fav’s of Bobbi, and feel free to leave some blog love, it makes me happy, unless it’s spam and then I just trash it.

After yesterday’s novel, this post is a refreshing turnabout. I know it says wordless, but Jamie and I were out shoveling yesterday, she did try to help but the shovel was just so heavy that she couldn’t lift it. Jamie is finally enjoying the snow, meaning when she steps on any of the white stuff she doesn’t burst into tears and screaming fits anymore, yay! She also enjoys eating it, as you can tell by the third shot, she’s contemplating putting her snow covered mitten in her mouth. She did. It’s days like this that I want to remember forever.

This post is a personal post, if you don’t want to read, scroll down, I’ve included a black and white flower shot for you. I promise that tomorrow we will resume our scheduled programming with something much more exciting, but for today, I need to get this off my chest.

I have been doing some soul searching lately. And I am not sure of anything right now. I still have a roof over my head and food on the table. I have a loving husband that will support me. In whatever I choose to do. I have a beautiful baby girl who I can only hope will one day realize how much my heart overflows with love for her.

I feel lost right now. I feel scared. And I don’t know what my next step will be. Behind me lays the road I have traveled and before me yawns a chasm. I am standing at the precipice with no idea how far the drop will be, the winds of change are beating at my back and I am afraid to jump. And I am afraid to stay. I cannot stay because things have already changed and will continue to change.

Rob and I have had some monumental changes this winter. Rumors of him being laid off were whispered in our ears at Thanksgiving and we have been living with this threat hanging over our heads. It has been a very stressful couple of months. I am a worrier. My brain never stops, and if you ask Rob, he will tell you that this is true. I lie awake at night with these thoughts racing through my head, what if’s turning circles through my brain. I’ve tried to make it stop. The worries only get worse. It wasn’t Rob who needed to worry. I no longer have the same job as before. I am finding it hard to adjust, I’ve done this for six years and now, well now someone else does what I do, what I did.

So here I am, at a new crossroads in life and there is the question hanging in the air.

Where do I go from here?

Where?

What do I want to do with my life?

That is the question, and unlike Scarlett I cannot wait until tomorrow to think about the answer. I need to figure things out now. This is where I stand, a well trod path behind me and nothing solid in front of me. I know that Rob will support me.

So, where do I go from here?

Do I leave everything behind and forge this new path? Our photography is pulling me, drawing me ever farther off the beaten path. I’ve dreamed of building up the photography to a point where one of us can take it on full time. There is no time like the present. I am young, I am determined and I am dreaming big. I have so many new plans for this coming year. I want to break into new markets. I’ve got newborns lined up, okay they may be waiting their turns, and I have dreams of showing women how beautiful they are, every curve and line holds beauty. I want to share my dreams with you.

I will dream. I will grow. I will choose happy.

Emily and Dave got married last September. It was a beautiful day for a wedding, or two or three as we saw by the other couples taking use of our State capital that day.

You may remember Emily and Dave from their engagement session. I wanted to hug them then, and I still want to now. There are no words for me to describe the love that these two have for each other, I keep trying, but cannot find the perfect ones. I want to bottle them up and sell their love serum to the rest of our couples. They are so at ease with one another that our job was made super easy. Not every couple acts like they do with a camera trained on them, it was as if they didn’t know that we were there. I loved it, every minute of it.

I found out at the church while asking Emily where she got her gorgeous dress that she had won last year’s Madison bridal fair’s grand prize. How amazing is that?! She won the tuxes, bridesmaid’s gowns, cake and jewelry just to name a few, and Emily if I am wrong please correct me. I don’t think a more deserving couple could have won such a prize.

The cermony at St. Luke’s was perfect and after a bubble filled retreat, we headed out for some fun wedding party portraits. Our first stop was at Capital Brewery. I even heard one of the groomsmen joke that these were “the most romantic pictures”. I love groomsmen, they can be the life of the party.

We also hit Henry Vilas Zoo. This is where Dave proposed, so we had to find the spot next to the penguins and get some cute shots of the bride and groom before heading to the Nakoma Country Club for the reception. We were allowed on to the golf course for a few quick shots and then in to mingle with the rest of the guests. It was a wonderful day, and I only hope the pictures will share the emotions.

