Krystal Muellenberg Photography Blog

moving blogs

2008-11-25T16:53:00.003-06:00

update your bookmarks! i am moving on out! i am jumping ship to squarespace so i can have a little more artistic freedom and bigger pictures on the blog.

so please join me here:

THE NEW AND IMPROVED KRYSTAL MUELLENBERG PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

while you are there, be sure to leave me a message. i want to know your reading!

oh...and while your there, excuse my dust, i am still making a couple of changes, but i am too excited about it not to share NOW.

elle, at three

2008-11-20T08:27:00.000-06:00

i have had the pleasure of photographing elle since she was a newborn.... and we had another fun session yesterday. we tried to play outside a bit, but it was MUCH too chilly. thanks guys for a great playdate!

jeff and cindy.....engaged

2008-11-17T12:35:00.003-06:00

i could go on and on about how great jeff and cindy are. i had so much fun at their session. they brought me to some places i hadn't used for photographs before, they were totally up for anything, and they made each other laugh. it was fantabulous (i think i use awesome too much, so i am looking for new words to use. ha!) i can't wait until their wedding in March!

cindy is a teacher, so isn't this perfect?

my favorite!!!

look at this view!

i am liking the moving train/kissing thing lately, huh? lol.

and a bit of silliness. i didn't tell jeff and cindy what i was doing with this shot, so i think they may have thought i was a little weird as i was making cindy move all around

in the fog

2008-11-13T08:29:00.003-06:00

jamie and chris....engaged

2008-11-10T12:20:00.002-06:00

brrrr.... saturday was a very cold day, but jamie and chris were GREAT! they put up with the cold, and were up for anything. i get so lucky with my couples being so awesome. i can't wait until your wedding guys, it will be gorgeous. thanks again!

ANOTHER gorgeous ring!

jamie is just so pretty...she is going to make a gorgeous bride!

and this one is my favorite. lol. i know some people would think..huh, but their heads aren't even showing. but i am just odd like that i guess ;)

i made it!

2008-11-08T12:59:00.006-06:00

i blogged every day for a month, and i have to say i am glad i am done with that. it is a little too much for me to blog every day of the week, and i sometimes i wanted posts up for longer than a day...but i still did it. to end this month of blogging i am going to share a little slideshow i just made up of chase. the song is elizabeth mitchell, whom i adore and just blogged about. go buy her cds.

this makes me giggle

2008-11-07T11:29:00.002-06:00

i know these pictures aren't great examples of stellar photography, but this photo of chase cracks me up for some reason. so here is a little silliness on this grey (and snowy!!!) day

and for extra laughs. my mom always buys amelia a little something when we go shopping. the last time, mom asked her what she wanted...and what did she want? a really gross ugly halloween rat. this thing is hideous. but she LOVES it. she really does. she kisses it and wants to take it to bed with her. she is a goon. Matt will LOVE me for posting this picture---

an ode to the peanut shell

2008-11-06T13:41:00.003-06:00

i am sure you are thinking "huh"? but today, i had to go grocery shopping with both kiddos all by myself for the first time. and the only way i made it through unscathed was because of this wonderful, wonderful sling: The Peanut Shell. it is so comfy, chase loves being in it, and best of all they have so many designs that it is even fashionable. i actually have two i love them so much.

here are a couple of pictures of chase in his peanut shell. this is my microfleece one. i also have this one, that i have gotten lots of compliments on.

and while i am at it... here are some other "mommy things" i love:
fleurville's micropod (perfect for carrying a couple of diapers, wipes, and my wallet)
elizabeth mitchell's cds (kid music that isn't annoying!! woohoo!)
zutano clothing (so soft and nice and it washes up well!)
here are chase and amelia in some zutano

a girls best friend

2008-11-05T10:53:00.003-06:00

i am sure, if you have seen much of my work or followed along with my blog at all, you have noticed that I LOVE detail shots. especially rings! i've always been obsessed with the details of weddings. at one of my first weddings someone laughed at me for shooting something... a shoe maybe... and said "you really take pictures of EVERYTHING, don't you" and, well, i do try. i just ADORE the details. and rings are just so fun and so pretty. so here are a few extra ring shots from throughout the year. there are WAY more that i could post, but I things are crazy around here with a newborn and toddler, so this will have to do.

charlie

2008-11-04T09:55:00.003-06:00

on sunday we got to have a playdate with charlie and his parents, who are some of matt and I's best friends. it was a blast. amelia and charlie had so much fun together, we had yummy food, and I got to take pictures of charlie, who is just completely adorable! Thanks Bonnie and Scott for the great time

amber and jeremy engaged.

2008-11-03T08:42:00.002-06:00

saturday was another glorious day for engagement pictures. the weather was beautiful. so much so that where we took the pictures, grandad's bluff, in la crosse was FULL of people. amber and jeremy are a great couple. they totally cracked me up! they were even up for being rebels with me to get some shots. thanks guys!

just look at the view from up there. WOW!

another gorgeous ring

2008-11-02T10:06:00.000-06:00

all my brides have such pretty "bling" ;) I love to photograph it. Here is one from Amber and Jeremy's engagement session yesterday. And before anyone asks NO, I did not photoshop that flare/sparkle on to the ring. it is just that shiny.

stay tuned tomorrow for some more from their fun engagement session

a banana and monkey hello

2008-11-01T12:32:00.003-05:00

and since all the little banana did was sleep, we give you more monkey. she definitely lives up to the costume

a girl and her dog

2008-10-31T07:46:00.000-05:00

amelia LOVES my parents dog, boone, and he loves her too. last night they were playing in the yard together

little fingers

2008-10-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

little toes

2008-10-29T07:48:00.000-05:00

a new look

2008-10-28T08:58:00.003-05:00

I was feeling like it was time for a change with the blog colors. But now I am not sure what I think. Drop me a line and let me know!

