Alison Lea Photography - Vendor of the Week!

Alison is a special person. A very special person. She is the kind of person that inspires you to be better, to give more and to challenge yourself just by the way she lives her life, even when you meet her just once. That is how I felt when I left our lunch; I was inspired to be better. I contacted her after I saw her incredible photos from the Make a Wish gala this past year where I helped with the décor and set up. I wanted to know more about her. I know that people that donate their time to capture the moments of evenings like that where bound to be wonderful people; Alison is way more than that. Her philosophy on photographs is not only to capture amazing images, but to capture amazing images of people’s lives so they can hold on to that moment forever. That is how she views every session she captures – an opportunity to give the family a piece of that moment in their lives.

And she often does this for people who do not have much time left in this world. She shared with me some inspiring stories where she would come to someone’s home in the last weeks of their life to be a fly on the wall and just capture those every day moments that make life so special. She wanted them to be able to see the laughs, the tears, the joy and the life in these moments. Alison captures life in photographs and looks at her position as a photographer as privileged because she gets to give these irreplaceable and ever fleeting moments to people to hold on to forever. This makes her special, not only as a person, but as an artist. I truly understand why people want people like Alison capturing your life in those moments. It is because she thinks of this not as a job, but as a privilege to do so. Thank you Alison for capturing the lives of those around us – we are lucky you are here!

Introducing Alison Lea Photography…..

If you could define your style in 3 words, what would they be?
Real. Artistic. Simple.

Tell me about you and your talented team – what makes you fabulous?
Two main things set me apart from many photographers:
1) I was an Art Education major, so people and relationships are my top priority and also why I love my job so much.
2) I am an artist who became a business person, rather than a business person who decided to go into photography. The reason I do what I do is because I love art and capturing who people are. With my Art History background and travel experiences, I bring a fresh perspective.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Relationships and Art History. I don’t look much at bridal magazines or even wedding photographer blogs…I go to museums, travel around the world and look at Art. Then I get to know my clients.

If you could photograph someone famous – dead or alive- who would it be and where you would choose to photograph them?
I wish that I would have photographed my grandparents in their everyday life, when they were still alive. Now, I do this a lot – photograph people and their families candidly in the last days and week of their lives. It would be wonderful to have candid photographs of my own family.

What's the best event that you have ever photographed?
I love that weddings are always different and that usually there are tons of people who are all having a great time. When people are laughing and enjoying themselves, it’s fun to capture the event.

The other favorite session I’ve done is a family where the dad has ALS and I went to their home weekly for the last 6 weeks of his life. I was a fly on the wall and just took pictures of the moments they shared together. It wasn’t about fancy details of an event, but really, truly, about relationship.

What is a fun trend that you are seeing now?
Etsy.com – LOVE IT! Nothing is the same and it’s all about details!

http://alisonleaphotography.com/

Matt Blum Photography - Vendor of the Week

To see Matt Blum Photography is to know Matt Blum Photography is to love Matt Blum Photography. Matt Blum and his talented photo-taking teammate (and wife), Katy Kessler, are making statements with every click of the camera. You know their work from a mile away and that is how they like it. Matt Blum Photography prides itself for adhering to their guns and giving the client (and world) photos their way. They have a style that is hard to recon with; it is clean, modern and creatively artistic. From the moment you step in their uber cool Minneapolis studio, you immediately understand why people love Matt Blum and his team. The exposed brick walls are covered with large, bright canvases of their incredible work as though you are in a modern art museum. But don’t be too quick to define this creative duo’s style. And when asked if Matt could define this, he simply responded “Creative. Just call me creative.” And, man, is he right!

Introducing - Matt Blum Photography!

If you could define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

Clean. Modern. Quirky

Tell me about you and your talented team – what makes you fabulous?

I think that one of the things is that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Our laid back attitude, not being too stretched out or adding to the commotion of a wedding day makes us shine. We make everyone feel comfortable and know that everything will be fine. We can be the balancing factor so everything stays calm and fun.

Another thing is that Katie and I have complimentary personalities so sometimes she will see things I don’t see and visa versa. We are constantly working to achieve something creative and different.

Mostly, I love that we are extremely honest with our clients. We want to make them happy, ultimately, but we also are assertive on what we think that means. They hired us for a reason and we feel it is important to give them the product they are expecting to get.

If there is a situation where our vision is different than what they are proposing, we let them know. And though I am sensitive about their feelings and I want them to be happy, I will speak up when I think that things are not going the way they ultimately will be happy with. I know that in the end if you trust us, you will be.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Art. Photojournalism. Fashion photography. Music. Design.

Just good art, really. I think the internet is a fantastic tool to find new stuff, and I am not talking just about photography. The biggest inspiration to me is people that are doing something just a little bit different. I love that are executing their creative vision, in whatever it is, and they are doing it they way they want to do it. What makes me the most happy is seeing people that take chances and think the photograph can be cool in the way they see it. I love when they believe in it enough to publish is and put their stamp on it and say “This is awesome.”

If you could photograph someone famous – dead or alive- who would it be and where you would choose to photograph them?

Nick Drake. That would be amazing; I am just fascinated with this guy. He was a British musician and guitar player that was super tortured. He is a perfect example of someone who saw the world in a different way and I love that. Being in his mind must have been both tortured and crazy, but if I you listen to his stuff it was not of this world. This is why what he does is so inspiring to other people because you could not do it and you don’t think this way.

I would like to hang out with him in his home because a lot of his stuff was recorded there. I could see him sitting in his basement with his guitar and a little 4 track machine just smoking and writing his crazy songs. I picture nothing natural with the light, but just a bit of the face and a puff of smoke. He was not the kind of guy that you could understand by putting him on a white background and clearly photographing him. I feel he is the kind of dude that would have to kind of hide a little bit to really get. And I think that is pretty cool.

Where is your favorite place to shoot an engagement session or wedding in the Twin Cities?

We like to use everything and go anywhere. In the Twin Cities, we like the warehouse district, the bridge districts over I94 where there is weird stuff under the overpass and empty parking lots. Also, this year I have been using “green stuff”, which a first.

I think what we do is art and, like any artist, you just don’t just stay in once place. I know that this year that I have felt that I have wanted to do more stuff in nature, not a park, but maybe by the river with a piece of driftwood. I just want to always be exploring different things. Anything that you use as a crutch or rely on becomes unoriginal and not fun. I change things so that places don’t define me or the photography. It keeps is new and different and always focuses back on the person.

www.mattblumphotography.com

Kristie Minke Illustration + Design - Vendor of the Week

Well, if being nice were an award, Kristie would win an Oscar. And if creating amazingly creative and cheerful invites was an award, well, she would win another Oscar. Kristie, of Kristie Minke Illustration + Design, is just what the invite doctor ordered. She creates custom, creative and “happy” invites for any occasion. Creating greeting cards and illustrating children’s books as a child, Kristie has certainly found her niche in this world. She has worked as a full-time designer for American Greetings and the Minnesota Timberwolves and also worked in freelance with some major clients - Target Corporation, Foliage Inc., Limited Too and Scholastic via Havoc Publishing, Coyne's & Company and numerous small businesses and individuals. And though she is kind of a big deal (though she would never admit that herself) she will treat you as if you are the only client in the world. She is a blessing to work with and her work is simply out of this universe!

Introducing Kristie Minke…….

If you could define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

versatile - fresh - cheerful

Tell me about you and your talented team – what makes you fabulous?

I learn what my client wants and produce a product that reflects them. After all, they are what it is all about!

What makes your style special & unique?

My style has been shaped by my experience with illustration, graphic design, pattern design, marketing and surface design on a variety of projects including: greeting cards, invitations, journal covers, corporate identity systems, t-shirts, plush toys, logos, magazines, clothing and home decor. I think when you design for a variety of things, one can inform the other.

