Getting to travel to London...has it's benefits. It meant I got to see an old friend and his lovely family! The background of Greenwich, England for family portraits is not too bad. :)
Valek Family Photography - Prior Lake, MN
I love Prior Lake, MN. It's my home. Any chance I get I love doing senior and family photography here! We picked the perfect summer night for our family photography session and I can honestly say I laughed the whole way through. I'm surprised my photos were in focus I was laughing so hard. :)
They are an amazing family.
Enjoy.
The Lilley Family Portraits - Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis, MN
Family Portraits can look any way you want them to. How do I like to do family portraits? - lots of different backgrounds
- keep the kids moving
- take lots of little breaks
- let everyone sit and walk
- use props to add a story
- tons of laughing
We did all of my favorite things for this family portrait session...and we got 3 generations together!
The Antonovich Family Portraits - Black and White Photography
I love Black and White Photography. For years I've stopped giving them to my client because they could change their images to black and white on their own and I didn't want to not give the color in case they wanted them. But, I'm turning a corner on this because...I love Black and White photography. It is an art all on it's own. Sigh. Here's what I mean.
The Vien Family Portraits
I need to look for another cool barn to take family portraits because I absolutely love this background! I could've done with out the down-pour of rain but...the pics turned out great! Thank you Vien Family for being troopers!
Breeggemann Family Portraits
Pouring rain never stopped me...and I'm so glad we would've missed out on these photos. I'm so thankful,
for clients that trust me to capture their family portraits in ANY weather. Thank you!
The Armour Family Portraits
I love this family. And I didn't even mind standing in the rain to take their pics.
They are worth it!
Enjoy.
Vintage FOCUSED Photography Workshop - Part 1
Hosting the Vintage FOCUSED Photography Workshop was so much fun! These pictures make me smile.
Serial Casting for toe walking
Our story:My son Leyton has been a "toe walker" from the day he started walking. At first it was really cute, but as the years past I made a point to ask the doctor about it. Every year they would ask if it was all the time and I would say 99% of the time and they would say, "as long as he can stand on his heals he is fine." But he's not fine. Walking on his toes makes him fall more, makes his feet really hard and muscular, makes his toes stretch out, makes his muscles tight, it's causing him to lose flexibility/mobility...and it can lead to ankle, knee, hip and back problems in his adult life.
So, we're doing something about it.
Today we went to Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN to start a 8-12 week process of Serial Casting for toe walking.
What is toe walking? Toe walking is a diagnosis in which a person walks with bilateral toe-to-toe walking pattern. There may be a medical cause or it may be idiopathic in nature. (my definition: he looks like he is walking on his tippy toes all the time)
How does Children’s treat patients who toe walk?
- We offer serial casting, orthotic intervention, and physical therapy treatment for treatment of toe walking.
- Serial casting has been proven to be an effective intervention for toe walkers in treatment of tight heel cords to increase the range of motion and to also weaken the heel cord muscle to allow us to re-train the child’s walking pattern.
- Children’s and Orthotic Care Services have designed a new type of solid ankle foot orthotic that mimics serial casts for treatment of toe walking.
- The orthotic brace is a two-pull carbon fiber solid ankle foot orthotic. The carbon fiber on the outer shell decreases the amount of multi-planar ankle motion that is available which mimics the effects of serial casting through increasing range of motion through the heel cords as well as weakening the heel cords but allows the child more flexibility in that they can take off the brace to shower or participate in certain activities.
- After serial casting or carbon fiber bracing intervention has been completed, children are then placed in a two-pull plastic ankle foot orthotic to re-train their gait pattern to allow for a consistent heel-toe walking pattern.
Is this how I want him to spend his summer? No, I don't, these casts can't get wet. But, he has a great attitude about it so I will too. I'm going to invest in heavy duty plastic bags and double sided medical tape so that he won't miss out on anything! And we're going to figure out fun new things to do in St. Paul...since we'll be driving there every week to change the old cast for a new one. I'm thankful to live in a country that provides such incredible care for my sweet son.
How do I feel? I have a lot of emotions, but I'm trying to keep perspective. The mommy heart in me hurts for my son.
