Matt + Melissa = engaged

Might be doing a destination wedding with these guys in 2010! Matt is in the national guard so they are playing it by ear. Melissa came into the studio and said "just inside shots is fine since it's getting kind of dark." Josh and I looked at each other and told them we could do some cool things with lighting and we were going outside whether they liked it or not and here's what happened. :)

Great November Days!

'Tis the season for holiday cards! We have done a number of sessions in this amazing November weather. Captured these images this past weekend and we have a few spots left for our mini-sessions (details below) on Nov 14 and 21 and Santa will be here on the 28th for our Grand Opening! The cute girl in the family heirloom lederhosen is my niece Eliana. -Judd

Jeff + Tarrah: 10.31.2009 (St Mary of the Lake and Sheraton West, MPLS)

Jeff and Tarrah's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Jundt)

Jeff and Tarrah will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Happy Holloween! It was a crisp, sunny fall day - amazing for late October so we could do some outdoor sessions with Jeff and Tarrah and crew. Joe and I were going to dress up as cat burglars, but the nylons I bought for over our heads were pushed to their elastic limit, so they looked more like really long do-rags. Some of my favorite moments and images from today: the small-town vibe of the North Dakotan guests (complete with chocolate covered potato chips or "chippers", the cool sky, cold wet leaves the bridesmaids were game enough to throw at Tarrah, the purple cat socks I gave Tarrah as a Halloween gift, my favorite shoe / ring shot to date, the old man mask that got left behind (anyone know where it is?), little Bridgit cooing during the ceremony, (Joel and Mary's new daughter ('06 wedding), the elevator shot, and making up a brand new pose I call the "paper dolls" picture on the Stone Arch Bridge - nobody copy it! Yeah, right, :) Toward the end of the night, Don (Tarrah's Dad) invited Joe and I up to his hotel room for some "Apple Pie." Little did we know it was a tasty mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and everclear - yikes! Is that legal? What a way to end an eight-wedding month! -Judd, Amanda, and Joe

Holiday mini-sessions are here and SANTA!

Wedding Fair Goers!

Great to meet so many of you brides at the wedding fair Sunday! For those of you who picked up our general pricing information, at the bottom there is a coupon for up to $250 off your wedding collection OR two complimentary parent albums so be sure to mention it when you book with us! We are booking right now at twice the rate of 2009 so contact us today to see if your date is available!

Geoffrey + Phyllis (Grace Lutheran and Crowne Plaza)

As our wedding season draws near the end, the parties seem to get better and better! Geoff and Phyllis celebrated a great wedding and their family and friends had everyone (including us) cracking up the whole day. From the quaint Grace Lutheran in St. Paul we headed to the Stone Arch bridge in Minneapolis and captured some fun photos. Note the winning runway pose from the bridesmaids! Nice work! Geoff and Phyllis win the award for most gorgeous view from their reception site. The Carousel Restaurant on the 22nd floor of the Crowne Plaze provided us with some amazing views of downtown St. Paul. Everyone danced the night away and celebrated a union of two great people!

Check out our favorite shot of the crew at work. Joe shoots into a mirror capturing Josh doing video and Aron providing fill light while Geoff and Phyllis end their video interview! Amazing!

Geoffrey and Phyllis' Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Faulkner)

Geoffrey and Phyllis will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

The studio expansion continues!

We had a little fun yesterday creating a video to help clients find parking here in downtown Stillwater and took these shots as well; the old man / monster mask you will understand better once you see the video that will be ready in a couple weeks. To handle our increasing workload, we've hired on photographer/videographer/lighting specialist Josh to be our portrait manager to free up Allie to work with just our wedding clients. Joe continues to be our award-winning video editor and I basically do whatever needs to be done when I'm not shooting; like buy clearance Fedora hats. :)
So in review:
Allie: Wedding Manager
Josh: Portrait Manager (High School Seniors and Families)
Joe: Video Manager
-Judd

Caption Contest

Cutest two dogs came into the studio the other day - totaling a whopping 15 pounds - together. Leave a comment with your caption for this picture and the best one will receive a half price family photo session from Studio J! Here's mine: "¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!"

