A Night At The Circus

It's been 6 years since the Great Circus Parade has crawled up Wisconsin Ave. with muscular draft horses pulling monstrous circus wagons. But this weekend, the Circus is back in town!

Last night I went down to meet one of the Percheron horse teams from PA. Leearon Kline, who will drive the 6 hitch team and wagon, works for my photographer friend, Janet Fulcher, in Fawn Grove, PA. After 2 days on the road, they got the giant horses settled and showed my neighborhood kids what big horses are all about. The kids loved it!

Afterwards, I headed out on the circus grounds to have some fun with night photography. While hanging around the Merry-Go-Round, I ran into the Beck family, some of my great clients! Jordan was having the time of his life riding a pony around and around.

There's something about the Circus and carnival when it comes to town. Warm summer nights, cotton candy, animals to pet and acts to watch. Being out there at night really stretches the day's enjoyment! Now Leearon has some images to help her remember her time in Milwaukee, driving a 6 hitch Percheron team that pulls the big 'ole Circus wagon, for what may be the last Circus Parade to ever grace the streets of Milwaukee.

A Day in Chicago

Yesterday I had fun taking the train to Chicago to meet a friend and see the Broadway cast's performance of Mary Poppins! It was a wonderful afternoon in the Palace theatre, where the audience was 98% women and young girls. Busloads of girl scouts and grandma's with their grandaughters graced this storied theatre for the 3 hr. show.

It was fabulous! The dance numbers were impeccable and of course, I enjoyed the lighting and sets. I'm so thankful that there are people that choose to make their living in the theatrical arts. Their abilities always leave a smile on my face!

Back at the train station, I made a few images of the Great Wall, with the American flag draping the one side. The train is a wonderful way to commute into Chicago and avoid the construction on I-94.

A Senior to Remember

Every year, when I'm photographing high school Seniors, I get a glimpse of their character and personality. This year I've been lucky to photograph a student from Franklin High that has already shown enough ambition, dedication and selfless acts to fill a stadium.

Because I'm going to produce a custom book for Derek, I started photographing him during wrestling season. He was fast and strong!. Then we moved into Track & Field season, where I watched him reach a personal best in the pole vault. Add in an 800 run and a relay and you get the picture - fast, strong and has endurance!

But what really impressed me was the Eagle Scout project Derek took on. My nephew's an Eagle Scout so I know the drive, dedication and ambition one has to have to achieve the Eagle Scout ranking. For his project, Derek built a Veterans Memorial in Franklin to honor those that have served our country, including 3 generations of his family. No big deal, you might think, until I tell you that he sold the idea to the Planning Commission, Parks Commission, Veterans Associations and many others that could say "yea" or "nay" to his project. Throw in requests for donations to the tune of $50,000 so that the Memorial could be built, and I think you get the idea of his goal setting.

So it was an honor to make some images of him that show off the work he's accomplished thus far and give you a glimpse of the quiet strength he possess to achieve his goals. Here's a young guy that each time I'm done photographing him, thanks me! Little does he know that he's made me feel like a million bucks!