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!