Warm, Inviting, Perfect.

The Living and Music Room of this year’s 2012 ASID Showcase Home is all of the above. This Space, designed in cooperation by Kimberly Herrick of Herrick Design Group, Keri Olson of KOR Interior Design and Codie Donahue of Codie Donahue Interior Design, is beautiful.

I have asked, Codie, Keri and Kimberly to take a few minutes and share with you some of the details and inspiration that brought this great room to life. Tonight is the Kickoff Gala for Showcase Home Tour. Cannot make it to this event? There are plenty of opportunities to stop out and tour the home and I am sure one of these talented Interior Designers would be happy to assist you. Call or email them today using the information and links above.

Not really a pet photographer…

Here is a great example of why an overcast day beats the pants off of a full Sun, high in the sky, day.

So here is the family pal, Murphy. This photo was taken at 1:00, or there about, in what would have been full sun. More or less in the direction he is looking.

Murph is full of color, and although in need of a good brushing, his coat shows really well in the cloud diffused sunlight. Also take not of the vibrancy of greenery showing from behind the spindles. Very rich. I shot this 1/250s, f/7.1, ISO 400. White balance? Cloudy. Post process? Mild contrast adjustments – as always – and a very slight vignette to bring more attention to his face. Also cleaned a couple of twigs off his forehead and cropped it so it would fit nicely on my blog. I think this could have been a little longer of an exposure. Maybe. Naw, that’s what he looks like and the green is spot on.

The point. Cloudy days are your friend. Shoot like a fool at noon with the sun behind your back. No worries, your shadow will not be in the pic!

Have shooting!

Needles!

So I decided I would start running. Not like Forrest Gump. More like, geez I get sedentary in the winter and I need to do something about it. Always thought running would be something I would enjoy. I was right, save for the odd “pain” in my right knee. Nothing that would make me stop what I have started, but certainly something that needed to be addressed and fixed before it became a real issue.

New shoes are the obvious place to start. Having someone that knows how to run watch you run, observe what you may be doing right and wrong and advise you on what could be done better, is also very helpful. Lots of great reading out there. But why not try something new? See what happens. This is where Dr Li Wang comes in.

Dr Li is the owner of AlterMed Acupuncture in Bloomington Minnesota. Look at that smile. There’s a trustworthy Business Portrait if ever I saw one.

I have known Dr Li for years now. Always wanted to give acupuncture a shot. Never felt I had the reason to conquer the fear of having needles stuck in me for healing.

First off, she has the greatest personality. Funny and caring as well as very able to tell you what you are doing wrong. Case in point; she looked at my tongue and could tell that although I had eaten carrots in the last day or so (I had a small bag of baby carrots the day before) I had not been eating green vegetables. What?! How on earth? Very accurate and kind of spooky. Hmm. Broccoli for dinner… tonight.

So we moved on to the fun part. Lay back, relax and… 7 or so needles. No pain, at all. Few in knee, one in foot and one in the ear. Couple of warming lights to heat things up a bit, lights dimmed and nap time. I did try to sneak a couple of shots while immobile. Sorry for the poor focus. Dr Li insisted that I do not move, so I was quite literally shooting from the hip. Dr Li fired off a couple too. Anyway, focus aside, you can get the drift as to what was going on with my knee.

It felt ridiculously good! I am not one to question why or how. Never really understood the need to pick apart something obvious. It was obvious that my knee felt, or perhaps more accurately, didn’t feel weird. For years it had just felt sort of off. Not painful, not stiff, just off. When I ran, not so good. We chatted for a moment and off I went. The following day would be the true test – running day.

Laced up the shoes and drove to the park where I like to run. As I walked for 5 minutes to warm up I started to really doubt that the treatment could have really resolved what issue was going on in my knee. I stretched and started to run.

Just starting this running thing so I am still working up to a continuous length of time. First five minutes at a good pace and knee = nothing. Walked for a bit. 5 more minutes of running and knee = nothing. “No way,” I thought. I continued this for a good half an hour or more. End of it, only the slightest hint of irritation. Nothing even remotely close to what I had felt before. AWESOME!

Never be a skeptic. Dr Li has said many times acupuncture works – she has also said come see me and I will stick it to you – both are accurate. The first of those is an amazing experience I suggest trying and the latter is perfect example of her great sense of humor.

Thanks Dr Li!

