SOLD!

Last night was Gallery Night in Milwaukee! It's always a great night to get out and visit local galleries/museums to see the works of many creative people. Last night was no exception! At the VIP Gallery I got to see the big, beautiful B&W images of Tom Feederbar, a wonderful photographer and man. I have my eye on an image of Yosemite Valley that he made in the 1950's with an 8x10 camera!

While I was eyeing up Tom's images, someone was buying one of mine! The Coffee Pot caught Michael's eye and I had fun talking to him about how the coffee pot and dusty bottles have been sitting outside for at least 10 years in McCarthy, Alaska. I say "at least" because I've been photographing in this area annually for 10 years. The coffee pot hasn't been moved in all that time.

I made the image with HDR and some additional Lucis Art. I love how the detail pops up and out at you and it's almost as if you can "smell the coffee!"

Janie and Jack Store Shoot

This is the week for lots of fun with little ones at the Janie and Jack store in Mayfair Mall! I consider myself lucky because I get to laugh, play and oh yeah, photograph infants to 6 year olds in the store. I KNOW I will be having fun with the kids because they have the greatest looks on their faces and will be dressed in the fun clothing from the store. Stop by if you're in the mall. I'm there Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - all day.

It reminds me of my first day of student teaching at the elementary level. I told my proctor that my smile muscles hurt from smiling and laughing all day! It's good thing to like what you do in life!

So here's fun shot of my buddy, Sam, whom I've photographed since he was about 1 month old. His eyes have that sparkle that I love to see and photograph. Squeezable, huggable, loveable. . .

GQ Senior

The season for senior portraits is winding down and fall family portraits is in full swing. For me it's either been "shoot" or "sit at the computer" as production of stellar imagery is in full swing!

But hey, here is a fun story I want to share of when I photographed a male senior, Patrick, from Whitefish Bay High School. He had this great suit he wanted to wear and so I was working with him in an alley, down in the Third Ward, when a Porsche came out of the alley behind my subject. Wow! The end result was it looked like a magazine image for GQ! A good setup with a little luck, makes for a great image. Patrick and his mom loved it!

Then we headed south to another location I had scouted and found this bench and a great brick wall. A little dappled light through the tree and some bare feet and Patrick made it all look easy! A few more weeks to go and then I'll be looking foward to next year's seniors!

Lupine Lunch

In late August I was out in Washington State in the San Juan Islands, helping my college roommate celebrate her 50th birthday. The San Juan's are a great place to be! I photographed Orcas coming together in 3 pods to mate, kayaked in the ocean and lived on a boat for a few days. (It took me three days to stop "rocking!") After that it was onto Mt. Rainier N.P. for a few days.

From ocean to mountains - good thing I remembered to bring cool weather clothing! In spite of the rainy, cooler weather, there were some good images to be made. The wildflowers were 3 weeks late and at the end of August, the whole mountain and surrounding areas were in peak bloom. That meant a lot of activity for this one marmot.

I had stopped along the hiking trail to take off a layer and while quenching my thirst, this chubby marmot was PLOWING through this upper meadow of lupine. I put on a longer lens, set up the tripod and waited for him to come towards me. While animals in this area of Mt. Rainier are acclimatized to humans and thus easier to photograph, he was paying me no mind. He was after the wet, luscious flowers of the lupine plant. It was like photographing a lupine eating contest! The marmot would eat one, move, eat another, move on.

Watching the marmot eat made me hungry. I packed up, hiked up to a better view and pulled out my peanut butter sandwich. I started thinking, "what does a lupine taste like?"

McCarthy in the Fall

Sure, I know you all think that I'm up in Alaska just checking up on how folks feel about Sarah Palin, but you're wrong. While I boarded the plan in Minneapolis, I heard the news about Gov. Palin and was excited to be heading to her "home turf." Once I had the rental car in my hand,s however, it was drive 7.5 hours to the cabin in McCarthy where the only news I heard was from KXKM and the NPR broadcast from Valdez, Alaska. Let's just say that I was out of touch with mainstream America! No phone, no voice mails, no emails - can you say relaxed?

My friend Jason Gallus (J Gallus Photography - Minnetonka, MN) and I were blessed with the best fall foilage I'd seen since 1998! We had 3 great days of weather and then the rain came back in. Alaskans have been plagued with a rainy summer. So much so that when we had 3 days of sun over Labor Day weekend, one McCarthyite exclaimed that it was the first 3 days of sun of the summer!

