Minnesota Winter Fun | Art Shanty Project

After a long week of hibernating inside with our colds, my daughter and I were ready to get outside this weekend for some good old Minnesota winter fun. Since our sledding hill was in need of a bit more snow, we found ourselves checking out some other options in our neighborhood. We stumbled upon The Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake in Plymouth where artists have occupied a portion of the frozen lake with their wonderful ice house creations.  

As their website says, " Art Shanty Projects is a four-week exhibition that is part sculpture park, part artist residency and part social experiment, inspired by traditional ice fishing houses that dot the state's lakes in winter."

I loved all the unique houses and creative ideas. My daughter loved the ICE-Cycles Shanty which allowed guests to choose a helmet and a cycle and bike away! (See photo below of Megan with her wolf helmet and mouse trike.)

Next weekend (Feb. 4th/5th) is the last weekend of the exhibit, so if you're looking for a fun winter outing, check it out! 

Minneapolis Engagement Photography {Kristen and Derek}

It was a cold and blustery January day, but things were warm and cozy inside the Guthrie for Kristen and Derek's engagement session!

Emmitt - A Man of Many Hats! | St. Paul, MN, Children's Photographer

This was my third time photographing Emmitt and I couldn't wait to see what he would be wearing. His mom has an eye for picking out the cutest little outfits and this time she had quite a selection of hats for Emmitt to wear.  He was full of energy and smiles for his session and even kept going right through his naptime. What a cutie pie!

Valentine Mini Sessions! | Twin Cities Childrens Photography

Tired of handing out the same old, store bought Valentine’s cards? How cute would it be to send out photo Valentine’s instead!?
On Saturday, January 28th I’m having Valentine mini-sessions at my home from 9am-3pm. Come in for 20 minutes, let me take a few images of your kid(s) and I’ll make you some custom cards!

Here are the details:
• 20 minute session
• 25 shimmery valentines (4x5.5") with envelopes
• 5-6 high resolution digital files
• discounted mini-session product pricing
• Price: $135 ($105 without valentines)


How to sign up: just email me at sarahelizabethphotos@gmail.com or call 612-961-6565 with your preferred half hour slot. It's that easy!
Here is just one of the Valentine card designs I’m offering:



This is the card I made for my daughter last year. She exchanged them at pre-school, and we sent them to friends and relatives. This design will also be available during mini-sessions. Candy included!!

My Photography Goal for 2012 | Photography Minneapolis MN

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a great start to 2012! I love this time of year and especially like to take some time to reflect on goals for the upcoming year. 

One of my goals for 2012 is to give back as much as I can to the wonderful community we live in here in the Twin Cities. For the next 12 months I have committed to donating my photography services to local causes. Each month, I will provide my service free of charge to a person, group or cause that makes our community a better place. Suggestions are welcome! So far, I have plans to work with The American Cancer Society, Special Olympics and PACER. Please send me an email if you have an idea for a service project. 

While my resolution to eat less sweets this year has not gotten off to a great start, I hope to have much better success with this project! :)

Photography Tips For Capturing Your Family's Holiday Celebration

Can you believe that Christmas is just days away? I can't wait to celebrate with my family and I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday!   This time of year gives us so many great opportunities to capture precious memories in photos. As Christmas morning quickly approaches, I've put together a few tips for capturing your own family celebration this year:

1. Get that camera ready!   Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and put in a fresh memory card.  If you like to take video clips along with your photos (as I do!) have an extra card on hand since videos can take up a lot of space. Once your camera is ready, put it in a place where it's easy to grab. 

2. Capture the excitement.  Some of my favorite holiday photos are those that capture true expressions. Whether it's the excitement of everyone opening gifts, or the focused attention while decorating cookies, or grandma's laughter while playing with the grandkids…these are priceless shots! Try to capture real emotions as they unfold, and then afterwards ask your subject to look at you for a posed shot.  Take lots of candid photos, and get in close to your subject. 

3. Don't forget the details. There are so many beautiful details to photograph during the holidays.  A special ornament,  a plate of cookies, presents wrapped under the tree, stockings hung by the chimney. These are so fun to look at years later and to remember all the small details of that favorite ornament or special gift.  Get in close for these shots and try to eliminate distractions in the background. 

4. Document family traditions.  In addition to Christmas Day, there really is a whole month of holiday events and traditions that make the season special.  Capture these family traditions like baking cookies, decorating the tree, or going to see a holiday play.   

5. Photograph mealtime memories. With all the preparation that goes into holiday meals, it's always nice to have a photo to remember who was there and what was made.  Snap a few shots in the kitchen of the meal prep and also the table setting. I always love to take a quick photo once everyone has gathered at the table. 

6. Have fun and get yourself in some photos.   If you're the person who is generally behind the camera, make sure to hand it off to someone else every once in a while and get yourself in some photos.  Even if being in photos is not your favorite thing, your family will love it! 

7. Make a photo book.  After you've captured all of these wonderful holiday memories, you might want to make an album or scrapbook.  Below is a photo of my Christmas scrapbook.  While I usually don't do much scrapbooking these days, I still always add a few pages to my Christmas book every year. 

I hope you try some of these tips as you capture memories and celebrate this year. Happy Holidays!

Nature Walk | Family Photos in White Bear Lake, MN

I love the beautiful light we have in the Fall when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds. It was just that kind of morning for my photo shoot with this adorable family. We took our time exploring the woods of Tamarack Nature Center and took some great photos along the way.

Thomas was eager to explore and climb on any tree stump or picnic table we encountered.


Katherine was full of smiles and ready to show me her best poses!







Katherine had a very minor tantrum along the way (let's just say it involved Twizzlers....) and she had such a cute pout going that I just had to sneak a picture.   A couple hugs from dad and she was all smiles again. :)