Midwest LifeShots Photography

What are you getting Mom this year?

2011-04-06T15:26:00.000-05:00

At Midwest LifeShots, we know how special Mothers are. Mothers day is right around the corner. Let us help you give her something she'll cherish for a lifetime.

We are offering a Mothers Day Package. This package includes an on-location family session and a 11x14 print, all for just $200.

Session are limited. Contact us today and we'll give you a gift card built just for Mom!

Phone: 507-424-1044
Email: info@midwestlifeshots.com

Baby Liam

2011-03-24T21:50:00.002-05:00

For Liam's newborn session, we welcomed the newest member of the Midwest LifeShots team, Kadi. Kadi has a lot of experience with photographing newborns and we were excited to see what she had in mind for Baby Liam.

We had so much fun photographing Baby Liam! He slept through his entire session. A sleeping baby is a dream for a newborn photographer! As you can see from the photos, the session was a great success!

Worst Wedding Contest

2011-03-11T16:23:00.000-06:00

Do you have a terrible wedding story to share? Was your dress stained? Did your wedding photos turn out blurry? Maybe the officiant never showed up? Did the maid of honor go into labor? Did the photographer forget to take pictures of you with your mom?

Entries are now being accepted for our worst wedding contest! The entry with the most votes will receive:

Hair appointment at Salon Nouvo
Re-created Wedding Just The Couple Photo Session
11x14 print of your choice

This is a great way to celebrate the love in your marriage and get photos that you might have missed on your wedding day!

Submit your story to worstwedding@midwestlifeshots.com

Entries are due March 15th! Get yours in today!

Winter Wonderland 2011

2011-03-10T15:46:00.000-06:00

On February 12th and 13th we held our second annual Winter Wonderland fundraiser. This year our outdoor mini-sessions helped to benefit a local Rochester family in need. All the proceeds from this event went to the Willaert family. Baby Samuel Willaert was born 10 weeks early and spent the first two months of his life in a hospital. The single-income family is struggling financially and we were glad to be able to help in any way we could. We continue to raise money for them through print sales and donations, not to mention daily prayers sent their way. Donations can still be made by contacting us directly.

The event was a great success. We enjoyed hot-cocoa, cookies and lots of laughs. The weather could not have been more perfect over the two day event. Once again, the back of our studio held snow play areas, a snowman and fun winter photo locations. We plan to continue the tradition of Winter Wonderland for years to come! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Afton + Paul Engagement Session - Rochester, MN Photographers

2010-05-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

We really enjoyed photographing these two. They are the cutest couple! They just couldn't stop smiling and Afton especially has an adorable laugh. It's a joy to see this kind of love between two people. Although the Plummer House is a very common place to take pictures, we still love taking couples here because this place is so beautiful and has many different photo opportunities that we get something unique every time. We also tried something new with this couple...a video collage of their shoot! Hope you enjoy :)

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Kristen + Dave - Monticello, IL Photographer

2010-04-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

We had the pleasure of filming Kristen and Dave's engagement session at Allerton Park in Monticello, IL. It's actually kinda funny, Kristen and I went to the same high school in Rochester! And now she lives in IL where her fiance lives. Opposite of Scott and my situation. Small world. Allerton is absolutely gorgeous, there are endless possibilities for pictures. Plus a huge mansion that's kind of fun to pretend you live at :).

Sweet Emily

2010-04-11T09:14:00.000-05:00

Although it's a bit of a, how do I say this...pain in the neck to film your own children we needed to get our Emily's 1 year session done and we did it! I think we got some really cute shots and even successfully did a cake smash with her. She's such a great little baby, can't believe she's a year old already!

Jana + Martin - Rochester, MN Engagement Photographer

2010-03-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

It's so great when you find out the person you're working with works with a friend who's in our bible study. I love that "small world" feeling. We didn't find out until the end but Jana works with our friend. How neat! Anyway, they are such a cute couple and we enjoyed spending some time getting to know them. Here are some shots from our time together:

Winter Wonderland 2010

2010-03-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

This year we held our first annual event to benefit a family in need. This year we chose to raise money for a friend that Scott grew up with. His daughter KK, at 11 months old, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. The family has relocated to St. Judes Medical Center in Memphis, TN where KK is undergoing surgeries and treatment and will continue to do so for several months. They need all the help and prayers they can get.

