Liz Banfield Photography

the big night

2010-02-05T12:46:00.001-08:00

Last night Tara Guérard and I hosted a superbly attended event at the Monique Lhuillier salon in Edina for Tara's visit to the Twin Cities to promote our new book Weddings by Tara Guérard. The previous day Tara and I made appearances on KSTP 5 and KARE 11 as well as the NACE luncheon. Tara and I mingled with guests and signed books, both wearing outfits by Monique Lhuillier. I absolutely love my dress! I plan to keep it forever both because it's a classic LBD and for the fond memories of this evening.

special event

2010-01-21T09:37:00.001-08:00

As you may know I shoot many events every year for the talented Tara Guerard of Soiree by Tara Guerard, based in New York and Charleston. We have collaborated on two books and the latest one has just been released. We are planning a very special party here in Minneapolis at the venerable Monique Lhuillier salon in Edina. Everyone is welcome! 5-7 on Thursday February 4th.

thinking of Hawaii

2010-01-12T13:20:00.001-08:00

We've had a cold snap here in Minnesota and even though I love winter, I found myself pining for the beach where this photo was taken, the venerable Mauna Kea Hotel. This unique "old school" beach hotel recently reopened after a long closure to repair and update after earthquake damage in 2006.

christmas eve

2009-12-30T12:11:00.001-08:00

My daughter, checking out the Christmas cookies! She is wearing a wonderful dress by Papo D'Anjo, a wonderful designer out of Portugal. I was a fan even before I had children and it's a special treat to dress my own in such beautiful frocks. I know it's just a matter of time before she's going to want to dress like a pop star.

Check out the Papo blog as well for behind the scenes info on the designer and the brand. I had the honor of meeting Catherine a few years ago when I shot her brother's wedding in the deep woods of Wisconsin.

jackson hole, wy

2009-12-23T11:32:00.001-08:00

I've been waiting almost a whole year to blog about this beautiful wedding I shot in Jackson Hole last January. The wedding has just been published in the winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. The opportunity to shoot such a beautiful event during my favorite season was a dream. This wedding had great taste, style, and simplicity. And tons of fresh powdery snow! A shout out to the beautiful floral design by Floral Hardware. Event planning by Leah Chase.

Holidazzle, Minneapolis

2009-12-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

Speaking of freezing hands, here is a recent shoot I did at the "Holidazzle" parade
in downtown Minneapolis. I shot three rolls of medium format. Would've been easier to shoot digital but I love how only film can really get that juicy look of objects in motion.

snow day

2009-12-10T11:40:00.001-08:00

We got a snowstorm yesterday, the kind that brings a really cold arctic blast with it. Today we are having a gloriously sunny day as a result and it reminds me of the day I took this picture a few years ago. Winter photos can be really sad without sun. But most sunny days in the winter are also very cold! My fingertips were really aching at the end of this shoot.

retreat, Berkshires

2009-11-20T07:39:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I attended an inspiring retreat with John Dolan, Holger Thoss, and Philippe Cheng in the Berkshires. These three photographers who also share a studio and blog are heros to many other photographers as they were early leaders to the idea of elevating wedding photography to an art form. The focus of the retreat was not on shooting but I did have my camera and snapped this picture of another great photographer and friend, Adrienne Page.

serendipity

2009-10-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

She just picked up the leaf and it all just worked. Taken at the Lake Harriet Peace Garden.

frosty morning

2009-10-28T09:16:00.001-07:00

From an early morning shoot yesterday for Organic Gardening magazine. A beautiful frost coated everything at dawn. Not my favorite time of day to be awake but it was definitely worth it from a photography perspective.

Greenport, NY

2009-10-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken recently during a portrait shoot. Normally I get pretty involved in picking out wardrobe and my bent is always towards a more formal look. This outfit breaks all my rules -- stripes, big logos, dark navy (all things I avoid) -- yet the everyday wardrobe and bare feet make this shot.

public library gem

2009-10-16T12:16:00.001-07:00

I recently did a catalog shoot for Manhattan Toy in the Minneapolis Central Library, an architectural gem by Cesar Pelli. We were allowed to shoot in the children's "special collection" room. I've been to the library dozens of times but never noticed this room since it is usually locked. I wanted to linger over the fabulous illustrations and old favorites (including The Littlest Angel a book from my childhood that I had all but forgotten about). Alas I had to move on with the job at hand but I plan to go back and photograph some of the books. This potential project reminds me of my friend Natasha D'Schommer who has been photographing a private collection at the Princeton Library for over ten years and recently published a book called Biblio that chronicles favorite images from that body of work.

stolen moment

2009-10-15T05:11:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I find it hard to stay anonymous at receptions where guests are always eager to pose for me. This shot feels like what I see when my camera is at my hip instead of my face. I'm glad everyone was blissfully unaware.

Gourmet, RIP

2009-10-08T13:52:00.001-07:00

I did not take this photo! It's a gorgeous shot by Roland Bello, who I discovered in the pages of Gourmet magazine. I'm heartbroken that Conde Nast has shut down this inspirational title.

reflection

2009-09-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

I was shooting a wedding recently and the justice of the peace earnestly suggested that I take a shot of the bride and groom looking in the mirror. I think she really wanted to help me expand my creativity! I ignored her of course but I couldn't help but think of her when I took this shot. There is a subtle play on dimension as you see the bride and groom's faces in the mirror just behind them. Maybe it's a classic shot and not a cliché after all.

Hennepin Ave, blue hour

2009-09-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

This was taken at a rehearsal dinner recently. For me this photo demonstrates the importance of being proactive about photo opportunities. Sure, the couple was having a great time visiting with friends and I hated to interrupt. But I knew I could make a great picture and it only took a second to pull them away.

Taken with Portra 800, 1/15 sec wide open at f/1.4

Town & Country Weddings

2009-09-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am a frequent contributor to Town & Country weddings yet I was giddy with excitement to be included in this essay about making the most of your photographer. This photo was taken immediately after the bride and groom walked down the aisle and into their classic car. They had done all the posed pictures before the wedding (always my preference) so they were headed straight to the reception with obvious joy on their faces.

hunt & gather

2009-09-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

I tend to shoot a lot of women so I was delighted when this man, an antique dealer at my neighborhood Hunt & Gather Antiques, agreed to let me take his portrait in his stylish house. I'm kicking myself for not taking some detail pictures of some of the objects in his home. He has a great collection of British Isles-oriented relics. His booth at Hunt & Gather also reflects this passion.

My website was recently updated to include many new portraits of real people.

fashion shoot

2009-08-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

Just yesterday I shot the fall line of clothing by designer Elizabeth McKay Jenkins. If you are looking for some bargains on summer items, visit her online store and enter code "HeidiKristoffer" for 40% off.

bellman

2009-07-28T09:22:00.001-07:00

I was charmed by the uniforms at the venerable Lyford Cay club in New Providence, Bahamas. That stripe along the side of the pants is light pink! To see the awesome interior decoration of this club, go to Tom Scheerer's website.

NY office

2009-07-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

A shoot with NY-based actor and model Margaret Anne Florence in the super stylish NY office of Soirée by Tara Guérard.

cocktail hour, maidstone club

2009-07-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

New piano

2009-06-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

peonies

2009-06-12T11:25:00.001-07:00

This from my kitchen five minutes ago. My backyard is blooming with gorgeous peonies.

Nassau, Bahamas

2009-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

This is a detail from "Balcony House" in historic Nassau. I wonder what those knobs were for?