Ice Sculptures on Lake Michigan

Yesterday was the kind of day I'd been waiting for!  We'd had some cold nights that allowed things to freeze things up solid and then we were blessed with a clear, sunny day.  I loaded up my new Kata pack & tripod and headed out on the ice along the Lakefront.  Ever aware of the possibility of breaking through the ice, I picked my way out in a circuitous fashion, staying along ice ridge lines and testing the ice with my tripod.

I got a few images I had scouted out which were fairly close to edges, and then slowly walked around looking for other possibilities.  Then I broke through - slightly - just enough to cover the top of my boot.  And this was away from the edges.  Time to get out!  Stay aware and follow my tracks back to the shore.

Next destination - Big Bay Park in Whitefish Bay.  In January I had stopped to scout this location while doing an errand but I didn't have my camera then.  It was an awesome scene with lots of ice that spread far into Lake Michigan.  I made a mental note to return on another sunny day after a cold spell.

The ice was well formed but on this day, the slow waves were rolling in slushy ice.  As I photographed I was surrounded by that great "white noise" of the waves coming in.  You know, the kind that brings immediate relaxation to one's senses!  That's all I heard as I made a few different compositions and watched the sun move a little lower in the sky.  Besides one runner doing a hill workout, it was just me, the ice and the waves.

 

Cold Seat

Today's a "hunker down" day around here.  Blowing and drifting snow is making for some great landscapes outside.  I can hear the snow shovel calling to me in that "you've got a chore to do" kind of voice.  But first I've got some great news!

In a month, I'll be adding to my fine art landscape photography images in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park!  Yes, I know I'm repeating myself here.  This week I got all my backpacking food sent up to AK and I'm starting to collect my winter gear together for packing.  In the meantime, while I was cleaning up an external hard drive to take along with me, I found this image from Kennecott, Alaska.

Kennecott is known for it's historic copper ore mine, where up to 70% pure copper ore was harvested from 1908 - 1938.  On the road named Silk Stocking Row, there were homes that housed the administrative types from the mine.  The mine and mill workers bunked up in long, bunk houses.  A couple of years ago I made this image of a blue chair in one of those Silk Stocking Row houses.  The image was striking in it's color but also the lonely tone it carried.  The open door and cabinet accompanies the emptiness of the chair.  A blue color for the emotion of lonely and all was complete.

These houses are presently being restored by the National Park Service with the help of skilled, local laborers.  I wonder what it looks like in the winter?

Baby & Child Portrait Contest

It's time for Millers Professional Imaging (my awesome lab!) annual Baby & Child Portrait Contest! There are prizes in multiple categories for the parents of the children that enter. Color, Humor, B&W, Special Needs and more. You could win up to $5000 if the judges deem your child's portrait a winner! The photographer just gets the accolades.

This announcement comes right on the heels of my Children's Portraits Winter Promotion so the timing couldn't be better. Just go to http://www.peggymorsch.com for more information or give me a call @ 414.550.5340. In a nutshell, you have until early June to have your baby - 12 year old child photographed for the contest. Of course, we'll sit down in a pre-portrait consultation to talk over all the details necessary to not only make a memorable photograph for you, but also to have a terrific entry in the contest!

Pair this up with my winter promotion where collections are starting at the all inclusive rate of $239 (1/2 hour Creative session included) and you've got another winning offer. This promotion only happens at this time of year!

These images will make for terrific Mother's and Father's Day gifts so don't delay in scheduling your session! Studio or your home - you choose!

Tea anyone?

Under the Knife

Once your dog gets to a certain age and you're meet with a medical concern, you begin to wonder how they're going to tolerate surgery. So when Ellie, our 10.5 year old Coonhound/Lab mix presented with a huge lipoma growing out from under her shoulder and impeding her gait, it was time to ask "the question." Surgery or no surgery?

