Jen Taylor Photography

NEW BLOG!!

2009-02-22T14:52:00.000-08:00

My Blog has moved:

Come join me on my new and improved blog: http://jentaylorphotography.com/blog/

He is getting so big!

2009-02-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

Lucas and his Mom and Dad paid me a visit today at my studio downtown Minneapolis. Lucas was my very first newborn and it is so much fun to see how they have changed and grown! He did such a great job for me and he loves his Elmo!! I had a little Elmo puppet with me today to see if we could get a few more smiles out of him and once he saw that it was all he wanted! Thank you again for a great time!

We got one!

Love his eyes!

Love this look! I think he knew what was coming!

UP, UP, and AWAY!!!

One of my favorites!

Love this look, just a content little guy!

Love this one as well! Just hanging out to read with Mom and Dad!

Tried a different background here and I think I like it!

Slideshow of Ava - Lifestyle Photography

2009-02-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Finally here is the slideshow form our session yesterday. It took me forever to get this loaded. If you know the secret to uploading slideshows to blogger PLEASE email me... seriously, this took all day! Enjoy the show! Sorry for the not so great resultion on the pics (blogger is so bad) trying to figure something out in the meantime!

More pics from the studio!!!

2009-02-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

So I brought my husband, Matt, down to the studio so he could see what I was getting myself into! He loved it and of course loved the coffee house below. I tried some new places and settings with Ava today and of course since it was so nice outside here we had to check it out! It is so rare with Ava that I end up with more then two or three good photos. And today we had our moments but overall she is really getting into it. I will show my favorites and I will post a slideshow together so that you can see the rest plus get a better feel of the different places inside and outside of the studio... (you may see a few princess polly pockets and cookies).. Some of these images are truly who Ava is to me. The last image in the slideshow was taken right inside our jeep (great light can be found anywhere even in the car seat!)

NEW STUDIO - Ava pics

2009-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share these with everyone! Ava and I went downtown yesterday to my new studio to do some practice shots and figure out the light. I am still all natural light so these pictures were not taken with a flash or lighting system just with what was available. I love it!! It was so much fun with Ava and she actually got into it, though a M&M cookies was used as a bribe. Thank goodness the coffee shop below us have those on hand!! Yes, there is a coffee shop below us that has a breakfast menu and lunch menu of sandwich and soups and wonderful bake goods..... These are just from inside we did not even go outside! There are a ton more spots outside. I must be rubbing off a little on Ava because as we were leaving I was telling her about all the great textures and backdrops we could use and she pointed to a perfect spot and said" Mom, I think the light looks good over there", and you know what she was right! Next time I can not put my camera away until after we are in the car!!!!!

I could hardly get her to stay still!

I love this one of her!

I love this window and think I am going to have lots of fun with it!

Tried some different coloring and texture in photoshop!

My Mom made this coat for her and she also made both of the dresses as well!

I was in such a hurry to get downtown that I forgot to take off my Ugg slippers, this is Ava's reaction when she noticed them (seriously, they are the best thing ever!).

Blessed

2009-02-04T19:35:00.001-08:00

This is how I feel this week! Have a good night!

NEWNESS IS COMING!!!!

2009-02-01T21:49:00.001-08:00

Well this little baby arrived on my doorsteps on Friday this week and I finally got a chance to play with it this morning with Ava. As you can tell she was thrilled with another camera in the house! We were making (okay, Matt) was making pancakes for us this morning and Ava got her name as a pancake! We never tried this with her and as you can tell she loved it and ate all three! She even got over her confusion of the letter "v" and "u" with this little lesson! Anyway my Nikon D700 is awesome and I can not wait to use it with my clients! I am so excited for this new year (yes, I know it has been a month already). I have so many exciting things to share this month so be watching the blog for updates and special promotions!

Big Brother!

