PRESTON PALMER

Foraging for food in Wisconsin - August 2008

Preston Palmer — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:44:48 +0000

This August was our second foraging trip to River Haven, WI. The variety of food we were able to forage changed since our June foraging tip. Most notably, we had Blackberries and Apples! The Blackberries made a wonderful sweet addition to our salad and the apples a great treat for our walks through the woods. Many of the flowers and younger greens that were available to us in June for our last foraging trip, like dandelion, were no longer available for us to eat. For more information on foraging, take a look at Foraging Wisconsin in June post, where I wrote more on foraging, and also provide contact information for future trips!

Turn the page for more pictures!

Family Pictures at the Plummer House in Rochester

Preston Palmer — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:38:36 +0000

Last week I took pictures of a family at the Plummer House in Rochester. It is a fantastic location for portraits and I would highly recommend it as a location for anyone looking to get married in Rochester, MN. The gardens make for a beautiful backdrop and setting. We had a great time taking the pictures, and the kids behaved just long enough to get exactly what we wanted! A few of my favorites are in the gallery below. Enjoy the pictures!

All images Copyright by Preston Palmer

Emily and Eric’s Wedding Pictures

Preston Palmer — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:33:47 +0000

Wedding Pictures in Eau Claire, WI.

Congratulations Emily and Eric! Your wedding at the Florian Gardens was beautiful and stress free! I had such a great time taking your wedding pictures.

Thank you for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!

To order wedding pictures from this wedding, CLICK HERE.
Here are some of my favorites from the day…

Minnesota Wedding Photography

Click here to see Emily and Eric’s Engagement Pictures

Wedding Photography by Preston Palmer

Foraging for food in Wisconsin - June 2008

Preston Palmer — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:10:49 +0000

Foraging for food is a great way to detoxify the body and discover the amazing diversity of edible plants we walk past and dismiss daily. Last weekend, a small group of us got together and went to River Haven, Wisconsin , for a three day lesson to learn what is edible, and more importantly what it would be like to survive on a pure plant based diet in nature if we ever needed to. All you really need is a sense of adventure, an open mind… and an open mouth!

The rules for the foraging trip were simple. We must eat everything we find in their raw and natural state, no altering the food by cooking or fire. This insures that we are getting the maximum nutrients out of each plant so our bodies could detoxify and heal!

Foraging in the Midwest was actually easier than I thought. Initially I had expected a large number of foods to be inedible and actually poisonous or toxic. As it turns out, 99% of the plants you see (excluding mushrooms) are edible, nutritious, and surprisingly quite tasty! The Law of Attraction is the best way to determine what is and isn’t edible. If the plant you are about to eat passes a few basic tests, it is probably edible. 1. Does it look appealing? When it is picked and smelled, is the smell appealing? When it is touched to the tongue and lips is there any burning or tingling? Does it taste bitter or rancid? Is it difficult to chew or swallow? If you answered YES to any of the last 3 questions, you know what isn’t edible.

Relaxing by the camp fire at night

We tasted just about everything we could get our hands on. Roots, bark, leaves, weeds, pine needles, etc.; you name it, we probably tried eating it. When Carol, our herbalist, arrived, it was amazing to discover that the foods we had selected using the Law of Attraction were some of the healthiest and medicinal plants around.

The food available to forage in the Midwest states in the early months of summer are mostly greens. Our group found around 25 different varieties of tasty greens which we regularly ate and are included in the picture gallery below, along with a detailed description of each plant.

We ended our forage with a delicious and organic meal from the Ecopolitan Restaurant

Our next foraging trip at River Haven, WI is on August 8, 9 and 10. This trip will include some of my favorites to eat, blackberries! If you would like to join this foraging trip, or would like information on purchasing land in the River Haven organic and sustainable land Coop, please use the CONTACT FORM and I will send you more information. For information on future foraging trips, check this blog, or head over to the Ecopolitan website for future dates.

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Jennae and Tyler’s Wedding Pictures

Preston Palmer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:15:03 +0000

Wedding Photography in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the Crowne Plaza Hotel

Jennae and Tyler,

Your wedding was PERFECT! The weather was great, thank God the rain held off just long enough for the ceremony to finish. I am so happy that you two decided to get married. I know you will have a wonderful life together! We wish all the best for you. I am so glad you chose me to be your wedding photographer instead of dressing up in a monkey suit! I had more fun behind the camera, and I know you will love the pictures!

To order pictures from this wedding, CLICK HERE.

