One Reason to Love Fall

Those days of bright sun and moderate temperatures are just right to tease out the beautiful blooms of my purple aster, prarie plant. In September, it becomes a feeding station for Monarch butterflies, heading south to Mexico, and some local bees.

This year it's a little late in its blossoming and I've only seen a few Monarchs coming by. Last year, the meaty, thick stalks were bending over from all the monarchs feeding on it's energy-rich pollen. I spent some time photographing them last year, as they paid no attention to me. All attention was on their food source.

So I wanted you all to enjoy the view I have from my dining room these days! I wait all summer, watching the stalks get thicker and taller, knowing that September will bring me a reward for my patience. Soon I'll be saving seeds for friends to start plants of their own, as well as strategically placing my own seeds in sunny places where I think that purple color will enhance my garden or make for some great background color in a photo.

Take it all in. It only lasts for about 2 weeks!

My Life has Direction

One of the things I enjoy about photographing high school seniors in the Milwaukee area is that they give me a glimpse into the future. I enjoy talking to them about where they might go to school, what course of study or trade they might pursue, and what subjects they enjoy learning about. This year, I'd say my seniors have been more science oriented - medicine, nuclear physics, biology, etc. Some will be serving us in the military, while others will choose to teach.

Luke told me he's looking to be a psychologist - "maybe working with veterans or in an educational setting," he said. I perked up when he told me that, because in the short time I had been with him, I could feel his calmness and felt at ease with him. "You'd be great at that Luke," I told him. "I can see you being a great listener. "

Later on, as we were walking back to our cars, I learned of a large, personal loss he has lived through. The sudden death of his father three years earlier. It all made sense then. Sometimes in life we choose the paths we take while other times the paths sort of find and "draft" us. It's what we choose to do with it that counts.

I thought about how losses are often gifts to us. It's only recognized at a later time in life. While we're going through the discomfort and grief of a loss/change, the spiritual struggle often brings us through to a better place. We're stronger, more resilient, empathetic, and all the wiser for it. The world becomes more shades of grey vs. black and white. At least that's what I've found in my life.

As we walked back, past a fence, where I had previously made a great head and shoulders photo of Luke, he asked me if I could take a few more shots of him there from the waist up. Sure I could, and am awful glad I did! I LOVE this photo of him. In all his steadiness, I saw that he had direction in his life and that he has a gift he will share with others.

"Honey, Look What's in Our Garden!"

Sometimes things come together when I just get out of my own way. Today was one of those days. Just back from my trip to Scotland and feeling refreshed, I had planned on photographing Delaney in the studio with one of my new, colorful backdrops. At one year of age, Delaney seemed to be more interested in my dogs that she had met when she arrived. I needed to follow my intuition and leave plan A behind. "Follow your gut" kicked in.

"Let's go outdoors," I suggested to Mom and Dad. At first nothing was really clicking, but when I let the dogs into the backyard to sniff around, Delaney became very interested in just watching them. So very quickly we put on the hat that she had earlier ejected off her head like a hot potato. Never before have my dogs been used as 'bait" for a toddler so when it resulted in images such as this, I think it's time to reconsider their employ on an individual basis.

When I brought this back on the LCD of the camera during the Creative Session, I knew it was destined for sharing. The title is just one of my crazy ways of looking at things. She appears to be coming up from the garden with the planned color harmony going on. She's just a little flower!

Thoughts on Scotland

In spite of the rain that has fallen every day of my 13 days in England and Scotland, I have fallen in love with Scotland! It must have been my walk through the National Gallery of Art in Edinburgh today, when I viewed a large number of oils by a variety of painters that depicted dogs, birds, horses or other animals. It's a well know fact that UK'ers love their dogs.

Or perhaps its the sense of humor and quick wit that the Scottish possess. At our B&B in Lower Breakish, on the Isle of Skye, we met 85 year old Ruby, who had us laughing with her teasing of us 'yanks.". There's nothing I like more than engaging in some gentle teasing! A former Elem. Ed. teacher that's long since retired, Ruby entertained Kathy and I with her stories of her travels on Skye 50 years previous, her teaching days, as well as her "conscription" into the military during WWII. When you added in her thick Scottish accent, we felt like we were in the presence of a great Scot!

