Pam J Photos

the Phillips wedding

2012-01-18T00:12:00.003-06:00

I was absolutely honored to be asked to work with a fantastic photographer and fun friend, Danica Donnelly.

Danica and I had the fortune to have a road trip together before arriving in Milwaukee, WI, for this wedding.

Having time to talk through the days and discuss styles and understand her needs as the main photographer made us

both feel very comfortable as soon as we stepped into the wedding rehearsal. Having time to laugh, enjoy This American Life,

and eat together during the six hour trip didn't hurt, either!

Being an assistant to a photographer was much more fun than I could have imagined. As an assistant, it was my job

to see all the extra things that were happening throughout and watch for the details and the expressions of the day.

With a playful wedding party, an ecstatic couple, a beautiful reception venue, and a camera in my hand, there was

bound to be something beautiful.

And Eva and Danny certainly had a beautiful wedding day.

the Fleminos

2011-11-22T23:44:00.001-06:00

This fall has been incredibly beautiful. Weather. Colors. Families!

Kim is a long-time friend who is now a full-time mom. She is the girliest girl who now has a house full of good-looking boys The hardest part about taking pictures of her and her family was getting ALL three boys to smile and look at the camera at the same time! :) Luckily we were able to get outside and jump and play for some great pictures, too.

Collin: Senior Pictures

2011-10-26T23:35:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the best sessions happen unexpectedly.

Collin had been pretty grumpy with his mom (to be expected of a teenage boy) and came dressed for

pictures wearing a nice shirt, jeans, white socks, and slippers. So....we ventured to his family's great

backyard and made sure I didn't take any shots that included his feet. Once we got warmed up, we found

our way to such magical places as the abandoned City Hall building, a County Road, and an Abandoned

Subdivision. The sky even cleared up for a few shots at the end... Happy Senior Year, Collin!

Austin: Senior Pictures

2011-10-01T01:49:00.000-05:00

Austin | Senior | Chanhassen High School

One might suspect that Labor Day weekend would be a mild, transition to fall kind of weekend. Nope. Instead, Austin and I ended up seeking shelter in the shade to avoid senior pictures mottled with sweat (from the subject or from the photographer?). Luckily, some of the great texture and color of Chanhassen High School were hiding in the shade! Austin ended up coming up with a few locations of his own, despite some initial misgivings about spending an afternoon in front of the camera. The only sweat to endure now is choosing the *very* best one for the yearbook......

the Waisanens

2011-06-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

One more post in June! Yes!

Sarah is a good friend of mine who happened to want a few great pictures with her parents while they were in town for a Twins game. It was again a sprinkly day in June, so we stuck to the sights just around Sarah's apartment. My favorite is the one by the bricks where they are standing on a hill to look the same height :)

Thanks, Waisanens!

Casi: Bonus Senior Photos

2011-06-29T23:33:00.000-05:00

Casi is the lovely daughter of my boss, Bobbie. She had some studio photos taken for school, but wanted some fun photos to use to send out graduation announcements. We made plans to take pictures at a cute park close to work. That day started off sunny and then moved quickly to cloudy and stormy. We decided to venture out anyway, knowing that a few of our locations were under the cover of trees. Luckily, the weather cleared up in the first 15 or 20 minutes and we had some beautiful colors and a gorgeous blue sky!

Casi was up for leaning against damp bridges, cleaning rain and bird poo off of fences, and trying out frames and jumping in a sundress. It certainly made for some beautiful photos!

Thanks, Casi!

Miss Claire - Six Months Old

2011-06-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

Claire turned six months just a few days before I made the trek to Stacy, MN to hang out with

Claire, Caroline, and Matt. Caroline is an old coworker of mine, so I was thrilled to catch up with her

and meet little Miss Claire! You can tell that by the end of our afternoon together, Claire was tired of

being fluffed and posed! At least she held out for a few great shots :)

Victoria and Phil

2011-06-05T01:06:00.000-05:00

"It's easier for two people to pull their red Radio Flyer wagon together than separately." Despite the rainy morning, this wedding day turned out to be almost as lovely as the wedding itself! Here are my favorite shots from their wedding day, May 21, 2011.

Congratulations, Victoria and Phil!

