This photoshoot with Rawhi Said was a bit of a dream come true moment for me. I’ve been a longtime fangirl of Pollen, a nonprofit media arts organization based in Minneapolis. When they reached out to see if I could photograph Rawhi for a Virginia McKnight Binger Unsung Hero awards profile, I was both excited and honored.
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Lamb Sacrifice at Spring Wind Farm
A perfect combination of factors made this photoshoot one of my favorites of the year. My husband is in a band with a Classics professor at Carleton College, Jake Morton. Jake studies ancient animal slaughter and sacrifice through a very experiential lens: he recreates the process and rituals and documents what he observes. Since animal sacrifice practices were a very communal event, he invited a circle of folks to join him at Spring Wind Farm, including professors in adjacent disciplines (hey, liberal arts!), his students, farmers, and friends.
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Welcome Suvi! A Rochester Newborn Session
o many of us have been anxiously, eagerly awaiting Suvi James’ arrival, and obviously none more so than her glowing parents. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the wondrous presence of a 2-week old baby. Suvi nearly made my heart stop with her perfection. She already has wise, searching eyes and a range of emotional expressions. Whether she yawned, wailed, or smiled, it was magic. All photo shoots have an element of sacredness for me, but knowing how brief Suvi will be this tiny and fresh to the world gave this bearing witness a special quality. I delighted in every moment of the shoot itself, as well as the editing.
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Emilee, Kevin, Boomer & Bambee
I’ve never taken so many photos during a family session before, but with two Corgis in the mix—and their two very cute parents—I couldn’t help myself. The leaves were turning and falling and creating the most gorgeous frames. The puppies, Boomer and Bambee, were running and sniffing and being beamed at by strangers. Kevin and Emilee we the absolute cutest and were wiling to cuddle in the weeds and smooch and walk their pups all evening. All in all, this was a very fun shoot and I had the hardest time culling through all the sweet photos we got.
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Rollenhagen Family at Kasota Prairie
I obviously love all my family sessions, but it’s extra special when I get to spend time with my immediate family for a photoshoot. My twin nieces and toddler nephew are at such a fun age, and so I’ll take any excuse to spend some time with them. We had a blast running around the prairie, playing with gopher dirt piles, and even squeezed out a few smiles!
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Kaden's Senior Session
Despite a very warm fall evening, Kaden hiked through all the woods, prairies, and shirt changes like a champ. I credit his willingness to smile through it all to a deep love for his two incredibly sweet grandmas who joined us as a cheering section, styling crew, and traveling wardrobe. This was a fun session to the end — one last trek down to the lake for those golden hour gems.
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Arb with Katie, Dustin & Lena
‘Tis the season for arb walks with those you love! This is one of my favorite families, and photographing them in one of my favorite places was the best way to kick off fall.
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Big Pine Lake
In the midst of yet another sweltering summer, we took my good friend Melissa up on a generous offer to gather at her family’s cabin on Big Pine Lake. We mostly ate and talked, but we did cruise around and comment on the increasingly large homes replacing the hand-built cabins of ancestors. It was a much-needed retreat.
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Sunrise with the Haans
There are not many folks I’d ask to meet me at 6:30 a.m. on a 90-degree Saturday morning. However, I know my friend Nichole is also a morning person, and so we met up at their lovely neck of the woods just west of Northfield for a family session. The morning light and a soft breeze graced our efforts. This was such a fun and sweet session, and I could not have asked for a more perfect location or photogenic family!
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Big Sur
First Post-Vaccinated Trip: Big Sur + LA!
Big Sur has been high on my list, and it turned out to be the perfect cradle for my force re-entry after getting vaccinated. Los Angeles was also a dream; it was great to take advantage of working from wherever while that’s still an option. Yeah, it was weird to be around people, but it was also so truly wonderful to be outside of my home and to wander the streets of a new city on my own.
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