2009-01-28T18:12:00.001-08:00

Gavin become a big brother this past November to Cooper! He is so good with his little brother and did an awesome job of being gentle with him and holding his hand. These two will be great friends as they grow up! Cooper did not want to fall asleep at first but we finally got a few of him sleeping and all bundle up!

At last... My family....

2009-01-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

So I am just getting around to post some of my favorite pictures from our family session with another photographer friend, Margie Scherschlight. We took these in November and it was a little cold that day. Thankfully we are a pretty pale group so it really added color to our cheeks!! Margie did an awesome job and Ava gave her a run for her money as she was all over the place. I have some exciting product things I want to try with her pictures and I am excited to update our pictures and add some new ones to the wall.

Ava is obsessed with her stuff animals and I am so glad this shot happened. It is how I will remember her at this age!

I bought this totally cool red settee and I can not wait to try it out on my clients this year!! Especially a newborn baby girl!

Lov these three of her!

On a business note: I have a lot of new and exciting things that I will be updating in February! Including a new site and new blog and a few other things that will just have to wait until then!

3 of my favorite little ones!

2009-01-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

We always have fun with these three around! Their mom is one of my best friends from college and they are very special to us. They are great to be around, full of energy and laughter. These pics were taken in November so this post is wayyyy over due. Thanks again for being such great sports!

One of my favorites!!

My First Maternity Session: Lots of pics

2009-01-04T20:19:00.001-08:00

Meet Andrea and Geoff: They are just the cutest couple and we had so much fun with them and on this shoot. When Andrea first contacted me about her upcoming newborn session, she also inquired about a maternity session to document her pregnancy. I had never done one and I guess when I think of maternity I was thinking of the typical ones where their are bellies showing and the Dad kissing the belly and so on.. You know what I mean and I do want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with that, it just was not my thing. But Andrea just really wanted to play with shadows and have some fun. I had a TON of fun. It was such a great session and we were able to use light and texture and color everywhere! Andrea and Geoff have such a true connection with each other and he had her laughing throughout the session and it was so wonderful to capture that. We had some pretty amazing light at the Guthrie and used their windows to our advantage! My friend, Margie, joined us and it made such a great afternoon. Now I am in love with Maternity sessions and if you are looking for something a little more like this give me a call. I have some really great ideas I would love to play with this spring and summer as well!!

There are a ton of pictures that I wanted to share with you. Thank you Andrea and Geoff for the great afternoon and I am so excited to meet the little guy when he arrives.

I asked Andrea is she had any cravings with her pregnancy and of course Chocolate was on the list. So I was trying out an idea I had but not sure if the baby liked it!

This was her reaction after the baby kicked the bar off. I think he wanted her to eat it not place it on her tummy!

Baby, it was cold outside, maybe 10 degrees!

2009-01-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Meet Nichole and her husband Pete, and their son Micheal! Nichole is a close friend of mine from High School (North Dakota). She moved to Hawaii awhile ago (lucky girl) and found her true love. She was back home this Christmas and wanted me to capture some winter photos of her family. Last time they were home it did not snow for them but I think it was taken care of this time around. We received 6 inches of fresh snow the night before our mini-session (spent 10 minutes outside). It had been almost 10 years since I had seen Nichole so it was so wonderful to meet her family. We plan on seeing more of each now (mainly me going to see her in Hawaii!!) Nichole is a wedding coordinator in Hawaii so if you ever want to get married there or re-new your vows there she is awesome to work with and a great friend.

Merry Christmas!!!!

2008-12-23T16:05:00.001-08:00

Our card is finally out the door so I now can show you here what it looks like. A huge Thank you to Margie Scherschligt, an awesome photographer friend, for taking our pictures. It was so relaxing having her capture Ava instead of me for a change! She did a great job with Ava and chasing her down.. by the end Ava was really hamming it up for her. She really captured Ava's personality and how I want to remember her at this age. After the holidays I will post more of my favorites from our session. Margie is a very creative individual with her photography and other artwork. I am so excited for her to launch her blogsite in 2009.

