The Rad Life - By Laura Radniecki

Hoarfrost and a Magic World

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I woke up to a magic world. As I passed a window on my way to breakfast, I looked outside and gasped, "Wow!" Everywhere I looked, everything was covered in little white crystals: hoarfrost. Jagged spikes of ice hung on trees, branches, fence posts and leaves. I immediately took my camera outside before the sun could make the spikes disappear.On that frosty morning, I paused and took in everything around me. I was fully present and fully aware. I appreciated winter and the unique beauty that comes with it.

Zumba!

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

If you know me in real life, or have been reading this blog for any extended length of time, you know that I do not like to exercise.

I know, it's awful and it's unhealthy, and how is it possible I hate to exercise so much when my husband is a triathlete.

I blame it on genetics. Sorry, Dad. :) My mom loves to exercise and so does my sister. My dad... well he would rather build things in his garage. Or watch a good episode of Ax Men on TV. Which is why I would rather do just about anything creative instead of exercising. Or watch a good episode of NCIS. [Or Unforgettable, or Grey's, or Private Practice........]

I played lots of sports growing up, but I am introverted and non-confrontational, so competitive sports make me nervous. The one sport that I did the most of throughout my childhood was dance. I danced from K-5th grade, took a break for basketball and tennis, and then joined the dance team in 9th grade. My high school memories are full of times as a Brainerd Kixter. I'm not sure why I loved competing in dance more than any other sport but I did.

After graduating from high school though, I stopped dancing. They had a dance team at the college I went to, but it was drama filled, or so I heard, so I focused on my classes instead. I went through phases where I would go to the gym; usually the 3 weeks leading up to seeing Matt after a long gap, or before going to CA or Hawaii to see him. But after that, my gym-streak would fizzle and I'd go back to my sedentary lifestyle.

I like to take walks and go on bike rides in the summer; I like to be active without feeling like I'm exercising. But the gym and I just aren't friends.

I think Matt's been secretly praying for an exercise intervention because enter... ZUMBA!

Through the grapevine, I'd heard of this Zumba thing. Zumba is latin-inspired dance. A few weeks ago, I was taking photos for an upcoming magazine article and I found myself at a Zumba class. While I photographed the instructor and the participants, listened to the latin music and watched them dance, I found myself thinking, "I might like this. I should try it."

Fast forward a few weeks and I am now added onto Matt's YMCA membership and I have been to THREE Zumba classes.

I KNOW!

What happened to Laura???

I am so sore today after Monday and Tuesday's classes, I can barely lift my arms or sit down. I've forgotten what the soreness is like after my long exercise-hiatus. I love to dance and Zumba allows me to dance to music, get my heart rate up and start to sweat, all in one 45 minute class. I really like it.

Have you tried Zumba before? Here's to turning over a new leaf and embracing our own 'flava'!

P.S. If you haven't heard of Zumba before or want to see what it's like, there are tons of videos on Youtube. Check it out - and then try a class!

Control Background Blur with Aperture - Love Your Camera: Weekly Photography Tips

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

This week's Love Your Camera photography tip is about controlling the blur of your background by setting your aperture [or f/stop].

To read an in depth tutorial I have written about aperture, click here. Aperture is what controls the depth of field in your photo, which affects the amount of blur that the background of your photo has. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out that in depth aperture tutorial and then come back and read this post.

Sometimes people want to have everything in their photo in focus. Other times, people want only their subject, the main focal point of their photo in focus, while all the rest of the photo is blurred/out of focus. Sometimes it is a matter of personal opinion, and other times, it's dependent on your subject matter. As a general rule of thumb, landscape photographers want more of their photos in focus [to see the entire mountains/trees/stream in the frame] while portrait photographers usually like the person in their photo to be in focus while the background is nice and blurry, giving more attention to the subject and minimizing the background.

The higher your f/stop number, the less blur you will have in your photos. It has to do with the depth of field in your photos, which again, is covered in that in depth tutorial I wrote and linked to above.

For today's tip, I want to show the difference that the f/stop can make on your background. The higher your aperture number, the less blur you will have in your background.

A photo taken at f/16 will have a minimally blurry background, while a photo taken at f/1.4 will have such a blurred background, you won't be able to tell what was in it. It'll just be a mass of soft shapes and color.

f/16f/11f/8f/5.6f/1.4Why is this important? It is important because it greatly affects the appearance of your photos, and creates very different looks by which aperture setting you choose. Also, if you are taking photos in a place that has a busy/cluttered background and maybe you don't particularly want people to know you are taking photos in an alley with some garbage bins scattered around. So what can you do, besides moving to a new location or moving the bins? You can use a lower f/stop which will give you a more blurry background. You will be able to see less of the background and the distractions will matter less! Sweet!

I love to use a low f/stop number, which gives me a shallow depth of field and a nice blurry background. This allows me to keep the background from overpowering or distracting from my subjects. Plus, it fits my personal taste and the overall emotional and classic field of my photography.
I should also note that the lowest aperture you can go to is dependent on your lenses. If you have a beginner DSLR, it's highly probable that you can only go as low as f/3.5 or f/5.6. If you have a higher end, more professional lens, you might be able to get down as low as f/1.4.

If you want to know more about aperture and how it controls your photos, you might like my Love Your Camera photography workshop. The next workshop will be held sometime this spring, and is for anyone who has a DSLR and wants to learn how to use it better. If you are interested in being on the mailing list for future workshops, email me at lauraradniecki@gmail.com and I'll get you added!

Winter Arrives

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's here; it finally came.

Not enough to make the snowmobilers happy, but enough to cover the ground, get my socks wet when I wear my slip on shoes, and to make the back roads a little slick.

It is pretty, isn't it?

Do They Ever Get Used To It?

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Do you think movie starsever get used to seeing their faces on magazines, tabaloids,billboards, clothing, and movie theater walls?

Do you think singers everget used to hearing their voices on the radio, or having people knowever single word to their songs at their concerts?

Do you think clothingdesigners, or Blake Mycoskie of TOMS ever gets used to seeing peopleall over the world wearing pieces that they created? That theydreamed up?

Does the novelty ever wearoff?

No matter what I do in mylife, no matter where life takes me, I hope that I never get so usedto anything that I stop appreciating it. I don't ever want to take itfor granted. I don't ever want to get used to it.

I still get amazingly giddywhen I see photos that I have taken hung up on my client's walls. Iget butterflies when I open a Christmas card and see photos that Itook in them. I say to myself, and sometimes out loud - “I tookthat! Yay, I took that!”

A month or two ago, I got anemail asking me for permission to use some of my personal photos frommy blog on a local marathon's website. After giving my permission, Iwas given the link to the site, and lo behold, there are my photos,on the Run For The Lakes website. You can see the photos here [hi,Matt's backside!], here and here.

Every time I see my photoseither up on a wall, used in a card, on a website, or in apublication, I catch my breath. I think, “Is this real?”

I will never get used to it. I will cherish it forever.

50 Books in 2012 - January Recap

2012-02-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

I have always loved to read. When I was younger, I loved the Boxcar Children books, the Babysitter's Club series and especially, the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. Any vacation would provide me the opportunity to read through several books during the week, and I gladly spent hours with my nose stuck in a book. My sister and I perfected the skill of trolling for walleyes while reading books on the Ord River in Ontario, Canada.

I love books.

When I was making my 2012 goals, I wanted to set a few personal ones, in addition to the business goals I set for myself. One of my personal goals for this year is to read 50 books. It doesn't matter the type of book: business, mystery, romance, self-help... whatever the genre, these will be books that I get to read for fun, for me.

In January, I read these 5 books:

October Fest by Jess Lourey

*This book is the 6th book in the Murder by Month series by Jess Lourey. I stumbled upon this series at my library when I read all the books written by two authors in the same aisle, and needed to find new material to read. I am so glad I found this series. The books are set in rural Minnesota, and are full of Minnesota humor.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I am a little late to the game in reading this book. I actually saw the movie earlier this year and loved it. Typically, I read the books first, but I loved the movie so much, I wanted to give the book a try. This is the one book/movie set that I think are equally good. The book is amazingly written and I was captivated the whole time. Plus, having seen the movie before, I had a better visual of the characters than if I was making them up in my mind. It's hard for me to believe those things in the book happened in the early 1960's. My parents were kids then; it wasn't that long ago!

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

I'm a long time fan of Nicholas Sparks books, and of his movies too. I got this book from my mother-in-law, after she had bought and read it. I loved this book. It was raw, real, and because it dealt with high school sweethearts, it tugged at my heartstrings especially much. The book ended in the typical Laura-with-a-soggy kleenex fashion, like most of his books do. A definite must read.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This book has been out for a long time now, and I don't know why I just got around to reading it now. I was a little skeptical of whether I could get into it or not, because I have a hard time with fantasy, sci fi, non-realistic stuff. I thought this book was going to be more like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but I had clearly never read the blurb for the book. I LOVED this book. I couldn't put it down. The circus has never been more intriguing to me and I was fascinated by everything in the book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but it is now on our Netflix queue.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

This book is from 2002 and I know there's a movie out now too. I haven't seen it yet, and am not sure if I will. I heard mixed reviews about it. This book was heart-wrenching. The opening sentence for this book just hooks you and pulls you right in. I couldn't put it down and read voraciously for 2 days straight. As I read the last several chapters, I felt a sad longing in my heart, for Susie because of the crime that took place. For her family, to have to learn to carry on without her, learning to let go. I dreamt about the book all night last night, and honestly, didn't sleep very well. Only the most well written and moving books do that to me.

I've got a stack of books waiting for me to read them, so I'll be continuing with these recaps as I move through my 50 [or more] books in 2012. Do you have any great books you've just read? I'd love some recommendations!

Backgrounds - Love Your Camera: Weekly Photography Tips

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's time for another weekly photography tip!

This week, I want to talk about getting creative with backgrounds for your photos. This time, I am talking more about taking photos of babies or kids, but the same concept can also be applied to families in some ways.

Take a look around your house for options for backdrops for your photos. Some obvious options are your carpet/hardwood floors, comforters on your bed, sheets, and my favorite - colorful quilts. All of these can give you a great, solid, and smooth background for your photos. You want the background to compliment and enhance your subject, not take away from it.

Here are some examples of backgrounds I've used in my photo work:
I particularly like a colorful quilt spread out on green grass as a place for babies, kids or families to sit. I think it evokes a relaxed and colorful setting and compliments the emotions that I capture very well.
Try it! Use different background options in your photos of your kids or your family. If you take something you are proud of, let's see it! You can either email it to me at lauraradniecki@gmail.com or post it up on the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook page!
Happy Shooting and tune in next week for more photography tips!

The Moon

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

These last three weeks havebeen WINTER. Last week, it was so cold outside, my ice scrapersnapped right in two while I was attempting to scrape my windows. Ihad to jump-start my brother-in-law's car the other morning so hecould get to school. In the 5 minutes we were standing outsidehooking up the cables, my cheeks froze in place and my breath turnedthe ends of the hair framing my face white with ice.

It is COLD.

But before two weeks ago, itwas balmy. It was SPRING-like. It was amazing.

One night before we sunkinto the cold snap, I looked out the window after working on myoffice for most of the day, and I saw a gorgeous sunset starting toform. I quickly threw on shoes and a fleece [that's all I needed towear outside that night!] and took a walk around the block. I camehome right as the sunset was deepening into a stunning display ofpinks and purples. Of course, I ran inside to get my camera and tooka couple of photos.

Then, I turned to face the other direction andsaw the most beautiful and HUGE moon. It made me stop and stare, itwas so gorgeous.

If you have ever tried tophotograph the moon though, you know how tough it is to get a goodshot. It's impossible to have the detail in the moon show up, whilestill showing detail in the trees/sky/other areas around the moon,because of how bright the moon is.

But anyway.

The moon was beautiful. Thenight was beautiful. Until there are more nights like that, I'll becontent to look at these photos.

Quinn Nystrom

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

They say that you become whoyour friends are. Or maybe you do what your friends do. Somethinglike that.

I hope that saying is true,because I have amazing friends.

One such friend, who I'vebeen blessed to know well for the last 10 years is Quinn. I couldwrite a whole book on Quinn, on her talents, on her accomplishments,and on what a good friend she is. But for brevity's sake, I'll bebrief.

Quinn is one of the mostambitious and driven people I know. She is a Type 1 diabetic,diagnosed in 7^th grade, only a few years after her youngerbrother was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. With no familyhistory of the disease, it was a medical mystery as to how twosiblings in the same family could both be diagnosed with Type 1diabetes. Quinn made it her personal mission in life to find a curefor diabetes, for her younger brother and for herself, as well as forthe millions of people who share the burden of a diabetes diagnosis.

Since graduating college andworking for several years in corporate America, Quinn recently took aHUGE leap of faith. She left her job and set out to pursue her truedream for her life – to be a professional speaker, speaking aboutdiabetes. She also created a non-profit organization DatelineDiabetes that is raising money for diabetes research.

This lady is going places.

I have been saying it sincehigh school, she is making waves and is going places. Little bylittle, she is changing the world.

