Destination Imagination Team Boogie Knights

by | Apr 24, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Over the past few months, I tucked away the photography equipment for short winter break & took on a hobby of coaching a Destination Imagination team. This program &  these kids have taken us on the ride of a lifetime.   Meet Destination Imagination Team Boogie Knights;  Our story:  

Destination Imagination is a team-based challenge geared for students in the 3-12 grade.  “DI” = destination imagination focuses on leveraging outside the box, creative and critical thinking to solve unique challenges as a team. Each Challenge in this program encourages kids to discover their own talents and abilities, and learn new skills.  Our team Boogie Knights has been practicing for 4 months to pull together our 8 minute performance, build props that help tell our story.  This has been a fun rewarding process to make it this far! 

Team members include:  Claire Johnson, Ruby Demulling, Carter Stueve, Owen Cherney, Reegan Kulzer, Jasmyn Walstead & Ava Schueller {not pictured}.

Our team decided on the Scientific Challenge. 
Medical Mystery. 
The challenge instructions:

* research the human body and medical conditions that affect the human body

* create and present a story about a medical mystery that affects a human character

*design and build a representation that shows the medical mystery and at least one symptom

*present an action or scene that is shown from two or more perspectives at the same time

*create and present two team choice elements that show off the teams interest, skills, areas of strengths and talents

Video currently displays only on cell phones & tablets.  If you are viewing on a desktop, we have included an audio clip of our Boogie Knights Commercial or you may {click the 3 dots on the right}  to download the commercial ~Team Boogies

We are looking for Sponsors to help off-set the cost for the team to travel to Global Finals 2019.  Current estimated cost for team Boogie Knights to attend Destination Imagination Global Finals:   $10,504.00  this includes Travel, Hotel, Food and Entrance Fee for the team to perform in this event.

Donations can be made at Hiawatha National Bank {Osceola Location}
C/O Team Boogie Knights *  PO Box 729 * Osceola WI 54020

**Sponsors donating $1000 or more will receive special signage in our Prop Display Case at Global Finals.  With over 8,000+ people visiting daily May 21-25

**Sponsors donating $250 will receive business head shots with TellaStory Photography (*inquire for details)

Grooving our Way to Globals   

~~  Team Boogie Knights 2019  ~~ 

Thank you for your support!

Ask Team Boogies Questions - or Wish us Luck on our Journey!

9 + 1 =

Guide to a Smooth Wedding Day

by | Feb 7, 2019 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

 

 

Guide to a smooth Wedding Day

Are you planning your wedding?  We have gathering data and collecting a few fun facts Over the past 10+  years.   TSP has earned bragging rights having witnessed / photographed over 125+ weddings.  WOWSA!   That’s a lot of kissing!   All funniness aside,  we have watched epic wedding fails and have seen lots of magic created during the happily ever after event.  Every wedding is so different, from the vibe to the decor.  It all comes down to the planning that happens in the months leading up to the main event. 

How prepared are you?, Or, unprepared you are.

I’d love to share a little “wisdom” or insights if you can call it that – tips from a self proclaimed wedding expert. 

Part One of this 2 part series, In no particular order: Things to consider as you’re wedding planning.

 

Encourage your guest to unplug:

Take your wedding unplugged.  We understand that your family & friends want to capture part of your day;  It’s heartbreaking to look from the back the church at the sea of i-tographers trying to snag a good photograph.  You guest are so focused on getting a good shot that they miss out on the moment, the expressions of the couple, listening intently to the vows being spoken.   From my point of view it’s difficult to see past the oversized ipads and glowing cell phone screens.  See where I’m going here?

We love it when couples take it to the next level ~ unplugged wedding.  Yes, it’s a thing.  Add a cute sign to your decor asking your guests to kindly leave their phones and cameras in their pockets.  Encourage them to enjoy the wedding with their eyes, not through electronic screens.  

 

Go through your vows ahead of time:

Go through your wedding vows, like really go through them with your fiance.  Talk about what they mean to you.  If it’s canned material that your officiate brings to you, please know you have every right to tweak this, or better yet, write your own vows.  Too often I listen as the bride and groom repeat after the minister, only to get jumbled up on the wording because they don’t know what it all means.  The wedding is about the covenant being made between the two of you – make it meaningful!