Then there's the tartans and clan history; some of it gruesome and 'grim," with the stories of The Clearances and William Wallace. You certainly know where you came from and what you're about if you're a Scot! In spite of dark past of plunder, I have found this country to be most friendly, helpful and caring. Our B&B hosts provided us with hiking maps and dried our wet boots for us. A woman stopped on the streets of Edinburgh to ask if we needed help when she spotted us consulting a map and I had a warm conversation with David, the trail worker.

It saddens me that I don't have a drop of Scottish blood flowing through my veins. But for a short time, it's been fun to pretend and enjoy!

Suisnich and Boreraig Walk

Today was a beautiful day in Scotland! Yes, the Isle of Skye experienced its 51st day in a row with rain, but we were able to enjoy our 10 mile hike along a lake and a glen. It was a historic walk, as years ago, marauders came through and took over the land from those who worked it, because they needed some place to raise their sheep. As ancient history usually goes, people starved and died. The ruins of their homes and hand built stones fences still remain, however, and are amazing to see. By the way, the land is still used to raise sheep - just in case you were wondering.

Here's some images from our hike BEFORE the rain came in.

Dateline Scotland: Daniel & the Cable Bridge

It's been almost a week since I've been gone to visit my sister in England and explore the Highlands of Scotland. There's not a day that it hasn't rained yet. It reminds me of my first trip to Alaska, where it rained the first 16 days of a 21 day trip.

The heather's still in bloom, as are some smaller wildflowers. The Highland mountains and their graceful valleys are beautiful, when the clouds rise high enough to catch a glimpse of their peaks. Waterfalls are everywhere, as the ground is beyond saturated. We hiked halfway up Ben Nevis today, (highest peak in Scotland) and we saw a little sun for about 1 hour. We decided to exit the rough trail before it became slick with rain and found ourselves in the parking lot just as the rain started. (On hikes, I'm known for brilliantly reading the weather and getting us out of harm's way, just in the nick of time.)

On the way down, Kathy and I met Daniel, who's put in 16 seasons maintaining the trails we'd been hiking on. Who could ignore his red beard flowing down to his green safety vest! I asked permission to photograph him and he readily agreed. We talked about older bodies and anti-inflammatory meds while his bandages completed the story. He told us of a short hike nearby with a cable bridge that we might like. He looked us up and down and pronounced that "yull be able to doo it." (Scottish accent

In a small valley with a wonderful meadow, was a cable bridge just waiting for me. One has to test oneself every once in a while, just to be sure you're really alive. After I tried my balance beam moves, a young Brittish man followed. Then his girlfriend had to give it a go. This image gives once a sense of the danger and the encouragement of her boyfriend on the other side.

Seniors Return to School

Wow! Summer blew by quickly this year and what a busy summer it's been! While everyone's thinking about returning to school, the phone's been ringing to try and fit in as many Senior Portraits as I can. Although it's busy, I always try to make each session unique and special for the senior I'm working with.

Last night was a case in point. I went to Beau's house, on the outskirts of Franklin, where there's enough yard to play a real football game. Beau's even got a pond to swim in so it was fun walking around, looking for places and angles to photograph him.

Then he showed me the snowmobiles. Beau used to race them but now they're just for fun. I had him maneuver them into the position I need to get the light I wanted. When I showed him this series of images, he got this big smile on his face and pointed to one saying, "I really like THIS one!" Satisfaction guaranteed!

This is my last post until I'm ready to show you some images from England and Scotland. I leave tomorrow to visit my sister and then head off to the Isle of Skye for some hiking. Since I'm starting to get better on the banjo, maybe a Scot will teach me some bagpipes?

Fall Family Portraits

With the arrival of the cooler weather over the weekend, it can only mean one thing - Fall is about to arrive. Young adults are making their way to campuses, kids and parents are getting ready to crack open the school books again, and today I saw a flock of gold finches getting ready to migrate.

