Anna’s Senior Portrait Session
Anna came in this week for the outdoor portion of her senior portraits and it was a HOT one! She was an amazing trooper though and her images are totally stunning! After much sweat and some heat exhaustion we got a ton of great images to work with!! Here is a sneak peek at her outdoor session!
Julie + Katy & Madi
Julie came in with her two beautiful daughters last week for a mini session. I have known Julie for about a year through the Twin Cities Wedding Professionals . She is on the board for the Twin Cities Wish Upon A Wedding , of which I am a volunteer as well! They are both amazing organizations and I have created some wonderful friendships as well as vendor partnerships!! Julie is a fantastic lady and I am so honored to have the pleasure of photographing her with her daughters!! Here is a sneak peek!
Brooke & Cora
These two little cuties came in for a mini session last week. Brooke is the big-sister and did a great job of holding baby Cora for the session. We got some absolutely beautiful photos, but for now here’s a little peek!
The Bolton Group
Last week I had the pleasure of photographing an event put on by Chuck Bolton, owner of The Bolton Group . Chuck is a C-Suite Coach, Author, and Speaker. Chuck assists leaders to master the proven behaviors and styles that drive hard results, reinvent how they create value and optimize their unique executive brands. He assists top teams to achieve extraordinary performance and win.
I had a wonderful time working with him and his very lovely and talented assistant, Meisha Johnson . If you have a chance to check out one of Chuck’s programs I highly recommend it! He is a smart guy and is really great at giving you valuable information to help you define your own brand! Here is a sneak peek of what we were working on!
Mohawk + Attitude = Ty
This session was so much fun!! Ty’s mom is one of my very regular, wonderful, and favoritest clients! (she brings me Margaritas when she comes in, so how much better does THAT get?!?) Anyhoo, they gave Ty a mohawk and wanted to get some fun images to document it!! He is such a little ham in front of the camera, totally makes my job a cake-walk!! We had a blast, and then I had some more enjoyment when I went home and drank my margaritas afterwards!! LOL. Here is a sneak peek of his ROCKSTAR MOHAWK session!!
Maggie’s Two Year Session
Little Miss Maggie came in last week for her two-year session . Two is called the Terrible Two’s for a reason, and this session proved no different!! It took us a solid 20 minutes or longer to get her to warm up enough to leave her daddy’s arms for 1 minute. I was about ready to reschedule the session, whe she gave me that window of 1 minute. That’s all I need ~ just one minute of laughing, giggling, and not running away from the camera and clinging to dad’s leg!! One minute is all I need to crank out a ton of great images!! and we sure got our one minute! we actually got two one-minute windows and it was fantastic!! She is an absolutely gorgeous little girl, and I knew that once we found that window of opportunity, the photos would be amazing, and that they ARE! Here is a sneak peek for you!!
Sydney’s Senior Photos | Shakopee High School
Sydney came in earlier this week for her senior photos and we had a BLAST! She was SO organized with her outfits, it made my job a piece of cake! She was absolutely wonderful to work with, and being a dancer since she was 5 she totally knew how to work-it in front of the camera! We had a gorgeous day for outdoor photos (right before the extreme heat and severe weather we’re supposed to get for the next week and a half!). Her images turned out amazing and I can’t wait for her to see all of them! For now, here is a sneak peek!!
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Tom & Liz
I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Tom and Liz’s engagement session this past week at Gooseberry Falls. If you’re not from MN and don’t realize that our state government has shut down, then you won’t appreciate the efforts we went thru to get to the State Park (that is SHUT DOWN) to take these amazing photos!!
I learned a few things during this shoot: 1. flip-flops are NOT appropriate foot attire to wear when tackling wet rocks near a waterfall and a large cliff 2. Evergreen trees like to attach to my hair like velcro 3. Clients like when you wear pink and black polka dot underwear (I won’t elaborate on that one, don’t worry) 4. I am a ROCKSTAR 5. I seriously have the BEST clients, and love that we have totally turned into friends in so many ways!! 6. I will travel almost anywhere to get amazing images for my clients!!!
I can not wait for their weding in September, although we are keeping our fingers crossed that the state parks will be open by then, as their wedding is at Split Rock State Park………. Positive thinking::::::
Here is a sneak peek! I hope you all love them as much as I do!!!
Love On Trial Part Nine ~ An Epilogue
Many of you tuned-in to my blog last week as I covered the trial of Rev. Amy DeLong, who is my sister’s partner. (if this is the first piece you have read, please be sure to start at Part One and read all the way through!) I have been reflecting on this past week a lot, and feel very moved to become a bigger advocate for the LGBTQ Community. The crowd of supporters that gathered for the trial, waiting tirelessly all day each day in the cold drizzle inspired me so much!! It was truly amazing to see the love and support that they were giving Val and Amy during this trial. I want to be able to offer this type of love and suppport to the community by doing what I do best: photography and words.
I have been invited to display my art from the Trial during Madison Gay Pride at Tina’s church. This has really gotten my mind spinning in so many directions as to what I can do to really make a visual statement about Love On Trial. One idea that has really stuck in my mind and feels like the “project” I need to do, no scratch that, I feel called to do!!! I am going to begin researching funding to create a documentary book highlighting LGBTQ relationships. Almost every gay couple I have met has been together way longer than most straight couples I know. They have more love and passion in their relationships. They have an amazing STORY of struggles, guilt, shame, triumphs, and LOVE! I want to show the world that gay couple’s deserve to be married if they choose, that they deserve every single right that straight people do. There should be ZERO tolerance for discrimination against gays. They are such a LOVING community, and it makes me so very sad to hear some of the stories of hate that they have had to endure! I want to travel across the US and meet these amazing couples and help share their story with the world. This is going to be a HUGE movement and I am so excited to be a part of it!!