Once assured that the 10 year old dogs of today are a whole lot hardier than the dogs of our youth, Ellie had a date with "the knife" late last week. Once she flushed out the effects of anesthesia and started baying again (woo, woo, woo!), we knew her brain cells were intact and a full recovery was right around the corner!

In my Pet Portrait business, I'm well aware of the emotional ties my clients have with their older dogs. When I'm asked to make what will likely be their last portrait, I can barely hold it together. Those dogs have a special place on my website! Their names are with their image.

So Ellie's "dodged the bullet" this time and we hope to have a number of good years left with her. Besides, nobody sings quite as good as she does in this family. So she'd better stay around!

Artistic, Custom Books of your Images

I was recently working on a custom, designed, coffee table book for a friend of mine who turned 50. She asked me to make LOTS of photos and I told her that I'd design her a book as a gift. Turning 50 is a big deal so preserving it all in a book is the only way to go!

It arrived at the end of last week and I got out my special, cotton gloves to gently open the pages and take a look at how it turned out. A smile came across my face as I recalled the time I had in the San Juan Island with everybody. I can already hear the squeaky, high pitched noises my friend will make when she's excited. She'll be squealing with delight when she gets this book in the mail!

These books are really fun for me to design! Children of all ages, high school seniors, family vacations, or canine companions are the focus behind the books I design. A book is really the best way to capture those special moments and build upon the emotions that are centered on the person or event. Viewing page after page gives you the sense of place, the rich memories and the heart-filled experiences that were found deep in each image. The smiles, the laughs, the pouty expression, the sounds - they're all there anytime you want to sit down and curl up with your personal book of memories!

Just pick it up off the coffee table or shelf and get ready to relive the moments!

Faces! Faces! Nothing but Faces!

Now that we've all got a little cabin fever and had some nice warm days this week, it's time to start thinking about your children's portraits. I'm planning some FUN opportunities for you to have a memorable portrait session with Peggy before the rush of the spring and summer months. And Dad's, don't forget that these make for tear-producing Mother's Day gifts!

It's my "Faces! Faces! Nothing but Faces!" late winter special! For 4 weeks (see below), you'll have the opportunity to choose from 3 unique Collections where the emphasis is placed on all the crazy, serious, thoughtful expressions that your child makes and that you will LOVE to have. My vendors have given me the opportunity to pass along these price saving specials that will make you want to call or email me today to schedule a Creative Session with your toddler to young teen!

Starting at the all-inclusive price of $199, you'll choose from 3 custom Collections, some of which include the 9-image style Gallery Wrap above. (Your colors will depend upon your images.) So give me a call before I send out the Email blast. . . Here are the dates:

Feb. 23 - Mar. 1 Mar. 8 - 14 Apr. 13 - 19 May 3 - 9 (Just in time for Mother's Day!)

Give me a call or email today: 414.550.5340 or pmorsch@att.net

Valentine's Day Gift Certificates

If you're scrambling around at the last minute to try and come up with a unique gift for your "someone special," then consider this: A Valentine's Day Gift Certificate from PEGGY MORSCH life photography.

For a limited time only, you can purchase a Gift Certificate for a certain amount and receive 50% MORE dollars in return. If you purchase $200, you'll receive a Gift Certificate for $300! What a nice way to stretch your hard earned dollars and receive memorable portraits of your family members or canine companions!

It's easy to do. Just call or email me before Valentine's Day and I'll prepare a beautifully wrapped gift to present to your Valentine!

So don't spend your time driving to the mall or cruising the internet! Give me a call today!

PEGGY MORSCH life photography
414.550.5340

pmorsch@att.net

An Army of Women

Reading on vacation! I love having extra time to read without having to worry about not doing other things, like work. This week I'm reading Ben Sherwood's book, "The Survivors Club."

Believe it or not, this is a genre (survival stories) that I've always liked to read! Remember "Into Thin Air" by John Krackauer? There's something invigorating about reading what people survive and how they do it. You'll be surprised at how Sherwood grabs you, entertains you and of course, educates you about what humans can do when they have to.

