Ali : Minneapolis Portrait Photography

"This is the song I'm singing out / I wanna live like there's no tomorrow / Love, like I'm on borrowed time / It's good to be alive.."

I first met Ms. Ali Rogers on a January day seven months ago in a freezing cold video workshop. We were two of the only females in the group and twenty-somethings at that, so of course, we instantly bonded. Bonded over having to drive home from that workshop in a blizzard, over not knowing a single thing about video, about being two girls and two photographers trying to make things happen. Oh yeah and we maybe edited the most lame video you'll ever see. Or never, if I have my way :)

Even if we didn't gain an ounce of knowledge from that workshop, we gained a friend. Ali is a photographer, a yogi, a nanny, a Christian and a healthy lifestyle nut just like me and unlike me, she really loves nature, camping, being outdoors and doing things like being on water and traveling solo to Hawaii for a month-long adventure.

She just arrived home today from that adventure and ready to conquer the world - after a much-needed nap, I suppose! Ali's photography is stunning - her adventuresome nature really proves to be to her advantage. Not to mention that healthy lifestyle nuttiness - she's all about mind, body and spirit connections and being intentional in actions and words. The world could use more people like her :) I'm so proud to know her and be encouraged by her. She's fabulous!

When she asked me to shoot her headshots this spring, it happened that I shot them four days before I took the leap to full-time business owner. This is no coincidence; Ali made sure this session felt alive and kept it moving. We talked in length about how we shoot and why, which was exactly what I needed. Ali has that way about her - being so intuitive that she just knows. She's launching a portrait and wedding business in the coming months so be on the look out for her!

xoxo,
syd.
sydnee@sydneebickett.com
612.293.9096

Viva Las Desert : personal

You might remember my incredibly awesome jumping in the desert image from two months ago. If you don't, you can see it here: nevada 2012

I traveled to Nevada in early May to rediscover the reasons why I was about to quit my full-time job approximately two weeks later. Plain and simple. I had been questioning this decision quite a bit and luckily, I had this trip scheduled to see Maria. Well, it wasn't luck actually. It was probably one of the biggest blessings of my life.

Maria and I met in 2009 when I was just a kid who'd never really been away from home, was playing school for the last 17 years and didn't have much real life experience. It was at the Maine Workshops, under the beautiful and fabulous direction of Cig Harvey, that all of that changed. For the better. Maria took me under her wing. Maybe it was my dimples that convinced her or maybe it was the deer-in-the-headlights look that was often stuck on my face. I'm not really sure. But I thank God that she did. I went from a kid with a big dream to a girl with a plan that week [more on this soon!].

Flash forward three years and I'm about to make the biggest decision of my life. And I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm questioning EVERYTHING. I feel like a lone person in a huge vast desert without a clue.

So I hop on a plane and go to the actual desert. To the home of this woman who knew me way back when and has served as more than a mentor to me. She's one of my dearest friends. She's my advocate as much as I am hers. She keeps me accountable to doing the work I've set out to do. She challenges me and makes me think. She's pretty much amazing :)

So we adventured. We sat by the pool and worked on our tans [I believe whole-heartedly that I was starting to develop that hopeless feeling that comes when there isn't sunshine for days... and thankfully, I was cured by the ever-present, ever-HOT Nevada sunshine]. We ate so many fresh fruits and vegetables. We spent hours gazing at Cig's first book. We took the girls, Mesa and Una, on daily walks. We told each other how awesome we looked in bathing suits. We sat by Lake Mead and ate trail mix. We ran early in the morning. And we took photos. Lots of photos.

I left Nevada with everything I had hoped to leave with and more. I left with a heart so full it felt like it was bursting with ideas and creativity and hope and love. Love for my family that I missed dearly, hope for this step I was about to take and really, nothing else mattered. I was stepping into an unknown place but with the knowledge that there were dozens upon dozens of people in my life just like Maria who were rooting me on. Team Syd all the way! T-shirts will be available soon ;)

I might never be able to repay this woman for teaching me and guiding me in an unspoken way that week. But I did promise to come visit again soon. The desert is constantly calling my name...

ps. A big huge thank you to Meg for meeting me and introducing me to the sinfully good Lollicup. I've been dreaming about it ever since! See you at WPPI in March, friend! Keep trusting the process and stay in touch :)

xoxo,
syd.
sydnee@sydneebickett.com
612.293.9096

Rumor Has It : Minneapolis/ St. Paul Portrait Photography

Riding Bikes : Minneapolis Lifestyle Photography

As promised, here is the second half of Nate + Laura's five year anniversary session! These two love biking together, so I brushed off this old vintage bike, borrowed a picnic basket from Marissa and off we went. 

I've never really been one to pick apart images before and tell you my favorite parts, but that's all about to change :) There are big new exciting things in store over here!

The simplicity of these images - the basic colors, the pink for Laura and the blue for Nate, and the ease and feel of their love for each other - are some of my favorite things. The way they look at each other with such a knowing, deep love; it inspires me! Laura's pure smile really tugs at my heart - and Nate makes her smile often, so that's just an added bonus. When I offered the opportunity to shoot a couple "jumping" photos at the end, Laura jumped at the chance. "I always love the jumping photos you take! They're so fun and I've always wanted one!" My heart soared. That this couple was able to  have images of themselves, celebrating and capturing their love after five plus years together and I was able to give that to them? #dreamcometrue

Cheers to the next five years and many more, lovebirds!

xoxo,

syd.

sydnee@sydneebickett.com

612.293.9096

Balloons and Tea Parties : Minneapolis/ St. Paul Family Photography

This adorable family has appeared on the blog before and trust me, they just keep getting cuter. Emilia + Olivia are are growing into the most adorable blonde haired beauties. And their personalities? Also adorable, sweet and just a touch of sass :) Sugar and spice and everything nice, right?!

We spent a morning at a park I frequented as a kiddo about their age and it was comforting and familiar to be back. I used to swing on the swings and dream about what my life would be, who I would be. I'd race down the hill in the winter, feeling the cold breeze in my lungs and just loving on life.

But this time, I was a grown up and building a business that was about to grow wings and fly for real. Couple these emotions with the fact that Emilia is now five and I've had the privilege and blessing to watch her grow from a baby in her Mama's belly to now off and running to kindergarten. And Olivia? I was there the day she was born. (cue waterworks here)

I love that about my group of "lifers" - the select few I've had the opportunity to watch grow from teeny tiny humans into big kids who are making waves wherever they go. From those first smiles I captured until now, they've sort of really captured my heart too.

We hosted a tea party, ran around with a huge bunch of balloons and licked the best lollipops two girls could ask for that morning. Spending time with this family, whether I'm holding a camera or not, is really one of those moments I look back on often and just smile. These four are living proof of what life is all about : loving on each other and enjoying all the little moments. Even if it means your two year old has lollipop goo all over her face :)

 

xoxo,
syd.
sydnee@sydneebickett.com
612.293.9096