Sad that he has to struggle, but happy that it won't be his whole life.
Bummed that my son needs to be in casts for 8-12 weeks, thankful that we have the medical coverage that provides it.
Grieved that I can't stop this pain, grateful I have the privilege of walking with him through it.
During our appointment she asked a great question. "Why does he toe walk?" (I'm all about figuring out root causes for things so this conversation was really helpful.) They have done studies linking sensory issues, genetic tightness of that muscle, and other neurological reasons. Leyton is an extreme happy-go-lucky child...it was interesting to separate what I always thought was his personality and what may be toe walking related. We will learn as we go. He is worth it!
I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone through this process...please comment.
Top 10 tips for Family Photography
I get asked all the time for my Top 10 tips for Family Photography, so I thought I'd share them! Please feel free to share the link with everyone wanting tips for their own family photography session…we could use a little help when trying to capture our families.
1. Hire a professional photographer who knows what they are doing. You don't want to go through the hassle of getting ready, setting aside the time and paying for the session and not have the pictures turn out.
2. Dress the part. If you want to look like a JCrew magazine cover then shop there for the shoot…or better yet, grab ideas JCrew (or Pinterest) ideas and bargain shop at a bunch of different stores.
3. Be creative when choosing your location. It's fun to try something new or just ask your photographer for their fav. location?
4. Bring props. If you're kids are into specific toys, dolls, games, books…why not capture the stage they are at. (It will give them breaks from looking at the camera and smiling.) And the photographer will get to capture you being you and your kids being kids.
5. Be unique. Create a unique experience around the shoot. Make it more documentary by going to the zoo, library, fair etc.
6. Ask for direction. Let your photographer direct your kids and the shoot. I always tell them, "this isn't how I parent, but during a shoot I let the kids lead and it's okay"
7. Bring what you love. Kids love: balloons, bubbles, lollypops, water guns/water balloons etc. Adults love: their fav coffee, ice cream, picnic, wine…build the shoot around that.
8. Keep them moving. Movement is key when keeping kids involved and attentive. Even walking from one tree to another tree helps…but walking short distances to change backgrounds is ideal.
9. Take before and after moments. As a photographer I am ready to take photos at all times. Some of the best moments are before the shoot is ready or right after it's been captured. Keep shooting.
10. Have fun. It is actually possible to have at your family photo-shoot. Go into expecting to laugh, cuddle, get kisses and be yourself…all the while smiling for the camera.
Hope this is helpful. I like being helpful.
DIY Leather craft for the home
DIY Leather craft for the home…yes, I'll admit, this is new for me! But, I can not tell you how much I'm loving reinventing my home by repurposing with "stuff" I already have, but never use. It's amazing. And so fun. And I'm doing it with my kids! As you can see we got a little distraction and Clara went crazy with posing. :) Gotta role with it when you're kids want to pose right? So, my plan was to hang some photos on these clean canvases. But, before I do, I wanted your input. Any creative suggestions for how to use these canvases?
I'm linking up with some blogger friends doing the same DIY but in our own way! Go check out their sites and see what they came up with. Brooklyn Berry Designs, Little Light Design Collective, Dugans in Cahoots, Wild Ruffle
Plus, There are 5 sites doing the leather DIYs, so we will have one rafflecopter giveaway, with 5 $50 winners…so if you want to be a winner I'd check out the Rafflecopter and the other sites from Monday to Friday.
A special thanks to the Leatherhidestore for including NoemiPhotography in this giveaway!
Girls Day Out! Malt Shop Family Photography - Chaska, MN
Every once in awhile I get to do a custom shoot with a client who's is up for anything…and I love it! Family Photography comes in all different packages. This one includes a Malt Shop in the sweet little town of Chaska, MN Girls day out…is so fun! And capturing the amazing relationship of a loving mom and her sweet girls is such an honor! I'm hoping for a few more trips to ice creme shops with family photography this summer. Next time I'll have to eat my own :)
DIY - Chalk Paint Project
Chalk Paint Projects have been really fun at my house lately! So easy and really fun for me and the kids! We took an old wood plaque and some winnie the pooh canvases that were a gift for one of the kids… and I let the kids paint it with primer and chalk pain. It took a couple of layers of chalk paint, but I'd loved how it turned out. Then, I got some chalk markers and wrote out the words. (The kids wanted to help, but I didn't let them)
The finished project is a quote that's been in my heart the last couple of months.
