STUDIO HAPPENINGS ARCHIVES

Luxury Wedding Photo Album | David + Elizabeth

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Today I’m excited to share my latest wedding photo album! Elizabeth + David were married last fall at the gorgeous Como Conservatory Sunken Garden. Be sure to take a look at their beautiful wedding photos too.

Premium Wedding Photo Album

After the wedding, David + Elizabeth wanted a custom Graphistudio wedding album. These gorgeous albums are handmade in Italy. Together, we designed a wedding photo album that perfectly reflected their day.

We started with their album box. They chose a dark anthracite gray, wood-patterned Maple material. Their names and date were foiled on the top, surrounded by a graphic circle of plants, in elegant gold. Inside, the box features a photo of their wedding rings on a gorgeous Conservatory bromeliad flower. The box was finished with a crisp white satin ribbon.

The album features a gorgeous crystal-clear cover with a photo of Elizabeth + David in the spectacular evening light, stone, greenery and flowers of the Sunken Garden. The album is bound with elegant, classic black Italian leather. The pages are printed on metallic professional photo paper and bound into a patented lay-flat binding system. The pages are then finished with a satin coating to protect against fingerprints, dirt and oils.

Thank You!

Elizabeth + David loved their album! It is such a wonderful heirloom for them to share with family and friends. They can enjoy it time and again over the years, and pass it down for generations. Congratulations, David + Elizabeth. I loved working with the two of you as your Minneapolis wedding photographer, and I wish you the best in your lives together!

Take a look at some of my other heirloom album options too:
Signature Albums
Premium Albums

I’ve got these and other wedding photo album samples to view. I’d love to meet you at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio to show you them to you. Contact me soon!

MN Wedding Photo Album | Karen + Harrison

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Today I’m excited to share my latest wedding photo album! Karen + Harrison were married on a beautiful August day in 2017. Their wedding was held in the gorgeous, vintage Van Dusen Mansion in Minneapolis. Take a look at their beautiful wedding photos too.

Premium Wedding Photo Album

After the wedding, Karen + Harrison wanted a custom Graphistudio wedding album. These gorgeous albums are handmade in Italy. Together, we designed a wedding photo album that perfectly reflected their day.

We started with their album box. They chose a crisp white silky, wood-patterned Maple material. Their names and date were foiled on the top in elegant rose gold. Inside, the box features a photo of their invitations and rings from their wedding day. The box was finished with a silvery satin ribbon.

The album features an elegant crystal-clear cover with an evening photo of Karen + Harrison in front of the warmly-lit Van Dusen Mansion. The album is bound with dark blue Italian leather to reflect the color of the evening sky. The pages are printed on professional photo paper and bound into a patented lay-flat binding system. The pages are then finished with a satin coating to protect against fingerprints, dirt and oils.

Thank You!

Karen + Harrison loved their album! It is such a wonderful heirloom for them to share with family and friends. They can enjoy it time and again over the years, and pass it down for generations. Congratulations, Karen + Harrison. I loved working with the two of you as your Minneapolis wedding photographer, and I wish you the best in your lives together!

Take a look at some of my other heirloom album options too:
Signature Albums
Premium Albums

I’ve got these and other wedding photo album samples to view. I’d love to meet you at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio to show you them to you. Contact me soon!

Wedding Photo Album Minneapolis | Stephanie + Travis

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Today I’m excited to share my latest wedding photo album. Stephanie + Travis were married on a beautiful August day in 2016. Their wedding was held in the gorgeous, vintage glamour of the Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis. You can see their wedding photos from their beautiful day here too.

Graphistudio Wedding Photo Album

After the wedding, Stephanie + Travis wanted a custom Graphistudio wedding album. They have been produced for almost 40 years now, and are handmade in Italy. Together, we designed a wedding photo album that perfectly reflected their day. We started with their album box, and they chose a silky, wood-patterned Maple material. Their names were foiled on the top in classic silver. The box was finished with a sky blue satin ribbon, which was their dominant wedding color.

