Max + Jack // Vancouver Lifestyle Photographer

a love like this.

a passionate love like this.

an honest love like this.

a deep love like this.

an enduring love like this.

a love like this.

Max + Jack met when they were 13 years old on a beach in Switzerland. Since then, they both lived in numerous countries, and continents apart from each other, but their love for each other has remained. Over a decade later, they've reunited in Vancouver and have now made a life together. 

2016 // A Year in Review // Minneapolis Wedding Photographer

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer // This is gonna be one long post. Feel free to read my rambles; feel free to skip to the photos.

Here we are again. A year in review. *Hello, nice to see you again*

Last year, big things happened. This year, all that kind of went to shit, and to be honest, I'm totally okay with all of it. Shit happened. I recovered from it. I learned from it. I grew from it. I'm still here. 

My boyfriend, of nearly 4 years, and I broke up. He moved out after only a year of living together, which makes it sound like I'm/we're a huge failure. Moving in together is a big deal: the next step in a relationship. I naively thought we'd end up together, but looking back, it was never going to work. Am I a failure? Fuck no. Did I make mistakes? Yes. Did he? Yes. Is it the end of the world? No.

I joked that I got the apartment in the "divorce," but to be honest, I was bat shit scared of being alone. I think I was more concerned about that than being devastated over the breakup. Being a wedding photographer, I see couples on the happiest days of their lives, and although it's the love on the happiest day of their life, it's the love that's endured through the not so glamorous things. I pride myself as a tough & independent lady, but I still want to love and be loved in the way that I see my couples love each other. Somewhere in the mix, we lost that.

I was afraid of being alone, because I am an introvert. Contrary to popular belief, I struggle with social anxiety. I struggle with getting myself out of the house, and have to congratulate myself when doing so. I am perfectly fine with being alone, and find solace with it. Thankfully, my social anxiety is not something that cripples me, however, I relied on him too much to be my crutch. And I never want to be that girl that relies on a boy. I'm better than that. We're all better than that.

There was this nagging urge to go out and be on my own and discover. I knew what I wanted, I just needed a little nudge. 

Then, finally it happened. The catalyst for that was Andria Lindquist's Oh Sh!t Workshop. I was fortunate enough to learn from the very woman who has inspired my brand, my business, and my craft since the beginning. She is something I have looked up to since I was probably 17 years old. She's fierce. She's smart. She's fucking talented. Most of all, her brand is wholeheartedly herself and she is wholeheartedly herself. No one else. 

Seven other creative ladies and I resided in the most poppin' house in Vail, ate an insane amount of delicious vegan food, and probably drank too much wine. We learned from the Kween herself and gained valuable insights into bettering ourselves and our business, but my favorite part was the lack of photography speak. We talked about life. About love. About hardships. About successes. I was the youngest in the group, per usual, and I soon realized, "Shit. I need to get out there." Let's stop making excuses for the things I want to do and just go fucking do them.

And so, I traveled to the PNW for a week, and put myself out there. I produced and shot two styled elopements with various creatives in the city, photographed a totally random couple, and got tattooed. I even went to a cat cafe and I almost cried in elation. Hey, we even got those two elopements published! Stuff like this seems so simple because all you normally see is the results, but truth, it was took a lot of me to do this, and I'm really proud of myself.

My struggles and ability to pick my self back up allowed me to shoot with a different perspective. That sounds lame. I'm pretty sure I said the same exact thing last year, but even so. If you look at my work from last year and compare it to this year, it's a lot different. Better? I'd like to think so, but it's different. It's grittier. Moodier. More intimate. I've pushed myself to shoot less, but shoot with more thought and purpose. I only took on the clients I was superbly jazzed about-the people who understood my perspective and wanted something a little less wedding-y or senior-y and a lot more depth. Dealing with the loss of a long term companion also changed my perspective on how I shoot and interact with couples and my need for independence changed the way I work with my seniors. Instead of filling them up with fluff, I hope to encourage them to be the best they can be and see the beautiful in not only themselves, but everything else around them.

A lot of things happened this year. Not only did I face a loss of a love, but also dealt with death for the first time with my oldest friend and my childhood dog. I experienced a lot of "failure" and felt a strong sense of worthlessness for quite some time. But it wasn't all that bad. I met a lot of new people, was featured in a lot more in our beautiful local community, traveled more than I ever have, and most of all, found a sense of comfort and independence with myself. Hey, I even got a kitty out of everything, and I honestly couldn't be happier with where I'm at. I've put my heart into what I do, and I hope what I do evokes something inside of you. 

These images are a result of this year. 

I am so happy right now - so damn happy.

Cheers, babes


Colleen + James // Minneapolis Lifestyle Photographer

Colleen and James are like the rockstar creative couple of MPLS. She's quickly climbing to the top of MPLS' photo queen scene and he's a genius UX designer at a local agency. #DreamTeam

I've been lucky enough to assist Colleen at a few of her shoots and weddings. What I love about her is her calm and warm demeanor. She's genuine, easily likable, and talented, which is probably why she's killin' it at the photo game.

So when she told me she wanted me to take photos of her and her James at their new house, I was all in. Plus, they just adopted a new puppy, and who doesn't love puppies? As a duo, Colleen and James are electric. They're two people, so in love with each other and the world and people around them. They're the type of people all us photographers just dream of photographing because they're not only smokin' hot (and funny!), but also so willing to let us into their lives in order to create a compelling visual love story. Thanks, you two. 