I want to say a huge Thank you to all of my friends and clients this year for giving me this amazing opportunity to photograph your children and families. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you. I am so looking forward to all the new things and changes that will be happening in 2009, so stay tune in my adventure in photography and life! Thank you also to my very special and understanding husband, Matt. I could not do this without you!

Ava 's first dance recital (maybe her only)

2008-12-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

So Sunday was Ava's very first Dance Recital! She was so excited to put on her outfit and dance for us... two hour later she was in tears and there was no dancing. I knew we were in trouble when she came running to me and hug my legs 9she never does this) Then she sat for a awhile with her group and the tears started flowing. I went down to talk to her and used a bribe (yes, I know this does not always work). The tears stopped and I thought we were okay. She ran with her group to the center of the gym and went to her spot. I thought "Yeah" she was going to dance! Nope, she stood in her spot the whole time and preceded to suck her thumb looking at the crowd with her tiny little face and at her shoes. Even her teacher tried to get her to join the group but she was not moving... Afterwards she ran off when they were done and I sat with her and the rest of the group. She kept saying "It was too much, MOM, just too much". She skipped the second routine and of course was better after the performance.. I think we will have a short lived dance career! Oh well, at least she didn't run around in circles and not listen (that was my fear!)

All alone on her side, She went to her spot and was not moving.

Even her teacher tried to get her to join the others, nope not moving....

She started to think about it with her toes..... maybe.....

Here she is after the show was over, much more like the Ava we know!

I at least got one nice one with her dad...

Meet Caden

2008-12-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

Meet Caden: Caden is about two months old here but he was born at 29 weeks and spent the first two months at the NICU. He is doing great at home and he has just wonderful, loving parents. Caden is still pretty little but he was awake and alert for most of our session. He finally fell asleep towards the end. Both Mom, Dad and I were exhausted by the end and I think everyone slept good that night! Thank you again for having me take pictures of Caden.

Such amazing blue Eyes!

Love this one, just a reassuring hand from Mom would calm him down.

Mom giving her little guy a gentle kiss.

Mom and Dad enjoy a laugh over some "sounds" that all babies make. You know what I mean here!

This photo is a little blurry but I love it and to me it shows such a connection and emotion to their bonding.

Mom had the cutest boots for him that we had to get a picture of.

Again another one that really shows a strong connection for everything that they have been through with bringing in their little miracle.

Meet Ethan: newborn

2008-12-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ethan was about 10 days old when we did his session. He did such a great job and we were able to capture so many different moments and different settings. Mom and Dad had the HEAT turned up (which is soooo key for newborn sessions) that Ethan slept for 95% of it. Mom and Dad made it so easy for me and so did Ethan! Congratulations again on your newest addition!!

Such a beautiful baby! It was a great way to spend my day!

Dad is a golf instructor and this was his idea! I love it when clients and especially Dad's have a few ideas. It makes it so meaningful to them.

Love his little hands and arms!

So tiny....

LOVE this image! Mom and her new baby! You can just see how much she loves him already!

The chair was in his nursery and it was perfect to use as a cool backdrop!

What a beautiful family!

My last picture taken of the session!

Cookie Palooza!

2008-11-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Okay every year the Saturday after thanksgiving we head over to my Aunt's house with all of my cousins and all the grandkids to make about 10,000 cookies. You read that correctly. It is not 1000 cookies it is a ton more then that (okay 10,000 might be a bit much) but at least 3200 cookies. There was only 500 cut out cookies that we had to frost this year and that was down from last year! We absolutely love going there and being with family and Ava gets to play with all of her cousins. This was the first year that I think she actually got the purpose of the whole thing! COOKIES! My aunt works weeks and days before with prepping dough and baking some things ahead of time and then we start at about 8:00 am and we finished this year at about 7:00 pm. It has become such a family tradition for us with Ava and Matt (who is an only child and does not come from a large family) that it is what we like best about Thanksgiving weekend. Well the cookies we get to take home aren't bad either. Plus I get to put little tins together and share the wealth of cookies wit friends and neighbors (if Matt doesn't eat all the good ones first!). The lighting was a little harsh but you get the picture. (this is just a small sample).