To raise money, we held a mini-session event where families booked a session and got a free 8x10 plus 5x7 for just $30. The backyard of our studio was turned into a winter wonderland with snow play areas, a huge snowman and several different spots to take pictures. It was a fantastic turnout and we raised over $1000 (our goal). We hope to do something like this every year.

Sophia - Rochester, MN Children Photographer

2010-02-22T19:57:00.000-06:00

After my husband and our photographer Cat took pictures of this little girl, they both kept going on and on about how sweet and cute she was. When I pulled up the pictures to edit them, I couldn't take the smile off my face. What a precious little girl she is! These were taken at our studio.

Haley + Tony - Chatfield, MN Engagement Photographer

2010-02-19T19:19:00.000-06:00

Love these two. We started the day at their gorgeous gorgeous home where we got to film them in their element. After that we headed to downtown Chatfield to capture some more happy moments as a couple. The great thing about these two? They were willing to do anything we suggested...leading to some really fun pictures. Did I mention it was quite chilly and windy too? They were troopers!

Kristin + Ryan - Rochester, MN Engagement Photographer

2010-02-15T19:09:00.000-06:00

SUCH a cute couple! They couldn't stop smiling. This couple was a breeze to work with. They had so much fun together. I'm really excited for their wedding and especially for their Trash the Dress session afterwards. If you don't know what a a Trash the Dress session is, click here for a Wikipedia explanation. I'm not going to give away what we're doing for the session, you'll have to stay tuned :). Here are some shots from their session, filmed at the Plummer House in Rochester.

Brian + Blair's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2010-02-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

Love this couple! They have so much love for each other and know each other so well. I loved the anticipation before she walked down the aisle. Blair is so concerned about others, before Nykkole was pushed down the aisle she told the usher "if she starts getting upset just sing to her" Do you know any other bride that would say this before walking down the aisle at her own wedding? Brian got choked up when he saw her and I don't blame him...she was stunning! While we were taking pictures outside after the wedding, they were troopers! It was freezing and windy. I'll never forget while we were running around trying to get some great shots, a passerby said "only in Minnesota" haha, so true!!

Studio - Rochester, MN Children Photographer

2009-12-29T12:13:00.000-06:00

We really do enjoy the studio. Our goal is to keep on accumulating props and working on expanding our studio business. We want to create a place that's comfortable for our guests as well as offer an array of props for them to use for their children/family. This will take some time but I'm confident we will slowly get there. Here are a few pictures from one of our latest sessions with a 6 month old.

Keegan Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-12-20T12:06:00.000-06:00

We love this family! I think we're making this a yearly event, taking photos of this beautiful family. This is one of the great joys of being a photographer, you get to see these kids grow up and see how they change every year. One of our favorite things to do is go to a family's home and take pictures of them just doing what they normally do. This is also the reason we chose "Lifeshots" for the name of our company.

Paige + Scott's Wedding - Tuscola, IL Wedding Photographer

2009-12-15T11:46:00.000-06:00

We always love going to Illinois to do weddings because we can also visit family. Perfect! Paige and Scott were actually married before he went off to serve our country. But now they wanted an opportunity to celebrate it with friends and family at First Christian Church in Tuscola. It was lovely and beautiful. We always love a bride who is so willing to spend time on the pictures. The reception was held at Ironhorse Golf Club which is where our wedding reception was so it was fun to go back.

Photoshop is our best friend!

2009-12-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

So in the world of photography yes you could probably get everything perfect and right in the camera but let's face it, that's almost impossible to do and would probably take up a lot of time. In the real world, the pictures we take are not perfect...especially when you have a large family and a not-so-large studio and need to do a little work to make it look like you do in fact have a large studio. Wanted to show an example of the amount of time and work we put into a photo to make it look the way it does. We have years of Photoshop experience and it's a lot of fun but takes time and patience too.

