Blog

Switch the Boi Wonder

April 13, 2012 by emma

Today I photographed the incredible Switch the Boi Wonder a.k.a. Mea. She is a burlesque performer and drag king in the Twin Cities and if you haven’t seen her perform, you really should. She is enigmatic and charming, kind and gracious and deeply talented.

The Johnson Family

April 12, 2012 by emma

I had so much fun photographing this family at my studio last week. Cash was a little shy when they came in the door but it only took him about 3 minutes to warm up. He was so funny and playful, which is my favorite thing about working with kids his age – they just want to have fun. Little baby Hayward was so sweet, with his huge brown eyes looking right at me. Annie and Malachi have such a great connection with their kids and love to play with them-that’s the trick to getting great family pictures – be yourselves. Goof around with each other, read books, tickle, talk in silly voices, pretend and give each other hugs and kisses…that’s when the genuine laughs and the sweet cuddles happen that I love to capture. Those are the photos you’re going to want to have as your kids grow up. What never works is telling a young child to look at the camera and smile (especially two year olds!). Everyone ends up frustrated because they aren’t doing what you want them to do. Instead, I encourage all of my clients to just be comfortable and real with their kids. It works every time.

The Morans

April 11, 2012 by emma

The Morans are part of my family. I have known Conor since I was in grade school, he is a brother to me. We have been close to his family for my entire life. His wife, Molly has become a dear friend of mine too and when they had their daughter, Larkin Pippa, I was filled with so much excitement and love for these two, I could barely stand it. She is absolutely the sweetest, calmest baby I have ever met. She was named after my brother, Conor’s best friend, Pip. It’s such an incredible feeling to see people you love create a person. I kept saying to both of them “you guys MADE her!” It really blows my mind. These two have settled into being amazing parents already and are going to give this little girl a life full of love, embarrassment (Conor loves to embarrass those he’s loves most, it’s really a gift), curiosity, passion and appreciation for family and great food. What’s more to life than that? I drove to Madison, Wisconsin to visit these guys a few weeks ago. Enjoy some of my favorites from the day.

Joshuah & Craig : Engaged!

April 7, 2012 by emma

Joshuah and Craig are one of those couples that you just want to be friends with. They are both so kind and funny and are clearly so into each other. We met at Wilde Roast Cafe for their engagement session and walked along Saint Anthony Main and the Stone Arch Bridge for their photos. When two people have chemistry like these two do, it makes my job incredibly easy. I cannot wait for their wedding next month at the Saint Paul College Club.

Shot all on film, Kodak Portra 400 on Contax and Canon 1V.

Miss Victoria DeVille

April 6, 2012 by emma

I had the pleasure of photographing the incredible Miss Victoria DeVille, a burlesque performer and drag queen in the Twin Cities. This shoot was a collaboration between the two of us and I love how the images turned out! Her styling, outfits and persona are so wonderful and inspiring. I knew I wanted to photograph her after the first time I saw her perform at the Best of Midwest Burlesk Festival. Here is one of my favorite images from yesterday-more to come soon.

Featured in Lavender Magazine!

March 23, 2012 by emma

I am so proud to be featured in Lavender Magazine’s Wedding issue! Two of my favorite weddings from last year are included as well as an interview with me. This is huge honor and I’m so proud to be included and part of the LGBTQ community in Minnesota. To see more images from these weddings, check out Angela and Denise’s wedding, their day after session and Jess and Heather’s wedding. Grab a copy of the issue while you’re out in the Twin Cities this weekend! Check out the online features too here and here.

Lavender Magazine Feature of Emma Freeman Photography

hawaii : artist spaces

March 23, 2012 by emma

I traveled to Hawaii recently to participate in a photography retreat with Doug Beasley. The trip was incredible in so many ways, which I’ll be sharing through my images in the coming weeks. One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting local artists to learn about their artistic process and their lives. We drove up a long driveway surrounded by lush, green trees and vibrant flowers to Clayton Amemiya’s home and studio. He makes the most beautifully thoughtful clay pieces. He’s a very kind and gentle man and invited our whole group into his home for tea after we toured his work spaces on his property. I love seeing how artists work, what their environment is like where they create and learning what inspires them. For me, this is the best way to experience art – in the context it was made.

All shot on my Contax 645 with Ilford 3200 and Portra 400.

mandy & peter : saint anthony main / heartland restaurant

March 16, 2012 by emma

Mandy and Peter had an intimate wedding at Saint Anthony Main overlooking the river and the Minneapolis skyline followed by a reception at Heartland Restaurant in Saint Paul. We started at their beautiful 100+ year old house taking portraits of the two of them. I love photographing couples in their homes, it is so intimate and personal. No big reveal, no attendants running around with them while they get ready, just the two of them, at home, together. I loved that. We headed down to Saint Anthony Main for more portraits and you’ll notice a couple of photos of them with the Nice Ride bikes (community shared bikes in Minneapolis)-that’s because Peter is the Policy Director for Mayor R.T. Rybak and works on transportation for the city and loves the Nice Ride program. I kinda wanted them to ride them down the aisle together. These two laugh easily, love each other deeply and have a great community of friends and family who support them. Combine all of those things with a gorgeous summer day in the Twin Cities and delicious local food…what more could you want in a wedding? I’m lucky to call these two friends.