Her latest project iswriting and publishing a book; a pocket guide to living withdiabetes. Her book has a tentative release date of this summer, andwill be a young-adult targeted book on what to expect after adiabetes diagnosis. Quinn's goal is to answer some of the questionsshe had when she found out, as a 7^th grade girl, that shewas an incurable illness. As she'll tell you, her main concern afterfinding out her diagnosis was whether she could go to the 7^thgrade dance that weekend. Junior high is tough enough withoutthrowing in a disease, and one that can't be cured, at that. Thisbook is her way of helping those who will be diagnosed, realize thattheir life isn't ending. That they can and will lead a normal life,just with a couple of different actions thrown in.

I am so unbelievably proudof her, and I will buy one of the first copies, signed, if I haveanything to say about it!

A few weeks ago, I spent theday with Quinn and we photographed her for her author bio photo.While it wasn't the ideal time of year to be taking outdoor photos,we rolled with it, and managed to produce some amazing photos for herbook. I'm honored to have my photos a part of her project.

Here is my friend Quinn. Isuspect we will be hearing a lot about her in the years to come.

Also, Quinn has beenselected as one of the top 10 finalists in the national Sally Hansen's Best of You contest. Right now, the voting is underway. If youwould like, head over to this link, and give Quinn your vote. [You do have to enter some of your information, but if you check 'No' to receiving info, you shouldn't be bugged with stuff you don't want.]

While Idon't know any of the other participants, I can say quite confidentlythat Quinn is one of the most talented, driven, and kind-heartedpeople that I have ever met. I think she is absolutely deserving ofthis title and would use the notoriety to continue to raise awarenessfor her cause, for her life's mission. To find a cure for diabetes.

The Rule of Thirds - Love Your Camera: Weekly Photography Tips

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking latelyabout giving some weekly photography tips out to you, my faithful blogreaders. These tips will be given with the goal of helping youimprove your personal life/family photography a little bit at a time.

I believe 100% inphotographing everyday life; taking photos of the things that seeminsignificant on a daily basis, but in the end, are everything. Ibelieve that 20 years from now, you might have forgotten that funnyface your kid makes, you know – the one that drives you crazy whenhe does it all day long. I believe that you will forget the day thatyour house looked like a tornado struck, because you were packing fora once-in-a-lifetime family vacation. These things will fade as theyears pass, and one day, you will want to remember. That is why youneed to make a point to photograph your daily life.

So let's get started, shallwe?

Today's tip is about theRule of Thirds.

What is the Rule of Thirds? -- The Rule of Thirds is a photography rule that states the main focusof your photo, the thing that you are photographing [a kid, a tree, abarn, a bird] should be NOT be in the dead center of your photograph.

Instead, imagine your photo with vertical lines dividing it in thirds and horizontal lines dividing it in thirds. See where the lines intersect? On any of those four intersections is where the subject of your photo should be.

It's a researched fact thatimages are more pleasing to the human eye when the main subject is inone of those four intersection spots.

The same goes for horizonlines: the horizon line should not divide your photo right down thecenter. Instead, the horizon should land on one of the 2 horizontallines – either more sky than land/water or vice versa.

Here's some homework foryou. Next time you are watching TV or a movie, pay attention to thecomposition of the filming. Very often, the program will be filmedwith the Rule of Thirds in mind. Once I learned about the Rule ofThirds, I can't watch a show or a movie without noticing it. It'strue – it does make it more pleasing.

That said, now you know theRule. Sometimes though, rules are made to be broken. There are timeswhen there is nothing better than a perfectly centered image.Sometimes, the symmetry and equal proportions on a centered image areexactly what you might be going for. Sometimes, you might want tobreak the rule.

DO IT.

But instead of alwaysplacing your subject right in the center, play around a little. Putthe subject in one of those four intersection areas. When you aretaking nature shots, make the horizon fall on one of the 2 horizontallines from the example above.

See what you think. Playwith it. And remember, the beauty of digital is you can take as manyphotos as you want. See something awesome? Take a center shot AND aRule of Thirds shot. No harm done. You'll have two very different looking shots, and you'll start to see what you prefer.

Happy Shooting!

If you take a photo using the Rule of Thirds and would like to share, I'd love to see it! You can either email me at lauraradniecki@gmail.com or post it over at the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook page.

Hey Class of 2013! - RAD Senior Reps for Laura Radniecki Images

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Even though it's stillJanuary and we're in the middle of the frozen tundra, it's time tostart thinking about spring. It's time to start thinking about senior photos!

I am on the hunt for LauraRadniecki Image's 2012 RAD Senior Reps!

What is a senior rep, youask?

In a nutshell, a senior repis a spokesperson for a photography business.

So, a RAD Senior Rep is aspokesperson for Laura Radniecki Images. It starts with a free photosession in early spring, as well as a free brag book and referral cardsfor you to use to spread the word and show off your photos to yourfriends. RAD Senior Reps get a major discount on their officialsenior session, as well as the chance to earn CASH and other bonusesby referring their friends to Laura Radniecki Images. There's abenefit for those you refer too; they get a discount on their seniorsession as well.

I am currently acceptingapplications for RAD Senior Reps for local high schools around theLakes Area. If you are a Brainerd, Pillager, Pequot or Crosby highschool student who will be graduating in 2013, you are eligible!

RAD Senior Reps are:

-Class of 2013 students.

-Outgoing, enthusiastic, andlove to have their photo taken.

-Excited about spreading theword about Laura Radniecki Images to their friends, and earning cashand other bonuses in the process.

If you think you meet thecriteria and are interested in applying to be a RAD Senior Rep, sendme an email to lauraradniecki@gmail.comwith “RAD Senior Rep” in the subject line. You will then be sentadditional information about the RAD Senior Rep program as well asthe application.

If you aren't interested inbeing a senior rep, but are interested in having me photograph your senior photos, contact me! I am currently booking into spring,summer and fall of 2012, which is the perfect time to have yoursenior photos taken, for the class of 2013!

Book Recommendation: Jess Lourey

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have several all time favorite authors. Among them are LaVyrle Spencer, Nicholas Sparks and Fern Michaels.

When I find an author that I love, and even better - a series that I adore, I manically read every book I can get my hands on. I did this with LaVryle Spencer. I caught up to Nicolas Sparks [except for the newest book I have to read next]. I devoured Fern Michael's Sisterhood series and am thrilled to find out [just 5 minutes ago after checking her website] that there will be THREE MORE BOOKS written! YES!

Once my favorite authors had nothing new for me, I was forced to expand my sights at the local library until they write more. I hate to admit it, but I am a judge-a-book-by-it's-cover type of person. I scan the rows and pick out colorful or otherwise fun looking books. This is precisely how I discovered my second favorite series of all time - the Savannah Reid series by G.A. McKevett. I'm patiently waiting for the next book in that series to come out too.

Earlier this fall, I was out of Savannah Reid books to read, so once again, I had to scan the aisles. Just down from McKevett, I plucked two fun-looking books off the shelf in the L section. Turns out these two books were part of a series, and even better - they were written by a Minnesota author! Sweet, I'm in.

That is how I became introduced to Jess Lourey.

I love her Murder-by-Month series. It starts with May and I just finished reading October's book a few days ago. I am not anxiously waiting for the November Hunt book to come out in late spring.

Jess Lourey writes about murder and awkward Minnesota life in a light-hearted and hilarious way that makes my heart swell with pride for being a small town, hot-dish loving born and bred Minnesotan. My most favorite parts of her books are the 87 year old fiesty Mrs. Berns, who is not anything like most octogenarians I've ever heard of. If you're read the books, you know exactly what I mean.

Brilliant, hilarious and fun. My favorite kind of series! Can't wait for November Hunt.

Happy Reading!

xx, Laura

What are your favorite series?

Celebrate What's Right With The World

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

The other day, Matt was talking about a video that he had been shown in one of his leadership or management classes. He figured I would like it, and so tried to find it for me to watch.

The video is centered around one theme: Celebrate what's right with the world.

Boom.

Profound.

I can't find the full length video, but I did find the official site for the photographer and the video. It's a training video that is clearly very popular. Take a moment to watch the 2 minute trailer for the video - Celebrate What's Right With The World.

It made me stop and think. It made me reconsider my way of thinking.

I very often wallow in what I don't have. What is wrong with a given day, or a given situation. Instead, Dewitt challenges us to think differently - to notfocus on what is wrong, instead Celebrate What's Right With The World.

A Fresh Start for 2012

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

It is a new year. 2012.

A fresh start. A clean slate.

As I look forward at what 2012 might hold, I have listed three key words or phrases that I intend to use as my guides. These markers reflect what I hope 2012 can be for me.

Simplify.

Stay Present.

Enjoy.

These are my guides.

I want to simplify my life; to live more simply. This means less materialism, less stuff. This also means mentally, emotionally and spiritually too - I want to live simply in all aspects of my life. Being able to rid my mind and heart of baggage that weighs me down and doesn't lift me up. To stop focusing on the things in life that don't matter and instead focus on what does. That is my goal - to live simply and to simplify.

I want to stay present. I want to actively live in the present. Not dwelling on the past or agonizing over the future. Yes, I can reflect on where I've been and anticipate what is ahead, but within reason. The main focus of my energy, thoughts and actions needs to be right here. Right now. In the present moment. Because that is all I really have.

I want to enjoy it all. The good, the bad. The hard, the easy. I want to enjoy the ride. This goes hand in hand with staying present; I want to enjoy where I am right now, this minute. Whatever I am doing, I want to enjoy it. If it's a particularly hard or low point, then I want to enjoy the fact that I'm alive to at least be here to go through the low point. Enjoy the fact that if it indeed is a low point, it will get better. Enjoy the fact that this too, shall pass. I was to enjoy it all.

These are the words I have chosen for myself, for my 2012 year. It is a fresh start; a clean slate.

Kayla and Dan are engaged! - Brainerd, MN Engagement and Wedding Photography

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

All it takes is one look at Kayla and Dan, and you can tell they are smitten with each other. Seriously, they did not stop smiling and laughing the entire time we were taking their engagement photos. They live in North Carolina now, but met while going to college here in Minnesota. Their wedding is being planned for North Carolina, so they wanted to have some Minnesotan engagement photos, hopefully with snow and winter fun. Well, who would have thought that on 12.28.11, it would look like October! Oh well, Kayla and Dan rolled with it and embraced the bare ground. I think the photos turned out perfectly; showcasing their amazing love for each other.Kayla and Dan - Thank you so much for inviting me into your lives to photograph you. It was amazing spending the afternoon with you and I could not be happier with the images we captured. I wish you all the best with your wedding and in your marriage together! xx, Laura

Rustad Family Photos - Brainerd, MN Family and Child Photography

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Over Christmas Break this year, the Rustad family contacted me about doing a large family session for them. They have 22 people in their family, and four generations. WOW! So inspiring to see a family with that much history in it. We met at a local school to take their photos.
Toward the end of their session, they wanted to take a shot at getting in awkwardfamilyphotos.com. I think they are too good looking to be very awkward, so I don't think they're going to make it!To the Rustad family, thank you for choosing me to photograph your family. It was great meeting you all. Thanks for the laughs! xx, Laura

2011 in Review - Portraits [Plus a discount and contest!]

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest when I look at all of these images.

Each of these images represents a photo session I did this year; a session where someone decided that my work was the perfect fit for them, and they let me into their lives to photograph them. Babies, kids, families, seniors, couples, business head shots.... I photographed a wide variety of portrait work this year with one goal in mind. The goal that I take into every single session.

My goal is to capture authentic photos of my clients.

Honest, real, genuine photos that truly convey who they are [the essence of themselves] to those who look at the images.

That is my goal. Authentic - Timeless - Passionate. It is as simple as that.

To all of my 2011 clients - THANK YOU. There are so many amazing photographers out there with unique and fantastic styles. Thank you for deciding that my work, my style, my look was right for you. Thank you for letting me into your homes, and letting me interact with your families. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, and complying with my requests during your sessions. And thank you for being my cheerleaders; for showing off your photos to other people, and passing on my name. My most heartfelt appreciation for being my biggest fans.

Here is what 2011 looked like.

[Wiping away my thankful tears!]

Looking ahead: it is 2012 now! A fresh start, a new year. To ring in 2012, I am offering $50 off portrait and senior session fees until Sunday, 1/8/12 at midnight! [Sessions must take place in 2012.] Email me at lauraradniecki@gmail.com for more info or to book your session!

**AND! As a way to say Thank You and to welcome 2012, I am having a contest over at the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook Page.

To enter you must head over to the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook Page and:

1] "Like" the Laura Radniecki Images page.

2] Share this blog post on your Facebook wall. To do this, click on the "Share" option below this blog post on the Facebook wall. When the window pops up, you can write an accompanying status [making sure that you tag Laura Radniecki Images in the status by typing @Laura Radniecki Images and clicking on the page that comes up], and be sure to click on the little arrow in the upper right corner and change it to "Public." This will repost this blog post to your Facebook wall and enter you into the contest!

You can check to make sure you entered correctly by looking for your post on the Laura Radniecki Images' Facebook page. If you tagged it correctly, it will show up on the wall there, and you are entered!

