- Emily Bronte

Today is a fabulous day.  A the-sun-is-shining-and-the-birds-are-singing-and-the-air-couldn’t-possibly-be-fresher kind of day, and I am celebrating two things.  The first being that Mozi Magazine was kind enough to feature images from my styled and masked bridal shoot from last fall, along with a few words of mine pertaining to being a standout in a seemingly endless sea of wedding photographers.  To have been selected as the photographer to answer that question is incredibly thrilling and humbling — the fact that they actually printed it, even more so.  I can’t thank Mozi enough for putting together such a beautiful spread of my work.  (To order your own digital and/or printed copy, go here and enjoy the goodness :)

(Image courtesy of Mozi Magazine.)

As if that wasn’t amazing enough, I get to share this engagement session today as well :)  I wish I could think of the words to describe how delightful this engagement session was.  How this couple’s enthusiasm and energy was contagious, how their love for each other was as evident as the sun in the sky.  How great of a joy it is to create imagery from this chapter in their lives, and in the very near future, their Michigan wedding.  I am simply just beside myself with excitement, and couldn’t be more happy to work alongside such amazing people (Emilee is a photographer herself as well, see her gorgeous work here!)

Enjoy the collection of images that we created together, inspired by love, golf, and glitter … a celebration of these two beautiful souls.

xo,

Kelsea

Life sounds like
I’m alive

-Michael Franti and Spearhead, “I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like.)”

So many thing have been happening lately.

Work.

Life.

Chickens.

(Mustn’t forget those ;)

I also wrote an article which was included in the printed edition of The Sandbucket Issue Five (released last week — go see!) inspired by how our daily, our stories, happen in the details.  Our lives happen in the backyard, in the sunshine, at the dinner table, in the nightly bath time ritual…and while these may come to seem routine, they are fleeting gifts of time.  And we owe it to ourselves to be present for them.

To not only be aware,

but to be focused on them.  To put away the distractions, the To Do’s and the I Shoulds, and to truly be in the moments happening in front of you.  While they are happening.

After submitting this article, my family and I went on a vacation.  Nothing but sunshine, ocean, plus us for seven days…and at some point during the week I realized that I was only just beginning to truly understand my own written words.  To truly live and appreciate the weight of them.  This time with my family…the person crazy enough to love me for death do us part, and the three tiny humans we were crazy enough to bring into this world…was nothing short of pure, unexplainable bliss.  We lived minimally, snubbed technology’s gadgets, and focused just on loving life and each other.  We had our share of adventure…roadside stranding, a mild jelly fish sting, a minor meltdown at the loss of a roll of film (oops ;) … but I wouldn’t change a single minute of our week together.

Isn’t it funny how getting away from all that you’re working towards magnifies what you really value?

(New goal:  Oceanside property.

I’m kidding.

Well, sort of ;)

Below are some of my favorite snippets from our great south Florida getaway.  A combination of both digital and film imagery (Mostly film.  I have recently acquired an older Pentax K1000 which I have been enjoying creating with — exploring the unique qualities of film in an old camera has become my newest obsession.)  This is us, this is our story, and while our surroundings might now be different, the details worth focusing on are the same.

This is us, alive.

And this is what it looks like :)

I say we do it again :)

xo,

Kelsea

You want me down on earth, but I am up in space

…

I don’t care, I love it.

I don’t care, I love it, I love it.

I don’t care, I love it.

-Icona Pop, “I Love It”

I like to think that inside each of us, there is a rock star.  A version of ourselves that only wants to play her (or his!) music much too loud, shake her hair free of cares and worries, and shout to the world at the top of her lungs … simply to revel in the fun of it all.

This winter, I collaborated with two other incredibly amazing creative minds, Lisa and Ashley, and together we designed a styled bridal shoot that radiated this fundamental core at every turn.  Drawing inspiration from the increasingly popular “Trash The Dress” trend, we found a willing dress + a willing model, rented a studio space, then combined them with a collection of purposeful details and vivid fashion.  What we created was an icon of inspiration for the celebration of color — vibrant and unafraid — and loudly embracing the art of life.  Of throwing paint against the palate of white and loving it with wild abandon.  A visual representation of playing your music too loud and saying to the world, “I don’t care.  I love it.”

(Be sure to take note of the list of vendors at the end — I truly was fortunate to work with such a fantastic group of visionaries :)

Photography  |  Simplee Photography

Venue  |  Minneapolis Photo Center

Model  |  Melody Fiscus

Hair and Makeup  |  Lisa Reinhardt Makeup & Hair Artistry

Coordinator  |  Simply Elegant Bridal Consulting  |  Blush and Whim

Floral  |  Donato’s Floral

Wedding Gown Redesign  |  JenMar Creations

xo,

Kelsea

-Roald Dahl

We may not have true spring weather yet….

but nonsense?

That we have in abundance :)

xo,

Kelsea

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

-Winston Churchill

This business.  Simplee.  It is a labor of love, and an outpouring of my heart into the pixels you see on this blog.  It is a dream that I hope will continue for the forever of my existence, and none of it would be possible without the wonderful clients who have supported me along the way.  To each of you I give my love, a hug, and extremely humble gratitude.  I wish I could give each of you the world, but unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to accomplish that quite yet ;)  So, for now, I will give away one of my favorite things to one very lucky client.

A 16 x 20″ canvas wrap!

Of an image of their choice from one of their sessions!  (Clients:  you will not be required to select the image featured below for your canvas.)

EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeek!  (Translation:  I’m super excited about this :)

How It Works:    Below are numbered images representing clients from 2012 to present.  To vote for an image:

1) Make sure you have “liked” the Simplee Photography facebook page here.

2) Submit a comment at the end of this post stating the number of the image that you would like to vote for.  Voters are permitted one vote per day.  The image with the most votes wins!

3) Voting will be open until 11:59pm CST Monday April 15, 2013.  The winner will be contacted via email.

Friends, I hope you have as much fun with this contest as I did putting it together :)  To revisit all of the fun from the past year was incredible, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you who have stepped out in front of my lens.  You are all my favorite :)  And now, in no particular order….

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

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18.

19.

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21.

22.

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25.

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31.

Good luck!

xo,

Kelsea

To capture this story I traveled a total of 419.52 miles, and every mile was worth it.  Meeting this mother and newborn son, being welcomed into their home as a friend, and sharing in the start of their new life together was incredible.  The bond of love that exists between the two is inspiring and heart warming, and the pure goodness in an adoption is beautiful.  It is as if to say…

“Hello there, little love.

I am your mother.  And I grew you in my heart.”

xo,

Kelsea

Three months.

Six months.

At their nine month session, we high tailed it out of the studio and into a nearby coffee house, bringing our best hipster cool along for the ride.  I don’t know who had more fun — me, or these two.

For now, I think we’ll just call it a tie ;)

xo,

Kelsea

xo,

Kelsea

Below is a collage of cell-phone snapped images from my tour, with links to the featured venues following.  (And to those amazing new friends within the “other wedding creatives” category?  I am so so so glad to have met you :)

Enjoy this random collection of beautiful things!

Thanks and love to these venues:

St. Paul College Club

The Event Gallery

Blaisdell Manor | Three Sons Signature Cuisine

Van Dusen Masion

Gale Mansion

xo,

Kelsea

-James Earl Jones

Sometimes…

there just aren’t words.

Only the art that is made when you close your eyes…

and see.

Thank you, J + B, for this engagement session beyond words.  I cannot wait to be a part of your wedding celebration :)

xo,

Kelsea