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thanks for visiting the blog of STUDIO6.23 , a.k.a. ben and mindy peterson.

this is our wall for posting favorite pics from recent weddings or kid sessions. but somehow, a bunch of other randomness finds its way here as well.

we got married in 2000. makes it simple math to remember how long we’ve been married. and we’re crazy about our three kids.

i guess that’s why we shoot weddings and kids. it’s what we know — and love!

to keep up with our work or a bit of the peterson craziness, enter your email below or click the little squares that look familiar to you.

FOLLOW 6.23

for the first part of our 10 year marriage, we fell into decorating like all of our friends and the classic pottery barn look (**sidenote: we do still like some things at pottery barn…. just using it for a more visual picture). it was a fairly simple and classic look, with neutral colors and adding a shot of “boldness” was going crazy with a patterned pillow on the beige couch. looking back, ben and i both agree that we not only decorated in a way that was not necessarily our style, but we hadn’t even come to grips with what our style was! GASP!! when we decided to remodel our unfinished basement into our working studio, our style was the most important element. this is the place where we meet with wedding clients, other vendors, and carry out our daily workload. but for us, it has also become our favorite place in our house. we were able to start from scratch and not only decorate however we wanted, but also design the floors, ceiling, walls……. everything!!! and 97% of the time, we had a blast doing it. what is the other 3%, you ask? if you are married…… you already know the answer. :) in fact, there is only one small wall in our studio that is still incomplete and it’s the only wall that we haven’t agreed yet as to how we will finish it. and that is where YOU come in! we are taking suggestions for what to do around the TV. ben wanted nothing….. mindy wanted the windows (that are currently hanging) to be painted and then…. something a bit more, just to make that area feel complete. soooooo…. bring on your suggestions….. and of course other comments, please!!!

we will let the photos speak for themselves as to what our studio now looks like, but we sure do have to mention the fantabulous people and places that helped us make it a reality!! let’s first give it up for randy ross, a good friend of ours that is crazy awesome with not only creating and constructing, but also loves to design. we pitched randy our vision and away with it he went, adding his own stupendous details and inventions along the way. and we are super happy to share him since he is so awesome……. so here are his digits (847.525.4617). give him a jingle. and of course we have to give a big shout out to our incredible friends, ben + laura harrison, lisa ruff and tom abrams for not only their creative opinions, but also manual labor of love. :)

mid-century industrial modern with a splash of vintage and retro flair was the look we were trying to achieve. yeah…. we mixed it up….. we’re crazy like that. :) we don’t play by the rules of decorating and it is only important that we are both happy with our choices. our pieces were found all over the place and we would scour the internet, ebay and our favorite stores until the perfect piece was found. mike and rich over at easttown antiques know us by name in there and we usually don’t leave empty handed! they are our favorite antique store in town not only because they have awesome stuff, but also because they are so darn friendly. :) some of our other large pieces came from our new favorite store in chicago, salvage one. where do we begin?!!! four floors of reclaimed and completely incredible pieces. one of our favorite things about salvage one is that they rent it out for weddings, receptions and other events. did we also mention that we are dying to shoot a wedding there? so 2010 couples…… check this place out….. it’s stylish but comfortable, vintage but modern and super crazy cool all rolled into one. anthropologie, blue door, ebay, crate-n-barrel and fulton antiques helped us fill in the details and overall…. we are so HAPPY to have a space to call our own.

enough of my babble….. introducing……. STUDIO 6.23….. the makeover. :)

19 Comments on this Post

  • Mallory said:

    I really, really thought I had left a comment on the this post. Because I’ve only looked at it at least 15 times since it’s been up, for real. And every single time I love it even more than the first time I looked at it (which is saying a lot since I was showing everyone and freaking out in love with every detail). You guys are amazing. And just to confirm, I LOVE THE STUDIO!

  • Lynn said:

    Your space blows my mind. AMAZING!

  • Shanthi said:

    Wow, wow! Just had a chance to catch up on your blog. The studio is really just amazing. I want to live in it. :) Congrats!

    Hope all is well with you!!

    The Rows

  • Rebecca said:

    fab & GORGEOUS! congrats!!

  • Mel Hendren said:

    Hey guys…Love the studio! The colors and style look amazing! We were thinking that we’d like to feature Ben & Mindy on our wall…feel free to send some pics!

  • meghan brown said:

    wow–absolutely amazing! i want to work here:) you guys are incredible

  • Kristine said:

    Absolutely beautiful space! Great mix of bright colors and vintage style (love the clock wall.) Congrats!

  • Emily Butkus said:

    Ben & Mindy!!

    Hey there… hope you both had a great Valentine’s Day together!

    So, I just wanted to quick give you my feedback for your finished remodel, I just LOVE how that landing turned out… with the checkered tile and the frames on the wall!!!! So inspiring :) I also think that vertical logo (of the 623) is fricken awesome too!!

