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!