Family Ties

I've known Tanya and Jayne for several years - both through Minnesota State, Mankato, and because we live in the same small town. Tanya and Jayne own Tucker's Tavern in Elysian. A few years ago, Tanya put me in touch with her nephew, Jared, who needed a wedding photographer. I had the privilege of photographing Jared and Sandi's wedding. Although they live in Illinois, they're visiting the area for a family reunion, and Tanya asked me to take pictures.

There's nothing more gratifying to a photographer than having repeat customers. Talk about an ego booster! And this reunion was special - it was Tanya's parents 50th anniversary! It was an honor to be chosen to capture images of this family!

Back to Sandi and Jared - In addition to their sweetheart of a son, Cam, they welcomed adorable twin girls, Taryn and Tiegen eight months ago.

Here in southern MN, we've experienced a fair amount of severe weather recently, some of it much too close to home (my son's home was damaged - he's lived there just  3 weeks). Friday night was no exception. Shortly after I got set up to shoot, the clouds thickened, and skies became darker - then noisier as thunder rumbled all around us. We wrapped up the shoot quickly, which is a good thing because tornado sirens sounded a short time later.

Because they were fussy, and we were in a hurry, I offered to retake pictures of Cam and the twins, and we had that session tonight. What a difference a few days makes - low humidity, beautiful clear skies, mild temps...Minnesota perfect! We were able to relax more with the babies as well, and the results are great! Here are a few from "round 2."

When I delivered the preview CD tonight, Sandi and Jared asked me if I'd photograph their twins on their first birthday - they'll be back in Minnesota about that time for a wedding. Absolutely!!

Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen

A marriage eight years in the making, Jen and Nick exchanged their vows May 22. Theirs was a beautiful ceremony that centered on the importance of family, with all their respective brothers and sisters (along with cousins and friends) members of the bridal party. A few snafus delayed our picture taking. (I've learned in the last 8 years or so of wedding photography, that a wedding day isn't complete without a snafu of some sort.) A missing white shirt for one of the groomsmen was really the only snafu, and Jen was unflappable - she quickly arranged a fix, and we were good to go. We worried a bit about rain eliminating our outdoor photo plans, but a brief 20 minute shower before the ceremony was all we wound up with.

Following the ceremony, we went to three locations with the wedding party - the St. Lucas Care Center to see Jen's grandpa, the Riverbend Nature Center to photograph the bridal party on a site donated by Jen's grandpa, then on to Shattuk-St. Mary's with just Jen and Nick. (I could have stayed there for hours.)

Their reception venue, the Vintage Ballroom and Suites, is very cool! They provided the catering (delicious), and Nick's aunt baked their wedding cake.

Here are just a few pictures from their day.

Congratulations Jen and Nick! I'll get your previews out to you in two - three weeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Mohr

Pure joy. There are many other words that could describe the wedding of Tammie and Brian Mohr, but pure joy sums it up the best. The details were carefully planned, and shared with everyone via their wedding website, www.brianandtammie.com.

It was as if the weather was planned just for their day. Following a couple of weeks of March-like weather, Saturday delivered mild temperatures and bright sunshine through the morning that gave way to "perfect" overcast skies for our outdoor photos at the Schell Brewery after the ceremony.

The day started out at the beautiful Bohemian Bed and Breakfast. Tammie and her attendants got ready here. We then headed to the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity for the ceremony.

Here are a few of the many, many pictures taken. A special thanks goes out to Bobbi Urban, who assisted me. I can't wait to see and share her images.

Their getaway car was the same one used by Brian's parents for their wedding August 25, 1979.

Everyone at the reception gathered for a group photo prior to the dinner.

Tammie and Brian, thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding day. It was an honor and a pleasure!

So Much for Resolutions...

Well, best intentions aren't always what they're cracked up to be. It's been a crazy busy few weeks, and I'm gearing up for another wedding show this coming weekend on Feb. 21 at the Holiday in in New Ulm. It runs from 12-4. I'm happy to report I will be displaying a new sample album - the Zook PhotoBook Plus from Zookbinders. I love it!!

I got some work done on my website and have three sample albums added to the wedding gallery. Woo Hoo - I finally developed a web template that works for SimpleViewer Pro - the program I use for my online galleries.  It took a lot of trial and error and some careful note-taking, but the galleries are now about a five minute chore, as opposed to taking a few hours. (So I guess updating galleries should be no problem...right?)

I also had a session with an adorable almost-three-month-old little angel named Lillian. What a doll, and what a head of hair!! Mom and Dad couldn't be more proud, as they should be.

Hoarfrost on Steroids

Yikes! Our mild weather and saturated air have lead to some foggy driving conditions, but also the thickest hoarfrost I've ever seen. This was unbelievably pretty, so I thought I'd share a few images. Enjoy!

Owatonna Wedding Show a Great Success!

WOW! A lot of couples got engaged over the holidays! The Owatonna Wedding Show was a fantastically fun event. The staff at the Holiday Inn were exceptionally accommodating with all our requests, as were the staff from the Owatonna People's Press. I will definitely participate in this event again next year.

And the winner is.... Congratulations to Chelsey S. and Mike W. of Janesville. They're the winners of my door prize - a signature book created with images from the engagement session. Special thanks go to Kelsey B. of Lakeville for stopping by to say hi. Kelsey and Dean were married in October of 2008, and she was pleased to see her album proudly displayed at my booth, along with a 30x40 print. (Kelsey thinks I should raise my prices!!)

Rachael and Steve - Thank you for entrusting me with your wedding day photography! I look forward to working with you. I hope to hear from a few more brides with 2010 weddings, and am happy to take reservations for 2011!

To all the future newlyweds who signed up today, I'll be getting a postcard out to you within two weeks that contains pricing and package information.

First Entry

Hello out there, and welcome to my first blog post. Today I'm making good on one of many New Year's resolutions! (Did I mention this was a resolution for 2009?) On this blog, I'll share sneak peaks from photo sessions and weddings, and will communicate special offers and news about my residential studio.

I'm preparing for the first wedding show of 2010 (Sunday, January 10 at the Holiday Inn of Medford, Minnesota. Doors open at 10 with a style show mid-afternoon.

At any rate, I'm working feverishly at redesigning my website (bobbymcfall.com), establishing a brand, and getting this blog up and running before the show. If I want to stay competitive in this highly competitive photography industry (and I do!!), I need to fully embrace all the tools of the industry-and that includes a blog and other social networking presence. My plan is to post weekly. We'll see how this goes and where it takes me!