Posts Tagged ‘misty minna’

Make Your Wedding Memorable

February 4th, 2013

Weddings to me, as a photographer, can sometimes seem different. I’ll admit I’ve never been a bride, but I do know far too much about weddings. People ask me a lot why I like weddings and what draws me to them. It’s really hard question to answer because for me it’s hard to put into words.…
 

Weddings to me, as a photographer, can sometimes seem different. I’ll admit I’ve never been a bride, but I do know far too much about weddings. People ask me a lot why I like weddings and what draws me to them. It’s really hard question to answer because for me it’s hard to put into words.

I was talking to a friend the other day about planning her wedding and she was worried about cost, traditions and family drama. I can’t blame her, everyone worries about these things. It’s only natural and most families (especially mine) are a little crazy, mostly in a good way!

However, a wedding to me is more than all these things. A wedding, more importantly a marriage, is more than one day of celebration. I don’t believe you have to have a big wedding, an elaborate venue, food, drink, etc. In the end that’s not what’s memorable. Weddings to me are the perfect combination of beauty and strength. A wedding should be personal to a couple and set the ground for their marriage. Are you funky and fun? Or romantic and traditional? It should be intimate.

So, why do I love weddings?

Weddings light me up inside. They makes me realize I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be. Weddings makes me happy and sad at the same time. They empower me to be a better person and a better photographer. Weddings challenge and change me with each new couple I meet. Weddings are my Everest, and I get to climb to the top with each new couple’s story I am privileged to tell.

Remember why your getting married. Make your wedding memorable!

LaCross-340

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Tuesday Shoeday: Something Blue

March 27th, 2012

Do you know that Ruche has launched a new bridal line? Get ready because it’s amazing.. and they also have shoes…. EEEK! Little girly dance!

Love You Blue Open Toe Heels

They also have an eco-friendly line of clothing and accessories.

Happy Tuesday!…
 

Do you know that Ruche has launched a new bridal line? Get ready because it’s amazing.. and they also have shoes…. EEEK! Little girly dance!

Love You Blue Open Toe Heels

They also have an eco-friendly line of clothing and accessories.

Happy Tuesday!

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A Bushel and a Peck

March 20th, 2012

As her little white car sped off the driveway, she laid on the horn as I heard my mom screamed in the doorway, “Slow Down!” She would just look at me in the passengers seat and grin.

“It’s our weekend,” she’d say and then we’d zip off to Kmart

(Kmart was high class in my neighborhood in the 90′s ok..) Blue light specials always excited her and finding a bargain used to put her on a high.…
 

As her little white car sped off the driveway, she laid on the horn as I heard my mom screamed in the doorway, “Slow Down!” She would just look at me in the passengers seat and grin.

“It’s our weekend,” she’d say and then we’d zip off to Kmart

(Kmart was high class in my neighborhood in the 90′s ok..) Blue light specials always excited her and finding a bargain used to put her on a high. She’d bring me back to her apartment and show my off in my new Kmart diggs to all her neighbors. Cereal for breakfast was not an option. My grandma would throw down when it came to breakfast. And the best part… I got to help. I could scramble eggs with a real whisk and make pancakes. She taught me a lot about making breakfast and anything sweet. Her blueberry pancakes were the best. She used to cook and sing tons of “little diddys” as she called them.

“A cakes no good if you don’t mix the batter and bake it… And loves just a bubble if you don’t take the trouble to make it!”
“I love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck, do dooo too, do…”

The best part was that she let me use her special spoon.

The wooden spoon that had been through everything; camping trips, numerous breakfast pancakes and maybe even swatting a fly or two. She used to joke with me, “When I die, this spoon is yours!” Sadly this is now true.

Don’t worry, I don’t actually cook with this spoon. It’s been through a lot. And I’m sure there are too many germs to mention.

It’s been almost a year since I lost both my grandmas. 2011 was a tough year for me personally. I did a lot of grieving. When I re-watched Julie Julia (a movie fave of mine) in the midst of grieving, I rediscovered this song. And the images of Julia Child cooking and singing this song, brought on flood of tears. This time though, they were happy tears. It’s taken me almost a year not to cry when I think of my grandma.

