Chris + Maggie: Minneapolis Portrait Photography

I met Chris aka Christopher aka Twitterless Chris about six months ago when we both started jobs at the same company. He was professional, young, smart, funny, nice ... and VERY PATIENT. You see, Chris is the only guy in our group of five. But instead of shrugging off the girls, he started "lovingly" referring to us as "the sisters."

It was only a matter of time before "the sisters" met Maggie for our Friday lunch and we instantly fell in love with her -- so sweet and charming and dished it out just as well as we could! Plus, she tweets, loves fashion and celebrity gossip and has an amazing sense of style ... LOVE HER!

Chris + Maggie are definitely each other's perfect match. He's the ultimate gentleman and she the ultimate all-American girl; they "get" each other to a T. They're both probably the sweetest people you'll ever meet and down to earth. He knows just what gets her to smile and laugh, throwing her head back in a way that just makes everyone else start laughing too. Hilarious, kind-hearted and so in love -- they're a photographer's dream :)

Dating for 6+ years, Maggie's dream has been to do a four seasons photo shoot -- once I learned this, I wanted to know where to sign up! Four photoshoots with a couple who is so natural in front of the camera, joking, laughing, and being themselves AND they're game for my crazy ideas?! I love it!!

Since our friends Heat and Humidity were finally here to stay after a long winter and non-existent spring, we decided to style a little beachy shoot for the summer session. Chris + Maggie love being by the water, on the water and in the water at the lake "up north" so we decided to incorporate that along with some fun and bright summer apparel options. I had such a blast with these two, minus the walking backwards on the dock that wasn't as secure as I thought -- ha! They were great sports and I can't wait for our vintage-inspired classy summer session in a few weeks!

xoxo,

syd.

sydnee@sydneebickett.com

Anna: Minneapolis Senior Portrait Photographer

When Anna did some modeling for my senior portfolio a few years back, I was amazed from the first shot at how natural she is in front of a camera. Even when it was negative 30 degrees and I made her pretend to love hosting a tea party in the woods and kissing a ceramic frog, she was a beauty.

And now, two years later, she's about to begin her senior year of high school and the world is her stage. Literally and figuratively. She's an amazing actress, dancer, volleyball star, and most importantly, the most genuine girl you'll ever meet. This girl's going places, whether it's big city or small town, she will knock the socks off whoever she meets and whatever she ends up doing.

[I'm not saying all this just because she's my cousin, but seriously, this girl is one in a million. Well, a few in a million because she has an equally-awesome brother and sister and set of parents that will rock your world. But yeah, she's my cousin. How can you tell? Definitely not from our similarities in height or athletic ability but in that hilarious way we all laugh, throwing our heads back and smiling so big our eyes do this disappearing act that everyone marvels at :)]

Anna... I could go on for days about how adorable, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous, talented, stunning, amazing, gifted and sweet this girl is, but I'll let the photos do the talking.

Can't wait to do this again in a couple months!

xoxo,
syd.
sydnee@sydneebickett.com

Brooke: Minneapolis Senior Portrait Photography

I met the Webber girls about four years ago when we started attending the same church and they were instantly welcoming. They, along with their parents, introduced us to fellow members and encouraged us to "join the family." Over the last few years, I've come to realize the Webbers have it all: they've got an all-star athlete, a theater queen and a really tough little sister in the family! Most importantly, these girls all have a servant's heart and are always willing to put others before themselves.

Since that time, I've photographed Brianna, Brittany and now Brooke for their senior portraits. There's no denying these girls are sisters but throughout the years, I've been honored to see their own personalities shine. Being the youngest, Brooke is by nature the toughest and as her mother loves to say, the sassiest :) She's an awesome athlete and a true beauty!