I would love to hear YOUR story, please email me if you or you know someone with a beautiful story: flamingoamyjo@gmail and also if you know someone who would like to be a financial supporter in this project! (extra credit if you can hook me up with a publisher!) Help me spread the word about Love On Trial and the beauty that exists amongst the LGBTQ community!!! Are you willing to share this journey with me?? I can’t wait to show you!!
Love On Trial Part Eight
Over the course of this week I am going to be blogging about something very personal and near to my heart: The trial of my sister’s life partner who is a lesbian pastor in the Methodist Church. I am going to open myself up and dish out my heart to my readers in an effort of raising awareness about what is happening in our country, especially in light of the gay marriage ban that the Minnesota Senate is currently trying to pass on our upcoming election ballots.
Rev. Amy Delong is on trial with the Methodist Church for being an openly-gay pastor in a committed relationship; and also for officiating the marriage of other gay couples. My sister, Val, and her partner, Amy, reside in Wisconsin and have been legally granted Domestic Partnership since November 2009 when it first became legalized in the state. For more information on Amy and her trial visit www.loveontrial.org and also become a fan on facebook.
Please check back frequently for photos and updates as the trial progresses, and remember to read previous posts as well!
Part Eight
First of all I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog and sending me messages of support, love, and encouragement. It has meant the world to me to know that my sister and Amy are so supported!!
After a VERY loooooong afternoon yesterday waiting for the jury to deliberate (almost 7 hours!), they finally reached a verdict at 5p.m. They voted for Amy to have a 20 day suspension, and she must also write an article (basically of reflection ~ and if you don’t know Amy this is going to be an AMAZING thing! I believe it kinda backfired on the prosecution LOL). This was an AMAZING verdict!!! It is a HUGE victory for the United Methodist Church!!! Amy is essentially the first pastor to go on trial for performing a same-sex union and not be defrocked or be issued a severe penalty. It is clearly a sign of the times that the world is changing, and the church needs to keep up! The jury consisted of 13 Methodist pastors from throughout the state of Wisconsin, and they voted 9-4 for this particular penalty! It is a GREAT victory!!
After the verdict was read, the entire courtroom moved into a circle, everyone holding hands, and started singing. I was honored to be holding onto Carolyn’s hand (one of the lesbians that Amy performed the union for which caused her to be on trial). It was absolutely beautiful! Val and Amy were hugged and congratulated by everyone before being whisked away to the media room where they spoke to the press. I am so proud of my sister, she is the quiet one and Amy is the outspoken one who is used to dealing with the media, but Val answered their questions like a rockstar!! As did Carrie and Carolyn, who are by no means used to dealing with the press! They too had their lives put out on trial this past week, and they are seriously one of the most amazing couples I have ever met! I can absolutely see why Amy chose to perform their union ceremony!
Afterwards we all congregated at the park for a huge victory party!! Rev. Janet Wolf lead a great sermon along with lots of music and signing. I have to say that my sister has never really let me into this part of her life before (the LGBTQ community and the Church community) and I was overwhelmed by the amount of love and support that they have within their communities!! It was SOOOoooo amazing to see and witness! I personally have never felt so welcomed, loved, and accepted as I did this past week!! Everyone was approaching me to tell me what an amazing sister I am for being there for Val, and for taking such beautiful photos! I am blessed with a gift and am grateful to be able to share that in this way with my sister and the world! (I must also add that Amy’s brother, Andy was also a firm supporter throughout the week, always standing by Amy’s side!) I left Kaukauna last night after hugging almost every single one of the 100 people that were at the celebration!! I believe I have made some new friends, as well as created a closer relationship with my sister.
Thank you again for taking this journey with me! It is a GREAT VICTORY for Amy and the UMC, and I am proud to have been a witness to the week’s events! I wouldn’t have traded my time this week for anything!! I love you both dearly Val and Amy and am SO incredibly proud of you for the fight that you put out there in a very public way!!!
what does a room full of bored and weary Methodist’s do while waiting 7 hours for a verdict? Sing, of course!
(btw, I got in HUGE trouble for snapping these two shots!!! But it was worth it LOL)
Singing and Dancing in the courtroom!!
Amy taking in a breath of fresh air after waiting nearly 7 hours for the verdict to come in!!
Supporters waiting outside in the cold drizzle
Andy, Val, and Amy during the hymnal signing after the verdict was read! (yet another photo I got into trouble for taking!! Good thing I am the risk-taker in the family!)
Sue Laurie saying a few words about the meaning of the verdict!
Val and Amy in a touching moment!
Amy with Janet Wolf! LOVE!!!!
Val wiping away tears of joy!
Carrie and Carolyn were immediately confronted by the media!!
Scott Rice, Amy and Val talking to the media!
the media coverage was HUGE!
Amy and Val
Carrie and Carolyn talking to the media
Music at the park
Val and Amy arriving at the celebration
Amy changing the sign from “Love on Trial God is Weeping” to “God is SMILING”
no Amy is not a smurf, she was standing right in front of the projector LOL!
Mark saying a few words
Mark was part of the Defense Team that ROCKED
Scott Campbell, amy’s attorney did a kick-ass job!!!!!
Quiet Val saying a few words of thanks!
Oh the love!!!
Amy stating that Val is the love of her life!!!!
Rev. Janet Wolf leading sermon
what a GREAT DAY!. Thanks for joining me!
