Rae & Justin | Engaged | Sheboygan Falls Lifestyle & Portrait Photographer

happy weekend!!

its a gorgeous June weekend this weekend,

well...maybe minus the morning rain :)  ,

and a busy one at that!

this weekend is the annual 4-H Horse & Pony Project's June Horse Show.

Saturday, after lunch Mike & I went out to Road America to watch some of the June Sprints,

some of our friends came be over for some yummy dinner and a bonfire, 

AND I had a fabulous new client meeting!

whew!

what a great weekend!! 

today though, 

I would like to introduce you to Rae & Justin

these two WON a free engagement session from me at the Lasting Impressions Bridal Fair at the Weil center this past January. 

which is kind of funny...because...well I have known Rae for a looooooooooooooong time.

yes. that many o's :) 

so I had to laugh when we picked her name out of all the people that entered.

she is a little older than my little sister...and we ALL rode horses and were in the same 4-H group together!

anyway, Rae & Justin are getting married next April. 

so once the weather FINALLY decided to be nice we were able to get together for their engagement session!

these two are adorable together,

they are full of laughter,

and love country music.

take a look!

they surprised me with the first location, although I should have put 2 and 2 together I thought we would be taking photos at the park that is behind the fire department in Sheboygan Falls....

BUT

we took photos AT the fire department in Falls!!

 Justin is a first responder and is on the Sheboygan Falls Fire Department.

and this is the actual engine that he rides/drives in when there is an emergency!

how stinkin' cool is that?!

 so he really wanted to incorporate that into their photos...

 love these photos!

 I also love it when a couple has things that they want to incorporate into their photos! 

it really makes the whole session more about them and who they are

 after taking the fire truck out, we headed over to Blue Harbor in Sheboygan for some photos by Lake Michigan.

 normally the lake can be kind of 'meh' in photos. you know...just kind of there...not really looking pretty or whatever. but, wow, the lake that day was gorgeous! certainly one perk to living near the lake is how pretty it can be!!

 this next photo is where Justin proposed to Rae...cue group 'awwwww' :)

as Rae told me 'Justin wanted to take a walk, which he never wants to do that, AND it was FREEZING cold out!' but the proposal was perfect and of course she said yes :)

 looooooove the sun in this next photo :D

 after that we headed to my favvvvvvvorite street in Sheboygan. the brick road. aaaahhh yes. I think I could shoot here alllll day long.

 plus the old buildings that are along the brick road...love them too

 next we stopped out at another location along Lake Michigan

 another favorite of mine :D

 and one last one along some abandoned railroad tracks in Shebogyan Falls!

Rae & Justin, it was a blast hanging out with you!! I had a great time capturing your laughs and smiles. I can't wait until your big day!

xoxo

Maggie

email me! :) / visit my website! :)

Foto Friday | Sheboygan Wedding & Portrait Photographer

well, here we are again. friday. SO, SO glad its friday. ok, so it's actually saturday. :) and you get a special treat...not just one foto friday photo but 6. yes, that is right I said 6. :)

this morning I had a wonderful meeting with a potential client and then I decided I needed to do a little scouting for some spots for some upcoming engagement photos :) living near Sheboygan is both wonderful and boring all at the same time. there is actually a lot to do around the city and county, as long as you like looking at the lake, hiking in woods, and looking at art :) all of which I do. but if you are looking to go shopping...you better look else where. unless you are going grocery shopping. sheboygan has like 10 grocery stores and there are another 2 that will be built and functioning by the end of the year. apparently that's all we need. groceries. 

anyway, there are TONS of old warehouses around Sheboygan. especially downtown. there are also a few original brick roads. ooooh yes, those red bricks that are from when the roads were first put it. love them. just love them. 

so this morning I took a little tour around some of the places that I normally shoot and then ventured off in different directions to see what else was out there. I indeed found some new spots that I am soooo excited to shoot at :) here are a few of them:

Lake Michigan

 Lake Michigan & the lighthouse...if you look real close in the second photo you can see the lighthouse...in all its tiny glory :) actually its pretty big :D

 Sheboygan old industrial district...love these buildings

 the lake again

 industrial park

 and the last one...

happy weekend!

xoxo

Maggie

email me! :) / visit my website! :)

Jenna & Jim | Engaged | Sheboygan Engagement Photographer

Hello again my friends :) Thank you all for the birthday wishes! It was a fantastic day!