This picture a day thing is getting kind of hard. Not that I don't have pictures to share, but somedays I want to leave up a post for longer than a day. So make sure you SCROLL down. I don't want you guys to miss out on Rebecca and Kevin and Jess and Dillon's engagment pictures

today's pictures of the day are from Danielle and Andrew's wedding this summer.

rebecca and kevin.....engaged

2008-10-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

I was worried about the weather on saturday, but I totally didn't need to be it was a gorgeous day. and my awesome couple, rebecca and kevin, are getting married next august. after their engagement session, I am totally pysched for their wedding. it will be a blast. we realized we had all worked at the winona "mall" at some point or another. it is always fun to find a common bond with clients! thanks guys for a great afternoon.

i was feeling a different perspective for some of their pictures

rebecca and kevin: sneak peek

2008-10-26T08:55:00.001-05:00

full post to come tomorrow!

dandelions

2008-10-25T10:22:00.001-05:00

since they match my logo and the bloor children are so cute, this is my picture of the day

cutie patooties

2008-10-24T13:54:00.003-05:00

i heart the little members of the bridal party. they never fail to make me smile

chase is month old!

2008-10-23T13:06:00.002-05:00

How does time fly so fast? Chase is already one month old! I swear, it has been a BLUR!
a couple new photos

more jess and dillon!

2008-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

told you I had A LOT of favorites from their session

since Jess and Dillon are both teachers, i thought a "making out under the bleachers" picture was a must ;)

Jess and Dillon....engaged part 1

2008-10-20T08:51:00.005-05:00

This session has all of my favorite things...flare, lots of kissing, walking away shots, big blue sky and a completely awesome couple who were up for anything and are completely in love! We took SO many pictures that I have a ton to share....and this is only part one! I will post more tomorrow.

Jess is one of my best friends and Dillon is an awesome guy! Jess and I have been friends for about 12 years! We were roommates for 3 years in college, and I am just SO happy for her and Dillon. They make such a great couple. We had a BLAST taking their engagement pictures. Well...maybe Dillon didn't have a blast, but he was a GREAT sport. I don't think I have laughed so hard while shooting ever. I am SO excited for their wedding next July.

love you guys!

jess+dillon=too cool for words

2008-10-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

i teased jess and dillon that this shot could be the cover of a CD if they were ever to put one out... hey, it could happen, dillon was in a band.....

i have a lot more to share from their engagement session....but i am not yet done so i figured i would at least share one with them.

an older one

2008-10-18T09:39:00.002-05:00

this photo is from last year...so i am cheating a bit....but i saw it the other day and was reminded how much i liked it.

I did have a session this week with one of my best friends, so I can't wait to share those pictures....very soon, Jess, I promise!

portraits in a parking garage?

2008-10-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

yep!

nikki + daron

2008-10-16T07:59:00.000-05:00

little farmer boy

2008-10-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

apple picking

2008-10-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

the bouquet

2008-10-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

time goes by too fast

2008-10-12T09:06:00.000-05:00

how in the world did my little girl grow up so fast? here are three years of fall time amelia

another day....another picture

2008-10-11T08:45:00.001-05:00

an unposed moment. i don't think i even realized kevin and kayla were kissing in the background until I opened this picture in post processing.

a kiss

2008-10-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

the bride

2008-10-09T09:46:00.000-05:00

A Picture a Day

2008-10-08T10:18:00.002-05:00

I figured since I am not doing any sessions yet (but I do have a bunch of engagement sessions coming up that I will be able to share) I will post a picture a day for a month. Just random pictures from my weddings and sessions throughout the summer.... or whatever else catches my fancy for the day. So keep checking back!

this is from Sammy and Lauren's wedding. we were riding in the limo to the reception. I just love details like this

crazy busy bliss

2008-10-06T08:15:00.004-05:00

First off--for those of you waiting for pictures/dvds/etc, I promise, promise, promise, they are COMING! This week I hope to finish up editing and start uploading my last wedding of the season, and so those of you who haven't gotten your galleries yet, you will soon. AGAIN I have to thank everyone for the patience with me! My clients totally rock.

And now for a couple of pictures of what is keeping me so busy and so happy

365 days

2008-10-02T08:28:00.002-05:00

Last year I did a project where I took a picture of myself (and one of Amelia) every day for a full year. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it was a hassle, and sometimes my creativity totally gave out on me. But I am so glad I did it. It was like a pictoral diary of our life for a year. Since Chase has been born I decided to do another 365 day picture project of his first year (and another of Amelia--they change so quickly). I am not doing another of me---waaaaay too busy for that right now....but I did want to share some of my self portraits from the project when I did it.

day 15--being sad that my whole family was together and i was working

day 35---walking with amelia (look at how little she is!)

day 36--me, shooting me

day 45--snow angels

day 61--as any of my clients can attest, i have a "thing" for walking away shots

day 90...can you see which is me?

day 117--being nutty and playing in the rain

day 153--loving the sunshine

day 181--snuggling Amelia

day 226

day 234--playing cards against....myself

day 261--family portrait of a different sort

day 263--with sierra

day 296-- this is one year exactly BEFORE chase was born. we had no clue how are life would change in one year

day 310--random

day 321--matt will love me for this one

day 336--technically kate's self portrait of the day, but i nabbed it

day 353

day 356--and my cousins will love me for this one. we are one silly bunch

day 365--the end

so now that that super egotistical me filled post is done....lol... but really, it was a very interesting project, it made me shoot something EVERY day and think of new ideas. and even though I am not sure what I will do with ALL those pictures of myself, it is very fun to look back and see what I was doing last year.