Here are some of my favorites from the day…

Minneapolis Wedding Pictures

CLICK HERE to see Jennae and Tyler’s Engagement Pictures

Emily and Eric’s Engagement Pictures at Como Park

Preston Palmer — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:33:26 +0000

What a beautiful day for Engagement pictures! Emily and Eric were a blast to work with. We started the afternoon with engagement pictures at Como park. The greenery and flowers were refreshing to see after the long winter we’ve endured. We ended with pictures at the Walker Art garden. I can’t wait to take your wedding pictures at the end of June. Congratulations Emily and Eric, or should I say EW squared!

To order Emily and Eric’s Engagement Pictures, CLICK HERE.
Here are some of my favorites from the day…

Emily and Eric’s Engagement Pictures

Click here to see Emily and Eric’s Wedding Pictures

Paul and Rebecca’s Wedding Pictures

Preston Palmer — Mon, 26 May 2008 05:48:30 +0000

Wedding Photography in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

It is not often that I get the pleasure of taking pictures at a small intimate wedding. I was honored to be chosen as the wedding photographer for Rebecca and Paul’s wedding on May 24th. The wedding was hosted at a lovely home in Eden Prairie, MN.

Paul and Rebecca at the Flying Cloud Airport

When I arrived, I immediately felt a true sense of peace, family and love. It was such an honor to capture such an extraordinary event without all the rush and often chaotic frenzy that is associated with “the big day.” In just a few hours I got to see what love and commitment meant to this couple and what kind of life they will lead as they travel into the unknown. With that spirit I took them to Staring Lake Park and then to Flying Cloud Airport to take the Bride and Groom pictures. Rebecca and Paul, thank you so much choosing me as your wedding photographer. I truly enjoyed it and was delighted and refreshed to see such intimacy associated with the wedding day. I wish you two the best in your future endeavors!

To order wedding pictures from this wedding, CLICK HERE.
Here are some of my favorites from the day…

Minnesota Wedding Photography

Kathy & Eric’s Wedding

Preston Palmer — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:34:18 +0000

Wedding Photography in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Congratulations Kathy and Eric!
What a perfect day for your beautiful wedding!

Thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer. Your wedding was wonderful. I don’t see many weddings as intimate as yours. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and laid back feeling of everyone in the group, including you guys! It seemed like everyone knew each other and was very comfortable. I know that you had a great time. I wish you all the best in your upcoming years. I can’t wait to meet the little one you are expecting, and of course to be your photographer for your reception this fall.

To order pictures from this wedding, CLICK HERE.

Here are some of my favorites from the day…

White Bear Lake Wedding Pictures

A New Addition To Our Family

Preston Palmer — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:02:52 +0000

To everyone who has been asking to see pictures of our new dog ECO, you can stop asking now because I am posting pictures of him!

Annie and I adopted Eco from a program called UnderDog Rescue. He was a stray and taken by Minneapolis animal control about 6 weeks ago. UnderDog Rescue quickly took him from animal control before he was euthanized and put him with a foster family where he was nursed back to health. He was extremely thin, had frostbite on this snout and had a pretty bad infection, and showed all the signs of abandonment and abuse. Annie and I had been looking for a small dog for some time, and when we found Eco, we knew he was ours!

Eco is a Toy Rat Terrier, weighs about 10lbs, and is 8 months old. He takes a little bit to warm up to new people, which is expected given his past… but once he learns that you are not going to hurt him he will be your best friend. He has a wonderful temperament and is extremely loyal. He never lets us out of his sight. Eco loves balls and never gets sick of fetch! We have only had him for about a week now, and he is wonderful! He love to cuddle and his most favorite thing in the world is to be held. Even more than playing fetch! He wakes us up promptly at 6:00am to go to the bathroom, and then is ready to play. He certainly is the best alarm clock we have ever owned.

Destination Wedding in Mexico

Preston Palmer — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:52:08 +0000

Destination Wedding Photography

Finally! A Relaxing Destination Wedding

Congratulations Tadd and Maggie on your BEAUTIFUL WEDDING!!!

I forgot what a treat it was to attend a wedding and NOT have the stress of being the hired wedding photographer.
My cousin-in-law was married at the Ana y José Beach Club in Tulum Mexico. This happens to be the first beach wedding I have ever attended, although I am sure it will not be the last! This wedding was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was also a WONDERFUL escape from the arctic winter here in Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota.

To reduce my urge to intrude on the other photographer, I forced myself to bring only one camera, one lens and no flash. So I brought my Canon EOS 5D and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. This is an excellent setup for use in good light as long as you are not trying to get huge depth of field effects that can only be achieved by a faster lens.

If you would like to order any of these photos, CLICK HERE

Here are some of the pictures I took on the side…