Twin Cities Newborn Photographer - Motherly Love

I love mom + baby sessions!  This was no exception.  So lovely.



Have you watched Mirah's Birth Story yet?

Twin Cities Newborn Photographer - Candy Cane Baby

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads..."

Twin Cities Maternity Fitness Photographer - Pregnant and Working it!

(Note: These images were taken only two weeks before my sister in law gave birth to our sweet Cecilie. )

My sister in law is a triathlete.  She was also pregnant with baby #6 when the following images were taken. You'd think pregnancy might deter one from working out as much, but not her.  She was not about to let physical fitness slide, simply because of pregnancy!

She trains with Pellicano Endurance Coaching (located in Saint Louis Park, MN), and I've gotta say - this was by far the most ingenuitive and customized workout I've ever seen or heard of.  After watching her push herself for 2 hours straight (while), I came to this conclusion:

Pregnancy is not a disability, or a condition that gives us the right to be lazy/complaintive.  We are all as strong or fit as we want to be.

You can truly do ANYTHING, if you set your mind to do it!

So here is your challenge for the day...if a woman at 39 weeks pregnant can do the following, anyone can.  :-)

Twin Cities Maternity Photographer - Pregnancy Fitness

Remember my amazing sister in law?

As well as being a mom of almost-six, she is also a highly motivated athlete.  So at 39 weeks pregnant, instead of cute or romantic maternity photos, she wanted...fitness photos.

Shall we say, empowered???!!

 

 

 

 

Psst...Okay, so we staged this to get a reaction.  ;-)   She usually lifts two 10lb weights while pregnant.  But that's still pretty incredible.

Twin Cities Beauty Photographer - Old-Fashioned Girls

A few more favorites from this  vintage photo shoot.

I want to do more of these!!

Twin Cities Fashion Photographer - Broken Windows

So, we found this broken window...and I just had to do something with it.

Twin Cities Fashion Photographer - Pocketful of Sunshine

That song is running through my head on repeat - but it really has nothing to do with this post.

Or does it?  My models do look rather sunny...

Anywho, I've wanted to start playing around with other, more commercial genre's of photography.  So I found two awesome ladies willing to pose for me, and we headed out to the Stone Arch Bridge and surrounding areas.  Beautiful scenery around there...and the decrepit old buildings were perfect for what I was looking for.


You'll be seeing a couple more posts of images taken from this photo session...enjoy.

Twin Cities Family Photographer - How NOT to Dress for a Family Photo

This is a recent photo of my mom, sisters and I.

Cute right?
Well, mostly.  :-)

If this was not an impromptu photograph we could have improved it a lot by our wardrobe choices!  Notice my bold-patterned shirt?  Well, this shirt is a pretty good example of what you should never wear for a family photo!

I encourage families to stay away from "matchy-matchy" outfits - everyone wearing shirts and bottoms of the same color is almost never a good idea for a family session.  Especially not black and jean! I know the same-color-shirts-with-jeans look sounds like a nice uncomplicated way to get a decent portrait, but it can also be disastrous.  Even if you don't mind it at the time, you may cringe at the sight of it years down the road!

My own family has a large, black-shirt-and-jean family picture, taken by a professional years ago.  Great picture overall - LOVE that we got the whole family together for it and I have great memories from the day.  But if you look at it for very long you'll begin to notice the children's "floating heads".  The children are of course being held, or standing in front of an adult who is wearing the exact same color shirt as they are - thus creating the illusion that they are nothing more than floating heads.  Funny illusion, but not so great for a family portrait.

When you are preparing for a photo session, first be sure to put each person in colors that compliment their skin tone.  This is possibly the most important step to creating a portrait the whole family will love.  The second, and more complicated step, is to choose colors that compliment each other and do not clash.  And thirdly - bonus points for choosing clothing you can layer, accessorize, or has a nice texture to it; this can add a lot of personality and depth to the finished portrait.

A good rule of thumb for those group holiday photos: Dress in neutrals (beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray, and white) which compliment your skin tone.  These colors will blend easiest and best for impromptu photos, and most people have a neutral colored shirt on hand.  The colors may sound a little boring, but you will find there are so many different shades within the neutral palette (pinks, greens and purples, even!) that can actually create very deep and rich color combinations.  Just be sure not narrow the colors down to black and white - you'll like the photo far more if you let everyone choose their own neutral combo.

Happy Styling!

Questions?  Leave me a comment below.

 

Twin Cities Birth Photographer - Juniper Helen : A Home Birth Story

Though I am in the midst of unpacking my house (and will probably be so occupied for a while), I hope you enjoy these images from Juniper Helen's birth!

Birth Photography continues to be a growing passion of mine, and without a doubt my favorite event to photograph. :-) I look forward to photographing more births for this fall!

Twin Cities Toddler Photographer - Lily is One!

The last time I saw Lilyana she was 6 months old!

And now here she is at a year, toddlin' around like a pro.



Such an adorable little princess!

I have had the pleasure of photographing Lilyana from the time she was a month old (and even before that, if you count the maternity session).  It is so much fun to watch these little ones grow, and to have the honor of documenting their mini milestones.  They all grow up so fast.  You have to work quickly if you want to catch moments like this on film!

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The next time you  hear from me, I will be settled in my new HOUSE! We move this weekend.  I'm soooOOO excited to have a place for the little ones to run, as well as a studio for my clients. Oh yeah, good things happenin'.  Catch you on the flip side!

Twin Cities Child & Baby Photographer - Deck Mornings

My sweet babes.



I live for mornings like this.  :-)

Twin Cities Family Photographer - Irrational Fears?

With the help of a magic marker, Debbie decided to re-make her doll-house dolls.