Before

After

(yes I know it's not technically the same exact picture but believe me, it's the same effect)

Brice + Jennifer's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-11-28T19:02:00.000-06:00

We filmed this couple's engagement session and had a blast with them!! Luckily some stormy clouds were headed our way because it forced us to reschedule and I think we got some better pictures because of it!! We had been looking forward to this wedding for a long time. Not only because we think these two are such great people, but because we have a lot of mutual friends so it made the day really fun. I love how they wanted to keep the "first time seeing each other" completely private. And they took their time too!! I think this shows how special their relationship is and how much respect and love they have for each other. Although I wish we could've captured those first looks, it's more important that they got what they wanted instead. And they did :) Their wedding was at Hope Summit Christian Church in Rochester, a really cute Church of Christ church that I know lots about because the other Church of Christ church in Rochester and this one went to the same camp!! Again, a small world huh? Then the reception took place at Willow Creek Golf Course. I love this atmosphere because the deck overlooking the golf course is very accessible and a nice way to enjoy the fresh air during the reception.

Ashley + Tim - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-11-23T03:51:00.000-06:00

We were Quarry Hill Nature Center-bound for this photo shoot. I love shooting there because it's so natural with the trees, hiking trails and bridges. Always a great place to take pictures. We loved our time with Ashley and Tim along with their cute (and well-behaved I might add) dog, Avery. My job is usually to call the dog's name to get her attention...haha!! Check out their creative "save the date" picture.

Ihde Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-11-19T03:22:00.000-06:00

Love this family! We've known Denel for years through our other business, Southeast Minnesota Technology. She is such a great and fun person! We met her kids and they're just as fun as she is. We all had a blast and got some great shots...what a photogenic family!! Headed to the Plummer House for this photo shoot and it was a beautiful fall day.

Babies in the Studio - Rochester, MN Newborn Photographer

2009-11-17T03:14:00.000-06:00

LOVE babies in the studio! Even when they cry they're so cute! Ask me if I still think that at 4am :). We're hoping to continue to increase our prop supply to give lots of options for pictures so stay tuned!!

Jones Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-11-14T02:25:00.000-06:00

We had the privilege once again to take pictures of our dear friends, Nate and Suzanne's children at our studio. We love this family and love their little girls. What a difference a year or two makes in children. Age 1-2 is always a really hard age to film because they're running all over the place and they pretty much never smile when you ask them to. It's something we're learning constantly and are getting better (bribing helps alot!!) :) Anyway, so by age 3-4 they are all about the pictures and the posing. These two were quick and easy because they were so cooperative. Love it!

Berg Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-11-12T00:21:00.000-06:00

Ok, so we had a little connection with this family. 1st they have a little girl who is close to Emily's age and 2nd, they're Bears fans!! How could we not love this family?!? We took these shots in our studio and since it was so beautiful outside (you really never know in MN), we headed to the backyard for some pictures too.

Baskett Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-11-06T23:48:00.000-06:00

This was such a fun session! We fell in love with the little girl, she was so sweet and smiled so nicely plus had the best imagination. Then the littlest boy was just ALL over the place. It was really hard to get him to stand still at all. We're really happy we got some cute shots of him...it wasn't easy...course it's not easy being 2 either :)

Paige + Scott - Tuscola, IL Photographer

2009-10-28T23:28:00.000-05:00

We had a fantastic time with Paige, Scott and Victoria at the park. A gorgeous day to be walking through the woods (and taking pictures of course). Cute, cute, cute!!

Sarah + Mike - St. Paul, MN Phographer

2009-10-27T00:14:00.000-05:00

We headed to the James J. Hill Library in St. Paul, MN for Sarah and Mike's engagement session. It was such a fun and unique place to take pictures! We walked around for a while having fun with all the different places to capture their love and devotion to each other.

Benny + Lindsey - Minneapolis, MN Photographer

2009-10-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

LOVE this couple!! They are so much fun and we had a great time filming them in the cities. Pictures always turn out the best when the couple is willing to have fun. We love it! We started at a park and then went to The Basilica of Saint Mary and it was a gorgeous place to take pictures.

Danielle + Burt's Wedding - Plainview, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-10-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

A tiny church just blocks from this couple's old and charming home in the small town of Plainview, MN was where Danielle and Burt were pronounced husband and wife on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Following the wedding was a trip to local bars where they celebrated their nuptials with their closest friends. And after that, a romantic atmosphere for the reception at Whippoorwill Campground in Kellogg, MN. Perfect.