I've had the privilege of being involved in the senior high youth group at church and traveled to New Orleans last summer for the National Youth Gathering -- on that trip, I saw a transformation in Brooke, growing from a little sister to a confident, young lady :) Oh, and she's really really funny :)

We did these photos just in time - Brooke is about to cut off all that beautiful hair and donate it to Locks of Love!! What an awesome kickoff to her senior year - one where she'll spread her wings and instead of attending conventional high school, she's off to college for PSEO classes. After that, the sky's the limit, whether she decides to become a police officer or not :) You go girl!

xoxo,
syd.
sydnee@sydneebickett.com

Grandpa: personal

Dear Grandpa,

You know how people always remember loved ones who have passed on, saying things like "it feels like just yesterday they were here." I know what they mean now. I know how it feels like in an instant I went from a 13 year old who loved on you every second I had and now I'm 25 and hoping I've made you proud.  I know now what it feels like to see your family try and pick up the pieces after the one who held us together is gone. I know too, how it feels to see that family celebrate when we added a family member just a few months ago and after all the weather guys said "rain rain rain," the sun burst forth and everybody got sunburned sitting there at the park, watching Kayla and Andrew get married. And I know that all of us knew you had a little something to do with that.

You always had that way about you, convincing people to do things like let you into Disneyland campground when you didn't have a reservation or telling me to just eat the peas because they were good for me. All you had to do was smile, just keep smiling.

I remember the week I spent with you and Grandma and Aunt Nell instead of going back to finish up the last week of seventh grade. That was probably the first grown-up decision I ever made and I could tell you were really glad I made it. Even though you were in the hospital then, I spent as much time as I could with you, just holding your hand or watching you, trying to embed images of you in my head so I would never forget.

And I haven't. Every single day I think about you and laugh, knowing you're probably up there telling Jesus all these tall tales and silly jokes. For a few years after you left, I kept hoping you'd be around the corner, or pull up into the driveway and tell me just one more. I know someday, I'll hear one again and give you just one more giggly eye-roll.

I keep this image on my phone, on my computer, on my dresser just so I can see you every day. Your leaving us taught me the power behind images - that they really do have the capability to invoke feeling and memories. Losing you made me (and Spenser and Ryan and Kayla and Sarah) all grow up a little bit faster, knowing we had a job to do: keep you alive for the rest of us. And I think we have. Your smiling face in this photo makes me want to create those memories for other people's families. Spens and Ry have our name tattooed on them and Kayla and Sarah? You would be so proud of the women they are growing up to be.

The week you left us, most of us had lunch at this buffet and my fortune was something along the tune of: your family will become closer. Something about bonding a family or remembering a family. I burst into tears right there and then and knew you were still with us.

You're always here with us, sometimes in a big way like a sunny wedding day, but sometimes in a little way like the way my Daddy tells those corny jokes and I roll my eyes at him.

I am so proud to call you ours and know you would be so proud of me, of all of us. So proud of how we've all grown up and graduated high school and gone to college and gotten real jobs and followed our dreams. We're hopeful for the future but always keeping you in our hearts, knowing you're the one that holds us all together.

I love you forever,
sydnee re.

Stuva Family: Minneapolis Portrait Photography

I cannot sing the praises of this family enough! There isn't enough time in the day or adjectives to describe them. But when I try, I come up with things like: love nest, hippie/bohemian/hipster chic, companionship, hands-on parents, peace and contentment, full of life, love and imagination bigger than the circumference of the earth :)

Megan and Ben are the BEST parents and I'm so blessed to witness how they teach Rowan and little Julian to love the world, love God and love people. They exude love, like it's just pouring out of them. How they look at their kids, each other and luckily for me, they look at my camera a lot (and quite well)!

This family enjoys the little things, the things that when we look back at our lives, the things we know we'll cherish. The dressup, the tutus, the bear snacks and the chubby baby boy lovin'. From the first second I laid eyes on Rowan when she was just over a year, I melted into a million pieces on the Patina floor. Watching her grow up into such a lovely little girl ... I am so blessed to have these kids and their parents in my life and to call them friends.

This is the Stuva Family and they are pure awesome.

xoxo,

syd

sydnee@sydneebickett.com