For your viewing pleasure!

I have a TON of photos to post on my blog from family sessions this summer -- I promise, they are coming soon! In the mean time, I just had to share this video of the recessional at Matt and Tasha's wedding on August 8th. They are such a fun couple, and this is pure evidence of that fact! Enjoy!

The Bakken Family

The Bakken family came out for one of my fundraiser mini sessions at Lyndale Gardens Park, and I so enjoyed our session together! Little Lainey was the perfect little subject to photograph -- less than a year old, and already in love with the camera! She was just full of smiles -- it was virtually impossible not to take a good photo of her. I suppose I should give some credit to mom and dad, too -- it was fun to watch how in love they are with their little girl. Thanks for coming out, Bakken family! I hope we can work together again soon!

Faces: Tran

Tran and I used to work together at the university, and when I announced my fundraiser shoot for the Twin Cities Breast Cancer 2-Day, she signed right up! This is our second shoot together, and both have been fun because they were both just for fun! She's a natural beauty, and I loved the vibrant, funky shirt she wore for the shoot. The sun was bright that day, but I think we got some good shots anyway!

The Big Day: Ami + Rick

Ami and Rick were married at the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis, and it was such a lovely day, from the beautiful weather to the wonderful people to the very fun details of the reception. And what a great place to get married -- right on the river with the downtown cityscape as a background! Rick is a big fisherman, so this was a continuing theme throughout the day, from the locale on the river to the super fun 'kissing fish' design that Ami's mom came up with, to the Swedish Fish candy favors (one of my personal favorites! Yum!). Such a pleasure to work with you and be a part of your special day, Ami and Rick! I hope you enjoy your preview!

The Smith Family

It's been a while since I've posted, and I am LONG overdue -- you all have just been keeping me too busy! This is the first peek of many to come from my marathon of mini-sessions back in June. First of all, thank you so much to all who came out! It was a beautiful day, and we raised $500 for the 2009 Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust -- you guys rock!

This first session is of the Smith family. Julie and I go way back to our high school days, so it was really fun to have her come out with her family -- her kids are so adorable! It took a little coaxing to get Ellie and Matt to come out of their shells, but we ended up with some great photos. And I think the kids could have spent all day playing in the fountain if mom and dad would have let them! Hope you guys had fun!

The Big Day: Jill + Matt

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tag along with Jessica of JM Photography as her second shooter for the day. It's fun to work with new photographers and gain new inspiration -- I feel like there's always something to learn about how I can make my photos better and better. And I really couldn't have asked for a better couple to shoot -- Jill and Matt are stunning together, and so comfortable in front of the camera that it made our jobs really easy! Congratulations, Jill and Matt! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!

Faces: Alexandra

Ali was the winning bidder of a portrait session that I put up for auction at Theatre Unbound's annual fundraiser back in February, and we were finally able to put the session to use in May! I really enjoy when I get a chance to do a session with the local talent -- I miss my old theatre days, and it makes me feel like I still have a tiny foot in the theatre community. We ended up shooting in and near a buulding on the University of Minnesota campus, where the natural lighting was fantastic. I think we both had fun, in spite of the fact that it was the 2009 State History Day and there were hundreds of junior and senior high school students from across the state right in the building we were shooting in! When obstacles come along, it's all about finding a way to make it work!

The Big Day: Nicole + Bill

Nicole and Bill's wedding was my first of 2009, and it couldn't have been a better start to the season. The two got married in a small, intimate ceremony at Woodland Hill Winery in Delano, MN. The grapes may not have been on the vines yet, but it turned out to be such a beautiful day with the most amazing sky -- it doesn't get much better! While it was a very relaxed affair, you couldn't help but notice how much these two adored each other -- it was beautiful to witness. And being at a winery, of course, what better way to cap off the day than with a little wine tasting! That's my kind of wedding!

Special thanks to Ethan Confer, my second shooter for the day. If you get a chance, you should check out his work -- he shoots some incredibly beautiful landscape photos!

Marathon Mini Photo Shoot - June 13th

As mentioned in the post below, I'll be doing a marathon mini photo shoot on Saturday, June 13th to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is a great opportunity for that family portrait or photos of the little ones that you've been meaning to have taken! For a minimum $25 donation, you will receive:

- One 30-minute session
- All high-resolution images on CD (up to 50 photos!)
- An online viewing gallery to share with friends & family -- any prints ordered through the site will be 20% off!

We'll be shooting at Lyndale Park Gardens, which is right off the northeast shore of Lake Harriet. The annuals and perennials should be in bloom, and the roses should be just beginning.

This is really a great deal, and all for a great cause! $10 from every donation will cover cost, and everything above and beyond that will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Additional donations are appreciated, and at a $50 donation level, I'll throw in a free 8x10 print suitable for framing!

Please email me at joy@joylengyelphotography.com with your top 3 session time choices -- I expect these will fill up fast, so there may be some competition, but I'll do my best to get you your first choice. If there is enough interest, I may extend the time I'm shooting that day, or add an additional run of sessions on a different day. The schedule below will be updated as it fills:

10:00-10:30am Tanya, Scott, & Alexandria
10:30-11:00am Tran
11:00-11:30am Julie & Family
11:30-12:00pm November & Bill
12:30-1:00pm Sarah, Jeramie, & Lainey
1:00-1:30pm Oksana & Russell
1:30-2:00pm Brian R. & Family
2:00-2:30pm Tanya L. & Family
2:30-3:00pm Bella
3:00-3:30pm Sara & John
3:30-4:00pm Andrea, Brian, & Addie

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Race for the Cure

The annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Mother's Day event was today, and such an inspiration! Over 50,000 people participated in the 5K run/walk, raising over $2.2 million to fund breast cancer awareness, research, education, screening, and treatment. What's even more awesome, is that at least 75% of that money stays right in Minnesota!

Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly the Susan G. Komen Foundation) is an organization near to my heart, not only as a woman, but because my mother is a survivor, and because she lost her mother and aunt to the battle years ago. The work they've done is amazing, and has really made so many things possible in the area of breast cancer treatment and research. As my way of contributing to the cause, I will be holding a marathon mini portrait shoot on Saturday, June 13th, 10am to 4pm, with all proceeds being donated to the foundation. The location has yet to be determined, so if you have any favorite parks in the Twin Cities area, I'm still open to suggestions! There will be a minimal fee, but I guarantee that this will be a deal that you won't want to pass up! Mark your calendars now -- details and an appointment schedule will be forthcoming this week.