Crissy + Travis' Wedding - Hayfield, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-10-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

Ok so we have a tractor and an old truck that we can use for pictures!! PERFECT! Loved these two and loved the shots we got of them. I think we really captured their personalities and their lifestyle. Just good, simple, country people. Love it!

Austin - Rochester, MN Senior Photographer

2009-10-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

We have known Austin's parents, Rick and Michelle Babcock of Property Brokers of MN, through the real estate business we've been in for years. They're such great people and have always taken an interest in our lives. Austin was easy to photograph and is a wonderful young man, it was an honor to be able to capture his personality with these photos.

Otto Family - Tuscola, IL Photographer

2009-10-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

These 4 people are so dear to us!! They are Scott's Aunt, Uncle and 2 cousins and I am honored to call them my family now also. We look up to Lacrecia and Mike and get along great with Angie and Elizabeth...we're so blessed by this family. We went to Walnut Point State Park and it was gorgeous! Love you guys!!

Andrew + Shannon's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-29T00:32:00.000-05:00

What a creative wedding!! They had 2 receptions plus a carnival theme complete with dress-up clothes and lots of neat decorations. Very fun!

Kristina + Tyler's Wedding - Morton, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time at this wedding. It was at a beautiful place called Gilfillan Estate with lots of scenery...perfect location for a wedding!! Then after the wedding we all headed over to the local casino called Jackpot Junction (where we all stayed for 2 nights) and partied all night long. Such a fun group of people, we had a blast with them. We had storms the day before the wedding and I think we all prayed that night that it wouldn't rain for the wedding. It ended up being a fantastic and beautiful day!!

Nick + Ingrid's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Nick and Ingrid are so adorable together! They couldn't stop kissing each other making it very easy to get some good shots of them. They and their family were very sweet people and you can tell that family is important to both Ingrid and Nick. A wonderful reception followed the ceremony at the Rochester Art Center. We really enjoyed getting to know these two better and be a part of the beginning of their new life together.

Amanda + Andrew's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

You won't find a nicer, sweeter couple than this one. Two amazing people who are God fearing and patiently waited to start their life together once they were married. What a glorious celebration of love!

Joee + Jordan's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

This wedding was so personal and elegant. They wanted just close family members to be present for the ceremony and reception that day which reminded us of our wedding!! The reception, held at Gainey Conference Center in Owatonna, MN, was gorgeous and had the best food we've had yet. What a sweet couple, we were so honored to be able to capture their day!!

My two favorite people...

2009-09-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

The best part of this job? ...working with friends - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-09-16T23:02:00.000-05:00

There are so so many things about this job that are amazing and very gratifying. But it's working with friends that we love the most! We met the Sems last year when they joined our small group from church. They have 2 yr old twins (almost 3) and just had a baby girl in June. Caroline is just two months younger than Emily so hopefully they will become great friends. This family are very special to us and are such a blessing. We've fallen in love with their children and have really enjoyed getting to know Andy and Heidi better too. They own a beautiful home on gorgeous land so what better place is there to take pictures? A few weeks after the photo shoot at their house they came to our studio where we captured some more moments.

Watermelon Seeds = Baby? - Rochester, MN Maternity Photographer

2009-09-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

There's an old wives tale about watermelon seeds and if you swallow one, you will get pregnant. Anna and her sweet husband wanted to play on this tale a little during her maternity session. The two of them were adorable together and you could tell they are so excited to become parents!!

Lexi - Rochester, MN Senior Photographer

2009-09-10T13:12:00.000-05:00

We loved working with Lexi! She is such an amazing person, I've known her for a few years now because she's served along side of me at our church. What a beautiful heart she has and how amazing does she look in these photos?

Kate + Andrew's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-09-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

This wedding was so original. I love how every single wedding is so different and unique to that couple! Kate loves Disney movies so their first dance was to "So Close" from Enchanted. If you haven't seen that movie you have to!! Her bright red shoes added to her fun personality and contrasted well with the seriousness and respectful mood of the military men in uniform. We really enjoyed working with this couple and their families.

Danielle + Burt - Rochester, MN Engagement Photographer

2009-09-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

We did a classic, gorgeous engagement session for Danielle and Burt at the Plummer House in Rochester. I was unable to make this session but Scott said he had a blast!! I think they're such a cute couple and these shots turned out great!

