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National Adorable Children and Pawsitively Adorable Contest Winners {SE MN Photographer}

We are proud to announce we had 9 winners in the National portion of the Adorable Children and Pawsitively Adorable contests. The National portion of the contest took place at the lab and was judged by a panel of judges based on quality, appearance, charm, expression, and personality.

In the National Pawsitively Adorable contest…

We had First Place for Me & My Human. They won a $100 Visa gift card.

We had Second Place for Newborns. They won a $75 Visa Gift Card.

We had a Third Place for Dogs. They won a $50 Visa Gift Card.

We had an Honorable Mention for dogs. Super exciting as this is my dog, Maverick. We won a $25 Visa Gift Card.

We had an Honorable Mention in Buddies. They won a $25 Visa Gift Card.

In the National Adorable Children contest…..

We had a Second Place for Bloopers. They won a $75 Visa Gift Card.

We had a Third Place for Bloopers. They won a $50 Visa Gift Card.

We had a Third Place for 13 Months- 2 Years. They won a $50 Visa Gift Card.

We had an Honorable Mention for 9-12 Years. They won a $25 Visa Gift Card.

The lab where these took place is having some website issues, but as soon as we can see the other winners, I will post them here, too. Congratulations, everyone! Thanks for participating and voting! =)

And since we did not do the local portion of the Pawsitively Adorable as it was mostly my assistant’s dogs and family pets, and I had not posted the Pawsitively Adorable images, these are the other images we submitted. So they each received a 16×20 print from their session.

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Stewartville High School Football: Celebrating Back-to-Back State Championships with Sports Photography {SE MN Photographer}

Celebrating Back-to-Back State Champions: Stewartville High School Football

It’s hard to believe it’s already been just over a week since the Stewartville High School football team clinched the Minnesota Class 3A Prep Bowl State Championship for the second year in a row and the excitement still lingers!

Capturing the Moments That Matter

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take pre-game photos of my cousin Collin this year—I caught a cold after my first weekend of Christmas Minis and didn’t want to risk him getting sick before the big game. However, this week, we finally had the chance to capture his portraits. These photos were a long time coming, as we weren’t able to take any last year after the state championship as I landed in the hospital for a few days after surgery and Collin needed to hand in his uniform.

We’ve been eagerly looking forward to taking these photos—not just for Collin but also for my uncle, who proudly displays photos of his family in his shop. Now, he can hang banners of both his grandsons, who have each been part of state championship teams. Collin and his cousin Connor, who was on Chatfield’s 2021 championship team, have made the family incredibly proud. For Collin’s banner, we created a design to complement the one I made for Connor after the Chatfield Gophers’ big win. It’s been an honor to help preserve these memories for our family and celebrate the hard work and achievements of both Collin and Connor!

Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Small-Town Pride

Being a sports photographer in Southeast Minnesota means I get to witness firsthand the passion and dedication these athletes pour into their sport. The Stewartville football team’s back-to-back state titles are a result of countless hours of practice, grit, and perseverance. As a sports photographer based in Stewartville, MN, I’ve had the privilege of capturing moments from some of the most hardworking and dedicated athletes in the region. Watching these teams achieve their goals is not only a joy for the players and coaches but also for the families, friends, and entire communities that rally behind them. These victories don’t just belong to the players—they’re shared by the entire community. It’s truly inspiring to see how sports bring people together to celebrate resilience, teamwork, and triumph.

The Value of Sports Photography

As a SE MN sports team photographer, moments like these remind me why I love what I do. Whether it’s team banners, individual portraits, or action shots on the field, sports photography captures the heart and spirit of the game. It freezes a moment in time, allowing players and their supporters to relive the pride and excitement of their achievements. Each photo is a reminder of the hard work, dedication, and memories made on and off the field.

To the Stewartville High School football team, congratulations on an incredible season and back-to-back state titles! You’ve made your community proud, created memories that will last a lifetime, and inspired the next generation of athletes.

Congratulations to the Stewartville Tigers!

To the Stewartville High School football team, congratulations on an incredible season and back-to-back state titles! You’ve made your community proud, created memories that will last a lifetime, and inspired the next generation of athletes.

Stewartville Tigers football victory photos
Connor McGill Chatfield football state championship banner

For inquiries about sports photography in Stewartville, MN, or to book a session for your team, feel free to reach out. I specialize in capturing team banners, individual portraits, and game-day action shots throughout Southeast Minnesota. Let’s create something your team will treasure forever!

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MN Toddler Portrait {MN Portrait Photographer}

Capturing the Joy of Childhood: A 2-Year-Old’s Portrait Session in Spring Valley, MN!