While taking the Survivor IQ (www.survivorsclub.org) that he writes about, I discovered the Army of Women site. If you have any concerns or interest in Breast Cancer, you'll want to check out this site!

Dr. Susan Love is putting together a "volunteer army" of a million woman who would volunteer for various research studies that would help find a cure for Breast Cancer. You can decide if you want to participate in a certain study or not. So come along with me and make yourself available - it might help someone you know or even yourself! (www.armyofwomen.org)

Three years ago I was diagnosed with a pre-breast cancer (LCIS). It's got a long name but I'll spare you. My mammogram found a solo, pencil point size calcium deposit that indicated further biopsy and subsequent lumpectomy.

So I "drafted" myself last night. I joined the ARMY! My nephew was a Special Forces guy but I'm in the ARMY. I've always believed in "the power of One" but think about the muliplier factor when "I" becomes a million! Stand out amongst the trees and join me today.

Shuttered Up

Earlier in the week I cross-country skied by this old house that sits above the Stowe, VT valley. It has 180 degree views and because at home, I see my neighbors' homes, just 10 feet away on both sides, I took an interest in this old, weathered, clapboard house.

There was something else about it that caught my attention. It was the contrasting colors of the turquoise blue shutters and the red, weathered narrow clapboard of the outside walls. I made a mental note to comeback later on a day when it was sunny.

So here it is. A shot made in winter, on a +10 degree February day when nearly everyone feels the "shuttered up" feeling of little daylight, little warmth and lots of snow - at least for us folks that live in the Border States (States that Border Canada).

I was drawn to the simplicity of the wooden shutters covering a small, single, window. The clasp of the lock is in place but no lock is there to secure it. It says to me - possibility - it can be opened. It's a metaphor for all those times when we think there's an impossible task to accomplish, a heart that seems closed or when Dorothy walked all the way to Oz and the Wizard initially turned her away.

Because there's no lock, the shutters can be opened and the sun can shine into this old house. With no lock a heart can be opened. With no lock we can see beyond our limitations that were never there to begin with. All the possibilities I see and feel with a shuttered up, blue window on a red, clapboard house!

Vermont's Winter Landscape

If you love to cross-country ski, Vermont's Trapp Family Lodge can't be beat! We're here to do some classical skiing on their magnificently groomed trails and generally have fun outdoors in the winter. My muscles are telling me that I should have been doing this at home, before we left, but what the heck, falling's easy when there's a 2 foot base of snow!

So the snow's good, the skiing fantastic and the nature photography is fun - and a bit challenging. It's 2 above this morning so it was a layer-up and head out. I walked about a mile towards my destination of this open field with white birch trees. I was hoping that I wasn't too late, as the sun was getting higher in the sky. But then I realized that I was in the state of mind of Dewitt Jones. You know, that sort of "I'll take what I'm shown" kind of attitude.

Sure enough, "when the student is ready, the teacher appears." The angle of the sun was low enough to give me some shadows, yet bright enough to make the birches stand out. I did some blending of 2 exposures in Photoshop and got what I saw in my mind's eye. Since "class is still in session", I'm heading out again for some afternoon "tutoring." Stay tuned!

Hawaiian Meditation

At this time last year, I was on my way to Oahu, Hawaii in search of some warmth, relaxation and great images. Needless to say, I got all three of my wishes!

Today I try to embrace the winter and be positive about the 12 degrees outside. I can at least find solace in the sun that shines today. I don't know about you, but those in the upper Midwest have found ourselves moving slower, getting less done and packing on the pounds. Vitamin D and a big 'ole Verilux "Happy Light" (that's really what they call it!) are keeping me in the game but when I was going through some files today, I had to stop and feel the warmth in this image.

Made on the North Shore of Oahu (Surfing mecca for those of you that don't ride the boards) near an area called the Three Tables, I thought "what if I shoot into the sun?" I usually have those "what if" moments on a regular basis and paying attention to them has usually resulted in consistently good results.