Chloe - Rochester, MN Children's Photographer

2009-07-18T17:23:00.000-05:00

Adorable adorable little 2 year old Chloe posed for some pictures for us and it was so much fun. Her mom works at our church so that's how we're connected with them. She's an amazing Godly woman and has a true gift in working with children and bringing them closer to Christ. Chloe is so blessed to have such God-fearing parents. Here are a few of the moments we captured from this sweetie!!

Jennifer + Brice

2009-07-13T17:17:00.000-05:00

For this engagement session we had originally met up in Rochester. We all decided that since it was cloudy and looking like rain, that we would postpone the session and do it up in the Twin Cities instead. We loved this option because it was a new place to take pictures. They loved it because they lived close by. Perfect! It's funny what a small world this is. Brice is the nephew of my Weight Watchers leader and coworker (since I work part time for Weight Watchers). Which means he's also connected with several of my friends from high school. It's so weird but awesome when that happens. Brice is such a great guy and Jennifer is so easy to talk to and also gorgeous! I'm so excited to film their wedding!!!

More fun with Photoshop!!

Julie + Bob's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-07-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

What an adorable couple! They chose not to see each other before the wedding which I think always makes the day more challenging but in a sneaky fun sort of way. Plus when they actually do see each other it's so special! Julie was so cute, she was nervous like she was going to be meeting Bob for the first time. I loved watching her family and friends share this moment with her. The message during the wedding was quite moving, Julie had expressed to me how much she loved that church and the priest so it was neat that they were able to start their life together at such a special place to both of them.

The guys decided to have a little fun for some photos

Courtney + Isaac's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-07-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

Fun Fun Fun!! This wedding was so much fun! First off, all the bridesmaids were wearing bright orange dresses and bright sunglasses!! Then the party bus didn't show up on time (which was pretty annoying) BUT we got some AWESOME photos because of it! Once the bus finally showed up, we headed over to a local bar then it was off to the reception. They all made their grand entrance in a different fun and creative way. What a great time and awesome families!! Congrats, Courtney and Isaac!!

Carefest 2009 - Rochester, MN Event Photographer

2009-06-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

We've been involved with Carefest for the past 4 years. The first two we did the dirty work by helping paint a school. Then last year we took before and after pictures of several locations to show the difference a community of believers can make!! This year we were honored to be able to take pictures of all the volunteers in action: painting, landscaping, cleaning out lockers...you name it! What amazing servants for Christ!

Winehaven - Twin Cities Commercial Photographer

2009-06-11T16:40:00.000-05:00

We were so excited to be able to take pictures for Winehaven Winery in Chisago City, MN. This wonderful family-owned winery has FANTASTIC wine!! Scott and I had been there a couple years before for the Raspberries and Wine Festival (they have several festivals every year with different themes). We were impressed then and are even more impressed once we got a look behind the scenes of this place.

Ingrid + Nick

2009-06-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

We met this couple in Cannon Falls to shoot their engagement session. This couple was so easy to photograph because they both have such awesome smiles and you can just sense their excitement to finally be married. We started off the session with a glass of wine where we got to know each other a bit better. We thought we would get lots of shots within the winery but we just loved all that downtown Cannon Falls had to offer!

Love this shot of them!!

The power of Photoshop :)

Amanda + Andrew

2009-06-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

What an amazing couple! I (Jen) have actually not met them in person yet because of scheduling conflicts but I really hope to meet them soon. Just through Facebook and what Scott has told me they are truly people of God and obviously live for Him as individuals and as a couple. I love reading about how excited they are to become husband and wife.

Kate + Andrew

2009-06-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun time during this engagement session. It started off with washing off some tables so we could get some cute shots of them sitting outside in downtown Rochester. Then we took them all around the downtown area getting some really cute shots. They were so willing to experiment for us which always leads to more creative results.

Rachel + Brandon's Wedding - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-05-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

Rachel and Brandon got married at Berwood Inn in Lanesboro, MN. This is a fantastic place to get married! It's so gorgeous, you have lodging right there at the bed and breakfast plus the area for a reception is fantastic!! What a great time with friends and family at this wedding. You could tell lots of people love this couple and it was an honor to be a part of their day.

The men started off the day fishing

The beautiful inn

View from the bride and groom's room

Nothing ends a party better than bridemaids rolling down a hill in their dresses...ha ha!!