Up in Alaska, the fall colors are a bit different from the usual hardwoods in the northern U.S. The conifers are green, the aspens and cottonwoods turn yellow/orange and the berry bushes are a beautiful red. It's nothing short of fabulous!

So Gov. Palin comes back to Alaska tonight and I leave Friday morning before all the events get going. Just the way I like it!

Back to School

Yesterday my twin neighbors headed off to their first year in High School. Where did the summer go?? I know where mine went - eat, sleep, photograph. . . repeat! But watching them pose for mom as she snapped some quick shots to mark this moment in their lives, reminded me of the flurry of activity that occurs at this time of year.

It reminded me of preparing high school cross-country runners for another season of practices and meets. Each athlete was preparing to achieve the goals they had set for the season and the rising decibel level in the locker room told me that school was back in session! It didn't matter what the weather was, we were out there to set personal goals and win meets! We ran through the last heat/humidity of the summer, through the fall rains and finally the light snow and grueling winds that awaited us at the state meet. It was time to wear gloves again.

So as I'm working on a custom Senior "My Book" for Evan, I wish him his goal to compete in the State Meet and a personal best!

Pre-visualization & that little voice within

Things are humming around here - lots of graduation portraits being fit in before school starts again. Seniors are fun for me because they challenge me to find new places to photograph them. And I don't mean "just photograph them," but rather photograph them in a way that says something about them. So the challenge is let my intuition take over and actually feel what their body language is telling me and go with that. That's part of the "art" of photography.

Zoe was great to photograph! She really let herself relax into our session and some great images were the result. When I came up an area I've photographed in before, I noticed a new stairway was blocking an area I had used in the past. I needed to let me eyes show me what was going to work here.

I walked around and checked out my angles and listened to the voice that said, "try down low." I squatted down and took a look at where I could put Zoe. Bingo! I could see how it would look in my mind's eye if I put her right there! The rest was all her - relaxed, confident, willing to work with me and then, happy with the results!

Bring It On!

Summit Ave. Block Party 2008 - it's the place to be on the East Side when the 2700 block of Summit Ave. throws its Annual Block Party! We're know to suddenly have "new neighbors" that stop in and enjoy a summer day/evening with us.

This year we had a Romp House for the kids and the local firefighters from our neighborhood station came by with their Engine. WOW - the kids had a great time with that! Helmets on, sitting in the driver's seat - it can't get much better than that until they turned on the hose!

Charlie is know to try anything and when the hose came out he was the first to say, "Bring it on!" Although it was a cooler day by the lake and the water a bit cold, he stood there enjoying ever drop of water that rolled off of him!

This image captures some of those moments that makes photographing children fun! The "realness" of his ribs sticking out, his clothes askew and not a worry in the world except the feel of the water. "Bring It On!"

Eye On The Ball

Tis the season for dogs and their owners! No wonder - when would you rather walk the dog: When it's 10 degrees and a northwest wind is howling or 75 degrees on the beach?

Patches was digging the break in the heat and humidity. Right from the start, she was on a mission at the start of our shoot. She had places to explore and miles of sand to run in. When she dug in, the sand just went flying, as if it had attached to her enthusiasm. This was a canine companion that lived my motto of "live well ~ play hard ~ love often!"

She wanted to catch the seagulls and of course, she wanted to play ball - which she did with all the gusto an American Pit Bull Terrier can offer. This shot, however, is just pure luck when it came to timing. I had the camera settings where I wanted them to pull this off but Patches gave me her all and I got lucky. So Patches ended up with a ball "patch" over her eye.

You just gotta love the determination, athleticism and drive that some dog breeds have! Patches, however, is a complete package. She's got a GREAT temperment! I'll bet that she curled up next to her owner after her great summer night at Bradford Beach! Good catch Patches!

Cognitive Challenges and MS

Often times we read books and think "Wow, what a great book this author has written." But when the author is your neighbor, it's more like "WOW."

Jeffrey N. Gingold now has two books under his belt about the cognitive challenges of Multiple Sclerosis with the newly released, "Mental Sharpening Stones," a hopeful book about prominent individuals that have thrived in their personal and professional lives while learning how to navigate the unpredictable cognitive waters that those with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) find themselves swimming in.

As a peer-support volunteer for the Wisconsin MS Society, Jeffrey continues to educate not only those with MS but also those who treat individuals with MS. Physicians, therapists, family and friends will all benefit from reading this book! One can "walk in their shoes" by reading about the challenges each of his "guests" overcome and live with. From Richard Cohen, famed New York TImes writer and TV producer to Montel Williams to Mary Mullarkey, Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, each person shares how they keep their mental stones sharpened.

