Photography Blog - Carina Photographics

Landscape Arboretum Winter Lights Engagement Photography | Jackie + John

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photography

Jackie + John were so excited for their 2023 MN Landscape Arboretum wedding. Their wedding concept includes stars and galaxies, so they wanted lights and stars included in their theme and decor. When they considered taking engagement photos, they loved the idea of the Winter Lights show at the Arboretum to reflect that beautiful stars and lights theme. I loved it too, so we made plans for an amazing session!

Winter Lights Arboretum Portraits

We made reservations for a beautiful mild winter evening at the Arb. The Winter Lights show was absolutely stunning! We walked through the maze of lights, and had tons of fun capturing the two of them enjoying their time as well. Luckily, the day was relatively warm, and the moon and stars were out – everything was so gorgeous. We walked the entire maze of lights and spent time with all of the beautiful sculptures and light artwork. We even went back to a few of them multiple times so we could make sure to capture several options for them. When the photos were ready, they were blown away and so excited by their photos.

Thank You!

Jackie + John, thank you so much for working with me for your engagement photography! I had so much fun enjoying the Arboretum’s gorgeous Winter Lights display with you. I am so excited for your big day coming up later this year!

If you are considering a MN Landscape Arboretum engagement session, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at additional engagement sessions I photographed at the MN Landscape Arboretum, including a summer engagement session, another summer engagement session, an autumn engagement session, a winter Landscape Arboretum engagement session, another autumn Arboretum engagement session, and even an Arboretum engagement session at the dog park!

Extended Family Portrait Photography | Meyer Family

By Joanna Carina

Family Photographer St Paul MN

Mary gave me a call looking to have a photoshoot of her and her immediate family. They had not done this before and were hoping to have photos in their home to enjoy of their family. They especially wanted to capture photos of their young granddaughters before they grew older.

Extended Family Photoshoot

I met up with the Meyer family one summer afternoon at the lakeside pavillion near Mary + Gordy’s home. We worked together very quickly and everyone, including their granddaughters, had a great time! The girls were very excited to show me the special jewelry grandma had lent them for the photoshoot, and they especially loved my “spinny” stools I used during their portrait session!

After their session, Mary + Gordy came out to my St Paul studio. I showed them the “best-of-the-best” from their portrait session so they could choose their favorite photos and select their favorite artwork. They loved their pictures! They ended up selecting a gorgeous handmade glass portrait box of their favorite matted fine art prints as well as a beautiful wall art collection so they could see their family portraits in their home every day.

Thank You!

Thank you, Meyer family, for working with me for your extended family photos. I had so much fun working with you, and I am thrilled that you love your portraits!

If you’d like to work together for your own extended family photography, give me a call or send me an email soon!

BONUS: Make sure to take a look at other outdoor extended family sessions I have photographed too, including a Como Park extended family session, another Como Park extended family session, and a Centennial Lakes Park extended family session. Also take a look at an indoor studio extended family session, as well as these indoor studio extended family photos too.

St Paul College Club Wedding Photography | Laura + Mitchal

By Joanna Carina

St Paul College Club Wedding Photography

Laura + Mitchal loved the beautiful vintage architecture and gorgeous gardens of the St Paul College Club, so it was a perfect fit for their big day. It was tough planning around the global Covid pandemic, but they were very careful and everyone had a wonderful time!

The two of them and their wedding party prepared in the bride and groom suites onsite at the St Paul College Club. Once they were ready, they had their first look in the back yard. We followed with couple photos, wedding party photos and family photos. Then it was time for the big event! There were tears of joy and laughter as they tied the knot.

St Paul College Club Wedding Reception

Once the ceremony was over, Laura + Mitchal enjoyed some time alone upstairs while the guests enjoyed drinks, hors d’oeuvres, music and games outside. They rejoined the party just in time to cut the cake and then head in for dinner. After toasts, everyone had a blast dancing and enjoying the night.

Thank You!

