About Joanna Carina of Carina Photographics

About Joanna Carina

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos | Vishana + Brian

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

Vishana + Brian were excited to have engagement photos taken. They hadn’t done anything like this before, so were a bit nervous too. They settled on the MN Landscape Arboretum for their ideal location because it is so full of natural beauty, and it seemed like the perfect spot for their portraits. They certainly chose one of the most beautiful locations in the Twin Cities! And of course, the Arb is one of my favorite locations to work too, so naturally I was so excited too!

Arboretum Engagement Portraits

The weather during our Arb photo session was absolutely perfect – a warm, sunny, late summer day. Most plants and trees were still looking gorgeous, so we had plenty of ideal locations to visit. Even the mosquitoes and humidity were pretty light that day! Vishana + Brian especially loved the waterfalls and ponds. As most people often are, they were a bit nervous at first, but quickly got the “hang” of it, and had an awesome time! Vishana even got to model her beautiful custom “Mrs Parsaud” jacket, complete with beautiful pearl detail.

Thank You!

Vishana + Brian, thank you so much for working with me as your engagement photographer! I had so much fun working with you for your beautiful photos. And I am so excited for your big event next summer!

Be sure to take a look at an additional MN Landscape Arboretum engagement session, another MN Landscape Arboretum engagement session, a winter Landscape Arboretum engagement session, another Arboretum engagement session, and even an Arboretum engagement session featuring a couple’s dog too!

If you are considering Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photos, contact me soon!

Take a look at their slideshow too!

Silverwood Park, Church and Backyard Wedding Photos | Katharine + Zachary

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Silverwood Park, Church and Back Yard Wedding

Katharine was a native of Minnesota, although she and her fiancé Zachary moved to Iowa for work. They planned on coming back to MN for their wedding festivities in June 2020, and then the global Covid-19 pandemic hit. While many couples opted to move their celebrations to 2021, Katharine + Zach decided to go forward with a smaller event for 2020, and then have a vow-renewal and reception on their first anniversary in 2021. So their big day in 2020 was a go!

Silverwood Park Wedding Photos

Their beautiful June day was absolutely gorgeous. Friends and family gathered at Katharine’s mother’s house to prepare for the big event. Once they were ready, we headed over to Silverwood Park in St Anthony MN for the pre-wedding photos. We had a first look and portraits of the two of them, and then captured photos of their wedding party too. (Silverwood will be the site of their reception next year!)

Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church Wedding

After photos were complete, we headed over to the Holy Name of Jesus Church in Wayzata MN. First we captured family photos, and then came their wedding ceremony. While the guests in the church had to wear masks for the ceremony, Katharine + Zach were allowed to remove their masks for their first kiss!

Back Yard Wedding Reception

Once their ceremony was complete, we headed back over the Katharine’s mother’s house for a lovely back yard reception garden party. They kicked off the event with a sweet, heart-warming toast from Katharine’s mother. Then guests enjoyed themselves with lawn games and conversation. Kathariene + Zach were even treated to a wedding parade by other family members and friends wishing the newly weds well before they headed off to northern Minnesota for a week long camping trip.

Thank You!

Katharine + Zach, thank you so much for including me as your wedding photographer for your beautiful day. I am so happy for you both as you begin your new lives together!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at Katharine + Zach’s beautiful Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photos too!

Be sure to take a peek at Katharine + Zach’s slideshow for more photos too!

VENDORS
Wedding Venue: Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church
Wedding Photo Venue: Silverwood Park
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Nordstrom
Bridesmaids Dresses: JJ’s House
Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Rings: Siebke Hoyt
Florist: Chenoweth Floral
Officient: Fr Colin Jones
Wedding Cake: Sugar & Spice Sweetery

Como Park Conservatory Engagement Photos | Katie + Jared

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Como Park Engagement Session

Jared + Katie were excited to have an engagement photo session the summer before their big day in 2021. They wanted photos to treasure as well as photos for their Save-the-Date cards. We talked over options, and they loved the idea of Como Park and Conservatory for its gorgeous green space as well as being the site of one of their first dates. I will admit I am biased toward Como Park, as I got married there myself! 🙂

Como Conservatory Engagement Portraits

The day came for their engagement session, and lucky for us, the closure of the Conservatory (due to the pandemic) meant that we had most of the park to ourselves. We spent lots of time around the Conservatory, Frog Pond, pergola, gardens, benches and green space all around. We even had time to visit Como Park’s new Lily Pond feature with its bridges, flowers, pergola, pond and fountains. It is such a beautiful park. We worked together for about 1-1/2 hours and had an awesome time!

Thank You!

Katie + Jared, thank you so much for working with me as your engagement photographer! I had so much fun working with you for your beautiful engagement photos. And I am so excited for your big day next year!