The contest will run through Friday, 1/6/12 and the winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday 1/7.

The prize is a 2012 Mini Session: a 30 minute portrait session in Brainerd/Baxter for up to 6 people, 2 digital image files of your choice, and an online gallery of the images for your session.

[Any questions? Email me at lauraradniecki@gmail.com]

Good luck and again, thank you for an amazing 2011 year. Here's to 2012!

Happy One-Year Anniversary, Zack and Erin! [Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography]

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today is a big day for Erin and Zack - it is the one year anniversary of their wedding day!

One year ago today, in a beautiful church surrounded by family and friends, they promised forever to each other and became husband and wife. You can find their wedding blog post here.

Congratulations, Erin and Zack and here's to many more anniversaries to come!

2011 Weddings In Review

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

What a year.
2011 has been an awesome year for me both personally and with Laura Radniecki Images. I was very busy, but the good, positive, not-burnt-out kind of busy. I worked with 18 amazing couples this year and photographed 18 unique wedding celebrations. Each one was beautiful, sweet, and fun and spoke volumes about the two people getting married. I enjoyed every minute of it.
To each of my wedding couples from this year: THANK YOU. Thank you for choosing me out of the vast sea of photographers out there; for choosing me to photograph one of the most important days of your life. For letting me into the room when you slipped into your wedding dress, for letting me be there when you saw each other for the first time on your wedding day. Thank you for trusting me to document and capture the story of your wedding day, and to give you the first family heirloom that you have - your wedding photos. I am genuinely grateful for each one of you; for your friendship, for your love and for your support. Thank you.
Here's a look back on the Laura Radniecki Images weddings of 2011.My heart is full because of these people. I feel incredibly blessed to have met them, worked with them, and to call many of them my friends now. I honestly have the best clients!
I hope you all have a great New Years weekend. Be safe, have fun, and stay tuned because next week, I will be having a review of 2011's portrait clients - all 50+ of them! There will also be a contest with the prize of a 2012 mini-session, as well as a great discount on 2012 portrait and grad sessions to help ring in the new year!
xx! Laura

Four Years. Happy Anniversary, Matt!

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today is Matt and my fourth wedding anniversary.

FOURTH.

I feel like we got married last week.

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life. I am hoping for at least another 80 years with you. I love you!

Being On The Other Side

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm much more comfortablebeing behind the camera. That's why I am a photographer and not amodel. Ok, there's so many more reasons as to why modeling is not mycareer, but we'll leave it at that. I like to work behind the camera;to look through the lens and see things that others would otherwisemaybe miss. I love to take photos and I'm very happy doing so. Thedownside is that I'm not in very many photos because well yeah, I'malways the one taking them. I've made it a priority to hand off mycamera to others and to get into the frame, for Matt and my memoriesand photo albums sake.

Quick snaps by a familymember aren't quite enough though. And working with a tripod andusing the self timer gets the job done, but gets old in a hurry. Sothis fall, Matt and I decided to step on the other side of the cameratogether and get our photos taken.

There are so many amazinglocal photographers, and any one of them would have done a fantasticjob. We picked Tim Larsen to take our photos because I love his workand he's a really nice guy. The date was set, our session fee paid –we were ready.

Except.

I had nothing to wear!!! Myclients are always asking me what to wear, and I always tell them thesame thing. That it doesn't really matter much what they wear, aslong as they are comfortable. Because of the authentic nature of myphotography, I tend to like color and patterns, and I love when afamily shows up with a mix of color and patterns in their wardrobe.It adds visual interest and fun into the session right from thestart. As long as things coordinate and you are all comfortable inwhat you are wearing, we're good!

Well, taking my own adviceproved to be harder than I though. A look through my closet wasfollowed by a frantic trip to target and two new shirts for theoccasion. On the day of the session, I agonized over my hair, mymakeup, the pimple I just couldn't hide...

Clients, I GET IT. I get howuncomfortable it is to be on the receiving end of the camera; to beon the receiving end of a photo session. To have all the attention onyou, and to feel like you're under a microscope. I also understandbeing uber critical of yourself, and not being satisfied with how youlook. I get it. I felt it all.

Needless to say, Tim did abeautiful job and I love the photos from the session. They captureMatt and my relationship and our spirit. They now hold a prominentplace in our living room where we can look at them often.

I am thankful for obviousreasons that we decided to get photos taken of us by someone otherthan my mom or dad. I spend all year taking photos of other people;it's natural that I'd want beautiful photos of us to hang in our ownhome. But it was a great experience for other reasons too. I now,more than ever, identify with the insecurities that being on theother side of the lens provokes. I know the anxiety that goes intothe preparations for the session, and the anxiousness of waiting tosee the images. All of the things my clients experience every time Ido a session, I get it. I like to think that I'm a betterphotographer because I get it.

With any luck, I think Mattand I will make it an annual tradition, or at least every few years,to get our photos taken by another photographer. It's good for us andit's good for me as a photographer. It's good to get on the otherside of the camera.

It is Christmas!

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful timeof the year!

I think Christmas and summerare tied for the best times of the year, but for now, let's revel inthe present.

Here's to family time. Tomaking memories, sharing laughs, eating goodies, opening presents,taking photos, and remembering what Christmas is really about.

Merry Christmas to all ofyou. And happy birthday, Jesus.

How to Make Shaped Bokeh

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Bokehis defined as “the aesthetic quality of theblur.” Basically, it is the out of focus part of a photo – andcommonly refers to how the light sources in an image look.

Oneof the best times of the year to practice creating bokeh is Christmasbecause of the abundance of Christmas lights everywhere!

Afew nights ago while watching one of the Hallmark Christmas movies, Idecided to play around a little bit with making custom bokeh shapes.Super simple and easy.

Allyou do is take a piece of dark construction paper and cut a shape init. Then, hold it over your lens, point your lens at your Christmastree, or someplace so that there are lights in the background of thephoto, and take a picture! Viola!

Sometips:

-Turnyour camera into manual focus mode if you can. This lets you choosewhere to focus. If you can't turn your auto focus off, you can usethis trick I read somewhere online. Focus on an object maybe 4 feetin front of you and keep your finger halfway pressed down. Then,recompose so your lights are in the background of the photo and takethe photo by pressing the shutter button the rest of the way down.This will prevent your camera from trying to focus on your actualChristmas tree. If you actually focus on your tree, you won't get anybokeh in the lights. You have to make the lights be OUT of focus inorder for the shapes to show up!

Anotheroption is to have someone sit between you and the tree, and thenfocus on them, leaving the tree/lights blurry and out of focus in thebackground. Because we don't have any kids or pets, and Matt was nothome at the time, I didn't have anyone to be my subject. So all ofthe images below are just of out of focus lights, showing theChristmas bokeh.

-Ifyou are able to put your camera in manual focus mode, play aroundwith the focus. Twist your lens focus all the way to the right. Takea photo. Turn it a little to the left. Snap a photo. A little more,snap a photo. A little more, snap another. Turn it all the way to theleft, and snap one. Each different spot on the focus gradient willdisplay different looking bokeh in the Christmas tree lights!

*Ifyou aren't familiar with the terms bokeh or aren't a photog buff,this post might look like Greek to you. For that, I apologize. Tunein next time for something more relevant and interesting. :)

Dreams vs Goals

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a dreamer. I love todream big, wild, hugely crazy dreams and wonder what it'd be like toactually accomplish those dreams.

There's a difference betweena dream and a goal. A goal is a dream with a deadline attached. [I'mnot sure who first came up with that phrase; I didn't invent it. WishI did!]

Goals are dreams that have atimeline associated with them. They tell you what you are going toaccomplish, when you will accomplish it by, and how you will go aboutachieving that goal. Goals give you the roadmap so that you canaccomplish that dream.

In my own life, I easilydream. I come up with ideas and plans but it often stops there.Rarely are timelines and road maps attached to those dreams. Theyaren't goals, and they likely won't be accomplished unless I dosomething about it.

Here's a challenge to all ofus dreamers. The next time we're dreaming something wild and crazyand wishing it would come true, let's DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Let'sget out a piece of paper and write the dream down. Then, give it atimeline. When will you go on your vacation? When will you lose xpounds by? When will you start your own business by? And then, let'sgive it a road map; how are we going to accomplish these dreams? Weneed a plan. We need steps – baby steps that we can work toward andsee results, little by little.

Let's turn our dreams intogoals, and finally into reality.

Put Yourself In Time Out

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

When we grow up and get big,our parents aren't around to witness our tantrums, the curses we say,and the things we fling across the room when we get mad or frustrated[particularly with faulty technology in my case.] They aren't thereto monitor our behavior and to, if necessary, put us into time out.

It's up to us to do it. Wehave to put ourselves into time out.

Our time outs may not alwaysbe a result of our naughty behavior. Sometimes, we need to putourselves into time out to take a break, to realign our mind andspirit, to get our priorities in order, and to just BREATHE.

Whether our time outs happenin the car when we turn the radio off and soak in the silence, in themiddle of the living room in a downward-facing-dog yoga pose, oroutside, in the middle of nature and God's beauty, the result is thesame. We recharge. Start over. Refresh. Just like I have to do to mylaptop sometimes when it gets all wonky on me. Sometimes, we justneed to reboot.

When's the last time you putyourself in time out?

The Bentleyville Experience

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

As part of my birthdayweekend Matt and I, along with my parents, met my sister and herhusband up in Duluth. We shared a suite at a hotel in Canal Park,spent the afternoon looking in a few downtown shops and eating atGrandma's. That night, we walked to Bentleyville – a huge Christmaslight display. I went to Bentleyville in 2007, when it was still at aprivate citizen's house in a nearby city. Since then, it's been movedto Canal Park and is run by the public. It's free to attend and is sobeautiful! If you weren't in the Christmas spirit before, you will beafter you walk through!

Christmas is so fleeting, Ican feel the days slipping through like sand on the beach. The harderI squeeze, the more the sand seems to slip through. It's with thingslike family trips, looking at lights, making cookies, and watchingChristmas movies that I can savor each moment. January is coming andwith that, a brand new year. For now, I'm focusing on the here andnow and soaking up each minute filled with twinkly lights, Christmasmusic, sappy movies on ABC Family and Hallmark, and lots of familytraditions.

Look For The Magic

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Magic is real.

Did you know that?

I'm not talking Abracadabra and beingcut in half inside a box only to walk out ok. Although card tricksare pretty awesome if done well.

I'm talking about magic – themajestic, surreal, amazing miracles that happened every single day,all around us. All we have to do is look.

The other day, on the afternoon of mybirthday, Matt and I took a drive to a local boat landing because Iwanted to check out the ice that is forming daily. I found magicthere.

Ice so clear, you can see all the wayto the bottom, the way the setting sunshine casts an orange glow oneverything it touches, the fact that we can walk on water in thewintertime... It is all magic.

Simplify

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was a huge pack rat when I waslittle.

I loved to collect things; you name it,I probably collected it. Key chains, post cards, mini tea sets,stuffed animals... I even saved all of the hair that I cut off myBarbies. [I KNOW, what was I thinking?!?!?]

Because of my love of collectingthings, my room was always packed. I was a fan of organization too,but my shelving units were completely full. Each shelf had thingscovering every square inch of surface.

One year, I think it was my 2^ndgrade year, I decided to have a birthday part at the bowling alley.Because I loved crafts back then as much as I do now, I decided I'dmake the party favor bags for my friends. I have a photo of my roomduring the weeks leading up to my party. The entire floor of mybedroom is covered in construction paper, glitter, sequins, scissors,paper bags, and everything else craft related. The only visiblecarpet space was the 1 foot circle in the middle, where I would sit.

The vision of that photo is burned intomy memory.

As I have gotten older, I have curbedmy desire to collect. I am still entirely sentimental and I love tosave things like ticket stubs and put them into the scrapbook I keep.But the knick knacks, the things... I'm much more selectiveabout what I keep or what I buy.

Maybe it happened when I got married,or maybe it happened when I moved out of my parents house and had toput all of the belongings I didn't want to take to my apartment intotubs and stack them on the shelves in my parent's garage. I'm notsure when exactly it happened, but now, I crave simplicity.

I crave clean, organized, simple. Icrave less things, tidy shelves, minimal excess. I now cravesimplicity.

I find myself longing for this in termsof material things like clothes, decorations, possessions. Latelytoo, I have been longing for this in my business. A simple workflow,simple information, simple details.

2012 is going to be a fresh start inmany ways for many people, myself included. My plans include tocontinue slowly working toward a more streamlined and simplifiedlife, as well as to work toward that in my business as well. 2012will begin with a more simplified approach. 2012 will be simple, forboth myself and for my clients. I think we all need a littlestreamlined and simplified in our lives. I know I do!

Here's to getting rid of things in ourclosets that we don't need, love, or want for true sentimentalreasons, here's to putting things back in their places after we usethem, and here's to a simplified business structure and workflow!Bring it on, 2012!

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite parts of Christmasis the decorations. Sitting in a dark room, with the only lightcoming from the Christmas tree... it is magical.