We have CHILDREN......

2008-09-27T09:56:00.002-05:00

Not just a child. Not just a daughter. We have two. A daughter and a son.... children!!! Wow. I can hardly wrap my head around it. We are so in love, as is his big sister, obviously

Introducing

2008-09-24T17:49:00.002-05:00

Chase Matthew
September 23, 2008
12:46 am
8 lbs 10.4 oz
20.5 inches

To all my clients: thanks for being so understanding as I was pregnant, and now that the baby is here. I know there are still some clients who are waiting for their galleries, and I will get to them as soon as I am able. Thanks so much!

Amelia Rose

2008-09-21T13:56:00.002-05:00

playing hide and seek

counting

seeking

finding

Me at Work

2008-09-19T08:49:00.002-05:00

Now that I am on maternity leave, I have blogged all my sessions up to this point, so I will probably be blogging some random things. At least until Baby 2 makes his or her appereance and I bombard you with baby pictures. lol. So today, you get "me at work" lol. You can tell I like to either stand on things or lay on the ground to take pictures. and um, i am pregnant in all these pictures. So that is why I look a bit....larger....than normal :)

image courtesy of kate crafton photography

courtesy of kim youra photography

courtesy of kristin knudson photography

courtesy of miriah dobbs

courtesy of sierra dobbs

and just an update is Baby #2 is due Monday! He or she is feeling comfy in there, so I am not sure if we will be meeting our baby before then. But I hope so! Send us all you "labor soon" prayers and good thoughts please!!! ;)

One CUTE Family

2008-09-15T08:49:00.002-05:00

I was excited to FINALLY do this session. We had to reschedule a TON of times due to rain, but we finally got it in! YAY!

Kayla + Kevin

2008-09-13T08:49:00.001-05:00

So you may have noticed that I always post lots of bride and groom pictures. That is because I LOVE pictures of the bride and groom. And think they are some of the most important pictures of the day. At my own wedding I let Matt and I be hurried by the LIMO DRIVER of all people and we didn't get a lot of pictures of us (creative portraits) together. I really like my couples to make time for this. Seriously, you will probably regret it if you don't. And this time is definitely not all about posing. I would rather the couple just interacts, takes some time alone (well with me there, of course) to be in love and soak in the day and I will just photograph it.

And oh ya, it helps if the couple is totally blissfully in love like Kevin and Kayla. PLUS willing to do anything....like lay in the grass. And NO her dress didn't get dirty. ;)

Kayla and Kevin Part 1

2008-09-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of shooting Kayla and Kevin's wedding for my last wedding of the season. Woo-hoo, I made it (and shot their wedding at 38 weeks pregnant). It was a great way to end the season. They are ANOTHER great couple (how do I get so lucky) that had so much fun and were so in love. And they gave me ample time for bride and groom shots (so much so, we are doing a two part post) This post will be "everything else" and later I will post a whole post dedicated to bride + groom creative portraits.

and a huge shout out to my cousin Sierra who was a great assistant for the day. she carried around all my gear, took some awesome shots, and listen to me complain about braxton hicks contractions. lol.

i don't usually post a lot of wedding party shots. but i do do them, so today i am going to post some

Kevin watching Kayla come down the aisle (image by Sierra Dobbs)

more wedding party shots

best man gearing up for the next shot (image by Sierra Dobbs)

this is sierra's view of the jumping shot. good air kevin!

Kevin and Kayla served their guests the cake, which I thought was incredibly sweet

they also played a rousing game of musical chairs

and as I said, I will post a bunch of bride and groom portraits tomorrow.

Jen, unbridaled.

2008-09-10T07:24:00.004-05:00

I really don't like the term "trash the dress" for these sessions. I think it gives brides visions of their dress being totally ruined and forever lost to them. And while we can certainly do as much as you want with the session, the dress doesn't have to be trashed. Ask Jen....her dress got a bit dirty to be sure, but NOTHING that a bit of cleaning wouldn't fix in a jiffy. But neither is it a stuffy, traditional bridal session. So.....Unbridaled is what it is. Jen and I had a ton of fun....even though it was the HOT middle of the day. She was a great subject! Thanks again Jen

Gracie

2008-09-08T20:23:00.004-05:00

Gracie is SO cute! I love photographing her, even though she really wasn't sure if she wanted me to photograph her. I still think we got some cute pictures.

Emily and Nick.....The Wedding Slideshow

2008-09-06T09:31:00.005-05:00

As I was going through Emily and Nick's wedding to select pictures for the blog, I couldn't stop. I got a little carried away. So I decided, ahhh what the heck, I will post a little slideshow of my favorite images. There was just something about this couple. There love was so pure and refreshing, and their wedding was a blast. I have to thank Karen and Justin,one of my couples from last year (they are in the slideshow) for referring me to Emily and Nick. Miriah and I had a BLAST! Seriously it was great. And just so you know some of Miriah's ROCKING images are in the slideshow. She continues to blow me away as a second shooter. (it must be the genes. ha!)

oh, and my fave three in non-slideshow form ;)

all taken with a my rented 85 1.2 can I say lens lust now?

