And now for a little more gratitude – Alicia Oppelt Musselman.  BEST ASSISTANT EVER!  Hands down; no contest.  She rocks, and she may be a little bit psychic because she has a freaky way of completing tasks I haven’t even asked her to do yet.  And if there are any photographers out there with notions of whisking her away, think twice.  I am not above biting.  She makes it possible for me to focus on creating images instead of where I left my light meter.

David Grupa and Erin Dunn - thank you both for telling me to quit being such a wimp and just enter the album already.

Last night I walked away with the following eight honors at the 2010 Northern Light Regional Convention for MN, ND and SD professional photographers:

• MN Wedding Photographer of the Year
• Distinguished Album
• Haga Wedding Award
• Court of Honor
• Northern Light Highest Scoring Wedding Print
• Fuji Masterpiece Award
• Kodak Gallery Award for Photographic Excellence in a Print
• Kodak Gallery Award for Photographic Excellence in an Album

But before I put down one more word of horn honking, I need to give a big, fat THANK YOU to David Grupa, David Johnson, David Jones, Erin Dunn and Kirsten Holscher.  I have a terrible time choosing which of my images to enter because I become too attached to the subjects.  I would make my selections based on the history of the image, how I felt when I took it, how I feel when I see it now, and how I feel about the people in it.  These wonderfully gifted photographers spent their valuable time helping me see my images with fresh eyes, and their advice was instrumental in achieving the list of awards above.

I’m especially proud of the fact that all of the images I entered were created for actual clients.  I didn’t hire professional models and stylists or rent a special location.  These are real brides and grooms being photographed on their actual wedding day.  It was a privilege to take part in their weddings, and I’m grateful  they allowed me the time and creative space to produce the images you’ll see below.  Meghan and Brandon, Jill and Paul, Katie and Sean, and Mary and Peter  – thank you, thank you, thank you!

Additionally, the images were awarded by trained, experienced professional photographers and judges, men and women who’ve spent decades learning, improving and sharing their art.  I value their opinions and greatly appreciate their gifts.  To have them recognize my work as being worthy of the awards above is truly an honor.

Album: It Starts With a Kiss

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Print: A Quiet Corner

Print: Leading Lady

Print: A Perfect Storm

I spent hours upon hours designing this 12×16 monster, sweating every little detail, making sure I told the story of Meghan and Brandon’s wedding with gorgeous and emotionally meaningful images.  I could not have asked for a better wedding for my sample album.  They had the perfect storm: gorgeous, fun couple; breathtaking wedding location; beautiful reception venue, and a photography-friendly time line.  I must have made some exceptionally good deposits into my photography karma bank to deserve such an exceptional wedding.

Meghan and Brandon were simply awesome – funny, generous, warm, sincere, and it doesn’t hurt that they hit the genetic jackpot in the looks department.  Some people get all the good genes.

We started their day at the Semple Mansion, which is one of my all-time favorite wedding venues.  Obviously, it gorgeous.  It boasts “finely crafted mahogany woodwork, hardwood floors, marble inlays, restored fresco paintings, giant crystal chandeliers, wood-burning fireplaces and outside terraces.”  From a photographer’s perspective, I’d like to add one more major attribute to the list - gorgeous natural light.  The majority of the portraits taken inside the masion were created with natural light only.  Besides the building itself, Semple Mansion also has a great staff.  They’re professional, friendly and at the top of their game. 

After everyone was ready and the informal portraits were complete, we traveled to the wedding location, the Holy Grail of Minneapolis wedding photographers, the Basillica of St. Mary.  I am not exaggerating when I say that the first time I saw the interior of the Basillica I cried.  It’s beyond breathtaking, and I don’t have the verbal acuity to do it justice.  You’ll have to go see it for yourself to understand.

After the ceremony, I was able to go with the couple to Loring Park for additional portraits.  Since Meghan and Brandon live nearby, it was a perfect location to help tell their story.  Again, the karma bank delivered.  We had beautiful early evening light, perfect weather, and great color and texture in the cattails, flowers and buildings.

With all of these amazing locations, I was grateful that Meghan and Brandon had scheduled enough time for their photography.  We had time both before and after the ceremony to really have fun, enjoy the process, give each location the attention it deserved, and most importantly, give the couple the attention they deserve.  The following album is the result of all of these factors coming together in perfect harmony.  Thank you, Karma.  I’ll be sure to keep making my deposits.

Sampl_ALB_001 Sampl_ALB_002 Sampl_ALB_003 Sampl_ALB_004 Sampl_ALB_005 Sampl_ALB_006 Sampl_ALB_007 Sampl_ALB_008 Sampl_ALB_009 Sampl_ALB_010 Sampl_ALB_011 Sampl_ALB_012 Sampl_ALB_013 Sampl_ALB_014 Sampl_ALB_015 Sampl_ALB_016 Sampl_ALB_017 Sampl_ALB_018 Sampl_ALB_019 Sampl_ALB_020 Sampl_ALB_021 Sampl_ALB_022 Sampl_ALB_023 Sampl_ALB_024 Sampl_ALB_025 Sampl_ALB_026 Sampl_ALB_027 Sampl_ALB_028 Sampl_ALB_029

Dana and Gerald’s album arrived all shiny and new yesterday.  They had an outdoor wedding at Nicollet Commons Park  in Burnsville, MN on one of the most pefect days of the season.  After the ceremony, a horse-drawn carriage whisked them away to their intimate & elegant reception at Chateau LaMothe.

DSC_0362 DSC_0364 REDO