API West

2011-05-28T00:12:00.000-05:00

DJ is an excellent trainer (and friend) who operates a SERIOUS gym. Like with personal trainers, fighters, sledge hammers, and 150 foot ropes. She runs a class on most Saturdays with said ropes that emulates a fireman's workout. Check out these photos.....throwing ropes around looks fun, eh?

Victoria and Phil

2011-05-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

You never know when life will bring you happiness......! Sometimes it's right in front of you or in the pew next to you at church. Victoria and Phil are both part of my Parkway family and were gracious enough to choose me as their wedding photographer. We met on one of the wonderful spring days that we had in April and were able to take some great pictures in and outdoors! Phil's son Andy and his partner Kim were just finishing breakfast at his house when I arrived, so we snuck some family photos in, too.

Angela Needed Senior Pictures

2011-02-20T20:43:00.001-06:00

Angela is a lovely young lady whom I go to church with. She is a Senior this year in Hopkins and therefore needed some Senior Pictures! This fall we had talked about pictures, and she had said that she thought pictures in the snow would be fabulous. Turns out she was right! We headed out for just a short while because the snow was falling and the temperatures were dropping. She braved a slippery underpass, a snowbank, and even the frigid temps without her coat.....

Happy Senior Year, Angela!

Erik Jerome

2010-12-21T22:54:00.000-06:00

He's HERE! Erik Jerome arrived ON his due date at 4:13 pm - 7 pounds, 13 ounces, 21 inches.
I met him for the first time on December 9th when he turned one month old. He endured many costume and background changes and only shed a few tears (which is still pretty cute!). He apparently did not find me super amusing because he remained very serious for most of our time together! Luckily he loves his mama and gave her a few adorable looks along the way.
Here are my favorite pictures from my morning with baby Erik and mama Joan!

Sarah and Greg's Wedding

2010-11-12T22:17:00.000-06:00

Sarah and Greg thought they were going to have a winter-themed, fall wedding. They had the winter theme: ice-blue dresses and snowflake table decorations. They had the wonderful fall backdrop: red, yellow, and green trees. But instead of a fall day, they had a day more like mid-summer! Bugs, sun, sweat, and all.

No matter the weather, the colors and the smiles were just perfect! I could not get enough of the brilliant red tree behind the minister....

Joan, Shawn, and Baby Boy O

2010-10-14T23:54:00.001-05:00

Joan is my AM counterpart at LearningRx. She and her husband, Shawn, are expecting a sweet baby boy on November 9th. For her baby shower, I gave her two free sessions: one pre-baby and one post-baby (actually, probably a lot post-baby!). So I spent a Sunday afternoon at their townhouse: outside on a beautiful fall day, in their living room with some clever background finagling, and in their newly painted nursery.

Photographer's Note: Working with a puppy is equally as difficult as working with a one-year old! Sammy was very excited to have a new person in the house, so was equally as stubborn when it came to posing for pictures. Photographer's gold = patience. :)

One thing that I can't wait for? To meet Baby Boy O next month!

Tia, Grace, and Sophia

2010-10-02T01:02:00.000-05:00

Alternately, I had considered titling this post, "How About Them Apples?" I reconsidered. Even though I believe both titles are appropriate for the day and the photos. :) Miss Tia now has two adorable daughters: Grace, who is just over a year, and Sophia, who is just two months! The lovely part about kids this age is that they are so darn cute! The difficult part about kids this age is that they do not care that you are taking pictures of them! They run about and change positions and moods faster than the speediest photographer.

Grace was especially angry at me because when I came walking up to her and Grandma at the apple orchard, I was holding her sister, Sophia. This was clearly an unforgiveable offense! As you may tell from the photos that follow, Miss Grace was not particularly keen on looking at me or the camera (spoiler: I got one great one at the end!).

Despite the indeterminable mood of a one year old, we had great sun, great weather, and a great wagon for filling with baby sisters and apples. And no matter if they were looking at the camera or not, these girls are darn cute. Especially in their matching "Apple of my eye" outfits!

Photos taken September 19, 2010 at Emma Krumbees Apple Orchard in Belle Plaine, MN

Urban Safari

2010-09-27T23:37:00.000-05:00

My sister and I found a super deal on a guided walking and photography tour of the St. Anthony Main/ Heritage Trail/ Mississippi River area. The day started off cool and cloudy, but ended up mild, sunny, and bright blue!