Here I thought I might be fighting lens flare but some clouds moved in and just gave me a beautiful shaft of light to work with. The surfer was doing his thing for a while so the human element became the icing on the cake. A little Lucis Art finished it all off.

I just ordered a 30 x 40 canvas to keep me warm the rest of the winter! That'll be my Hawaiian meditation.

Senior Photography Milwaukee

It's never too early to start thinking about photographing next year's high school seniors for their graduation portraits! In fact, I started photographing last night, when I had fun getting some great wrestling shots of a Franklin High School student.

Derek and his mom had seen the Custom Grad Book I had done for another cross-country teammate and knew they had to have one. I found out what activities Derek was in and knew that this book was going to be filled with action. Wrestling, cross-country, track & field, Eagle Scout, etc. - a busy guy.

Last night I watched him, or should I say photographed him, while he wrestled 2 matches. The most time you get is 5 minutes so I had to pick my spots to get the best angles and hoped that he didn't pin anybody in the first minute! Not to worry, Derek gave me most of the five minutes I needed to get the kind of action shots that he'll love having in his Custom Grad Book. His physical style of wrestling comes through.

I can't wait for Spring Track, as I used to coach the sport. One of his events is the Pole Vault! I'm planning how I'll cover it already!

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park - Bonanza Peak

Last fall I spent 2 weeks in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park photographing with my friend, Jason Gallus, from MN. The locals had told me that it had been a rainy, cold summer and that they'd only had 3 consecutive sunny days all summer. Well Jason and I had some luck early on in our stay!

Having been here many times in the last 10 years, I planned for us to be where we could see the entire "bowl" of mountains in the McCarthy/Kennicott area. It was a beautiful, fall evening and we were met with some great light!. I made this image from 4.5 miles away with my 70-200mm lens, tripod and cable release for an HDR image. It is the Bonanza Peak and Mountain, where 70% copper ore was discovered in the early 1900's and subsequently mined until 1938. Lots of history in those hills!

Well, I've never been to the Wrangells in winter and in 2009 I'm heading in for some winter photography! Yahoo! I've been wanting to do this for a number of years and the stars never could line up for me. So I'm looking forward to some Aurora Borealis and a landscape of snow and ice over the last 2 weeks of March. I have a friend who will take me out with a dog team and show me some backcountry that I've never set foot in. Another new adventure!

I should be greeted with 30-40 degree days and zero overnight but I'll be cozy in the cabin. Stay tuned come April!

Happy George

Over the holidays, I got to meet my 7 month old nephew, Carl George, for the first time. Born in England in May, it was the first trip across the big pond for George. He was named after my late father but Neil, a "Brit" pictured here, explained that when Carl is spoken in the UK, it sounds a bit like "kurl." So they decided that George was the "proper" British name for everyday use.

George is a happy guy who loves the no clothes look and feel. He was a pleasure for the entire family (22 of us for 3 days)! His outgoing personality charmed us all and he seemed to love the attention. So of course, I needed to get some images of George for my sister, Laurie ,and Neil.

Our first "shoot" occurred in the bathtub. Another favorite time of George's! He has been to swimming class and is quite comfortable in the water. However, I didn't realize he had his early aquatic "credentials" so when my sister plopped him flat down on his back, with water covering his ears, I scrambled quickly. I thought he'd turn his head and inhale water. "Wait Peggy" she said. "He LOVES this!"

Sure enough, I had to pull my fight or flight response back a notch and start photographing this little "sea otter." I'd love to show you that image but naked kids and the internet are a no-no. So here's a better example of some familial children's portraits!

Middle Age Birthdays

Mid-January and my birthday has once again passed. Another one successfully celebrated and no one got hurt! Just kidding, but when it's -40 degree wind chills on your birthday, one must be careful.