In June, my mom and I plan on going on a pilgrimage of sorts to Salmon, Idaho my grandma’s hometown. We’re going to spread her ashes over the river and on her father’s grave per her final wishes. I can’t wait to visit and share the images. In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite kitchen songs she used to sing!

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Believe In Your Imagination

March 18th, 2012

I’ll admit was unsure about going to see Jasmine Star. I wasn’t sure she’d live up to my imagination of her. Does that sound stalker-ish? I’m sure it does. Usually find reading someones blog and then actually meeting them are two different things. Call me a skeptic, but I’ve found it true in the past.…
 

I’ll admit was unsure about going to see Jasmine Star. I wasn’t sure she’d live up to my imagination of her. Does that sound stalker-ish? I’m sure it does. Usually find reading someones blog and then actually meeting them are two different things. Call me a skeptic, but I’ve found it true in the past.

All of these feelings when out the window when I heard Jasmine speak. She is magical. No really, this girl is unbelievable in person. First of all, she’s gorgeous (total girl jealously there) and she is one of the best speakers I’ve ever seen. She lived up to every single expectation I had and more.

Jasmine Star the Fix chicago, jasmine star, thefix, jasmine star the fix, grand rapids wedding photographer, metro detroit wedding photographer

The two main lessons I learned from Jasmine are:

1. Determination. Jasmine is the most determined photographer I’ve ever seen. You can see it in her face and the way she speaks so passionately about her work. She has a definite plan and purpose. She takes her “crazy ideas” and puts them into action. She believes in her imagination, no matter how grand the idea.

2. We are better together. As photographers sometimes we can get carried away with “me.” My brand, my style, my copyright, etc… But the real objective of our industry is to bring people together. We photograph emotions. We need to come together as professionals and help make each other better. We need to raise the bar and be better to each other. I’ve already met a ton of people from the trip and I can’t wait to connect with them! I can’t thank Jasmine enough for the inspiration and genuine open discussion that stared from theFix.

Jasmine Star the Fix chicago, jasmine star, thefix, jasmine star the fix, grand rapids wedding photographer, metro detroit wedding photographer

Lastly, talk about determination. I know it’s not a “pretty” picture but look at the determination on her face. I love it. She rocks my world!

Jasmine Star the Fix chicago, jasmine star, thefix, jasmine star the fix, grand rapids wedding photographer, metro detroit wedding photographer

Pick up your copy of Exposed today for even more imagination and inspiration!

Jasmine Star Exposed

 

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Asking For Help

March 15th, 2012

I’m not the best at dealing with stress. I tend to have a problem in that area. Last year I decided to work on this problem. However, I know I can’t do it alone. Occasionally, I still have a “Mitty Freakout.”

Brady has this nickname for me- Mitty. After watching embarrassing tapes of me as a child where I couldn’t say my own name, he began using the nickname I made up for myself as a child who couldn’t say her s’sss.…
 

I’m not the best at dealing with stress. I tend to have a problem in that area. Last year I decided to work on this problem. However, I know I can’t do it alone. Occasionally, I still have a “Mitty Freakout.”

Brady has this nickname for me- Mitty. After watching embarrassing tapes of me as a child where I couldn’t say my own name, he began using the nickname I made up for myself as a child who couldn’t say her s’sss.

Back to the freakout.. last summer when I was over loaded with photo editing, marketing, my “day job” and well, life. I had sort of a breakdown. I had a pile of laundry and dishes taller than I could manage. My week nights were spent cleaning, weekends and weekdays working. I felt stuck. Which led to a crying fit on the middle of the floor. (not my proudest moment) The decision to ask for help was hard for me.

You see, I was raised weirdly. I had a pretty normal childhood, but my parents are polar opposites. My mom is creative, free spirited and (in her own words) a little odd. My dad is straight laced, traditional, left-brained. I was raised to have pride and not ask for help. Stand strong, as my dad would say. My mom would tell me to follow my heart but not spend money. Not that they were bad parents, I was just conflicted at times. They rarely agreed on a parenting style. One thing they did agree on was being thrifty. Ok, I won’t lie, they are the cheapest people I know.

