Mrs. South Dakota: April Kelling

We got to snap off another session with Mrs. South Dakota for the national magazine layout. She looks amazing and beautiful, and her husband is so crazy in love with her that he wants her to buy every single proof. But all that aside, it's what's on the inside that counts with this girl. She's an absolute sweetheart, and she cares passionately about kids. She wants to do everything she can to give expecting moms all the information they need to make informed decisions on the child they carry inside. While searching for sponsors, one of her interviewers was uneasy that she was so focused on her main charity, the Alpha Center. It was a little too much risk for them to associate their business or stand up for something as controversial as, oh, you know, the life of a child.
She's standing up for what she believes in, for an issue that almost determined her existence on this planet, for something that still kills over 115,000 kids every single day.
What exactly are we looking for in a public figure? Do we want yes-men? Do we want flowers who can sway whichever way the wind blows, leaders who can't stand for something so they stand instead for nothing?
Give me someone with heart, with passion, with conviction, with compassion, with fortitude, with character, any day of the week and twice on Sundays as opposed to a limp noodle who can't give a straight answer. Tell me where you stand and I'll respect you. Muddy the water with your indecisive politically correct and you're just another daisy in the wind to me.
See, you can gloss up a Mrs. and make her look beautiful, she can say all the right words and catch the sparkle of the spotlight just perfect in her eyes, but folks, it truly only runs skin deep. April is the real deal, because in my eyes, as gorgeous as she is on the outside, it only pales in comparison to her beautiful heart.

Nicole & Jess

We zipped up to Brookings for Nicole and Jess's wedding a few weeks ago. We were trying to wrap everything up to go on vacation, so I didn't get a chance to put up any of her images until today.
These two had some smoldering engagements that I loved, and on her wedding day Nicole made a stunning bride. The curves and the lines of her dress were amazing, and her eyes are full of captivation.
As a guy, photographing the groom, I look for something totally different in Jess. I look for the man that God has planned. I look for patience, for fortitude, for quiet disposition. A comforter, a supporter to his bride. In the eyes of a groom, you'll quickly discover how far down the road he's come in life. And Jess was a trooper, sticking it out through a very hot and humid afternoon, in full tux getup, all to finally say I Do to the girl he loves.

Brittany

We had the pleasure of shooting Brittany just before we left for the mountains. So far she's easily been one of my favorite seniors to shoot this year. She's laid back, casual, fun-loving, and hard-working. She's got a great smile and charm, and she loves to spin and twirl. Those are ingredients for great pictures.

Kristin & Jon

Here are a few shots of Kristin and Jon's wedding. One of Kari's favorite new reception halls, the Museum of Visual Arts.

Alivea and Karter

We're a little behind in posting this week, so I'm going to toss up a triple feature. A family shoot, a wedding, and a senior. That way we can catch up on the images and still try to hold onto the customer service? That's the plan anyway. So, here we go!

We got to take the Weber family out for a play in the park recently. It's been since '05 since we took their pictures last, so it was nice to see Alivea sprouting up so beautifully, looking just like her mom. And now there's Mr. Karter, who is poised to be as tough as dad, built like a brickhouse and ready for anything. He was discovering the feel of new leaves and playground slides while Jen and Alivea played in the milkweed grass. Some of my favorite shoots are a day at the park. They get to play, we get to play, everybody goes home happy :)

The Bighorns in 08

An old friend of mine sent me an email that she was checking the blog, waiting for her Bighorn fix since she knew we'd been camping last week. Ironically, I had this great big panoramic of the mountain range that gets absolutely no justice being sized down on the internet. I was going to send it to her, just to give her a hard time. See, she now lives down on some warm, sunny beach, but she used to be a mountain girl. I used to be green with envy that she lived in the mountains. Now that she's down on the Gulf, I think I'm still a little green. :)
Still, after being back for just a few days, I already miss it. There's not much that compares to hearing a bull elk at suppertime, or having a cup of coffee over the fire with my dad, talking about how someday we're gonna take the horses over that frosty, snow covered pass.