Now Presenting… You

I am often asked what makes a great Business Portrait, well, great. Is it wardrobe? Setting? Location or Studio? All of the above?

My answer? All of the above and then some.

The Business Portrait shoot above covers many looks. Power. Humor. Art. Casual and Professional. This gentleman needed portraits for a wide range of audiences as well as social media sites. He wanted to present his Business side as will as his Artistic side. All the while maintaining a professional look that could be allow the images to be easily interchanges as he sees fit.

Looking for your first Business Portrait? Wanting to update and existing Business Portrait? Give me a shout or fill send me an email. I would be happy to discuss your needs and wants for your Business Portrait.

There are pictures, there are words and then there are both: The Editorial

How often do you find yourself sharing the story of your business? Have you ever written this story down? Perhaps shared it on a blog or during a corporate presentation?

Business Portraits in Minneapolis are a must have for any professional. I have written about this ad nauseam throughout this blog. I will not make you look for these posts and instead throw you a quick recap: You have to have a business portrait.

Today, more than ever, our business portrait gets seen. LinkedIn, Facebook, your Blog and countless other areas display your portrait without prejudice. If you do not take care in what you post as your portrait, it may leave the wrong, lasting impression.

So let’s assume you have made the leap to get a great business portrait online. You have also realized that a great way to increase your online presence, perhaps even become an authority figure in your given field, is to write articles. Maybe you have a weekly blog or monthly email you send to your clients. Whatever the case, you can grab a little more attention by adding some editorial photos to your writing.

The Business Portraits above are perfect examples. These convey a message and would easily support a story relating to both professions. When you look at them, what comes to mind? You can almost write a story based on what you see. A good editorial will tie in the pictures and could easily lead to a call to action. Add some really good keywords and tags to the photos, perhaps within the text of your blog post, and you are off and running. (Little SEO 101 for ya.)

Interested in learning more about Business Portraits or Editorial Business Portraits? Shoot me an email or connect with me here. My mini Minneapolis Business Portrait Session is around $100. Editorial Business Sessions start at the same.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you found this info helpful.

Check out my latest video offering for Minneapolis, MN based cleaning company, Commercial Steam Team. Spots like these take the business portrait to a whole new level. Not only can a client come into the studio for an updated Business Portrait, we can now script out a series of videos and convey virtually any message. YouTube it and raise brand awareness. Awesome.

Thanks for watching.

Learn more about Commercial Steam Team.

Where was the location again?!

I have heard, several times, that wedding photographers do not habitually preview the wedding venue(s) with the couple to be. This really surprises me, for several reasons. Here are some of my top personal reasons for finding this process a must.

1. Calming Effect. Nothing removes the jitters for the Bride to be better than letting her know you have a plan and are in control of her wedding photography.
2. Lighting. This should be every photogs primary concern in any situation. Touring the site is the only way to know what is to be expected. I often visit a site two or more times. I always take into consideration time of day, windows, ambient lighting and so forth. It is also a very good idea to find out if you can use your flash during the ceremony and where you are allowed to stand. These last can ones vary from wedding to wedding and venue to venue!
3. Know your options. It is important to look for option A,B and C. Weather could impact outdoor shots not only on the day of the wedding but prior to it as well. A fierce storm can easily disrupt a beautiful garden for weeks or even an entire season. I will look for options on premise and off just to make sure the couple get what they want. Knowing these locations well in advance will make it easier to shift in a pinch.
4. Stage equipment. 3 cameras and only one photographer? I have been in situations where I knew I would need to be moving fast and a lens change would be a time suck I could not afford. I place cameras where I want them, settings and lens ready to go. You can usually find a young child to guard them too… this wins many favors!
5. You have covered tons of variables and can relax yourself and enjoy the process. If you are not having fun, people will notice it. If you are not prepared, it can easily be reflected in the finished product and your bottom line.

Wedding Photography is wonderfully rewarding. Be prepared, enjoy yourself and have success! If you are interested in seeing one of my venue walk-through, follow this story.

So we all make mistakes. Keys locked in a car is a drag. Your keys locked in your car with you standing on the outside of your car is a superior drag.

If you are in the Minneapolis and St. Paul and surrrounding areas, I strongly suggest giving Pop-A-Lock a call. Crazy fast service. Great price point and really, really nice and professional people.

