Little Blue Blog

Santa is in Town!

2011-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

We have a Santa surprise for the little ones this week! We have a few more openings for Thursday and Friday afternoons! Call 369-5186 to get your own very first peek at Santa portrait! These are the moments you will treasure forever! And our packages start at only 50$ and include an 8x10 and (2) 5x7's!

2011-11-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

Fall is a busy time for me, it is also a time of year where new possibilities often arise, and you hold close to what is dear, and try to better yourself. May it be with school, your relationships, or your general health and outlook on life. If you look around at those you care about you will see them doing it as well. There is hope with upcoming holidays, and order with school back in session. I have been busy with transitions myself lately, and a lot of things feel like they are up in the air. It is scary for me, because as a mom and a business owner, there is this part of me that is a scheduling fanatic. If you go on vacation with me, you would see that I plan out a trip to the T and then schedule in "Free Time" to feed my creative care free side. I think it is important to find balance in our lives, and this is something I am working on. Life likes to throw us all curve balls, and some come out of nowhere, knock you off your feet - and can even amaze you, make you wonder how you were able to live before this! And then another swift pitch and it can change on you again. I pray that as your lives are changing and accepting what life is pitching at you, you will hold close to the people that mean the world to you, and accept the amazing things. Open up your heart to let the sun shine in, and recognize what is good when you find it! Lots of Love! - Jessica

Un- Bridal ..... Its not about "trashing the dress!"

2011-10-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

So I have started shooting un-bridaled sessions, and I cant help but say- I AM IN LOVE! IF you read the blog you will notice that Megan + Glen are my first couple on here. They are AWESOME! of course I think I get the most awesome clients ever anyway..... but I just had the best time with these guys today, and so I ran back to the studio and EDITED! :) haha. The great thing about megan + Glen are that they are full the energy and guts it takes to be one of my favorite bride and grooms! We had this image in our heads.... and we all said- Why Not?!?!? Megan went first- climbing the 20+ foot ladder, and then Glen followed wrapping himself into her.... I stood 10+ feet off the ground to shoot this hanging onto some beam with my foot, and the two of them were amazing enough to pull off this amazingly romantic and sexy image!

New Direction

2011-10-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

As I shoot more and more, I have come to find I have such little time in my day, and so many wonderful clients that I want to do a good job for and serve well, but with such limited time, I need to decide what direction I want to focus my energy on. A good friend of mine has been encouraging me to specialize in weddings for some time... It really is where my heart lies. I love the romance and promise of love and all that new couples bring with them as they are excited to start their lives together. So I guess this is where I kind of announce that I am moving my photography in that direction! I will still do studio session, but in a limited quantity. I want to focus my energy on what I am best at, so weddings, couples and newborns will be my main things. I still love to shoot seniors, and kids ..etc. But I will be putting my focus on the bride and grooms. :) I hope you can be as excited as I am about this! I have some great new sessions available for couples and if you watch the blog you will see what all I am up to and what kind ways I am pushing the limits with my clients!

Alicia + Kurt!

2011-09-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peek- Alicia + Kurt!

What I love about Alicia + Kurt is their total infatuation with one another. If you are a romantic like me then take a moment to think about that kind of love that is addictive... that you just could never get enough of. Pure and strong, and TRUE. That is Alicia + Kurt. Their wedding day was filled with downpours, and so our shooting schedule was a bit off, and yet Alicia was smiling ear to ear, and at the end of the day, she said "It just could not have been MORE PERFECT!" I just laughed, happy and relieved and soooo happy for them. Their wedding day was about being together, about getting to say I DO to that person they craved to be with the rest of their lives.... Such a BEAUTIFUL COUPLE. I wish this kind of love on every happy couple about to walk down that isle. For ever couple that holds hands in the park, and for every couple that wakes up smiling at one another every morning. A beautiful, pure uncomplicated love for one another. Just like Alicia + Kurt! :)

Simply- BEAUTIFUL!

