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

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Print: A Quiet Corner

Print: Leading Lady

Print: A Perfect Storm

And here’s the deal-io muchachos, and I say this only because I have witnessed it personally, Sarah’s presence is more calming than prescription pharmaceuticals.  And for anyone that’s ever planned a wedding or participated in a wedding, you know that things can get downright frightening.  Moms get stressed.  Sisters get lost.  Best men get intoxicated, and red things get spilled on white dresses.  But with a qualified, experienced wedding professional like Sarah, all you’ll have on your to-do list is to enjoy one of the best days of your life with the most important people in your life.

And here’s a little secret you may not know about wedding photographers . . . we’re all terrible control freaks.  In order to create gorgeous images, we want to control the light, control the pose, control the location.   Having to “share” a wedding with another professional can rattle our obsessive-compulsive nerves.  But I can honestly say, and I’ve told Sarah this myself, that I wish she was at every wedding I’m invited to photograph.  And that, my friends, is the highest praise I can give.

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