Be Aware of alcohol policies at your venue:

I’m not opposed to couples and wedding parties enjoying a cocktail or a few beers before the ceremony.  Please consider the amount and the appropriateness of the drink.  A morning mimosa, a toast with a glass of wine, a mixed drink during dancing — all great things if  your convictions allow.  But if the venue doesn’t allow drinking or you have not purchased insurance to consume, or hired a bartender, respect the venues space and don’t sneak it in.  It’s disrespectful, and you run the risk of getting fined and your drinks taken away.  If you are in the bridal party, it’s not worth potentially ruining the wedding day.

Planning meal times into your day:

Carve out time in your day to eat properly.  Remember your body needs enough fuel to last all day long.  For summer wedding especially, please also drink enough water to stay hydrated.

Consider the “first look”:

The precious first look – possibly my favorite part of the day!  It’s more common now, than what was practiced even just 10 years ago.  I will always respect my couples and their wishes no matter which way they choose to schedule their day.  But if you break it down and truly think about it, it can free up a lot of time to stage the first look.   Bonus, you will get all the emotionally filled images taken pre-ceremony.  For this part of the day, It’s always just the couple and the photographer (lurking in a corner)- nobody wants a huge fan club watching as they share their intimate, emotionally charged moments.  The first look is a great way to release any pre-ceremony emotions.  It also sets the stage to experience a whole new set of emotions as you begin the walk down the aisle.  Not to mention– we can set up the photography timeline  so that the bulk of the formal photo’s for the wedding party & family are done before the ceremony.  Leaving you more time to PARTY!

First Dance:

Most couples are on a “budget” and can only pay for XX time for wedding day coverage.  Thus, the first dance may not be covered by the photographer.  Think outside the box.  There is always a way to get events covered, it may take some fine tuning to the timeline.   At the start of the reception, the DJ announces the couple for the Grande march.  As the Newlyweds enter the reception hall, they can go directly into their first dance.  Timeline problem solved.  There is no need to wait for the first dance to happen after dinner.  Of course you may need to still include the father daughter dance and mother son dance, this can occur after dinner or after the grand march.  Depends on how you wish to stage this part of the evening.  Talk to your DJ & your photographer, they may be able to assist you in getting the most out of your coverage.

Buy multiple lighters for sparkler send off:

If you plan to have a fancy send off with sparklers; since rice is no longer  encouraged due to choking hazards to birds.  Please think it through and talk with your planner about how to best arrange this send off.  If you have only one lighter, and you light and pass it down, the sparklers at the beginning of the line will clearly be snuffed out by the time the last ones in line are waiting to get lit.  You’d think this is common sense- I can assure you, it’s not.  This type of send off takes careful planning.  The secret to lighting sparklers is to come together in the center and light all at once from a large candle, or make several groups of lighters.  Also, be sure to buy the LONG sparklers or the Wedding Day sparklers.  Be safe.  Fire/kids/alcohol is not always a good combination.

About the Author
Rebecca is a Midwest based photographer; with Award winning images in Wedding Photography. She has 10+ years experience, hundreds of memories from each event, along with a few published articles in the photography field. She enjoys sharing insights with clients and fellow blog followers. As a photographer, her use of natural light and technical ease allows her to create memorable, unique and beautiful photo’s for all her clients.

TellaStory Photography © All Rights Reserved
Located in the Midwest, Scenic Saint Croix River Valley. 
Servicing Local Communities in Hudson, WI, Eau Claire, WI, Duluth MN Saint Paul, MN & Minneapolis, MN 
Available for Travel & Destination Shoots.

715*497*3588     [email protected]

The Hottest Barn Wedding Trends to Look out for this 2019

by | Dec 20, 2018 | TSP Journal, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Sunset Wedding Photo

Throwing a spectacular themed wedding requires great planning and a touch of creativity. Ever since the emergence of Pinterest, couples have tried and tested a great number of themes. Some have been great hits while others were pure misses.

This upcoming wedding season, barn weddings are turning into a rage and we can totally relate as to why. The shabby chic and rustic vintage vibes that come alongside barn venues are totally worth the call.  From outdoor wedding photography to rustic wedding décor and all the planning that comes along, here are the hottest barn wedding trends to look out for this 2019.

Take your rustic décor to a world of its own with some homespun barn inspiration

From burlap and lace to chic modern day accessories worth taking notice, there’s a lot that can be done to transform your traditional rustic wedding into a special world of its own.  Transpiring from the outdoors, rustic décor can be elevated gracefully into something that’s beautiful and rustic with a hint of vintage too. We’re talking the brilliant use of wooden beams and hangings, lots of luscious greenery and nature themed decor, raffia ribbon draped chairs, mirrored details and color schemes that revolve around royal emerald greens, sepias and gold.

