I photographed this adorable family a couple years ago and it was so good to see them again with an additional family member!  And I think it’s pretty sweet how this dad is totally outnumbered by all his beautiful ladies!  We also were celebrated the youngest one’s first birthday and she totally went for it with her cake.  It was pretty great!

Maybe you read my recent post about our upcoming move to the East Coast.  Well, Tricia and Mike’s engagement session was my inaugural shoot in Boston and it.was.awesome.  We had so much fun with these two.  They live in a super sweet and charming historic condo that they have completely renovated which gave me the itch to move into a fixer-upper even though I have no clue what to do with a fixer-upper…  We started the shoot inside, then moved to their roof deck (with ridiculous views of the city), then to a quaint little coffee shop that they frequent a lot.  Tricia, you are effortlessly beautiful and the two of you are so sweet together.  We can’t wait for your wedding this fall!

I moved to Rochester almost 6 years ago.  Newly married, excited about life and new beginnings but kinda lost as far as a career goes.  I knew I loved photography and I was shooting for fun, as a hobby.  I was on a quest to find “a real job” and simply happy to shoot for family and friends and occasionally the friend of a friend.  As it turns out, I could not find/get hired for “a real job” which was discouraging, disappointing, and frustrating.  Determined to stay positive, my answer to the standard question at age 24 of “What are you doing with your life?” was “I’m looking for a ‘real’ job and doing photography in the meantime.”  Fair enough.  Soon, my answer was “I don’t have time to look for a ‘real’ job.  I’m too busy doing photography stuff and I’m going full speed ahead with it!”  Looking back I am SO SO SO thankful no one hired me.  Throughout the uncertainty of figuring out what to do with my life, throughout the days of shooting every night and weekend possible and never ending hours in Photoshop, throughout the times of making no money, throughout the times of self doubt and throughout the sacrifices that starting and maintaining a small business and chasing a dream require, I had an incredible cheering section.  Most specifically from a great guy named Justin.

So fast forward to now.  I am so happy with life in Rochester.  I love the work I do.  I love our friends.  I love being a part of this community.  I love our little house.  I love my studio space.  (The only part I don’t like is being 5 hours away from my family and 2 hours from Justin’s family.)  So that’s why it’s really hard to write this and why I’ve been putting it off for as long as possible:  We’re moving.

Justin started working for McNeilus last summer and now has a great opportunity with them on the East Coast.  So while he has already started his position out East, I’ll be making the transition a little slower, traveling back and forth throughout the summer and eventually staying out there in the fall.  I’ll be making fairly regular trips back to visit and packing in a bunch of shoots in while I’m here.  Ideally, we’ll be back in the Midwest after a couple years but we are making decisions one day at a time right now.  🙂

This has not been an easy decision.  And it’s been even harder telling people and talking about it because then it’s really real.  But it’s my turn to support my husband.  I believe in him and if I can be even half as encouraging to him as he was to me, that will be a success.  It’s time to open my heart and my mind to new possibilities and time to throw off old ways of thinking (and time cling to Facetime, email, phone calls and plane tickets too…. 🙂

Sooooo.  Logistics.  1.  Any weddings or other shoots that have already been scheduled will not change.  Pricing will not change and your experience with me will not change.  I highly value the people that I work with and will do everything I can to continue to provide high quality service.  I plan on making fairly regular trips back and will be scheduling shoots and scheduling weddings during these times.  2.  Anyone interested in an amazing studio space with fantastic landlords?  I’m so so so sad to give up this beautiful space.  Email me if you are interested in it and I will gladly put you in touch with my landlords.  3.  At this point, I’m booking these dates in Rochester, MN/Minneapolis, MN: June 11-20, June 26-July 2, July 25-August 3. and these dates in Portland, ME/Boston, MA:  July 11-18.  Email me for more specific details.

Thank you all for your continued support.  Cheers to new adventures!

Photo by Sarah Field Photography.

We did a “mommy and me” photo session for Molly and her sweet daughter Evy.  Yep, they’re adorable.  Happy weekend!

HOW TO TAKE THE “PERFECT” FAMILY PHOTO

What started as a fun hobby taking pictures turned into a full time profession of making photographs.  Over the years, I have spent a lot of time contemplating why I do what I do and how to make the transition from taking photos to making photographs.  Ultimately, I want to make artistically and technically beautiful photos but I also feel a responsibility to document the connections between people, to create images that communicate the crazy, chaotic and yet beautiful life to new parents now and to their grown children later.  So how do I make that happen?  Certainly, it is my job to facilitate an environment that makes my subjects feel comfortable, to provide suggestions for clothing, location, time of day, poses, etc, etc. Of course I need to know my equipment, I need to recognize good light and I need to be able to shoot fast (specifically with those speedy little 2 year olds…)  Perhaps most important of all is to be open and aware of emotions and the nuances of relationships.  But I also rely on my subjects for a variety of things and  there’s no better way to share that perspective than through the eyes of one of my favorite subjects….plus she’s way better with words that I am!

Thank you, Heather Ritenour-Sampson for sharing your beautiful perspective:

A few weeks ago, Emily came over and took pictures of me, my husband and our two boys. At the end of the shoot, we literally looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and said “well, we can always shoot again another day.” The shoot was “less than perfect.” Not because of the talent of the photographer (obviously), but more due to the willingness of the children to “smile pretty” for the camera. We were under a time crunch and light was fading, along with the boys’ temperaments. Big brother wanted to do nothing more than make toothless growly faces, while hanging upside down on the swing. Little brother wanted to run, slide, and stay as far away from big (annoying, poking, needling) brother as possible. Meanwhile Dad (just home from work), and Mom (with kids all day) tried to rope in the cattle, line up the troops, you get the picture. Then Emily sent these pictures of the shoot, with the idea that we share our collaborative tips on how to take the “perfect” family photo. Because whatever happened in that hour worked, despite how we thought things went (see photos).

So here it goes:

1. Get over getting a perfect family photo. The best pictures don’t come from orchestrating perfectly matched outfits, or because the background is breathtaking, or because everyone in the picture is in palpable harmony. The obsession with getting a perfect photo leads to stress, which leads to not smiling, or fake smiles, which definitely don’t make for lovely photographs.

2.  Stay in the moment. Breathe. Smile. Enjoy. Acknowledge that the camera is there, of course, but try not to consider it an intrusion. Think of the presence that you give that little round capturer of light and shadow, as a gift. Let the camera decide what to do with your presence. Just stay present, stay in the moment, with your family. Not everyone needs to be looking at the camera for it to be a great picture. If everyone is looking at the camera, it will catch it. But let go of directing the shoot. Stick together, try different things, but do what works in the moment, not what you think SHOULD happen, or what it SHOULD look like.

3. Go with the flow. Be flexible. Welcome humor. If one of your kids (or kid, or dog, or partner) is acting a little nuts, let them get over it on their own. Give them a little space. The minute they feel pressure from you to change their behavior, especially in front of a lovely doe-eyed lady like Emily, and especially if they are boys (as the mother of only boys, I like to fantasize that photo shoots with families of only daughters work like a dream), they are going to go in the OPPOSITE direction of what you intend. So if one kid makes a crabby face, join them, and maybe the family photo of everyone with crabby faces turns out the cutest, who knows!

4. Don’t make any assumptions. Don’t make assumptions about what your kids/partner/dog will or won’t do in front of a camera, or what does/doesn’t look good. They will surprise you. You will surprise yourself. Let the photographer and the camera take care of the angles. Come into the shoot with an open mind. Give each person in the shoot space to try something fun, new, different, sassy, wild, quiet, calm, or strange (within the assumed realm of decent human appropriateness, of course)! Release your inner critic!

5. Trust your photographer (especially if it’s Emily). The minute that you start doubting whether or not the photographer is going to get a great picture, whether or not the background is right, whether or not they know what they are doing, the less “in the moment” you are, and the harder it is for said photographer to capture you and your beautiful family in an authentic, honest, beautiful moment.

6. Remember you ARE beautiful! There is nothing more needed than you showing up. Sure, polish up a bit, but don’t overdo it. Be yourself… Because Emily doesn’t take ugly pictures, or take pictures of ugly people. All she needs is a moment, a camera, and YOU!

The first ever Food Revolution Day took place last Saturday, a day dedicated to standing up for, and celebrating, real food.  My friend Amy Sapola organized the Food Revolution Rochester MN group and I tagged along with her as we explored the Rochester Farmer’s Market, interviewing vendors and photographing the goods.  First, we met Kelly from Prosper Valley Farm in Wykoff, MN. She is easy to find at the market because she brings a school bus full of plants, eggs, veggies, and even goat to the market!  Next, we talked with the folks from Easy Yoke Farm, Hannah, Daniel, and baby Paul.  Hannah said what she likes best about selling produce at the market is that it connects them with people and is rewarding to see people excited about what they have been working so hard to grow.  Hannah said, “we couldn’t do what we do if it wasn’t for such a supportive community in Rochester.”  Finally, we talked with Joe from Earthen Path Organic Farm.  He said without hesitation that his favorite vegetable to grow is heirloom tomatoes.  He explained there are so many nuances of flavors and different varieties of the plants that he really enjoys trying them and talking with customers about the different options. I asked Joe what he enjoyed most about the Downtown Rochester Farmers market and he said he enjoys the customer interaction and how gratifying it is to see people excited about your hard work!  A special thanks to Dave, the Rochester Farmer’s Market Manager who was so welcoming and helpful in showing us around!  Be sure to check out their Facebook page and Twitter too!

Later Saturday evening, we enjoyed an amazing Chef’s Tasting Menu at Sontes.  During dinner, we were able to visit with Jamie Oliver live via Google+ Hangout (you can watch the full conversation here!)  These events in Rochester were a small part of the greater movement…there were 664 cities and 62 countries that organized over 1,000 real food events!

If you’d like to learn more about the Rochester Food Revolution, you can email Amy, check out the movement on Facebook or Twitter: @FoodRevRochMN.

Kai, you were born two years ago today!  Though it doesn’t seem that long ago, you have changed so much in two short years!  Witnessing your birth remains one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life.  And watching your grow since then has been so fun!  (To recap, check out his newborn, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year sessions).  I always look forward to your visits to see “Emy and Ike” and you always give the best bear hugs!  Certainly your third year of life is going to be filled with lots of fun and exciting things including becoming a big brother!  Happy 2nd birthday, Kai!  xoxoxox.

Beckett is 6 months old and he is so so so cute!  (Well, he is actually a liiiittle older than 6 months…we had to reschedule 3 times due to rain but I’m so glad we held off for a nice day!)  His newborn session seems like yesterday and his mom and dad just celebrated their two year wedding anniversary!  I love watching families grow!

This Saturday, May 19 is Global Food Revolution Day.  This day is about bringing people who love food together to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues.  Food Revolution Day is about connecting with your community through events at schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers’ markets. We want to inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone.  We need to get back to the basics and start thinking about where our food comes from.  We need to become a conscious community and understand the food choices we make on a daily basis. We can do this by improving food education.

My friend Amy Sapola is organizing the Food Revolution Rochester MN group and wrote a fantastic guest blog post on Sontes blog.  Saturday morning, you can find me tagging along with her as we explore the Rochester Farmer’s Market, interviewing vendors and photographing the goods.  Then on Saturday evening, Sontes is offering a Chef’s Tasting Menu.  They’ve put together an exclusive tasting menu for the evening, full of local, sustainable, organic, or biodynamic ingredients.  Please join us in the conversation about real food as we take steps towards a healthier lifestyle.  Watch for a recap with lots of photos following this weekend!

If you’d like to learn more about the Rochester Food Revolution, you can email Amy, or check out the movement on Twitter: @FoodRevRochMN.

Happy Mother’s Day…especially to this momma of 1 soon to be 2 adorable kiddos!  Aren’t these guys ridiculously cute?