HUGE Email Problem

2008-09-05T10:09:00.002-05:00

If you have emailed me lately (actually I don't know how far back this problem goes) to my krystal@krystalmuellenberg.com account, I probably haven't gotten it! I am SO sorry for the inconvienance. I had NO clue I wasn't getting my messages, but I have had a couple people tell me that they emailed me....and have I gotten it? NOPE! Argh! So..... I am trying to find these lost emails, but in the meantime, if you have emailed me and gotten no response I am SO sorry, and please email me again (the email address SHOULD work now!) Thank you!

Krystal

and happy friday with a picture of my favorite girl

Shelby... Class of 2009

2008-09-04T12:43:00.002-05:00

Shelby and I went out last week to take her senior portraits. We had a ton of fun, and she was up for anything. And of course, it is always easy to take pictures of such a pretty girl!

etcetera

2008-09-02T12:31:00.008-05:00

I was putting off this post because I have some other etcetera type news I wanted to post and can't quite yet, but I have been getting lots of inquiries for dates that I have booked, so I wanted to update on my 2009 availability. I am very close to being fully booked for next year. I will accept up to 2 more weddings. Here are the dates I have free.

4/11

4/25

10/24

10/31

11/7

11/21

12/5

and as I said I will only book two of these dates as I already have 25 weddings on my schedule and I like to book less than 30 weddings a year to give more individual attention to my couples.

Also, please remember I will travel ANYWHERE for weddings. I have done, or have weddings booked in South Carolina, Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh, La Crosse, Eau Claire, and more local areas too! I will even travel out of the country to your destination wedding!

you can always check the availability page on my website to see my wedding schedule. Thank you!

AND, I am now booking 2010 weddings. I know I had a couple inquiries for 2010 in the past and I wasn't quite booking that far in advance. Well, now I am, so if you are looking for a wedding photographer in 2010, contact me!

I have one more wedding and one more session this before Baby Time! We are getting very excited for Baby Muellenberg #2's arrival. (my due date is Sept 22nd). Thank you to everyone who has been understanding as I had to shuffle things around with weddings and not accept as many lifestyle sessions this year. We will sure to keep you updated when the baby comes.

and because no post is complete with out a picture here is one from an "unbridaled" (my new name for trash the dress sessions) session with the GORGEOUS Jen this weekend

more from Jen's session, plus Emily and Nick's wedding, Gracie's lifestyle session and Shelby's senior pictures coming up this week, so keep checking back!

Jenna and Al.....The Wedding

2008-08-31T18:20:00.002-05:00

Jenna and Al were married in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at StonyCreek Inn. It was a beautiful (although hot) day for an outdoor wedding, and I was so pleased they asked me to be a part of the day. Jenna was SO crafty, she made about everything for the wedding, her jewelry, the bridesmaids jewelry, the bouquets, and more! I am jealous of her crafting talents! Here is a small sneak peek of the day

i love pictures with lots of emotion, like this one between Jenna and Al's mom

Shane and Sadie...Engaged

2008-08-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

Shane and Sadie and I had a great morning doing their engagement pictures. Thanks you guys for putting up with Amelia, who had to come along. You were great sports! I can't wait for your wedding next year!!!

My Maternity......AKA Brooke Doval totally rocks!

2008-08-25T20:35:00.004-05:00

I had a maternity/family session done a couple weeks ago by the totally fantastic Brooke Doval. Brooke is an extremely talented maternity/babies first year photographer in the area, so check her out. I was nervous to be on the other side of the lens, but Brooke made me totally at ease, and I am totally in love with what she came up with.

here are a few of my favorites. i could post a million, but i don't want to completely bore you. (remember, all images by Brooke Doval)

ok...so i didn't do a good job on narrowing them down...Brooke just did too good of a job. Thanks again Brooke! You totally gave us tons of memories to cherish forever!

Mindy and Brandon....engaged

2008-08-22T15:54:00.003-05:00

All I can say is what a gorgeous couple. I had SO much fun doing their engagement pictures, and WISH I could do their wedding, but alas, it is a couple days before this baby is due...so I can't. Good luck you two! I am sure your wedding will be as gorgeous and fun as the two of you!

Tara and Shane....The Wedding

2008-08-20T23:06:00.003-05:00

Another weekend, another gorgeous wedding. How do I get so lucky? I totally love my job, and couples like this is why. I would write more, but it is late at night and there is a baby kicking my insides like a soccer ball, so on with the pictures ;)

in looking through these shots, i apparently had a "thing" for hand shots this time.
Thank you Tara and Shane for letting me be a part of your special day. It was GREAT!

Karin.....Maternity

2008-08-17T21:09:00.002-05:00

I haven't done maternity pictures in a long time... I totally forgot how fun they are. ESPECIALLY when the subject is as gorgeous as my friend Karin. I have to admit to being uberjealous of Karin. She looks this good at 37 weeks pregnant with her FOURTH baby! Not a stretch mark in site. If only I were so lucky *sigh*

Danielle and Andrew.....The Wedding

2008-08-14T11:10:00.005-05:00

Danielle and I were friends when we were just little, so when I heard she was getting married, I just had to offer to take some of her wedding pictures. I ended up getting to shoot with Ashley Henry, a fabulous photographer from Ohio who is friends with Andrew. It was a GORGEOUS wedding, so full of love and emotion, and just a bit of rain. Thanks guys for letting me be a part of your fabulous day.

