Salwa Bullard Photography » portraits

The Mahmoud Family :: Minneapolis Family Photography

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:39:51 +0000

I love shooting toddlers, because the entire session is unscripted. Where this age group is concerned, the “perfect shot” is capturing them in action – exploring, running, playing, and generally doing whatever occurs to them in that instant. Little Roan in this session was no exception! It was a pleasure shooting your family, Rachel…here are a few of my favorites from yoursession!

Generational Session: A Family Portrait!

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 22:36:53 +0000

I was so flattered when Ashley asked me to photographer her family; she is an extremely talented photographer whom I considered a mentor when I first got started myself. I’m lucky to call her a friend now, and we had a blast at the shoot! She wanted to do the session as a gift to her mother and grandmother. There are four generations of women represented in these photos, and they were all as fun and friendly as they are photogenic. Please enjoy a few of my favorites!

The He-Chen Family

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:27:51 +0000

I just love this family! They are high energy and a lot of fun – a real joy to be around. I was fortunate to get to photograph them for the second year in a row. Check out last year’s session to see how much the boys have grown!

Jack, 6 months :: Minneapolis Baby Photographer

Salwa Bullard — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:48:51 +0000

It was the kind of day where all you had to do was step outside, and within minutes you were covered in a lovely sheen. Mosquitoes flew rampant…until they caught your scent, that is – and then you were done for. Nevertheless, baby Jack and his parents were troopers, and we had a great portrait session at Como Park!

Jack’s cousin Karsten joined us for a little while. I love Jack’s expression as he reaches for his cousin’s face!

Nose? Why yes, I believe I’ll help myself, thank you.

Such a beautiful family!

Thanks for letting me be a part of your day!

Nicole + Ryan :: New Prague Engagement Photographer

Salwa Bullard — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:47:53 +0000

She is a graphic designer who makes rustic, wood-burned signs. He is a mechanic who builds meat smokers out of propane tanks and competes in BBQ contests. How freaking cool are they?! Nicole and Ryan are an awesome couple – really down to earth and easy to talk to – and I had so much fun walking around New Prague with them on their engagement shoot. With all of their impressive crafty skills (I’m jealous!), and how chill they both are, I seriously cannot wait to shoot their wedding in October!

Congratulations, you two!

Their beautiful dog, Chubs, did SO well through his part of the shoot. Eventually, though, he decided that being photographed wasn’t all that interesting anymore…

Jen – Composer Extraodinaire! :: Chicago Portrait Photography

Salwa Bullard — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:13:26 +0000

It’s not because I’m biased that I describe Jen as one of the most insanely intelligent and talented people I know. She just…is. We were roommates our freshman year in college along with Veronica (Watson 217 HOLLA!), and I remember writing in my journal that I was amazed at the sheer volume of talent and overall awesomeness living on my floor. Jen exemplified that. I quickly discovered that she sang like an angel, was all sorts of musically gifted, and could prove mathematical theorems at an alarming pace. Jen is now a composer, and you can and should check out her website here. Her music is wonderful; she arranged a beautiful piece for a string trio for my wedding recessional, just so I would be able have the Egyptian culture represented musically.

This past November, we were reunited in Chicago for Veronica’s wedding. I was nothing short of delighted when Jen asked if I would do a mini-session with her, so she could have some head shots for her website. Wander around Chicago on a beautiful autumn afternoon with my fabulous friend, AND take photos of her? Yes, please!

Now, Jen is one of the most genuinely sweet people I know. She is funny, kind, humble, and lovely through-and-through. But she has a Look that will melt your face off! The next image takes me back to the college days, when I would ask Jen to be my Homework Enforcer. She employed the Look very effectively and made sure I stayed on track!

From Sassy to Sweet to Sassy again, all in under 60 seconds

We had some positively delicious lighting toward the end of our session. I love that this field-like setting is in the heart of downtown Chicago!

Thank you, Jen, for ambling through downtown Chicago with me – I had a blast!

The He-Chen Family :: Minneapolis Family Photographer

Salwa Bullard — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:16:06 +0000

I met Yi, Mei, Calvin and Ethan at the Como Zoo Conservatory for our session. It’s a fun place to explore with two little boys…and especially nice to get out of the cold for awhile! Yi and I were in the same chemistry graduate program (go Badgers!) and overlapped by a couple of years, so it was great to catch up with him and meet his terrific family!

I love this – I just asked the brothers to sit together, and all on his own, Calvin decided to give his little brother a kiss!

So naturally, Ethan had to return the favor….whether or not Calvin liked it .

The boys had wonderfully fun personalities, and were so full of affection for each other, it was impossible not to smile right along with them!

Come February, Yi and Mei will have been married for 11 years – how wonderful is that??

You have an absolutely beautiful family, Yi and Mei – thanks so much for letting me be a part of your day!

The Ness Family :: Minneapolis Family Portrait Photographer

Salwa Bullard — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:21:54 +0000

Ok. I hope you guys don’t mind long posts, because it was seriously very difficult choosing some favorites to put up on the blog. I loved this session! Have you ever been to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden? Have you ever been there with a 3-year-old? Because man, that’s the way to do it. Isaac was so excited about everything he saw, and he had such a great time with his parents, it was hard not to to grin through the whole thing. Love this family, love these images, and hope you do too!

