about me

Hello!  Thank you for visiting my website and for your interest in my work.  I am an on-location and studio portrait photographer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, with studio space in downtown Chaska, Minnesota.   I specialize in portraiture of children, families, newborns, high school seniors, musicians and creative professionals.

Even though the title of this section is "about me," there is one thing you should know before you read on... your portrait session is really "about YOU!"  It is so important to me that the pictures I take reflect what is wonderful and amazing about the people in them.  It really isn't "about me" at all. With that said, we are going to be spending some time together, laughing, chatting, finding ways to make you look and feel great... and so you might want to know more about the person with whom you'll be doing that. 

THE PHOTOGRAPHER: I am humbled and grateful to be doing what I love, for wonderful people who value it and become more than just clients - they become friends.  I treasure our relationship and it means the world to me to know that you trust me with something so important as telling your story in art, year after year.

My style, which is inspired by my subjects, has been described as fresh, sweet, simple, clean, classic, uncluttered, natural, and heartfelt. My photographs are known for their rich color, lovely light, elegance, artistry, and crystalline clarity. I am extremely detail-oriented and I've worked very hard to be able to achieve technical excellence and authentic connection in my work. I love working with all people - adults, teens, children and babies alike - and I enjoy every moment.  I am so excited to have been named "Best Family Photographer" for Minnesota by Bored Panda in this article, and also to have been listed as one of the best Minneapolis family photographers for 2017 and 2018  by the website Expertise!   I have contributed to the award-winning photography magazines Click and Dear Photographer, and my senior work has been featured  by the Senior Style Guide blog. I am a Mentor with The Click Community, and I was very excited to be recognized by Click Magazine's blog as one of 20 Super-talented senior photographers on Instagram. In 2020 I was a finalist in the prestigious Voice Collection, and recently I was tremendously honored to be included in Click Pro Photographers' list of 100 Photographers to Watch in 2021.

THE MINNESOTA MOM: I live with my family in the Minneapolis suburbs. Minnesota is the best place to live! I love the people here, I love the warm sweaters, the colors in fall, and I love that my children are growing up Minnesotan. My husband and I have two boys, whom we (mostly I) homeschool. Minnesota is a great place to do that, too. 

THE MUSICIAN: I have advanced degrees in music (I am a classically-trained coloratura soprano) and I've also worked in public radio, in classical music programming. I still do, from time to time. I love creating radio. It's like photography for the ears.  I don't sing professionally any more but occasionally I serenade the people I am photographing. 

THE REST: I love to laugh. I do it often, and I do it loudly.

Thanks again for your visit.  I can't wait to meet you in person!  To reach me, click the "contact" link above and I promise to respond promptly.                                                                                                          

-Leslie