    Very happy for you guys.. the studio looks amazing.

    Chat with you two later…

    *Emily

  • Karie McLain said:

    Awesome! I love it, and it’s totally you!

  • Natalie said:

    Your space is AMAZING!! I love all the color!

  • haley lamb said:

    so freakin’ cool!! what a fun place to work!

  • Bonnie Peterson said:

    First time we’ve seen your basement, Ben. Pretty awesome!! Maybe we can make it there this summer to get a first hand look. The colors are outstanding. Dave.

  • christine toner said:

    your new space is genius. then again you guys are too. bravo!
    ps. love your barn door, have one in my home office, one that my wee
    one [15 mths] has figured out how to open. it is the cutest thing
    to see her tiny fingers peaking through.

  • tom + lauren said:

    you guys really rawked that studio. we love it – when can we move in!?

  • Aletha | Pearls Events said:

    I love that you two have found your style. And I love that this studio looks JUST like you two! Congrats on a beautiful new space!

  • Danielle said:

    Love it!!! Great job, not that any of us doubted it would look amazing! Glad to see the kids fort got in on it too. What is the flooring? Can’t tell if it’s paint, carpet, or what…

  • Samantha V. said:

    UMMMM… LOVE IT! You two are wonderful and so is your new space!

  • Cameron Braun said:

    HOLY CRAP. I think I just pooped my pants a little. This is literally, without question, the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. O_o

    We may have to hire you guys to design our studio. Although it will NEVER live up to this. Wow.

  • erica said:

    i’m in love…

    …do you guys mind sharing your budget? this is all so inspiring!

2

.11

on the count of three, everyone say “hey” to our new intern, ERICA!! 1…2..2 1/2….3…

erica has actually been with us now since the second week of january, but this past week was the first time she was able to be with us when we had our cameras out….in the freezing cold… :)

so how did luck strike us with someone like erica?! she asked if she could do an internship with us at the perfect time!! and it was such a nice email, we simply had to meet her. and it’s all history from there. and what exactly does an intern for STUDIO 6.23 do? well, she’s helping us develop our intern program of course :) honestly, we feel that while learning photography and editing is very important, we’re focusing our internship program on learning what’s involved with running a photography business….what happens behind the curtain…and what keeps photographers up on facebook so late at night. blogging. workflow. processing orders. and the list goes on.

so today we’re giving a shoutout to erica, our first intern, who has been absolutely amazing and has set the bar very high!!

and now a bit more about erica…

6.23 if you could live anywhere in the world, where do you think it would be?
ERICA i was born & raised in the country but my heart is in the city! i would love to live in london!

6.23 if your favorite color could be a crayola crayon….. what would it be named?
ERICA summer days. my favorite color is yellow. canaries + banana popsicles + that polka dot bikini + the sun = summer & the perfect yellow :]

6.23 stores and styles that you love………
ERICA i love the “earthy” vintage look & i love accessories!! i have such a weakness for scarves! :] stores? huge forever21 & american eagle fan! they have great colors, accessories & jeans

6.23 what do you just LOVE to photograph?
ERICA i love to photograph couples & models. couples are so fun! i love capturing candid moments with couples. models are just absolutely beautiful & usually open to just about any location & any outfits which i’m a super fan of!

6.23 who is more fun to work with…. mindy or ben? :)
ERICA oh geez! i love them both for what its worth! do i have to?? rock paper scissors…mindy! she is an artsy, easily distracted girl after my own heart!! working with her is like working your best friend you’ve known for years. ben is the boss man & equally awesome tho :]

6.23 describe your personal photography style? how would you want someone to describe your photographs?
ERICA i love urban; awesome looking building,great colors, ect. i want people to look at my pictures & say “wow thats beautiful” :] i don’t care what i’m taking a picture of, i want it to be beautiful!

6.23 pick one song that describes you…. or two, if one is too hard!
ERICA gotta pick 2…first of all “i gotta feelin” by the black eyed peas…lets live it up! i try to live each day to the fullest. secondly, “who i am” by jessica andrews…nothing changes who i am :]

5 Comments on this Post

  • Grams said:

    Beautiful! You are so worth this training and do so well. Proud of you!!
    Good teachers too!! Awesome team!!!

  • erica's o.t.h.e.r. roommate :) said:

    ooooOOoOOOOh! Ow Ow!
    That’s one good lookin’ woman!!
    Ben & Mindy: You are so lucky to have her!

  • Amanda said:

    I love love love the pictures of Erica!
    Green!!! :D

  • erica's roommate :] said:

    you are beautiful! i love em’ all. :]

  • Erica said:

    omgosh yay! i love them :]

happy ALMOST valentine’s day!!!

last year, we didn’t get our christmas cards out until around valentine’s day. haha…oops! so we’ve surrendered and switched to doing valentines day cards instead :) we’re thinking we might even get them out ALMOST on time (less than a week late?!)

and in the spirit of our new tradition, today we’re sharing the picture that ALMOST made it on the card. it was between this one and another. so if you haven’t met our kids yet, meet (from left to right) langley (aka, “princess peach”, 4), keegan (7), and carter (5)!! yup…we love ‘em!