Here are a few of our favorite photos from a recent portrait session with an adorable 2-year-old girl in our studio.

Dressed in a cute outfit from our studio closet, specially curated for our young clients, this little princess stole the show with her big brown eyes and the most beautiful curly hair we’ve ever seen!

As the session began, it started in typical 2-year-old fashion – she was a bit shy, often hiding her face whenever the camera came out. But we knew just the trick to bring out her natural joy and curiosity after our other tricks failed – a balloon! The balloon worked like a charm, bringing out her playful side and creating moments of pure joy and laughter bringing out the most beautiful smiles and expressions. We captured some great photos that truly reflect the innocence and wonder of childhood.

Moments like these remind us why we love what we do. Capturing the magic of childhood and freezing those precious moments in time is an absolute privilege. Thank you to this adorable 2-year-old and her family for letting us capture these photos.

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Newborn Portrait Session {SE MN Newborn Photographer}

This newborn portrait session was not just about capturing beautiful images but also about celebrating family bonds and cherished memories.

My cousin and her family visited our studio now as a family of four, with a proud big sister, Miss B, who was eager to welcome her baby brother into the world. The family chose to wear shades of blue, creating a cohesive and timeless look that added a special touch to the photos.

One of the most meaningful portraits of this session was the inclusion of a cherished family heirloom – Mom’s Dad’s guitar. This guitar holds immense sentimental value as Grandpa passed away, making it a precious memento of his legacy and the time his family enjoyed listening to him play his guitar. The guitar was also used in newborn photos of big sister Miss B four years ago, creating a beautiful connection between the two siblings and their family history.

Capturing these moments was not just about creating newborn portraits but also about preserving memories and honoring loved ones, creating images that will be treasured for generations to come.

Lastly, the newborn guitar image is a composite to keep Mr. H totally safe.

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Kingsland Athletic Booster Club Posters {SE MN Sports Posters}

The Kingsland Athletic Booster Club 2024 Spring 10×20 banner photos are available and this year we added being able to purchase the individuals with different backgrounds. $10 of each team banner photo will go back to KABC.

We are using the same site used this fall and winter for orders. If you have a student on the team, you will/should have received an email from the coach/advisor with the link, access code, and 2 PDF files, one is a step-by-step on how to order and the other has a code for free shipping. I also added a video walkthrough if you are having trouble ordering.

The gallery will expire, on Sunday, May 12th, 2024.

These orders will also be shipped directly to you from the lab. These orders are sent automatically to the lab, we will not see them, so no changes can be made once an order has been placed. Please double-check your order and crop of photos before completing your order.Only order the team photos as 10×20’s, if you order as another size, it will cut the photo off as shown in the preview

before confirming, what you see on the confirmation screen is what you will get.

If you have any questions or did not get the email from the coach/advisor, please let me know.

2024 Kingsland Trap Team Poster taken and composited by Kari McGill
2024 GMLOK Softball Team Poster taken and composited by Kari McGill
2024 GMLOKS TrackTeam Poster taken and composited by Kari McGill

If you are looking for a Team Posters for your sports team, be sure to reach out and let me know. We would love to photograph your team.

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Capturing the Strength and Determination of Young Girl Wrestlers {MN Sports Photographer}

We had the incredible opportunity to photograph a recent sports portrait session featuring two exceptional young girl wrestlers. What made this session even more unique was the use of smoke and gels to create dynamic and captivating images.

Today they wrestled at NYWA Girls State and they both placed 2nd! This achievement is a testament to their hard work, perseverance, and the unwavering support of their coaches, families, and teammates.

Girl wrestlers are breaking barriers and redefining what it means to be strong and resilient, and I am grateful to have been able to capture a glimpse of their journey through my lens.

Additionally, one of the girls is also involved in dance, so I crafted a unique half-and-half image to showcase her love for both sports.

Here’s to celebrating the incredible achievements of these young athletes and honoring their inspiring commitment to excellence!

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Photography by Kari specializes in custom portraiture of newborn, family, children sports team banners, dog, and high school seniors in Spring Valley, MN, and surrounding Southeast Minnesota areas.

Areas, including, but not limited to, Rochester, Preston, Chatfield, Stewartville, Grand Meadow, LeRoy, Ostrander, Kasson, Hayfield, Plainview, St. Charles and Pine Island.

Southeast Minnesota based photographer.

specializing in newborn, family, children, and senior photography.

located in sPRING vALLEY, mn

TELEPHONE :: 507.951.0640

E-MAil :: kari@photographybykari.com