Senior Model Session - Miranda | Lakefield, MN Senior Photography

Too many amazing images to choose from! That was the problem I faced when I sat down to grab a few pictures of Miranda. Kari Mertz of Kari Mertz Photography came down to shoot with me and we work so well together we always wish we were a little closer so that we could shoot more together. We seem to have a good artistic ying and yang and have a ton of fun besides. Plus Kari is always game to shoot in the Okoboji area as she thinks it's one of the neatest places around! We started off shooting in some familiar locations, and in the process of doing a U-turn found a neat ole pick up we grabbed a few very quick shots with besides. By this time the light was fading fast so we had to move into a scramble to do all we could before the light was gone. Miranda has the biggest eyes and a suitcase full of adorable clothing and a kind sweet personality that shines through. Stay tuned (is that the right word for a blog?) for more posts from our senior model shoot out in the Iowa Lakes. Adrienne and Audrey from the Senior Class of 2013 are coming up next!! Don't forget to feed the blog! Your comments are always welcome! You can check out ALISON STUMPF PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook for more Senior Photography images, tips and updates!

Vintage Woods Walk Session | Okoboji Parks Children Photography

Vintage Woods Walk seems a fitting title for these images~ I brought a variety of vintage props for this children's session. The Okoboji and Spirit Lake, Iowa - Great Lakes Area offer a variety of great background greenery for the session and Mady and Chase were the perfect models. Even Mady's American Girl doll got in on the shoot. (she proved to be a most cooperative subject as well). The vintage tone to the images add to the nostalgia of the days of childhood...when playing with dolls, tea parties and just having a relaxing day is all part of the summer experience. My own daughter's been complaining of her over-scheuled summer life. I remember my own childhood as being busy, but filled with intermittent days of nothing that allowed time to make mud pies and pick flowers from the garden and having time to just do... nothing. Maybe it's time to grab a doll and take a walk in the woods, or a picnic lunch at a park. I love these images because that is just what they speak to...the sweet nostalgic days of summer.

Your hands tell a story | Art Portraiture | Big Buddies

I've been volunteering my time as a photographer the last couple years to a local organization that is dedicated to pairing adults with kids who would benefit from a one on one mentor and friend. BIG BUDDIES of Jackson County, MN believes that it is the responsibility of adults to provide every child with the resources and opportunities needed to grow and mature. One of their youth projects involves bring youth into local nursing homes to interview residents and learn about their life and interests. It's a great opportunity to build relationships across generations and the kids learn that everyone has a story! The residents stories are written up and framed with a photograph featuring just their hands and an item that related to an important part of their story. The frames are given to residents and are often cherished by them and their families. Here are a few samples of the images captured this past year.

When's the last time you did family portraits? | Family PIctures Okoboji, Iowa

When is the last time you've had a family portrait done? Hey, trust me-- I understand from a mother's perspective it can sound like a lot of prep work. Finding the right outfits, buffing the kids up all nice and clean. And occasionally dad's have about 25 things on their list that they'd rather do too... but it's one of those things that you never look back at and think, 'Boy, I wish we'd never done that!" In fact, it's always a memory worth making. It's always amazing to me when I look back on my own family portrait how the kids change from one year to the next. I've gotten in the mode of doing at least one of my own every year that I simply don't want to break the cycle now! This lovely family came to me last summer and was delightful to work with. I especially always love cooperative dads! Hey- again...painless, right? Fall is often a time when families' think about doing portraits in preparation for holiday cards and greetings, but summer is a fantastic time as well. Especially in a rural area when the field work is done. Family vacations make a great time when the gang is all together and gathered at the lake home or cabin. If you're a visitor to the Iowa Great Lakes, Okoboji or Arnold's Park- we're only 20 miles away and are willing to come to you if you prefer. Take advantage of the sun, summer tans and family fun to document your family in the Summer of 2012!

2013 SENIOR PICTURES | Jackson, MN Boy Senior Pictures

Senior picture season is gearing up at Alison Stumpf Photography! It's an exciting time for 2013 Seniors....colleges to consider and senior year and for some the last year of their high school career seems a ways off....there's summer jobs and the beach to think about after all! June and July are great months to think about getting your senior portraits scheduled. The light is lovely and there tends to be a little more flexibility in the schedule than when school starts and family sessions begin booking. One of the best compliments I hear after a senior boy sessions is, "Hey, that wasn't so bad...it was actually sorta fun!" Sometimes senior boys aren't thrilled with the idea of senior pictures, but I will say I hear that it 'wasn't so bad' pretty consistently after sessions. After all, you don't just want great professional senior pictures..you want it to be painless as well. It's time to catch up the blog and I thought featuring some of the 2012 seniors would be a timely way to do it. If you're looking at booking a senior session- and do so today thru Monday, June 4th, you'll receive a FREE iphone cover with your session. Check out the ALISON STUMPF PHOTOGRAPHY Facebook page for more information.

Jack 6 months | Fairmont Baby Pictures| Portraits

I've had some happy babies in studio lately. I'm always in awe when moms and dads bring in these happy go lucky little souls who sometimes travel many miles to see me. First, because my own children never sat in a car seat for more than 2 minutes without letting go in a fit, and secondly because it's such an honor to know people are willing to put on the miles to have their baby's and newborn portraits done at our studio. At 6 months old, some babies can sit while others are a bit less stable- so I try to be ready with a variety of ideas depending on baby's abilities and what I have in my mind's eye for creating that day. Jack kept smiling through it all. Since Jack is one of our "Watch Me Grow" Baby planners so he'll receive a collage at the completion of his 12 month session featuring an image at each of his sessions. Even tho I'm a mom of three it always amazes me to see how these little ones change in that year. Creating the baby plan collages are one of my favorite parts of my job. Here are a few peeks of Jack's session.

Layden- Super Baby! | Baby Photography | Okoboji Photography

My last few sessions I've had a rush of SUPER BABIES...Kade was my newborn who could lift his head up already at his newborn shoot and then comes 3 month old Layden who could sit up for a few seconds and even support himself on his legs for a few seconds. What are they putting in the water, uh...milk!? Layden is a little cowpoke and he is a joy to photograph. It's always so amazing how much babies change from that newborn session to the 3 month session when they fill out. It's one of the most significant transformations and it always makes me sad that I never captured the newborn portraits with my oldest two children, which was before I started doing photography. Occassionally someone will say to me that they don't want to do newborn portraits because they 'change so fast anyway" and I think "THAT is exactly WHY you do them!". I love little Layden's big eyes and even though we disrupted his nap he was a little trooper.