So Stacey and I will try to put a wrap on 2009 in the next week or two with our thoughts on the year that was.  However, in the spirit of looking forward, I wanted to share this image with you.  I love what this picture represents to me and our business.  The ship feels like life and how it continues to move forward.  Continuing with this theme there are shafts of light and a couple of darker streaks.  I find it very symbolic and has a calming effect.

In closing, Stacey and I hope that the sun may shine upon you and your loved ones this new year!

Stacey and I have been given the wonderful opportunity to capture "The Nutcracker" as performed by the Wausau Dance Theatre a number of years now.  Between photographing it and taking Lauren twice, we have probably seen the live production about 7 - 10 times.  Yet, I still look forward to coming back every year.  I am continually amazed at the grace and elegance that the dancers have.  It always renews an appreciation of a different art-form, and stretches our abilities as photographers.  What made this year extra exciting was that it was the 40th Anniversary production by the Central Wisconsin School of Ballet.  Needless to say they pulled out all the stops for this special occasion by bringing in international guest dancers Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky. 

At this point you may be asking how two Minneapolis wedding photographers end up shooting a ballet in central Wisconsin.  Stacey is originally from Wausau and we had shot a wedding there a few years back for Alicia and Mark.  Mark runs the lighting for the Grand Theater in Wausau and has worked on the production of the ballet before.  Long story short, they saw his wedding pictures and were looking for a similar style of coverage for their next production.  We jumped in not knowing what we were getting into, but couldn't have been happier that we did.  Since then, we have covered a number of their ballets and have had the privilege of getting to know Madame Karkar (the founder of CWSB), along with her daughter and son who head up WDT.  They always treat us so well, and while doing so, Lauren has developed a little crush on Patrik.

Now that you know the back story, why don't we get on to the good part, PICTURES!  We have posted a few of our favorites below, and have also put together a SLIDESHOW with some of the highlights of this year's ballet!  We would like to thank Annaluna and the rest of Wasuau Dance Theatre for having us capture this special 40th Anniversary production! 

P.S.  If you want to take a look at some of last year's highlights, you can find them HERE!

 

As I sit here looking out at the snow, the Christmas tree, and take in the smell of the holidays, it makes me pause to think about friends, family, and loved ones both near and far.  It makes me think about the fun dinner we just enjoyed with Stacey's family.  It makes me think about the joy in our kid's eyes as they wake up in the morning.  It brings a smile to my face, and makes me want to do more in life.  The one thing I love about this time of year is creating traditions and memories.  Some of my favorite Christmas memories growing up were the simplest, but they almost always centered around traditions.  I am thankful for so much that sometimes I have to step back and take it all in. 

We hope that this Holiday Season has brought happiness and good memories to you all!  With that in mind, we at Staja Studios would like to wish all of you, particularly our family, friends, and clients a very Merry Christmas!  We are truly blessed for the part all of you have played in our lives!
 
In closing, here are a few images of some good times we shared this Christmas season!



 

So our awesome client, Aly, and mutual friend, Lacie, had a brilliant idea this fall.  Aly had so much fun at her wedding, that they thought it would be fun to play dress up again and do a "trash the dress" session :).  Most of the time we do these, we call it a day after session, but they both went and got a wedding dress, did a little of their own embellishing, and wanted to trash it!  In addition, as a florist, Lacie wanted to make some floral bouquets with a little more attitude then what she usually gets to.  We had everything all lined up to use some fall color, but the weather was not cooperating.  We decided to still give things a go.  Unfortunately, due to the inclimate weather, we ended up spending more time inside than originally planned, but it ended up making for a pretty fashionable backdrop.  Thankfully we brought one of our lights along, as it came in handy! 

We ended up having such a good time and shared a lot of laughs during the shoot.  Aly and Lacie both did a fantastic job and ended up braving the cold as dark approached, which allowed us to get some very cool images in a nearby tree grove/field.  Because of the shortened hours and everything else, we weren't able to shoot as long as planned.  However, we have already talked and are looking forward to continuing the session in the spring when it warms back up, giving these lovely ladies a chance to finish the trashing that they started!  If interested in contacting an awesome florist to do your flowers for an upcoming wedding or event, you can find Lacie here.  Without further delay, here are some highlights from the shoot!

So this past fall, we ended up doing a fun little shoot with Aly (one our past brides) and Lacie (florist extraordinaire from Pearls and Lace).  I was going through them again tonight to get some ready for a blog post later in the week, and came across this shot that Stacey took.  Needless to say I couldn't wait to get the rest done to post this one as a preview!  I am in LOVE with this image, let me know if you feel the same.  Isn't my wife great!