minneapolis photographer | jennifer witt photography

I love this family. The girls and I are intertwined through the friendship that our parents share. I started off with the plan of just doing one of the family’s photos and then I got an e-mail that they wanted pictures of all the kids and grandkids. I was so excited to be able to get images of ALL of them! A family tree session typically consists of mini sessions (10-15 photos instead of the usual 20-30) for all the families plus a mini session for the large group shots. In the middle of the shoot John and Julie let me know that we were at the same location that they got married! They then went on to say that their photographer didn’t get any photos of just the two of them on that day. I felt honored to go back to the spot where the wedding family photos were taken and to give them some photos of just the two of them. I found out later they both cried as they looked through the slideshow. I know it is not always fun to get photos taken but what an amazing gift to give your family! It was an awesome experience and it was a beautiful day so the kids had a blast. Thanks for letting me capture your connections R family!

I had the pleasure of photographing 3 sweet girls and their parents this past weekend. I traveled to my hometown of Algona, IA to do this shoot as well as a large “family tree” type session (stay tuned for that blog!). These girls were fantastic. They were totally diva-licious. Not in an I-only-want-red-m&m’s-in-my-dressing-room way but in an I’m-gonna-rock-this-shoot sorta way! I had to QUICK take shots of anything that could even be considered a posed shot because one or two shots in the arms would start flaring out and the hands went on the hips and these girls totally rocked the camera. It made for a fabulously fun session. I LOVE the first photo below, B was snuggling her sisters. ADORABLE! Even though Baby P wasn’t so thrilled about her sisters holding her today (diva in-training?), she held her own when she saw the camera coming. Thanks R Family for letting me photograph your beautiful and vivacious family!

Wow, I can’t believe fall is upon us already! Around here the weather got so fall-ish last week and then this weekend it was back into the 80′s. I am not complaining, but it did make the N family have to tough it out in sweaters for a bit while we took the pictures. Nevermind that, however, because this family knows how to get their pictures taken. The girls were so natural in front of the camera and they all just fell in to place for each picture. They made my part of the afternoon super easy! Here are a few pictures from the afternoon:

The rest of my fall is completely booked. Thank you to my wonderful clients! Keep checking back to see what else jennifer witt photography is up to in this crazy pre-holiday season!

We hit up the “the great Minnesota get together” this weekend.  AKA The Minnesota State Fair. It was fun. Well, after driving around for an hour to find an open lot that would take our prepaid parking pass, then it got fun. We did all the normal stuff; animals, rides, fair food. I have to admit though, out of all the photos we took at the fair, there are two snapshots that I just adore. Mostly I adore them because they are my kiddos being themselves. I’m glad I have them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the photos of my son grabbing a baby goat’s tail and my younger son’s reaction to eating Dole Whip. They just don’t scream “Corbin and Hudson”. They scream “FAIR!” Which is fine, I’m glad I have those too but these, I love.  Am I making you want to see them yet? Well, you have to wait because here’s the part where I talk about you and your photos.

When I come to photograph you and yours, I want you to have that same reaction. I, of course, want photos of your family all together, looking happy. It’s a good snapshot of physical appearance of your family at the time. Beyond that though, I want to get some photos that make you say “Yes! That is exactly what my goofy child does” or “Yes! We always used to nuzzle our noses together like that!”  Both kinds of photos are important to have. Those candid photos might not be everyone’s favorite thing to put on the wall (they are mine!), but they are a wonderful memory.

And now, without further ado, here are my favorite photos of the afternoon at the fair. The first is my son in the middle of showing off his rockin’ dance moves. When I say showing off, I mean a small crowd had formed to watch him rock out to the music on the Kidway. He leaned way in towards the camera and said “Smile Momma!” The second is of my younger son drinking his night time bottle. He decided he needed to figure out what I was doing, so tilted his head way back, making sure to hold on to his bottle. Neither is fair related at all, but I adore that they are a snapshot of my kids’ personalities: Corbin the showman and Hudson the quiet observer.

I am not sure what was behind me that is reflected in Hudson’s eyes. It looks like a ferris wheel, but I dont think that was right behind me. Just some fair lights I guess!

My boys are 20 months apart. At the moment they just turned 8 months and 28 months. Trying to get a picture of them together is an adventure to say the least. Well, really it’s just the toddler since the baby is stuck sitting or laying at the moment. It’s amazing to me that when I photograph other people’s toddlers, they totally listen and follow directions and my son does the same for other people. It’s the element of the unknown I guess. Nonetheless, my boys love and enjoy each other. Luckily I can see that every day because when I asked my oldest to smooch his little brother this is the shot I got.

He was too busy running around and checking out the cars, rocks, and knocking on the big doors saying “Chichen-Itza Pizza!” (any other Backyardigans lovers out there?). Of course I wanted some shots of them together, but guess what? That’s just not where they are right now. Stopping and pausing for photos is not on my 2 year old’s to-do list. What I did get were some great photos of them just being themselves. I mean, after all, that’s what I want to remember; who they are (and who they aren’t) at this moment in time. If I am lucky enough to photograph you, that’s what I hope to capture : Your family in this very moment. Below are a couple more pictures from our day today.

First, is a typical picture of our life. My oldest is running around and dancing and my little one just hanging it out, taking it all in.

My oldest being his typical self and investigating everything.

And lastly, is a photo of my youngest flashing that infectious smile of his.

And bring on the official launch of the blog! I have several sessions coming up this summer and fall. Let me tell you that I cannot WAIT to catch those little moments, those small innuendos, that can only be shared with those you love the most. I will be updating frequently so don’t forget to stop by and see the latest moments captured. If I happen to be session-free one week, you can count on an outtake from my life.

I love summer. I love everything about it. Well, some days I could take or leave the humidity but it’s a great excuse to go jump in a lake! Summer has treated me wonderfully so far. I will leave you with a snippet of my summer. Enjoy!

I  have been playing around with photography my whole life. Like many photographers, when my children were born, I realized how precious every moment had become and wanted to capture every little thing. For the past year, I have been experimenting on friends, family, and strangers at public events. I enjoy capturing moments and emotions. After all, when I look at photos of myself and my family, I want them to tell a story and show the connections between people and the world around them. I want to remember my husband’s horrible college haircut, the craziness of our engagement, the way I dropped the dove at our wedding, and my children’s sleepy newborn smiles and toddler antics.

I was so lucky to attend Cheryl Muhr’s The Secret Workshop when she came to Minneapolis in May.  Photos from the workshop are  shown below. It was the push I needed to start sharing my gift of capturing moments with others. When I show up, camera in tow, and ready to start snapping, I want you to answer me this question: What do you want to remember about these moments?