Be sure to take a look at a spring Como Conservatory engagement session, a winter Como Conservatory engagement session, another spring Como Conservatory engagement session, another winter Como Conservatory engagement session, and even a Como Town Amusement Park engagement session I photographed too!

If you are considering Como Park and/or Conservatory engagement photos, contact me soon!

Minneapolis Newborn Photographer | Wilson Family

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Fine Art Studio Newborn Photography

I met Jing + Alex when we worked together for their wedding photography last year. They were so much fun, and I loved working with them on their amazing wedding day (featuring not one, but TWO beautiful ceremonies – both a Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony at the St Paul Hotel and an American-style wedding ceremony at Como Park Conservatory.) Both events were absolutely spectacular! So naturally I was ecstatic when they contacted me to work together for their newborn baby photos. Things were a little different as the global pandemic was raging, but we opted to keep things safer by having their photoshoot at Como Park, and we had an amazing day!

MN Baby Photography

We met up on a beautiful early June morning at Como Park. We had so much fun working around the Frog Pond, near the Conservatory, for all of their photos. Little Ted was a champ at being our model, and we had lots of time for his portraits, as well as photos with mommy and daddy. Later on, we held their Cinematic Reveal and Design Presentation. Alex + Jing loved the photos and narrowed down to their favorite finalists. They opted for a beautiful photo album to capture their entire session. I cannot wait to see it when it arrives from Italy!

Thank You!

Thank you, Wilson family, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun working with you three, and I am so excited to see your album in person!

Make sure to take a peek at other newborn sessions I have photographed: Kelzer Family, Ford Family, Svendsen Family, Troldahl Family, Gangl Family, Ranheim Family

If you’d like to work together for your newborn photography, contact me soon!

Minneapolis Family Photography | Gravel Family

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Fine Art Studio Family Photography

Matt + Kristi Gravel found me through a mutual friend of ours. Their daughter Eliza was turning one in Feb of 2020, so they wanted a photoshoot to commemorate her big day. Not only were they celebrating her birthday, but they were also celebrating their newly built home in Lauderdale MN. Naturally, I was so excited to work with this cutie and her family, we had such a great time!

MN Family Photography

Matt, Kristi + Eliza met me at my St Paul MN studio on a cold February morning. We spent lots of time hanging out, singing songs, playing with stuffies, and having fun! We captured photos of Eliza alone, as well as with each of her parents, and then all three of them together. Eliza was so curious and excited, we had a blast! Once we were finished with their portrait session, we took a short break so I could organize their photos, and then we held their Cinematic Reveal + Design Presentation shortly after their session. They narrowed down to their favorites, and ordered beautiful matted prints for the walls of their new home.

Thank You!

Thank you, Gravel family, for working with me as your family photographer. I had so much fun working with you three, and I loved seeing your beautiful matted prints in person! I hope they look amazing on your new walls.

Make sure to take a peek at other family sessions I have photographed: Huntwork Family, Samolytz-Brossoit Family, Novak-Nadeau Family, and Ford Family.

If you’d like to work together for your family photography, contact me soon!

Personal Brand Headshot Photography | Melissa Dundis

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MN Fine Art Portrait Photography

I received an email from Melissa Dundis, who had recently started her new job as a DJ for Minnesota Public Radio’s classical music station. She inquired about working together for her personal brand portraits and headshots. We talked more, and she had tons of awesome ideas for her photos (even including her sweet little turtle, Roger!) I was so excited about working together! The worldwide pandemic was heading our way, so we were luckily able to squeeze in Melissa’s session before shutting down the studio for Minnesota’s mandated social isolation quarantine.

Headshot Branding Photography

Melissa and I planned out a ton of fun ideas. We ended up capturing a wide variety of portraits, including a few headshots as well as portraits featuring her with a microphone, headphones, her guitar, her writing journal, and her pet turtle Roger. (He was so cute and a very perfect model for her portraits too!) I was even able to take some extra time to create a storybook theme of Melissa and Roger together stepping into a fairy tale world – it was so much fun!

Thank You!

Thank you, Melissa, for choosing to work with me as your fine art studio portrait photographer. I had so much fun working with you (and Roger!), and I am so happy that you loved your photographs.

Also be sure to take a look at some of my other fine art portraits, portrait photography and personal brand photography too! If you’d like to work together for your personal portrait or headshot photography, contact me soon!

Fine Art Portrait Photography | Antonio

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MN Fine Art Portrait Photography

I met Antonio a few years ago when he was married. I had the honor of photographing his wedding, and I had so much fun getting to know him and Chris. They had an absolutely spectacular Landmark Center wedding day. So naturally, I was ecstatic when Antonio contacted me asking about personal portraits for his website a few years later. I loved the idea, and I was so excited to work with him again!

