Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography: Blog

Now Serving O Fallon Illinois Region!!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Hello everyone!!
It's been awhile!!

Things have been very busy and I am just starting to feel ready to start shooting again.

Some cities I am currently doing photography in are

O'Fallon, Illinois
Shiloh, Illinois
Belleville, Illinois
Mascoutah, Illinois
St. Louis, Missouir.

For 2022 I am primarily looking to photograph a few smaller weddings and second shoot weddings.

I look forward to shooting again!!

Enger Tower Wedding Photos | Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 27 May 2019 02:29:29 GMT

It was a beautiful day for a beautiful day photographing this couple as they celebrated their wedding day at the Enger Tower overlook. Felt so much love between the bride and groom and family there .. always such an inspirational thing to be a part of.. congratulations guys!

-Christine

Duluth MN Wedding Photographer

Sibling Photos

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 27 May 2019 00:45:00 GMT

A few sibling photos! Love those big puffy pink tutus..the big one can even be used on adults too!

Got some photo bombers!!

big tutu family photos

big tutu family photos

-Christine
Duluth MN Family Photographer

Family Photos at the Aerial Lift Bridge

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 27 May 2019 00:35:24 GMT

Had an amazing time with this family.. they are one of the most easy going families I have ever been around and throughout the entire shoot I was laughing, capturing sweet moments, and feeling touched by their bond with each other.

It was really cool to get some sailboats, the lift bridge, and the lighthouse all in one shoot! As tourists, I hope they enjoyed their time exploring Duluth <3 <3.

-Christine
Duluth MN Family Photographer

Cake Smash - Gold and Pink Theme

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 27 May 2018 00:13:00 GMT

Sweet one year old cake smash using a gold and pink theme!
Two different cakes were used because while the gold cake was very pretty, she really didn't like it too much so we tried a second cake which went over a little bit better.
Such a fun way to celebrate turning one year!

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Cute Baby Photos!!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 12:00:00 GMT

Hi guys!

I just wanted to share some cute baby pictures!!

And an update that I am going to be limited on taking on weddings for 2019 and 2020.

Thanks for reading!

Hope to shoot with you soon!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Magical Maternity Session at Lester Park

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:40:20 GMT

Excited to share this amazing couple with you guys!
First time parents waiting for their baby <3 <3 they waited until delivery to find out if it's a boy or a girl (she's a girl - her newborn photos are coming soon!). Their love for each other and their sweet baby is so apparent!
It's rare that I do more than one location during a shoot but we were all game to try to catch some sunset colors at Park Point after doing the bulk of photos at Lester Park.
I got to try out some new maternity gowns too (let me know what you think!).
Hope you enjoy these beautiful photos <3 <3.

Can't wait to show you their sweet daughter's face in an upcoming blog!

-Christine

Duluth MN Photographer

Leif Erickson Park Photo Session Examples

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 01:51:56 GMT

I am working on a blog series that use a few examples of shoots I have done at various locations in Duluth Minnesota to help clients visualize what backdrops each location has to offer! I will start with Leif Erickson Park which is one of my favorite places to shoot! It has the Rose Garden, views of the Lift Bridge, flowers, trees, a bridge, stone walls, and pathways to stand right in front of or in Lake Superior.

It's important to understand that every location varies a lot based on:

*the lighting (cloudy vs sunny vs sun up high in the sky vs sun down low to the horizon)
*the time of year (fall colors, flowers blooming etc)
*the area of the location used (most locations are very large and have a lot of different options)
*The people in the photograph (their posing/expressions etc).

It is very difficult to replicate photos and every photo shoot is different, this is just to give an idea of what each location has to offer and some of the possibilities!

That said..
Here are a few photos from various shoots I have done at Leif Erickson Park!

Rose Garden Stone castle.

Four sistersSisters photo

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Sisters | Fall Family Photography Session at Leif Erickson Park

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 19:45:00 GMT

While Mom was running back to the car the girls wanted to surprise their mom with some funny photos. We had fun from start to finish.. funny faces, throwing leaves around, chasing each other, laying on the ground.. fall is such a great season to get photos taken and I'm so glad I got to hang out with this fun family before the snow hit.

I love all these photos and am thinking I need to bring my kids here this fall.. the location is fun and the colors are gorgeous!

-Christine
Duluth MN Family Photographer

Murray Family Session | Hermantown MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 18:24:24 GMT

I can't say enough good things about this session. Beautiful scenery and amazing people. We did this shoot in a backyard, if you can believe it! Granted it's a huge and beautiful backyard ;) but so gorgeous that it looks like a park or something! I had a blast exploring a new area and photographing this family. They are all as nice and fun as they look <3 <3.
Check out those doors! I need to move a studio over there someday ha ha.

I love every one of these photos!

-Christine
Hermantown MN Children and Family Photographer

Valentine's Day Event at Essentia Health with Northwestern Mutual

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 23:16:45 GMT

Last weekend the folks over at Northwestern Mutual decided to share their money and time with the pediatric oncology patients over at Essentia Health.. they donated money, time, chemo ducks, and misc things like Valentine's cards supplies and juice boxes and Snazzy Cakes donated time and cupcake supplies! I had so much fun being there and I am so grateful that they thought of these kids. Thank you Snazzy Cakes and Northwestern Mutual!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Taydan | Duluth MN Children Photographer

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 02:05:43 GMT

This summer I got to meet this sweet kiddo named Taydan. He was super fun and adventurous so I just let him take the lead and followed him around with my camera!

Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer Duluth mn children kids photographer
This is his grandma.. she is so sweet and had just told me that she loves more natural, candid photos.. I do that naturally with kids but so glad it worked out so well with her and her grandson! This was a very short I guess mini shoot but we didn't even need more time, he nailed it right away and was really fun to get to know better!

-Christine
Duluth MN Children Photographer

Frey Family Fall Session | Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 17:32:52 GMT

My first time over at Keenes Creek in Hermantown Minnesota. It was fun to explore the area with this lovely family.
For anyone who follows my blogs (if anyone like that exists haha), you might remember the girl's face.. I did some newborn photos of her last year! Look how big and sweet she is, time flies. (Quick note that I am not doing newborn photography at this time!).
I think I also have some deep within my page of the dog as a puppy and the boy in utero!
They are family friends so heck maybe some day I will be taking those kids' Senior photos! :D :D.
We explored Keenes Creek with my family in tow as well and they got some great photos of us too so it was a fun and productive day!