The album features an elegant crystal clear cover with a photo of Stephanie + Travis in front of the Minneapolis Club. The album is bound with matching Maple material which ties it together with the box. The pages are printed on professional photo paper and bound into a patented lay-flat binding system. The pages are finished with a satin coating to protect against fingerprints, dirt and oils.

Thank You

Stephanie + Travis were thrilled with their album. It is such a wonderful heirloom for them to share with family and friends. They can enjoy it time and again over the years. Congratulations, Stephanie + Travis. It was such an honor and joy to work with you as your Minneapolis wedding photographer. I wish you the best in your lives together!

Take a look at some of my other heirloom album options too:
Signature Albums
Premium Albums

I’ve got these and other wedding photo album samples to view. I’d love to meet you at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio to show you them to you. Contact me soon!

Muse Event Center Paper Wedding Dress Styled Photoshoot

By Joanna Carina 7 Comments

Muse Event Center Paper Wedding Dress Photos

I’m so excited to be sharing my paper wedding dress side project. Why a paper dress? For years I had been fascinated by paper dresses. Not sure why, but the artistry of combining fashion and paper was intriguing to me. I occasionally told random friends about my interest in working on a project with a paper wedding dress. I never found anyone who knew much about them.

Then, one evening earlier this year, I was lazily scrolling through my Instagram feed when I happened to see a post by a couple of artisans who specialize in paper displays and backdrops, including some work for weddings. When I searched for their info, I discovered they were located in Minneapolis! In one of my “What have I got to lose?” moments, I sent them an email asking if they would be interested in creating a paper wedding dress for a styled wedding photoshoot. They said YES!!! I think my jaw actually might have hit the floor when I received that email – I was SO excited!

From there, I asked my friend Maddie of Ask for the Moon Events about her interest in the project. She loved the idea too, and was happy to be on board! My dream was about to become a reality! We got together for coffee with the amazing Suzanne and Lisette of Black Crane Studio. We talked over some ideas, and Suzanne put it best when describing the dress they would create: “Go big or go home!” So while our Black Crane friends worked their magic, Maddie took the reigns and coordinated a stellar team of vendors for the photoshoot.

Paper Dress Styled Photoshoot

The day arrived, and everyone was so excited. It was awesome to see Black Crane’s stunning dress up close and in person. The entire dress was created of paper. The majority of the dress was composed of cupcake wrappers. The underskirt was folded tissue paper, the flowers were cut construction paper, and the “beads” were created out of papier-mâché. Everyone brought their A-game to the event, and we are all thrilled with the results.

Take a look at the amazing images below as well as the spectacular team of vendors. And watch for our photoshoot to be featured on Minnesota Bride’s website later this year! Thanks again to my amazing “friendors” – I am so happy to have worked with you as your Minneapolis wedding photographer!

VENDORS
Venue: Muse Event Center
Planner: Ask for the Moon Events
Paper Wedding Dress: Black Crane Studio
Florals: Sadie’s Couture Floral
Rentals/Decor: We’ve Got It Covered
Hair/Makeup: Onsite Muse
Cake: Jo Garrison Cakes
Stationery: Ivory Isle Designs
Jewelry: Commers Custom Jewelers
Favors: House of Brigadeiros
Model: Dana Cherie

Want to see more of my styled wedding photoshoots? Take a look at others here:
James J Hill Center Wedding Styled Photoshoot
Formal Garden Wedding Styled Photoshoot
Landmark Center Wedding Styled Photoshoot
Garden Wedding Styled Photoshoot

Premium Wedding Photo Albums | Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Minneapolis Wedding Photo Albums

Today I wanted to spend some more time highlighting my Premium wedding photo albums. I offer luxury albums from Graphistudio! Graphistudio is one of the longest-running and most-prestigious wedding album manufacturers in the world. They were founded in Italy in 1982. The albums are handmade at their headquarters in Italy. Graphi has offices all over the world. Luckily, the US headquarters is right here in Minneapolis!