I applaud Jeffrey for opening doors for those who live with MS and making us ALL realize that the challenges of MS are often cognitive and not just physical. For those of us free of MS, it's easy & common to assume that if someone appears well, then they must be doing OK. His book, while offering a glimpse in the cognitive challenges of those with MS face daily, it gives practical steps to take to "exercise" the brain and keep those neurons challenged. I found the "mental sharpening stones" to be great advice for everyone as we age.

Thanks Jeffrey for asking me to photograph you for this great book!

Pump Those Legs!

Want to get in cycling shape quickly? Join a cycling trip with Two Bikes and a Map (www.bicyclewisconsin.com) and ride 350 miles in 6 days. Throw in a lot of rolling terrain, mile long hills, a steady headwind, and in no time, you're in shape!

Here's a few photos to let you get the idea of this Northwoods Tour from Ashland to Galesville WI. There's Curtis and Betty - one's 13 and the other is 80. Betty's had a hip replacement but it doesn't slow her down one bit. You go girl! Curtis was one of the younger riders at 13.

Along the way we got to use the Porta Potty/ATM/Bar. A tight squeeze for all three but where else can you get money to buy/drink beer and get rid of the overflow? Gotta love someone's sense of humor that placed the Porta Potty there.

So now that I'm in shape for cycling, you can bet I'll be out there a lot more on these summer days. May there only be tailwinds!

One Small Leap . . .

I've photographed a lot of dog breeds over the years but I've never had the chance to photograph one special canine breed - the Rough-Coated Jack Russell Terrier. It was such a fun treat for me to photograph Ashley, a 7 year old, power packed Jack!

She can fly! At one point I was photographing her running and I had to stop and change the camera controls to get a faster shutter speed to stop her in mid-air stride. Wow! Too bad she doesn't do Flyball - she'd be good!

But what I loved about Ashley was just how sweet she was! From the time we greeted each other, she was mine. I let her into my car to sniff the scents of my two dogs and from then on, we were buddies! For such an active breed of dog, she did anything I asked her do. Of all the great images her owners will get to soon see, this one stuck in my heart. I feel a sense of mutual respect in this image.

Lying in front of her owners and just barely looking over the taller grass, Ashley and I understood each other. Despite the "big glass eye" of the long lens, which can make many an animal nervous, she is calm/assertive - right at home between me and her owners. Good guard dog Ashley! Thanks for the play date!

Track Guy

As an on-location portrait artist, Senior Portraits in Milwaukee is now in full swing for me. The weather's warmed up and the sun is letting me photograph into the early evening. That summer, evening light is nothing short of "sweet," as Evan, my "track guy" recently said.

Evan and I had a great time together the other evening! After making some images at his home, we headed down to the track at Franklin High School and Evan laced up his track shoes for some action shots. I photographed him rounding the corner in full stride, where his feet seemed to be floating in the air. He's a fast, efficient runner and he made it to the State Track Meet this year. Way to go guy!

But when the sun settled a little lower in the sky, it was time to make the image I had envisioned the week before, when I scouted out the track. Under the bleachers, I wanted an easy, maybe tired, kind of look with that post-race relaxation that any athlete can relate to. Evan gave it ALL to me and my vision for an image came to be. Awesome image Evan and "SWEET"!

Evan is but one reason why I love to photograph high school seniors in the summer!

Girls & Little League Baseball

After photographing a couple of sweet girls in Lake Park last Friday evening, I wandered over to the ball field where my neighbor was playing his Little League game. It was a beautiful, summer night and it reminded me of when I was "Little League age" but couldn't play Little League ball. Back then it was the "boys only" club.

But I was a good ball player! We played daily in the neighborhood or with the summer park program. Shortstop, centerfield, you name it - I had an arm! But instead of sitting and watching my brother play, a kind man, Harry Schumbel, saw the pain in our hearts and gave me and another girlfriend the jobs of announcing and scorekeeping.

We sat up high in the clubhouse and either announced like the big leagues, or pushed the pencil around keeping score of runs, hits, errors and passed pitches. It kept us out of trouble and made us feel important. Thanks Harry but I still wanted to play.

So all of that came back to me as I photographed Henry that night. I chose this image because he has a great "at bat" stance. Bat held high with elbows up. Had I been scoring the game, he would have been given a hit as he made it to first base. Way to go Henry!