Enjoy these shots of St. Anthony Main, the Minneapolis Mills, the Minneapolis skyline, the Mississippi River, the Stone Arch Bridge, and some great fall colors!

What a great city we live in!

The Wynia Family

2010-09-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

I went to visit a great friend from college recently, and her whole family (of eight!) was also home for the weekend. She requested I bring my "fancy schmancy" camera to get some family pictures. The whole family is extremely adorable and quite photogenic, which made for a host of great shots. All of these great spots for pictures were around their house and in their yard! Fabulous!

The Hambrooks

2010-09-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

Last summer I took Angie and John's engagement photos, and this summer they got married! In lieu of my Maid of Honor duties (or maybe as part of those duties?), I tagged along with Angie and John and got these beautiful shots of their wedding day as well!

Part of the Club

2010-09-04T01:20:00.000-05:00

Rocket Club is a fabulous new country music group out of the Minnesota. They played the first set at Country Jam in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I shamelessly begged for tickets to said show and was rewarded with Sky Box seats to sit on bleachers on the stage for Rocket Club! Their energy on the stage is incredible!

http://www.rocketclub.info/

Cellar Fight-Fitness

2010-09-04T00:34:00.000-05:00

Cellar Fight-Fitness hosted amateur fights in April for kickboxers. They hosted a fighter in his teens, several female fighters, and one of my good friends: quite a night!

Three Seasons Come and Gone

2010-09-04T00:09:00.000-05:00

Winter. Spring. Summer.

Some great photos of the passing of the seasons haven't made it to my blog until today when the weather swiftly turned chilly and reminded me that Fall is also on its way!

Sara, Phillip, and Paige

2009-12-11T22:37:00.002-06:00

Sara is a fellow English major from college who now has her own family just south of the Twin Cities. Paige just turned one year old and was an adorable, even if sometimes uncooperative, model. Along with a few shots for Christmas, there are a few of Paige at one!

Paige liked having some props in hand, but they more often ended up in her mouth, too. We tried using some frames, but they just aren't for one year olds!

Thanks for a fun afternoon!

Lisa, Bill, and Charlie

2009-11-17T14:23:00.003-06:00

Charlie is my favorite 6 year old boy! Lisa and Bill happen to be pretty great, too.... I was Charlie's nanny up until he was a toddler, and I still love to spend time with him and his family. Lisa has seen much of my photography and asked if I'd be able to take some photos at their home to use for this year's Christmas card. I went over this past Sunday to do just that!

I love how blue their eyes are in some of the shots! Good luck to them as they pick one to send out to their friends and families. I could only narrow down my favorites to 15!

Many thanks to Lisa, Bill, and Charlie for being good sports with my props and even adding their own! Love it!

Linda, John, and a baby bump

2009-11-02T14:43:00.004-06:00

It was a pleasure to meet Linda and John through Molly (hip hip hooray for word of mouth!). Linda is about seven months pregnant and due on Christmas day. She has a picture perfect baby bump...except that her belly button hasn't popped yet! Molly had spent some precious work time convincing Linda that she needed to spend the afternoon showing off that belly. Linda commented later that she had never thought about taking maternity photos, but that it was great fun to have a day focused (literally) on her. Many thanks to Linda for not being shy!

So I shot with Linda, the baby bump, John, and Tessa, their Boston Terrier...I'm sure we got a Christmas card quality shot among these!

Molly and Doug

2009-11-02T12:24:00.004-06:00

Molly was one of my roommates in college and she and her husband Doug will be celebrating their one year wedding anniversary this December. They were in town with some friends (who will be in the next post!) and wanted some photos for their Christmas card this year.

They stayed at Aloft (a W Hotel) in downtown Minneapolis and they had a great courtyard...luckily for us the Minnesota fall weather was perfect.

Here are my favorites...

Whitley, Lauren, and Val

2009-09-13T21:20:00.003-05:00

When Whitley had her senior photos taken, she brought along two good friends. Every time we had a good spot, Lauren and Val jumped in with Whitley! I loved that they had outfits planned and had great suggestions for cute poses along the way. They were also game for frames and jumping...two of my favorites!

