St Paul Newborn Photographer Archives

Newborn Studio Photography | Kelly Family

Newborn Photographer MN

I worked with Raina + Neal for their maternity photography earlier this spring at my St Paul studio. We had so much fun and they ended up with a number of heirloom prints from their session. Then the day finally arrived when their little peanut Tyler made his debut! I was so excited to meet him and work with them again for their newborn and family portraits!

Baby Photography

The three of them arrived at my studio, and I could see how much of a sleeping rockstar little Tyler was. He tried so hard to stay awake and figure out his strange new surroundings, but then he fell fast asleep and very compliant with all our requests lol! We captured photos of him alone, wearing some of their favorite family heirloom outfits. Then we also captured photos of him with mom alone, and then dad alone, as well as all three of them together. We all had such an awesome time, and Tyler was so cute and cooperative!

Thank You!

Thank you, Kelly family, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun working with you, and I am thrilled that you love your photographs! I cannot wait to see your beautiful heirloom portrait box in person too.

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

BONUS: Make sure to take a look at other studio baby and family sessions I have photographed, including the Archbold family, the Ford family, the Schierman family, the Huntwork family, another Huntwork family session, the Gravel family, and the Kelzer family.

Newborn Photography Minneapolis | Huntwork Family

By Joanna Carina

Newborn Photographer St Paul MN

I met Maddie several years ago at a wedding we worked together. We became fast friends! I was so excited when I found out that she and William were expecting a new addition to their family in a few short months! And then I was lucky enough to be able to work with them for their maternity photography as well as their newborn photography at my St Paul studio.

Baby Photography MN

Maddie and William brought their sweet toddler Freya as well as their newest bundle of joy, Gannon, to my St Paul photo studio. We worked together for just about an hour, or as long as the kiddos would last. We found some great wraps and wardrobe colors that would work well together. Then we had plenty of time for photos with mommy, daddy AND big sister. Little Mr G was the perfect level of sleepy and content to go along with pretty much anything. We captured photos of the four of them together, each parent with G alone, a few with big sis, and then little Gannon himself.

Thank You!

Thank you, Huntwork family, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun working with you, and I am thrilled that you love your photographs!

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

BONUS: Make sure to take a look at other studio baby and family sessions I have photographed, including the Archbold family, the Ford family, the Schierman family, the Kelly family, the Gravel family, and the Kelzer family.

Newborn Photography Como Park | Wilson Family

By Joanna Carina

Fine Art 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!

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

BONUS: Make sure to take a peek at other outdoor and home newborn sessions I have photographed, including the Kelzer family, Ford family, Svendsen family, Troldahl family, Gangl family, and Ranheim family.

Minneapolis Newborn Photography | Kelzer Family

By Joanna Carina

Fine Art Studio Newborn Photography

I met Addie several years ago at a wedding vendor event. We became friends pretty soon afterward. I was so excited when I found out that she and Kory were expecting a new addition to their family in a few short months! And then I was lucky enough to be able to work with them for their maternity photography as well as their newborn photography at my St Paul studio.

Baby Photography MN

Addie and Kory brought sweet little Genevieve to meet me at the studio. We worked together for just about an hour, which was plenty of time for baby snuggles, swaddles and photos. Little G was the perfect level of sleepiness with curiosity mixed in (just long enough to open an eye to see what we were up to, then she could go back to sleep.) We captured photos of the three of them together, each parent with G alone, and then little Genevieve herself. We even had a few photos with grandma who was visiting from Idaho!

After their session, I had them out to my St Paul studio for their Cinematic Presentation + Design Consultation. A number of photos that were their favorites, it was a tough choice to narrow down. They ended with a set of digital files – excited to create holiday cards and birth announcements!

Thank You!

Thank you, Kelzer family, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun working with you three, and I am thrilled that you love your photographs!

Make sure to take a look at other newborn sessions I have photographed too! 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 Newborn Photography | Ford Family

By Joanna Carina

Newborn Photo Session MN

As a newborn photographer, I love getting a chance to work with my clients again after their big day. I especially love when they contact me to photograph their growing family. Naturally, I was ecstatic when Safiyyah + Rory asked me to photograph their Como Park maternity session AND their newborn session. (I had previously worked on their 2014 Aria wedding photography!)

First, we worked together in mid-July for their Como Park maternity session. Then, when the adorable Remy made his appearance in mid-August, we met again a few weeks later for their Minneapolis newborn photography at Safiyyah + Rory’s home.

Newborn Photography

Our newborn session was so much fun! Rory’s mom was visiting from Iowa so she was able to spend lots of quality time with Remy. And Maddox was there mugging for the camera whenever he could. Remy did a great job holding it together – either napping or else snuggling with mom, dad or grandma on cue. We were able to work both in his bedroom as well as their dining room with their awesome farm-style wooden table, sheer lacy curtains, and super cool “Ford Family” tub!

