Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Summer Weddings 2011

Here are two weddings shot in 2011 both of which were a short trip to the East. Ashley and Jordan were married near Ashley's family cabin in Wisconsin. Katrina and Matt chose our former hometown of Stillwater Minnesota. Both were outdoor ceremonies on exceptional days.
Katrina and Matt were married at the Stillwater Library on the rooftop terrace. Much of their wedding photography was relaxed including the family dog.

The library was open when we began shooting, but we were allowed to wander the stacks. Katrina and Matt taking a well deserved rest in the children's section.

Those are some big sunflowers in that bouquet.

Flower girl and ring bearer doing their job of looking very very cute. It's a wedding photographer's job to make sure he/she doesn't spend more time on them than the bride and groom.

The rooftop terrace on the new addition to the Stillwater Library.  This pergola is a nice touch and is a great frame for a ceremony. The spires of Stillwater in the background are sites of many other weddings that we have shot in this lovely river town.

Katrina and Matt at the gazebo on the riverfront in Stillwater. We got about town in one of the trolleys that Stillwater is known for. Plenty of site in town for great backdrops for the wedding photographer.

Ashley at the family cabin preparing to get dressed. Sandhill Photography has been there for many of Ashley's family occasions and portraits.

Ashley's wedding dress laid out. Sandhill Photography will provide plenty of detail shots such as this.

Ashley and a passing raincloud. The weather cooperated when it mattered. Sandhill Photography  is willing to put in the extra time to cover preparations and multiple locations for your wedding photography.

Ashley and the ladies at the cabin prior to the ceremony.

Ashley and Dad starting down the aisle. Formal photos were to come later after the ceremony by the lake. Sandhill Photography Minneapollis MN.

String quartet through the tent window.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

More 2011 Wedding Photography by Sandhill Photography of Minneapolis

Here are three more weddings from 2011. Sandhill Photography had the pleasure of being the wedding photographer for two couples with Minneapolis connections and one in  Stillwater Minnesota. We got our start shooting weddings in Stillwater and enjoy returning there whenever possible. The Schmloke family makes that easy for us as Joanna is the third Schmolke that we've photographed. Now that we live in Minneapolis Minnesota, it's a little more typical for us to be shooting closer to the center of the Twin Cities. Kristine and Phil chose Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis for their outdoor wedding, while Jo and Tim's reception was at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis.
Jo and Tim outside the Woman's Club of Minneapolis. With Loring Park right across the street and this lovely colonnade on the back of the building, there are many indoor and outdoor wedding photography possibilities.

Jo and Tim taking a quiet moment to enjoy the sunset over Minneapolis. The Woman's Club of Minneapolis offers it's rooftop patio as a location for a unique view of Loring Park and the Basilica. Truly one of the premier wedding photography venues in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota.

Jo and Tim about to cut the cake.  They along with their families we so much fun to work with. The Woman's Club of Minneapolis has great banquet and reception facilities plus a spacious dance floor.

Joanna taking a break during her  Stillwater Minnesota wedding photography session. Daughter number three for Sanhill Photography now of Minneapolis.

Joanna and John post ceremony, strolling down to their reception at the Grand in Stillwater Minnesota. Things are nice and compact in downtown Stillwater, so on a warm summer afternoon why not just walk to your reception four blocks away.  Wedding photography by Pat O'Loughlin of Sanhill Photography Minneapolis, MN.

Kristine and Phil strolling through the arbor at Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Kristine and Phil live in the neighborhood as do I. The wedding day was our second shoot together near the Mississippi, with our first being their engagement session at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul MN. Sandhill Photography includes a relaxed engagement shoot in most  wedding packages. It's at the engagement shoot that we establish the rapport that translates into natural shots for the wedding photography.

The John H. Stevens house in Minnehaha Falls Park makes a great backdrop for wedding photography. Great fall colors didn't hurt either. The Park is a great location for an outdoor wedding in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Mn.

Kristine and Phil post vows and on their way to the reception.

Kristine and Phil with that special embrace just after their ceremony. Thanks you two for allowing Sandhill Photography to be your wedding photographer.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Besides Weddings and Events we do Architectural Photography

I really enjoy the challenge of capturing spaces. Here are a selection of photos from a shoot I did for Sunrise Design and Construction. This was a very tasteful addition, kitchen remodel and backyard landscaping job in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul MN. Sandhill Photography is available to architects, designers, builders, and homeowners for their architectural photography needs.
Sun-room addition complete with contented cat.
Not your typical bungalow kitchen. Plenty of detail work and flawless cherry cabinetry. I have to admit that I like shooting kitchens more than any other space. Architectural photography is growing on me.

 
The addition on the back of the the St. Paul home gave the homeowners a spacious laundry and a sun room. Sunrise Design and Construction was also contracted for the landscaping.