Storyhill Fest 2009

I was on vacation with the family last month near Deerwood, MN at an outdoor music festival. Usually on vacation I try not to take any pictures but with the sun setting behind these artists (Justin Roth, Antje Duvekot, and Storyhill) I couldn't help but grab my wife's camera and take some fun slow-shutter stuff. There were some amazing singer / songwriters there in the northern Minnesota pines. The campfire music was still going around 4am... -Judd
Here is the link to view all the pictures!

Scott + Majalisa: 10.17.2009 (Ft. Snelling Services Club)

Scott and Majalisa's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Diaz)

Scott and Majalisa will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Click here to view their wedding album pre-design!

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Both Scott and Majalisa are in the Army Reserve so we had a chance to capture some really unique images: Scott going to pick up Majalisa with a convoy of five HUMVs (you should have seen the looks from the Cottage Grove neighbors), Maja "surprising" Scott with a lime green fake dress (he had a lime green tie but left it at the hotel), Maja always wearing green Army socks (which she stayed true to), some fun images at Minnehaha Falls like tracy getting after Maja and Art (Maja's dad), cool shots on the runway (right before we violated the runway radar and got warned by a dude with an AK-47 machine gun, and Scott's "first" pitcher of the night! - Judd, Amy, and Josh

Happy Halloween from Studio J!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

John and Naomi - October 9, 2009

John and Naomi's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Janklow)

John and Naomi will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Josh and I had a great time at John and Naomi's wedding! From the beautifully quaint church in Bayport to the hotel in White Bear Lake, everything went smooth and the wedding party had a blast. We got some fun shots at the park near White Bear Lake in the 30 degree weather, everyone being troopers. At the reception, everyone was partying and the DJ was excellent. I almost shed a tear during their love story, touching stuff. We're happy for you guys and check back soon for photos! -Joe and Josh









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Steve and Cristina - October 3, 2009 (St. Mark's and The Prom Center)

Steve and Cristina's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Pihl)

Steve and Cristina will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Click here to view their album pre-design!

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Steve and Cristina had a gorgeous wedding. From the beautiful addition at St. Peter's to the stretch hummer to the decadent table settings at the prom center, they didn't skimp out! Some great memories include "I've Got A Feeling" coming on the radio on our way to the prom center, hilarious photos at Pioneer Park in Stillwater including the patented stylish shades, a quick stop at Brine's to cheer on the Twins and some great singing skills throughout the guests at the reception. Congratulations to the newly weds, we'll show some of their photos on here soon. -Joe & Josh

Mike and Mary - October 3, 2009 (St. Mary's Orthodox and Graves 601)

Mike and Mary's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Woog)

Mike and Mary will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Click here to view their album pre-design

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Whirlwind! That pretty much sums up this day - a whirlwind of energy and events. Here are some random fun memories: Alice's glam jewelry, the Godfathers fighting off lactic acid buildup during the Russian Orthodox regal ceremony, Kristy Lindsay and Dan's toasts on the bus, Nye's Polynaise and the crazy vinyl seats, Mary's 100-year-old aunt, the "Louisville Chugger" random episode, pictures with Bert Blyleven and Frank Viola at the Graves 601, the Russian live dance music and me getting trapped in the middle of the circle, the guy who was doing the wheelbarrow pushups (who was that guy), MetroJams keeping the dance floor going all night. Our team had to top off the night with a round of White Russians in honor of the occasion. Whew! -Judd, Aron, Troy and Allie

Josh and Brenda - October 3, 2009 (Cross Lutheran and Midland Hills)

Josh and Branda's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Hom)

Josh and Brenda will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Click here to view their album pre-design!