What a great day and Mr. Adorable

2008-11-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

Okay so get ready for a whole lot of cuteness. I meet up with a former co-worker of mine and her family to capture some pictures of Ezra (he is in quite a few pics on my website). He is about 10 months old now and still as cute as he was at 5 months. If we ever have a boy I hope he is as adorable and good natured as Ezra.

BRRRRRR it was cold...

2008-11-23T19:20:00.000-08:00

I had a great time with Ben and Grace and of course Mom and Dad on Saturday. While it was a little chilly everybody was really great sports about it and we got some really awesome images at the Mills Museum. Thank you guys for braving the cold!!

One of my favorites from the session! I love Grace's boots with the hearts!

Grace has beautiful Hazel eyes!

Just love this one! She did such a great job considering it was COLD!!

I love the texture of the building here and again a favorite one of mine of Ben.

Love this Family one and the awesome background, I love how both Ben and Grace are in the picture! They were seriously the best behaved kids ever!

Love this one and her sweet smile and again those eyes!!

I think Grace got a little more air on her then Ben in this one.

The serious side of Ben!

Of course Ben showed me some moves and we captured some really great action shots!

Apple Orchard!!

2008-11-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Okay so the weather here has been so COLD and yucky out I thought I share a few warmer ones. Now granted the day we went to the Apple orchard it was a little chilly in the morning but at least we had the sun. We went with some friends are ours, Ava best friend from daycare and her fabulous sister and awesome Mom and Dad.

Waiting for their turn and picking out which horses they were going to ride!

Sophie peaking thru the fence!

Mia loved the white horse!

What can I say I love this kid!

Two best friends off to pick apples (we found out later we were not suppose to pick them off the trees.)

The girls enjoying their apples (notice they are two fisting them!)

Ava decided to join their family when I said let's do a family walking pic thru the orchard!

This is what I was trying to capture!

Here is a little storyboard of the day. We also enjoyed some apple donuts!!!

18 months and moving fast

2008-11-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday our friends Jason and Amy came over with their daughter, Nico. I took pictures of her earlier this summer when she was a slower on her feet. Not anymore!! She can move and move fast. She is so adorable and very smart. Nico is now 18 months old and knows about 24 different signs in sign language, which is extremely helpful at this age. We had a great time and hope to do it more often

Pink, pink and more pink

2008-11-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got the chance to to photograph two special girls whose Mom let me practice on them earlier this year when I was building my portfolio. Sarah Kate was 10 weeks old last time I saw her and now she is close to 8 months! Her bigger sister Cora loves her swing and I of course had to get a few of her in the pink tutu on the swing. Thanks again Mom and Dad for the great session. Special thanks to Dad for moving the red couch outside!!

Halloween 08

2008-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

Ava wanted to be a princess this year and she choose to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. We had fun at her Halloween Parade at Daycare and they had stories with the parents and of course we made pumpkin cookies as well with orange frosting. Overall I think she now has a pretty good idea what Halloween is all about (THE CANDY). Should be a fun weekend!

Fall: My favorite time with Ava

2008-10-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I love Fall and especially the month of October! The family and I took a little adventure to Stillwater this weekend to visit some friends and also to go to a great pumpkin patch with animals and everything. It got to be a long day for Ava but we ended the night in St. Paul at the Grand Tavern. Ava usually does not like me to take pictures of her so most of these were done with a few bribes of a candy apple afterwards!

Lucas - he loves being outside

2008-10-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Thankfully we had great weather on Saturday and Lucas, who is 4 1/2 months old loves being outside. He is so adorable and his parents love him so much and they are such a cute family together. When i downloaded their pictures I was so excited to see some of the images we were able to get. He has the most incredible blue eyes!! Thank you again Lucas for a great session.