So now's the time to get your family together for a Fall Family Portrait! September and October gives us some of the most beautiful weather of the year, and don't forget, it's WARMER near Lake Michigan in the fall. (Payback time for the Spring season!)

If your last family photo falls into the category of 4 or more years old, you're overdue. If the clothing in the image was 2 fashions ago, it's time. If that sweet toddler in the photo is now in middle school, enough said. Round up the family and let's talk locations, clothing, canine companions, etc.

For your convenience, you can book online at: http://peggymorsch.bookmonline.com It's best to book at 10 or 11 in the morning or 3 - 4 in the afternoon.

This image is a young family enjoying the beach and waves along Lake Michigan as that cooler weather was blowing in. Sam's been a favorite of mine since his birth announcement. Gotta love those long eyelashes!

Polka Dots

The other day I had the pleasure to photograph 3 siblings - 2 boys and 1 girl. The sun was out, the creek was running and everyone was having a good time. Then the sunglasses and hats came out. Oh boy! What fun when you're young and there's something new to play with!

Celia loved the sunglasses! You can see it here in this image - throwing her head back and laughing. Do you remember how the world looked the first time you wore sunglasses? I start to giggle when I look at this image.

As for hats, they can be hit or miss. What's that strange thing on my head? Fortunately, she enjoyed it - especially when her older brothers had on hats as well.

I love how these images complement each other. One harsh from the contrasty light and the other soft, made in the shade kind of look. What's fun is that they captured Celia as she is - a vibrant two year old.

Foggy Family Portrait

The other day we had a little warm air blowing over the cooler waters of Lake Michigan, creating fog along the lakeshore area. When I went down to the Lake to prepare for a family portrait, there was a good bank of fog that called out to me, "get creative Peg - work with it!" I was all set up to go when the family arrived, and after a little chit chat, the fog had walked back out onto the lake and the sun started shining through. "Try working with that now!", the fog called out.

Not one to turn down a challenge OR disappoint a family, we patiently waited, while the Lake "breathed" the fog in and out. After working a spot for a while, we walked down to the beach and played some more. When it cleared a little, we had the most beautiful light at 3:00 in the afternoon! For a moment I felt like I was near the ocean.

Mom & Dad are going to love these images, as their family is about see their oldest off to college.

Remember how quickly the dynamics of your family can change and don't forget to visually document it! Photos live on as records for future generations to treasure.

Write YOUR Caption!

This is the first post in a long time as I've been super busy lately! Everyone of my product lines (children, families, seniors and canines) is keeping me in perpetual motion so I apologize for not keeping up here. Today, however, I've got some fun for you!

The above image was made yesterday when my kind neighbor asked me if I'd like a smoked chicken to take home. "A what," I asked? He proceeded to take off the top of his smoker/steamer and showed me these two chickens, perched perfectly atop a half filled can of beer.

I looked up at him with a purely mischievous look in my eye - "I'll be right back with my camera," I cried, as I ran down his driveway toward my house. While my legs were moving, so was my brain. I was coming up with a few captions that would fit this image. If one put it into the context of the recent Health Care debates one could come up with: "If this HR 3200 passes, we could be smoked." Or there was this one: "Did you bring the deck of cards?"

OK - have at it! Let's see what captions you all can come up with. So have fun, be irreverent, take a walk on the wild side - just keep it PG13 or you'll get me in trouble!

Yoga Dogs (not)

It's been hectic around here lately! Busy with photographing families, seniors, children and canines, and all these sessions have brought a lot of fun into my days. It's really fun for me to capture these moments!

So today I bring you one of my Dogs & Their Women portraits that I made last night with Carrie, Harper and Cabot. It was a BEAUTIFUL night out on Lake Nagawicka! Nice evening sun, some puffy clouds, dogs flying in and out of the water on retrieval missions, and a good time for practicing some Yoga.

Carrie said that "as a yoga practitioner, I am constantly striving to live in the moment. It is not easy, and it takes a lifetime of practice. We humans could learn a lot about living in the moment from our dogs. They practice yoga every moment of every day. They are always living in the moment. They don't think; they react."