Here is Danielle and I when we were just tots.

and the wedding

I totally teared up when taking this picture of Dani and her dad before they went down the aisle. AND Dani had the most fun expressions during the ceremony. I especially love how in love she looked when gazing at Andrew

it rained HARD in between the ceremony and the OUTDOOR reception. thankfully it quit before we all got there, but there was no tent and lots of people had to work hard on mopping up the water. thankfully dani and andrew stayed calm and had a great attitude about it all.

I have gotten REALLY lucky with rainbows this year. This is my third wedding where we got a picture with a rainbow

i think i take some version of the groom playing with his ring shot at EVERY wedding. but i think this is my fave

on the right is the talented Ashley. I am so glad I got to shoot with you!

they had a candy bar of sorts and i know at least one little girl who enjoyed it immensly

thank you again guys, it was a GREAT day!

Last of Dani and Jason's TTD photos

2008-08-11T16:06:00.003-05:00

I know I have posted A LOT of these, but like I said, it was just an awesome time, that there were so many fun pictures. So....this is the FINAL post of TTD pictures.

Two Gorgeous Senior Girls

2008-08-11T12:54:00.002-05:00

okay, okay, so they are both my cousins, so i may be a little biased.....but not really. carlie and sierra ARE gorgeous, both inside and out. and i have to quote the fantastic Tiffany and say I am NOT a traditional senior portrait photographer, as you will see

Marta and Ross, engaged

2008-08-07T09:01:00.002-05:00

We took Marta and Ross's engagement pictures on a stormy morning at his parents farm. We had tons of great places to go, and they were great, trekking through wet muddy grass. It was lots of fun. I can't wait for their wedding next June!

Ella is 18 months!

2008-08-05T09:30:00.002-05:00

I have so much to post, I am just going to keep the blog rolling. A week or so ago Amelia and I got to hang out with my brother and sister in law and neice Ella. It was a blast, even though it was SO hot! Ella is just SO VERY CUTE! I love to photograph her!

Jeremy and Misty....The Wedding

2008-08-03T19:51:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and Misty are good friends of my brother Kyle, so I feel like I have known them forever....or at least 15 years or so. Their wedding was wonderful! What a great day. Their dance was awesome. Everyone had so much fun

As always, I had a little fun with ring shots.

Jeremy and Misty's best Man and Maid of Honor sang them a song for a speech at the reception, on the left is Misty's reaction. And the right is their absolutely ADORABLE ring bearer and flower girl!

this is Misty's brother Nick. And....as his "sign" says, he is single...so if any of you girls are looking for a cute guy....give him a call ;)

Cyrus

2008-07-31T12:13:00.002-05:00

I have one last post of TTD pictures coming, but I thought we would change it up a little bit in the meantime and post something else for a bit. My good friend Beth brought over her little man Cyrus for me to photograph again. I can't believe how much he has grown since our first session right after he was born. He was so cute and smiley!

I had to grab one shot of big sister Nadia

Dani and Jason, Part Two

2008-07-29T09:04:00.002-05:00

Here is the second installment of their session. And there will be one more! I just had too much fun with this session not to share....

Danielle and Jason.... "Trash the Dress" One

2008-07-27T17:30:00.002-05:00

I am probably going to do a couple of different posts for the images of Danielle and Jason's "trash the dress session" because, well, because I want to ;) It was just GREAT meeting up with Dani and Jason again. They were one of my favorite couples from last year, and I knew they would be up for anything in this session. And I was not disappointed. They were so much fun to work with. They went with every crazy idea that crossed my mind. And the light, oh my word, the light was TO DIE FOR. I want to do every session ever in that light. And to let you know, my TTD sessions aren't about trashing the dress at all. In fact, I like to do them as couple sessions, and basically just have no time or "dirt" restraints in getting images of the two of you together. And while Dani's dress got dirty, it isn't anything dry cleaning won't fixed. I swear, it was really more of a Trash the Photographer session. I was a mess afterwards! Okay, I will stop gabbing and post the first of the images.

and there are many more......but we don't want to waste all the fun in one post, so I will posting them in the coming week or so.

Thanks again guys for just being the coolest!

Tracy and John.....The Wedding

2008-07-24T16:42:00.002-05:00

Tracy and John had a great wedding day. It was hot, but at least there was no rain on their gorgeous outdoor ceremony. And the kids at this wedding were JUST adorable! Thanks for having me as part of your day guys!

Tracy's reaction after she had to guess her groom by feeling different guys rear ends. she chose her dad as John.

Missy and Mike....The Wedding

2008-07-20T10:09:00.002-05:00

Missy and Mike's wedding was another one where I remembered just how much I LOVE my job. They are a fabulous couple, so full of fun and love, and their wedding day was just beautiful. I felt so lucky to be a part of it!

Their wedding had a kind of vintagy feel, so I wanted to capture that in some of my post processing techniques.

I drooled over her ring in the engagement session, and even more so now! GORGEOUS!

They had a bagpiper greet their guests when they got to the wedding, and also lead them out in the end. It was an awesome added touch!