Miss Lucy - She is on the move now!

2008-10-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

Last time I saw Lucy she was sitting up all by herself but had not mastered the crawling thing!! So not the case anymore. It was more of a workout this time trying to get her since she is always on the go! As you will see on the first image she is crawling towards me to get the her favorite book that I was holding!

Two of my favorite girls

2008-10-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure again to work with two of my favorite little girls (and just in time for the new tutu's to try). Courtney is now 8 months old and cute as ever. Big sister Mackenzie is always fun to work with and I love capturing her smiles when she is not looking!! Their Mom took me to the greatest place ever in Stillwater (I am so in love with the spot that I took Ava there the next day!) I am also trying a few new things that you will notice in this post and some upcoming posts. Let me know what you think!

Ava and Mommy Day!!

2008-10-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was just the best day for me. It was Ava and Mommy Day. It has been crazy busy at our house the last 6 months so we need a day of just us doing whatever she wanted to do. We started our morning at the Pancake House which was delicious as Ava would say! Then we went to a Mommy and me art class. Art is not her favorite thing to do, she would rather build then paint or color which I am still trying to understand. Must get it from Matt. Then we went to the Mall of America!! I know shopping was on her list?? Okay so I wanted to go to Hannah Anderson and she wanted a stuffed unicorn (which we did not find) We did go on some rides which she nows loves and will definitely be a fair girl for rides. We ended the day with one more stop at a store to find the stuffed unicorn (again no luck, anyone who sees a stuffed unicorn please email me) She did settle for some mini princesses (polly pockets) Overall a great day and hopefully many more to come!!

At the Pancake house!

She would not let me take a ton of pictures today!

How she really feels about Art Class!(she did love it at the end)

TA DA!! Here she is showing the class what she made (really a huge confidence booster and very impressed with the class)

It was Ballerina Day!! It was perfect for her!!

More Fall leaves and BOYS!!

2008-10-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

I have had a string of all boys and brothers in a row for my last few sessions. And I have to admit they are very fun and cute! I am use to all girl things in my house so it has been a change to see the adorable outfits on boys for a change. My second set of brothers this past weekend was with a mom that I worked with at Macy's. Her little boys are adorable. Mr. B is now three years old (same age as my Ava) and Mr. G is 20 months. Mr. G didn't really want to stop and take pictures or sit very long but we managed to get a some cute ones of him. And his brother did an awesome job for a 3 year old ( I know my daughter always gives the photographer a run for their money!) Thank you again for a great session!

Fall Leaves Everywhere!

2008-10-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

What a great fall we have had so far and hopefully the weather will hold out for another great weekend. I had the pleasure of capturing 2 1/2 year old Mr. A and his adorable and very happy little brother and one year old Mr. T!! The boys did a great job and Mom had on the cutest outfits for them!! Thanks for the great session!

Mr. "H" has the best laugh ever!!

2008-10-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

I got the honor of photographing Mr. "H" this weekend and he was the most adorable 16 month old little boy ever. He was on the go everywhere and loves his bubbles. And I do mean he loves his Bubbles!! He has the best belly laugh I think I have ever heard. I am still laughing about today and it just makes me smile everytime I see his pictures!

The best laugh ever!!

1...2...3.. WWWEEEE

You can just see the wonder of a child here, Love it!

Check out those curls, he is so lucky!

Seriously I can laugh all day when I look at this!

Thank you Mr. H for a great afternoon. It was nice meeting you and your family!

Loving Fall colors

2008-10-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

What a day Sunday was for all of us. The weather looked like it was cold but yet it was over 70 degrees outside and quite warm for everyone trying to get in "fall" like pictures. The great news is that the colors are gorgeous and staying on the trees a little longer this year. I meet MR. "W" and his mom (a former co-worker of mine) at a park where a soon to be five old year boy could investigate everything. Thank you again for the great session

What fun we had that day!!