These dolls (Dahls?) are affectionately named: Mommy, Daddy, Debbie and Baby Byron.

Lately I don’t know if these dolls or Debbie scares me more!

It's pretty close, but I think the Dahl-dolls are just a tad freakier.

Twin Cities Baby Photographer - Little Dahl Boy

Poor kid.  Doesn't stand a chance. ;-) (Caption courtesy of my dear husband!)

Seriously, how cute is that???!!

Twin Cities Birth Photographer - How I Chose a Birth Photographer

In my last post I discussed Why I chose to hire a birth photographer.  I will now tell the tale of how I found, and Chose my birth photographer.

Professional birth photography is a relatively new idea.  Because of this, the search for a good birth photographer can prove a little difficult.  Among those photographers who might be interested in photographing a birth,  few are capable of being on call 24/7 - so it isn't even a plausable option for them.   And even if you are lucky enough to find a willing and capable photographer, there is still that very important question...is this the sort of person I will be comfortable having at my birth?

It is always important to feel comfortable with any photographer you hire (this is key to getting good images!), but it is particularly vital in the case of birth photography - and understandably so!

When I started looking for a birth photographer, I knew that I needed someone whom I could trust fully.  Someone I could trust to be both tasteful and discreet with the images, as well as other aspects of the event.  But probably just as important - I needed someone I could like! Someone I could like as a friend.  Because birth is hard enough without adding personality concerns to the mix.  She (and yes, it must be a she) had to be someone I felt so comfortable with that I could entirely forget at the birth.

As a birth photographer myself, I knew what I was looking for - but I still had to find it.  I started and ended my search with birthphotographers.com.  Though I did some googling and asking around as well, I found this website to be the most helpful go-to resource for my area.

Lucky for me, birthphotographers.com listed several photographers in my area.  And all of them do some really nice work!  But having never met them (something I intend to change soon!), I had only their websites to go on.  It was based on what I saw of her on her website, that I decided to interview Erika Laurice - first on the phone and later in person.  I really liked her photography style, loved that she was a mom of two kids, and surmised that she might be my sort of "comfortable".  After meeting with her in person I felt even more confident with my choice - I could just chill with her and we actually ended up talking for quite a while - no worries!  Among various topics (but more on point) we discussed the upcoming birth, what I was looking for in a photographer, as well as the images I expected (or did not want)...and that was that. I signed the contract (she signed a confidentiality agreement) and sent in the retainer.  Simple as that, she began to anticipate my call.



Erika turned out to be fabulous at the birth.  So fabulous that I barely noticed her until the baby had finally arrived!  She did great with the photography and captured some great moments that I will cherish always.  I am so happy with my choice and now truly view her as a friend (life-changing events do that to people :-)  ).  Thank you so much, Erika! You rock!!

Twin Cities Family Photographer - From Our Family to Yours

...Be sure to sign up for the Christmas Giveaway!

Twin Cities Baby Photographer - 6 Month Smiles

Are you ready for your daily dose of cuteness? You've seen this little sweetie before here.  Now she's 6 months, and such a smiley, round little thing!  I had so much fun with this session today and just love the results we came up with.  Take a look and be sure to sign up for the Christmas Giveaway before you go!

Twin Cities Birth Photographer - A Christmas Blooma Yoga Giveaway!!

ANNOUNCING A CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

It has been a great year, and I have much in the works for the next (including a new birth website).  So, to say thanks to all my readers and clients, and in conjunction with Blooma Yoga,  I am giving my readers a chance to win a fantastic Christmas present:

AN UNLIMITED ONE-MONTH PASS TO BLOOMA YOGA!

Imagine trying out every class, and every teacher at Blooma in for a month!  The pass is valued at $99, and is valid at both the St Paul and Edina locations!  (If you win you can even give it as a Christmas Gift too.)  This will be a GREAT way for any woman (expecting, or not!) to start off 2011.

To make things even better, there will be three winners!

To enter, all you have to do is to visit my current birth photography page, and leave a comment there (not here).  You can tell me what you like or don't like about birth photography...ask a question...or just say hi! That's it

Entry will remain open until December 31st, 12PM.  The winners will be chosen at random  on January 1st (no double entries accepted).

Good luck & Merry Christmas!

P.S. See this video about Blooma for more information about this fabulous Yoga resource in the Twin Cities.  Need yoga inspiration? Check this out!

By entering this contest you agree to receive future email correspondence from Elizabeth Dahl Photography.

Twin Cities Birth Story Photographer - Little Wonder pt 2

A follow up to this Little Wonder.



The more births I photograph, the more I love what I do. This is where I belong, this is what I'm supposed to be doing... It's such a fantastic feeling.

Things have been super busy for me over the holidays, so this blog has fallen to the wayside as I simply edit, edit, edit. However, I think things are starting to slow down and I'm very excited to start sharing the various projects and sessions I've been working on. I also have a very exciting, super duper CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY coming up this weekend...so stay tuned for that! :-)

Twin Cities Baby Photographer - Sweet'n Pink, Angel Baby

Remember this sweet little thing? Well at two months old she's finally home from the NICU, and though the size of most newborns, I'm quite happy to report that she's strong and thriving.

She did so well at her first at-home photo session! In fact she's quite the little model. I don't often have such an angelic baby to work with, but she sure did fit the part.


Do you need newborn pictures? Enter the contest!

Twin Cities Baby Photographer - Baby Jael & Slideshows

Jael is such a great name. I love rare but solid names like that. And she was such a fun one to photograph!



For the next couple months, all clients will receive a free slideshow like the one below, with every session.  It's a great way to show your photos with friends and family...you can even share it on your blog, website or Facebook!