Laura + Mitchal, thank you so much for working with me for your wedding photography! I had so much fun on your big day, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

If you are considering a St Paul College Club wedding, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at a few other mansion weddings I photographed too, such as this Van Dusen Mansion wedding, a Semple Mansion wedding, another Semple Mansion wedding, a Pillsbury Mansion wedding, and a Cedarhurst Mansion wedding.

BONUS: Take a look at some other gorgeous, vintage mansion weddings I photographed, including a Semple Mansion wedding, a Van Dusen Mansion wedding, a Cedarhurst Mansion wedding, and a Semple Mansion wedding reception too.

VENDORS
Venue: St Paul College Club
Catering: St Paul College Club
Desserts: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Senior Photography Waterfall Session | Margaret

By Joanna Carina

Senior Photo Waterfall Session

I was completely shocked the day that Margaret’s mom contacted me to photograph her senior photos. Why? Because I’ve known their family before Margaret was even born, and I couldn’t believe she was old enough to be a senior. Of course, I jumped at the chance to work with them!

River Waterfall Senior Portraits

Margaret had spent her school career excelling on the swim team, and she absolutely loved being in the water. We talked about options for locations in and around water, and they absolutely loved the idea of Willow River Falls in Hudson, Wisconsin. It’s one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the region!

We spent the afternoon around the beautiful waterfall, first beginning outside the water on the rocky shoreline. Afterward, Margaret got right into the water and had so much fun with her portraits. Once they saw them, they absolutely loved Margaret’s photos!

Thank You!

Thank you, Margaret, for choosing to work with me for your senior portraits. I had so much fun working with you and your family, and I am so happy that you love your photographs. And best of luck with your future endeavors!

Make sure to take a look at some of my other senior portrait sessions I photographed too: Como Park, Hidden Falls Regional Park, Stillwater, Como Park, Guthrie Theater, Mill Ruins Park, Maple Grove Arboretum, Cathedral Hill, Lyndale Peace Park, Silver Lake, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, North Loop, Cathedral Hill, Loring Park, Long Lake Regional Park, Loring Park, Stone Arch Bridge, Mill City Museum.

If you’d like to work together for your senior photo session, contact me soon!

Extended Family Photos Como Park | Folken Family

By Joanna Carina

Family Photographer St Paul MN

Bruce + Debra are former Minnesota residents who relocated to Arizona when they retired. They return to Minnesota frequently to visit with their family and friends. On their 2022 summer trip, they decided to plan for an extended family portrait with their adult children and spouses, as well as their grandchildren. We settled on an outdoor photoshoot at Como Park – one of my favorite locations!

Extended Family Photoshoot

The day of their photoshoot arrived with perfectly warm, sunny, summer weather. Everyone was excited for their photoshoot and had fun and laughs during our time together. We photographed them quickly, creating several groupings and photos of everyone together in different configurations.

After their session, several members of their family came to my St Paul studio. I showed them the “best-of-the-best” from their portrait session so they could choose their favorite photos and select their favorite artwork. They loved their pictures! They ended up selecting a gorgeous handmade glass portrait box featuring their favorite matted fine art prints to share between the group.

Thank You!

Thank you, Folken family, for working with me for your extended family photoshoot. I had so much fun working with you, and I am thrilled that you love your portraits!

If you’d like to work together for your own Como Park family photography, give me a call or send me an email soon!

BONUS: Make sure to take a look at other outdoor extended family sessions I have photographed too, including a Como Park extended family session, an Apple Valley park extended family session, and a Centennial Lakes Park extended family session. Also take a look at an indoor studio extended family session, as well as these indoor studio extended family photos too.

Senior Guy Photography Minneapolis | Dylan

By Joanna Carina

Como Park Senior Photography

Dylan and his family were excited for his senior portraits. They wanted to photograph him in the beautiful autumn color, and even wanted to include their dog Pax for some of the photos. I was so excited, it was such a beautiful day and a fun photo session!

We met up at Como Park to celebrate Dylan’s love of nature and have some space to play with Pax and get some cute photos. Dylan also had a great time hiking around through the green space and enjoying the fall color. We had an awesome time!