Infinitely Unique

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Snowflakes blow my mind.

Seriously, think about it. Every singlesnowflake ever created is different than the rest. No two are ever,ever alike.

Doesn't that blow your mind?

Winter is coming and flurries arestarting to become the norm. We don't have a blanket of snow coveringthe ground yet but it's only a matter of time. There were fluffysnowflakes falling to the ground today so I thought I'd see if Icould get up close and personal with a few of them.

So intricate and fancy. And infinitelyunique.

The Mayers Family - Brainerd, MN - Baby, Child and Family Photography

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

This session was a combo 1 year for Miss Abby as well as a little family session with the hope of catching a Christmas card photo. Abby's birthday is one day before mine, yay for December birthdays!

Full of spunk, energy and giggles, this family radiates love. We took some photos inside and then moved outside to play in the yard.

To the Mayers: thank you so much for having me come out to photograph you all. Merry Christmas and enjoy! xx, Laura

Twenty Six

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

I remember my golden birthday like itwas yesterday. I remembered the year after my golden birthday – theyear I hit double digits! I remember turning 18 and playing nickelslots at a local casino, and I remember turning 21 in college, andhitting up a couple Duluth bars with my roommates.

I am twenty six today.

In the blink of an eye, I am no longerin my low-twenties anymore. I'm barely hanging on to my mid-twenties.

How did this happens? WHEN did thishappen?

There are times when I feel very old.When I see the graduation years of the current high schoolers andthen think back to my graduation year – 2004. Woah. When I see thebirth dates of the kids who are currently in high school. That makesmy age felt.

There are other times though, that Ifeel very young. Days when I feel like I'm still floundering throughthe beginning stages of adulthood. Days when I feel like I'm at thevery beginning of my journey through life.

I know that my age and how 'old' I amdepends on who's asking or listening. But right now, I feel oddlyold, and yet so young at the same time. I'm excited to see what thenext 4 years of my twenties hold, and then what the decade of mythirties holds after that. If these last 26 years have been anyindication, I'm in for a good ride.

Koby - Brainerd, MN - Child and Family Photography

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

This little guy turned 6 months old right after Thanksgiving, so his parents had me come out to take his 6 month photos at their home. He is the cutest little thing ever, with the sweetest gummy smile and big blue eyes. He loves his dog Ruby and his parents so much. Nothing can make him laugh like his daddy whistling.

Dan, Kristi and Koby - thank you so much for inviting me to your home to photograph you all. It was so great to meet you. I hope you love these photos as much as I do! xx, Laura

Comfort Zones and Stepping Outside the Box

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I havebeen infatuated with my comfort zone.

Honestly, I think everyone likes beingin their comfort zone; I mean duh – it's where people are the mostcomfortable.

But seriously, I would fight tooth andnail to stay inside my comfort bubble. My mom would gently try tonudge me outside of that bubble and I would do everything I could toresist. Sometimes she succeeded and sometimes I did. Decades later, Iam still the same person who loves to reside in my comfort zone. Inmy box, as Matt calls it.

The other week, I was at my parentshouse and my mom was watching a show on the Oprah network. Oprah wastalking about stepping out of your box; living life outside of yourcomfort zone. In theory, that's a great philosophy. Usually, the mostamazing and worthwhile things happen when we are outside of ourboxes.

But, for me – that's insanelychallenging. So much so that I can hardly fathom myself living wayoutside of my box.

Matt and I have friends who have suchadventurous spirits and decide on whims to go and travel to far awayand exotic places. They travel alone, meeting people along the way.They thrive on the unknown, the adventure, the journey.

We wish we were like that!

I'm more so a lover of my comfort zone,but Matt likes to live in his as well. Lately though, it seems likewe are feeling the itch to step outside of it. Maybe not by jumpingon a plane and traveling around the world to new and foreign places.Maybe not yet anyway. But even just doing small, little things thatstretch us. That make us slightly uncomfortable, but in a good,positive, growth-inspiring way.

Last week, we were in a situation wherewe were uncomfortable, definitely outside of our boxes. While thetendency for each of us was to flea and go back to what we know andwhat is comfortable, we didn't. We completed our mission, and thenheaded back to our boxes. While not a major feat by any means, it wasa small victory in the journey to step outside our boxes.

As 2011 nears completion and 2012looms, I am starting to think about what I want the new year to belike. What I want to accomplish. What our goals are. Where we want tobe one year from now. I think 2012 is going to include more timespent outside of our boxes.

DIY Yarn Wreath

2011-12-05T17:19:00.001-06:00

I've been seeing these awesome yarnwreaths pop up all over the internet this year, and this last month,I've seen them in both my DIY magazine and in my mom's Better Homesand Gardens mag.

You know how I obsessed I am with all thingscrafts, so I decided to give it a whirl.

After a stop at Joannes, I settled intomy spot on the couch, raided my yarn stash and got to work. I watchedtwo Christmas movies as I worked on it. It's tedious work, wrappingthe yarn in and out of the wreath, but I like things like that.

The next morning, I finished the flowerdecals, and had a run in with the hot glue gun in the process. Thetip of my left ring finger is sporting a nice and tender blister fromwhen I flailed my arm and accidentally touched the tip of the gluegun. I've never had the glue actually SEAR itself to my skin before,so much so that I couldn't just peal it off quick like usual. I hadto run it under cold water for a minute or two and then carefullydetach it from my skin. I'm still scarred from it, emotionally.

These wreaths can be made as neatly oras haphazardly as you feel like making them. They can be made forspecific seasons or holidays, or as an everyday piece of décor inyour home. Ours is now gracing our front door, to remind me everytime I come home that it's CHRISTMAS TIME!

This week, a friend of mine and I aregoing to be crafting some wreaths again. This time, I'm going to makea summer-inspired wreath.

Giving Back with the Giving Trees

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

I think everyone is guilty of takingwhat they have for granted. I know I am so guilty of this.

It's much easier to look at what wedon't have than at what we do.

All it takes for me to realize just howblessed I am is to make a list of all that I have in my life. Let'sstart with:

-Food

-Shelter

-Water

-Love [family, friends, businesssupporters, church community]

-Job

-Car

-Clothes

-A cell phone

-A computer

-More shoes than what can fit on thebottom of my closet

-Purses to match my outfits...

See? That only scratches the surfaceand I've already been slapped in the face by how much I've beenblessed with.

I try to make a point of keeping theexcess in my life to a minimum. A constant battle in thematerialistic society we live in, but I do try. I frequently gothrough my closet and remove anything that I don't need or love, ordoesn't have true sentimental value. This is one small way that Igive back to others, and in the process, streamline my life.

This winter, Matt and I decided to usesome of the blessings that my photography business has brought us andgive back. We were doing some Christmas shopping of our own at themall and we came across the giving trees. You know, the Christmastrees with the gift tags on them, with information on someone who isin need in the local community. We chose four tags from the threetrees.

The next day, we went to Targettogether and carefully selected gifts for each tag. The tags areanonymous for obvious reasons so I have no idea nor will I ever knowwho these gifts are going to. But I kept thinking about the peoplewho will receive these gifts and I wondered about them. About theirlives. About what their Christmases will be like. What struggles theyface or have faced... It made me thankful for the organizations thatput together these giving trees so someone can have a betterChristmas.

As I wrapped up the gifts, I prayed forthe people who will get these gifts. For the kids that will play withthe legos we carefully chose. For the teenager who will use thejournal to process her thoughts, maybe writing songs or poems in apersonal literary escape. I prayed for a happy Christmas this year,and for blessings in 2012.

As I taped up the edges of the wrappingpaper, I added to my list of things to be thankful for. The abilityto bless others because of the success I've found in my life. Thefreedom to be able to make the decision to give. The option to givelocally, making a difference in the community that I live in.

Life is so full of blessings, all wehave to do is look.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit melancholy lately.

I'm not sure why exactly, but I'd sayit might be a combination of the changing of the seasons, the weathergetting progressively colder and knowing that winter is coming. That,and the fact it doesn't get light until mid to late morning and itgets dark before dinner.

It's no secret I hate winter, and itseems like everywhere I look lately, life is full of reminders ofwarm places, of our life in Hawaii, and of a winter free of snow. Awinter where I could wear my TOMS and never get frostbite. It's likefate is taunting me as Mother Nature slowly blows in.

I am trying my hardest to embrace thechanging seasons and I really do 100% adore this time of year. I LOVEChristmas and everything that goes along with this season. Despitetrying my hardest, I have caught myself feeling a little bit bluelately.

This past weekend over Thanksgiving, myfamily went to cut down a tree like we've done for the last fewyears. Dressed in boots, my amazing winter jacket rated for way belowzero, and mittens, I found a little slice of sunshine, even if it wasonly metaphorically. Time with family, and big belly laughsbrightened my spirits and reminded me that yes, winter is coming butthis too shall pass.

December Rolls In

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

If I had to describe my most favoriteday in Minnesota, it would be this:

A sunny day, with the temp hovering at82 degrees. Low humidity, of course, and a slight breeze. Plansinclude spending the afternoon at the beach, followed by a bug-freebonfire and s'mores at night. Add in family, friends, stories andlaughs, oh... and some pop, I'm in Heaven.

Because that is my bliss, it's obviousthat winter and I don't see eye to eye. Wearing layers, mittens,boots, and huge coats with fur on the hood are a nice change of paceafter a few months of wearing shorts and tank tops, but for me, thenovelty wears off on January 2^nd. Summer is my favorite,followed by fall and spring tied for second place – depending onthe weather.

So winter comes in last place. BUT.

I love December.

December is the month that I made mygrand appearance into this world. Several weeks early, I joined mymom and dad on December 9^th.

December is the month with my mostfavorite holiday in it. I completely adore Christmas. Thedecorations, the traditions, the cookies, the cheer, the givingspirit of most people, the lights. I LOVE IT ALL.

December is also the month that Mattand I got married in. We will celebrate our 4^th weddinganniversary on December 29^th.

I know, December is not kind to Matt'swallet!!

I love December because of all the funthings that happen during the month, and I'm thankful that the winteris welcomed with such a fun month. It helps me to keep my bitternessat bay until the day after New Years. As soon as January 2^ndcomes around and the Christmas decorations come down, I'm checkingthe weather, hoping for an early spring, an early out to the ice onthe lakes, and the first signs of green to sprout on the trees.

Why do I torture myself? I shouldn'teven begin to look for spring until April. Or May.

But for now, it's December! Thebirthday/Christmas/anniversary month! The New Years Eve month! Thehappy, pretty, Jesus's Birthday month!

I'm happy it's here! Are you?

10 Years of Us

2011-11-30T09:48:00.001-06:00

November 30^th, 2001 – theday it all began.

While walking through the halls at alocal resort during our first ever high school formal dance, we wentfrom being you and I, to us.

Yes, there were plenty of bumps, potholes, and road blocks along the road of these past 10 years. Many,many of them. There were times we weren't really us anymore; timeswhen we pretended there was no us.

But there's always been an us.There is you, and there is me. And there is Us.

Ten years ago today, Matt asked me tobe his girlfriend. After ten years of having our lives entertwined, Iwant another 100 more.

I love you!

Black Friday Special!

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

Ithought about participating in the Black Friday craze once a fewyears ago.

Butthen I remembered that I don't like crowds or standing in line, myshopping attention span in about 30 minutes tops, and I detest wakingup early. So I decided to skip that tradition.

It'san integral part of the retail business, and I hope that it's a fun,safe, and profitable experience for both the shoppers and theretailers. I'll be sleeping until probably 8am and participating inother Christmas traditions like decorating the tree at my parent'shouse, and watching the lighting festival in Nisswa.

Inhonor of Black Friday and all of the discounts, deals and savings, Ithought I'd offer a little Black Friday Special for Laura RadnieckiImages.

Itgoes like this:

$50off the session fee of a Portrait or Graduation Session!

Sessionmust take place by 12/31/12.

Signedcontract and deposit due by midnight 11/30/11. The 30th happens to be Matt and my 10th anniversary of being 'us.'

Emailme at lauraradniecki@gmail.com with questions or to book your sessionand receive the discount!

Give Thanks

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ourlives here in America overflow with blessings. Even if we are in themiddle of health, emotional, financial or any other crises, we areundeniably blessed. We have water, food, shelter, medicine, freedomand support. If someone finds themselves without immediate access toany of these things, there are tons of places to turn to find helpand to gain access to these basic needs.

Thereare billions of others on this planet that don't have access to thoseneeds. There are so many people who don't even have access to cleanwater. I'll be honest; to me – I can't even fathom that. To nothave water to drink when I feel thirsty, much less not having waterto bathe with, to wash my hands with, to cook with... I can't wrap myhead around a reality like that.

Andyet, for so many, that is their life. It is their reality.

ThisThanksgiving, I take a look around my life and I am so very, verygrateful. I have so much more than I need. I have more than Ideserve. I have more than most in this world.

Iam thankful for:

-Matt.Our life, our marriage.

-Ourfamilies. The love and support from all of them.

-Aroof over our heads. Regardless of the gripes we have, it is a roof,it doesn't leak, and we are safe.

