Man, yesterday was hard, inspiring, hilarious and wonderful all in one.It began as I forced Lucy to dog-nap her parent's Golden Retriever and headed over to the AMAZING Emmerlee's house to try my hand at underwater dog photos. I have a lot to learn. Trust me when I tell you much of the beauty of these shots felt like dumb luck, but man, was it a hoot to try it!I processed many of them in both color and black and white, but, um, you know me. The black and whites are my favorite.Also, I need to note that sweet Emmerlee was testing the camera setup and I am 90% sure that shot of the pup diving in with his teeth braced (second to last image) is hers, not mine. I have no way of knowing for sure, but I suspect that's the case and I want to give her all of the credit in the world.If you are pregnant or just got married or want an amazing, artistic portrait of yourself, I cannot suggest doing a session with her enough. Her work is so original and gorgeous, and she truly puts you at ease during the session. And if you want a dog session? Reach out to me. But just know, patience is required! 

Hey guys! I am in the thick of family shoots right now (have I mentioned that? yes? sorry.), and I loved the light in this shot on Saturday, so I thought I'd share it. If you would like a session for your own family before the holidays, I'm filled up until November now, so get at me quick!For your internet shares of the day:+ Easy pasta dinners that are fast and still healthy.+ When Justin Timberlake has to ask to be on someone's album.+ Photos from Cuba after Hurricane Irma. 

Last night I got to photograph Conor Oberst at the Palace Theater. If you know much about me at all, you know Oberst is one of my favorite artists of all time. I discovered him back in 2002 when reading this article in the NY Times Sunday magazine. Imagine that! Remember the days of reading about music on an actual printed page and then going to a store and buying the album? Kids, things used to be so much harder. But the discovery of his music was 1000 times worth it.Then, in 2009, Jamie bought me my first digital camera and I smuggled it into a Bright Eyes show in Lincoln, NE (Oberst's hometown) where he performed with another favorite of mine, Jenny Lewis. That was the first concert I ever shot! And the rest is history! (And no, I'm not showing you those photos! Ha! Horrible!) You can, however, see the rest of my photos from last night's show. They are over here.And just one internet share today: A memo to Miami Herald employees from Marty Merzer, an old editor of mine, regarding how to cover a hurricane. A great read.

A few weekends ago, I photographed this lovely couple as they tied the knot before climbing onto a very impressive yacht where we sailed up and down the St. Croix river for a few hours in celebration. It rained almost all day, but I loved the moodiness of the light, and the fog around the boat was magical. You'll see what I mean.Plus? Rain brings good luck on a wedding day! And? The party bus the wedding party traveled in was all white on the inside which was super lucky for me and the light it gave to the images. This might be the only time you hear me say it, but "yay for the party bus!"More images below! Enjoy! Also, please know I could not have shot this all without the help of the amazing Lucy. What a gem, she is!

Well, I try to make this not all about my kid, but besides the first day of school this week, we also had a fun trip to the fair! Ezra had a blast sitting on tractors, eating corn dogs and going on the toddler rides. While he was doing the latter, we ran into one of his very best friends from daycare, Evie, and man did those two have a great time! It was a fair highlight for sure.I'm just including a few snapshots here because I cannot resist this huge grin on his face. Enjoy! And now for your internet shares of the day:+ Our president is a racist idiot. Maybe you should contact congress and tell them you want the dreamers to stay.+ Some wonderful advice from the internet.+ These dance photos sure are inspiring.

Today was Ezra's first day of preschool. This year is full of new routines with a new school for him, a new studio for me and a dad who no longer has drop off and pickup every day. None of the change is bad, but it is still different, so we are adjusting as best we can. Today, I biked to the school with Ezra in the Burley, and that was really fun. I hope we can continue that for a bit longer -- weather permitting.For your internet shares of the day:+ This sounds like a wonderful and easy dinner.+ Here are some pretty things for your kitchen. Have any of you tried beeswax food wraps? I'm insanely curious...+ I'm trying to be brave about my hair turning gray. This helps.

Hi again! Lucy here - if you missed my first post last month, just a quick note again that I'll be posting once in a while on Shuttersmack!Several weeks ago I visited my friend Mike's farm. It's an *actual* farm, with goats, chickens, fields of crops, barn cats, tractors, etc. -- my city self is continually amazed! I took some photos for fun, and ones he could use for marketing purposes. Mike’s website launched today, so I'm really excited to share some images from my visit!The farm, named Great River Produce, is located near Maiden Rock, tucked away in the beautifully bluffy region of southwestern Wisconsin, and it’s a dream. I had such a wonderful time touring the farm and snapping pictures of crops, animals, and the gorgeous property.Check out some of my favorite images below, and if you're interested, keep up with farm updates by visiting the website! He'll be offering a CSA starting next summer (you better believe I'm signing on), *plus* he's renting out a building on the property as a rental - a farm view that overlooks Lake Pepin? I'm there.