40 Under Forty honoree

Congrats to Sharon Bloodworth, from

White Oaks Wealth Advisors, who has been named in a Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal article, 40 Under Forty. Sharon is listed as one of 40 successful business people under forty years old. Sharon sent me this thank you about her photo,

"I just wanted to say that so many people have been so overflowingly complimentary on the photos you took of me. Thank you so much – I very much appreciate it."

Fusion Wedding Photography

I’ve finally come up with an answer to one of the most common questions that I receive from potential wedding clients: what kind of photography do you do?

I have a hard time classifying my wedding photography. I have many influences, and I adapt my approach to various situations and client requests. So, I’ve decided to coin a new term and call myself a fusion wedding photographer.

The best way to explain this is to look at a few images. The first image is from a pre-wedding shoot at LaJolla, Cal. It’s clear that this is a set up, posed photograph, yet it has a lot of impact because of the setting, night sky, and lighting on the couple.

The next image is from the same shoot. I’m guessing many viewers would classify this as photojournalism. But I would call this a semi-directed photograph. I placed them in an appealing setting, then asked them to walk with Andy a half-step in front. Walking with the couple and shooting from the hip created this spontaneous, joyous looking image. By placing couples in situations and using limited direction, we can create candid, memorable images.

The last image is definitely photojournalism. In the final minutes before the ceremony, mom and bride shared a brief, powerful moment that speaks of their relationship and the anticipation of a beautiful wedding day. In this situation, I’m totally behind the scenes, observing and documenting the interactions and emotions of the day. Of course, the key to a photojournalistic approach is having the time and freedom to act as an observer.

Dog Sled Video-Plain & Simple

Dog Sled Images

It seems we might have scored on the last dog sledding day of this season. With sunny weather, peaking at 57˚, and no wind, it turned out to be a great day outdoors in the BWCA. We stayed at Smitty's on Snowbank and Basswood Bob was our guide.

Dog Sled Video-Barking & Howling

Jenny & Brad-Slideshow Video

Flashes of Hope

Flashes of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating powerful, uplifting portraits of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

I've been involved with Flashes of Hope for several years now, and it's turned out to be my favorite volunteer project. These portraits were taken recently at the Hematology Oncology Clinic at Children's - Minneapolis. I'm amazed at the wonderful attitudes and smiles which flow easily. When I initially meet the subjects and parents I can feel the strain, yet as I review the images I feel most of the stress is forgotten. It seems to me they have achieved a certain understanding and depth I don't possess. Many thanks to the staff at Children's for allowing us to create these images in between the patients' infusions, blood draws and doctor appointments-- their dedication to these families is amazing. And thanks to Flashes of Hope for inviting me to participate.

Maggie & Jonathan Wedding Slideshow

Land O Lakes Dog Show

Some "available light" pics from the Land O Lakes show in Saint Paul. More commentary later, in which I'll reveal my fav for the show. Big Sam!...... Ok, it's later, and Big Sam is the Blood Hound in images 3 and 4. Weighing in at 120#, Sam is still growing. The owner revealed this story......., a neighbor lost their cat for three weeks. So Big Sam went over, sniffed the cat's collar, proceeded to trail the scent in the woods, and found the cat, across a body of water, three hours later. Pretty darn amazing! Some of other dogs are (I can't name them all nor correctly) Spaniel, Old English Sheep Dog, Belgian Sheep Dog (looks somewhat wolf like to me), Pomeranian, Lab, Bichon, Chesapeake Bay Retreiver, and Schnauzer. Enjoy! To see more pet pics, go to the Pets gallery.