Following are a few album examples for you to get a sense of their variety, customizability and craftsmanship. I previously highlighted my high-end Signature wedding photo albums. Today I am highlighting my Premium wedding photo albums. These are more budget-friendly than the Signature line.

Premium Wedding Album #1

Courtney + Blake’s wedding photo album is first. The box is created out of white wood pulp with an amazing white-on-white texture. I created a beautiful circular border to mimic the greenery circle from Courtney + Blake’s ceremony. We printed the graphic and their names in rose gold foil. (This was one of their wedding colors.) Inside the box is an image of their wedding invitations and rings. The book itself features a crystal clear cover and dark blue leather binding. (Another of their wedding colors.) The paper is a soft matte with velvety finish. The box and album are finished with a light gray satin ribbon.

Premium Wedding Album #2

Chantel + Quinn’s wedding photo album is next. They wanted a crest on their box cover. I customized an elegant ornament which subtly features an ‘A’. (The first letter of their married last names.) The symbol has been printed in gold foil on the box cover. The box was created in anthracite gray Maple material. Inside the box, we featured a photo of Chantel + Quinn from their wedding day. Their album is covered in the same Maple material, but this time in white. The box cover design was converted into a gold foil border. The album was finished with a rich blue satin ribbon. That was also one of their wedding colors.

Premium Wedding Album #3

Next is Susan + Robert’s wedding photo album. All of my wedding photo albums include a custom-designed protective box. Since Susan was of Indian heritage, her wedding featured numerous Indian touches. For example, her bridesmaids wore multi-colored saris from India. Susan wore traditional henna on her hands. She also wore an exquisite Indian gown during the reception. The box was made of white soft-touch material and featured a stamped white-on-white Indian pattern. The box included a sky blue satin ribbon. The blue was matched with the cover image. It featured a photo of Susan + Robert in the gorgeous landscape of the Mendakota Country Club golf course. The album cover was a thick crystal-clear plexi sheet over a metallic photo. This gave it a bright, glowing presentation. The album is bound with a traditional black Italian leather.

Premium Wedding Album #4

Next is Alice + Chris’ wedding photo album. They had a rustic wedding at Kellerman’s Event Center. The dark Maple material fit well for the box. The box features a photo of the Alice + Chris during the gorgeous fall day at Matoska Park inside. The box is finished with a bright yellow satin ribbon. Alice + Chris’ rings on raw cut wood feature on the album cover. This again highlights the rustic wood theme seen throughout their big day.

Other Custom Heirloom Artwork

Take a look at my other gorgeous heirloom artwork options too!
Signature Albums
Engagement Albums
Image Boxes
Wall Art

I’ve got these and other wedding photo albums to view as well. Feel free to call and coordinate a time to meet at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio soon. I’d love to show you these amazing albums!

Signature Wedding Photography Albums | Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Minneapolis Wedding Photo Albums

Today I’m showing several of my Signature wedding photo albums. I’m proud to be carrying luxury wedding photo albums from Graphistudio! Graphistudio is one of the most-prestigious wedding album makers in the world. They were founded in Italy in 1982, and the albums are still produced at their headquarters in Italy. They have grown to open offices all over the world, and luckily the US headquarters is right here in Minneapolis! I’m highlighting five albums to give a sense of their variety, customizability and craftsmanship.

Wedding Photo Album #1

Amanda + Dan’s wedding photo album is up first. All of my wedding photo albums come with a protective box. This keeps them safe from damage, dust and light. The exterior features a black Touch soft finish. The box cover features their names and custom-designed crest in elegant silver foil. The box interior features metallic silver linen, as well as a yellow satin ribbon. Since yellow and gray were Amanda + Dan’s wedding colors, the choices were fitting. The album cover is brushed silver metal with infrared image from Amanda + Dan’s wedding day. The album is bound with bright yellow Italian leather. The interior pages are printed on professional photo paper with satin finish. This protects against fingerprints, oils and dirt to ensure decades of enjoyment.