Missy and Mike gave me a TON of time to play with them for the couples portraits and we went to all sorts of different locations. They were seriously up for anything, which I LOVE!!!!!

along with ring shots, kissing shots, shoe shots and eyelashes I have a HUGE things for couples in feilds. And they were SO adventerous going in this field. It was some HIGH grass. Thanks guys for being so very awesome.

Joni and Blair....engaged!

2008-07-17T08:47:00.003-05:00

Joni and Blair live in Florida, but are having their wedding here in La Crosse next summer. I am SO excited to do their wedding, especially after doing their engagement pictures. We had such a fun time. And they were great sports, especially since I had them trekking ALL over La Crosse. We really got our workouts....or maybe that was just me...the big pregnant lady :) And of course it helps that these two are just gorgeous! Thanks guys!

Joni and Blair are both structural engineers, so I thought this first picture was fitting for them

Sammy and Lauren, July 5 2008

2008-07-14T10:31:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a HUGE blog post because Sammy is my cousin and he married the gorgeous Lauren and I love them both! Plus they had the cutest flower girl EVER, so of course it has to be a ginormous post. They had an AWESOME wedding. It was so fun to be in Charleston, South Carolina and out of my "norm". It really was just great! Thanks guys for having us there!

i obviously have a "thing" for this shot lately

giving me their zoolander faces. kyle, you do it so well ;)

there was enormous clemson pride at this wedding. (the couple, and much of their wedding party and guests were graduates or students there)

see what i mean about that flower girl (no bias here, no....)

sometimes i like an "almost" kiss as much as the actual thing (although, don't worry, i got that too)

they had a live band, which i recommend to everyone (i LOVE live bands) and Sammy and Lauren got in on the act

here comes the clemson fight song

HUGE fan of their getaway car too!

ok. this is definitely my HUGEST blog post EVER. but it's family! And we had SO much fun! Thanks again for everything

The Parr Family

2008-07-11T13:18:00.002-05:00

A super cute family and absolutely gorgeous light....what more could I ask for. Nothing really. I had a great time photographing the Parr family. Aren't they too cute for words?

The Williams Family

2008-07-09T20:10:00.002-05:00

This family was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! I couldn't get enough of them. We had so much fun! Thanks guys. (a handful of these are by Miriah Dobbs for Krystal Muellenberg Photography)

Jenna and Matthew

2008-07-06T09:18:00.002-05:00

I am so far behind on blogging, and I have so much to share. I have to apologize. I am still in South Carolina, but I found an internet connection, so I will share Jenna and Matthew's wedding photos with you all. Jenna and Matthew were one of my favorite couples ever. They were SO laid back and kind, generous, grateful and just truly in love. It rained on their wedding day and we still did pictures outside in the rain! Actually, it HAILED and Jenna was completely calm about it. It was great!

image on right by Miriah Dobbs

image on right by Miriah Dobbs

ditto (Right image, Miriah Dobbs)

we even braved the chance of getting kicked out of Wal Mart for some fun shots. How could I not TOTALLY LOVE this couple!

Thanks so much guys. I had an absolutely WONDERFUL time. Your reception was so much fun, and the two of you made us feel right at home. We loved every minute of it!

Out Of the Office

2008-07-02T14:27:00.001-05:00

I will be out of the office today, July 2nd through July 10th for a family wedding that I am shooting and a small vacation. I thought I would have internet access, but it looks like I probably won't. I hope you all understand. I will answer all phone calls and emails when I return. Thank you

Anna and Zane 6.21.08

2008-06-26T19:28:00.003-05:00

Anna and Zane were married last weekend on a gorgeous day. We had so much fun with their wedding. They are just such a fun couple and the day was chock full of emotion, just the way I like them. Plus, their reception was at the Three Bears Lodge in Warrens, which I love to shoot at. Thanks guys for having us there!

I love the look on Anna's mom's face as she peeked over the partition at the beauty salon to get a peek of how Anna was looking, and then trying not to cry.

Like I said, I LOVED the emotion of the day

Anna's brother Guthrie really got into ringing the bell (image by Miriah Dobbs)

the image on the left sums up Anna and Zane, Anna just laughed ALL day long. And although Zane took a bit to warm up to pictures, he had quite the sense of humor himself. Thanks guys!

There was just a brief shower on their day--for good luck!

images below by Miriah Dobbs for Krystal Muellenberg Photography

Like I said, it was just a wonderful day, and we were so blessed to be able to be there to photograph it all.

Eve

2008-06-21T06:32:00.004-05:00

Eve was so adorable! She took a bit to warm up to me, but she was still such a fun and snuggly little 18 month old. I loved taking her photos. And I know mom is waiting patiently for a sneak peek, so here it is!

(I have to apologize as I have heard that my blog posts are showing up kind of odd on some screens--I had no idea. while i figure this out, the pictures will be smaller and one across. and toss me a message if the posts appear weird on your screen. thanks)

Marnie and David. 6.14.08

2008-06-18T12:22:00.010-05:00

Marnie and David had a glorious summer day for their wedding. And my assistant, Kristin, and I had a lovely time with you guys. The love this couple shares is so obvious and it was a day full of such fun and emotion. It helped that we got to shoot at one of my favorite area churches (English Lutheran in La Crosse--AMAZING LIGHT) and one of my favorite reception venues, Pettibone . Thanks guys for having us be a part of your day

grooms

men and necklace shots by Kristin Knudson

above image by Kristin Knudson

Ashley and Brennon---The Wedding

2008-06-14T08:15:00.002-05:00

Ashley and Brennon's wedding day had some of the craziest weather I have yet to see at a wedding, there was torrential downpours and even a tornado warning! The wet weather didn't get them down at all, and we were able to sneak outside for some photographs still. I had a great time with them and their friends and family. Thanks for having me be part of the day

Evidence of the crazy rain that came down for parts of the day

One good thing about the crazy weather? We had some awesome light to play with at the reception.