2011-08-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the chance to visit Galena IL, to photograph my cousin's AMAZING wedding! Im still snacking on the swedish fish from our goody bag she gave all of us! :) (She knows the way to my heart!) Anyway, I wish you could all meet Sam + Beth- they are so fantastic together! What a beautiful relationship they have, Both funny in their own ways, and super sweet and in love with one another for who they actually are- without trying to change or alter who the other is in any way. I love shooting couples that have gotten to know themselves before they have found one another, because they seem to have much more realistic expectations towards one another. The vows at a wedding are nice, but I always love to hear the grooms speech. It is like a man's version of vows, a chance to not be so nervous, and speak from the heart without pause. When sam told Beth that he loved her for her beauty, because she had it inside and out, I totally teared up. And when he told her father that he would care for her, I lost it once again. I am becoming a total love addict this summer as I attend the most beautiful weddings! Laughter, tears, and celebration. What a beautiful experience!

Friends, Family... the entire town!

2011-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

So I had a fantastic time on Saturday Photographing this beautiful couple, Amber + Andy, and was floored by the biggest guest showing that Wedgewood Cove and I have ever seen, to offer their well wishes and support. They were so loved by the community, they were putting up tables in the entry way! Amber + Andy are a perfect fit for one another, reading each other in such a sweet way, and both just ready to enjoy their day to the fullest! I wish them both the best in their lives together and am so honored that I was able to capture their beautiful wedding day!

15% off 2012 weddings - SALE EXTENDED UNTIL AUGUST 15th!

2011-07-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

OK! So it has been a crazy busy summer, with the heat and new awesome employees, and my AMAZING clients! So I have been having a hard time finding enough time to meet with everyone that wants to get in on our AMAZING 15% off sale we are having on weddings in July! If you are just reading this, here is the scoop. My family is awesome enough to give up every weekend with me just about in the summers, but they would really like to see me at some point, so since I was married in July and on the 15th, I decided to help know my schedule well in advance I would hold a bit of a special of 15% off wedding packages in the month of July! With our awesome payment plans, great albums, and all the hard work we put into our weddings here at Little Blue, we have found that we just ran out of July! So don't fret! If you are wanting to check us out for your 2012 wedding, or have a friend that is getting married in 2012 and has yet to chose a photographer, then PLEASE CALL! We are happy to meet with you, and we are very flexible with our packages, so get a great deal, at a great price for great wedding portraits!!

If you read my blog, you know that weddings are my favorite thing to photograph, it is a rush like no other, and the shots we are getting are just blowing our bride and grooms away. We have trained hard to shoot fast get it right IN THE CAMERA! Your skin tone will look like it is supposed to, and I wont try and "fix" everything in post production. I shoot wedding portraits to withstand the test of time, with a mix of traditional and breathtaking portraiture. Call the studio at 507-369-5186 or email us at littlebluestudio@me.com

The language of Love... Wedding Portraiture.

2011-07-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Diego and I became friends our Senior Year in HS. He was an exchange student from Chili, and one of the happiest people I have ever met! Hugs and kisses are a part of his culture, so when posed with the language barrier the day of his wedding between his parents and sister and I, I knew there would be no problems, as this family showed and expressed their love for one another in such a vibrant way, it was a photographers dream come true! I was honored to be asked to shoot their wedding, since they had decided to not worry about portraits on their wedding day. They said they saw me work at another friends wedding this past year, and it totally changed their minds about wedding photography. They knew they could be themselves, have a good time, and have portraits that described their love for one another without having to worry about a language barrier. I had the best time with Diego's mom that day. She and I could not talk, but no matter. I could show her the back of my camera, and we were able to communicate through the powerful language of photography. When you take a picture, you are really telling the world the way you see things. The way they look to you. When I work with my couples I work hard to get an accurate view of their relationship, so the day of their wedding, the story I get to tell, is their story. Their love. And their happiness with one another. I may have rusty spanish, but no matter. I know and Diego's Family all the way in Chili, know that the love they share, is genuine, sweet and perfect by taking a look through their wedding day portraits.

Getting to know my couples... the best part!

