closeWhen you have a preschooler and a toddler, you sorta just have to roll with the punches because you never know what the day is going to hold. Thankfully the Dziboa family and I had a pretty fun afternoon together and took advantage of the Coon Rapids Dam area. The view was spectacular and the light was oh so perfect. Add that with a fun loving couple and a pair of kids that loved to run, you’ve got a perfect match for photos. 
I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Jessica since we were in middle school. We grew up going to the same camp and saw each other every summer. Later in life I learned that she would be going to Northwestern college and became one of my sister’s best friends; we were able to see each other on a more regular basis. When she told me in March that she was engaged, I was so happy for her and Luke. The two of them met through mutual friends and hit it off right away when they found out that they were both in ministry.
They are an amazing couple and had an amazing day for photos. Throughout the morning it was off and on raining, but when we hit our period to shoot downtown photos, God smiled upon us and held off the rain from the time we started until the time we finished. Literally as we were getting into our cars the rain became a slight mist into constant drizzle for the rest of the day!
The little ring bearer decided he would have his moment to shine, the umbrella was his as was the spotlight!
We were able to hit the very end of the mill city farmers market. We walked through the area and found a lot to shoot.
We ended the day with a big ” We did it!” Congrats to both of you, may the Lord make His face shine down upon you as you enter this beautiful covenant called marriage.
Excited is the theme of the week. I was going through archives to find a photo. This is a bride that I shot in 2007, she was extremely EXTACTIC that it was her wedding day. It was raining so hard before we went out to shoot photos downtown and she insisted we stick to the plan. I was pumped because she was more than willing to have a great time despite the weather. “You only get married once, might as well have fun.” were her words for the day. Thankfully the rain cleared for just about an hour and we were able to get the shots she wanted. Again, I have to say, I love my job!
Beautiful photo! I can really feel her excitement =)
Talk about excited!! This is the 2nd bride I’ve seen, and as a bride who will be married soon — I can relate to this excitement!!! 🙂 Love the angle!
Awesome! I love the tilt on this :).
LOVE this! 🙂 What a great photo….:) Love the focus, lighting, etc.
Love it!
I LOVE this shot! You really did a great job capturing her true excitement.
I love this shot! Beautiful…
Yes! You’ve really captured the moment. A Julia Roberts moment.
Woo Hoo!! Perfect photo of the bride!! Just superb!
~Sarah
Great capture!! I love it.
Absolutely beautiful!
SUPERB love the angle and everything about this photo. You did an excelent job of capturing a special time in someones life. How the picture came to be is a great story also. A wonderful memory for you and most importantly the bride. Have a wonderful day. You can’t help look at this photo and not have a wonderful day. 🙂
This is hilarious and great! Wonderful capture!
I love this photo! You did a GREAT job capturing the moment! The angle of this is amazing. I love that it’s so real! (:
This is wonderful! I feel her emotion!
LOVE this!!!! 🙂 absolutely fabulous!
That is so beautiful! I love your style.
My baby sister lives in Rochester, MN (about 90 miles south of the Cities). Today she brought up her kiddos for a visit for all the cousins to play together. My youngest nephew, is also 6 months, so she brought up some little cutie outfits for the kids to tromp around in. Unfortunately it was SUPER cold out today and the kids lasted about 20 mins, max. Here are a few shots we got from my parent’s neighbors yard. (She is an AMAZING gardener and decorator. I am planning on revisiting the site for my kids later this month I was so inspired!)
Oh my goodness, your niece is adorable!
Ruth and I met through a mom’s group a few years ago. She had an older child and I was just beginning my walk in parenting. Of course at that time with a newborn, I was open to any help I could receive. She was so helpful and continues to be helpful as we swap stories about child rearing. Right now, her little girl and my Lydia, are in a music class together; the only girls. It is so funny when we come to get them, they are giggling and enjoying each other.
We had a perfect fall day to photograph their family in. The Maple trees are just beginning to change color leaving a few on the ground to play around in. We strolled around Elm Creek Park together finding lots of leaves to throw, sand to dig in and trees to climb in! Here are just a few from our time together. 
Including siblings in your newborn session… yes or no?
My answer is always yes.
It might feel a little chaotic in the moment, but those are often the images you end up treasuring the most—the real connection, the tiny interactions, the beginning of a new family story.
I’ve loved watching the Luong family grow through all three of their children’s newborn sessions, and those sibling moments are always some of my favorites.
If you’re wondering how it all works (and how we make it easy), I wrote a full blog post about it! Check it out in my stories
#newbornphotography #minnesotaphotographer #familyphotography #siblinglove
NEW WEBSITE. SAME HEART.
After a long time behind the scenes… it’s finally here.
And I want YOU to be one of the first to experience it.
So I made it a little more fun 👇
✨ I’m giving away TWO mini sessions for 2026 ✨
How to enter:
• Visit the new website (link in bio)
• Look around
• Enter the giveaway
That’s it.
If you’ve been thinking about booking photos this is your sign!
Tag a friend who should enter with you below and add to your stories for another entry!! (Make sure to tag me!!)
No one said you had to do newborn photos inside! Taking lifestyle newborn photos outside and making them true to your style makes them even more meaningful and significant!!
Based in the Twin Cities area and available for travel worldwide.
Karen – I love all of these!! You have done a fabulous job at capturing both of our kids’ personalities perfectly. Ben and I agree that we like the one where Allie is strangle-hugging Zach the best because it is exactly how our life is on a daily basis 🙂 I’m going to put a link up on my blog to share as well. Thanks so much!!
These are absolutely stunning and beautiful pictures, like WOW!!! You have a beautiful family! I don’t know that I’ve ever been so impressed my family pictures either….. Awesome!!
What a beautiful family. I love all the pictures. I am so proud and happy you are my family. Karen, you did a wonderful job.