-Foodin our kitchen. Grocery shopping is not among my favorite things todo, but I am so thankful for the ease and opportunity I have to justrun to the store to get whatever I need.

-Water.As much as I could possibly ever use, I have access to it.

-Faith.My faith, my church, and the freedom to worship as I please.

-Freedom.The choice of where to work, what to drive, how to spend my days.

Anda couple other important but more trivial things that I am trulythankful for:

-MyNikon D700. Without it, I would not be where I am today in myphotography.

-Theinternet.

-MyDVR. What a beautiful invention.

Hugyour loved ones tightly today, give thanks for the blessings in yourlife, and offer a prayer for those without.

Happiness is in the Journey, Not the Destination

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ferris Bueller wasa wise man.

You know the quote,“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and take a look aroundonce in a while, you might miss it.” That iconic saying holds theultimate truth inside.

Life moves insanelyfast. I sent out an inquiry the other day for a 1 year portraitsession, and I could have sworn that I just saw the mother the otherday, 9 months pregnant and ready to give birth. That was a whole yearago. I feel like I was in the middle of planning my wedding not allthat long ago. Matt and I are coming up on our fourth weddinganniversary. I sometimes feel like I am still an awkward girl injunior high, trying to navigate the world of makeup, cliques andboys. That was over a decade ago.

It's easy to say,“I am going to pay more attention and soak up life more.” It isso much easier said than done. I feel like I'm always trying tocherish the moments and yet it's like a losing battle. Time keepsslipping through my fingertips as I frantically try to grab hold andsoak it up. This is not going to stop.

Time moves fast.That's the truth. It always has and always will. It's not a matter ofif it will move fast, but instead, if I will make a daily consciousdecision to look around and take it all in. To smell the roses. Tocherish the here and now.

Doing this isn'treally in my nature. I'm extremely Type A and I am a bit of a controlfreak. I'm a perfectionist and I love to know what is next – tohave a plan. The military life kind of threw a wrench in this andmade me learn to adapt and to loosen my grip on 'the plan' becausethere is no real planning when you're in the military. You are livingon the military's timeline and you have to go with their flow. It wasa hard lesson to learn but I adapted. Still though, I have always,always, always been one of those people that is looking toward thenext thing. Not necessarily because I didn't like where I was at, butit just always seemed like 'life' was around the next corner. Icouldn't wait to finish college so I could move to Hawaii and be withMatt. We couldn't wait for his time with the Marines to be done so wecould move back home and he could get started in school. Now, we areweeks away from his graduation and he'sbattling senioritis, mixed with job hunting. We are looking forwardto what is next.

It'sbeing in that constant state of looking forward and wanting to get tothe next thing that causes me to missthe Here. To not notice what is Now.

Thereis a quote that drives this straight into my soul. It goes somethinglike this:

“Fora long time, it seemed to me that life was about to begin — reallife. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to begotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to beserved, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that thoseobstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see thereis no way to happiness. So treasure every moment you have andremember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not adestination.” - Souza

Wow.How incredibly profound and trueis that? I feel like that quote is directed right at me. Like thosewords are screaming at me, ripping into my soul and shaking me –Don'tlet life slip by!

Itmight not be the case for others, but for me – this is humannature. To look ahead to the next thing, to when the current obstacleis passed, it's natural for me. That means that in order for me totreasure every moment and to appreciate the journey and not just thedestination, I have to make a daily or even hourly conscious decisionto do that. I need to constantly remind myself – lettomorrow take care of itself. Enjoy now. Be happy this minute, thishour. Don't worry about what's ahead, just soak in now.

Itwill always be a battle for me to do this. It will always requireconscious decisions to focus on the present, and to keep refocusingwhen my mind wants to worry about the future. But I am committed. Iwant to cherish the now. I want to focus on the journey, not consumemyself with the destination. I want to enjoy the ride.

Winter's Arrival

2011-11-22T08:00:00.001-06:00

The days of wakingup to sunshine and seeing 9pm before the sun goes goes down are longgone. The days of green leaves, warm breezes and open lakes are gone.Summer and now Fall have passed. As much as I have tried to ignoreit, Winter is here.

It's no secretaround these parts that I don't have a good relationship with Winter.That's putting it mildly. Instead, I'm one of those people that loveMinnesota during the other three seasons, but the minute the weatherturns bone-chilling cold, I bemoan the fact I live here, and wishdesperately that I called Florida or Hawaii my home. The coldweather, the short hours of daylight and the long, snowy months ofWinter are enough to make me want to hibernate until April.

I'm going to trythough. I'm going to try to find my inner optimist and to look on thebright side as Winter smacks us over the head. We had our first realsnowfall Saturday and while it was only a dusting, maybe ½ inch ofsnow, it signaled the official beginning of our Winter season.Instead of wishing for warm weather, swimable lakes and the abilityto wear TOMS without catching hypothermia, I'm going to thinkpositively.

Winter brings theopportunity for:

*Hot tub weather

*Scarves

*Boots

*Long moviemarathons without feeling guilty for not being outside

*An excuse to driveslowly and carefully [Heyyy, give me a break! It's snowy andslippery out, it's ok I'm driving 15 miles an hour!]

*Pale skin. In thewinter, everyone looks like fair-skinned me!

*WinterWonderlands. I'm taking about when it snows large, wet flakes andthey cling to all the bare tree branches, making everything look likea fairyland.

*Hats, mittens andbig, puffy Clark Griswold winter coats.

See, winter isn'tthat bad. Just remind me I said that when it's February and Iam aching for Spring and green growth ok?

Jealousy vs. Envy

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Did you know that there is a differencebetween jealousy and envy?

As Dave Ramsey eloquently explained iton a recent talk radio show of his, jealousy is wanting what otherhave. Envy though, takes it even further. Envy is: I want what youhave but I don't think I'll ever get it, so I don't want you to haveit either.

Both are toxic.Sometimes natural and understandable, but nevertheless undeniablytoxic. It is easy to be jealous when others have what I don't. Towish I had what they had – be it money, things, ideas, or success.It's easy and it's human. But it doesn't do me any good. All it doesis to make me focus on what I don't have instead of what I do.

I just finishedreading the bagazine [book/magazine combo, get it?] that Jasmine Starrecently published. It's almost like an autobiography of sorts; thestory of how she started her wedding photography career, things thathave worked for her, and how she got to where she is today. I orderedit because I'm inspired by her and her story; I admire her drive andher ability to go from picking up a camera to being noted as one ofthe best wedding photographers in the world in less than 6 years. Ilike to read stories of others success and maybe see some insightinto myself and my ideas and business in the process.

Jasmine Star hastens of thousands of followers and supporters, many of whom followher online presence. She's very active and vocal on her blog,facebook and twitter accounts, and she's established an amazingfollowing of both photographers and other creatives alike. Her riseto notoriety though has also made her the target of a ton ofcriticism. In my own twitter-verse, I've seen comments come throughabout her – tearing her down, making fun of her, spitting all overher projects and ridiculing those who enjoy Jasmine's writing andthink favorably of her work. This mystifies me. These comments arecoming from adults who sound like disgruntled children. They soundlike people who are not only jealous of her, but greatly envious aswell.

Regardless ofpeople's opinions of her, her work and her business, I'm surprisedthat people don't keep their thoughts to themselves. There are plentyof people, photographers, musicians, authors, movie directors etc etcwho are crazy successful, influential and whose work I do not like.Does that mean I take time out of my daily life to tear them down, todiscredit their work, and to do this publicly no less? No. I preferto focus on the things I do like and the people's work that inspiresme. I wish others would drop the envy, get rid of the negativity andinstead of focusing on those they don't like and whose work theydon't enjoy, talk about those they do instead. Nothing isaccomplished by bashing on those they dislike, except to get hatredand negativing flowing around.

My personalchallenge as Thanksgiving comes up, and as I take a closer look at myown life is to keep my jealousy in check and to eliminate the envyfrom my life. Just because I can't have something doesn't meansomeone else shouldn't. Just because I can't afford a house in Hawaiidoesn't mean others shouldn't have that right. Especially if theyworked hard to get to the point where they could afford that house.Just because I'm now a nationally renowned photographer doesn't meansomeone else shouldn't be. It's so easy to focus on what I don'thave; on what is missing from my life. Instead, there is so muchpower in focusing on what I DO have. And if I look around myapartment; if I look around my life – I have plenty.

The Give Thanks Contest

2011-11-17T21:25:00.000-06:00

The 2011 Wedding Contest was such a big hit over on Facebook, I want to do another contest.

This one is going to be similar but different - open to anyone willing to participate!

Here's the scoop. I want to have a contest that centers around happiness and thanksgiving. Because next week is Thanksgiving. [HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? I SWEAR IT'S STILL AUGUST.] I want each of you to think back on this year, and think about what made you happy; what you are thankful for.

1. I want you to choose your FAVORITE photo of 2011. I want you to pick the photo that reminds you of everything you are thankful for; the photo that gives you the most happiness when you look at it. Maybe it's a photo from your summer vacation, a photo taken while you were at the beach, or maybe just sitting around a bonfire in your backyard. Whatever the photo is, and whenever it was taken - it has to make you happy and thankful when you look at it.

2. Then, I want you to attach that photo in an email to me, with the subject "The Give Thanks Contest" - lauraradniecki@gmail.com. In one or two sentences, tell me why you chose that photo, and why you love it. Be sure to include your name in the email.

3. From there, I'll upload all of the entries into an album on the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook Page and announce the start of the contest. The same rules as the 2011 Wedding Contest will apply - the photo to get the most "Likes" will win! Comments are great, but aren't counted in the winning tally. You'll want to tag yourself in your image, and tell your family and friends to vote. The "Share" option on Facebook now makes that super easy to do. One click, and you've spread the word!

There will be a gift for the winning photo.

I haven't decided on a start and end time yet for this contest. I'd like to start it on Monday and have it run until Thanksgiving morning, but that will depend on how many entries I get by Monday.

Are you in?

Start looking back over your photos from this year. They don't have to be pro photos, they can be camera photos or cell phone photos. As long as they're PG rated, let's see them!

Email me with any questions. I can't wait to see the photos that made you happiest this year! Despite trials, tribulations, and unhappy times in our world, we have so much to be thankful for.

A couple of the photos from this year that make me happy and thankful:

Never Forget

2011-11-17T08:53:00.001-06:00

Last night, I was working on a project which led me to look through a box of well wishes from our wedding. We had set out little pieces of card stock that were stamped with hearts and other lovely things, as well as pens and a sign encouraging people to write down well wishes and/or wedding advice for us.

Every message, every word, every piece of advice was full of love, kindness, and happiness as people celebrated our wedding day with us. One struck a particular chord with me.

The message read:

"Never forget how you felt tonight."

As we get closer to our 4 year wedding anniversary [FOUR YEARS?!] I think back on our wedding day. I have not forgotten how I felt that night. I hope I never, ever do.

Fire Sky

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

God see and thinks of beauty beyond my wildest imagination.

[Photos taken from a moving vehicle on the way to dinner at Chili's, which is the reason for the streetlights and taillights.]

The Badlands, South Dakota and Famous Wall Drug

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

On our way back to Minnesota, we stopped at the famous Wall Drug. I'm sure you've heard of Wall Drug; it's the Free Ice Water store! I didn't really know what Wall Drug was all about until I read the story behind how it came to be, and how it began giving away free ice water. It's a pretty great story; definitely worth the read.

I also had no clue how huge the store is! It's actually about 30 stores, all connected by hallways and corridors. It is like being in an old western town, which is entirely the idea. Again, we were there in the off season, so some of the attractions weren't available. But seriously, what an amazing place.

Have you been to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota?

No? Go. You really should. It's like being on the moon.

I have been to a lot of the awesome national parks that our country has and nothing is quite like the Badlands. The colors, the rough and jagged formations... I feel like I am on another planet, not just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.

God is so good and His creations are simply amazing. I feel so lucky to live in a place with such wonder within a day's driving distance. Have you explored the wonders of America lately?

Devils Tower National Monument and Aladdin, Wyoming

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

The other night, Matt and I watched the movie "Paul." Have you seen it? The one about two british comic book lovers who came across the alien Paul, who's voice is done by Seth Rogen. The movie was not one of my favorites, but the end of the movie took place at Devils Tower!

This was my third time going to the Devils Tower National Monument in my lifetime. The first was on a sunny day when I was maybe 10 or 12? The second was during our 2009 road trip but it rained the whole time so Matt and I looked up at the tower from under an umbrella for 3 minutes and then went back into the car and left. This time, we wanted to explore. We wanted to walk around the base of the monument and see it from all angles.

Devils Tower is actually in the upper eastern corner of Wyoming, nearing Sundance. On our drive there from Rapid City, the sky went from bright blue and clear to a depressing heavy gray. I was getting madder by the minute, thinking that our trip to Devils Tower was going to get rained out again. Thankfully, the rain storm seemed to skirt north of us and we were able to enjoy Devils Tower in the sunshine!

Complete with a Prairie Dog Town on the way to the base of the monument and a walking path around Devils Tower itself, it's a great place to visit and spend the afternoon.