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Chad and Aarthi - October 2, 2009

Chad and Aarthi's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Monica)

Chad and Aarthi (Monica) will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Click here to view their album pre-design

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

I lived in India for 5 months right out of college and Chad and Monica's wedding brought the memories flooding back. From the amazingly colorful saaris to the naan and paneer for dinner, it was a full sensory experience. We got some unique shots in the rain on the Stone Arch Bridge - even though it was tough getting there with 4 huge golf umbrellas (the you Target!), I love the foggy look of the skyline and how the colors of the vests and dresses popped in the diffused light. Some other random memories: Chad and Monica's athletic choreographed dance, Monica;s huge smile all day long, the way there obviously cared so much about each other and how grounded they were in their faith. I'm sure I will never hear vows like that again: it was well-crafted poetry from the heart that left not a dry eye in the crowd - thanks for being such a great example you guys! -Judd and Josh

Other Fun Stuff - Horse Photography and Ironman

If you want to feel fat and lazy, go watch an ironman triathalon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike "ride", followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon). The mass start of the open water at sunrise was a sight to behold. My brother in law and cousin participated - it took them about 12 hours to compete. Don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon...

I also got to challenge myself tonight with some horse photography - an image I got in my mind and we had some clients with horses (Maria, Monica, "t", and "Lookit" and Cookie the jealous dog). I originally wanted the shots really dark but the sky was too cool so I went with it. Thanks to flash ladies Liz and Jessi! -Judd

Miles and Meghan - September 26, 2009

Miles and Meghan's Wedding Links:

Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Abbott)

Click here to view their album pre-design!

Miles and Meghan will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Miles and Meghan had a beautiful fall day with the sun shining to celebrate their union. We took some great shots by the river in downtown Stillwater and headed to the beautiful Trellis Events for the ceremony. After a brief drop of the ring and hilarious advice for the couple, we headed back to the Water Street Inn via trolley for the celebrations! Miles and Meghan are a fun couple and we had a blast capturing their wedding day! -Joe & Josh

New Dowtown Stillwater Photography Studio J Info

Got the new phones hooked up today - all appointments will be at the downtown Stillwater studio from now on! Lights and backdrops go up Wednesday. We're putting up a steel wall that will look like the outdoors that might take another week or so but it will be really cool. Chipotle style...

NEW ADDRESS: 317 South Main Street, downtown Stillwater, MN 55082
NEW Phone: 651-342-1476 (our old phone # will forward)

We are located between The Daily Grind Coffee Shop and Barbara Ann's Chocolate Shop (main Street side) near The Freighthouse and The Dock Cafe.

Looking for models - Playa Del Carmen in December

I'm doing two or three complimentary destination family or portrait sessions in Playa Del Carmen Mexico December 3,4 and 6 - need some beach models! Let us know if you are interested - or do you want to stay in Minnesota in early December?! Ha. -Judd

The New Downtown Stillwater Studio - BEFORE

Here are some shots of our new location in downtown Stillwater - including the demolition crew! 317 South Main Street is the address, between The Daily Grind Coffee Shop and Barbara Ann's Chocolate Shop near the Dock Cafe and The Freighthouse. It's a great spot and seconds from tons of creative downtown Stillwater locations - more pics and video of the demo to come. -Judd

Troy and Marcy - September 5, 2009 (Aurora Staples Inn)

Troy and Marcy's Wedding Links:
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Currie)

Troy and Marcy will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

What a change of pace for me to do a 1-hour wedding at the Aurora Staples bed and breakfast in Stillwater for 11 people. We went to Pioneer Park afterward for a quick shoot and Troy and Marci were just great! Some fun shots below are the fuzzy caterpillar on the purple gazing ball, and the cool unity sand - I think there were a few grains that fell out but who's counting - thanks for a fun time Troy and Marcy! -Judd

Jeff and Amy - September 5, 2009 (Camrose Hill)

Jeff and Amy's Wedding Links:
Click here to view their album pre-design!
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Regis)

Jeff & Amy will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Beautiful day plus awesome people makes for a fun day! This shoot had a little bit of everything from girls doing their best vogue impressions to guys climbing cages. I have to say my favorite part of the day was when Josh and myself were able to walk Jeff and Amy around the beautiful gardens of Camrose Hills! Shots by the fire and the red house were my personal favorites, plus it always helps when you have great models to shoot!
-Aron and Josh

Studio Move!