Chrissy + Travis

2009-05-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

When we first met these two we left talking about what a nice couple they are! Seriously we just enjoyed our time with them so much. Scott was able to capture these pictures of them at the Plummer House. We're excited for their wedding in September!!

Emily's Newborn Session - Rochester, MN Newborn Photographer

2009-05-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

I'll tell ya, doing a session with your own child is definitely harder than with someone else's for some reason. We did two sessions for Emily at our studio, the first one she started crying quite a bit so we decided to come back a few week later to take some more shots. Well...a few weeks with a baby can sometimes turn into a month or more. So finally we got into the studio and took some more shots.

Jay + Jennifer's Wedding - Tuscola, IL Wedding Photographer

2009-05-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

We were blessed to be able to be a part of Jay and Jennifer's big day. Not just as family but as their photographers too. Jay is Scott's younger brother. And of course now that they're married, Jennifer and I have the same name :) It's great having a sister-in-law now!! The wedding was beautiful and we got lots of great shots. Something funny happened actually. They were supposed to be married in Scott's mom's backyard but it was too wet back there so they moved it to the church. Well, that church is in a different county, which means their marriage certificate was in a different county. So their vows were not valid. Luckily the minister realized this and had to pronounce them husband and wife again at the reception. It was something they'll never forget!!

Just a few blocks away - Rochester, MN Wedding Photographer

2009-05-03T15:51:00.000-05:00

Teresa and Lee met each other on the Internet. They chatted for weeks and ultimately discovered they lived only 6 blocks from one another :). They were an incredibly cute couple to photograph and a lot of fun. Here are a couple shots from their big day.

Teresa's Mom watching her daughter get ready on her big day

The couple leaving the altar

This was a fun one to edit. Would you believe that nearly half the building behind them is fake?

I had so much fun making this one! The bride was sure that a tornado would hit her wedding...so I made it do so digitally.

Computer Danamics

2009-04-07T16:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning we took pictures of a fantastic team of people who work for Computer Danamics in Chatfield, MN. They are a service organization providing a full range of Information Technology support services to the business, education and private user communities. They were all so pleasant and easy to work with!!

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Smile! No...really - Rochester, MN Studio and Family Photographer

2009-04-07T15:05:00.000-05:00

So maybe we're a bit biased but this might be one of the cutest sessions we've done. We spent some time with Abby and Ryan in our studio a few weeks ago and captured their smiles....their REAL smiles :) Don't you just love the fake smiles that kids give when you ask them to smile? Well it just took Elmo eating Uncle Scott's head to get them to give us something a little more genuine.

Julie + Bob

2009-04-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

Julie and Bob are adorable! We met at the Plummer House to get some engagement photos for them. They are so cute, it's almost as if you just introduced them and they can't stop flirting. You can tell that he makes her smile and laugh...in fact we had a hard time getting some more serious shots from them. Which proves that we'll just focus on getting fun and smiling shots instead! We love it, we can't help but smile when we edit and look at these pictures. So much fun! You can tell they especially had a ball towards the end when they showed their true (and opposite) colors :)

Courtney + Isaac

2009-04-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

On a cold and very windy Saturday morning we drove to Quarry Hill to meet Courtney and Isaac for an engagement session. Because it was so frigid we decided it would be better to take some shots in our studio and reschedule our outdoor session. The studio was a lot of fun with them. They were so easy to photograph, she has such a genuine smile! For our outdoor session about a week later we headed back to Quarry Hill and enjoyed the hour together. Her mom even brought her little boy for a few pictures with him too. His little nose got red because it was still a little chilly outside. They're getting married on July 4th :)

Our First Maternity Session - Rochester, MN Maternity Photographer

2009-03-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

We had the pleasure of filming our first maternity session yesterday. Luckily we have a pretty easy and available subject...me! We had so much fun...we would've experimented for hours if we could. Scott had wonderful vision for these photos!

Bigelow Homes - Rochester, MN Commercial Photographer

2009-03-06T17:00:00.000-06:00

We recently had the opportunity to take some pictures for a local building company called Bigelow Homes. We've known several of the people that work for this company for years and were honored to be able to take pictures for them. I think it's nice to be able to capture their team in their workplace vs doing something in a studio. Makes it much more personal.