Looking good, ladies! Thanks for a fun day!

Whitley's Senior Portraits

2009-09-12T16:01:00.002-05:00

Another great photo shoot, this time for my first senior from the class of 2010!

Whitley is a friend of Tia and saw the photos that I took at Tia and Jeff's wedding in May. She liked them enough to ask me to take her senior pictures! We met at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen last weekend and took in some great views. This batch is Whitley on her own...she also had two friends come along and there are some great shots of the three of them as well!

I had quite a time picking these 20 photos...good luck to Whitley and her family on picking their favorites!

Angie and John are Engaged!

2009-08-03T18:34:00.002-05:00

My cousin Angie is recently engaged to a great guy named John. Very shortly after their engagement, we spent an early evening together in Maple Grove by the Maple Grove Arboretum along Elm Creek and a cute little flower garden just outside the Maple Grove Community Center. It was a beautiful day with many beautiful photographs of this couple in return! Congratulations, cousin and cousin-to-be!

Wisconsin Dells

2009-07-24T12:56:00.004-05:00

A group of my college friends got together for a long weekend at a cabin just outside of Wisconsin Dells. A a scenic mini golf course, a hike at Devil's Lake, and some darn cute kids just begged to be showcased!

4th of July

2009-07-20T21:36:00.002-05:00

Of course I bring my camera on vacation! How silly of you to expect anything else. I spent a week at a friend's house scrapbooking and taking pictures to fill more scrapbooks! My friends have a momma robin nesting in their hanging flowerpot by the front door, then I got stuck by a train on my way to see the 4th of July fireworks, and they have a very photogenic orange tabby cat named Flash!

Mommy and Maternity

2009-07-20T19:06:00.003-05:00

Due to recent events, I'm now spending some time this summer expanding my photography portfolio and seeking photography jobs to keep me busy! I'm employing friends and family to help in that pursuit!

A friend from high school happens to have a cute house, a cute son, and a cute baby bump!

It's great to have a little help from my friends!

Outdoor Service

2009-07-16T01:39:00.002-05:00

Parkway UCC hosted an outdoor service with the two other congregations who share our worship space: Hope in Christ and Monument in Faith. With microphones, amps, and song, we rocked the neighborhood! What a worship service!

We also welcomed four new members into our Parkway congregation; an extravagant UCC welcome indeed!

Cindy: Take Two

2009-05-29T00:38:00.006-05:00

Cindy pretends to be lovingly helping her sister to develop a great portfolio of portraits, but actually just really, really loves having her picture taken! Her poses are so easy and natural! If only everyone loved to be in front of the camera as much as Cindy!

Thanks, Cindy!

The Papke Wedding Top 40

2009-05-24T14:30:00.010-05:00

May 16, 2009, Gaylord, MN, Gaylord United Church of Christ and Gaylord American Legion.

I had the great pleasure of infiltrating the Papke-Johnson family to capture special moments with a new baby, a new couple, and a new family. Weddings are particularly special for the new beginning that they represent; my hope is that the moments I captured on that day are just the beginning of the story that is yet to come for Jeff, Tia, and Grace Papke.

So, for your viewing enjoyment, the Papke Wedding Top 40....

Tia got ready in her childhood room, pink, sponge painted walls and all!

Tia's ride to the ceremony, Wilma, Gary's special occasion truck.

Grace is excited for the wedding, too!

Bridesmaids and bride: Kati, Bre, Rachel, Tia, Bev, and Kristi.

Well, you really can't expect to be serious all day, right?

Groomsmen and groom: Dave, Chris, Jeff, Josh, Eric, Jason.

Jeff and Alana, pro-flower girl.
The happy couple!

Mommy and Grace, she's still so excited!

The new Papke family.

Jeff and Kyan, adorable ring bearer.

Rachel, maid of honor, Alana, and Tia.

Jeff's family.

Tia's family.

Full wedding party with ushers.

Groomsmen, bride & groom, and bridesmaids.

Grandma Susan sneaking a kiss from Grace.

Gary walking Tia down the aisle.

Kyan and Alana walking down the aisle.

Lighting the unity candle.

You may KISS!
Yay! We are married!

Tia catching a rest between pictures.