Anyways, always love to squeeze a dog into photos and explore new areas and hang out with great people and feel inspired by sweet kids so this session was pretty much perfect in many ways!

I always like to try at least one thing new at a shoot so I tried this lens and angle and ending up loving it so much that I want get some of myself too haha.. maybe next time then.

-Christine
Hermantown / Duluth Minnesota Children and Family Photographer

Family Session at Hawks Ridge | Duluth MN Family and Children Photographer

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 01:01:51 GMT

Duluth MN has been voted the best outdoor city in the US by Outside Magazine (and it's just the general opinion of most people who come here!), so there are always new places to explore, especially as a photographer. This awesome family introduced me to Hawk's Ridge. We walked some trails and explored an overlook and it was so fun to get to know both them and Duluth a little better! I also personally love it when families bring their dogs into the photos! They are usually harder to get to look at me than kids are (ha ha) but it's always really sweet!

So much love in this family, so glad I got to be a part of documenting it!

-Christine
Duluth MN Children & Family Photographer

Claire ~ Duluth MN Children Photographer

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 22:02:41 GMT

I have been busy editing and delivering photos that I'm only just getting the time to update my blog!

These were taken in July, back when t-shirts were a thing haha. I am fortunate to say this cutie is my niece! She is so adorable and super sweet.. one of the happiest babies you will meet!

That face! Wanted her mom for a moment and then was happy again.

Yep the verdict is in and she's adorable, and fun.. and I'm so glad I got to take her photos!

-Christine
Duluth MN Children Photographer

Extended Family - Lester Park | Duluth MN Photographer

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 18:00:54 GMT

In August I had an email inquiring about an October photoshoot with her family as they meet in Duluth for the first time in a long time for a wedding. Saturday, October 1 I had the honor of meeting them and getting to know them a little bit. SUCH a beautiful and fun family! I'm so glad they shared a piece of their visit with me. It was an honor to photograph them <3 <3.
Now, the reason I gave such a specific date for the shoot in this post is because the next day, October 2, a MOOSE was seen roaming around Lester Park (where we did our photo session). The moose is estimated to be about 8' tall not including the horns. So as I edited these I kept wondering if maybe the moose was nearby :). Kind of a cool background story to this shoot!
I hope you guys had a great time together in Duluth, MN, and thank you for choosing to work with me!
I had a great time with you guys!

-Christine
Duluth MN Family Photographer

North Pier.. Aerial Lift Bridge.. North Shore Family Photoshoot | Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 20:45:00 GMT

I recently met with family travelling through Duluth MN from North Dakota so we decided to hit up North Shore for some of the best Duluth backdrops! Complete with a beautiful sunset on Lake Superior! Despite this being one of the most busy areas in Duluth at one of the busiest times of the day, we managed to keep the tourists to a minimum and a focus on this beautiful family! This is one of the most fun dads ever, nonstop playing with his kids! The mom is super patient and loving with her kids as well.. just a really sweet family all around. The girls are twins - if you couldn't tell haha - and had such a fun bond. They were coming up with fun poses and spots to take photos (future photographers?). And the young boy I was advised is a tough cookie to crack and my assistant and I had fun getting him to smile.. I had a great time with this family!

North Pier Lighthouse in Duluth MN.

-Christine
Duluth MN Family and Children Portrait Photographer

Being Present

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 00:24:49 GMT

"Just photograph the kids, I look like crap today" is a common phrase I hear at my sessions.

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like all too often I shy away from the camera but there will come a day where you are putting together your child's wedding slideshow, or they want to surprise you with a photo album, and you (or they) will notice there just aren't many photos of you - in some cases any photos! I'm thankful I had this revelation now instead of in the future.
I am here to plead with you to step into the photo! You don't have to post them anywhere, you don't have to feel like you look perfect.. but be present in photos. Your kids will love to look back on these moments and they will not be thinking about how messy your messy bun is or what a hot mess your make up is, they will be enjoying the memory of the moment the photo was taken.

As Allison Tate says it:
When I look at pictures of my own mother, I don’t look at cellulite or hair debacles. I just see her — her kind eyes, her open-mouthed, joyful smile, her familiar clothes. That’s the mother I remember. My mother’s body is the vessel that carries all the memories of my childhood. I always loved that her stomach was soft, her skin freckled, her fingers long. I didn’t care that she didn’t look like a model. She was my mama.

At all my sessions I encourage people to get in a few photos and promise not to post them. I also offer to do a Photoshop makeover on some favorites if a few self-criticisms are what's holding you back!

I hope it's something you will all consider. I know I am guilty of this myself, and we are all victims of our own thinking, but no one else is judging us the way that we judge ourselves.

I thought I would share some photos from the past which all include Mom and/or Dad with their kids.. none of these moments would exist in file format if they had not wanted to be in the photos, and.. in my opinion anyway.. they are such special, beautiful moments.

And a few of my grandparents which I am so happy exist!

And here are a few of me with my family .. I felt insecure in almost every single one and am so happy to have them all.. it's usually worse in your head and even if it's not they are still so nice to have available.

I hope everyone feels encouraged to hand the camera to your SO or set a timer and get a few memories documented soon!

-Christine

Cousins Extended Family Session | Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 02:38:59 GMT

I was feeling a little nervous about the weather for this photoshoot.. it was drizzling and looking questionable, but the rain held off long enough to complete this shoot! Getting 11 kids ready is no small task, so I'm very happy it worked out (as I'm sure they were as well)!
This is a cousins photoshoot.. it was super fun because you can tell they all have a great bond with each other, everyone was laughing and running around together and it made me miss my own cousins! Hopefully this session helped to capture their bonds!

Such a fun group of kids here, thanks guys!

-Christine
Duluth MN Family Photographer

Sibling Love

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 20 Aug 2016 19:00:00 GMT

Exciting news! I am slowly starting to take on sessions again!
I am only doing a few at a time and cannot take on weddings more than a few hours for now but I am happy to say that I am at least a little bit back at it again!

These sweet kids helped warm me back up to the session world with a short but busy session!
You can see their curiosity as they run around checking things out and can see their love for each other as they interact together.. I'm glad I got to be a part of their busy world during this shoot and document some of their personality!

How cool are his differently colored eyes!
Found a water gun!

They are such fun kids, as you can tell!