I read a great quote the other day about birthdays because I was working on a friend's custom photo book and needed some quotes to fill with the images. I was fortunate to help her celebrate in the middle of the San Juan Islands on a 37 foot boat! How cool is that?! This was all in August and I just finished her book that I'll give to her to remember all the fun we had over her birthday. There was one quote that I found particularly funny:

The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down.
- T.S. Eliot

So since the death of my friend Anne, a 91 year old woman of Danish descent, and the passing of another birthday, I've had some time to contemplate the "ticking of the life clock." Of course, January's a great month for this activity!

Besides the usual cardiorespiratory fitness, along with flexibility and core strength, I think that having "new adventures" in one's life is vital. Add in both younger and older friends, some spirituality and a solid purpose for living, and I think it'll see you through many fine years. Then, of course, don't drink and drive, look both ways when crossing the street, and hope Chester Sullenberger ("Sully") is always in the cockpit when you fly and you should bet all set.

My Aunt, who is also 91, just moved from the house she's lived in for the past 50 years to be closer to her daughter. She also said it was time for a new adventure. Perhaps that's why she's 91?

A Sad Day

I've not blogged in a long time. Too heavy of a heart on these first days of a new year. First it was finish the Christmas orders, Holidays with family, and then help my mom drive to Florida. Amidst this holiday bustle, my close friend of 91 years began to fail. As I had helped Anne write her advanced directives, it was, unfortunately, time to execute them.

She entered the wonderful care that hospice offers on Christmas Eve day. No longer eating or drinking much of anything, she had let us know that she was done with this side of her life. A decisive former SEC stockbroker, the first female in WI to earn an SEC license, she had made her mind up it was her time and today she died.

She picked a time that I was away, still with my mom in Florida. I'm glad to have spoken to her 1.5 days ago to say I loved her and tell her goodbye. She told me the same.

So with a thankfulness for knowing Anne for 10 years, I plan her memorial service. How the heck will I be able to get up and talk about her? Typing is even difficult when tears fill your eyes. I'll tell her Marshfield "friends" that Anne and I met in dog training class. We each had 6 month old puppies and I found out she lived 4 blocks from me. At 81 she had a puppy and with a bad hip, had trouble bending over to praise and treat her Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle) Morgan. We took turns helping her and I began to check in on her and help her out with whatever she couldn't do.

Above, on the right is Anne. She and her sister Betty started the Marshfield Community Foundation as a way to honor the lives of their parents. Their original $25,000 Challenge Grant has grown to 3.3 million and benefits groups and students in the Marshfield area.

Anne was special and I'll miss her company! I have a nice image of Anne that I made with her dog Morgan that I'll have to post when I get back to home base. You'll like it!

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!

The Gift of Knowledge

It was Thanksgiving morning when I awoke much earlier than I wanted to. A cruel joke one's body plays on you on around the holidays when all you really want to do is sleep vs. take the dogs for their morning walk! I balked at the weak light of dawn creeping around the drawn blinds. TV - yes, I'll buy time and watch some morning TV and see what's developed in Mumbai overnight.

Amidst the horrible news in India, an uplifting commercial came on about children in Africa using portable, laptop computers that don't require electricity - just "clean" electrons. The technology was familiar to me as I had read about but it was the little girl's energy, joy and thankfulness that woke me up that morning.

I had just finished Tom Friedman's book, "Hot, Flat and Crowded," where he described the need for "clean electron" technology for those who have no electrons to plug into. Putting the world wide web into young hands and minds would help with their education and in turn, add to the number of people in the "pool" that can provide global solutions to our world's problems.

The XO computer is a step in the right direction for children whose world looks different than our own. And since I had just hooked up my new Mac Pro, I knew any child would love the world that a computer opens up for you.

I bolted out of bed, walked the dogs, went online and ordered an XO computer for a child I'll most likely never know. For $199, a child, a school, a family will begin to expand their education and pushing some buttons on my keyboard was a way that I could say "Thank You" for the many gifts I've received in my life. You can do the same by heading to: www.amazon.com/xo

Do it now - it feels so good to give!