The photo below shows the handmade ladder that the first two climbers of Devils Tower constructed to get to the top. See it running vertically in the crack between the columns in the center of the photo? Can you imagine climbing the tower on that????? Absolutely no thank you. After Devils Tower, we stopped at a gift shop to get a few souvenirs. Then, we took the long way back to Rapid City, through a couple of old towns from the gold rush and coal mining days. The photo below is an old coal tippet, which was used in to mine and sort coal. Although sagging, leaning and tired-looking, it still stands much like it did when the coal mine was active.The town of Aladdin, according to the sign, has a population of 15 people. I have to say I'm a bit skeptical because there were several houses/farms around the sign and I'm guessing more than 15 people inhabited those homes. But what do I know. Maybe the city limits are right around the general store. Anyway, the Aladdin General Store is over 110 years old. It has been in that same place and stood much like it is now since 1896. It is still a functioning general store/gift shop with an antique store in the upper level. The upstairs of the general store fascinated me. Not the antiques so much. But the soiled and peeling wallpaper, the water spots on the roof, the old creaky floors. I didn't ask for sure and I can't say with any amount of certainty, but it sure looked like the original decor to me. It looked like it was still the same wallpaper and flooring it had when it first opened over a hundred years ago. If the walls could talk, I wonder what stories they could tell.It's easy for me to look at the sights from the car, and pull off the road to take some photos when a scenic overlook comes along. But the little gems like this general store are places that require going inside, looking around, and being open to what we'll find inside.

Memories of the Nursing Days

2011-11-13T19:09:00.001-06:00

Tonight, Matt is listing my books fromnursing school on half.com.

It's been three and a half years sincegraduation and I'm fully aware of the rate of textbook changes andrevisions, so it is probably a wasted effort. But we're tryinganyway.

As I sat in the living room and removedtextbooks, study materials, old binders and notebooks from the purpletub they've lived in since the summer of 2008, I felt a wave ofconflicting emotions roll over me.

For those of you who don't know, I havea bachelors degree in nursing. I went to the College of St.Scholastica for four years and graduated as Laura Radniecki, BSN,before moving to Hawaii with Matt and then beginning on myphotography journey. If you've read the story of how I went from a Nurse to a Photographer, you know some of this already. I didn't feellike I was going down the right career path as a nurse, and prayedlike crazy for guidance. Three years later, I'm thrilled every daythat I get to work as a photographer.

I wholeheartedly believe that I ammeant to be working as a photographer at this point in my life. Iadore meeting new families and capturing them as they are, at aspecific moment in time; freezing that moment for eternity. I feelblessed each and every time that I pick up my camera and head out tophotograph another person. I believe God had this planned for me andwhen I asked for guidance, He opened doors to bring me here. I amgrateful and thankful every single day.

While I know all of that to be theabsolute truth, I can't help but admit that tonight – I grieved alittle bit as I opened that tub of books and remnants of my nursingschool career. Leafing through the notebooks filled with my scrawlingnotes, arrows, diagrams and acronyms. Picking up the binder andfinding the study guides for my anatomy labs – one of my mostfavorite parts of college. Looking through the textbooks that I readin the study lounge in the commons area of my apartment senior year,while my roommate, also a nursing major, read the same book at thetable next to me. I couldn't help but feel part of my heart wrappedin nostalgic sadness.

I don't regret anything. I don't regretgetting a nursing degree, or going to St. Scholastica, or studyinglike crazy to graduate with a gpa that I like to taunt Matt with. Idon't regret any of it, because I fully believe it was exactly whereI was supposed to be at that point in my life. I met so many greatpeople and I had so much fun. My mind and heart are full of memoriesfrom those years up at CSS, and those memories will follow me for myentire life.

So while I don't regret anything, and Iknow I'm exactly where I am supposed to be, and doing precisely whatI am meant to be doing right now, I am granting myself the right tofeel a little sadness tonight. As we list my books in hopes that somewill sell, I think back on all the classes I took, the tests Istudied for, the papers I wrote. I think of the friends I made, theteachers I had, and the dreams I dreamt. I think of all the awesomememories of nursing school, and of all the times that I stretchedmyself and my brain beyond what I thought I could accomplish. A partof me is sad that it is over. A part of my grieves because my lifedoesn't have any part of nursing in it anymore, except in my memoriesand in the friends that I carry with me. A small part of me feelslike I am less intelligent as I was then; that I have lost some of myintelligence now that studying, textbooks and classes are no longer apart of my life.

Tonight, I'm letting myself feel thenostalgia for a time in my life that was wonderful, but is longpassed. I am different than I was then, and I am on a career pathvastly different than I thought I would be on. I am living in adifferent city, and with different long term goals as then. I don'twish I was still there, and I don't wish I was working as a nurse.But I sure am thankful that I went to CSS for nursing school and thatI will always have that diploma with Laura Radniecki, BSN proudlywritten on it.

For all of it, I am grateful.

The Crazy Horse Memorial

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

The last time we were out west in South Dakota, we went to see Mount Rushmore up close and personal. We entered the monument and walked around the base. I vaguely remember hearing about another monument called Crazy Horse while we were out west, but we didn't see that during our time in SD.

Earlier this summer, my grandparents went out to the Black Hills and came home with a book from the Crazy Horse Memorial. I read it from front to back in a day. The story inspired me; the story of a man who agreed to dedicate his life to carving a mountain to honor the Native American people who hold the Black Hills so sacred to them. The sculptor, Korczak, turned down government funding twice, believing in the free enterprise system. He wanted the mountain to be carved with funds from those who visited, appreciated and wanted to support the cause of the memorial. Not by tax payer funds.

Lots of people go to see Crazy Horse and seem disappointed because there's not as much to see on the mountain as Mount Rushmore. The thing is, it's only the beginning! Korczak worked for over 40 years on the mountain, by himself. When his children got old enough to help, they did. But there were not work crews during the formative years on the mountain. Since his death in the 80's, his wife and children have taken over running the construction of the memorial and have made big progress with the help of work crews and more sophisticated equipment. Still, the memorial is decades away from being complete.

When completed, all four heads from Mount Rushmore will be able to fit inside Crazy Horse's head and hair. That's how much bigger it is than Mount Rushmore. Pretty amazing, isn't it? Both mountains are amazing to see and worth the trip. But each is great for different reasons.

Crazy Horse also had a huge visitors center and museum inside for people to visit. There were tons of Native American artifacts inside the museum. There's a huge gift shop and restaurant on site too. I hope to come back when I'm 80 years old and see the mountain almost complete.

Note, see the two teeny, tiny, itty bitty little machines that are on the outstretched length of his arm? Those are big caterpillars, huge machines! They look like pin pricks compared to the size of Crazy Horse's face and the mountain in general.
The white statue below is a 1/34th sized replica of what the finished memorial will look like. The photo doesn't really grasp the side of the white sculpture, but let's just say I felt like a little ant looking up at it, and it's only 1/34th the size of the entire monument.If you are out west, I think it's well worth your time to go see the Crazy Horse Memorial. Make sure to watch the 20 minute video in the visitor center first. It talks about how the idea for the memorial came to be and how Korczak ended up out west. The sound of the dynamite blasts as the mountain carving went on will stay with you.

South Dakota Bound

2011-11-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

In mid-October, Matt and I decided to head out of town on a mini road trip. After our 40 day cross-country road trip in 2009, we have been itching to be back on the open road. Ot at least, I have. We visited South Dakota, the Badlands and the Black Hills in '09 but saw only the tip of the iceberg as far as sight seeing goes there.

On our way out west, we went through Watertown, SD and stopped at the Terry Redlin Art Gallery. This was our second time there and it was just as awesome as the first. The gallery showcases hundred of Terry's paintings and a great gift shop too. Plus, the gallery is free to visit and I swear, they have the nicest and cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen in my life. It's the little things that count right?

No business, no internet, no demands. Just the two of us, in our car, exploring western South Dakota. Bliss.

The next photo is from Keystone, SD. Both times we have been out west, it's been in late October, which is the off season, so the smaller cities are pretty much shut down for the winter. Someday, we will make it out west while it is summertime. I want to go to this Dairy Queen!More to come in the South Dakota saga in the days to come.

Rob + Katie - Grand View Lodge - Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

When Katie told me about the wedding plans for her late October wedding, three things stuck out in my mind. Small, intimate wedding, no wedding party, and cowboy boots.

Enough said, I was hooked.

On the last Saturday of October, Katie and Rob gathered together with a small group of family and friends. They stood up together, just the two of them, and promised each other forever. And they did so while wearing cowboy boots that were a perfect fit with their wedding day attire.

Instead of having a wedding party, they had Katie's grandmas act as their witnesses. Instead of a huge wedding and reception, they had an intimate dinner and they personally cut each of their guests a piece of their wedding cake. Instead of high heels and dress shoes, they wore classy cowboy boots that made me drool. The personal touches rang true with Katie and Rob's love story and were felt by everyone who came to celebrate their marriage.

Katie and Rob - I can't thank you enough for choosing me as your wedding photographer. Your day was so beautiful, and I felt honored to be there. You were so easy to photograph and such great troopers in dealing with the cool wind. I wish you all the best in your marriage ahead.

The 2011 Wedding Contest

2011-11-07T14:54:00.002-06:00

We're going to do something fun and new this year. As a way to celebrate the end of my 2011 Wedding Season, I thought it would be fun to have a contest.

What kind of contest, you say?

It's going to be a contest over at the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook Page. Here's what will happen. Starting tomorrow [Tuesday, 11/8] I'll have an album created for 2011's Weddings with a photo of each of my couples from this year.** The contest is to see which photo can get the most "Likes" to the image from tomorrow until Friday 11/11/11. The winner will get a special wedding gift.

Simple, right? I thought so!

The rules are:

-The winner will be the photo with the most "Likes." The number of comments on each photo won't be used in choosing a winner, to guard against one person commenting multiple times.

-The contest will run until Friday, 11/11/11 when I'll see which couple's photo has the most likes. I'll notify them both publicly on the Facebook page and also via email.

So starting tomorrow, stay tuned to the Laura Radniecki Images Facebook Page and watch for the announcements about the start of the contest. Use the powers of Facebook [statuses, sharing blog posts/statuses/albums etc] to direct people to the page and vote for your photo.

Good luck to all of 2011's wedding couples and a major thank you for an amazing season!

**The 2011 Wedding Contest will include photos of each wedding couple who I know has Facebook. There are several of my couples from this year who I don't think have or use FB. If you are one of those couples, do have FB and would like to be added in, send me an email and I'll get you added!

8x10 Prints and Cropping

2011-11-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

I've run into a couple situations over the past month that have inspired this blog post. The topic is something I didn't know until I became a photographer, and I'm guessing a lot of you may not know about it either.

Have you ever gone to print one of your photos into an 8x10" print and when you get it back, you wonder why it looks different that the photo did in your camera? Or maybe someone on the edge of the photo was cut out of the 8x10 print?

What the heck happened, right? I'm here to tell you why that happened!

Here's the explanation in the simplest terms I can come up with. Hold on to your hats:

Most cameras take photos that will print as perfect 4x6 sized prints. That's the most commonly printed size, so that's why most cameras have their print ratio as a 4x6 size.

Here's where the math comes in. A 4x6 print can be enlarged into an 8x12 print right? Each side is just doubled in length. 4[x2] by 6[x2] = 8x12. That means that an 8x12 inch print should look exactly like your 4x6 print does, except it's just 4 times bigger.

Flash back to junior high math?? Each side is 2 times longer, so the whole photo is 2x2 or 4 times larger.

So! What does that mean for an 8x10 inch photo?

You got it! The 8x12 inch photo has to have 2 inches cut off in order to make it an 8x10.

Here are some visual examples.

Here is a 4x6 photo from one of this summer's sessions. This is what the print looked like without any cropping; it came out of my camera framed like this.

Now, if I wanted to make this print into an 8x10 size, that means I am going to lose 2 inches of this photo. Those 2 inches can come off of either end. So the end result, the 8x10 print you ordered would now look like the middle section of this photo, with the shaded areas cut off to make the 8x12 print now a 8x10. Make sense?

What about a 5x7 print? Making a 5x7 print requires some cropping too, just not as much as an 8x10 does. Here's how much you'd lose if this print was made into a 5x7.Sometimes, like in the case of the photo above, losing some of the edge of the photo doesn't really make a different. No one is getting cut off, and I can choose which side of the photo gets cropped on, so I can somewhat choose the composition of the final photo. But other times, you run the risk of altering the final photo. Take this photo for example.