Feathers can transform your barn themed wedding by lining those wedding aisles, being incorporated into wedding bouquets, adorning wedding invites, as a focal point in your table centerpieces or simply by making their way into the groomsmen’s boutonniere.

Take the romantic ambiance level up a notch by using lots of candles and fairy lights against your venue’s setting. Place burlap inspired welcome boxes or weaved baskets for guests at their seats and fill them with your favorite treats. This is a sheer source of delight indeed.

From shots of the sun setting and its rays peeking through the rustic wooden beams of your barn venue to breathtakingly beautiful high vaulted ceilings that have been dressed using shimmering string lights, barn weddings truly make for beautiful wedding photography.

Outdoor wedding photography at barns are on a whole new level

There are hundreds of acres of lands worth discovering with the serene countryside view being a great treat for guests and the couple to enjoy. In such a magnificent setting, couples can take full advantage of naturally graceful backdrops for their photographs. It’s truly a blank canvas that’s waiting to be developed using the couple’s vision of their picture perfect day.

Countryside catering trends: Finger licking food and wine for guests to enjoy

If you thought southern fried chicken, beef jerky and cordon bleu with a giant helping of apple sauce gravy and corn on the cob is what country food catering is all about, think again. Couples are going all out with catering at their barn weddings, ensuring every meal served has a class of its own.

Today, it’s all about self constructed salad bars, an array of different kinds of meats being carved for guests to enjoy and tables comprising of pasta sauté. And just when we’re done with that, salad bars were soon being transformed to dessert bars to satiate the sweet tooth of guests involved.

Heartwarming buffet systems are coming back in sheer style with guests helping themselves with what they like. It’s good wholesome food that revolves around a good conversation starter for family and friends to get right into.

Let’s not forget about Desert
cocktail carts are sure to make it big on this year’s list of trending barn wedding trends. They’re innovative, movable and oh so fabulous to look at when adorned to perfection

As far as the wedding cake is concerned, deconstructed cakes are raging. You won’t be surprised to find several cakes of unique flavors that are seamlessly decorated and short in height. This way, guests can now devour the wedding cake flavor of their preference.

There ya have it.  Midwestern barn wedding at it’s finest!  We would love to be a part of your vendor crew!
Contact us to find out more about how to reserve your wedding date with TellaStory Photography.
We love fairy tale endings and eating cake too.

Luxurious Wedding Albums

by | Apr 28, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

You are planning a wedding.
You’ve hired your vendors.
The big day arrives.  It’s absolutely AMAZING ~ imperfectly perfect!!

A few weeks go by as your continue life blissfully married.
Flash backs of your wedding day are rehashed through stories and memories shared between family & friends.
You receive your Images on a flash drive from your professional photographer.
L.O.V.E. all over again!!!  Memories have come alive with the images on your computer screen.
You experience “things” that you didn’t notice on your wedding day.  (it pays to hire a professional)
Imperfectly Perfect.  Life is good.

Turn the computer off, and back to life.  Back to living in the present reality.
Work, sleep, work sleep Eat.  Not necessarily in that order ~ you catch my drift?
Days go by.  Your wedding photo’s are sitting in a dark file on your computer.
You may wish to check them out ~ if time allows in your busy schedule.
It may be a year before you realize it’s your anniversary and time to relive that very special day.
Turn on the computer “Ooooo” and “Aawwww” – Love all over again.  Your memories have come to life once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WAIT A MINUTE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a better Idea.  Don’t keep your memories stuck on a computer.
My lesson was learned 3 years ago the hard way.  when my computer crashed.
ALL — yes ALL my files wiped clean.  2TB of files Gone. Kaput. Missing.  No more memories.
Don’t let this happen to you —

It is my “job” to educate you on why prints and albums are so important.  Technology fails.
Did our parents have their wedding photo’s stuck on a flash drive or computer somewhere?
If that was the case- I’m sure our recent technology would no longer retrieve this information and their “memories” would be long gone by now.

I encourage my clients to get something tangible, a storybook that allows your memories to come to life each time you open the cover or look at that Wall art.
A keepsake album you can pull out and look at whenever your heart needs a reminder of the wonderful memories made on a day filled with love and excitement.

There are so many styles to choose from when creating a specialized storybook.
My favorite album is timeless.  Printed in a castle located in Italy! (nostalgic!!)
These albums are amazing in every way.  Sometime you’ve got to see for yourself to believe.
I can preach to the choir, and babble until my face turns blue ~ instead I’ll show you a few pictures of these heirloom wedding albums.
Please note** pictures do not do justice for the quality and craftsmanship held within the binding.