Loving the Leaves!

While the leaves have dropped from the trees around here, that doesn't mean that you can't have fun with them on the ground! My nephew's son, Ryan, was enjoying the fall season with his parents in Chicago last Saturday. I was photographing him for the occasion of his upcoming first birthday!

I always like to show some relationship of a youngster to his parents without including the faces of his parents. Why you ask? Because I think it isolates the little one's personality and individual qualities. Not everyone would agree but I think it's fun! And yes, he had fun too!

Splashdown!

Every time a client calls me about photographing a field dog (hunting dog), my skin starts to tingle with excitement! I can begin to see them in the field, in the water, in the back of truck doing "their thing" with great passion, energy and focus. Jet was all the above with some extra octane thrown in! Although he's trained as an upland game bird (pheasants, quail, grouse, etc), he relishes his time in the water - even if it's cold, October water.

So off we went to Nagawaukee Park in search of some great images. Jet was awesome! After some family images with beautiful, yellow and orange fall foliage, Jet led us to the water. Whistle trained, he followed his commands to retrieve the tennis ball with a gusto that got us all excited. Throw, fetch, repeat.

But things got REALLY exciting when I suggested that the owner throw the ball along the shore, towards me, while I stood in the frigid water. If Jet could do it, so could I!

We all loved this image of him exploding out of the water with his "eye on the ball." Focus, energy, passion - it's all here in this one image. Like Jet, I could have photographed him all day!

I Bought It!

Just recently I talked about this big, beautiful, B&W image of Yosemite Valley that I saw at the VP Gallery in Milwaukee on Gallery Night. The cool thing about this image is that I knew the photographer, Tom Ferderbar, and it was made in 1958 when he attended an Ansel Adams workshop ( was one then!). And when you photographed with Ansel, it was with a big 'ole 8 x 10 camera! So this image, sized at about 3 feet by 2.5 feet, just screams with detail

The sharpness of the conifers and the rock faces is amazing! Makes our big, double-digit megapixel digital cameras look like Kodak instamatics! Tom's done a wonderful job of not only preserving his 8 x 10 negative but scanning and producing such a marvelous print of a magnificent scene! When I saw it I realized the historic value of the image and I so wanted it because of Tom's longstanding commitment to his craft and attention to details. His Milwaukee commercial photography studio enjoyed a long, respected history of excellence!

So, I bought it! What a great thing it is when a photographer purchases the work of other photographers! The framed version, with museum glass to make it look like there's nothing between my eye and the image, will hang in our newly updated kitchen against a sage green wall. So now, I can go to Yosemite Valley everyday! Thanks Tom for making such a beautiful image!

Gift Certificates for the Holidays

It's not too early to start thinking about what gifts to give to your friends, family and business associates for the Holidays! One of the easiest things to do is give me a call and purchase a Gift Certificate for 2009 for a custom Creative Session - either on-location, your home or in the studio.

Your purchase can include a print or canvas as well as the Creative Session. I'll help you choose the appropriate gift for that special person/family that you have in mind. Each year I redeem many of the Gift Certificates that were purchased the previous Holiday Season.

This Holiday Season has a special offer! Purchase one Gift Certificate at the regular price and the second Gift Certificate for 1/2 price. Think ahead! This offer ends December 22nd.

Best Pet Photographer in Milwaukee

Now you might think, "what is this images all about?" Thanks to WISN's A List contest for Best Pet Photographer in Milwaukee, I've received this nice, spiffy logo to use. It indicates that I was in the top five for the contest but the real truth is I finished 2nd in the non-juried voting.

I want to thank all my clients who wrote wonderful reviews about my work during the voting! When I read them, I felt very blessed to have "worked" for you. I have a quote near my desk that reads, "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." William James (American psychologist and philosopher) I know my work makes a difference to you!

So to all of you that took the time and effort to email in your votes, "Mucho Gracias!" It's an honor to be named as one of the Best Pet Photographers in Milwaukee!

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!