Close to home

Tia and Jon both knew they always wanted to leave Minnesota. The winters were just too harsh, they say. So before they headed off to balmy South Carolina, the two were married — then they decided to start planning a wedding.

The austere corridors of Minneapolis City Hall just couldn't quite compare with the tulle and lace most little girls daydream about while planning their walk down the aisle. Tia and Jon dreamed up a better vision instead. They would return home for a more traditional wedding so family and friends could share in the celebration.

The couple will once again recite their vows, only this time in the beautiful sunken garden at the Como Park Conservatory, which just so happens to be the same venue my wife and I chose for our wedding. Needless to say, I'm excited to get back in the space and document this special event for Tia and Jon.

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While on a recent visit to Minnesota to solidify some wedding plans, Tia and Jon found some time to celebrate their first anniversary with a photo session only blocks from where they officially became husband and wife. Luckily for them, it was a rare 70-degree March afternoon.

Click HERE to see additional photos.

Family traditions

First No Foolin' session images complete

This week I had the opportunity to document as 3-year-old Reese had his first -- and quite messy -- experience dying Easter eggs  as part of Anthologie's "No Foolin'" promotion. Apparently, the process made quite an impression on him.

"Oh wow!" Reese exclaimed as the colors began to emerge on his first egg's shell after a few turns in the hot water and vinegar bath. I couldn't help but think of a similar excitement I felt the first time I saw black and white images take form in the developer tray while preparing my first darkroom prints some 16 years ago.

The recording of a family tradition, such as dying Easter eggs, is just one of the many ways to experience custom photography with Anthologie's latest promotion. Contact us by 5 p.m. Friday to reserve your own session.

To view more photos from Reese's one-hour photo session, including an egg hunt, click HERE.

New service, special price

Contact Anthologie by April 9 to schedule your No Foolin' photo session The "No Foolin'" promotion is back. My hope with this year's installment is that people try out custom photography for the first time, or request photography service in ways they never have before.

Creating beautiful images of children in their adorable, new spring outfits is certainly a cornerstone of this promotion. However, this unseasonably warm weather in the Twin Cities provides a multitude of additional opportunities for photography done the Anthologie way - documenting life as it happens.

New to this year's promotion is an extended timeline for photography sessions, and an expansion of qualifying services, including sports and corporate events. Please contact us for a full listing of qualifying events.

Here's what you need to know to book your photography session and start saving today.

1. The price for this promotional collection is $100 (regular price $150)
2. Payment in full is due at the beginning of your session (prepay options are available)
3. Become a fan of Anthologie on Facebook to receive a $200 image disc upgrade with our compliments
4. You must contact Anthologie to reserve your place using the contact form on this website by 5 p.m. Friday, April 9, 2010
5. Your session must then be completed by June 15, 2010
6. Lifestyle portrait sessions are limited to 5 individuals at this promotional rate

Here's what's included in your "No Foolin'" collection

1. The time, talent and creative fee of your photographer
2. 45 min. to 1 hour of photography at a location of your choosing
3. All the edits and enhancements of your best images
4. Images posted to a password-protected gallery for convenient online ordering and photo sharing
5. An image disc with reproduction rights to photographs printed to 4x6 inches
6. **An image disc upgrade with reproduction rights to 5x7 inches for Anthologie Facebook fans

Call 952-232-5830 to schedule your session today.

Anthologie is movin' on up!

Please excuse our dust. Anthologie is moving even closer to you! As of March 17, 2010, Anthologie will no longer be based out of our offices and gallery at 18 Bridge Square in Northfield. We're moving 20 miles north to make it easier than before to meet face to face with our clients. So why the move? About one year ago, Anthologie embarked on a journey to operate in historic downtown Northfield. From the beginning, the venture was a test to see how we can best serve you — our clients. With a year lease on our building, the storefront would serve akin to a business incubator. While it has certainly been fun and a worthwhile learning experience, we've discovered the move mostly serviced our egos rather than the needs and desires of our client base. Anthologie, since its inception, has been dedicated to documenting your life's moments — both large and small — as they happen. That means we come to you on your terms, meeting and working at locations that make sense and are most convenient to you. Thus, our gallery and offices aren't necessary to provide you with the service you've come to expect from Anthologie. We're excited to bring you a new home showroom in the coming weeks for those clients who still desire to see our larger product offerings in a relaxed and realistic environment. More on these changes is coming soon.

Collaboration gains steam

Anthologie photos amplify Meredith Fierke concert

Recording artist Meredith Fierke & the band will perform 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 9 at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault with special guest Dylan McKinstry. A special art exhibit featuring the work of Anthologie photographer Dan Iverson will augment the concert.

Iverson has been documenting Fierke's world since March 2009, as she set out to make her debut appearance at the famed South By Southwest music and arts festival in Austin, Texas. Fierke's reputation has since gained momentum as her music was featured on last year's Cities97 Sampler.

After a winter of hibernating in the studio, Fierke has emerged to stir the minds of her dedicated listeners with a preview of her upcoming album. The Faribault concert marks only the second time Fierke's latest creations will be heard by a live audience. A portion of the images Iverson gleaned from the past year will be on view in the Paradise lobby beginning with Fierke's concert April 9.

The exhibition will be open to the public April 10 - 16 at the Paradise Center for the Arts, 321 Central Ave., Faribault, MN. Tickets for Fierke's concert are $12 and are available by calling 507-332-7372.