Photography as History

Over the past few years, I've come to think of the importance of the work I do. Whether it's portraits of seniors, families or children or the images I make outdoors, each shot is a moment in history that lives on. It becomes a significant part of a family's history, or in this case, Milwaukee's history.

I recently read in the local paper that an old grain elevator was slated to become another condo project along the Milwaukee River. Searching back in my files I found an image I've made there that shows the stately nature of what would have been a very busy grain elevator in the Port of Milwaukee.

The old, rusted, railroad turnstile still stands that allowed trains to cross the river and deliver grain for storage. From there it was loaded on ships and traversed the Great Lakes to be delivered to other ports of call. One can image the hustle and bustle of workers each fall as the grain harvest came in from all over Wisconsin. And now it's history will evolve and become condos.

Perhaps I can be there with my camera when the change begins anew!

The Sun Shone on Them

The wrinkles on my hands have faded from cleaning up water in the problem corner of the basement and it's been 2 days since I've had to retreat to said basement with my dogs, external hard drives (with important wedding/portrait images), and other personal effects to avoid playing "Dorothy" in a tornado warning.

We've had 6-8" of rain in a 2-3 day period and some lakes in Wisconsin have decided to empty and become rivers. Picture that! So I feel fortunate that all is OK at my house.

All this water got me thinking about the last day of beautiful sun and warmth that "rained" down on us. It was for the wedding of Christine and Bjorn! They were lucky to have the sun shine down on their special day and I was lucky to be able to photograph them with my most able assistant, Julie Zahn. What a team we were that day! All I need to do is look at this image to feel not only the sun's warmth, but the warmth of their love for each other. Congrats and that's for the sun!

I'm a New Aunt!

I'm ever so grateful to tell you that my younger sister has given birth to a healthy boy, named Carl George, after my deceased father. It was a happy day this past weekend when my family received the news from England, where his parents live. It's an especially heart warming occurrence since his mother and father finally married after an 11 year break-up. Miracles do happen!

The other miracle is that his dad is the recipient of his sister's kidney! Carl George's dad underwent a kidney transplant just one year ago after a bad experience with an antibiotic. Nothing like a new kidney to help make a new baby!

So as my sister and most of my siblings share the "red hair" gene, it appears that Carl George may be heading down the same genetic road. Yippee! Now I've just got to plan the time to get over to England and start making some keepsake images of the little guy. And yes, my dad would have been happy and proud to welcome his namesake!

The Salute

We are lucky in Milwaukee to have a National Cemetery for our fallen veterans. It is Wood Memorial National Cemetery in West Allis and on this holiest of military days, hundreds gather to visit the graves of our war veterans and partake in the events honoring their service. Servicemen and women, as well as the spouses of those that served, are buried here. They hail from every state in the union.

Certain graves stood out because they were marked by wreaths of purple flowers for those that had earned the honor of Purple Heart. This site was a soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division - a much respected assignment in the Army. People were stopping to read the grave stone when this Young Marine came by. Knowing the power of an image, I asked him to salute the grave. He respected my wish and simultaneously showed his respect for a soldier who sacrificed.

I share this image to honor all our veterans; especially my father and nephew.

Burst My Bubble

The weather's getting warmer and soon I'll be taking my children, family and senior portraits outdoors. As a photographer in Milwaukee, WI, it's a much revered season! There's nothing like finding a special location outdoors to photograph people in.

Before I head outside, however, I wanted to share a fun portrait of a 20 month old made in my studio (PEGGY MORSCH life photography). When photographing children, I usually like to try to think like one. Some times that's real easy!

So blowing some bubbles is usually a good way to solicit a "wonderment" look in a child. (Don't you just love that "everything is wide-eyed new" look in a child?) Sure enough, with his Michigan State teddy bear sitting next to him, I was able to make this well timed portrait, just as he was about to burst my bubble!

If it's not too windy, maybe I could do this outside too! Enjoy this holiday weekend!

Labs Love Water!

Today was a beautiful day to be a pet photographer! It's not a secret that dogs, or as I like to refer to them, canines, are my favorites. Why? I share my life with two of them!

But today I got to spend with Comet, a black beauty of a Labrador Retriever! While she's older than I in dog years, she still shows the initiative to play, splash in cold Lake Michigan and otherwise enjoy some time outside with her ball.