Why do you think invites or stationary are important for an event? What do they say about an event?

As we find ourselves in a world that is so technological, I think an invite that arrives in the mail is priceless. Receiving a beautiful or unique invitation that you can hold in your hand brings the event to another level. It shows how important it is to the host that you attend, and it makes the invite more personal and warm.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I think it is important to pay attention to fashion. Music is a more abstract but necessary source for me, as well. When it comes to a specific project though, I truly feel you have to be inspired by who you are designing for...I remember a fun instance when a bride-to-be got a smile on her face when she realized that the paper for her invites reminded her of her dress and the ribbon that I found reminded her of her bridesmaids dresses...exactly what she wanted!

If you could create invitations for someone famous – dead or alive- who would it be for and what would you imagine it looking like? What would the event be?

It doesn't really matter for who, but I think I would enjoy designing some luxe invites for an Oscar party held by someone in Hollywood or New York! It would involve some gorgeous paper, flocking and embossed hot stamp...and it would come complete with a ballot page.

Contact info:
kristieminke@gmail.com
http://www.creativehotlist.com/kminke

Chris Emeott - Vendor of the Week

I am so excited to feature a fabulous Twin Cities photographer that brings extreme talent to us in an easy going, passionate package.

It is easy to see why people love Chris Emeott. I knew from the moment I met him that I would like him. He is easy to be around, passionate about his craft and focused on bringing the world beautiful photography without all the "fuss." And there is something to be said about someone that describes being a photographer as "a dream come true." I like people driven by their love of what they do. They are the ones that you want on your team. And if you are lucky to get Chris to photograph your special day, you will see what all the "non-fuss" is all about.

I had the pleasure of getting to know him better ---- and I hope you do too!!!

Bringing you Chris Emeott...

If you could define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

timeless-contemporary-natural

What makes your style special & unique?

These days, there is a huge saturation of photographers in the market. It makes it tough to really stand out, however, I enjoy the challenge to continually push the creative envelope. I go into every event that I cover with the expectation that this will be my best shoot ever. I am constantly studying and training to make myself a better photographer. With so many people shooting these days, styles and trends are coming and going faster than ever. My goal is to provide my clients with images that not only look great today, but will look great 30 years from now. I always put the client first, I want there whole experience to be one they never forget.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I draw my inspiration from many well known photographers around the country. Photographers such as Tony Hoffer, Sam Hassas, Evan Baines among others. I'm also constantly searching through the latest wedding magazines. I like to get posing ideas from magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Glamour and group posing ideas can come from any number of clothing catalogs such as J. Crew.

What is the most unique request a client has ever asked of you?

I plead the fifth : )

Where is your favorite place to shoot an engagement session in the Twin Cities? Wedding? How about anywhere in the world?

Living in the twin cities there are many great places to shoot engagement sessions. For my personal style, I like to mix a bit of "beauty and the beast" when it comes to photographing a couple. What I mean is placing the couple amongst something that you really wouldn't look twice at if you were walking by. Things such as a rusty old doors, graffiti on a wall, or a dilapidated building. I always want the couple to be the focus of the portrait. I feel like this gives them a good separation. I'd love to shoot a wedding in Italy, the architecture and history there is incredible.

If you could photograph someone famous – dead or alive- who would it be and where you would choose to photograph them?

That's a tough one! And it probably changes week to week, but right now I think it would be Jack Nicholson. I love everything that he's in. He seems like he has a ton of character and I would love just to listen to him talk for awhile. I think the best place to photograph him would be in some dimly lit no-name bar with a lowball of scotch.

chrisemeottphotography.com/blog

chrisemeottphotography.com

A Fabulous 1st Birthday

Well, I figured that the first post for bc designs, inc's blog should be the vintage baseball birthday party for the world's most amazing boy! It was a very wonderful event!

Happy 1st Birthday Sam!

Decor + Food Birthday + Boy