Check out her work here.

I am still booking for 2016! I'd love to meet with you, drink some wine, and talk about your love stories. Contact me here.

Best Moments of 2015 // Minneapolis Lifestyle Wedding and Senior Photographer

2015 was a really big year for me. 

I know everyone says that every year and then they revel in all their accomplishments, personal development, and other thrilling life stories that made their year one of a kind. Then, they thank all their family and friends that supported them along the way and say they can't wait for what 2016 has to bring. BRING IT ON 2016, they say. BRING IT ON. 

Well, what they don't tell you is that all big accomplishments come with some level of disappointment or hardship. I try my best to be as transparent with you all, however, in my creative world of beautiful aesthetics and perfectly crafted images, it's hard to keep up those appearances. While I don't think I portray my life as perfect or in the #LiveAuthentic sort of way, I still think there are people out there who think my life is some sort of perfect concoction of beauty and never ending excitement.  

Well, it's not, and 2015 has taught me that more than any other year and I am totally okay with that.

Here's what made my 2015 bigger (and scarier) than previous years:

  • I graduated college a year and a half early from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a B.A in Strategic Communications, Magna Cum Laude (Now I'm apart of the real world. Scary).
  • I moved into a lofted artist community downtown Minneapolis with my boyfriend (Taking the relationship to the next level. Scary).
  • I turned 21 (What's scary is the price of good alcohol).

With all these exciting (and scary!) moments in my life, one could say I'm finally #adulting. While I've always prided myself on my maturity and high level of responsibilities, I truly believe 2015 was a growing year for me. To me, #adulting is more than moving into your first apartment, paying your own bills, and graduating college. It's becoming vulnerable to the unpredictable world out there. It's about growing compassionate and empathetic towards others, especially those outside your own comfortable circle. It's about growing selfless for the people you love. It's about learning to be okay with life's fabulous imperfections. 

As my perspective on the real world matures, my perspective for photography also changes. I'm less worried about the technical and perfection, and more focused on the raw and authentic beauty that comes from imperfection. I want my images to evoke the movement and depth that comes from passion and love, and I think I'm a few steps closer to achieving that. I also had the honor of second shooting for some of MN's best such as Matt Lien, Geneoh, and 2nd Truth. It's other photographers like these who are constantly inspiring me to never stop. 

While I am never going to be satisfied with what I do, that hunger is what will drive me to continue to improve myself. 2016 is already looking up to be a year of exploration, challenge, and even more growth.

BRING IT ON. 

I am currently booking for 2016 weddings and would love to help tell your story in the most authentic, creative, and empathetic way I know how to. 

-D

Rebekah + Spencer

I've always been a pretty simple person. I can remember my mother telling me at such a young age that "less is more," and while I nodded and agreed with her at the time, I whole heartedly agree with her now. Mom, you're always right.

The same thing goes for weddings. I've been to more weddings than any 21 year old ever should. I've seen a lot of different types too. From the traditional church ceremony and hotel reception, to the ultra sparkly + glam country club ordeal, and the intimate backyard weddings. My favorite weddings have always, always, always been the ones that aren't the huge, glam, and snazzy ordeals. Instead, I love the weddings that aren't forced or some huge made up production. They're genuine, warm, and imperfect in the best way.

I absolutely gravitate towards the couples who are untraditional and simple. They could honestly care less about the table seatings or making their wedding look like it came out of a bridal magazine. I'm not saying I don't appreciate pretty weddings. I do. I love pretty weddings. But, for me, I'm trying to document your day in the most authentic way. The details from your wedding have nothing to do with your love story. Sure, I care about the aesthetics, definitely, but I care more about you and your fiance. Your love. The love your family and friends have for you. Your happiness. Your story. 

Rebekah and Spencer were the epitome of my ideal client. First off, they had their wedding at the Bachelor Farmer in the North Loop. With an absolute maximum limit of 50 guests, Rebekah and Spencer only invited the people they truly cared about. These were the people who truly impacted their lives in the best way. There was no fluff. No bull shit. No drama.

Secondly, these two strayed completely away from the traditional black tux and sparkly white wedding dress. He wore a nicely fitted navy suit and she wore a black chiffon evening gown from Saks. Rebekah didn't feel the need to fit into the old wedding tradition of wearing the white dress. Instead, she wore something she was comfortable in and something that felt more "her". There was no glitz. No fuss. No pretending.

Thirdly, their ceremony was literally two minutes long. Their friend, who officiated the ceremony, read a profound poem then Rebekah and Spencer read their vows, kissed, and went on to celebrating. They even left their rings at home because they didn't need a tangible object to define their love and respect for each other.

Lastly, their portraits were spot on. I had nearly an hour to run around the North Loop with these two. It was great. You could tell they cared about getting great photos, however, they were so nonchalant about the whole thing. They never took themselves too seriously, but had the perfect mixture of intimate + romantic moments and the goofy + happy ones. 

Rebekah + Spencer's day was the most refreshing wedding to date. They did exactly what they wanted to and didn't let old traditions get in the way of what they wanted to do. There was nothing but love, meaningful chats, and good vibes the whole night. Oh, and the craft cocktails and delicious food was an added bonus.