Trusting is so hard.
Trusting with all your heart is even harder.
I want to be a trusting person that trusts in love and truth.
So, I chose to trust in the Lord…with all my heart.
Spring Photography Ideas...
The weather has been amazing and so you know what that means? The snow is melting and with the warmer weather bring new Spring photography ideas. Minnesotans come out of hibernation - instead of seeing your neighbors cars vanish inside their garages you start to see them outside pruning, fixing planting and playing with their kids! It's a great time to pull out your camera…blow off the dust if necessary :) 1. Spend hours outside playing with your kids and take pictures of them doing what they love! Just move the playing close to a window or sliding door and use the window light...you'll get great shots!
2. Go to a park you've never taken your kids too and capture their faces as they explore new equipment!
3. Another great idea is to clear your cards, charge your battery, pack a picnic lunch and take the kids to the Minnesota Zoo for the farm babies (open from April 1 until April 30th!)
4. If you are in the Minneapolis area…take your kids to a different library! we have so many good ones and it you're like me we usually go to the same one EVERY TIME. Boring. So we ventured out to Shakopee last week and loved their library! Click for the link of events for kids and adults.
5. Take pictures of new life. Anything you see that's green and coming…capture it from all different angles.
Do you have more ideas? leave a comment with the info and everyone will see it!
www.noemiphotography.com
DIY Photography in the winter
If you're like me, you're spending a lot of time inside because this Minnesota winter has pushed the limit. I heard we're really close to breaking the record for the coldest winter on the books. At this point, why not go for the record? At least then we get some credit! Enough about the weather…and back to the post. DIY Photography in the winter is not as hard as one may think. For this DIY, I'm walking you through bath time and a simple family photography session.
Step One - Find the biggest window in the house and clear an area. Then make your subject comfortable…and start shooting. i suggest shooting at a low aperture 2.8 - 4.0, shutter speed as low as you can go with the lens you have. I try not to shoot below 1/70 if I'm hand holding to avoid shake. My ISO will start at 400 and I'll bump it up if necessary.
Looking out the window.
Step Two - Move to a different room with similar light and keep shooting. Put yourself between the window and your subject.
Then switch so that you are shooting into the window light and capturing the silhouette. (I love the softness of these shots)
Step Three - Keep capturing moments happening close to the window. Anything goes.
Step Four - Family Photo - have the family face window light.
Road trip, heart break, and making family memories.
I'm not a stranger to grief. We've meet before and my heart remembers.
We're not friends, but know each other well.
Grief is messy. Unpredictable. Breathtaking.
Grief is different every day and for every person.
While in Canada I was visiting a family living with grief and I wanted to "do" something, so we took some time to take family photos on Sunday. Something to freeze time. And to laugh because we still have each other.
Top spots for family photography in the winter - Minneapolis, MN
There's nothing like a good top 5 right? I want to share some of my favorite spots around the cities to capture stunning backgrounds while focusing on a family or friend or even pet! (why not?) 1. Look for a spot around your home. (specifically backyard or front yard) Close by is really important because you will send your kids out to play and they will be adorable and you'll want pictures in a great location. Look for that perfect spot before you need it.
2. One of my new favorite photography locations is "The Landing" in Shakopee, MN. I loved this location so much I did my last Mini Session family photography there this fall. It has a town made up of tons of historic building from the area. The Parks people moved the buildings there so we could enjoy them and they give tours explaining what it was like to live in that era. LOVED IT!
3. The Walker Art Center I've used this location many times in the winter because of it's floor to ceiling windows. But, so have tons of other photographers…so they have more strict rules about photographers shooting now. I'm ok with rules. The last time I was there I had to sign in, get a sticker to show that I had signed in, and they gave me 30 min to shoot and the family has to be 4 or less. Still a great spot for capturing your own kids in awesome light!