What I loved about photographing her was her grace and confidence. She waded through the cold water like she was greeting an old friend and ran through the sand loving the soft surface on her pads. There was one other thing I look for when I photograph dogs and that's a little glimmer of sassiness is their eyes that seems to say, "just try to come get me." Comet had it all and I'm grateful to have spent part of an afternoon with her. Her owners will love the images!

An Evening to Remember

Nights to most photographers is time to process images or sleep. I was in both those groups until I took a class with Tony Sweet, a remarkable nature photographer. He's taught us to see differently in low light and NO light as well as other techniques to improve our photography. I'm so glad I'm here and that he's my instructor!

So last night I went out and tried my hand at "seeing in the dark." It's fun because you never really know how things will turn out. Every night and every scene is just a little different.

At Sunset Beach in Cape May, lives an old boat near an old changing room house. It's a great place to hit the beach and watch the sunset and it's usually inhabited by many a sunset seeker. After everyone left, a fellow student and I started working our newly learned techniques. Practice, practice, practice. . . When this popped into the LED, it was magic! I guess getting up early and going to bed late does make for great nature images!

Portraits at night, anyone???

Spring Sunrise Surprise

Getting up early in the morning to be in place to photograph a sunrise can be a hit or miss proposition. Clouds can roll in or the sun can be too bright to really "set the mood" in the image. Well today was a good day! I didn't stop photographing until 9:30 p.m., but you'll have to wait to see that image tomorrow.

While I was planning my spot to photograph the sunrise among 18 other photographers, I began to see that hot pink glow on the horizon. A quick look around and I had my spot with the boats and some reflections coming off the water. The funny thing is that as the sun rose, it seemed to be supported by the boat antennas. I love surprises!

Ethereal Mornings

This week finds me at Cape May, N.J. for a photographic workshop with Tony Sweet. He's as "sweet" as his name and he's teaching us all kinds of new tricks with nature photography. We're a rogue bunch here at the conference. We run around in heavier, fleecier clothes and get up at odd times, like 4:00 a.m.

When you get up early and go out to photograph, a whole new world opens up! With 19 in our group, we spread out along the Atlantic Seashore to photograph the remains of pilings in the water. Here's one of many that I think show the power of the water and gives one a sense that it's nowhere near the land - just floating out in the ocean. Enjoy!

Doggie "Thank You"

What a nice surprise I received from a client today! I had recently photographed her 3 children and their 2 yr. old Lab and had lots of fun in the studio! Too much laughter to even describe! (see blog archive from 3/30 - 4/8) We made a wonderful wrapped canvas from the session as a surprise anniversary present for Dad. He was surprised!

So as a thank you"the kids made me a marvelous dog dish for my dogs! Ellie and Emma LOVED it (of course I put some good salmon treats in it from Hounds Around Town in WFB!) They were so smart because they used my PEGGY MORSCH life photography logo colors in the design! Inside is a big, brown paw that finishes it off. If you noticed the "matching" orange color on Emma, you win "bonus ponts!"

Mom enclosed a note saying "thanks so much for your beautiful work and attention to detail. The kids, Addie and I so enjoyed working with you!"

Thanks gang! You made my day - and Emma's!

Stylish Seniors

Wow! So much is new for the Class of 2009 Seniors! I'm so excited about the designer styles I have to use with my seniors this summer I can hardly wait for you to see them. That means that my seniors get to have distinctive, designer pieces made just for them!

So I had a little fun this morning making up a Senior Style Magazine cover. Just a little fun to show off and let you dream about what it would be like to be on the cover of a magazine!

Creative Sessions are filling up for the summer but you can still take advantage of my June special. Book your ON-LOCATION Creative Session in June for $100 (a $50 savings!). Don't miss out on what everyone's talking about for this summer's senior "look!" Call Peggy @ 414.550.5340 today!

She's So Thin!

Earth Day - walking on the beach in the early morning light with my camera. Not much happening, not seeing anything that catches my eye so it's time to start making things happen! (Sometimes this can be dangerous so don't try this at home.)

I saw my shadow and wondered "what if." What if I prefocused and shot from the hip? Could I catch my shadow? I had heard for years that I was "so thin!" but my being thin always jived with the fact that my father was 6'5" and a "long tall drink of water," as someone used to say.

But here it was, PROOF to the highest degree that they were right! This tall, lanky creature making it's way along the beach surely looked as if the slightest breeze would bowl her over. Maybe Olive Oil had a twin?

Chicago with a View

Last fall I spent a late afternoon at Navy Pier in Chicago. The weather was perfect, warm with hazy clouds, as we braved our way to the Ferris Wheel. Not being of fan of ferris wheels, my strategy is always to "look out" and what a better way to do that than have a camera in front of your face!