Nicholas--One year

2008-06-12T18:32:00.002-05:00

Reed Aaron

2008-06-11T08:26:00.003-05:00

Last week we got to spend some time with our friends and their week old son Reed. Isn't he just the cutest thing ever???? And so tiny. I can't believe in about 15 weeks WE will have a tiny baby like that again. I just wanted to take him home with me. SO CUTE!

Dvorak Family

2008-06-09T18:06:00.003-05:00

I have TONS of sessions to blog this week, so let's get it rolling right away. Last weekend, I had the fun of playing in the park with a Dvorak family. Thanks guys, and here is a small sneak peek for you!

Odds and Ends

2008-06-06T13:05:00.002-05:00

So much is going on lately, I thought I needed a kind of a "catch up" post.

FIRST, I need to send a much belated shout out to my awesome second shooters. So far this year I have had the priveledge of having some awesome gals work with me. Kim, Kristin, Brinn and Miriah, THANK YOU a million times over. Kim Youra is a great photographer out of Twin Lakes, WI, Kristin Knudson is out of Rochester MN, and Brinn is from Nashville...so if you are in any of those places look them up. (oh and Miriah Dobbs is a budding photographer, and a great cousin who just totally rocks). again, girls THANK YOU!

Second, I had the EXTREME pleasure of attending a workshop in Chicago this week put on by the absolutely superb Anna Kuperberg, who I have been a fan of forever. If you are a photographer, I totally recommend going to a workshop. It was wonderful for renewing my passion and teaching me things I had never even thought of. Plus, getting to meet and network with other absolutely awesome photographers from all over was GREAT!

Also, a note...I will be on maternity leave from Sept-Jan 09. I will be accepting NO sessions (apart from the occasional engagement sessions from my booked weddings) during this time. Please plan accordingly. I can reccomend other photographers if you have a session or wedding you would like to book.

I am booking up FAST for 2009 weddings. If you are getting married in 2009 and are interested in having me photograph your wedding, please contact me ASAP, because dates are already quite limited. Thanks.

and because no post is complete with out them, a few odds and ends photos

Mindy and Derek--The Wedding

2008-06-02T15:03:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday I had the EXTREME pleasure of getting to shoot one of my best friend's wedding. Mindy and I have been friends since I was a freshman in high school. We have lots of great memories together. And her wedding is definitely one of the best. It was a GREAT day. We were pretty worried about rain, since she had an outdoor reception, but it held off, and they had a glorious day. I am SO happy that Mindy met Derek because they make a wonderful pair, and their love shone throughout the whole day. Congrats guys! I am SO happy for you.

I was totally feeling black and white for the getting ready shots. That is Mindy's maid of honor Jess (and another of my best friends) in the mirror.

image below by Miriah Dobbs for Krystal Muellenberg Photography

I love how Mindy's mom, Karen, is grinning at her right after she put on her dress

Derek was giving his Best Man strict instructions for the ring. And on the right, Min's parents approved of the ceremony.

the two images below were taken by Miriah Dobbs for Krystal Muellenberg Photography

image below by Miriah Dobbs for Krystal Muellenberg Photography

the flower shot by Miriah Dobbs

I love the concentration on Mindy's personal attendants face (front, pink dress, white sweater) and she caught it, so it paid off

Kate and Randy---The Slideshow

2008-05-30T09:19:00.005-05:00

I couldn't NOT share Kate and Randy's slideshow with you all. Seriously, their day was one of the most emotional, love filled days I have ever experienced. Their friends and family surrounded them with love. And the love they share for each other and their children is just amazing. I know I have said this before, but I just feel SO lucky to have been there to capture every moment! Thanks again guys!

>

Diana and Matt--TTD

2008-05-27T08:59:00.003-05:00

I did a sort of "trash the dress" session with Diana and Matt. It was more of just letting them have the time and freedom to get lots of cool shots in lots of different places. They got married 3 years ago, so what a cool way to celebrate!

The Bloor Family

2008-05-23T09:11:00.007-05:00

I had so many favorites from the Bloor Family Session that I had to make a slideshow.

Hope everyone has a great memorial day

Kate and Randy: The Renewal

2008-05-19T10:14:00.003-05:00

I just couldn't wait to blog Kate and Randy's renewal. If you are looking for previous weddings from this season, I HAVE blogged them, just scroll down!

I have a couple tips for getting great pictures on your special day based on Randy and Kate's day, so just bear with me for a second.

1. Plan time for the pictures that are important to you. You don't want to have to rush through them. If pictures AREN'T important to you, or if a lot of traditional and formal pictures are important to you, I can honestly say I am not the photographer for you, but I can suggest great traditional photographers to you.

2. Trust your photographer, and be up for anything. If I am your photographer, I may put you in a place that just doesn't seem "pretty", but honestly, you can can get great pictures, Randy and Kate were climbing on walls, and in parking garages, and it works. AND Kate's dress didn't get dirty, despite the fact that she was sitting on a dirty parking garage floor ;)

3. Try to not stress. I know this is HARD. I was one stressed out bride on my wedding day, but that is my BIGGEST regret. All the little things will come together, and if they don't....guess what? You are still marrying the love of your life, and THAT is what is important. It is much better to relax and enjoy the day than to get stressed out and worry about the small stuff. Take it from me (former stressed out bride) it just isn't worth it!