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Slager Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2009-02-05T15:52:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Slager's home! The two little ones, Emily and Connor, were such angels the entire time we filmed them. Emily was shy at first but eventually opened up and started showing off all her toys (and her boots). Downstairs there was more fun...it's amazing how much joy a little girl can get out of throwing a ball :)

Winter in Minnesota

2009-02-05T14:52:00.000-06:00

We had the pleasure of filming some land for a client. These folks have owned this incredible piece of property for about 20 years and are finally getting ready to build a house and move there. The setting is very peaceful with a creek that runs through the backyard. We also noticed several deer beds on our walk through the woods! This is a dream property and absolutely gorgeous!

Brian + Blair

2009-01-14T15:05:00.000-06:00

Brian and Blair are going to be married this December. We had the pleasure of taking them out for engagement photos around Rochester. What a joy this was! We went to the Plummer House for some classic poses, Downtown Rochester for some urban shots and Silver Lake for some fun photos in the snow. As you can tell from the photos, Blair is gorgeous and extremely photogenic so it was easy capturing her. Brian's love and adoration for Blair shows through the way he looks at her and the way he talks about her (with or without her around). It was a very cold and windy day but if you ask me, you can't even tell from the pictures...they're such great models!

Christmas in (and out of) the Studio - Rochester, MN Family and Studio Photographer

2009-01-13T13:25:00.000-06:00

The world of photography around here has been busy. We've mainly been busy scheduling weddings for this new year and preparing ourselves for that. Studio sessions aren't quite as frequent as on-location shoots. We love doing location shoots! It really brings out the personality of you and your family much better than studio pictures. The studio still works great for babies, professional headshots and those extremely cold days like today. Below are some of the pictures we've been busy working on over the past few months:

Keegan Family

Dokken Family

Heise Family

Lazan Family (practicing in the studio)

Abby being silly

Elder Family Christmas

A collage I put together for my sister-in-law (we made gifts this year as a big family)

Midwest LifeShots Christmas

Headshots for $39.95

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Friends Are The Best Guinea Pigs!

2008-12-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

Through our Church, we were lucky enough to meet many wonderful people. Many of them grace our blog and website as our favorite guinea pigs :). Eric & Leah Schiller were two of the first people we met at our Bible study and we've remained close friends with them for nearly 4 years now. They needed Christmas card photos and we jumped on it!

Christmas Studio Session - Rochester, MN Studio Photographer

2008-11-26T21:34:00.000-06:00

We had a blast this past weekend with a Christmas session. While wrapping up presents the night before, Jen & I planned out a few photographs for the session, including some cute ones with the kids in Santa hats and trimming the tree.

I love this shot of the three kids

Father and son

All the family

Newborn Session - Rochester, MN Newborn Photographer

2008-11-26T20:51:00.000-06:00

One week ago we welcomed our first infant into the studio. Josh was as cooperative as a baby could have been during his session.

Blue Screen Fun!

2008-11-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

One of the elements of this job that makes us jump out of bed in the morning to get to work is the freedom of experimentation. When some friends mentioned they'd like to attempt a farmer look with their little boy, we glanced out the window to see that Minnesota weather had put a halt on anything fun outside. The lightbulb went off and we got to work. Here are a few of the before and after shots from the blue screen fun we had with little Christopher.

Here he is sitting in the wagon. We couldn't resist trying to get a cute Radio Flyer shot.

And we were able to with a little magic!

We were told Christopher was a big fan of playing with tractors, so we wanted to get a shot of the little guy looking like a farmer.

And a little more magic...

There really are no boundaries with photography and technology nowadays. Having been trained in Photoshop has opened doors for photography capabilities we can't begin to count. Jen & I are at our happiest when we are behind a camera or a computer making a photograph for clients and it shows in our work!

Studio is operational!

2008-11-06T15:44:00.000-06:00

Our studio is up and running! We're now scheduling appointments and have our new sign out front to welcome guests:

We've had some fun posing to this point, with Gus, our pug...

As well as jumping in front of the lights ourselves a few times...

I even had a few minutes to play...

We're very excited. You can now book your studio session or event photography. Contact us at info@midwestlifeshots.com or give us a call at 507-280-6400 to schedule an appointment.

A stroll through the park...

