I had the chance to photograph a wedding this past Saturday, an absolutely perfect Minnesota June day with blue sky and temps in the mid-70s. It was truly one of the better weddings I’ve ever photographed, in large part due to the bride and groom and their family and guests. Great people who let the day happen naturally and didn’t stress out over any schedules or up the level of drama in any way. As is the case during most weddings I photograph, my wife Johanna assisted me. And as also happens at almost every wedding, she had a table full of friends by the end of the reception.

Today I made my first pass through the 2,000 or so images I captured. Of course I uploaded everything to my work computer on Sunday morning and did a little spot checking to make sure everything made it from the camera back home (I don’t think I could’ve let that go for any longer than I did), but today was the first run through the whole batch.

Something that I find useful as I’m editing big huge batches of images is to pick out a few favorites and quickly work them up to a close-to-final form. Once I have a handful of images that represent most of the shoot, as I’m making my way through I have some images to use as models for white balance settings, exposure, saturation, etc. And maybe more importantly, it gets me excited to be cranking out hundreds of pictures.

So here’s my first handful. The ceremony took place in Urness Recital Hall at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and the reception was in the upstairs banquet room at Solera Restaurant, Minneapolis.

Prepping the bridal party

Dad and bride on their way in to the hall

Urness Recital Hall

After the ceremony

A feisty champagne cork

Clink clink clink. . .

The view from Solera's dance floor

Walking in to Solera you get a small taste of Barcelona – like Antoni Gaudi briefly reincarnated and collaborated on a bar design. Organic and curving forms, tiled in glass and ceramic, blown glass, and twisted metal adorn the space, and the dining room is deep blues, rusts, and greens. It’s a place that prepares you for creativity and daring, which will now be supplied by executive chef JP Samuelson.

JP Samuelson in his new space at Solera

Talking to JP it’s clear that, after three weeks on board, he’s excited to be starting a run at Solera. It’s a chance to incorporate a style of cooking and set of ingredients that he’s never focused on professionally in to his already-wide range of influences, and to collaborate with a new set of creative minds on new challenges. Should be a blast to see what the Solera crew comes up with – definitely make your way to the Sample Circuit event if you can for what I’ve got to think will be one of the season’s highlights.