2011-07-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

I think e- sessions are a fantastic time to connect with my couples, it gives me time to see how they react to the camera, and it gives them a chance to become comfortable with me, and prepare them for their wedding day. This past weekend I had the chance to photograph Danielle and Andrew. They were a lot of fun and were very brave! If you have done and e- session with me you know that I am up for pretty much anything. There is no danger that really freaks me out to much, since after all, the grass is greener off the beaten path! (no really, it is!) With temps in the 90's and bugs trying to eat us all alive, these 2 kept their romance alive! They were sweet to one another the entire time, and they laughed at all the little mishaps along the way. They are such a laid back pair that I know any wedding day jitters with be few and far between, as it is clear these 2 know how to roll with things, and just enjoy the moment!

L-O-V-E

2011-06-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this lovely couple on Friday, Katie & Justin, and I can't even begin to tell you how many times I almost started to cry. They have the most beautiful relationship with one another, understanding one another in a way I have never seen from a couple before. Katie was all nerves, had to stop her from sprinting to Justin's side so we could capture the event (I'm not a marathon runner like she is!) She is not the crying type so it was so super sweet watching as the water works came out in full force. The only way we were able to start the formals, was by telling her we would start with Justin first! That made her happy! ... And I got one anyway! :) It was a fun filled day, with lots of challenges for me, which made this wedding super interesting! We tried a few romantic shots, but turned out if there was not some aspect of adventure or danger involved in some way either to them or myself, Katie's boredom shone through, and thus we scrapped our normal happy wedding day list of posing ideas, and it became the first wedding photography Olympics! I scaled down the side of a muddy cliff, the bride and groom, wedding party and my poor assistant Kim braved a tall ledge, we climbed a few trees, I almost fell into a pond a few times, we had an actual foot race, and they did so much twirling the tilt a whirl had a run for it's money. Am I leaving anything out wedding party? All in all, it was a fantastic day, and it just really went to show that no matter how many weddings I get the privilege of shooting, there is never one that can prepare me enough for the next! What an absolutely fantastic job I have!

Weddings, And why I love them...

2011-06-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

This month I have the pleasure of shooting 3 weddings. And I am sooo excited! I LOVE shooting weddings! They are fast paced, beautiful, and full of possibility. Yes, things can and will go wrong with every shoot, but that is the beauty of it! When a bride and groom come in with that look of love for one another in their eyes, I just get weak! I am almost more excited for them, than they are some times! Because I know their day is going to be such a fantastic memory for years to come, and I get to be the one who makes the memories so real, by creating a beautiful wedding album for them!

This is Glen + Megan

They love the Beatles, they are super cute together, and they are each other's ying to their own yang. What could be more special than that? Besides that- they are so spectacularly in love- isn't it super cute?

Coming into myself & my art

2011-06-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

A few years ago when I started shooting on my own, I knew it was important to get as much education as possible, and when I would go listen to these amazing photographers speak, I kept hearing the same thing- find your style, and market it. The problem is, that as a new photographer, you have no idea what your style really is! I would find neat pics and say- well I like that- is that my style? So I would try and maybe be ok at it, maybe not, but eventually Id get bored, and get back in my normal un-stylish rhythm. I did not really think about it so much as feel, that some major aspect of my photography was missing. I was just not happy with it, and very frustrated. Then this past winter I had a bit of a breakdown, I knew I was not shooting what made me happy, and I was trying to please everyone but myself. It just was not working for me, or my customers, and I was falling short. It was really tough. That is when I decided to start Little Blue Studio. Some things are still a work in progress, such as hiring an office manager ( lets hope in a week or 2 this will be solved!) and we are working out a few other kinks in our website, and such. But I have slowed down, and I am shooting a whole new way. I am so excited to go into the studio each day! I am loving each of my sessions for completely different reasons, bust mostly, because it is like everything just suddenly clicked. I found it! My style I have found is bold and sexy,deep color, and leading lines calling the shots instead of always the darn rule of thirds. I like to pose, but then throw in a bit of something unexpected. I want my portraits to leave something to the imagination. Tell you the beginning of a story, and let you imagine where things go from there. I am not a natural light photographer. I believe in controlled flash. I like that look. I am comfortable and excited about that look! There is a calm and steadiness I have never felt in my work before now, and I am so excited I could scream! My studio's Grand opening is next month, and I hope you will come by then to see and feel the new studio's changes, and I hope you will find it a warm and inviting experience!