Viewing/Ordering Session

Holding our Viewing/Ordering session, it was a tough choice to narrow down the images to Safiyyah + Rory’s “best-of-the-best”, but we were finally able to narrow down and create a beautiful newborn/family photo album for them. I am so excited to see it in final form when it is sent to me from Graphistudio in Italy!

Safiyyah + Rory, thank you so much for choosing to work with me on both your Como Park maternity photography as well as your newborn photography. I always love working with you guys. It was a joy to meet little Remy, and I wish you every happiness in your new lives together as a family!

If you would like more information about working with me for your newborn and family photos, contact me soon!

BONUS: Make sure to take a peek at other outdoor and home newborn sessions I have photographed, including the Wilson family, Kelzer family, Svendsen family, Troldahl family, Gangl family, and Ranheim family.

Minneapolis Newborn Photography | Gangl Family

By Joanna Carina

Newborn Photography MN

Today I’m posting about a newborn photography session I worked on with the Gangl family several years ago. I photographed their session before I had my blog up and running, so I never posted their session until now!

Little Aurelia was born in 2014. Once Leah and Jim settled at home with Aurelia, I worked with the three of them for their lifestyle newborn session. We photographed them spending time together around their home on a beautiful mid-fall day. We spent a lot of time in the natural light of their home, in both the living room and family room as well as Aurelia’s nursery. I especially loved getting photos of the three of them cuddling close with Aurelia sound asleep. Images of Leah as well as Jim holding her closely were absolutely adorable. I also enjoyed capturing a few images of Aurelia swaddled, cuddled up and sleeping soundly.

Image Viewing and Ordering

Once Leah and Jim reviewed their final photos, they chose several images as their favorites. I created a gorgeous canvas triptych of a few of their favorite photos from the session. They looked so awesome on their walls!

Thank you so much, Leah and Jim, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun! And I’m so happy to watch your family grow! Fast forward a couple of years later, and now Aurelia has a little sister, Beatrix! They also have a new baby on the way!

If you would like more information about working with me for your newborn and family photos, contact me soon. I would love to talk more about your vision for your lifestyle newborn photography.

BONUS: Make sure to take a peek at other outdoor and home newborn sessions I have photographed, including the Wilson family, Kelzer family, Ford family, Svendsen family, Troldahl family, and Ranheim family.

Newborn Photography MN | Ranheim Family

By Joanna Carina

Lifestyle Newborn Photography

Continuing on with finding sessions to blog about that I never blogged about from my past: today I’m posting about a newborn photography session I worked on with the Ranheim family a few years ago.

Minneapolis Newborn Photographer

Little Mya was born in 2013 – such a sweetie! Once Suanne and James settled at home with little Mya, I worked with the three of them around their home, photographing them on a beautiful late-winter day. We spent a lot of time in the natural light of their home, in both the living room as well as Mya’s nursery. I especially loved getting photos of the three of them cuddling close with Mya sound asleep. I also was really happy I was able to easily capture images of them along with their sweet doggies. They were getting on in years, and the Ranheims were wanting nice photos of them together before the doggies passed away. Images of Suanne as well as James holding Mya closely were particularly adorable. I also enjoyed capturing a few images of Mya swaddled, sleeping soundly cuddled up and adorable in her crib.

Thank You!

Once Suanne and James reviewed their final photos, they chose several images as their favorites. They particularly wanted photos for their newborn announcements, so I was happy to help with that.

Thank you so much, Suanne and James, for working with me as your newborn photographer. I had so much fun, and I’m so happy to watch your family grow!

If you would like more information about working with me for your newborn and family photos, contact me soon!

Meet Joanna Carina of Carina Photographics

By Joanna Carina

Minneapolis Photographer Joanna Carina

Today I put together a little Q&A session with me, Joanna Carina, the founder and lead photographer of Carina Photographics. Hope you enjoy!

About Joanna

I spend a lot of time during my days at home with my young kiddos as well as my hubby, who also works at home as a freelance product designer, illustrator and fine artist. Spending time with my kids is priceless. I started my photography business in 2012, and opened up my photo studio in St Paul in 2015. It’s great meeting and working with clients there, too.

Hobbies and Activities

I LOVE traveling. I’ve been all over the US and the world, although I have not yet completed my Bucket List! Camping, hiking and being in nature are important to me. The US National Parks are a big favorite. I cannot wait to take the kids when they get a bit older. Also reading and learning new things is a big love of mine, especially taking photo classes and learning new techniques.