In this photo, there isn't as much empty or "negative" space on the edges of the photo. When we crop in to make an 8x10 print, we end up cropping off the arms of the dad and son. Not the end of the world - all the faces are still visible. The photo looks different than it did as a 4x6 though.Sometimes, a photo can't be made into an 8x10 without completely altering the photo. The photo below is one of those cases. The 4x6 is framed to intentionally have the family at the lower left corner, and to show the entire length of the towers of the incinerator in the background. See what happens when an 8x10 is made? Either the people are going to be cut out to keep the tallest tower or the tower is going to be lost to keep the people. The intentional composition of the original photo is really altered.What would I do if I needed to make this into an 8x10? I would take 90% of the necessary inches off the top, which will result in the tallest tower losing it's top. A small bit of the bottom edge could be lost as well, as long as no feet are cut off in the process. The result would look very different than the original, but it would still be a great photo.
Sometimes, an 8x10 simply can't be made without compromising the photo. I don't have an example for you to look at right now, but imagine a huge family photo, with say 50 people stretched from the very left edge of the frame to the far right side of the photo. Any cropping at all will result in people's heads getting cropped out. What do you do? In that case, I would either print it as a 4x6 or try to print in one of the print sizes that fit the original 4x6 ratio. Those are: 4x6, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, or 20x30. Any of those print sizes will not require any cropping and will look exactly like the photo you see as the original.
It's unfortunate that the most common frames sold in stores are 8x10 sized frames. This means that we have to crop our photos down to an 8x10 or else spend way more on a custom frame.
How do you prevent the risk of wrecking a photo with cropping?
The solution comes at the time of actually taking the photo. The solution to cropping off people's heads in the imagined photo of 50 people would be to scoot further back from your crowd and include some extra or negative space on either end. That will allow for the cropping necessary to make an 8x10 but you won't be needing to crop out people. You would just crop out the grass, trees or whatever the extra is on each end.
Does that make sense? Did I lost you at "ratio"?
If I mixed anything up or lost you, let me know! I'll try my best to clarify. I think it's important for people to be aware of this because it affects the end result when you are printing or enlarging photos.
When you are making 5x7, 8x10 or 11x14 prints, keep this in mind so you don't have any unexpected surprises like lost faces or cut off arms when you get your photos back.
Happy shooting and Happy November!

Kyria - Senior Graduation Photos - Alexandria, MN and Brainerd, MN

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Last month, I received an email from Kyria's mom. In the email, Kimberly told me their family's story - they were originally from Brainerd but had recently moved to Missouri because of a job change. Their daughter Kyria, who is a senior this year, hadn't had her senior photos taken before the move and was now fighting with the disappointment of having to take her senior photos in a place that has no emotional ties or memories of hers. Moves can be tough for everyone, but as a senior in high school? Way tough.

Kimberly had an idea. She wanted to know if I traveled and if I was interested in possibly photographing Kyria's senior portraits. Yes, I travel, and I'd love to photograph Kyria. Where? As it turns out, Kyria's grandparents live just outside of Alexandria, MN on a beautiful lake. Their property holds tons of memories from Kyria's childhood and Kimberly thought it would be the perfect spot for her graduation photos. I was in!

A few weeks ago, Kyria was able to come up from MO for a quick visit. I met her down in Alexandria at her grandparents house and we spent the afternoon shooting around their property. This session struck a special chord with me. I'm not sure what exactly made it so special to me - maybe it's the last breath of Fall that can be felt in the photos, or Kyria's amazing Old Gringo boots, or maybe her gorgeous hair and vibrant smile. Maybe all of the above. As I pressed "Home" on my GPS and drove away from Kyria and her grandparent's amazing property, my heart was full and my face was beaming. I truly love my job.

Kyria, you already know how I feel about you, your session and your photos... I think I've made that clear in my emails. :) Thank you again for being such a great sport and for being so darn pretty. Good luck in your future adventures! Kimberly, thank you for contacting me in the first place, and thank you for trusting me with your daughter's senior photos. I'm so thankful our paths crossed. xx, Laura

Random Thoughts on a Tuesday Night

2011-11-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Guess what?

It's November.

Yeah, I know. NOVEMBER.

How in the WORLD did it get to be November? Wasn't it just Labor Day? Or July 4th? Or May Day??? I blinked and took a 5 month catnap, I think.

My mind has been zipping all over the place lately and I've been finishing up sessions, editing and weddings. It's hard to form logical thoughts and actually write a lengthy blog post so I figured some random bullet points would be a good way to post a quick update.

*I had my last wedding of 2011 last Saturday. I was worried about the weather but it turned out to be a 48 degree pleasant late Fall day. Combine that with an awesome couple who was willing to brave a little chill and goosebumps, and the wedding season went out with a bang!

*The last week or two has been full of contemplating this past year and starting to think about next season. I have made a list of things that I'll be focusing on this winter, and I'm looking forward to the revisions, updates, new items and fun stuff ahead.

*I've got two fun contests that I plan to have in the next two months. One will focus on 2011's wedding couples and the other will be open to everyone who's willing to participate. Stay tuned for more details!

*Matt and I sadly missed hopping on the Halloween Bandwagon - we didn't even buy a pumpkin. I KNOW. I blame it on the fact that I thought it was still August.

*Today, I spent an hour meeting with our insurance agent, talking about health insurance plans. I spent another hour making phone calls and writing notes to price-compare plans. Being a grown up bites sometimes. Actually, being a self-employed grown up bites sometimes.

*But all kidding about health insurance aside, I am thankful every single day that I get to do what I am doing. That I get to work from home and work for myself. I feel so incredibly blessed.

*Christmas music will now become a permanent fixture in my life until January. Yes!!!!

*I've been reading some great books lately. I found the Murder-by-Month series by Jess Lourey, a Minnesota author. It took me about half the first book to warm to her and her writing style after reading the ENTIRE Savannah Reid Mystery series by G.A. McKevett [minus the 3 books I have sitting on my floor waiting for me] but I love Jess Lourey's series now! I am anxiously waiting for her to write more! I love reading a series because the main characters feel like they're my friends. Right now, Mira James and I are tight!

*There are so many awesome TV shows on right now. My DVR is bursting. Some of my recent favorites: House, Harry's Law, NCIS, Unforgettable, The Mentalist, Greys, Private Practice... I'm REALLY waiting for January though, when Pretty Little Liars comes back on! Wooo hoooooo!!!!!

Stay tuned for an AMAZING senior session that will hit my blog later this week. I am practically drooling over this girl, her boots and the entire session. I think you will love it too!

Happy November!

xx, Laura

Bobby Rude - Brainerd, MN Senior Graduation Photography

2011-10-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

Bobby is a senior at Brainerd High School this year. He has plans to go to college next year, and major in engineering. I met him at his house to shoot his senior portraits, while his mom watched through the kitchen window with tears glimmering in her eyes. He sits at such an exciting time in his life - on the verge of starting out on his own, but still enjoying his senior year.

Bobby [and Mary!] - thank you for having me over to photograph your senior portraits. Good luck with the rest of your senior year and all the best in your journey after high school!

Derek + Tori - 40 Club - Aitkin, MN Wedding Photography

2011-10-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

Tori and Derek were planning their wedding for July 2011 when I first met this last fall. Then, because of Tori's brother's assignment in the Navy, they made the decision to push their wedding back a few months to October so that her brother would be home. Military blood runs through Tori's family, and because of my history with Matt in the Marines, I understand.

Tori and Derek are high school sweethearts and they are also parents of the cutest little spitfire, Hayden. Surrounded by their family and friends, and their son, they promised each other forever and said "I Do." Their wedding reception included a candy bar [not to be confused with candy bar like a Twix], some of the most heartfelt speeches I've ever heard, and a packed dance floor. The party was rockin' all night long!

To the new Mr. and Mrs. Fredrickson - thank you both for choosing me as your wedding photographer. The day was perfect and it was an honor to be a part of it. God bless your family! xx, Laura

Their wedding was at the First Lutheran Church in Aitkin and their reception took place at the 40 Club, also in Aitkin.

Matt + Half-Ironman Triathlon

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Matt's triathlon season ended the first week of September with the longest race of his career so far. After 3 sprint distance triathlons in 2011 and 1 in 2010, his ended this year with a half-ironman distance race. Approximately a 1 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 [half marathon distance] mile run.

After a weekend in Stillwater and being joined by both of our families, we all cheered on the biggest race of Matt's triathlon career so far. The preparations the day of included getting his transition site set up and some family photos taken prior to the race.
The swim part of the triathlon is first.Then he was off on the bike portion! The bike part included one loop and the racers did it twice. This meant that Matt came by us in the middle of his bike leg. He looked so good and upbeat!Then came the final part of the triathlon. The run. Running a half marathon is HARD. But this race had Matt running a half marathon AFTER swimming a mile and biking 56 miles. Oofda. Seriously.And then... it was the finish line time! Matt's goal was 5 hours and 30 minutes. A minute or two before his goal, we saw him at the top of the hill. He was almost done!!!One minute faster than his goal, HE FINISHED!!! Wooo hooo, Matt!!!! After the race, he headed straight for the water to cool off. Then, his body went into some weird post 5.5 hour workout shock and he felt freezing cold. It was 80+ degrees and he was shivering, so he laid in the sun to warm up. After 30-45 minutes of sun therapy, he rejoined the land of the living and basked in his accomplishments.Such a major accomplishment; one of his bucket list items. Now, his sights are set on even bigger goals for next season - and for bettering his time on another half-ironman. I'm so proud of you, Matt!

An Escape to Stillwater, MN + A Visit to Como Zoo

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

As Matt's triathlon season came to an end, his last sprint triathlon morphed into a Half-Ironman distance triathlon instead. He changed his mind and decided to do a much longer race as the last hoorah to the 2011 season. The race was held in the outskirts of Stillwater, MN so Matt and I made a little trip out of the weekend. We went down a few days prior to the race and explored Stillwater. Widely known as one of the prettiest towns in Minnesota, it has rich history and I had never really been there before! Matt and I were in town for half of a day earlier in the summer to photograph a wedding but that was it. I wanted to explore the town and see what the charm was all about.

We walked along main street, sat in the park along the river by the lift bridge, watched boats pass underneath, and ate in a restaurant that overlooked the river. Stillwater is fantastic! I know this isn't the last time we will visit.

Matt's family and my family joined us to cheer Matt on during his race. The day before the race, we all met first at the Como Zoo. I haven't been to the Como Zoo in over a decade and I haven't been to a zoo at all since we were in Hawaii and went to the Honolulu Zoo. Such a great zoo and there is no entrance fee. It's a donation system that is on an honor system. Another one of Minnesota's gems!

South Dakota in Black and White

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before I blog more about our trip to South Dakota, I have a few to show you to start with.

I love color.

I love the changing leaves of the fall, the bright blue skies on a clear day, the different colors in wide open spaces of fields, forests, etc. As I was editing the photos from our trip though, I thought I might try to turn a couple black and white. I am no Ansel Adams but there is something shockingly beautiful about seeing a dynamic landscape in black and white.

Shades of gray.

Wonderful.

Brainerd, Minnesota - United Way Chili Cook-off

2011-10-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this Fall, the local chili cook-off took place. Matt's mom works for CRMC [one of the local hospitals/medical complexes] and they always make a great booth and awesome chili. The theme this year was Local Heroes, and CRMC's idea was to incorporate local heroes into their booth: nurses, police officers, fire fighters, military members. That's where Matt came in. He dressed in his Marine dress blues and participated in CRMC's booth.

My dad and I sampled the chili at the dozens of booths and admired the handiwork of each group.

In the end, CRMC won a prize for Best Booth! Woo hoo! The crowd favorite award went to Ernie's on Gull Restaurant.

I think this might have to be an annual event for me! If you went to the Chili Cook-off, did you love it? If you didn't, consider going next Fall!

Freiday Family Photos - Brainerd, MN Family Photography

2011-10-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

I met the Freiday family on one of October's beautiful Fall days. I can relate to the family dynamics of the Freiday's - a family with two daughters and an easy going happiness flowing through all of them. It reminded me of my own family and my life growing up with my sister. I am so happy that you contacted me to photograph your family, Kelly. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you all. Enjoy! xx, Laura

Braylon 1 Year Photos - Brainerd, MN Child and Family Photography

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Braylon and his parents are special LRI clients. I first met Jenni and Casey a few months before Braylon was born, for their maternity photos. Then, after Braylon's arrival, I photographed him at 10 days of age. Following that newborn session, I photographed him at 4 months, 8 months and then again this week at 1 year. Getting to work that closely with a family and watch a little boy grow and change over a year's time, that is such a blessing to me.

A funny story to accompany Braylon's 1 year photos: Jenni and Casey met at college; Casey was a football player and Jenni was a cheerleader. Casey was planning to propose to Jenni at one of their football games, and had talked to Jenni's parents about it prior to the game. Jenni's parents knew he was going to ask her, so they went and bought a baby MSUM Dragons jersey as an engagement present for them. Of course, Jenni said yes when Casey asked and she went to share the good news with her parents. They presented her with the baby jersey with the instructions to "Fill it up!" Fast forward several years, here they are. Married with their 1 year old son filling that jersey up.

Thank you, Jenni, Casey and Braylon, for continuing to have me back to document your life together. Enjoy! xx, Laura

Jack Turns 9 - Pequot Lakes, MN Child and Family Photography

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I believe in the power of a photo. I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of scheduling annual family photos and making sure that you get in the photos.