Wedding Photo Album #2

Next is Anna + Brandon’s wedding photo album. Their wedding took place at the Minneapolis Dayblock Event Center. Their formal portraits were taken behind the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis. The box and album binding were created with Graphi’s Maple material. The texture and color reflects the rustic, worn wood of Minneapolis’ vintage buildings. The album’s Crystal cover matches the glass throughout the city. A green metallic linen lines the box interior. The box is finished with a blue ribbon to coordinate with their blue wedding color. The photos are printed on metallic photo paper with satin finish. The images really pop off the page!

Wedding Photo Album #3

Next is Katie + Robert’s wedding photo album. Their wedding took place at Cottage Vineyard and Winery in Menomonie, WI. Cork covers the box, and the names are printed in an elegant script font. The box interior is lined with metallic Pearl Linen. The two paired together highlight the rustic elegance of Katie + Robert’s day. A white satin ribbon completes the box. The album itself is bound in Graphistudio’s soft, velvety Sequoia distressed Italian leather. Note that the engraved text on the cover is actually cut directly out of the leather. Album pages are printed on professional photo paper with satin coating.

Wedding Photo Album #4

Next is Lauren + Wes’ wedding photo album. Their wedding took place at Rum River Barn + Vineyard in Hillman, MN. Their box is wrapped in a Pearl Linen. A gorgeous, fall-themed graphic on the top reflects the glowing colors of their day. The box interior is burlap-style linen, echoing the rustic barn theme. A purple satin ribbon ties in their main wedding color. The album features a white barnwood-style cover with laser engraved names. It is also bound with the velvety Sequoia distressed Italian leather. The pages are printed on metallic paper with satin coating throughout.

Wedding Photo Album #5

My newest addition is Safiyyah + Rory’s wedding photo album. Their wedding took place at Aria in Minneapolis. The rustic wooden box features Safiyyah + Rory’s laser engraved names. The box interior is metallic pearl linen. The album cover features blue glazed metal. Their names and “twinkling” star artwork are engraved on the cover so the silver metal peeks through. The velvety suede Sequoia distressed Italian leather binds the album. The whole presentation is finished off with a beautiful satin ribbon.

Other Heirloom Artwork

Oh, and how could I forget? I can also create Parent Album copies of your wedding photo albums too!

Take a look at my other gorgeous heirloom artwork options:
Premium Albums
Engagement Albums
Image Boxes
Wall Art

I’ve got these and other wedding photo albums to view as well. Please don’t hesitate to call and coordinate a time to meet at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio. I’d love to show you these amazing albums!

What’s in My Bag? | Minneapolis Photographer Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Camera Gear

As a Minneapolis wedding photographer, I often get asked what camera gear I use when meeting new clients. While I often say “Canon professional gear and backups”, I thought it would be helpful if I took some time to review the items I use and explain how I use them. I’ve got A LOT of gear, so this will be quite a post!

First of all, yes, I am a Canon user. When people ask about using Canon vs Nikon, it’s a bit like asking “Coke vs Pepsi?” They are both equally great at what they do, and in the end, it’s all about how comfortable each person is with their gear. I happen to fall in the Canon camp.

Minneapolis Photographer Cameras

My primary cameras are the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. They are amazing workhorse cameras. They have fast and accurate focusing, quiet operation, and excellent low-light capabilities, among many other things. The fact that they also have two card slots, for making two copies of each image, makes it a natural choice for wedding photographers.

I also use a Canon EOS 5D Mark II which has been converted to an infrared camera. Infrared is a certain wavelength of light that is not visible to our eyes. While the images I create are in black-and-white, the biggest difference is that all greenery looks white in an infrared photo, giving the images a dreamy, “otherworldly” feel to them. I have a lot of fun with this camera!