-Christine
Duluth MN Children Photographer

The Frey Children | Duluth MN Children Photo Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 23:08:56 GMT

If you follow my business updates, you know that I have taken a break from photography this summer to spend time with my new arrival baby! If I go too long without shooting I get antsy, though, so I opened up a couple sessions taken in my yard (we have about an acre of land so it's pretty spacious!). The kicker: I had to ask my husband not to mow certain areas of the lawn so I could use the flowers (or weeds depending on who you ask ;) ), but I'm glad he did because I used the heck out of them while they lasted and then mowed the lawn myself :D.

Anyway! The first shoot I did was with these sweet siblings - eight months old and two years old. This sweet girl is one I photographed shortly after she was born, and I'm still working to wrap my brain around the fact she is now this big! You can see her newborn photos by clicking here.

It was really fun hanging out with these two funny and adorable siblings! I did a couple other sessions as well which I will be working on next here, so keep an eye out for those images!

Love that face haha.

LOL!

Cuteness overload!

Thanks for letting me photograph your sweet kids!

-Christine
Duluth MN Children and Family Photographer

Pierce Family | Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:42:25 GMT

Hello everyone!

Today I was fiddling around with my Facebook page and realized that I never posted this family session! This is the Pierce family, we hit up Hartley Nature Center at golden hour and had fun exploring this forresty little area.. every time I go there I find new little areas and I feel like I explore just as much as the kids :) :D. This is one of my favorite places to shoot both because it's beautiful and also because everyone loves walking through the area.

One thing I always love to see is sibling love.. you could see the fun bond these two had as they played with sticks and ran around. We cut the session a little short as the youngest started to fall asleep.. in fact in some of the family photos towards the end she was sleeping haha, but we rolled with it and am glad they were able to get some sweet moments captured regardless! This is the second year I photographed this family - you can see their session from last year by clicking here!

I love all the combinations of people we got photographed.. we really got it all (except individuals of dad but I don't think he minded!) - mom and son, mom and daughter, dad and daughter, dad and son, the mom and dad together, the kids together, the kids individually, and the mom individually too! So many sweet moments from a family that you can tell really loves each other and has fun with each other!

Take care!

-Christine
Duluth MN children and family photographer

Happy Fourth!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 23:38:30 GMT

Happy 2016 Fourth of July everybody! Super excited to watch some fireworks tonight!
Stay safe! Have a great night!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Newborn Photos

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 30 May 2016 16:30:00 GMT

Hello Duluth area!
Check out these sweet newborn baby photos!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Gender Reveal at Hartley Nature Center

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 29 May 2016 20:24:11 GMT

So thankful for the long fall season so that we could pull off this December gender reveal! Hartley Nature Center was not filled with snow, nor was it unbearably cold!
Despite having permission to post these, I felt uncomfortable posting them too soon because I didn't want to be the one to potentially accidentally reveal the gender of their baby: a girl! Beautifully announced with a box filled with balloons - which became stuck in the trees and made for a pretty cool sight! At their ultrasound they had a family member find out the gender of the baby and fill the box with balloons, so when they opened the box it was the first time they found out. We also busted out some confetti and had fun with that (and were sure to clean up after as well!), and I got to use my crystal ball for the first time during a shoot!

Not only did I get to meet an incredibly sweet couple and have a fun experience discovering the gender of their baby with them, but a family member came along with a sweet little puppy too, I got some puppy time!
What's really fun about this is I was pregnant right along with them but unfortunately that meant that I couldn't do the next round of photos for them, hopefully we can work together again later on!

(Please forgive my technically incorrect use of the word gender, I'm speaking colloquially!).

I hope you enjoy watching this awesome moment unfold as much as I did!

Congratulations, guys!

The puppy helping to announce gender!
Balloons stuck in the trees.

During our short session we squeezed a lot in.. balloons, puppies, confetti, a crystal ball.. all to announce and celebrate their sweet baby girl!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

The Electric Witch - Freezepop - Dance Assault - Mill City Nights Show

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 03:18:02 GMT

I have some personal projects photos that I've had in my queue for awhile and have gotten to work through some photos from a show I went to back in July in Minneapolis MN at Mill City Nights Nether Bar. We made the trek to see Duluth MN native band The Electric Witch and got to see some other great electronic bands as well such as Freezepop, and Dance Assault. Duck Duck Punch was there as well but I didn't get any photographs of them playing.. next time! :D :D :D :D.

Lots of great electro, synth music and nice ambiance - be sure to check the bands out if you enjoy that type of music!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Love and North Shore - Duluth MN Couples Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT

Duluth Minnesota gets pretty unbelievably cold during the winter, so it goes without saying that the number of photography sessions done in January in Duluth is not high.. so I was pretty excited when Theresa contacted me about doing a couples session right at the most iconic area Duluth has to offer: near the Aerial Lift Bridge along North Shore. When we got there there was a hoard of photographers (20+), I had no idea why they were there but quickly wondered how we would find each other in the frenzy :p. Luckily they recognized me and we set out to take some photos. It was their one year anniversary and they chose this location because it's where he proposed to her <3. Despite the cold, I know your heart is melting like mine! Anyway, we bounced around from spot to spot and got lots of looks within a small area. I love the birds flying around (I stuck around for awhile after the session to photograph them and will have to make a blog post with those soon!) - oh, by the way - the hoard of photographers were there because there was a rare bird flying around there, maybe I caught it in the background ;). We also caught some with the Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lighthouse and Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.

Anyway, it was so fun and refreshing to do this session and feel the spirit of love and North Shore!

Happy Anniversary, Theresa and Kyle!

Annnnd now I have the warm fuzzies.

-Christine
Duluth MN Couples Photographer

Tutus and Cuddles ~ Newborn & Family Photography Session 2015

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:45:00 GMT

At seven days old I got to meet sweet little M, who is so cute and so sweet! Her brother is also incredibly cute and sweet, scroll down for all the proof you need :D!

Such a fun time hanging out with these two cuties and their parents :).

-Christine

Duluth MN Family and Newborn Photographer

Wedding at Duluth MN Woman's Club pt 2.

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 01:15:00 GMT

This is a continuation of Nicole and Jacob's wedding pt 1 blog post: Wedding at Duluth Woman's Club pt 1!

<3<3<3<3.

-Christine
Duluth MN Wedding, Family, Children, Portrait Photographer.