Congrats, Emily and Dave, may your lives be filled with one adventure after another!

This shot of Emily and Dave kissing is Rob’s favorite from the ceremony, everything is perfect, down to Emily’s hand on Dave’s neck. So loving.

I love this shot of them dancing, what could be more perfect?

Emily and Dave’s guests were amazing dancers, this guy was awesome!

Vendor List

dress: Vera’s House of Bridals
flowers: florist at Nakoma Country Club
ceremony: St. Lukes, Middleton
limo: Gallant Knight
reception: Nakoma Country Club
cake: Craig’s Cake Shop

I will admit that I have forgotten a bit about the just engaged rush. Of course, Rob and I meet plenty of couples that are engaged and looking for a wedding photographer, but we have been married for five years now. It honestly doesn’t feel that long at all. I have forgotten how exciting it is to look through the bridal magazines, making copious notes of this centerpiece, that dress, the icing on the cake, etc.

But on Friday, my sister in law got engaged. Congrats, Amanda! She is a flurry of activity, ready to get everything planned for next spring, or this fall. She is so excited that it is contagious. I find myself getting excited about going to her wedding dress appointments, looking at flowers, perhaps even testing some cake. I think you all know how I feel about cake.

I remember shopping for my own wedding dress. We went to several different bridal salons, and I tried on so many gowns that one began to look like another. Until I found THE one. It was cream, with a little beading under the bust and poet sleeves. I was so in love. I ordered the dress, paid the deposit and left the salon feeling oh so excited. But then, I got a call the next day saying that the designer was no longer cutting that dress. Oh the horror. I will admit that I found something similar, but it wasn’t the one. Everyone says I still looked gorgeous, and the dress was me.

You know what? The wedding is not about the dress. I promise you, it’s not. It was about sharing the love that Rob and I felt for one another. I remember how handsome Rob looked in his tux, the way our niece and the flower girl were chasing each other around us during the ceremony and laughing about it.

Nothing is perfect. This is a fact of life. It is the way that we overcome those imperfections that bring out our character. I like to think that our wedding was perfect. It was also a blur. Looking back on the images from our wedding brings back all those memories. It doesn’t matter that the dress wasn’t the one that I wanted to begin with. It only matters that I had one of the most memorable days of my life in that dress, and that makes it the one.

I’ve spent the better part of my night looking at wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses with Amanda tonight. My head is a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes and designs. No wonder brides are so stressed out, right? I know Amanda has a style in mind, as do most brides when looking for a dress, but don’t be afraid to try something completely different. You may be surprised when you look in the mirror. It may not be the one that you end up wearing, but if you are looking for an A-line dress and see a ball gown that says “try me”, do it for giggles. I did, and felt like a princess, even though I knew that dress would not be the one, it was fun to try on. It’s your wedding day. No one else’s and you should have fun with every step.

I had so much fun today on my first lifestyle session of the year. Truly, what is better than spending a couple of hours capturing a family as they get together, hang out and let the kids enjoy some super sweet sugary goodness?

I love the lifestyle session, I think it is way more fun than a regular portrait session and you can really be yourself. Here’s a little sugary taste of what’s to come.

Welcome back to the next installment of album thursday! Today I am showing off Kristina and Ryan’s gorgeous albums. Yup, you read that right. Albums, plural. They ordered a 12×12 ONE with Wedgewood leather and an Armour cover, featuring one of my very favorite shots from the wedding day, and two 8×8 parent’s albums in Wedgewood. Wedgewood is the perfect navy compliment to Kristina and Ryan’s wedding, and oh so supple, I could pet their album all day long. I love Armour covers. Our sample album is an Armour cover, it is a metal emulsion mounted to a thicker piece of metal, sturdy and durable.

We jam packed 108 images into Kristina and Ryan’s 30 page album. I think that the album is the perfect story of their day.

I love wedding albums. I love designing them, being able to show the story of the day with our images and I love getting the actual album delivered. Being able to touch and marvel at the workmanship is one of my very favorite things. I love breaking open the boxes, cracking open the cover and just running my hand along the pages. I hope that our clients enjoy these very same things with their own albums.

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