St Paul Senior Photos

After the photoshoot, I invited Dylan and his family out to my St Paul studio to show them the final “best-of-the-best” photos from his portrait session. We chose their favorites and settled on a beautiful wall art collection to enjoy. I cannot wait to see the collection from Graphistudio on their wall.

Thank You!

Thank you, Dylan and family, for choosing to work with me for your senior portrait photography. I had so much fun working with you, and I am so happy that you love your wall artwork. And Dylan, best of luck with your future endeavors!

Make sure to take a look at some of my other senior portrait sessions I photographed too: Willow River Falls, Hidden Falls Regional Park, Stillwater, Como Park, Guthrie Theater, Mill Ruins Park, Maple Grove Arboretum, Cathedral Hill, Lyndale Peace Park, Silver Lake, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, North Loop, Cathedral Hill, Loring Park, Long Lake Regional Park, Loring Park, Stone Arch Bridge, Mill City Museum.

If you’d like to work together for your senior portrait session, contact me soon!

Family Photography Como Park | Kebed Family

By Joanna Carina

Como Park Family Photography

The Kebed family was looking forward to having beautiful family portraits created. They really wanted photos they could hang on their wall and enjoy every day. We talked through the options and they loved what they heard, so we made plans for autumn portraits at Como Park – such a beautiful location, it’s one of my favorites!

The day arrived and it was a perfect mid-fall afternoon. We worked with both kiddos as well as the four of them together. The kiddos were so excited! They were perfect at cooperating and had a great time running around, rolling in the leaves, tickle fights and having fun together.

Once their portrait session was complete, I then had the Kebed family over to my St Paul studio to show them the “best-of-the-best” from their session. They absolutely loved their photos! They ended up choosing a gorgeous wall art collection (check out the mockup below) and a handful of other prints. I cannot wait for my professional installation vendor to hang this collection in their home when it arrives from Graphistudio in Italy.

Thank You!

Kebed family, thank you so much for working with me for your beautiful Como Park family portraits! I had so much fun working with you, and I hope you cherish your beautiful artwork forever.

If you would love to capture your own Como Park family portraits, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at some other outdoor family portrait sessions I captured too, such as this Como Park family session, a Minneapolis park family session, a MN Landscape Arboretum family session, and a Long Lake Regional Park family session.

Steeple Center + Troy Burne Golf Club Wedding Photos | Emily + Ryan

By Joanna Carina

Steeple Center Wedding Photography

I worked with Emily + Ryan for their beautiful summer wedding photography. They held their wedding ceremony at the Steeple Center in Rosemount MN. It was a beautiful venue, and even more special since one of their uncles was able to officiate too! After their beautiful ceremony, we headed out for a quick stop in Hudson Wisconsin, right at the St Croix riverfront, for wedding party photos. After a quick stop for a toast at a riverfront bar, we headed off to the reception!

Troy Burne Wedding Reception Photography

Emily + Ryan’s wedding reception started off with a fun cocktail hour, then followed with dinner and dancing. Once the first dances had taken place, Emily + Ryan snuck away for sunset photos on the Troy Burne Golf Club grounds in a golf cart! We had sunset photos as well as photos by the creekside and in the woods. The Golf Club staff even brought them a bottle of champagne to enjoy while we were having fun in the woods! We had so much fun, and then they headed back off to the reception to dance the night away.

Thank You!

Emily + Ryan, thank you so much for working with me for your wedding photography! It was so fun working with you on your wedding day. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!

If you are considering a Steeple Center and/or Troy Burne Golf Club wedding, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to check out some other golf club weddings I have photographed around the Twin Cities, including a Mendakota Country Club wedding, a Bearpath Golf Club wedding, a Columbia Manor wedding, and a TPC Twin Cities wedding!