Exploring Leif Erickson Family Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:15:00 GMT

For the third year in a row I got to meet up with sweet M and her parents to photograph them. [ 2014 First Birthday 2013 Family Session ]. M has grown up so much over the last few years and it has been a blast every time I see her! At our session she played in the puddles by the "castle" at Leif Erickson Park and threw rocks into Lake Superior. She had a lot of funny faces stored up for us, she made us work for the sweet smiles (although I enjoy funny faces just as much as sweet smiles!). Had to bust out some fun toys to play around with on top of my lens to be interesting enough to look at (can't blame her, there are so many interesting things to look at by North Shore!) but at the end of the session, we got a fun mix of some posed shots and lots of fun candid shots as well.. I like a little of both at my sessions so it was a great time and now I have a lot of photos from the shoot that I love to share in the blog post!

-Christine

Duluth MN Family Photographer

North Shore Senior Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 21:00:00 GMT

I love doing all different types of photography but find that I am most drawn to portraits (one person in front of the camera) be it children, teens, adults, Seniors. I had such a wonderful time wandering North Shore with India and her family (family photos will be in a separate blog post) for her Senior session. We wandered deep into the area and got to work around Fitgers, the Aerial Lift Bridge, near the lighthouse, and what appeared to be a broken down boat.. by the time we were on our way back to our cars we caught some amazing sunset colors - I couldn't resist setting up for a few.. usually my sessions are done towards evening but done before sunset colors start appearing, so that was fun :). India and her mom were so much fun to hang around during this session and I'm quite convinced India should pursue modeling!

-Christine

Duluth MN Senior Photographer

Family Photography Session at North Shore - 2015

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 19:00:00 GMT

During this Senior's fall photography session near Fitgers, we seized the moment to get some family photographs as well!

I love that we were able to work in some family photographs during the shoot, such a fun family to be around and photograph! I also love that the fall colors were peeking out and that the weather was so nice for October, it all just came together very nicely.

That's Indy's mom, if you can believe it! They look like sisters!

We had tons of fun roaming the walkways along the shores of Lake Superior, if you'd like to see the Senior session portion of our shoot check it out here!

http://www.christineannphotos.com/blog/2015/11/north-shore-senior-photography-session-2015

-Christine
Duluth MN Family and Senior Photographer

For France <3.

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:45:27 GMT

For France... heart emoticon.

Praying for peace everywhere.. there is so much going on in the world right now and I wish we could all coexist and there wouldn't have to be tensions or fears like there are.. sending love and support their way!

Peace everywhere!

Feel free to share/use.

You can download a high resolution version on Flickr:
High Resolution Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge Photograph

{The ‪#‎Duluth‬ ‪#‎AerialLiftBridge‬ lit up on the 4th of July reminding me of the French flag} heart emoticon.

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Happy Veterans Day 2015!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Happy Veteran's Day to all the amazing veterans out there! The military is close to my heart as many members of my family have served. You are all so much appreciated, everyday, but I'm glad we take a day to make a point to say it: thank you!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Wedding at Duluth Woman's Club pt 1

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 01:25:56 GMT

I had planned to do a sneak peek blog but after a vigorous night of editing, I'm turning this into the formal part 1 blog of this gorgeous Duluth wedding! (Part 1 is everything before the ceremony and during the ceremony, Part 2 is everything after the ceremony and will be coming soon!).

Earlier this summer I met with this lovely couple and was honored to take their engagement photos. Nicole grew up around the area and showed me an awesome location with a legit waterfall right here in Duluth that I never knew existed (click here to see the engagement session). I couldn't resist going back for another round and went again a few weeks later during another session :) (click here to see that family session).

My interactions with clients is always moving me and inspiring me, especially this couple. Jacob is always looking out for Nicole, helping her through rough terrain (at the engagement session) and making sure she is taken care of, making eye contact and making her smile and she is very loving and fun with him, stealing kisses and making him laugh. They are lovely inside and out (and, like, so much so on the outside that I feel like I should be paying them as models or something haha) but seriously congratulations x1,000, you guys and thanks for choosing me to be a part of your day!

This ceremony was at the Duluth Woman's Club and many of the decorations were DIY projects (amazing!). One of my favorite parts of the ceremony is when the sun peeked out and just lit everything up, it was so beautiful!

Such a stunning bride :D!

.. should be a model :).

First look!
Some of the amazing DIY decorations.

^Such an amazing dress!

^The sun came out and added this amazing ambiance to the atmosphere as well as creating lovely light for the photographs!

^One of my favorites.. love the expression on their faces.

^This photo melts my heart in a good way!
^Pretty sure I need a dress like this for a future children's portrait shoot in the future! These dresses are incredible!

These are just a FEW of my favorites, there are so many more photos if you can believe it! Also, there's an entire Part 2 coming soon.. which is a lot of family, dances, decorations, and the bridal party, it'll be posted in the near future!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Family Session at North Shore

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 21:15:00 GMT

At my Senior session with India we worked in some family photographs of this incredibly sweet family! I love how happy and excited the little boy looks in his photos, you can tell he loves his parents and sister so very much!

She is gorgeous just as her daughter is!

-Christine

Duluth MN Family and Portrait Photographer

Waterfalls & Pinecones

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 21:00:00 GMT

At this point, most of the people I photograph are people I don't know - and I love that! I love that I'm reaching people outside my "bubble" and love meeting new people and getting to know them. However, it's also always so fun to photograph people I do know too! These are some of the sweetest and funniest kids ever :) and I really love their sibling dynamic! I grew up with one older brother and we were always pretty close but also having the inevitable, classic sibling fights (like the time I tried to hug him, he ran away from my hug like it was the worst thing ever, and I ended up spraining my wrist on a wall!) and seeing them interact reminds me so much of us: classic sibling moments, but overall you can tell they are close, great friends. I also love that you can also see their amazing personalities coming through individual shots as well. So glad we were able to get together and explore these rocky trails (leading to a legit waterfall!) and have some fun time together (including pine cone fight and skipping stones)!

^Pinecone fight!
^As a mom, I have to say this is probably my favorite :D too good! .
^That look is priceless!

^One of my favorites!

^Another favorite!

Teddy Bears & Apples... Lifestyle Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 16:00:00 GMT

I became acquainted with a local photographer whose images I fell in love with right away! (You can find her at New Earth Natural Light Photography). One thing lead to another and the next thing I know, I'm at her home with the honor of photographing her family. She is a lifestyle photographer and places a lot of value on capturing life unfolding, naturally - simple, every day moments.

