Northfield, MN High School Senior Portraits | Justin

High school senior Justin shows off his personality with his pictures

As I gear up for the 2014 high school senior portrait season (scary, I know) I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of my favorite photo sessions from last fall.

Justin's session sticks out in my mind for many reasons, but mainly because his pictures turned out so well. I won't be the first or the last to say that for young men entering their last year of high school the idea of posing in front of the camera isn't high on their priority list. Guys would rather be hanging with their friends as much as possible, so often being with a parent chaperone and trying different outfits pretty much ranks up there with getting your wisdom teeth removed.

And since our photo sessions tend to be a bit on the long side (most are 2 to 3 hours), I can always imagine the guys' eyes rolling into the back of their heads when we discuss locations for portraits in our email communications. That extra time, however, allows one to get comfortable and relax more in front of the camera. It also means having the time to try just about anything during the session. In Justin's case that meant finding a spot with a track, a basketball court and a more city-looking environment. We figured downtown Northfield, MN perfectly fit the bill.

Since Justin is infatuated with basketball (to put it lightly), we were able to arrange some time on the court during the session as well as on the track since he's runs varsity for the Proctor High School track and field team. And with the added time, we still had time for the more formal portraits sure to please Justin's mom.

It's hard to believe looking at the finished photos that Justin is only in high school, right? He seriously looks like he could be a model. What do you all think? Please comment or share using the links below.

Contact us today if you'd like to schedule your own high school senior portrait session with Anthologie.

Elko New Market Photographer | Springtime Giveaway

Share your favorite photo for a chance to win $150 to spend at Anthologie today 

Don't be fooled by today's date — we're doling out big prizes on Anthologie's Facebook page this week.

Our website officially went live on April 1, 2009, and each year we like to do something special for you, our fans, for all of the support and generosity you've shown us in another successful year. This year, we have a special giveaway just for our Facebook fans! Not a fan yet? Don't worry. There's still time to join in on the fun by liking Anthologie on Facebook right now! Plus, there's two different ways you can win.

How to enter:

1. Before April 8, upload your favorite photo made for you by Anthologie as your new Facebook profile page cover photo

2. Comment on your photo and "tag" Anthologie's Facebook page in your comments

3. Email us info(at)theanthologie.com or direct message us on Facebook to let us know it's complete

4. That's it!

You'll automatically be entered to win $150 to spend on an Anthologie photo session or credit in our boutique to purchase prints, canvases, wall portraits and even books!

Remember, the Facebook cover photo is big — 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels tall — so the photos will show up best on your page if you use the ones that are saved in your "print" folder from Anthologie. Feel free to contact us if you're totally lost and need some technical help.

Two ways to win

But what if I haven't worked with Anthologie before?

Those who become Anthologie Facebook fans before April 8 will automatically be entered to win a $50 to spend with us on your first session. And, existing fans that simply share our giveaway post on their own pages will also be entered to win the $50 prize! Winners will be announced on our Facebook page April 9.

What are you waiting for? Start showing us your favorite photos today!

Jordan, MN Engagement Photography | Ben and Deven

How sweet it is

While visiting Emma Krumbee's Apple Orchard with my family I stumbled upon a beautiful, vintage-looking sign for a soda shop and ice cream parlor that stopped me in my tracks. In an instant I knew I'd have to plead my case with Ben and Deven to switch locations for their upcoming engagement photo session.

The couple and I had made plans to set their pictures against a backdrop closer to where they first met and dated. Since many Anthologie clients choose to put their photos and/or stories into one of our Signature Books I do my best to work with the couples to incorporate locations that will visually enhance their story, or simply be more meaningful to the bride and groom. This time, however, I knew I'd found the perfect location that wasn't tied to the couple's history, but would add a little flair and context to their story.

I learned during our initial meeting that Ben and Deven had a fun dating tradition when they first met. Since they both were working long hours and multiple jobs, they scarcely had time for any formal dates. Instead, they had micro dates in between shifts. The scene was about as pedestrian as possible. They'd simply meet up in a parking lot and share a soda pop before they'd have to head off to their next job, and the "sodie-date" was born.

I had a blast playing up on this tradition. We even found another location just up the freeway at Jim's Apple Farm in Jordan, MN, which boasts to be Minnesota's largest candy store. I can't add any authority to the validity of these claims, but I can say their friendly staff, quality food selection and amazing supply of hard-to-find candies made this stop completely worth the drive, and it only added to the images we were able to create. We also had a great time munching on Cajun cheese curds between photos. Oh, and did I mention they have walls and walls of bottled soda?

Best of all, these accents allowed Ben and Deven to have a bit of fun and simply be themselves for their photo session. I think it shows. What do you think? Please comment or share using the links below. Thanks for viewing!

St. Paul Engagement Photography | Glendon and Jenna

Nothing warms you up on a freezing-cold Minnesota day like a cup of hot cocoa, a few laps around the ice rink — and maybe snuggling up with your fiancé. Watching Jenna and Glendon forget all about the frigid air made it easy for the frames on my camera to keep going as we created their engagement photos in downtown St. Paul this winter.

Glendon referees college hockey games and Jenna is a lifelong figure skater, so visiting the Winter Skate in Rice Park was a natural fit for the couple's engagement session. Though they've been together for years this was actually the first time Jenna and Glendon laced up their skates together. I'm so thankful I was able to be there to capture those special moments. It's plain for anyone to see just how much fun they were having together.

My favorite part of this photo session is how quickly Glendon and Jenna were able to lose sight of the guy behind the camera and just focus on each other. What do you like best? Please comment or share using the links below. Thanks for viewing!

To see more photos from this winter engagement photo session, click HERE.

Minneapolis baby photographer | Linnea Turns One

A whole new definition of "time flies ..."

As a parent myself, I know how important it is to capture each little change in your child's early development. It seems one day they're smiling with a big gummy grin, and the next they're boasting molars and speaking in sentences. I try to take this into account whenever I'm working with clients documenting the first year in their child's life. When baby Linnea's first birthday came around her parents knew they wanted to remember all the little faces she was making at the time.

Since we had had the opportunity to work on more documentary style photos in the months past, including a visit to Linnea's neighborhood park and a pumpkin patch, we all decided doing some more traditional portraiture might be a nice change of pace. I suggested we keep things as simple as possible, right down to Linnea's white dress and a white background so that the pictures would focus more on each little expression she makes. We also chose to have a few of her favorite toys along to help remind mom and dad later of just who Linnea was as she marked her first year.

What's crazy is how some times we don't even notices the subtle changes to our little ones when they're right in front of us. It can take slowing down and seeing these slices of time — mere fractions of a second — to realize a family resemblance or a personality trait that's been passed down from one generation to the next.

These photos represent a departure from what you're used to seeing with Anthologie. I'd love to know what you think, so please comment or share using the handy links below. Thank you so much for viewing!

Related: See pictures from Lisa's maternity session, just days before Linnea arrived to this world.

Do you know someone expecting a baby? Anthologie specializes in documenting the first year through photojournalism and archival books. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you to remember this amazing time always!