4. Look for spots along the path you usually drive. Sound boring? I do this all the time. Any spot that takes my breath away with beauty I make a mental note to return around that time soon. These spots are easy to spot on your normal drive. See how the snow falls and time it perfectly. OR wait until the snow is falling and go!
5. Plan a family event outdoors so that you can get unique family photos…bring a professional photographer with you to capture it! Hmmmm, is this outside your box? Let me explain. How about you check the weather and look for a stretch of days that will be above zero (that's been hard lately, but we still have 4-5 more months of winter so you're good!) then plan a last minute shoot…photographers are bored in the winter anyways! What would be cool to do? and of course, you'd have to ask permission first.
- Tubing or skiing at Buck Hill
- Sledding (no extra costs)
Just typing out these ideas gets me so excited! They would be amazing pictures. Of course, this isn't for a family with a new born but…if you're youngest is adventurous and the weather cooperates, we are golden!
more Tips for great pics!
For other Minnesota spots check out this post!
Wondering at what ages you "should" get pictures of your kids? From my humble opinion I talk all about it here!
DIY - Painting Project (on a budget)
so it's no surprise to any of us that it's freezing outside and that means we're spending tons of time inside…that's when the creative ideas start to flow! I love saving money and I can't wait to share my fun-finds with you in the DYI post!
I'm creative, but not when it comes to my house...I get really nervous about making big changes and spending money on stuff I may not like. But I have ideas and so I tried to do some of my painting projects on a extremely low budget! You can't really beat updating 2 rooms for $36…right?
And that's truly all I spent! A gallon of paint, a roll of blue tape and a brush! (we already had the roll stuff at home)
So, I've been posting my projects and getting a ton of questions about the paint and the "how to do it?" So, thus the blog post!
Here's my creative process!
Step 1 - Have a trusted creative friend (or two) walk through your house with you. If you're not sure who this is in your life ask anyone who's house you've been in and love. Chances are they would love to help you! Tell them everything you love and hate about the current decor…listen to them and their suggestions. (thank you Anna and AJ)
Step 2 - Set aside time to do it! (Pinterest is awesome, but pinning pretty pictures doesn't change my home - I WISH!). So, I packed up the kids and went to Home Depot. I got one gallon of Benjamin Moore - Bella Blue - did you know they can type in and color and mix for you right there? Love America! And how did I know I would love it you may ask? Well, I saw it in my friends house (thank you Shannon Lindsay!) and said, "Do you mind if I copy this color?" I'm a visual person and need to see it on a wall before I know if I like it. AND, as I already mentioned, I'm scared of making a mistake.
Step 3 - Prep your little heart out. I don't know about you but when's there paint sitting in my house I want to "get 'er done" but I took my time and tape every last inch! Then the actual painting was a piece of cake! Done in a day. It only took 2 coats to cover the old color.
Step 4 - (This is where it gets interesting.) Reuse your color! What do I mean? Well, my son's room has been destroyed by every transforming, lego created, monster truck smashing thing you can imagine…it needed healing. But, the Bella Blue didn't match so I went back to home depot and for free they added color until it was dark blue! I brought it home and started project #2!
(side note: you will need the proper repair stuff when attempting a boy's room!)
Step 5 - Repeat step 2 and 3!
Step 6 - add decorations to complete the look!
I love how painting changes the feel of a room and I did both projects in 3 days! I'm loving the finished DYI projects and had to admit I kinda want to keep going! What update do you want to attempt next?
The Gruber Family Portraits - Savage, MN
Take a walk with me down memory lane. My life was changed when a close friend got pregnant with sextuplets at the same time I started writing a blog. As a result I started shooting tons families of multiples. This is when I met the Gruber Family. Their sweet twins were so tiny the first time I captured them.
And then they grew...
Here they are today...
The Reed Family Portraits - Maternity Photography
Outdoor maternity photography in freezing weather? Why not? We can always defrost in the car afterward, right? Right. If clients are willing I will ALWAYS shoot outside. Nature is where I'm most inspired. God's creation is the most beautiful background :) And how about the little creation in her belly? Each one is a miracle and a blessing.
