That little orange speck in the trees? That's our bonfire. I'm a pretty happy camper now that I'm back at my favorite retreat on the shores of Lake Superior.This right here is what working my tail off last week was for. Sometimes you have to burn the candle at both ends for a big payoff, and man is it worth it.We've been hiking and swimming and throwing rocks in the water and eating delicious heirloom tomato sandwiches with s'mores for dessert. It's Minnesota at its best.No internet shares. I'm heading back out to watch the birds.  Have a good week, you guys. I'll be back in the city before you know it.

Hello!

Lucy here, and I'm so excited to share my first post on Shuttersmack! I'll be dropping in to say hi and share some pictures every so often, so please check back!

As you may have picked up from Leslie's posts, it's been a crazy, totally packed week. She and I have been working together on commercial shoots during the days, and then we've headed our separate ways in the evenings to work on projects for other clients.

I've been especially excited to work on a City Pages food feature that's due out next week -- the issue hits stands Wednesday, so be sure to pick up a copy! I styled and took photos for the assignment, which was a total blast. I can't give away too many details quite yet, but I can share a few sneak peaks:

Did those pictures make you think about a cool, refreshing drink? It's Friday after all, go enjoy and cheers to weekend!

You guys tired of my raindrops yet? Because it was misting/drizzling/raining all morning long, and you better believe I stepped away from our set inside a gorgeous home in St. Paul, grabbed Lucy's macro lens (which I covet) and shot a few more raindrops before making my way back to some more 3M product.While the color of these leaves was lovely, I think the black and white makes the texture more dramatic, so here you go. For your internet shares of the day:+ I have been cleaning my face with micellar water for months now, and I love it. But this product? This is a travel must-have.+ And speaking of skin care, talk about a rave review.+ A great gift idea (especially for cat lovers!)

Life is a little insane right now with the number of shoots I have this week. I normally try to keep my schedule in a pretty reasonable place, but these days it's getting pretty nuts because of some last-minute switches. I'm just rolling with it because I have a few days off next week, and Lake Superior is a wonderful light to have at the end of your tunnel.No internet shares today -- I'm only on the computer to catch up on email. The photo above was snapped this morning on set. We were shooting in a gorgeous garden, and the dew caught in this spider web was lovely.I hope you all are having a great week! I'm toasting you all with the gallons of coffee I'm drinking to stay sane!

My folks were in town this weekend, and my dad took Ezra fishing for the first time. It was a hoot.They brought Ezra his first fishing pole, and we all headed down to the lake. Dad would put the worm on the hook and Ezra would drop it into the water. Luckily, the water was clear (we were in the shallow end) and we could see the small fish nibbling at the worm. Ezra caught four fish! (With help from Dad nudging his pole when the fish bit to hook them). We (of course) released all the fish, but Ezra did touch them and I think he had fun. We also had fun releasing the leftover worms in the backyard. Entertainment around here is pretty easy to come by!For your internet shares of the day:+ These National Park posters are gorgeous. If I had a cabin, I would frame these for every room.+ This speed modeling is entrancing. More than 100 poses in a minute!+ Did you know Larry David and Bernie Sanders are, in fact, related?

And now I get to show you that amazing, wonderful, intimate and sweet wedding that I shot last week! You guys, I am so excited. The wedding these two had is the kind of wedding I would have today (if I were not already married for like a gazillion wonderful years). It was small, it was at an amazing restaurant (My God the food was fabulous), everything was simple and the emphasis was all about relationships, not themes. I loved it so, so much. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.  

Last night I got to see Social Distortion over at The Palace Theater in St. Paul. You guys, that venue is A+++. I highly suggest you get there this fall -- they have so many great shows coming up! (Spoon! Beck! Conor Oberst!).I'm busy today finishing up a ton of work and getting the house ready for my parents who are visiting this weekend. They arrive tonight, and I am so excited for Ezra and them to sit and talk (last time they saw each other, he was far less vocal). I'll likely skip internet shares tomorrow as I'll be away from the computer hanging out with the family, but I have a few today that you may enjoy.+ My Favorite Murder (my favorite podcast) is bringing a live show to Minneapolis, and I literally squealed with delight when I found out.+ This paper art is lovely.+ I don't really need any more reusable shopping bags, but I sure do like the looks of these!

Last night we had some huge thunderstorms in our neighborhood. Ezra and I sat out on the front porch for a bit, eating raisins and watching the rain, until the thunder got a liiiiiitle bit too close. Then we came inside to read.All night long it pored (or at least every time I woke up). I looked out the windows at one point, and the city to the east of us was pitch dark. I wonder if they have their power back yet. Luckily, ours stayed on.This morning I thought I'd capture some of the raindrops left on my garden. See my baby watermelon? We are pretty excited about that development (I have three so far!).For your internet shares of the day:+ This piece illustrates bias pretty well, I think.+ You will die of the cuteness.+ Can we stop with the football love now?