Fun Fact About Joanna Carina

Before my husband and I got married, we took ballroom dance classes so we could really dance it up to the jazz band we had for our big day. We loved it so much that we kept up on our lessons for many years afterward. We even performed for crowds! The last name “Carina” was adopted by us when we got married. It was based on the name of a constellation, after my love of astronomy.

How Long I Have Been Photographing

I’ve been fascinated by photography as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, I taped photos of beautiful landscape photography on my bedroom walls. In middle school I joined the Photography Club. There I was in a closet under the back stairs along with eight other students learning how to roll film and use a photo enlarger. By the time I got to the College of Visual Arts in St Paul, I filled my schedule with as many photography courses as possible. I have always maintained a professional camera setup. My primary interest in the early years was travel and landscape photography. Then later I moved to portraiture and weddings. I also art directed commercial photoshoots while working for several years as a graphic designer in a marketing firm.

Why I Got Into Wedding Photography

Once we had our daughter in 2011, I decided to leave my graphic design job to stay home with her. Shortly afterward, I decided to pursue my love of photography. I found myself photographing a couple of friends’ weddings early on, and I was hooked! Seeing a couple’s love and happiness, being included with one of the most important days in their lives, and giving them such joy at visually reliving their day afterward has been so rewarding and amazing to see. And getting to meet such wonderful people, as well as their families and friends, is awesome!

My Favorite Part of the Wedding Day

The first look and couple’s portrait session are wedding highlights for me. My couples always start out preparing separately, and they are often sooooo nervous during that time. Then, when they finally get to that moment and see each other, the reactions I see are priceless! Laughter, happiness, relief, tears, hugs. Such honest, warm, genuine moments, I often can’t help but tear up myself. Then, as we spend our time during their portraits, I see them calm down, relax and look so happy and in love. It’s so amazing to witness them spend that time alone together. By the time we are done with that portion of the day, they are so relieved and happy to head out to the ceremony.

Advice for Couples Planning Their Wedding

First, I would say to make sure to surround yourself with competent professionals. There are so many amazing wedding vendors out there, from wedding planners to caterers to florists to bands. They can all help you take the stress out of one of the biggest days of your life. Next, I would say, from a photographer’s perspective, please give serious consideration to having your wedding day remembered with a high-quality wedding album. From showing your friends and family today, to showing your kids and others in years to come, to enjoying it over your married lives, there is nothing that is so treasured, timeless and secure as having a wedding album as a perfect keepsake of your day.

Also, be sure to check my other recent blog post showing the Top 10 Things to Look for In a Wedding Photographer to give more info on that aspect.

Thank You!

Thanks for reading about me, Joanna Carina! Contact me soon so we can grab a coffee or glass of wine sometime and learn more about working together!

Learn more about my St Paul photo studio too!

Newborn Photography Minneapolis | The Troldahl Family

By Joanna Carina

Minneapolis Newborn Photography

Jeff Troldahl and I met way back in our college days. He was one of the warmest, happiest and nicest guys around. Oh, and did I mention one of the funniest too? He’ll have you laughing so hard you’ll be crying within about 5 minutes. So of course I jumped at the chance a few years ago to photograph his wedding to Katie. She was his girlfriend of several years, and such a sweet and wonderful person herself. They are such an awesome couple, and I love spending time with them.

Minneapolis Newborn Photographer

Fast forward to 2016, and Jeff + Katie’s son Thomas Jeffrey was born! They asked me to be their newborn photographer, so how could I refuse? I was SO excited to be able to photograph them as a family together. We spent several hours at their house for a lifestyle newborn/family photography session. This basically means we just hang out for a few hours together and follow Thomas’ lead on what we should do together. Want to eat? No problem, we’ll photograph you doing that. Need a change? NBD, we’re here for you, and will get a few shots of that too. Finally in the mood for a nap? Great! We’ll dress you up in a cute outfit and photograph you sleeping, or else hanging out with mom and dad. So many options, so little time!

Once we finished up their session, I had the three of them out to my studio a couple of weeks later for their Image Reveal and Ordering Session. They were thrilled with their images! And it’s always amazing to see how much their little guy has changed in just the few weeks since I’ve last seen him. Jeff + Katie settled on an album, birth announcements and a few gift prints from their session images.

Thank You!

Jeff + Katie, I am so honored that you worked with me as your newborn photographer. And I’m so lucky to know you. I love photographing you in these stages of your life together! I wish you a wonderful life together with your new little man Thomas!

If you would like more information about working with me for your newborn and family photos, contact me soon!

BONUS: Make sure to take a peek at other outdoor and home newborn sessions I have photographed, including the Wilson family, Kelzer family, Ford family, Svendsen family, Gangl family, and Ranheim family.