Now for the real shame… **Mom, stop reading this**

I have a housekeeper. (I’ll pause so you can gasp in shame) I hate to admit it, but I do. Brady and I both work a lot. He averages 50 hours a week and me about the same if not more during wedding season. So, we decided to work a house keeper into our budget.

My parents would think paying someone to clean was the biggest wast of money in the world. “Why pay someone when you can do it yourself for free?” that’s what they’d say. The reality was that I could no longer do it myself. So I caved and began interviewing cleaning services. That’s when Tide Home Helpers came into my life. Coming home to a freshly cleaned house is my idea of heaven and their rates are extremely reasonable. I’m sure I’ll continue to feel guilty about this for a long time, but oh well.

To take the shame even farther, sometimes I buy my groceries online and go pick them up on my way home. There’s no shame in it! Hey at least I don’t have them delivered to my house. They do that in Chicago. GR is not sophisticated enough for that. I don’t want to to be either. Meijer Grocery Express has a great system. It’s $6 extra added on to your bill and they shop for you. I really can’t think of anything better. So worth the money when I’m pressed for time.

So there you have it. I’m a slacker in my household duties but at least I have less stress in my life now. And since every post is better with a picture, here is a recent one from our trip to the Bahamas. It makes me feel very zen. More to come soon!

misty minna photography, grand rapids wedding photographer, bahamas, paradise island

 

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Making My Life Easier

March 14th, 2012

It’s difficult to function completely without the help of others. I’m not the kind of person who really likes to ask for help. Ever. Before I met Brady, I was so intend on being independent I was making more work for myself. Now, instead of complaining about having to drag the laundry basket up the stairs, I simply ask,”Honey will you bring the laundry basket up the stairs for me?…
 

It’s difficult to function completely without the help of others. I’m not the kind of person who really likes to ask for help. Ever. Before I met Brady, I was so intend on being independent I was making more work for myself. Now, instead of complaining about having to drag the laundry basket up the stairs, I simply ask,”Honey will you bring the laundry basket up the stairs for me? I can’t see over it.” Yes, I always get a jabbing comment about my short legs or “stubs” as Brady calls them. But he does it. I ask for help and I get it. Once I figured out this amazing formula, it became easier for me to reach out for help.

This brings me to a special post on the programs I use to make my life easier. I like simple. It’s so much better for my sanity. Hopefully these will help you too!

SmugMug: This beautiful little site runs my proofing gallery. However, it does a lot more than that. It sends out orders for me, lets me offer coupons and discount codes and even acts as a backup for past events. The customer service is unbelievable. I emailed them once at midnight, just hoping to hear back the next morning, it wasn’t urgent. They replied in 3 minutes! At midnight! I love the SmugMug Support Heros.

Color Inc: Ok, Color Inc is my jam! I love them. I’ve loved them since they first started out. My colleague from GVSU works there, so I’m a little biased but they are my local print lab love. I like to support local places as much as possible, and Color Inc makes that easy. The have online customer service and extremely fast turn around times. I use them for pretty much all my prints.

Black River Imaging: I recently discovered this lab for albums. They do such amazing quality work and their ordering system, Cascade, is so easy to use, it takes all the headache out of ordering. I also like that they offer the option for faux leather in different colors.

SWAT: Ok, stop designing albums right now and go to this website. It’s the best thing I’ve ever used! SWAT is the brain child of the guys who created KISS albums. It is the only design software you will ever need. It will auto fill a layout for you, let you email a private viewing link to your clients and have them make corrections right on the page and send back for approval. I love it. You can swap out images very easily and download the layout to any lab. Best thing.. it’s FREE!

Tofurious Blog Theme: I get a lot of questions about how I make my blog look the way it does. Here’s a confession: I don’t do it alone. I have help. Mostly the amazing Heather at LoveBugs Photography. She is the genius behind making my blog work and look the way it does. The actual template for my blog comes from Tofurious, aka Lawrence Chan a marketing guru in his own right. Check out his site, it’s packed with useful info for photographers.