What a view of the Chicago skyline! People were having fun below on the rotating swings and out in the parks. With the sun beaming through the clouds, it was enough to pull it all together in this one image. A little anxiety crept in when the ferris wheel suddenly stopped! Keep breathing . . . There was only one thing to do, keep photographing and confront those fears! We started moving again and soon found our way back to terra firma with a number of memorable images.

I've since graduated to flying in a very small helicopter with no doors. Now that was FUN! Go figure.

Unseen Art

This week, the Newseum opened in Washington, DC with great fanfare. While this museum is dedicated to the journalism profession, it reminded me of the Black Art History Museum that I visited in Washington a few years ago.

Being a fan of art, I was immediately stuck by the design, colors, angles, and architectural "pieces" that adorned the lobby areas. This image was not hard to see, as the sun was coming through the stained glass windows, showing off the wrought iron structure. Now setting this image up on the tripod was a whole other conundrum!

It took me a truckload of time to get the image aligned just right. I'm not one to "fix it later in Photoshop." But while I was making my adjustments, I was able to stop and take in all the details in this image and how they complimented each other. Color, lines, angles and of course, light! I can never pass up a scene that has one or more of these elements screaming at me!

The lobby was the perfect entranceway into the museums fine collections. However, to see it, you had to look up. I wondered how many people missed this view as they walked down the stairs to the collections. So here it is for you to view.

Goin' to the Dogs

The month of April has been a four paw month - lots of dogs in front of my camera! It all started with a belated, canine Easter Egg Hunt at the Central Bark in Oak Creek. Sue, the owner/manager had called me to fill in for another photographer who couldn't make it, and let me tell you, there was lots of canine companionship that day!. After the egg hunt there were a variety of activities set up, all to raise money for the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Canine Unit.

All the dogs that were photographed had well behaved owners (remember, they went to Obedience School too!) and I was lucky to photograph a variety of breeds. One breed that I haven't seen much of recently on my daily dog walks is the Collie. When I was a youngster, my uncle's Collie would try to race the car when we left his house. My dad "clocked" her on the speedometer and she once got up to 32 mph! She was fast! And what kid didn't fall in love with Lassie? I LOVED going to my uncle's house!

So when Foster showed up for his photo session, I went back in time to my uncle's dog. Just look at that face with his long nose and eyes that melt your heart. I couldn't help but wonder just how FAST he was??

So Soft, So Tired

Today was a special day in the studio. A Weimaraner puppy named Roo came to be photographed, and of course, hugged and loved! She is a wink short of 9 weeks and came with all the usual puppy accoutrements like sharp, pin-like teeth, puppy breath, and soft, stretchy skin.

After lots of playing, eating of treats and a few slurps of water, Miss Roo finally tired. Curled up with her owner, she could barely keep her beautiful blue eyes open. It was then that one of those baby blues came shining through for that magical moment.

It was a good day today and I had fun. It was a reminder to "live well ~ play hard ~ love often!"

Simplicity Counts

Some of my favorite images are those that are simple. Where the eye is told where to go in the image and immediately a story is told. Remember the eyes of the woman from Afghanistan, photographed by Steve McCurry? You get the idea.

What I loved about this Creative Session with Grace is that her name seems to be just right with this image. "Just hold your hands behind your back," I said. Without a word, she slipped one hand over the other. Then the light played off her First Holy Communion dress. Grace-ful!

All Swaddled Up

I'm so lucky to LOVE photographing infants! There's not a session that isn't filled with laughs and when you laugh, the infant laughs. What a great way to spend the day!

My nephew's baby is pictured here and I have to share it with all of you. It was nap time and mom got him all swaddled up and looking like a fine cigar. So there he was, this little blob of protoplasm, just lying in this large sea of space known as his crib.

I saw the image and moved to be where I wanted to be and his eyes followed me. I couldn't believe it! I felt like I was being watched by a guard dog. It was if he was saying, "don't you get to close to my crib." The shadows of the crib bars gives it a little something extra.

Click! I had the image. An infant cigar!

My Family of Feet

Two year old Addie arrived with her three "siblings" to the Creative Session. All were excited to have their portraits made! I was excited to photograph them as I had a couple of ideas I wanted to try out. Addie was well behaved for a 2 year old and we kept her busy with treats and sniffing around the studio yard.