At my sessions I often do some posing, but if you follow my work or have done a session with me, you know that I also capture some of the natural moments that happen between poses or as we move from place to place.. I also capture a lot of my own family, at home, so while I'm not a stranger to the lifestyle style, I've never been a fly on the wall for an entire session!

It was a very fun experience and one I am very open to doing again :). I shoot with a long zoom lens so I'm able to be off in the background but still get in close, so I hung out as Miranda did some laundry and her daughter ran around in her diaper hugging her sweet little bear (which she clung onto for at least half of the session, and is one of my favorite parts about this session!). They ventured over to their neighbor's yard to grab an apple and just hung out as they would any day.

Then we decided to get her son up from a nap.. he was very tired, so I offered him some bubbles to perk him up. He groggily accepted the bubbles but was still so tired that Miranda decided to put him back to bed. In typical kid fashion, though, he decided he wanted to play with the bubbles instead :).. so we just kinda hung out around the house and I got SO many photos that I sincerely love, that this blog post is going to be very long. I honestly weeded out everything I felt was expendable but they are all so photogenic and sweet and the moments are so genuine and real that I'm just too in love to cull the blog post any further! You may want to pull this up in a tab to let it load if your device is a slower one ;). I'm delivering 2-3x more to her though, so there's more where this came from! I hope you love the session as much as I do!

^One of my favorite photos! :D.
^A girl and her bear <3.

^Those beautiful brown eyes! I love that she's still holding her teddy bear too!
^LOVE this reaction to the apple!
^Just woke up from a nap. So sweet.

^One of my favorites from the session, especially with "lifestyle" in mind!
^That red hair though.
^Another favorite!
So in love with this session and family!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Leif Erickson Park Wedding - Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 22:55:20 GMT

The sense of family and love filling Leif Erickson Rose Garden on this beautiful wedding day was amazing! I am honored to have been a part of it and capture the day.. kids were running around, buzzing with excitement, and friends and family gathered together to spend time with one another, it was a truly special and beautiful day.. congratulations to this newlywed couple!

Beautiful bride!
The groom before the ceremony.

Preparing to walk to the ceremony.
<3.
The groom as she approached :).

Rose Garden in full bloom!

SO beautiful!

Amazing cake.

She was thrilled to ditch the dress for this outfit :).
The happy couple enjoying their first dance as husband and wife.

Sweet and special moments.

I hope everyone reading this is as moved by this special day as I was!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Nicole & Jacob Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:00:00 GMT

I always feel like photographs say so much more about the people I photograph than I could ever say in words. Nicole and Jacob are one of the nicest and sweetest couples I have ever met. You'll see it in the photos! I am very excited to photograph their undoubtedly beautiful wedding in September!

-Christine
Duluth MN Portrait Photographer

The Powers Family at North Shore

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 22:54:32 GMT

On the way to our session along North Shore I was feeling nervous about the weather.. if it would rain or be too foggy. We went for it though and I'm so glad we did :). I got to meet an amazing, fun, loving, funny family :D. We laughed about some of the rugged paths along the way and even went down a few! They were up some of these "off the beaten path" adventures, which is always really fun when you are a photographer and can get in to some interesting spots. AND - they did an awesome job picking out their outfits! I love how the colors and patterns tie together.. maybe they should be a consultant for me ;).

It was great meeting the Powers family and adventuring around the North Shore area together!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Wedding Ceremony at Larsmont Cottages

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 02:15:00 GMT

I had such an amazing time heading to Larsmont Cottages for the first time in Two Harbors MN to photograph this beautiful, intimate wedding. This couple truly warmed my heart to watch them together and their natural love for one another <3.

^Technical difficulties with the walkie talkies :).

I only got about an hour with them but it really impacted me and I feel very honored to have been a small part of their day!

-Christine

Dylan at North Shore

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 01:08:59 GMT

Last year I had a session with Dylan which I titled "Adventures with Dylan", and I can't think of a more fitting title to this session either :). Dylan is so curious about the world he is always exploring and asking questions. He was always ahead of us checking out whatever laid ahead and telling us about it. We joked that all the images would be of the back of his head :) there were plenty of those but I am also happy to get plenty of that sweet face too! I loved roaming North Shore with this little tyke and his parents. My favorite part was when he gave me a random hug <3 - my only regret is not giving him the little fluffy duck toy (scroll down) which he named Ninja Turtle.. I'll have to mail it out!

I love how you can see the amazement of the world in his eyes and how you can see how he is so curious about and interested in the world. He is such a joy to be around!

-Christine

Duluth MN 4th of July Fireworks Display 2015

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 03:45:00 GMT

The 4th of July has always been a favorite holiday of mine. I love staying out late and watching beautiful shapes and colors in the sky. The day became even more fun for me after becoming a photographer. I love photographing the fireworks! I only get the opportunity to photograph fireworks once a year but I do find as the years go on I shoot a little less and watch a little more. Still, I got a few to share :). We found a great spot near Enger Tower, packed some snacks and had a lot of fun hanging out! I particularly loved how the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge turned red, white, and blue after the display was over! Such a cool touch. Something that is kinda cool is that you can get images capturing a sparkler's movement by placing your camera on a tripod or somewhere where it doesn't move and leaving the shutter open for a few seconds. Here is a blog post I made on how to capture the movement of sparklers awhile back for more details on how to do this! You can make cool shapes with this method but you have to do everything backwards!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Homegrown Music Festival Live Bands 2015

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 23 May 2015 16:45:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, Duluth Minnesota lit up with its annual Homegrown Music Festival - where bands who are or have been local to Duluth come together and play live music for us residents. Had a lot of fun going out and experiencing these bands. I didn't have my camera and/or a chance to get it out to take photos at all the shows but I did get some photographs of the following shows:

Vitamin Death at Beaner's Central
Chasm of Czar at Mr D's Bar and Grill
American Rebels at Mr D's Bar and Grill
Dad’s Acid at R. T. Quinlan’s Saloon
Danecdote at Duluth Flame Nightclub
Electric Witch at Duluth Flame Nightclub

^Very disappointed we only caught the end of this show.. will be looking them up for future shows!

^Yours truly! :).

