And the Puppy You’ve All Been Waiting For…

GRIFFIN!!

You may not have seen him since we first brought him home, but at 5 months old, he’s closing in on 50 lbs! He spends most of his time driving Dan and I crazy, but of course we’re madly in love with him… perhaps he knows. Dan’s been excited to teach him how to fetch, which he’s actually quite good at, and I’m working on getting him to roll over on command. I’m come to the conclusion that we will FOREVER be teaching him to come when we call him, as he just doesn’t like to acknowledge that one. He’d probably tell you he loves to cuddle and chase the cats. That his bark is getting bigger and he likes to use it to tell you what he wants, however rude it might be. He’d also tell you that stealing food off the counter is his favorite past time, and he likes to sleep in late (woohoo!).

Griffin has made a wonderful addition to our family, however trying it may be at times. He has absolutely stolen our hearts… as for the cats, we hope someday they might forgive us.

My Feline Friends

A quick glimpse at my two girls, both looking longingly to the outdoors, where they would like to escape to. Although I think after a few minutes out in the snow they might remember that they’re spoiled house cats who want to curl up in some warm blankets!

Lars. A Boy in Love with the City.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Lars for some time now, and was SO thrilled to photograph him this fall when he started Kindergarten. He is just such a hoot! Lars has a love of cars and cities. Whether it’s building his own city with his awesome collection of legos, or exploring the city of Madison, he’s all for it. And doesn’t he look like an up and coming professional

Mini-Sessions of Love.

Well I must say that 2011 was filled with MUCH love! I also feel that 2012 is going to be a stellar year for love as well. It seems that Valentine’s Day has already started to linger in the air here at MLP, so we want to offer you a chance to let us tell your story of love! Book a LOVE session with us between FEBRUARY 1ST AND FEBRUARY 14TH. This is a one time deal, and a limited number of sessions are available!! For $75 you can have a mini session at a romantic location of your choice. Maybe where you first met, maybe in your backyard, we can go ANYWHERE. You will also get to choose from unique collections made with you in mind, whether you want beautiful art for your walls or a book that tells your story. Love comes in many forms so book a session now for you and your significant other, your family, your pets, you name it! We’re so excited to capture that loving relationship you share with you and yours. Call (608.333.8308) or email (maija@maijalephotography.com) for more details or to book your session.

Colton. Verona HS Senior.

I guess since the snow has finally hit, I’ll use this wonderfully sunny shoot to add some spark to the day. We had such a great time with Colton this summer. A few years ago we did his brother Dan’s senior photos and it was so awesome to photography Colton in such a completely opposite way. Dan’s images were very urban where we took a more natural approach to Colton’s. We had so much fun capturing Colton’s unique personality, and we’re so excited to see where the path will lead him after he finishes his senior year! Good luck Colton.

Baby Miles. A Year Ago.

Well it’s hard to remember this beautiful baby when he was so new to the world, as he’s currently nearing a year old… it’s amazing the changes that happen so quickly in a child’s life. As I’ve been looking through past images I couldn’t help but stop to admire these ones that I had yet to share with you. Miles is such a beautiful boy, surrounded by a wonderful family. His parents have been a part of mine and Dan’s lives for some time now. Josh went through all the years of Pharmacy School with Dan and stood up with him in our wedding this past summer. Karen has been a wonderful friend, as well as a great vet to Poppy, Penny and, now, Griffin. We have had the pleasure of watching Miles grow over the past year, and will be happy to share more photos of him soon!

Caleb & Alodia

So to kick off my return to regular blog posts, I’ll introduce you to Caleb and Alodia. Two wonderful people who found love across the world! Caleb is in the Navy, and met his beautiful Alodia in the Philippines, where she is from. It didn’t take long for them to realize it was meant to be. Caleb became a cousin to me this summer when I married Dan, so I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him over the years. And of course to get to know his wonderful storytelling abilities. Lucky for Caleb, he found a woman who has the most whole-hearted, contagious laugh maybe that I’ve ever seen. The two of them had a very intimate wedding ceremony at the house that Caleb grew up in. Some of Alodia’s family was able to make the journey, and thank goodness we had some mild winter weather to allow them to adjust to the climate change! Alodia’s family spent the morning making Philippine dishes to mix with those made by Caleb’s family, which was a great way to combine cultures on their wedding day.

Caleb and Alodia obviously have found something very special together and it’s a pleasure to share some of their wedding day story with you. Forgive me for getting carried away, I just couldn’t narrow them down any further!

Maija

A New Year. A New Adventure.

Hi there everyone! I’m so grateful for so many things in my life right now. When I think of all the adventures I’ve had over the past year, and over the past FEW years, it makes me smile. Of those adventures, building my own business has been one of the greatest. In many ways the most exhausting and most challenging, but truly one of the most rewarding. This is my first week writing as a FULL TIME photographer. Wow… does that ever feel wonderful to say!

One of my first projects while on my new endeavor is to catch up on all the blog posts I’ve fallen behind on. We have had so many awesome shoots that I haven’t even been able to share with you as of yet. This first one I’m including just a couple of personal shots from this morning. I’ve taken it upon myself to start a personal photographic study of the feline nature. As most of you know, Dan and I have two cats, Poppy and Penny, and I find myself constantly amazed with their independent and aloof nature. Aside from the portrait sessions we’re surrounded with I wanted to make a point of having a personal focus as well, so we’ll see how it turns out!

I hope you enjoy the posts that will start flooding our blog over the next weeks! We’re thrilled for the start of the new year and our new adventure.

Maija

Meet Griffin…

The newest addition to our family!!! We traveled up to Spooner, WI this weekend to pick up our new Golden Retriever pup. Although we both feel a little sleep deprived, we can’t imagine our lives without him. Here are a couple of images from his first day home with us.

A couple of beautiful children on this beautiful fall day…

 Things are crazy here at MLP! We’re in the middle of our preschool photographs (post coming soon). We have been having some awesome sessions this fall and I can’t WAIT to share more images. Enjoy the sunshine!