We will be moving the studio to downtown Stillwater over the next 5 days, so you might experience some lag on phone and e-mail contacts from us. For instance, I was sanding the floor of the new place from 5-10:30pm last night and really didn't feel like doing anything afterward except clear my lungs, take a shower, and go to bed! If you have a meeting or shoot in the next week, we will be in contact with you as to which of our locations we will be meeting. Thanks for your patience! -Judd

Adam and Michelle - August 29, 2009 (Mt. Zion Temple)

Adam and Michelle's Wedding Links:
Click here to view their album pre-design!
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Livingston)

Adam and Michelle will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!
Some of my favorite shots: The intricate lacework of Michelle's dress, Gloria's exquisite dress, the rings, Bruce loving the bouquet, the cool sky, my one (quota) cheesy shot of the bridal party looking at Adam and Michelle kissing, and the great and colorful symbolism of Jewish weddings! -Judd and Amanda

Paul and Darla - August 29, 2009 (Faith Evangelical Lutheran and Kilkarney Hills Golf Course)

Paul and Darla's Wedding Links:
Click here to view their album pre-design!
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Rosin)

Paul and Darla will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos! - Aron and Josh

Senior Portraits at the Guthrie

Well, I think I've found a new favorite spot for senior portraits... Natalie had this classy black dress and we found some great light and reflections Wednesday night - fun images! They need a little more Photoshop time to get lightmaster Josh's reflector out of the shots, but thought I'd post them anyway since they are so unique and we have two weddings tomorrow. This is our "Elite" session with travel to any location of the senior's choice. -Judd

Our new studio!!

We are excited to announce that Studio J Photography and Videography is moving to downtown Stillwater! This past year we have grown drastically and quickly outgrew our home-based studio. Beginning next week we will be in The River Exchange Building on main street. Below are some renderings that Joe created. As we modify the space to compliment our workflow and personal style, the main design concept was to expose how photographers & videographers work. Look how you can wander through and witness portrait sessions, video editing and view all our beautiful images! Don't worry, if our clients are nervous about onlookers, we will have screens to provide privacy! Make sure to stop by and check out our new space!!
-Allie & Joe

Ted and Jenn - August 22, 2009 (University of St Thomas and The Metropolitan)

Ted and Jenn's Wedding Links:
Click here to view their album pre-design!
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Jenn)

Ted and Jenn will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!

Whew is about all I can - those North Dakotans can really bring some energy to a wedding reception! Or maybe it was the band, or the impromptu high end karaoke session from cousin John - can somebody leave a comment to tell us the name of that band? I want to put a link on there - John, you too if you have a musical website. It's Monday night and I'm still recovering - we felt like we were "surfing" around the energy in the Metropolitan Saturday night and ended up staying a couple hours to dance. I think I needed to release some steam from trying to fix Jenn's busted bustle (pic below) - she danced right out of the fastener, but not slowed just tucked the train into the back of her dress. :)

Some memories / images below: Bob and my favorite father/daughter dance ever - he and Jenn are soulmates and it was awesome I got the fun image with a slow shutter speed; the shot of everyone partaking of a beer during the kiss I'm pretty sure wasn't my idea; the amazing candy bar at the reception; Amber's poem toast; Krebs and the Josh Koosman mix-up; Andy's Van Halen jump pose in the back is RIGHT ON; the discount party bus "poles"; the purple Farve jersey that showed up on stage with the band in the midst of a VERY hostile crowd; and just one of the most energetic & fun weddings we've been to in a long time - I think I remember Ted's mom Sue doing a beer chug race with a couple ushers (she came in third place... -Judd, Jessi, Josh and Troy

Felix and Mille - August 22, 2009 (Scherer Garden)

Felix and Millie's Wedding Links:
Click here to view their album pre-design!
Link to all pictures (The EVENT KEY is: Buck)

Felix and Millie will release the images after they have seen them all first. Register before the release and receive a $10 gift certificate code when they release the pictures.

Become a fan of our facebook page to tag yourself in the blog photos!