Being Part of a Community

When I moved from rural Ozaukee County to the 'big city' of Milwaukee, I often felt like a small fish in a big lake.  I was raised in a town of 2000 people in western NY, so the city initially left me feeling disconnected.  My neighborhood was great, however, and everyone in 'the hood' is friendly and fun.  I began to make friends, associations, etc. and soon it felt like I was back in 'community.'

When churches, non-profit organizations and schools asked me to donate my services for their auctions and fund raising events, I readily participated.  It made me feel connected to others and added to the purpose of why I love, and need to, photograph.  I've realized my skill/work contributes to the visual history of a community and their families.  That feels real good to me; to be grounded on a plot of land with people who care about one another.

So when I was working on my tax preparation this month, I saw the list of churches, schools, organizations that I've become a part of through time.  They've helped me create a big Milwaukee family!  Here they are:
         St. Roberts School - Shorewood
         Holy Family School - Whitefish Bay
         Mequon Jewish Preschool - Mequon
         Rainbow Preschool - Fox Point
         Community Preschool - Whitefish Bay
         Big Brothers  Big Sisters - Milwaukee
         The Caring Place - Waukesha
         North Shore Children's Center - River Hills
         Sixteenth Street Community Health Center - Milwaukee
         American Heart Association - Milwaukee
         Hartford University School for Urban Exploration - Milwaukee
         Cream City Foundation - Milwaukee
         Milwaukee LGBT Community Center - Milwaukee
         LaCausa - Milwaukee
         Milwaukee Art Museum - Bal du Lac
         Alzheimer's Association - Milwaukee
         Dominican High School - Whitefish Bay
         St. Eugene Congregation

Thanks for asking me.  It's helped me as much as it's helped the organizations!

        

Santa's Helper

'Tis the season for family and friends to receive the gift that lives on long after Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza has passed! That's the gift of warm, family memories that glow brightly in our minds, when we view family photographs.

Being a photographer, I've been delegated by my family to keep our family's old images. With my Dad gone from our presence, I delight in seeing images of him, and photos of my 3 grandparents that I never knew. Mom tells me I was either in utero or too young to remember them. Thank God for photos!

It's always fun to see who looks like who in a photo! The most fun I have is watching the looks on the teenagers faces when they look at photos of when they were kids! Their parents will say cute things about them and they'll blush. Middle age folks remember back to all the fun they had at those younger ages and older folks will often comment about how good they looked back then. My mom does a little cringe when she sees this image of herself on the beach, but all my siblings think it's a great photo of her. (I look a like like her, don't I?!)

At Christmas, my father would bring out the slide projector and I'd sit upon his lap, helping him work the machine to show our extended family of grandma, aunts and uncles and cousins, all his old images from family reunions, past holidays and snapshots. Everyone would howl at the image of my mom and her 3 sisters! They they were, 4 young mothers, sitting on the grayish-green, textured couch, with 3 out of 4 of them wearing cat eye glasses! That straight-on-the-camera bulb flash made them look like they were in a police line-up! It still giggle just thinking about it. What a classic shot!

So as "Santa's Helper" delivers these prized possessions to all the familes that have trusted me with capturing their family's images this year, this 'elf' knows the power of the memories that will come to your family for years to come!

Holiday Cards Galore!

This time of year finds me busy with Holiday card orders from sessions during the summer and fall. If you're thinking it's too late to have a professional photo done and get it out in time for the Holidays, YOU'RE WRONG.

With over 25 different card templates to choose from, I'm sure to have something that will make you beam when you send out your cards! I'll be accepting photo session appointments right up until Christmas/Hanukkah because it's become a new trend for people to send out New Year's cards.

So rather than feel the pressure or worry that you've missed the timing for this year, RELAX, because you've still got time to schedule a creative session either in your home or my studio AND get a holiday card out. So if you're off around Thanksgiving time, get out your calendar and head to:

http://peggymorsch.bookmonline.com

and get your session scheduled. Then you too can have a beautiful, custom holiday card ready to send out to your dear friends and loved ones.

Foggy Family Portrait

The other day we had a little warm air blowing over the cooler waters of Lake Michigan, creating fog along the lakeshore area. When I went down to the Lake to prepare for a family portrait, there was a good bank of fog that called out to me, "get creative Peg - work with it!" I was all set up to go when the family arrived, and after a little chit chat, the fog had walked back out onto the lake and the sun started shining through. "Try working with that now!", the fog called out.

Not one to turn down a challenge OR disappoint a family, we patiently waited, while the Lake "breathed" the fog in and out. After working a spot for a while, we walked down to the beach and played some more. When it cleared a little, we had the most beautiful light at 3:00 in the afternoon! For a moment I felt like I was near the ocean.

Mom & Dad are going to love these images, as their family is about see their oldest off to college.

Remember how quickly the dynamics of your family can change and don't forget to visually document it! Photos live on as records for future generations to treasure.

Love You Could Feel

This week I've been honored to photograph LBGT families (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) for the Gay Neighbor Campaign. It's a local campaign, sponsored by the Cream City Foundation, that fosters support and awareness of LGBT families in the greater Milwaukee area. You will see these images on billboards in the Milwaukee Metro area later this summer.

All of the families were fun to work with but I was proud as they shared why they thought is was important for them to be personally involved in this campaign. They have heartwarming stories to share about their lives and while these recent stories are not yet posted, you can read other stories at www.gayneighbor.org

One family, in particular, moved me. It is this family with a transgender member. As you might know, transgender youth suffer high rates of homelessness and abandonment by their families. Those that make it through their transitions show some of the highest levels of resilience and self-esteem. Family support is paramount in this process.

The patriarch of the family spoke little during my time with him, but when the family was asked about their reaction to Betty's announcement, her father spoke with an honest strength that "this was our child and we could only choose to show love and support for our child." When you look at this photo, I think you can actually FEEL this love for one another!