The following, my friends, is a photographic illustration of why I love MN – just look at those beautiful fall colors! Someone remind me to come back to these two images when it’s 20 below zero this winter, kay?

Isaac is so cute! Look at all his fun expressions!

Thanks for letting me a part of your day, Tasha and Peter – you have a beautiful family!

Sara + Jared :: Minneapolis Engagement Photography

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:59:13 +0000

When Sara told me she wanted a vintage-style feel for part of her engagement shoot, I was super-pumped! I love doing different looks and shooting in new places. The first half of our shoot was at this sweet design store, Spinario Design and Gallery in NE Minneapolis. A big thank you to the owners for allowing us to wander around photographing, trying to stay out of customers’ way . Spinario has an amazing collection of furniture, art, and miscellaneous whatnot, which made for a great setting for this session!

Sara started off with a beautiful fuchsia hair flower and a pair of sexy fuchsia pumps for a pop of color, and as you can see, she looked fabulous. She and Jared were so sweet together – their love for each other really shone through the camera. They are getting married in Las Vegas next October, and decided to have their engagement photos done in their current home state. Thank you, Sara and Jared, for choosing me to photograph you!

After we left Spinario, we hopped over to the St. Anthony Main side of the river to capture some of the beautiful fall weather we were having. Of course, I couldn’t resist stopping in an alley way before we hit the park! Just look at that bright yellow railing and tell me you wouldn’t have done the same .

Enter Sara and Jared’s dog, Gizmo!

(I just love the beautiful colors in the next photo. My number one favorite thing about the autumn is the leaves turning colors!)

Congratulations, Sara and Jared! Best wishes for your wedding next year!

The Oberg Family :: Minneapolis Family Portrait Photography

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:08:33 +0000

Amy, Russ, Annabelle and Emily: Fun, spirited, and full of love for each other! I had a great time on this family shoot. It was especially fun to watch the sisters interact. They both already have such unique personalities, and are very sweet together…most of the time, anyway . Congratulations on an adorable family!

Annabelle:

Emily:

Sisters:

Annabelle started a game where we thought up new words to say instead of “cheese,” for the camera. I think this one might be “APPLE!”

The following image might be my favorite from the session. Mother and daughter both look so serene…

I like this series of sister shots. At first, Annabelle was upset that Emily didn’t want to pose with her…but then her parents made her laugh, and all was well again!

Annabelle was pretty excited about her loose tooth:

I asked Amy and Russ to pose for a few pictures alone, and they ended up in giggles . They’re so cute!

Amy and Russ, thank you for letting me capture your beautiful family!

Ashley & Brooke :: Minneapolis Portrait Photography

Salwa Bullard — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:10:56 +0000

Ashley is such a fun little girl. She can cat-walk, pose, and work an outfit like nobody’s business, and in the next instant she just dissolves into giggles! She was alternately bashful and outgoing, and through it all, very sweet. She obviously has a special bond with her mother Brooke, and I had fun hanging out with them and capturing them talking and playing together. I seriously love every photo from this session – it was so hard to narrow it down for the blog post!

Without further ado…

Thanks for letting me be a part of your day, Brooke and Ashley!

Christy: Musician

Salwa Bullard — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:41:05 +0000

Christy is an aspiring musician in the Twin Cities area, and wanted some photos for her portfolio. She’s full of funk and flair, and let me tell you – that girl can pose! I love that her guitar is a vivid blue – colorful, just like her personality! Best of luck in your career, Christy!

Veronica & Naim: Engaged

Salwa Bullard — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:58:45 +0000

Veronica and I were roommates in college and have been good friends ever since, so I was absolutely delighted when she asked me to shoot her engagement photos. My husband and I spent a very fun weekend with V and her fiance Naim in Detroit, which is where he grew up. Turns out, Naim knows everything about that city! Everywhere we went, he could relate a story or tell us a thing or two about its history. We had a great time, and are so happy that two wonderful people found each other and are beginning their lives together. Congratulations Veronica and Naim, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you in November!

The happy couple is pictured here with the engagement saxophone that Veronica got for Naim. Love that!

After I professed my love for the graffiti’d background, they raised their eyebrows. ‘Oh, we can show you some REAL graffiti,’ they said. And did they ever. This whole alleyway was completely covered in paint. What a sight!

We paid a visit to the University of Michigan law quad. It. Was. Stunning.

We also visited the Heidelberg Project: a section of a Detroit neighborhood whose vacant lots and houses have been transformed into art. You can read more about it here!

Natalie & Jordan: Expecting

Salwa Bullard — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Back in early November, I had the pleasure of photographing a maternity session for my good friends Natalie and Jordan. She was about 6 1/2 months along, and positively glowing. This shoot was so much fun, because their excitement was tangible – I’m pretty sure that there was actual electricity crackling in the air at one point . They’re going to make the best parents.

Congratulations, Natalie and Jordan!

Jamie + JJ: Engaged

Salwa Bullard — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Jamie and JJ took a chance on November weather to do an engagement shoot, and we all lucked out with gorgeous weather! We shot all around downtown Stillwater, and had a great time! This pair is such an energetic, fun-loving couple, and so obviously in love with each other, that it was a great pleasure to shoot for them.

Congratulations, Jamie and JJ!