Family sessions, newborn sessions, In Love sessions - they are all important and completely worthy of photographs. I also believe that things like football games, first communions, and birthday parties are worthy of being photographed. These events that happen, they are milestones. The photos may not be posed or scripted, but they are important memories just the same and can very much benefit from having a photographer there to capture them.

When Janet contacted me about the possibility of photographing her son Jack's 9th birthday party, I was immediately hooked. Things like birthdays may seem common and unoriginal; they happen every year right, and how different can one year's party be from the previous ones? But having both sets of grandparents join in on the celebration is in itself an important milestone. I have been watching my own home videos lately, and seeing my grandparents who have now passed away - I cherish those videos so incredibly much.

So last weekend, I joined Jack and his family for his 9th birthday party. Both sets of his grandparents were there, as well as his parents and his sister. And their 2 sweet dogs. They ate, laughed, talked, played football and basketball, rode down the hill on scooters and bikes, and jumped into leaves. They goofed around and joked with their family. They made funny faces. And I tried to be as invisible as possible and photograph the day as it unfolded. The smiles, the giggles and the dimples. Oh, the dimples!! I hope that one day, these photos will become a very cherished piece of history to Jack and Brook, like my own photos and videos are to me.

To the whole Hennies+ crew - thank you for opening your home to me and inviting me to photograph you all. I feel blessed to have been able to spend the day with you. And thanks for the lasagna and cake! :) Enjoy! xx, Laura

Philip + Natalia - Manhattan Beach Lodge - Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography

2011-10-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Philip and Natalia were married in an intimate ceremony at Manhattan Beach Lodge, surrounded by their closest family and friends. Philip's youngest son walked Natalia down the aisle, as the groom's mother smiled on from the front row. The ceremony was moved inside due to a soggy, rainy day, but just as they said "I Do" and kissed for the first time as husband and wife, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and the rain stopped falling. We were able to take their portraits outside and then come back inside for a buffet dinner, champaign toasts involving "The Hangover" references to the Wolf Pack, and a lovely cake. It was a beautiful day full of laughter and smiles.

Natalia and Philip, I am so thankful that you asked me to photograph your wedding day. It was so much fun to work with you two; you are a photographer's dream! I wish you all the happiness in your marriage ahead! xx, Laura

Leaving A Legacy

2011-10-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

As I was working on some wedding edits tonight, I skipped over to twitter to check things out. The most recent update was one that said "RIP Steve Jobs." I went over to the MSN homepage to look for a Breaking News banner, and at this point, it wasn't even up there yet - it was that soon after the announcement. I went back to my twitter feed and in a matter of minutes, the entire feed was flooded with tweets about Steve, his life, work, passion, and company. His legacy. It's now been maybe an hour since the news broke and 99% of my twitter feed is still dominated by him and news of his passing. People commenting on how the world will never be the same.

One tweet had a link to this video. It is a graduation speech that Steve gave at Stanford in 2005. I watched all 15 minutes of his video and sat transfixed, as his words washed over me. There is such wisdom and such power behind his words. Such truth. From one amazing man.

In my own small corner of the web, my twitter and facebook feeds are full of Steve Jobs posts. I can confidently assume it's the same all over the entire world wide web right now. One man has made that big of an impact on our world as it is today, that the entire internet is buzzing about his passing and the legacy left behind.

I can barely wrap my head around what an impact he made in all of our lives. He revolutionized the technology that we use on a daily basis.

All the posts about Steve Jobs and his legacy shoved me into a hyper emotional state and got me thinking about my own legacy. My own life. My own passions, dreams, goals, work. What do I want my legacy to be? What would it be right now if this was my last day here?

I'm not naive enough to think that I'm the next Steve Jobs. Obviously anything is possible, but let's be real. I'm probably not going to change the way each of us approaches technology and revolutionize modern life. I won't have the entire world tweeting when I die. But my hope is that my life will leave a legacy of happiness, faith, strength and hope for those who I knew and loved. I hope that when I die, people can look back at my life and say that I lived each and every day to the fullest, and went after my dreams.

We only get this one life, I want to live it big.

Steve Jobs' passing follows the sudden deaths of a 19 year old boy from our town, and the young sister of one of my college classmates. These have all served as a reminder to me and to countless others that life is short. Way too short usually. Let's live it to the fullest with open arms, lots of love, and even more prayers.

RIP Steve, Aaron, and Shayla. Many prayers for those left behind who loved you.

Ryan and Shaylea - Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Shaylea and Ryan were married in the St. Francis Catholic Church and celebrated with a reception at Breezy Point Resort. Surrounded by those they love the most, they promised forever to each other, and sealed it with a kiss.

The little moments of the wedding day are what added the biggest emotional impact - Shaylea's grandma being able to attend the wedding, the best man holding the rings in a cracker jack box, and the Jay's favorite priest being able to come back in order to marry Ryan and Shaylea. It was a day full of laughter and a few tears, as well as lots and lots of dancing, all in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Obeidzinski!

Ryan and Shaylea - thank you for having me photograph your wedding day. You were so much fun to work with, as was everyone in the wedding party and your families too. I wish you all the best in your new adventure as husband and wife! xx, Laura

Fall Color and Leaf Drives

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I adore summer. I love heat, I often like humidity [within reason] and I covet the sunshine. Changing seasons makes me nostalgic and melancholy, especially when the seasons are changing toward my least favorite season of all - winter. But a few years ago, I started to really pay attention to the beauty that is Fall. The crisp temperature of the air. The color of the leaves. The smell of bon fires and the feel of wearing a jacket for the first time in months. I still hate winter, but I cherish the fleeting moments of Fall.

This past week, the leaves starting changing at a rapid rate. My family is big on 'Leaf Drives' - driving around to look at the leaves. I went on several this week and took my new lens along to snap some photos. I wish these colors lasted a couple of months instead of the mere days or weeks that they actually do. It's a rainbow in the trees. God is good.

This picture below is pretty neat - see now there's a space between the ground and maybe 3 feet up the trunk of each tree where there's no leaves? It's just a dark space before the leaves grow? That's from deer walking through and eating all the leaves on the lower parts of the trees. It's just bared from the ground to about 3 ft tall, all over in the woods.We came across a young porcupine when we were driving along. See him on the log, staring at me?These leaves fascinate me. They look like they had paint dripped all over them. So weird!

Alex - Brainerd, MN Senior Graduation Photography

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alex is a senior at Brainerd High School. A huge thanks to you, Alex for choosing me to photograph your senior photos. Enjoy your senior year, and best of luck in your adventures ahead!

Devon + Ashley - Brainerd, MN Engagement Photography

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ashley's vision for her engagement session involved a field, tall grasses, and cowboy boots. Combine that with the golden sunshine of a late September evening and you've got a recipe for one heck of a session. We began the session at the local arboretum and then continued on down the block to a spot that I've been eyeing up for over a year. I'm so happy Ashley and Devon were up for exploring with me. Add in their adorable son Brett, and this was one of 2011's highlights.

To Ashley, Devon and Brett [and Jackie! :)] - Thank you for spending the evening with me, and for being open to any and all suggestions I had. Enjoy, and I cannot wait for your wedding next summer! xx, Laura

Lauralyn Turns 1 - Brainerd, MN Baby, Child and Family Photography

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Kids are the boss.

I learned that quickly in my photography career. Newborn sessions are solely guided by the baby's hunger level. No matter how funny I try to be and how hard a parent tries to bribe their child with the promise of a treat for good behavior, sometimes it just doesn't work, and the child will carry on with what they want to do.

When we met for Lauralyn's 1 year photos the first time, it was a sunny September day. But the temperature was barely 50 degrees and the wind was whipping. Combine that with a tired little girl that just wanted to snuggle with her mama, and you don't have a very good mix for an outdoor photo session. So, we postponed, watched the weather, and met again the next week.

Lauralyn did not find me funny, and I had to work hard to coax her furrowed brow, but with warmer weather, the session was a success. She still wanted plenty of mama and daddy snuggle time and I was happy to photograph that. We also did a Cake Smash to celebrate Lauralyn's 1st birthday. HILARIOUS. It's a miracle I was able to hold still enough to take any photos - I find cake smashes so funny.

Thank you to Joy, Miles and Lauralyn for being flexible and rolling with the punches. I hope you enjoy the images! xx, Laura

Our Turn

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today, Matt and I are having our photos taken.

We're not using the self-timer on my camera, we're not digging out my tripod, and we aren't having my parents snap our photo.

We are having professional photos taken of the two of us. It's our turn to be on the other end of the camera.

Today, I made a trip to Target to try to find something to wear. The anxiety that my clients feel when choosing an outfit for their photos - I felt it today. The worry about hair and makeup, and those pimples that haven't faded yet - that's me this time.

I am so excited to experience a photo shoot as the subject. I can't wait to have new photos of Matt and I. I'll be sure to update after the session.

Chris + Jaime - Breezy Point - Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography

2011-09-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Chris asked Jaime to marry him on 1/11/11, on the top of the Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas style. Of course, she said yes and that brought them to September 3rd at Breezy Point Resort.

Chris's anxiousness to see his bride for the first time was written all over his face as he waited as patiently as possible for Jaime to arrive. Once she did, it was nothing but big smiles, laughter and a few tears from there on out.

On a beautiful, breezy September day, Jaime and Chris promised each other forever with beautiful vows and a heartfelt outdoor ceremony at the Antler's Pavilion. Surrounded by the friends and family that they love and cherish most, they celebrated with a day they will never forget.

Jaime and Chris, words cannot express how honored I am to have been chosen by you to photograph your wedding day. You were a joy to work with and your day was perfect. I hope these photos always remind you what your wedding day was like and of the joy in your eyes as you became husband and wife. xx, Laura

Sunshine and Rain

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

The other day, we had some really bizarre weather in town. It went from being totally blue skies and super windy to a sunny with rain in a matter of minutes. The skies one direction were totally clear and the other was dark as heck. In the middle, it was raining and there was the most glorious double rainbow. I pulled over and snapped a couple of photos.
I was struck by the fact that it was raining and dark one way and yet sunny the other. The rainbows were like hope in a dark moment. It reminded me that even in dark times, there is hope, and the sun will shine again.

The McCauley Family - Stillwater, MN Child and Family Photography

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

The McCauley family met me in Stillwater, MN when I was down there for Matt's half ironman race a few weeks ago. They are from a suburb of the Twin Cities and love Stillwater so much, they thought it'd be a great place to take photos of their family. They were right! I adored Stillwater, and could have photographed there the entire weekend. One hour was simply not enough!

Thank you for meeting up with me and spending the afternoon with me, McCauley's! Enjoy!

The Blahna Family - Crosslake, MN Child and Family Photography

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

This summer, I've done a lot of family sessions up at people's cabins or lake homes. It is fun for me to explore different locations in the BLA [Brainerd Lakes Area] than I frequent on a normal basis, and I get to see more of the beautiful area I live in.

The Blahna family has a cabin in quaint and lovely Crosslake. They had me out to their home to photograph them all and we were given the most lovely golden sunlight. They wanted the session to include their new pontoon boat which is AMAZING!

A big thanks to the Blahna family for being such great sports! Enjoy!

Colin Turns 1 - Brainerd, MN Baby, Child and Family Photography

2011-09-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've said it a bunch of times - it's so fun for me to photograph families year after year. I get to watch the kids grow and change, and see how their personalities develop as time passes. This was my second time photographing Colin - I photographed his newborn photos last year. He was more interested in the grass and the stairs than me during the session, but what 1 year old isn't?! Enjoy!

The Best Example

2011-09-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Children follow in their parents footsteps sometimes.

Whether they intend to or not, parents set the stage for how their children act, what they value, who they are and become.

My sister and I have been blessed with the most amazing model of marriage to replicate.

Today is my parent's 32nd wedding anniversary. They consistently show my sister and I what unconditional love is, what partnership looks like, and what mutual respect can do for a relationship. They have set the bar high - showing us what a marriage can and should be like.

I feel so blessed to have witnessed their love and I know my sister feels the same way. We both hope to display the same love, respect and kindness in our marriages.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you both.

Marriage really is bliss.

Mike + Suzie - Breezy Point - Brainerd, MN Wedding Photography

2011-09-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

They met at a wedding.

Suzie and Mike's love story began when they met at a wedding and exchanged phone numbers. And as they say, the rest is history.

Several years later, it was their turn. Their turn to invite family and friends to a ceremony where they would become husband and wife. Forever. To become one - to become Mr. and Mrs. Olson. This time, it was their wedding.

On a Saturday in August, Suzie and Mike gathered with their family and friends at Breezy Point Resort in northern Minnesota. They decided that "up north" would be the perfect setting for their outdoor wedding, and guests came from all over the cities and beyond to celebrate with them. Suzie looked gorgeous in her elegant up-do and sleek dress [with pockets!]. Mike anxiously awaited the First Look where he could see his bride for the first time.

Surrounded by family, friends, water and sunshine, Suzie and Mike promised forever to each other.

Suzie's grandma brought along some photos of herself in her early years - in formal dresses going to prom etc. It was so neat watching the storytelling.Suzie and Mike LOVE to fish. Their decor incorporated their love of fishing, 'up north' and Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. These cupcakes were topped with ... swedish fish!