Unfortunately Trampled by Turtles was sold out but overall our Homegrown 2015 was an awesome experience and I can't wait until next year! I am anxiously waiting for next year :) I have some new favorite bands, and bands I regret missing out on! I honestly enjoyed all the shows though! Duluth has some awesome artists behind it!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Mother's Day Siblings Portraits

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 10 May 2015 21:23:55 GMT

There are so many things in this life to love and appreciate, but there is one thing above everything else, to which nothing compares: our children. This is why I am so happy that the timing of my editing worked out to post today - Mother's Day 2015! I did a quick shoot at my home for the Meier kids.. the shoot lasted about 15 minutes but I only needed a few to really capture their natural sibling love (try as they may to hide it! :) ). They have such wonderful personalities, which I think you can pretty easily see in the images. In a few of them, my kiddos came up and photobombed us (they are all friends with each other) but because I was asked to focus on natural photos I just went with the flow (which is what I like to do, by default anyways!). I think we all had fun, and we are just waiting for some reliable warm weather to shoot again outdoors (which is where I am most at home with my camera!).

Here are some of my favorites.. believe it or not there are tons more too :o but I am just posting my favorites!

^So good with kids.. future teacher or counselor? :).

So just what is it she is working so intently on?
:).

Check back for the outdoors "part 2", as well as other upcoming sessions!
Happy Mother's Day everyone!

-Christine

Mapstone Wedding

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:45:00 GMT

I can't say enough great things about the wedding of two longtime friends of mine's wedding! They are awesome people and they make an awesome couple. I am so glad to have had the chance to second shoot for them at their wedding.. which, btw, was filled with peacock colors :o and also bubbles, candy, and fun. I had a blast spending the day with everyone and both documenting and enjoying their beautiful day <3.

Remember I was second shooting this so my photos are more "off to the side" style and different than if I were the primary :).

Enjoy this new venture, Mr. and Mrs. Mapstone!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Duluth MN Panoramic Photography

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 02:30:00 GMT

In the photography class I am taking we were taught how to stitch multiple images together to create panoramics! I am very excited to add this ability to my bag of tricks and will be implementing it on sessions from time to time <3. I love learning new things and that is what drives me to learn and grow!

Duluth Minnesota is SO beautiful. I am happy to live here and capture it through photography - I will continue to capture panoramics of Duluth!

-Christine

Duluth MN Photographer

Sneak Peek

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 10:30:00 GMT

Just a few from Leif Erickson! Had fun exploring the area :).. will do a full blog post once school is over (May 8th)!

Check back in a few weeks for the rest!
:).

-Christine

Happy Easter!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 17:45:00 GMT

Happy Easter!

... I will spare you the pun I want to make ("Hoppy Easter".. my favorite card to make when I was a kid :p).
We had a very fun day and I hope everybody else did too!
I don't know about you, but I have a LOT of Easter "wreckage" to clean up!
For those of you who are religious: John 11:25-26 is a great one to visit today!

-Christine

The Frey's Winter Family Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 20:00:00 GMT

Outdoor winter sessions in Duluth, MN do not last long - it is WAY too cold out there! But the Frey's braved the outdoors for a quick mini shoot and I'm glad they did because these turned out seriously cute. I can't take credit for them.. my husband took these, but he and I work closely together and he works with me often and takes photos with me at sessions and weddings so I wanted to share some of his work! I did the editing on these ones but he also edited some of his own. Anyway, I love that they included their dog and how adorable and big their son has gotten since I last saw him! I also love how awesome Hartley Nature Center is looking highlighted in the snow like this.

-Christine

Duluth MN Portrait Photographer

George Hurrell Mimic Photographs

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 23:45:00 GMT

Back in the 1930's there was a very accomplished photographer working tirelessly named George Hurrell. George Hurrell is known for black and white images with very dramatic lighting. He would use this style with famous Hollywood stars and was very sought-after. I am currently taking a photography class and our assignment was to pick a photographer and mimic images they have taken/their style. I chose to mimic George Hurrell and I am so glad I did because I learned so much and it has made me a better photographer with more knowledge!

^I originally replicated this image thinking it was done by George Hurrell but later realized this image was inspired by George Hurrell.. so I guess I replicated a replica :).

To see more works by George Hurrell click here.

-Christine

Duluth MN Photographer

South Dakota Family Country Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 00:58:14 GMT

During my visit to South Dakota I was able to get together with some good friends, the Johnsons, and their darling children and take some photos in the middle of.. well, nowhere, basically :). It was a fun, new place to take photos - despite the bugs - and it has left me wishing I had an open countryside farm at which to take photos! One of my favorite parts (and I'm sure the kids' too) was.. DUCKS.. lots of them.. and cats.. ducks and cats everywhere. What a fun place for this family to live and for photographers to take photos.
About two years ago I took some family photos for the Johnsons - you can see those here {Johnson Family Session 2013} - and it's been so fun documenting their kids getting older! What's really cool is we completely replicated one of the poses from that session.. I told them we must keep doing the same pose over the years :) (the pose is the third box down on the 2013 link which, looking at it, it seems all the vertical ones are not loading, I'm not sure if it's my computer or the site - I'll look into it but I hope it works for you guys - and the fifth one down on this page). Anyway these are all my favorites from the get together.. amazing how much you can get get out of just 40 minutes (that's how long we decided to tolerate the bugs)! Apologies for not keeping up with my blog lately.. I have a lot of photos I've been excited to share including some from Bentlyville (even some from under the tree!) and have two weddings to share yet as well.. check back to see more over the next few months <3.

-Christine

Duluth MN Photographer

Visiting Wisconsin

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:00:00 GMT

My brother and I have always been very close.. we are about 11 months apart in age and, growing up, people always mistook us for twins. We have ended up in pretty different parts of the country - I am in the freezing but beautiful Hermantown MN, and he is in the warm and busy state of California. When he found out our family wasn't going to be traveling to SD (our "home base") for Christmas (medical reasons), he rented a car to drive from SD to MN to hang out with us for a few days.. then he turned around and drove all the way back to catch his flight. He came with his girlfriend and while they were here they wanted to knock Wisconsin off their "places I've been" map, and see Lake Superior and, since it is a mere twenty minute drive from here, we ventured out and I took a few photographs of them on a little (terrifying) walk-out bridge we found in Wisconsin. Here are a few from our four minute session! :).