Okay, enough of a lecture. Randy and Kate's renewal day was PERFECT. they are SO in love and it shown from every pore of the day. Their ceremony was SO emotional and perfect, and I truly sobbed. In our picture time together, you could just SEE their passion for each other. I loved every single minute of the day, and I was SO honored to be their photographer (and friend!) I LOVE you guys! I could post more, more, more, but I won't. But be sure, when I finish their slideshow, I WILL be posting that.

Nicole and Kevin

2008-05-17T10:19:00.003-05:00

I decided to take a break from my fabulous Nashville weekend to blog Nicole and Kevin's wedding. The rain couldn't stop their smiles on their wedding day. Thanks for having me guys!

Off to Nashville

2008-05-15T10:13:00.003-05:00

I will be out of town until Monday. I am off to Nashville to shoot Kate and Randy's renewal. I am SO excited. It is going to be GREAT! I will return all phone calls and email messages when I return!
I am going to leave you with a couple of pictures of the cutest, most wonderful, little 2 year old ever. aka--my daughter.. lol

Missy and Mike

2008-05-12T08:18:00.002-05:00

I had a great time with Missy and Mike down at Riverside taking their engagement pictures. They were GREAT SPORTS and I had them going everywhere for pictures, and they didn't look at me like was I was crazy. They may have been thinking it, but they never said it. I can't wait for their wedding in July.

Charlie is 1 year old!

2008-05-08T12:38:00.003-05:00

Charlie is a year old!!! Yay. He is another baby I have been photographing since birth, and it is so fun to see these little one's grow up. It is a good thing Charlie's mommy is one of my best friends, because his hair is so soft and curly I couldn't stop touching it. Another mom might have thought I was a nutcase ;)

just look at those eyes! I am a SUCKER for big blue eyes!

Nikki and Daron

2008-05-05T13:01:00.005-05:00

Since Nikki and Daron are lucky enough to be my 50th wedding (WOOHOO) they get an extra lot of pictures in there blog post. And since there are SO many pictures, I am not going to babble on, just post ;)

Stephanie and Travis

2008-04-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

I had an awesome time taking Stephanie and Travis's engagement pictures yesterday. We were a little worried about the weather, especially since we had to cancel the first time we tried to do the pictures because of the rain, but it held off. Stephanie and Travis are a GREAT couple, and they are so much fun to photograph. I am a little jealous that it is the great Ms Kate who gets to photograph their wedding, as I will have a newborn. They were totally up for ANYTHING, even tromping through a marsh and in alleyways. Thanks guys!

Baby Muellenberg V.2

2008-04-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

Baby Muellenberg number two will be joining us mid-Septmber. (i had december, i keep getting this baby's due date mixed up with amelia's birthday for some reason) Even though it is hard to tell with these u/s everything looked good. The first one looks like the baby doing a front flip, and the second is the baby face on (hand by his/her face) and no, we didn't find out the gender (we didn't want to, and even if we had, the babies legs were closed up tight)

Tara and Shane

2008-04-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

It was FINALLY a gorgeous day yesterday. Perfect for Tara and Shane's engagement pictures. I am really looking forward to their wedding in August.

And because I am sure some people are wondering.... I do take the typical "look at me and smile" pictures too, during my engagement sessions. But we all know what they look like, so I don't typically post them in my blog ;)

Cuteness for a Monday Morning

2008-04-14T08:21:00.002-05:00

Back in September, I took a couple of pictures of my friend's family as a surprise because they were moving to Washington. Here are her adorable kids, as we have finally gotten them there surprise.

Dale and DeAnn

2008-04-07T15:07:00.005-05:00

So, it has been awhile since I have done a wedding. So lucky DeAnn and Dale get a super sized post. There wedding was great, and it was a GORGEOUS day for a wedding---although a tad bit windy. It made me so excited for spring!

The guys were "complaining" that I made them go into a field spread with chicken manure. not really...they were good sports

DeAnn and Dale were AWESOME sports, they had to walk on a muddy, slippery, slightly steep hill to get over to this location that I loved. Thanks guys!

see, here is DeAnn trekking through the mud all for the sake of awesome pictures

this is a tradition in Dale's family. I have never seen it before. Don't worry the shoes were new! I guess a few unlucky couples in the family weren't so lucky

and another

2008-03-31T16:08:00.002-05:00

first off... I am booking weddings for 2009! If you are getting married in 2009, and are looking for a photographer, let me know! I have quite a few dates booked up already! So contact me soon!

I also made up a little slideshow with some images from the past year or so. I just grabbed some of my faves (i have more faves too, but these are a few) Enjoy!

Mike and Sarah....the slideshow

2008-03-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

Mike and Sarah are the lucky ones to get my very first slideshow of some of their images. There is sound...so if you don't want to hear it, turn down your speakers ;)

Sarah and Mike. engaged.

2008-03-27T13:21:00.002-05:00

Sarah and Mike are getting married next Valentine's Day. For their engagement session, we went all over Black River Falls. Okay, well not quite, but we did get our exercise. They are a GREAT couple and we had a lot of fun.

I couldn't decide which ring shot i liked the best, so I included them both. I mean, you can never have too much of a beautiful ring, can you?