After a while, I decided to test the "feet" shot with the kids that I had in mind. Then it hit me - "bring in Addie!!" Oh my God - I could hardly contain myself because I could visualize how it would look with her in the image. She gave me a nice sit-stay to tell the story of her family of feet. You should have heard the kids laughing! Wait until the see the final result!!

So I'm asking for input on titles for this image - something along the "smell/scent" line. Pitch your ideas my way and we all can enjoy them!

"Pay Attention to the Small Pictures"

A few days ago I had the fun role of photographing a young girl for her First Holy Communion. "It's a lot different than your school pictures, isn't it," I said. She nodded "yes" and off we went to have fun!

A dress and veil always give you some nice details to bring out and then suddenly I heard the voice, "Photograph her shoes!" I followed that intuitive voice and this is what what resulted.

The funny thing is that the next day I started reading Joe McNally's new book, "The Moment It Clicks." He's a gifted photographer and his work has enlightened the pages of National Geographic and many others magazines. (www.joemcnally.com) I came across one little chapter where he talked about rounding out a pictorial story with "something small, intimate, telling." It didn't need to be "the best, nor the prettiest picture of the take, just the most important."

I thought back to this image and smiled. I had done it!

Gone Fishing!

Today found me doing some "cleaning" of files. It's sooo important to manage all those digital images we shoot these days. I came across some images I made last May in Cape May, while at a Professional Photographers of America week long school. It was great to get to see them again!

I've uploaded 4 of them onto the "Outside" portfolio on my website but here's one that I think most of us Wisconsinites can relate to in late March! As we now await yet another snowstorm (I"m NOT making this up!) that could give us 6 more inches of the white, wet stuff, I thought you'd all like putting yourself in this photo. Add a beer and I think you'll forget all about the weather forecast. Can't you feel those fish nibbling??

Wanna Play?

While it snowed just another 16" here yesterday on the second day of Spring, I got to work on a line of Note Cards that will soon be released to local retail outlets. When I came across this image, I felt removed from the shackels of the snow shovel. Nothing like some warm sun and sand to take you to a place far away - even if it's in your mind!

There, on that Hawaiin sand, laid the most handsome Chocolate Lab I've ever seen! Looking like a little sugar cookie, with the dusting of sand across his nose, he waited for me to make the image and then throw the ball back into the ocean for yet another bound into the waves. Catch, release. Catch, release. His owner, a bartender in Honolulu, was giving him his daily workout prior to leaving for work and he was digging it.

As he laid there patiently, I couldn't help but think that the little twinkle in his eye seemed to say, "Wanna Play?" You bet!

Self Portrait

A group of photographers that I know, recently were challenged to make a new self-portrait. Yes, every once in a while, we photographers need to step around IN FRONT of the camera, just so we can experience what our clients feel like. Since I'm not one to back down from the challenge, I began to plan my portrait.

I was in Hawaii when the "challenge" came through so a tropical theme sprang into my grey matter. I took one look at the snorkel equipment and a portrait was born! But I needed help to pull this one off. Timing an elevator door to open at just the right time that your self-timer on the camera goes off, seemed to be a mountain too big to climb.

I gave the camera to Kathy and invited this couple to ride along for the fun. You should have seen the look on their face when the elevator door opened and there I stood in my snorkel gear!! I'm sure they wondered if they should get on. But they played along with the crazy lady and another self-portrait was made.

The icing on the cake was when I emailed it to my mom and sister, they cracked up over it. Then I KNEW it was a hit! Enjoy!

RE-Creation

Time off is always good! It's good for nothing short of a big brain dump! Separating from one's usual schedule (phone, emails, and everyday tasks ) provides me with a fresh way to perceive and generate the energy that fuels my creativity.

The simple things like reading a book, listening to waves break on the shore, or watching the sun go down are just what I needed to break the humdrum of winter and get ready for another great year of recording family histories.

Put yourself into this image for about 5 minutes! Can't you hear the waves, feel the sun on your body, hear the voices of people having fun, and smell the sunscreen? Don't you feel better already? And it came without airfare! Aloha!

Father & Son

One of the humbling things about being a photographer is that people allow me into their lives to witness and record special moments in their lives. What's more special to a family than their first child! Not much!

In this moment, a calm father provides the comfort for his equally calm son. I chuckle every time I see the shape of his cheeks and the look of "infant confidence" as he engages with me. I love that dad looks away as if to say, "I'm so lucky!" as he touches his tiny feet.

As he's only 3 months old, I look forward to photographing him throughout his life and be allowed to witness more of those moments that make up his life!

