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!