They handled the bitter Duluth coldness quite well.. these are not temperatures they're used to. I am happy to report that we will be returning the visit this summer - we booked some tickets to fly over to California! I have traveled internationally three times, yet I have never been outside the "Midwest bubble" within the United States.. I am excited to explore the US a bit more and to see my brother!

-Christine

Duluth MN Photographer

Bentlyville Tour of Lights Duluth MN 2014

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Bentlyville Tour of Lights is one amazing, walk-through, free, fun Christmas lights display, set up annually in Duluth Minnesota. You arrive at the Tour of Lights and are greeted by tunnels of lights. You can meet "Santa", elves, get free hot chocolate, roast free marshmellows on fires. Most people aren't able to go under the tree but we were able to last year! I got some awesome photos and it was a very cool experience! I thought I'd share some of the photos I took at the 2014 display. If you are able to make it to this display, it opens in December every year - it's worth a trip to come check it out and experience firsthand!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

-Christine
Duluth MN Photographer

Family Photography Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Prepare yourselves for an exceptionally long blog post! This session had too many gems to widdle it down any more than this. This is the first session I have done at Leif Erickson Park (other than a practice shoot with my daughter a few days beforehand). The mother also particularly likes candid shots so I made a point to include a lot of candids that I may otherwise weed out. We missed the area in full bloom (for fall colors) by about a week but I am just glad there were some peeping out for us!

I really have to note how fun and easy going this family is! They are some of the most patient, easygoing parents I've encountered on a session, and so fun! They played a lot with their kids and their kids loved every moment of it! What an inspiring and beautiful family <3. You can easily and totally tell in the images. I greatly enjoyed working with you guys!

I really love these last 2 shots as they are a new family to the area and it feels like a "welcome to Duluth" kind of shot :).

-Christine

Alex - 2015 Senior Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 22:00:00 GMT

In October I got to meet up with high school senior Alex and his family to do some photos down at Leif Erickson Park. In about half hour's time we were able to hit up all the best spots at the park to get a very well-rounded session! This session is the first time I've brought my flash along with me and kept it set up for the entire session. I played around a little bit with the flash towards the end to try something new. I love dramatic lighting and trying new things. Anyway, Alex was really awesome to be around. I'm sure he cringed when we adults "forced" him into an impromptu family photo ;) and multiple locations, but he was a trooper and got through it not only unscathed but also with lots of nice photos to document this important time in life. He endured it well and with a great attitude :).

Duluth Senior High School Photography

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Alex!

-Christine

Like Mother [...].

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 22:31:19 GMT

A couple months ago I had the pleasure of doing a shoot for my dear friend and her daughter. Her husband wasn't able to make it but we had fun doing a little "Mommy and Me" type shoot. Her daughter is such a sweetheart and so fun!

I loove taking portraits (photos where there is only one subject). I've been noticing that is where my photography passion really seems to lie. I love all forms of photography, though, but something about a portrait is so captivating. It helps a lot when your "subject" is an adorable, curious toddler! We had a lot of fun running around Hartley Nature Center for this shoot and soaking up one of the last very nice days of fall!

Anyway.. cute toddler girl photos commence... now!

^I love this image because they look so much alike!

Thanks for bearing with me on my late postings. It is odd to post fall photos when it is snowing outside. I have a few more sessions, yet, so there is more fall fun to come :). Everyone has their images already; thankfully I have managed to keep up with all that.. I've just been lagging with posting and doing the "extra" stuff.

-Christine

Happy Halloween!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 22:30:00 GMT

Happy Halloween, everybody! <3.

-Christine

Phone Issues...

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 22:33:18 GMT

Just a quick note to say that I've had some phone issues lately.. some of the calls are not going through or go through moments before the call is over. I know I've missed a few calls :( and I just want to apologize to anyone trying to reach me.. please leave a message so I can return the call or email me at [email protected]! Meanwhile, I am working with my phone company to resolve this. Thank you!

-Christine

Cynthia Senior Session - Fitgers Duluth MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:19:13 GMT

Got to explore the Fitgers area a little bit more with Senior Cynthia! We had a great time and got the entire session done in less than half an hour! Added perk of the shoot.. there was a rainbow! Actually - there were two. I saw one during the drive to the session and I saw another one over the lake. It was a very cool sight, but it disappeared quickly!

Senior Photography Duluth MN

Duluth MN Senior Photographer

Duluth MN Senior Photography Session

Pierce Family Session

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:43:04 GMT

Had an absolutely wonderful time meeting up with the Pierce family for this family photoshoot! We were really hoping to catch some evening light from the sun, but Duluth has just been nothing but clouds for the last month or so! We worked with the clouds, though, and were able to get some beautiful photographs. :).

They are a very lovely family!

A more candid shot :). The lil' ones wanted to explore the area - can't blame 'em! Hartley is an amazing area! I just love the look on the little girl's face!

Some sight seeing with Dad.

Sibling love <3.

Such a lovely couple...

:).

Looking at some ducks :); a nice little family moment.

Father and son.

The clan.

This is probably my favorite family shot! I am a sucker for candids.

Having a little bit more fun before the shoot is over.

So sweet.

These are just a handful of the images from the shoot - my personal favorites - there are many more coming her way :) but this gives a great little overview of the session.
I wish the sun had peeked out for a little while :( but we had a great time, and - added bonus - I learned about a very amazing clothing company for kids from them! (Matilda Jane - the designer of the dress the little girl is wearing, which I absolutely love!).

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

-Christine

Mammatus Clouds in Hermantown MN

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 01:00:00 GMT

Last week, on September 3, 2014, I was driving home and had to pull over to get a few shots of the amazing scenery that was around me! I only had my tablet, so forgive the grainy quality, but the clouds just looked amazing. This orange tint is completely how it looked - even the air looked orange! It was very other-worldly and a very cool experience. A family member, who is a weatherman, noted on the photograph linked to my Facebook page that these are mammatus clouds - they occur when the atmosphere is unstable. Knowing a little more about them made them all the more interesting :) so I thought I'd share a few of the shots! All three are from the same night; the last photo actually came first and then once I got pulled over and in the spot I wanted to be in, the mammatus clouds made their way in, overtaking the sky!

Anyone else see this unique instance?!

-Christine

First Signs Of Fall 2014

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:00:00 GMT

I'm not one who particularly enjoys the cold weather, but there is one perk to summer turning to winter: the beauty of fall colors! I've only been living in Duluth, Minnesota long enough to experience one fall, and it didn't really come (in full bloom) until the end of October. The trees are beginning to turn all across the city and it is really cool to see the little glimpses of fall, peeking out!