Take a look at some of the infrared images the 5D Mark II creates here!

I use a Canon A1 film camera when I want to use film. One of Canon’s best – and the last – film camera they ever produced.

Minneapolis Photographer Prime Lenses

Now, on to the lenses. I primarily use fixed-focal length lenses for all my work. The benefit of them is their excellent sharpness and crispness, as well as the ability to go “wide open”. That means I can open the apertures very wide to let a lot of light in low-light situations where I may normally need to use additional lighting. It also creates a very sharp plane of focus so my backgrounds can often blur out to help the focus settle on my subjects.

First up is the Canon 35 1.4L. This is a lens I like to use for full room photos, large groups of people, and wide shots where I want to get a lot of the environment (such as details during the reception.) This is one of my most-used lenses at weddings.

Next is the Canon 50 1.2L. This is a good mid-range lens that I use for portraits of small groups or families.

Next is possibly my favorite lens, the Canon 85 1.2L. This thing is all glass. It weighs 2 pounds by itself! It is the perfect portrait lens, and along with the 35 is my most-used lens for weddings. I also love it for engagement and individual portraits, so it gets a lot of work.

The Canon 100 2.8L Macro is the lens I use for all my ring shots and other fine detail work (such as invitations, flowers, jewelry, etc.) There is really no other lens that can do what it can!

The Canon 135 2.0L is an amazing lens for very low-light weddings, smaller weddings and even toasts where I need to stand far away from the action.

Minneapolis Photographer Zoom Lenses

Next I have a series of zoom lenses. While they are not my favorite for using all the time, there are times where I do use them. They also serve as the perfect backups for all of my fixed-focal length lenses, as they cover the entire spectrum (and even a bit further) of the fixed lenses.

The Canon 16-35 2.8L is an amazing lens. It is super-wide angle, and I love it for large room and environment photos. It’s perfect for capturing dramatic environments during weddings and portrait sessions. It may not see a lot of action during any wedding or session, but the images it captures tend to be pretty jaw-dropping.

The Canon 24-70 2.8L is a pretty standard mid-range lens. I keep it primarily for times when I can only use lens and know I will need both wide-angle and telephoto images. It doesn’t see a lot of action, but is great to have as a backup.

My last lens is one of the most important – the Canon 70-200 2.8L. This is my go-to lens during wedding ceremonies when I have to be at the back of a church or far from the action (which is often.) I occasionally like to use it for portrait sessions too, but only when I have a lot of room to walk around.

Minneapolis Photographer Lighting

Last but not least, I also use a full portable lighting kit – 4 flashes with stands and triggers, various soft boxes and other lighting modifiers, battery packs and additional backup equipment. I love shooting with off-camera flash to give more natural lighting to my images, so these tools are essential.

I hope you found this tour of my camera gear helpful! You can see that I am well-prepared for the challenges of perfectly capturing weddings and portraits.

Learn more about Joanna Carina here. And learn more about my St Paul photography studio too.

Minneapolis Wedding Photography Album | Katie + Brett

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

I’m excited to share my latest wedding photography album with you today! Katie + Brett were married on a warmish January day (well, warm for MN!) They held their wedding prep at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown St Paul. Their wedding was at St Stephen’s Catholic Church in Anoka. The reception followed at the Landmark Center in St Paul. You can see images from their day in my recent blog post.

Graphistudio Wedding Photo Album

After the wedding, Katie + Brett knew they wanted a gorgeous, custom Graphistudio wedding photography album. These are handmade in Italy. Together, we designed a wedding photography album that perfectly reflected their beautiful day. Their wedding featured an elegant, winter black/white/silver theme. Starting with their album box, they chose the refined black Touch material on the outside. Inside was a metallic silver linen. I recreated the lace pattern from their wedding invitation on the box cover. The artwork and names were printed with a silver foil. The box was finished with a black satin ribbon.