Headshot Branding Photography

We started Antonio’s session with a few quick headshots for his main job website, LinkedIn profile, etc. We then moved on to capturing several fine art portraits of Antonio for his clothing website. He represents a very stylish men’s clothing line, so having stunning portrait photography in their modern wardrobe was important. We were able to capture some casual as well as more formal options.

After his session, Antonio came back to my studio for his Cinematic Presentation and Design Consultation to view his portrait gallery. He was so happy with his photos! He had a tough time choosing his favorites, but ended up with several options. They worked out perfectly for his website, job, LinkedIn, etc.

Thank You!

Thank you, Antonio, for choosing to work with me as your fine art studio portrait photographer. I had so much fun working with you (and seeing Chris again too!), and I am so happy that you loved your photographs.

Take a look at some other fine art portraits, portrait photography and personal brand photography I’ve done too! If you’d like to work together for your personal portrait or headshot photography, contact me soon!

Minneapolis Engagement Studio Photography | Troy + Juliana

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MN Studio Engagement Photography

I met Troy through mutual friends many years ago. I was thrilled when he started dating Juliana – it was so clear that they became head-over-heels in love! When they announced they were getting married, I was even more thrilled! Naturally, I was excited to work with them at my St Paul studio for their engagement photography session.

St Paul Engagement Photography

The day came and they jumped right in and were so excited for their session. They had planned to get dressed up, have their photoshoot, and then go out to dinner for a date night. In fact, they said they had so much fun that the session almost felt as though it was part of the date too!

They visited my St Paul studio at a later time for their Cinematic Presentation + Design Consultation. They were thrilled with their final selections and now have a number of digital files for their own use. We even designed a gorgeous custom wall art collection so they could see their love on the wall each day of their lives.

Thank You!

Thank you, Troy + Jules, for choosing to work with me as your fine art studio engagement photographer. I had so much fun working with you two, and I am so happy that you love your photographs!

If you’d like to work together for your engagement photography, contact me soon!

Make sure to take a look at some of my other engagement photo sessions too: Marcie + Dave, Katharine + Zach, Wittne + Scott, Sarah + Eric, Alison + Steve, Sarah + Ezra, Anna + Adam

Minneapolis Fine Art Studio Portrait Photography | Pauline

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Fine Art Studio Portrait Photography

Pauline had an amazing idea. Her birthday was coming up, and she decided to celebrate by crafting a beautiful custom dress (that payed homage to her native home of Ghana), and having a portrait photoshoot of herself. She wanted to celebrate herself and how far she had come in life – what a great idea! So she called me and we scheduled her fine art portrait photography session for her birthday. I was so excited to work with her, and to see the amazing dress she created!

Portrait Session

When I saw Pauline’s wrap dress, my jaw hit the floor. She created her look in just a few hours, and it was spectacular! Her dress was in a wrap style, so she could wrap it over her shoulders, or turn it toward the front or back. It had tons of fun options, so we tried a few of our favorite looks that were amazing on her.

Cinematic Presentation + Design Consultation

Once I presented Pauline with the best photos from her portrait session, she was thrilled! She was captivated with so many of the photos, we ended up creating a custom collection of seven pieces of wall art so she could enjoy her photos every day.

Thank You!

Thank you, Pauline, for choosing to work with me as your fine art portrait photographer. I had so much fun working with you, and I am so happy that you love your photographs and wall art. Best of luck with your future endeavors!

Take a look at another portrait photography session and personal branding session that I’ve done too! If you’d like to work together for your portrait photography session, contact me soon!

Minneapolis Fine Art Portrait Photography | Diana Grasselli

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Fine Art Studio Portrait Photography

I met Diana Grasselli over a decade ago. She is such an amazing artist and friend, I always love hanging out with her! She had enjoyed an amazing career as a professional singer, musician and music producer. I loved hearing all her stories of the famous people she had worked with, and the amazing things she had experienced. I was thrilled when we had the chance to work together for her fine art portrait photography session at my St Paul studio, just a few blocks from her music school!

Portrait Session

Diana and I worked together at my portrait studio for a couple of hours. First we started with more traditional portraits, and then we had a bit of fun – she danced around with some lengths of tulle and we captured some amazing “freestyle” looks too. In our short time together we had captured SO many amazing fun photos, it was even tough for me to narrow down to the winners!

Cinematic Presentation + Design Consultation

Once I presented Diana with the best photos from her portrait session, she was thrilled! She was captivated with so many of the photos, and she is planning to use them to promote a new project she is working on. (Cannot wait to hear more about that too!)

Thank You!

Thank you, Diana, for choosing to work with me as your fine art portrait photographer. I had so much fun working with you, and I am so happy that you love your photographs. Best of luck with your future endeavors!

Take a look at other fine art portrait photography, personal brand portrait photography, and studio portraits I’ve done too! If you’d like to work together for your portrait photography session, contact me soon!