2008-10-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Her is Miss "M", she is about 15 months old and on the move. I had to chase her down a couple of times!! Her Mom had the cutest outfit and hat for her which she wanted no part of that hat!!

Love this image of Mom in the background.

Are you watching me??

Dad keeping her hands busy so she keeps her hat on for a few pics!!!

Baby "Z"

2008-10-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Baby "Z" was 5 weeks old when we did his session. he did such a great job and he has so many expressions. His hair was so soft and he is such a great little boy. Congratulations E and R on such a wonderful addition.

Meet "miss s" and "mr j"

2008-09-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I had so much fun photographing one of my very good friend's kids. While Mr.J was more interested in playing we did get a few good ones. Check out his sheep sweater, he is so cute!! And Miss S is one of my daughter's best Friends. She loves her so much and when they are together watch out!!! Thank you again SP for the great morning!!

Phots to share of miss "P"

2008-09-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I loved working with this family. They were so open and you could really see the love that they have for their little girl. Mom is a designer of jewelry (I have seen it on one of my friend's and it is very beautiful). They have such wonderful backdrops in their yard that I could have stayed there all day but she is only 6 months old and needed her rest! Thank you again "B" family.

Seattle Friends

2008-09-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

Here our a few pics of our very goods friends from Seattle. They let our family stay with them while I was attending a photography workshop in Seattle. Little "V" was about four months old then and he was the sweetest little boy ever. I can't not even think of a time he was unhappy the whole trip. Thank you so much for letting us stay with you.

p.s. They told how great the weather is there and it is never hot except for the 5 days we were there were it was in the 90's and most homes do not have AIR!!! What is a house with out air condition HOT!! but it does cool off pretty quick and it has breathtaking views.

She has the most beautiful eyes!

2008-09-13T17:27:00.001-07:00

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Miss "K" has the most beautiful brown eyes and yes she has blonde hair!!! Miss "K" is ten years old and is the greatest help with her two little sisters age 2 1/2 and 1 1/2!! You will so them a later this year!!

Storyboards

2008-09-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few storyboards that I put together for Miss "L" and her cousins!! As part of my sessions I include a storyboard that can be printed and make great gifts for Grandma's and Grandpa's! They are sized as 20x20 square that can be printed down to a 5x5, Other template sizes include a 10x20, 11x14, (which make a 5x7) and also 16x20 (8x10).

!

Here is a few more for the "h" family

2008-09-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time narrowing choices and I needed to share a few more from this session!!

The rain held off for us today!!!

2008-09-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure this morning of photography Miss A, 3 (almost 4 yr old), and her adorable sister who is also a Miss A, 20 months. It was great fun and this family is full of energy! Which I really appreciate it as it keeps me on my toes!!

family fun!!!

2008-08-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with this family. Little "N" was adorable and loved to look at her picture after it was taken and what can I saw about Mr. "P", he was full of fun and just being a boy!!! Thank you again for the great session.

Mom is a pottery artist and I will be adding her to my blog list so keep a watch out for that!!

some more pics of miss "L"

2008-08-25T17:54:00.001-07:00

More blogging

2008-08-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

so I am working on my blogging skills and will be using this to update and give families a sneak peak of sessions before I send off the cd's. I will be updating the header all the time (hopefully) and can't wait to tell everyone about my new website that will be launching soon... I am so excited to share all the things I have learned from the workshops I have attended this last month.

Not to leave without a picture here is one from a family that knows how to have fun. I totally loved our time together....

Hello and Welcome

2008-07-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello

Here is my first attempt of blogging. Be prepared to see lots of this little girl. Her name is Ava and she is my adorable 3 1/2 year old. Only thing is that she hates the camera and I am now forced to take pictures of others... This is her usual picture that is taken.....

This is where I had to bribe her to look at the camera with a treat for a smile. Now who taught her that.....