Grand Canyon of the Pacific

Who doesn't love a vacation? Especially in the winter when you have a hankering for sun and warmth! You've got to check out the island of Kaua'i, Hawaii. It should be the ONLY winter destination place but what would the Florida tourism department think about that?

One of Kaua'i's most noted destinations is Waimea Canyon. WOW! I've been to the Grand Canyon but when you add in the lush, rain infused vegetation, the color just screams back at you. I spent 2 hours at the lookout, watching the light change and hoping that the haze would burn off. It didn't and I got a sunburn! A volcano on another island erupted so the particles were in the air. This image is 3 images merged together to form a panorama. Awesome!

Stay tuned here because I'm going to post images from my open cockpit helicopter tour of this canyon and the Na Pali coast. It's the ONLY way to see the remote areas of the island unless you want to play "Lost."

The Big Dig

Groundhog day came and that half-asleep woodchuck told us we could expect 6 more weeks of winter in Wisconsin. Never one to doubt nature, that furry mammal was right! Not even a week passed and we were hit with 16", yes I measured them; 16" of snow.

Let's just say I found a way to combine my weight and cardio training into one LONG workout yesterday! The dogs played and I labored to clear the way for my young 2 year old client and his mom, who were soon to arrive for their Creative Session.

Snow blower, you suggest? We had one of those huge, steroid-enhanced snow blowers that used to kick some serious butt blowing out the whole street! Eight horses to hold back while it ate 16" like it was a snack! But when our winters went the way of global warming and that serious athlete saw little action, it had to be traded to a new owner.

Yesterday, the muscles in this older athlete missed the powerful blowing action of the 8 HP Simplicity. Can you say "ALEVE?"

The Deep Freeze

For those of us that live far north of the equator, adapting to the words "zero" and "temperature" in the same sentence is just a way of life. Dealing with the cold indoors is one thing, but heading outside with your camera gear and 2-3 extra layers is a whole new adventure!

After being inspired by images made by another Milwaukee photographer, I ventured out recently when the temps went south of zero. Destination: Lake Michigan at sunrise. Did I mention the wind chill???

I LOVE this image! It screams cold! With Lake Michigan giving up its warmth in the form of water vapor, I find myself grounded by the roundness of the ice and the opening of the water. A tiny bit of necessary warmth is added with the glow of a rising sun in the eastern sky.

After an hour in the great outdoors, the hot chocolate provided the necessary inner resuscitation!

Four is a great age!

Working with children is such a pleasure! It reminds me of when I did my student teaching with the middle schoolers. You never knew what personalities would emerge from day to day. It keeps you laughing and on your toes!

Photographing kids is much the same! Ask them to do something silly, sing a song, or get them talking about their favorite story and you never know what will happen. So if you're the one behind the camera, like me, be prepared!

Four year olds can be concrete in their thinking, so when I asked Joe to do something that didn't make sense to him for great picture making, he shot me this look. Write you own caption for this one! Frankly, I think it would make a great GAP Kids ad!

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Sometimes it's a blessing to be oblivious to what's going on around you. My 2 1/2 year old niece has this technique down pat! She spent a week with me recently, while her 4 year old brother underwent heart surgery to correct a congenital defect. Her parents and grandmother stayed with us and it was a difficult time during the early days of recovery.

But for Ella, it was all about singing songs, making up funny phrases, taking bubble baths and dancing in the studio! I danced with her, sang with her and made up funny phrases too. All the while her "live in the moment" lessons were relieving the stress everyone was feeling. If it was a long day at the hospital, you could always look forward to fun time with Ella when you got home.

This is one small reason why I love to photograph children. Like dogs, they live in the moment and that's such a sweet space to be in!

Good things come in small packages!

Babies, babies, babies! There's been a mini baby boom in my neighborhood this summer! Lots of new cute faces and the sound of a new baby's cry eminating from the neighborhood when I'm walking the dogs.

With new babies comes new children to photograph and new ways to present the newest member of the family. It's always fun for me to think about how to show off this precious new gift and so with great enthusiasm, I went to work with my neighbor's newborn. A peaceful child from day one, George Andrew made my role easy!

As I always go to the newborn's home, I could right away see that the couch was the perfect backdrop. We found a suitable window for the best light and after a quick meal, he was ready for a nap. A little bow tying and positioning and for a moment, I felt like Anne Geddes!

I combined the photo with my card (front) template and it fit the image to a "T." He's all wrapped up for his big presentation to the world! Welcome!