Like I said in my last post, I had an engagement session with Jenna and Jim two weekends ago. These two are the cutest couple. SOOO much fun to be with! We had a great time laughing, chatting and getting some great photos. I just want to make one thing clear...these two rocked the camera! So many clients tell me that they don't know what to do or that they are camera shy. Every couple that I have ever photographed has rocked the camera. Maybe they are all trying to cover up how awesome they all are ;) Anyway, these two rocked the camera at a few different locations around Sheboygan. Jenna and I graduated high school together, so it was awesome to be able to catch up and meet her beau :)

First we started out at the John Micheal Kohler Art Center. 

We walked all the way around the outside of the building finding different little spots. I really love the old doors on the house that is part of the museum.

There is also a little patio with chairs and tables...

Then there is the brick wall that has some kind of viney-thing growing all over it (yea, yea...I know there is a name for it...buuuuutttt I do not have green thumb for growing anything but algea in the fish tank! haha!) this one is one of my faaaaaaavvvvvvvorites :D:D

There is also a nice little grassy field at the JMKAC for photos like this....

and this....

aren't the cute?!?!?

Then we moved on to the Library. Where we found the fountain to be filled with water. The last time I was here was with Dani & JT and the fountain was empty. I'm not sure if I like the fountain full or empty. hmm...either way I enjoy it! 

We also headed down to the lake. And, for all of you who aren't familiar with Sheboygan....I am referring to Lake Michigan. We are lucky enough to live close enough a lake with some rather awesome views.

and Jenna and Jim aren't bad looking either ;)

ahhhhhh-dorable! I couldn't have asked for a better day or better company!

To view more photos from Jenna & Jim's engagement session click here!

Thank you Jenna & Jim!!!

xoxo Maggie

email me! :) / visit my website! :)

Happy Birthday... | Personal |Sheboygan Photographer

to ME!!!! :D:D:D:D

yes, that is correct. It is..well, was my birthday. Wednesday I celebrated the big 2-5. Which is supposed to be some kind of milestone right?!? Well, I am not sure what kind of milestone it is, other than the fact that I am now in the quarter-century club. haha. Oh, and my car insurance will go down....right? Well...the car insurance thing is wrong cause mine went up. *sigh* oh well. 

This was a pretty important birthday for me though because this is my LAST birthday as an Olson. Next year at this time I will be celebrating with a new last name AND with a husband :) It is really a bittersweet time for me. Although I am super excited to be marrying my best friend (in 9 short months by the way), I am a little sad to retire my current last name for my new one. 

I have decided that I want to learn to play the guitar :D (and no its not JUST because I saw the Paramore concert on Saturday...which was AMAZING!) I have wanted a guitar for a while now...so maybe I will put an acoustic guitar on my christmas list :D or just buy one. either way...I want one. haha. I just have to find the right one. So I may be taking a trip to the music store in the near future. 

As for wedding planning, things are coming along well. We have our location, photographer, dj, pastor, bridesmaid dresses, colors and most of the paper picked out and purchased. Sometimes I think it is a little crazy (and expensive) that this much planning goes into ONE DAY. Well, ok, really it will be like 3 once you include the rehearsal, wedding day, and gift opening.

Coming up soon on the blog is a fabulous engagement session that I did with an old high school friend and her fiance! :D So excited for this preview!

This is Jenna & Jim :)

So much fun & so much love :D

Enjoy your weekend!!

xoxo Maggie

email me! :) / visit my website! :)

Dani & JT | Anniversary Photos

Meet Dani & JT Smith. 

They have been married for almost 2 years.

They are adorable and LOVE to laugh and have fun!

Here are some photos from the shoot:

We started off at the John Michael Kohler Art Center. There are some super cute places that are around the building...like this little garden sitting area :)

Did I mention that they have the *BEST* facial expressions?! Because...they do. SO. STINKIN'. CUTE!

After meandering around the Art Center we went over to the Mead Public Library. There is a fountain in front of the library that is really neat to get photographs in...well, ok not gonna lie...its a lot neater when there is water in the thing. But, never the less...these two rocked the camera and here is what we got:

See what I mean?! Ahhhh-dorable!

Next we stopped down by Lake Michigan.

And last but not least, my favorite-est spot :D

A little cobblestone street right by the river in Sheboygan. Love this street. Hmm...I am pretty sure that I could take photos here all day. All the long grass and vintage-y buildings and the street. Ahh...yes. :D Anyway, while I am day-dreaming of this street, here are some photos for you to look at :D

Let me just say that the light was AMAZING while we were down this street. Thumbs up for great light!

Thanks again Dani & JT!! It was a blast working with you!

~ Maggie

email me :) / visit my website :)