2008-10-09T14:39:00.000-05:00

Jen & I had the opportunity to photograph the Olson family recently. Lindsay, her husband Chris, 3 year old son Ashton and 1 year old son Aidan joined us as we walked trails, posed nicely and played randomly. It was a very enjoyable morning and we came away with some great photographs!

Gale Woods Farm wedding - Minnetrista, MN Wedding Photographer

2008-10-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Allison Ishizaki and Jason Helgren tied the knot on September 28th, 2008. Gale Woods Farm was the setting for what turned out to be a beautiful day. More pictures are coming, but I couldn't resist putting up a few right away. Congrats again to the beautiful couple!

Bob & Dawn Davis

2008-09-26T09:13:00.000-05:00

Always furthering our photography skills, Jen & I attended an all-day seminar with Bob & Dawn Davis, two photographers from Chicago. The two work as a husband/wife team, which was intriguing to us, obviously. Bob is the photographer and Dawn is the photoshopper/album designer.

Having filmed Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding and being a go-to photographer for Oprah, I was very interested in seeing what Bob could teach us. We learned much about lighting from Bob. He took us outside to show us high speed flash sync. Here he is taking what I call the "rockstar" photo of our friend Robin and her daughter Brynn:

For the geeks out there, this is the result of using high speed flash sync in manual mode. It stays strictly TTL the entire time for metering and there is no flash on camera. Now back to plain English :). Here is Bob showing me the result in camera:

It was a great day and we learned a lot from Bob & Dawn. We email each other back and forth now and Jen & I look forward to a future session when they tour again.

Website Is Up!

2008-09-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

After months of preparation and many revisions, I'm happy to announce that our website, http://www.midwestlifeshots.com/ is up and running! Take a look and feel free to provide feedback. The homepage has a slideshow on it with music to peek at some of our work. If you want to browse the client section and see a gallery of a client, type "ellie" as the password. A special thanks to those friends and family members who were willing to be guinea pigs during our experimentation. With our studio opening on November 3rd, we are now set to accept appointments and have another month to practice. If anyone would like to be experimented on, send me an email at scott@midwestlifeshots.com or comment on the site.

Here's a screen shot:

Christ Community Church concert - Rochester, MN Event Photographer

2008-09-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Christ Community Church is our Church home in Rochester, MN. We offer our services to them free of charge and love to help showcase their activities. Recently we were able to photograph a concert held for their Impact Teenage Ministries group, where the Christian rock group Bensonwells performed.

Elder Family Trip - Labor Day 2008

2008-09-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

Every Labor Day, the Elders from Illinois and Elders from Minnesota rent a cabin in Laurie, MO, nestled in a little cove on Lake of the Ozarks. Though we don't do much as far as activity goes, the state of relaxation we reach there gives us a nice break from reality.

One of the features I (and my father) enjoy the most about the cabin is the porch and its steady stream of hummingbird activity. I set out with a goal of obtaining a few shots of the little guys, which proved quite difficult. Here is what I was able to get:

In addition to the porch area, the cabin features a little dock, where Spencer had a great time feeding the ducks with his Grandpa Tuck and Grandma Sue.

Jones Family - Rochester, MN Family Photographer

2008-09-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Midwest LifeShots Photography had its first official photography session with the Jones family. Nate & Suzanne are great friends and we had a great time taking photographs of their family. Here are a few photographs from the day.

Lightning

2008-09-04T11:41:00.001-05:00

I couldn't resist trying to get a shot of the lightning near our house this past storm:

MEL Vacation 2008

2008-09-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

Every year we attempt to get the entire family on Jen's side together to enjoy a vacation. This year the McCasland, Elder, Lazan (MEL) trip was to Brainerd, MN. We rented a cabin in the area and had a great time. Though it is still a family trip, we can't resist bringing our cameras :). Here are some pics:

Jen & Ryan on the tube

Laura & Ryan

Abby

Crabby Abby

Kristin & Ryan on the tube

Laura & Abby

I love these dock shots

Abby w/ Grandma

I call this one "waiting his turn"

Love that juicebox

This girl loves her bubbles

Jen, eating healthy as always

Light painting - a blast with photography
My favorite of the trip

We're Blogging!

2008-08-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

We have just started our Photography Blog! Keep coming back to see updates on our clients.