And because every post is better with a picture… here’s a preview from a post I’m writing about my work as a second shooter.

grand rapids wedding photographer, metro detroit wedding photographer

 Up Next: I’ll share my secret shame, aka the services I invest in to make my personal life easier.

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Tuesday Shoeday: Soda Red Suede Boots

February 21st, 2012

I was in Chicago recently and I couldn’t help but marvel at the fashionable Chicagoians. Even in 20 degree weather, they still mange to look good. For that I am envious.

red suede boots, soda

Soda Merger Red Buckle Boot

I spotted a girl on the bus with these boots and I couldn’t take my eyes off them.…
 

I was in Chicago recently and I couldn’t help but marvel at the fashionable Chicagoians. Even in 20 degree weather, they still mange to look good. For that I am envious.

red suede boots, soda

Soda Merger Red Buckle Boot

I spotted a girl on the bus with these boots and I couldn’t take my eyes off them. She probably thought I was going to mug her. But when I see beautiful boots, I just have to find out where they came from. I instantly got online when I got home and started researching. They were an easy find when you spend too much time on the internet looking for shoes like me.

Happy Tuesday!

 

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Out of the Office: Paradise Island, Bahamas

February 17th, 2012

grand rapids wedding photographer

It doesn’t seem real, but we are going! Brayton demanded a vacation somewhere warm and tropical. The most tropical place I’ve been is Disney World. (I was 12 and it was awesome)

We jet off on Sunday and get to spend 5 glorious days in the Bahamas. I can’t wait!…
 

grand rapids wedding photographer

It doesn’t seem real, but we are going! Brayton demanded a vacation somewhere warm and tropical. The most tropical place I’ve been is Disney World. (I was 12 and it was awesome)

We jet off on Sunday and get to spend 5 glorious days in the Bahamas. I can’t wait!

I’ll be checking emails periodically but it will be delayed. Cell service will be tricky, so please email me for any immediate concerns.

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Fine Art

February 15th, 2012

In the off season, I try to work on my personal projects. I’d be lying if I said I had many. I’ve been horrible about doing my own work since I started my business. It’s easy to get caught up in the “business” and not concentrate on creating. That sounds like such a hipster artist thing to say.…
 

In the off season, I try to work on my personal projects. I’d be lying if I said I had many. I’ve been horrible about doing my own work since I started my business. It’s easy to get caught up in the “business” and not concentrate on creating. That sounds like such a hipster artist thing to say. “I just need to create, man. Make art” Even though it sounds cliche, I suppose a lot of it is true.

In any profession we need to get back to our roots at some point. Find out the reason we chose a certain career or path. A lot of times, we might not know why, sometimes we just fall into things. I’m happy that I found photography at a young age. I was even more blessed to attend a high school with a growing arts program. It helped me find my true passion. Ok, that’s enough hipster artist talk for today. Lets look at some images.

grand rapids photographer. misty minna

MIT Boston, MA

misty minna photography

Detroit Institute of Arts at night, Detroit MI

traverse city mi

Black Star Farms winery Traverse City, MI

bright colored dresser

Dresser in our hotel Cambridge, MA

window glass

Some of you may recognize this from my Christmas card this year. It’s a reflection of a lamp in an antique mirror at a hotel in Boston, MA. I really just liked the colors and the grungy-ness of the glass. I always try to see things differently!

I have several rolls of film and 16GB’s of memory to take with me on my upcoming trip to the Bahamas coming up soon…

 

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Tuesday Shoeday: Who Needs Chocolate When You Have Shoes?

February 14th, 2012

Seriously? Screw extra calories, give me shoes any day! Here are some of my valentine’s favorites.

valentines day shoes

Betsey Johnson Casey Peep Toe with Bow

pink flip flops steve maddenSteve Madden Tropic Flip Flop

poetic red kitten heels

Poetic License Notice Me

Happy Tuesday!…
 

Seriously? Screw extra calories, give me shoes any day! Here are some of my valentine’s favorites.

valentines day shoes

Betsey Johnson Casey Peep Toe with Bow

pink flip flops steve maddenSteve Madden Tropic Flip Flop

poetic red kitten heels

Poetic License Notice Me

Happy Tuesday!

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