3 Comments on this Post

  • ben + laura said:

    oh how we love those little rascals!

  • elaine said:

    If that’s the ALMOST-made-it-picture, I’d love to see the real deal. Your kids would look adorable even without the parental photographic talent!!!

  • Jill said:

    Soooo cute! Of course, you guys make beautiful kids – look at you two!:) Don’t feel bad about Christmas cards – I never did them this year either!!

marty and rachelle are simply two of the most beautiful people we’ve ever met. inside and out. we didn’t want to leave biggby the first time we met…we could’ve talked for hours. they are both so amazingly creative, thoughtful and kind. every time that we connected — whether on phone or email — we walked away with a smile on our face.

so imagine how excited we were to spend a whole day with them!!

one crazy fun part of this whole story, though, involved the fact that they had an outdoor wedding planned….in NOVEMBER! i’m not gonna lie here. we were in florida the week before their wedding and we were a wee bit nervous about what michigan weather had in store for us. rachelle kept telling everyone that it was going to be the most beautiful day ever…and it totally was!! no joke…it was like 60 or 70 degrees. you kidding me?! in november?! i’m pretty sure rachelle has earned the right to say “i told you so” for years to come!

we’ve been so excited to share these pictures! every detail was so perfectly crafted (we’re talking hand made owls here people!!), and all the friends and family were so crazy nice. the best weddings are those where every aspect of the day are a reflection of the bride and groom. that was totally the case here. artistic. thoughtful. and personal. marty and rachelle…you inspire us!! and we can’t wait for our next cup of coffee with you. and now….some of our faves…

9 Comments on this Post

  • Amanda Thompson said:

    I absolutely love everything abut this album!
    Great photos!
    The colors are amazing.

  • Chantal said:

    Love the colors in the bridal party. You captured them so well! Beautiful.

  • Tami LaBrant said:

    Tami from Florida, here. LOVE your pics. I just love your work. I look at it all the time. I love how they (pics) looks so classic and vintage, right down to the “coloring” that you must edit with. Just love it. Would love to have them hanging on my wall :)

  • caroline said:

    holy freakin’ adorable, batman! the color palette?! the bridesmaid in cowboy boots?! the owls?! first off, these two are divine.. and secondly, well, ben + mindy, you guys truly captured the loveliness of this couple and their unique natures. bravo, kudos, tres bien.. rock on!

  • Mallory said:

    Those colors are beautiful, I love how the bridesmaids wore scarves. So creative! Ben+Mindy, you rocked your images as usual; y’all just keep getting better and better. :)

  • Danielle said:

    Great photos! I’m amazed at the creativity of the decorations… and the photogs. And I must say that it’s refreshing to see a wedding dress that’s not sleeveless!

  • ben + laura said:

    oh how we love vintage weddings with owls … you basically can’t go wrong. great job you two.

  • Rebecca said:

    so rich and beautiful–love the wedding party, the paper goods & decorations–congrats to the couple and cheers to these photos!

  • jill said:

    perfect. wow. yes. lovelovelove.

this was the perfect way to end our 2009 wedding season…in la jolla, california with the amazing drew and rochelle! mindy had only been to california one time before and it just happened to be to la jolla — which pretty much became one of her favorite places on earth. (i can still hear her asking …”why don’t we live here, ben?”) so when drew and rochelle called about a wedding in la jolla, let’s just say we were more than excited!!

drew was actually an old friend…I lived down the hall from him in college, and mindy got to know him through soccer connections. and then rochelle became an instant friend when we drove up to laguna to have dinner with her family our first day in california.

rochelle knew she wanted a rooftop wedding… and she found the perfect pink vintage hotel right on the water in la jolla. (heck, we could hear the sea lions barking while we were crashing in our room at night). and you should’ve seen what she did with the place!!! perfect flowers all over the place, a white tent for dancing, swank lounge chairs… you couldn’t help but feel cool just being there.

drew and rochelle….thank you, thank you, and thank you for inviting us to be a part of your day! it was so beautiful, and the two of you are SO wonderful together. can’t wait to see you again!! and now, here’s some of our faves from your perfect day….

3 Comments on this Post

  • ben + laura said:

    booyah … to that wedding is all we have to say :)

  • Rochelle said:

    Awe….so cool we made the first page!! :) I can’t stop looking at all the AMAZING photos that you took of our wedding. I love them all! Thanks for capturing everything!! You both rock!!! ;) love you guys

  • Mallory said:

    AHH what epic images. those bouquets, the flower girl (so perfect!), gorgeous couple, stunning details. so, SO beautiful!