Grandpa's Watch

Yesterday I wrote about the joy people will feel when they open the gifts of professional photographs during the Holidays and now I've got a photo that proves it.

Last night, after that Packer game, I was working on this image. Patrick's mom, Kitty, had an old pocket watch that was her father's. He received it for working on the railroad years ago. Since her dad had passed, she knew it would be a great image for her mom if Patrick had the watch in one image.

I had not known this little bit of family history when I told them where to meet me for Patrick's Creative Session. I love it when the stars align because I had said to meet me near the railroad tracks. We not only had tracks to work with but a big ole' railroad bridge trestle in the Milwaukee River. (Can you hear the emotion laden music start to build in the background yet?)

So I made a few images of Patrick with his grandfather's watch and when Kitty chose the image she liked of Patrick, the watch wasn't in it. So with a little digital magic, I brought the watch into the best image of Patrick and you have to know there'd better be a box of tissues close to grandma when she opens THIS present!

I not only I LOVE what I do but I love what my work does for those who view it!

Peggy, Where have you been??

Lately I hear that question a lot. It's been a very busy season for this Chief Elf! If I'm not walking the dogs, shoveling the sidewalk and driveway or trying to keep my energy up by actually stopping for a meal, I find myself putting permanent indentations into my chair. So I thought it deserved an "iReport" look at the process of producing digital images.

But I'm actually having fun retouching and enhancing everyone's images for the Holiday because I know that when people open them up during Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kawanza family gatherings, they are going to be pleased to have a great photograph of their loved ones! So that keeps me going.

Right now I've got the Packers game on while I retouch some of my last orders. Then it's "swooooooosh" - off to the lab via the internet so my terrific labs can not only make me look good but also deliver them in the Fed Ex sleigh in time for you to wrap them all up.

Gift Certificates can still be purchased for gifts!! For a limited time only, you can purchase a $200 Gift Certificate for $150. It's good towards a Creative Session with some left over to put towards those great prints I'm working on!