VENDORS:
Venue: Steeple Center / Troy Burne Golf Club
Bridal Attire: The Wedding Shoppe
Bride’s Shoes: Betsey Johnson
Bridesmaid’s Attire: David’s Bridal
Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Rings: The Diamond Center
Floral: Big Lake Floral
Wedding Cake/Desserts: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Senior Guy Photography MN | Nik

By Joanna Carina

Hidden Falls Park Senior Photos

I was contacted by Nik’s mom looking for a senior portrait photoshoot. She talked about Nik’s love of camping, fishing, hiking and nature in general. It made me think of some great options in the Twin Cities area for his photos, and he loved the idea of Hidden Falls Regional Park. It has a waterfall and woods, as well as the riverside area and beach. It was perfect for him!

We met up on a beautiful late summer afternoon. We photographed Nik near the waterfall, throughout the woods, as well as on the beach by the riverside. Everything looked so beautiful – even the sunset was spectacular!

Minneapolis Senior Photos

Once we were finished, I invited Nik and his family out to my St Paul studio to show them the final “best-of-the-best” photos from Nik’s portraits. We chose through their favorites and settled on some gorgeous matted fine art prints to treasure forever. I cannot wait to see them in person when they arrive from Graphistudio in Italy.

Thank You!

Thank you, Nik, for choosing to work with me for your senior portrait photography. I had so much fun working with you and your family, and I am so happy that you love your photographs. And Nik, best of luck with your future endeavors!

Make sure to take a look at some of my other senior portrait sessions I photographed too: Willow River Falls, Como Park, Stillwater, Como Park, Guthrie Theater, Mill Ruins Park, Maple Grove Arboretum, Cathedral Hill, Lyndale Peace Park, Silver Lake, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park, North Loop, Cathedral Hill, Loring Park, Long Lake Regional Park, Loring Park, Stone Arch Bridge, Mill City Museum.

If you’d like to work together for your senior photo session, contact me soon!

Franconia Sculpture Park Wedding Photography | Deanna + Daniel

By Joanna Carina

Interstate State Park Wedding Reception Photography

Deanna + Daniel had to delay their 2021 wedding celebration due to the global Covid pandemic. They decided to go forward with a small ceremony in 2021, and then hold their larger wedding reception in 2022. I was so excited they chose to work with me for their amazing Franconia Sculpture Park wedding reception photography!

Franconia Sculpture Park Wedding Photography

After they prepared for their big event on their beautiful June day, we headed over to Interstate Park (on the Wisconsin side) for some pre-ceremony couple photos. I absolutely love that park – the rock outcroppings and river views are stunning!

Once we were finished with their portraits, we headed over to Franconia Sculpture Park (near Taylor’s Falls) for their big reception and celebration. They were excited to have portraits with some of the beautiful sculptures before the party started. Then we headed over to the reception venue for the fun! They had dinner from the phenomenal GastroTruck food truck, along with homemade desserts, toasts, lawn games, a shoe game, and dancing. The whole event was so much fun, and went by in a flash!

Thank You!

Deanna + Daniel, thank you so much for working with me for your wedding photography! It was so fun working with you during your wedding reception. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!

If you are considering a Franconia Sculpture Park and/or Interstate State Park wedding, contact me soon!

VENDORS:
Venue: Franconia Sculpture Park / Interstate State Park
Bridal Attire: Angelique’s Bridal
Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Rings: Shane Company + Helzberg Diamonds
Catering: GastroTruck

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photography

Winter Lights Arboretum Portraits

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Family Photographer St Paul MN

Extended Family Photoshoot

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St Paul College Club Wedding Photography

St Paul College Club Wedding Reception

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Senior Photo Waterfall Session

River Waterfall Senior Portraits

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Family Photographer St Paul MN

Extended Family Photoshoot

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Como Park Senior Photography

St Paul Senior Photos

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Como Park Family Photography

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Steeple Center Wedding Photography

Troy Burne Wedding Reception Photography

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Hidden Falls Park Senior Photos

Minneapolis Senior Photos

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Interstate State Park Wedding Reception Photography

Franconia Sculpture Park Wedding Photography

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