I am so excited to share a bit of what it was like shooting for Stormy Kromer up in Duluth, MN a few weeks ago! 

If you first want to read the story about how I became a involved with the Stormy Kromer Brand and a Brand Ambassador almost a year ago, read here:

http://www.shineonphotos.com/crayblog/2015/9/3/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-cabin

So after reading that, you can see why I love the brand and the people behind the brand!

Anyhow, a few weeks ago I said goodbye to my boys and left home on a Sunday afternoon. I headed straight up north to one of the most beautiful houses in Duluth. I was scouting it for the next day's shoot.

I was thrilled when I arrived at the home and discovered that not only was the house and the land totally stunning, the ground was still covered in snow too! Score! We were shooting Stormy's Fall/Winter 2016 catalog for three days and we were hoping things would look as "wintery" as possible. 

That night, I watched the news in my hotel room and the weatherman predicted fog for the next day! I grabbed my iPhone and texted both my husband and my good friend Rita the joyful news: "FOG!!" They both texted back shouts of joy! Oh! What luck to be able to shoot for an all-weather brand like Stormy in one of the most beautiful backdrops mother nature can provide with the perfect filter: fog! Hollywood would pay top dollar for a top of the line fog machine and have it shipped in just to get this sort of effect!

The next day didn't disappoint. We had fog. Lots and lots of thick fog. We also had an amazingly handsome model named Josh who was a total outdoorsman and a perfect fit for the brand. You can check him out on his Facebook Page: https://m.facebook.com/gawrysiakmodeling/

That afternoon a girl with perfect dimples, insanely long eyelashes and the sweetest smile joined us. Her name is Sami and she is a model from the Twin Cities. I learned more about her as we went along. She likes to do photography as well - and gave me several ideas on backdrops while we shot. She also is a fashion blogger and all-around very sweet person. Check out her blog: http://www.simplysami.co

We spent the afternoon shooting Josh and Sami on the grounds of the house. We made a fire. They had smores. They played cribbage and more! It was so cute to see them genuinely having fun!

The next morning Sami braved some pretty strong wind and rain. Good thing she got to wear some of Stormy's finest all weather gear! She was a trooper!

And then Sami left and we all packed up and headed down to Canal Park where we met our final model Taylor. He was such a ham! You could tell he was also an actor and an artist! He had a twinkle in his eyes that was irresistible. And boy was he a good sport! You can see his art here: http://taypayart.com

The rain and wind was so strong that water got everywhere - including INSIDE my lens! I had been shooting mostly with my 20-70mm lens and I ended up switching out to my 50mm at the end.

At one point, we climbed up on the rocks on the Lake Superior shoreline & the whitecaps were crashing so hard that they were making the journey all the way over 50 feet of rocks and onto the shore! The rain was pelting... and we were yelling out "whoop!!" and "yahaw!" and catcalls. It felt invigorating and exciting and wonderful! "And THIS is why I love photography" is what I remember saying to myself! 

And finally, on the third day, we had a true Midwestern blizzard! It snowed so hard the power in the hotel went out. We got stuck going up a hill! Nevertheless, it gave us the most perfect dreamy winter wonderland for a backdrop.  

I feel so blessed to be a part of the "Stormy family." It was an honor to be asked to do the shoot and an honor to spend time with the good folks from Stormy! I just adore Gina, Andrea, Samantha and Alan. I really felt a kinship to them. Up north folks are always such good folks. Maybe it is because my family hails from a small town, but I always feel "at home" when I am up north! 

Much love Stormy - thanks again for the honor! 

xo, 

Jill