Though this was not technically a shotgun wedding, the groom did grab his shotgun from his truck...
Tia and Kyan.
Jeff and Tia (this is the same pine tree by the church where Tia had her graduation photos taken).

First dance.

Father-daughter dance, Tia and Gary.

Father-daughter dance, Jeff and Grace.

Tia and Susan.

Dancers: Gary and Susan, Tia and Jeff. Love the boots!

Thanks, Jeff and Tia, for a fun wedding to enjoy and photograph!

Erin and Tim's Wedding

2009-05-05T19:30:00.009-05:00

Erin and Tim were kind enough to schedule their wedding just a few weeks prior to Tia and Jeff's wedding so that I could play and post before that big day!

Erin is a good friend from college who moved to the Twin Cities not so long ago, mostly because she was commuting too much to see Tim! I thank you, Tim, for getting Erin to move! Tim and Erin are great together and serve some tasty meals (with wine, of course). Their home is beautiful and I would have expected nothing less from their wedding.

Calvary Baptist Church, Roseville

Tim watching his lovely bride come down the aisle (this is Katherine Heigl's favorite moment of a ceremony in 27 Dresses...).

Erin and her dad walking down the aisle.

The Kittilas and Piehls consenting to this union.

The moms lighting the individual candles for the unity candle ceremony.

The vows.

Lighting the unity candle (I like the symbolism of this, especially as Tim and Erin did; they didn't blow out their individual candles, but instead kept them lit as well.).

You may kiss!

Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Erin Kittila!

Erin beaming as she hugs her dad.

Hugging the Piehls.

Hugging her new father-in-law.

Yeah! Group Kittila hug!

In the getaway car.

These cakes were made by Tim's mom! They were beautiful and delicious!

The ballroom at the Radisson, downtown Minneapolis

Ah, table 23. Oh, right, I was a guest at this wedding, not the photographer!

Erin's sisters toasting the happy couple.

Cake and ICE CREAM! Seriously, my kind of wedding.

Toasting.

Enjoying the toasting.

The happy new couple.

Dancing!

Cute flower girl.

Erin twirling her niece on the dance floor.

Still smiling after the long day!

Thanks for a lovely evening, guys!

Portraits of Cindy

2009-04-21T20:36:00.006-05:00

On a beautiful spring day, who can help but to wander to a park in an adorable outfit and take some great portraits? My sister Cindy and I recreated some typical "Senior Picture" poses for some practice and some fun! Photographing her may spoil me because she loves to pose for the camera; I barely had to direct her at all! It was a bit windy, but the sun and the sky and the park were wonderful backdrops.

Thanks, Cindy!

Rutter Requiem

2009-03-22T22:56:00.005-05:00

Parkway United Church of Christ in Minneapolis presented John Rutter's Requiem this morning at our 10 AM service. Seven movements, five instrumentalists, three soloists, and a great chance to shoot in a typically dark sanctuary with my indoor 50mm lens :)

Enjoy!

Applause! Amazing performance, guys!

Tia, Jeff, and Grace!

2009-03-22T18:48:00.011-05:00

A big thanks goes out to Tia and Jeff for really helping me get started! One day I literally just sent Tia a Facebook message asking (maybe begging??) to take their wedding photos. Her faith in me has been a huge confidence boost for my first family, engagement, and baby photo shoot.

We started off inside the UCC church in Gaylord where Tia and Jeff will be getting married so that Grace would stay warm (she is only 11 days old!).

In between outfits, I grabbed some shots of Grace in typical baby fashion. She was so much happier as a naked baby!

We used frames in some of Tia and Jeff's pictures; Grace wanted in on the action, too!

I have to admit that I stole this idea from some friends, but it really turned out great and I think I'll keep using it....it definitely got us all smiling and made for some great photos!

Gaylord doesn't have much, but they do have a great city park. Once we got rolling on posing, we used every photo opportunity in the park. It was hard to pick my favorites, so here are quite a few!

Thanks again, Tia, Jeff, and Grace. See you soon!

Thrilled!

2009-03-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

I am *not* new to the world of photography, but I am certainly new to the business of photography. In the next weeks and months, I plan on showcasing the creativity and style that makes me so THRILLED to be ready and available to take YOUR pictures!