I grabbed a few shots on my way home from a shoot and thought I'd share with my fellow Duluthians!

I am not looking forward to the upcoming snow and cold :( but one thing is for certain: fall and winter, both, are quite beautiful here. <3.

-Christine

Back & Ready To Roll!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 03:00:00 GMT

Hey, all!
Just an update to my website that I am back and, well still very busy, but ready to shoot and not neglect my social media anymore :). Thanks for bearing with me through the lull.
July was packed with a vacation (about 4 weeks) and tons of photos (around 5000 for the month of July).
Went and explored East Asia! It was really really cool but now I am just trying to process all the photos that I took (heh heh). I also have a session to work on and sessions on the horizon SO, hopefully I have some fun stuff to share coming up soon here. In the mean time I will leave you with a photo I took in Cambodia at the Angkor Wat Temple Complex.

If you aren't already following my Facebook page, be sure to head over and give it a like :) - I keep that pretty current with what I'm up to!

Christine Ann Photography Facebook Page

More photos from Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia to come!

-Christine

Busy Month..

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 22:18:12 GMT

Hello everyone! I just wanted to post that July is proving to be a very busy month and I have no sessions available this month . I have a couple open in August, though, but I'm going to be swamped for the next few weeks and you may not see much from me. I also apologize if this results in a bit of lag time in responding to inquiries - I hope not but if it does, please bear with me. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

-Christine

Happy 4th of July!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 21:47:13 GMT

Happy 4th of July everyone! Such a fun time of the year! This year is extra-exciting because of getting to spend it withsome extended family. :).
I don't have my usual photography equipment with me so I won't get to play around with photography too much but will sit back and enjoy watching them (and shooting off some of our own). Here's a fun silhouette I got from last year's display. I have lots of photos from throughout the years.. it'd be fun to compile my favorites into a blog post sometime.

Last year, I wrote a blog post on how to capture the movement of a sparkler.. it's a fun project to try out if you're feeling adventurous. Post in the comments if you have any questions about how to do this! I try to buy some long sparklers every year so I can play around with photography capturing movement & also to have on-hand in case someone wants sparklers included in a photo session (usually a wedding).

Enjoy the fireworks everyone!

:).

-Christine
Duluth MN

Brothers

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:00:00 GMT

Had a ton of fun with these twin boys, exploring Hartley Nature Center. Every time I go there, I find a lot of new areas to peek into and try shooting around in there. Hartley Nature Center in Duluth, Minnesota is amazing!
Anyway the boys were excited to be at Hartley and they made my job very easy :). They wanted to climb trees and pose and run around and be goofy! If I suggested laying down over there, they were up for it. If I told them to get goofy, they'd get goofy! I got lots of sweet candid shots and also some more posey ones (getting posed shots isn't always the easiest to do with kids, but I like candid and posed both!). It was so much fun!! :). I love how their photos came out <3. I wish I could bottle up the energy of children and sip it at my leisure haha. They always run circles around me - and I'm pretty active on shoots!

^hehe!

^The goofs decided to start wiggling their butts at me LOL.
^I love this photo!

^.. And this one too. :).
^Let's take a moment to appreciate the vast beauty Hartley Nature Center offers!!!!
^I did not edit the rainbow in.. the sun hit the lens just right!
^Just hanging out together. :).

So fun!

Hope you enjoyed! If you want to get some photos of your family and/or children at any of Duluth's gorgeous locations, be sure to contact me :). I am unavailable in July but have some available spots in August.

The Adventures of Dylan...

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 23:00:00 GMT

Climbing trees, running across bridges, hiking the trails, and treading the shoreline of the lake.. We got a little bit of everything shooting down at Hartley Nature Center last month! It was truly an adventure, and it was really fun to come along for the ride with almost-3 year old Dylan to take photographs of him exploring and doing what almost-3 year olds do best: exploring and having fun.
We had perfect timing, too, because the water puddles from the melted snow were mostly dried up and the bugs were not out yet!

Dylan is very funny, energetic, curious, fun, and intelligent! I cannot believe how well he talks for his age!
& The love from his mother and grandmother radiated through the air the entire time.
Looking through these photographs gives me the warm fuzzies & I am so happy I got to document this adventure!

Our session started & ended with climbing trees :). Happy face! The look of curiosity and exploring.
^I love how you can see the curiosity on his face in this one! Portrait of Dylan
^LOVE this smile!!!! Such a happy/goofy smile :).

^In this one I had him sit on my reflector (a large, flexible circle used to reflect light.. I edited it out of the photographs..) and he pretended it was a car or spaceship or something of the like.

^Grandma, Mom, & Son.. 3 generations photograph. Had to respect Grandma's wishes not to be in the photos or there would be more of her in here!

^Exploring some boats by the lake! Hartley Nature Center in Duluth, Minnesota is a fun place to be for a 2-3 year old!
Dylan checking out the boats

^Checking out the boats.
^Time to bust out the "puddle boots" & do some further exploring!
^Beautiful lake water at Hartley. Holding hands <3
^Helping hand from Mom out of the water. Such a sweet candid moment!
^I also love this one of Mom & Dylan and think it's incredibly sweet!

Portrait of Dylan
I didn't add the rainbow in! The light hit the lens just right and created it in-camera.

^More adventures! This time with sticks and Spiderman.
^Dylan "rescuing" the Spiderman figurine (you can see it in his hands).
Mom & SonMomma & son
^More sweet moments with Dylan and Mommy.. lots of those from this session.

My point-and-shoot camera got damaged so I can now use it as a photo prop to let kids play with during shoots :). No worries, there is no "you break it you buy it" policy; it's already broken (well, it turns on but the screen is cracked).
Sitting In A TreeTree climbin'
^More tree climbing on our way out!
Boy Climbing Tree

His mom climbed into the tree with him! Fun mom alert :)!

I hope these photos touch all who see them as much as they have me.. I had a great time with Dylan and his Mom & Grandma!

Have a great day, everyone :).

-Christine

Duluth MN

Happy Father's Day!

(Mascoutah | Belleville | OFallon | IL Photographer | Christine Ann Photography) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 03:06:40 GMT

Happy Father's Day to all the hard-working, full-of-love fathers out there! You are much appreciated!

-Christine