Fairy Tale: Dustin & Tammy [09.01.2012]

*This is a wedding shot last summer by Natasha Brainard, I'm updating her portfolio as I did a terrible job blogging last year*

Natasha & Dillon told the Fairy Tale of Dustin & Tammy's wedding out at Tammy's parents house on a lake near Detroit Lakes. I just love the story told here... I wasn't there but I feel like I was with them the whole day! Dustin and Tammy were surrounded by such awesome people and you can tell they had a LOT of laughs. Here's a bit of the day for you to see!

Fairy Tale: Jeremiah & Kelsey [06.16.2012]

*This is a wedding shot last summer by Natasha Brainard, I'm updating her portfolio as I did a terrible job blogging last year*

Natasha & Dillon got to tell Jeremiah & Kelsey's story on June 16th in Detroit Lakes, MN. The group had a lot of fun and they were all so supportive of the bride and groom. It was such a beautiful day... Take a look! Here is a summary of the story.

Confessions of a Photographer: The NEED to Breathe

I am writing this post on Monday, because I won't be able to post Thursday... why? Because I'll be on VACATION!!! We are heading to the Bahamas. *squealing in excitement, jumping up and down, & clapping hands*

At Dunn River Falls in Jamaica in 2011.
Taken by our guide.

So many (including me when I first started) do not realize how much work goes into being a business owner and photographer. Shooting sessions is actually only a small part of what I do. Emails, editing, phone calls, editing, graphic design, more emailing, more phone calls, meetings, more editing, posting, and emailing. Please do not read this wrong, I love every bit of my work, but sometimes I have a hard time separating from it.

When you are a self-employed business owner you are literally able to work 24/7. With the access to email and social media on my phone it makes it even easier to do so. I am appreciative of this, because I am hardly ever at my physical office, and this is a way I don't have to be... but it can be difficult because of the EASE of access. I get an email and its rare I say to myself "I'll read it later." More often than not, I will check it immediately. I'm working on my boundaries, and believe me... I have gotten SO much better than I was at first. I'm still still a work in progress.

All this has been said to say this: Every year Joel and I go on a beginning of the year vacation so that we can completely separate ourselves from the regular day to day. We put our phones away, we set aside time for ourselves, and we just enjoy relaxing. Two years ago we went on a cruise, last year we went to California with family, this year it is a cruise again.

One of my favorites from when we were in California in 2012.
Photographed by Dillon

This timing is perfect. All of last year's sessions have been edited. All the holidays are over. All the hustle and bustle of finishing out the year is finished. Taxes don't need to be started yet. We have nothing scheduled. We can just breathe, sit back, and focus. 

I am so very excited about this trip. I am so excited to relax and be away from everything and have no responsibilities! I will definitely do a post with photos from the vacation. Until then, have a fantastic week and enjoy life!

Love, Jenny

California Love *01.18.2012*

As some of you know we are on a vacation with my family in California. (I've been blogging daily about our trip on my personal blog... if you want to view that {click here}) Today we went to the beach and I asked my brother, who shoots weddings with me sometimes, to photograph Joel and I. I am SO happy with the result! He did an amazing job and I just wanted to showcase his work here. I hope you like them as much as I do!