Graphi Wedding AlbumGraphi Wedding Album

Contact me if you are in the market for a wedding photographer ~ Let’s chat!  We can meet for coffee or dinner ~ I’d love to show you in-person the products I’m talking about.  We will casually chat about your wedding plans and I will help you decide exactly what you need from your photographer to get the best coverage.

Your wedding day is special, and should be treated as such.
Get the full service from your wedding vendors- you don’t go to a car wash and expect to have 1/2 your car cleaned.
Just as you don’t go grocery shopping to purchase 1/2 of an apple.  Get the FULL service you deserve.
The 2016 Calendar is nearly full – with a few select dates still available.  Now booking 2017 Weddings- Reserve your date today!

 

The 365 Challenge : From a Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

by | Jan 17, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

The 365 Challenge : From a Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

For me…..2016 is all about change.  If we aren’t changing, and growing who we are then we are at a check-mate. Dead in the water, left clinging to the life raft and will never discover our true potential.

As we enter the new year, I have decided to embark on a challenge.  Something that will push me as an artist, and rediscover who I am at this moment.  I also want to grow my photography skills by trying new things.  Up to this point fear has kept me from pursuing this task.  Fear of failure.  Fear of not completing the challenge.  I want to change this.  Live fearlessly.  Embrace life and indulge in simple moments that pass us too quickly.

You may or may not have heard of the 365 Challenge.  What does this mean?  Each and every day you take a picture – There is a guide to follow for each day, the guides may vary depending on what you want to accomplish.  365 days?!  That’s a really long time to maintain focus {squirrel}!  I couldn’t imagine entering a challenge of this magnitude.  Setting myself up for failure is not an option.  That is the truth.  Sometimes the truth can be very scary when you face them head on.

After reflecting a little more upon this matter, I decided I would modify the 365  challenge to something more manageable. Behold the 52 week challenge. In this challenge I will be tackling a personal photo goal once a week.  Taking on a vision or new concept that I want to work on and going for it.  As Nike says:  “Just do it”.  My list is set, but not in stone.  There is room for modification as long as I pick up my camera and snap ‘that’ photo once a week.

My goal is to post once a week on Facebook.  Perhaps I will blog about the monthly topics so I have a place to display my vision in one place.  I guess time will tell.  Maybe I’ll discover new ways to consolidate & display this challenge — non-the-less I am sticking to my guns and pushing thru to completion.  As I said before failure is not an option and change is good, Right?

Week 1 was easy:  Resolution.
Many of us find it easy to say I’m going to do this; I’m giving up that as we roll into a new year.  Changing our ways but we quickly discover that change is difficult to enforce and we fall back into our patterned behavior.  The comfort zone.  The old adage says:  Old habits never die quickly.  There is wisdom & truth to those words.
I have accepted Resolution as a personal growth.  Instead of going cold-turkey on anything, I’m focusing on weekly change.  Baby steps.
What does Resolution mean?

Wikipedia defines this word as:

res·o·lu·tion     ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/    noun

  1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.
    “she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more”
    2.the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.
    “the peaceful resolution of all disputes”

WOW!  COOL!  SIMPLE??!   I can do this.
Week One I have discovered a new flame from within.  A desire to do more, dig deeper and re-discover.

Week 2: Self Image.
This task was a little more daunting.  A true Challenge.  Fear of stepping out from behind the camera into the spotlight of the lens.  Capturing who I am in this moment.
After much reflection on how to approach this challenge.  I realized it’s not as difficult and I made it out to be.  I can do this!!
I teach my clients to not fear the camera and it should be fun to have your picture taken.  By engaging into simple conversation and approaching imagery with a candid approach…..  HOW IN THE WORLD do I portray this when I’m alone?  Besides risking my sanity and talking to myself, laughing at my non-existent jokes? {Bwahaha}

Music.  It’s who I am.  Music touches my soul like non-other.  Speaks volumes to me, relaxes me in ways I can not describe.  I use music as my voice when I can not speak the words.
With week 2 I decided on a collection of images combined to present a more personal story.  My story, behind the hidden walls that I have built up around myself.  The song choice:  Beatles “Yesterday” speaks to me whenever I pick up my cello.  My go-to song when I am in a rut; When I need to internally reflect on an idea.  Although this project is not perfect and there is room for growth, I present Week 2: Self Image.

 

The 365 Challenge : From a Wedding Photographer's Perspective