Of course being a business owner and picking up on what was an excellent business model, plus never missing the opportunity to take a portrait, I decided I would reach out to the owner. Grab a cup of Joe, snap a pic or two, see what I could learn from another business owner.

First thing was this guy knows coffee shops. (Read about that experince here.) Got to this place, Diamonds Coffee Shoppe in NE Minneapolis, a couple moments early. Killer atmosphere. Amazing coffee and yes I would love a second cup if anyone reading wants to meet for one. Second thing, customers first. I was happy to hear that I could snap a couple of pics, once I saw the nature with which he conducted his business, I felt really privelaged to steal some of his time. Mach Ten with his hair on fire. The several calls that interupted our dialog, which he always paused and apologized for having to take, proved not to be annoying, but admirable from a business perspective.

Notice the second cell phone? Crazy. I have a hard time with one!

Anyway, of all the things I have learned about his industry, no I cannot open locks now so do not call me, one of them really stuck. If you are a parent, if you own a car, if you have ever come close to, or feared, locking your car while juggling the milk, the breifcase and Happy Meal, only to realize your little one is patiently waiting all safe and secure in the car seat, put these people in your cell phone directory!!! (Or, they have an App… I do not have an app!) They will open your car door for free if your child, or pet, is locked inside! That is amazing.

Thanks for the time Mark! I wish Pop-A-Lock continued success. Definitely worth a Yelp! or Google review… think I will do that now.

I love a great cup of coffee. Add some ambiance and some delicious snacks, Trifecta.

I recently had the pleasure of grabbing all of the above in a great little place in NE Minneapolis, and I have pictures to show for it.

Diamonds Coffee Shoppe is must add to your destination bucket list. With simple delights,

and some great style.

I love the lack of pretentiousness… this was easy to miss… I should have looked for more hidden throughout the place.

And plenty of cool seating, candy dispensers and a Tee or two.

Stop reading my post and go grab a cup. Let me know when you are headed there, I will try to meet ya!

Maybe better put, understanding what you pay for.

In today’s technology-driven-everything-at-your-fingertips world of search engines and tools for comparison shopping, I think it is safe to say we are all Smart Shoppers. I will even go out on a limb and say it is hard to get duped into paying too much for something. When was the last time you fell for that deal that was too good to be true? Something for nothing? A price that makes no economic sense?

10 cent Hamburgers* All Day! (*Bun and condiments not included, but required for purchase.)

The burger joint down the street would fail miserably if it tried to sell you a burger for a dime and then charge you an additional 74¢ for the bun, ketchup, mustard, pickle and some onions. Now if they ran a promotion such as buy one get one free or something along that lines, all would be good and well received.

For some reason, and I do not understand why, many portrait studios are coy about their prices. I elect for the straightforward pricing. No hidden costs, period.

So what do you get when you hire my studio for your potraits? This could be a long list. I love my profession and am very dedicated to it. You will look amazing. I promise.

I am also a social geek. I like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and all that good stuff. So do you? Cool. Post your pics from the session and have some fun with them. I do not charge for web versions of your pics. I also do not limit how many you can use – I may suggest picking a certain number of favs, but the choice is yours.

I have a crazy powerful set of computers and so many software programs I cannot help but play with photos. Yes you will benefit from this. I include Black and White versions, sepia and whatever else seems to be trending. Fun.

I enjoy a good movie and like making them too. How about a video slide show of your pics set to some cool tunes. You got it.

I like prints. Sure flipping through a million images on the iPad is fun. But what about the walls? I price my prints aggressively. Why? So you print some of them and show them off.

Albums and specialty items such as brag books and gallery wraps are all the rage. Or at least they should be. I have this awesome little item, comes in a set of 3 and will set you back around 50 bucks, called an accordion mini. Slickest thing on the planet and makes a great gift. Check them out here. (Miller’s you rock!)

How about this web site? (Gotta throw some props to my web guru for all the fantastic help – Thanks Joshua!) Like I stated before, I am committed to making sure you look your best. Check out some of the post pages such as What to Wear, Hey Baby and All About the Bride. I am going to be a posting fool. Everything from fashion trends to makeup, yes I am giving out… tips. Well, maybe more like I am having people guest post. Where are my resources? How can you trust my tips? Read the posts and check out the credit lines.

So much more than just another pretty picture. Full service commitment to you.

Shoot me an email and let’s take some pics!