The album cover features brushed silver metal overprinted with a beautiful photo of Katie + Brett in the Landmark Center. The album is bound with black Italian leather. The pages are printed on professional photo paper and bound into a patented lay-flat binding system. The pages are finished with a satin laminate to protect against oils and fingerprints.

Thank You!

Katie + Brett’s album was so perfect for them, and they were thrilled with it! It is such a wonderful heirloom for them to share with family and friends. They can enjoy it time and again over the years. Congratulations, Katie + Brett. It was such an honor and joy to work with you. I wish you the best in your lives together!

Take a look at some of my other gorgeous heirloom album options too:
Signature Albums
Premium Albums

I’ve got these and other wedding photo albums to view as well. I’d love to meet you at my Minneapolis wedding photography studio to show you these amazing albums. Contact me soon!

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Branding | Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Branding

Today I’d like to reveal my newly updated branding and packaging to the world! As a designer in a former life, I always enjoy working on projects that reconnect with that side of my creativity. I’ve worked for several months to update my logo, business card, and digital and print packaging. I love how everything looks! The identity reflects the fine art, elegant, artistic nature of my photography into a visual brand. I chose a metallic gold and dark charcoal gray as the primary branding colors. I also used the combination of a formal capped serif font along with an elegant script font for the logo.

Wedding Photographer Business Cards

First up: my business cards. I chose a unique size (for memorability!) and extra thick, textured paper. I worked with expert letterpress artist Todd Thyberg at Angel Bomb Design + Letterpress. He was great to work with and very accommodating, and made my cards really pop! I really love the gold foil paired with the subtle metallic dark gray tones.

Wedding Photographer Flash Drives

Next up: my flash drives. I chose sophisticated crystal and gold drives with engraved logos. They are so gorgeous!

Next: the flash drive packaging. Starting with a soft-touch black box with debossed logo, a gold ribbon secures the package. The ribbon is accented with a delicate photo charm of my clients.

Once inside the box, you see the Print Release card enclosed in a glassine envelope and sealed with a gold wax seal of my watermark.

Underneath the card is the flash drive itself, protected by a bed of dark gray shred.

Wedding Photographer Print Packaging

Finally: my print packaging. Using the same soft-touch black boxes with debossed logos, gold ribbon and photo charms to tie together with the flash packaging. Inside, prints are presented wrapped in gold tissue.

Read here for a little “Meet Joanna Carina” interview too!

Minneapolis Wedding Photography | Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina Leave a Comment

Carina Photographics 550 Vandalia St Suite 214, St Paul, MN 55114

Fine Art Wedding + Portrait Photography | Custom Heirloom Artwork Design

STUDIO HAPPENINGS ARCHIVES

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Premium Wedding Photo Album

Thank You!

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Premium Wedding Photo Album

Thank You!

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Graphistudio Wedding Photo Album

Thank You

Muse Event Center Paper Wedding Dress Photos

Paper Dress Styled Photoshoot

Minneapolis Wedding Photo Albums

Premium Wedding Album #1

Premium Wedding Album #2

Premium Wedding Album #3

Premium Wedding Album #4

Other Custom Heirloom Artwork

Minneapolis Wedding Photo Albums

Wedding Photo Album #1

Wedding Photo Album #2

Wedding Photo Album #3

Wedding Photo Album #4

Wedding Photo Album #5

Other Heirloom Artwork

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Camera Gear

Minneapolis Photographer Cameras

Minneapolis Photographer Prime Lenses

Minneapolis Photographer Zoom Lenses

Minneapolis Photographer Lighting

Luxury Wedding Photo Album

Graphistudio Wedding Photo Album

Thank You!

Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Branding

Wedding Photographer Business Cards

Wedding Photographer Flash Drives

Wedding Photographer Print Packaging

NAVIGATE

CARINA PHOTOGRAPHICS

MINNEAPOLIS MN WEDDING + PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY