Leaves and Fleeces and Fall - Oh My! {Victoria Family Photos}

A few weeks ago I met this darling family over at the Lowry Nature Center in Carver Park, about an hour west of Minneapolis. It's such a fun place for a photo shoot, with lots of running space, trees, and natural play areas. It was a chilly November day but I'm so glad the W family braved the elements with just their light fleeces because they added such fun pops of color! I can't remember who pointed it out, but isn't that the coolest "heart" tree?

Enjoy the photos then scroll down to view the slideshow!

(Note: Photo quality in slideshow is not accurate representation of final product. 
See still photos for full resolution.)

Minnestrista Family Fall Photos from Carolyn Pierson on Vimeo.

You Better Watch Out ...

You're about to view some adorable Christmas family photos!

And now for the slideshow!

(Note: Photo quality in slideshow is not accurate representation of final product. 
See still photos for full resolution.)

Minnesota Family Christmas Photos from Carolyn Pierson on Vimeo.

Sneak Peek: Witschorik Family

On a scale of one to ten, how adorable is this family? 

Yup, I thought so too : )

The Duke of Earl {Lake Calhoun Children's Photography}

This photo shoot has been a long time coming. A few years ago Earl's grandfather came to me inquiring about a photo shoot capturing his newly adopted grandson and his amazing moms. I heard tales of young Earl, of his spunk and curiosity, and how seamlessly he assumed his new role as the center of the family. Finally our schedules aligned and I was able to meet five-year-old Earl at his grandpa's house just blocks from Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. We rode bikes (or rather, he did), played catch, chased the ducks, climbed trees, smelled flowers, searched for berries, and gave great big hugs. What a joy it was to share the day with this lovely family and to capture these childhood moments of the one-and-only Duke of Earl. Enjoy the photos and slideshow! (Note: musical selection was specially chosen by Grandpa Al.)

(Note: Photo quality in slideshow is not accurate representation of final product. 
See still photos for full resolution.)

The Duke of Earl from Carolyn Pierson on Vimeo.

Eagan Family Christmas Photos: Sneak Peek

What better way to spend a weekend morning than by sipping on hot chocolate with these kids? Enjoy this sneak peek at our Christmas photo shoot!

Sneak Peek: Earl

What better way to start a Sunday than getting a glimpse through the eyes of a five-year-old boy? I had so much fun this morning chasing after the ever inquisitive, always expressive Earl. Enjoy this sneak peek of two of my favorites from our fall photo shoot!

Wedding and Family Photography Workshop

Last spring I attended a photography workshop by Noemi, an established photographer here in the Twin Cities. It was a blast! We spent the evening chatting about light, the value of accessories in a photograph, posing clients naturally, and the timeless "Cinderella story." Oh, and we dined on some amazing thai chicken salad, cupcakes, and other tasty goodies. This was the first workshop I've ever attended, outside of the two photography classes I took in college (way back then we used film cameras!) so I was just soaking up all of the helpful tidbits and advice. I especially enjoyed connecting with other like-minded photo nerds, which is actually somewhat of a rarity. It's unfortunate, but most often photographers keep to themselves so as to preserve their "secrets," when there is such potential for collaboration.

I can't believe I am just posting these photos now, four months after the event, but I hope you enjoy rewinding time and browse through some of the "gems."

You can tell in this photo that this was a workshop and not an actual photo shoot because no one was looking at my camera. But still, cute family, right? Rocking all the accessories!

And here's Noemi, showing us how to make a bride look good getting out of a car. 

She was so much FUN! I can see why clients feel comfortable being themselves around her; she makes even the rain that started falling during our family shoot an exciting adventure. (See two photos above.) A large part of being a successful photographer is definitely knowing how to run a shoot, manage people, and keep everyone in a good mood. It's a lot harder than she makes it look!

Minnehaha Falls Slideshow

You've already seen sneak peek photos here and here, and now you can watch the final slideshow!

This cute family knows a thing or two about long-distance relationships, since the grandparents live down in St. Louis, where they're all originally from. I had a blast capturing their happy reunion at Minnehaha Falls earlier this fall.

More Family Photos by the Falls!

Here are a few more gems from my photo shoot a few weeks ago at Minnehaha Falls. The waterfall itself was pretty much dried up, but there were so many other picturesque spots - like the trellis walkway you'll see in multiple shots! I'll have the rest of these done soon, but as a teaser ... err, I guess this is the second teaser ... here are a few more of my favorites.

 I love the hand holding in this one.

Cuddles with Mama!

I told you we liked walking through this thing!

St. Anthony Main: Family Slideshow

Some final photos from my shoot down at St. Anthony Falls - and a slideshow! I love the task of coming up with the perfect song to accompany a set of photos, but I was at a loss with this one. I went through every song in my iTunes folder and couldn't find anything that was happy and peppy enough, with a good moving beat. Gotta have that for pics of kids. Then I called my sister who nailed it on her first recommendation. Scroll down to find out what song!

Turn up the music and enjoy the slideshow!

Music: On Top of the World, by Imagine Dragons

View all photos here.

Here's my first post of this photo shoot, and here's my second.

More from St. Anthony Main

I've been busy editing photos for a few different fall sessions, and although I don't have this one completely finished, I thought I'd post a few more of my favorites (first batch can be found here). More photos and a slideshow coming soon. Now, who's ready for a leaf fight?!

Sneak Peek: Adventures with Kids

I love taking pictures of kids, especially this fun duo. I had a great time chasing them around (sometimes quite literally!) the other night down at St. Anthony Main - up trees, through leaf piles, across the bridge .... Here are a couple of my favorites so far:

Love the pout. I believe this was after a leaf fight with big brother. I have plenty of happy/smiley photos too!

more to come!

Minnetrista Family Photographer: The W Family

I had so much fun putting together this little slideshow for the W family. It always takes me a while to find that perfect song to go with the pictures, and sometimes I'm surprised at what I select. This time the moment I started playing Christmastide I knew it was the one. This is actually a recording of my sister's girl choir back when she was in gradeschool (so ignore the little coughs and rustling of paper in the background ... it's a live recording). I also have a recording of this song sung by the St. Olaf Choir, but the voices of these girls just fit so much better. Enjoy!

Note: photos never look quite as good in a slideshow ... view some of my favorite photos as still images in their sneak peek:  Click here.

Sneak Peek: W Family

I had a blast taking photos of this adorable family this past weekend. Saturday's snowfall left us with a lovely white backdrop and a great excuse to get outside and play! Here are a few of my favorite photos so far ... I have many more to edit, so stay tuned!

I caught him in one of his more pensive moments. In my next post you'll see many sillier photos of him : )

What an adorable family!

Ready for a smile? Take a look at this cutie!

Eagan Family Christmas Photos

You may remember these cute kids from earlier this summer (and the fall before). I had a great time taking some Christmas photos of them this morning! Now I'm officially in the Christmas mood and plan on spending the rest of the day digging out decorations and setting up the tree!

Look at how nicely Alaina holds her dress. So poised!

Ryan loves the pond - and ice! It is just starting to freeze ... I think he could stay out there all day.

I hope your hockey game went well today!

And a few moments later, they were a heap of laughter on the floor!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .... : )