Agama Media is a company created by a friend of mine, Mike. He was the BEST illustrator in one of my college classes just a few years ago. He along with two others, Tom and Brianna combined efforts and have created a book, “The Adventures of Sheldon”

Life to the Max Television created a Segment all about Brianna, Mike, Tom and most importantly, Sheldon. The host, Mike Max, is a longtime television and radio personality from the Twin Cities. He is always going the extra mile to find positive people and their inspirational stories. Click here to view the Max TV Episode.

I am so excited to not only have them at the studio during the Art Crawl this Spring but they are using my studio for their open house on Sunday May 6th. That day we will be taking pictures with Sheldon, we will have  a Sheldon cake (I can’t wait for this)  and they are giving away prizes too! You could win an iTunes gift card or Sheldon t-shirts! Come on down that day and please tell your friends. This is a VERY kid friendly event and we want Sheldon to have lots of new friends.

Click here for more information on the book release party.



Rainy day outside? Need some new fridge art?
Click here to download a Sheldon Coloring Sheet.

I used to be a Girl Scout. I went to camp, made banana boats on an open fire and sang songs on the bus when we came back into our home town. I remember it so clearly, like it was just yesterday!

We are the Girl Scouts
Looking for the Boy Scouts
Everywhere we gooooo
People wanna knoooow
Who we are.
So we tell ‘em.
We are the Girl Scouts…..” You get the idea.

When I got an email asking if I would consider talking to this Girl Scout Troop, I was beyond excited! When they came in we chatted for a bit and they asked a lot of questions. The most popular question was have you ever photographed anyone famous? I have photographed an astronaut that went to the moon and they thought that was interesting for about 12 seconds. Katy Perry? Nope. Brittany Spears? Nope. I do now have a goal, I want to photograph someone famous; well, more famous than an astronaut.

This is the fourth St. Paul Art Crawl that I have hosted up and coming artists under the name “Fostering Art”. It’s a term coined by the original artists’ dad and it stuck. I open up my studio to kids that want to show off what they do. They have to be excited about it though, they have to show enthusiasm and they have to ask questions. And that’s exactly how these two girls got the gig.

Last October during the Fall Art Crawl and family with two girls came in  in too the featured 9 year old artist…who hadn’t arrived yet that day. They promised to come back because the girls wanted to meet her and later that day they came back and met Anais. They were so excited and were asking questions and dad looked across the room to me and said “I think it’s time to pass the torch” and I agreed. So after meeting with the girls and learning about them they are getting ready for their big show this Sunday.

Please come down to Lowertown in St. Paul on Sunday and enjoy the Art Crawl. lmj{originals} photography will be open on Sunday from Noon until 5:00pm and will be featuring Agama Media and their new book, “The Adventures of Sheldon”, free chair massages and two great sisters that will be beyond excited to see you.

Click here for more info about the Art Crawl this Weekend.

As the Twin Cities premier celebrity photographer I get the opportunity to photograph great events. One of my favorite every year is the Arthur Murray event, Dancing with the Twin Cities Celebrities. The dancers they have there are great, the local celebs have a great time and they raise money for charities that need it. The whole event starts with a “PreBash”; it is open to the public and pulls in great fans. This year Tim Mahoney preformed  and the crowd loved it! He is fantastic! Missy Germain, Christine Clayburg, Faatemah Ampey and Brad Mason were all in attendance; laughing, smiling and chatting all things dance! The big event is this Saturday and I am very much looking forward to it again. Tickets are still available so call now if you are interested: 612.920.1900

This portrait special is one of my all time favorites! It’s also the one that takes the most planning, organization and rule following. Bunnies and lambs need special care and I have to be licensed to have them in the studio. All in all, the work is so worth it!

I love seeing the expressions on the kids’ faces when they get close to the bunnies. This year the lambs are new but I have to think the kids will love it, I know I am looking forward to having MY portrait taken with the bunnies and the lambs. Due to the time involved, these sessions are extremely limited for both dates but it will be so worth it!

Call now to schedule your appointment at 612.860.2193.

Pass this along to others too and take advantage of this limited time offer.

parts of the world; Wisconsin, Michigan (I know, I know but come on, they are destinations!), Las Vegas and now Mexico. Where will I go next? Keep watching the blog!

For those of you that don’t know me and how much I love dogs, I am involved in one of the very best organizations ever; Pet Haven of MN. I found out about Pet Haven of MN about 4 years ago and have been a volunteer with them since. After sitting down with the then president and learning more about the organization, I knew I had to volunteer. Pet Haven in an all volunteer run, cat and dog rescue that does so much more! Re-homing dogs and cats is not their only priority; education and reducing overpopulation are two of their other concentrations. You can find out more info here: www.pethavenmn.org

Non-profits all around are feeling the pinch of the economy right now, donations are down. In the past, Pet Haven has been part of a great fundraiser called Twice the Gift; we have brought in over $3000 each year through this fundraiser. This year, Twice the Gift did not receive the funding to open their doors; this means Pet Haven along with other non-profits are going to miss out on significant funds that allow our causes to operate. We decided to be creative this year…Pet Haven of MN will be participating in the St. Paul Art Crawl the weekend of October 8th-10th.Not only is this a great organization to support but we have some ROCKIN’ items for sale! For the hounds: Dip, Sprinkle, Dry dog biscuits. For the cats: Catnip Strawberries. For both; hand tied blankets for warmth and cuddliness.

Our goal is to sell out of all of our products! If you have dogs or cats yourself or your friends do, this is a great place to get a few early holiday gifts  and cross them off your list. Please pass this information along and allow us, Pet Haven of MN, to continue to re-home dogs, cats and the rest of the great work we do!

Where:

• lmj {originals} photography studio
• 275 E. 4th Street, Suite 110
• St. Paul, MN 55101

When:

• Friday, October 8th, 6pm-10pm
• Saturday October 9th, Noon-8pm
• Sunday October 10th, Noon-5pm

Thanks so much for your support!

One of the things that I like most about photographing destination weddings is the ever changing location. For me, a new location is like exploring a new cave,  there are so many possibilities…. The first thing I do is spend some time exploring the area; if there is a downtown area I go check it out, I always find an alley or building to photograph against to add that city look. Escanaba Michigan is a very small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; this does not stop it from having a plethora of areas to explore and photograph in.

The fact that this city is on the water is just one more amazing thing about it! After the wedding ceremony we were able to go over to the beach and have some fun. I find that the best smiles are once the ceremony is done, the jitters are gone and the bride, groom and the bridal party knows that from now on, the get to relax.

Sarah and Rich’s wedding in Escanaba Michigan was great! The weather was perfect, the bride and groom glowed and this St. Paul photographer loves destination weddings.

Escanaba Michigan, Destination WeddingsParts and Pieces on a Wedding Day

Parts and Pieces of a Wedding Day

Capturing Those Candid Moments

The Bridal Party Expressing Their Joy After The Wedding