Sandhill Photography can cover your architectural photography needs throughout the Twin Cities and central Minnesota.
Detail for tile and granite.
Another angle on the kitchen remodel. Architectural photography by Sandhill Photography of Minneapolis Minnesota.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Sandhill Photography Summer Weddings 2011

Sandhill Photography had another wedding filled summer in 2011, here are a few summer weddings in photographs.


Rachel and Nick's wedding included almost all of my favorite St. Paul wedding locations for ceremony, reception, and photography. They included the St. Paul Hotel, Rice Park, Irvine Park, and the Minnesota History Center.

A stroll around Rice Park in downtown St. Paul MN will always allow for a lovely shaded spot against at least one of the historic buildings located there. The James J. Hill Reference Library was the backdrop for an intimate series of shots.

A Bentley is nice, but a Bentley with a sunroof is even nicer. Rachel and Nick post ceremony at Irvine Park. It can't get any better for a wedding photographer, but wait, it does. Off to the state capitol and then the Minnesota History Center.

Interior of the Bentley, no explanation necessary.

Under the rotunda and the Minnesota History Center. It's a nice perk for a wedding photographer to be include in meals such as this. The Twin Cities has so many great spaces to celebrate a wedding and provide great staging for photography.
Sunset outside the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul with the state capital in the background. The History Center has a beautiful terrace for summer weddings and other events. Sunset is a wedding photographers golden moment for great light.

Shauna and Andrew high atop the Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Great penthouse, unique geodesic dome and views galore.

Sandhill Photography likes to capture the small but special details when they do your wedding photography.
 

Monday, November 28, 2011

Engagment Photos

An engagement shoot is part of our wedding photography package. Most start right outside our door with a stroll down to the Mississippi River. Sometimes we drive a mile or two up or down stream and take advantage of popular locations such as the Stone Arch Bridge, St. Thomas Campus, Hidden Falls, or Minnehaha Falls. Here are a few examples.
Alex and Kim on the bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. This is often where we go when we walk out our front door for an engagement shoot. This is included in the Sandhill Photography wedding photography package.
Andy and Shannon on the St. Paul bank of the Mississippi. Love to shoot here at sunset in the fall. We take our time and spend up to an hour and a half per engagement shoot, always waiting for the golden moment at sunset.
Bret and Erica in Brackett park. This is right across the street from our house in Minneapolis. I try and mix up the locations and the styles of shooting so that the couple receives at least 20 special images. Usually that number is more like 50-70. 

I guess I'm lucky to live where I do, there are so many special spots along the river road here in the Twin Cities. The is the St. Paul side at the chapel doors on the campus of the St. Paul Seminary. This is my go to spot when forced to do a mid day shoot. This is the north side of the building and always a sure thing for great light. Corey and Monica's engagement shoot was a great time to get to know the couple in preparation for their wedding photography at the Calhoun Beach Club.
Just upriver from our house is downtown Minneapolis and the Stone Arch Bridge. I'm not the only photographer usually shooing here, but I am more willing than most to exploit some of the lesser known gems to be found on either bank. Espen and Petroula in the fall.

Gaining on some of my other favorite spots are the abandoned mills on the west bank opposite downtown Minneapolis. John and Joanna amidst the rubble with an elevator in the background. I get to spend more time with the couple here than on a very busy wedding day. Joanna was the third sister in her family that I've had the privilege to be the wedding photographer.
Maggie and Jason on the East Bank side of the Stone Arch Bridge. The Mill city Museum ruins is behind them. For a Minneapolis wedding photographer, this area offers so many options at all hours of the day.
Phil and Kristine requested that we hike up to Hidden Falls in St. Paul, MN. While I've been in this park many times, I had never walked up to the falls. The flow here must be intermittent, but we were blessed enough this day for wet background. Shocking for the wedding photographer to realize just how little light a thick Minnesota forest allows to penetrate.  
Back to the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. This time underneath. The downtown side offers access to a few spots to shoot under the arches. Stephanie and Josh here the winter before their New Years Eve wedding. We had snow that year.
We give our clients both color and black and white versions of everything. Sean and Jumi in a moment of glee amidst the ruins of the old tail race for the water powered mills in Minneapolis.
That's a big cherry and a well photographed one also. This is becoming one of the signature photo backdrops for the city of Minneapolis. Alissa and Walter relaxed among a long list of rather large props here in the Sculpture Garden  for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Proof Book Covers

Katie and Aaron at sunset in Kozlak's garden.
Kristine and Phil were blessed with wonderful fall weather and color for their ceremony at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.              
Erin and Tim held their wedding reception at Silverwood Park. Silverwood is a lovely location and part of the Three Rivers Park District. I highly recommend this venue.


Kim and Alex newly married on the newly refurbished bridge at the Japanese Peace Park in Minneapolis.
A winter wedding for Rachel and David at the Como Conservatory in St. Paul Minnesota.