So I LOVE this image. In the same light, same moment, Carrie practices a beautiful yoga pose while her canine companions watch the light dance off the water. Click - that moment is now a piece of her family's visual history.

Looking for some TINY Models!

Those that know me, know that I like trying new things! From painting the house bright yellow to learning the banjo, there's not much grass that grows under my heels. So with that in mind, it's time to stretch myself and try some new imagery with little girls. Hence the "CALL OUT" for some young models in the 9 -18 months range.

I'm looking for a few little girls that I can photograph in these awesome hats! Can't you just see your daughter in these hats with a big ole' smile on her face? If you can imagine that, then let's just add a pink or lavender tutu on her rolly, polly body and we've got some fun images! Either in the studio or outdoors, these outfits are sure to turn some heads.

Give me call mom! You'll receive some free prints for your walls at home, and who'd turn that down these days! For more details, contact me at: 414.550.5340

Piper's a Winner!

The other night I was about to shut down my computer and go to bed, when I decided to check my email one more time. There, amongst some sale specials was an email from Miller's Professional Lab - my photo lab. "Congratulations - you are a finalist winner," it said. I clicked on the URL and there was my image of Piper, in character as Pippi Longstocking, a 2nd place winner in the Humorous category! What a nice thing to think about while falling asleep. I had some quiet time to plan my announcement to her Mom and Dad, who had now just won $1000!

The next morning, I saw her mom Kate and asked what she was doing when Alex got home from work. I told her I had an announcement to make. "What are you announcing?, she asked inquisitvely. "The photo contest - you won something!" I replied. "Ooh," she said, "I've got goosebumps!"

So when Alex returned from work, I had them come through the front door, like they do on the Publisher's Clearinghouse commercials, and announced they had won $1000 for 2nd place. You can see how excited they were!

I called Millers Lab today and asked how many total entries there were in the contest this year. "A lot," the customer service rep told me. "11,426 to be exact!" WOW! With those odds, perhaps it's time to buy a lottery ticket?

So may I thank all my peers that voted for my image in the initial rounds, because only other professionals that use the lab could vote. Thanks to people like Jim Buivid and Suzette Allen, who got me on the right path with learning Photoshop, and all my clients that appreciate my sense of humor in my work!

Bike Northwoods Tour 2009

For the last week, I've been pedaling my Terry touring bike in the northwestern corner of Wisconsin. It was a circle tour that started in Cable > Mellen > Washburn > Port Wing > Superior > Solon Springs and back to Cable. We pedaled through a good portion of the Chequamagon-Nicolet National Forest and near Lake Superior and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and wide open spaces of northern Wisconsin!

This tour made the history books! It was cooler and windy. The morning we awoke in Mellen it was 38 degrees. The day we rode into Superior we had 25-30 mph head winds and rolling hills. They said it was the equivalent of riding 100 miles. I bonked heading into the lunch stop but felt invigorated after having lunch and a rest. Our last day it was 52 degrees with scattered rain showers. I know, you're all thinking I'm crazy for doing this but did I tell you about the 81 year old woman that rode about 15 miles each day?

The highlight of the tour came on the last night - The Talent Show. The night before a staff person announce that he had a banjo and the one-needed string to make it whole. He said that if someone could string it and tune it, they could use it in the show. How could a beginning banjo player turn down the offer?

So it was that I had my banjo debut in the BEAUTIFUL, native tamarack bandshell know as Lucius Woods, in Solon Springs. Musicians come from all over the US and Canada to play in a summer series. Had I know that this was the venue for the Talent Show, I may have passed, but there I was with an open backed Deering banjo on my lap, playing the 2 songs/licks I held in my memory to 400+ cyclists and townspeople!

When I ran my fingers over the strings to get ready to play, there was a roar and everyone clapped and cheered! I felt like a rock star and I hadn't even started to play. So it was Cumberland Gap and a favorite lick or two from Foggy Mt. Breakdown and I wowed them. Come back next year folks, I'll be even better!

A Night At The Circus

It's been 6 years since the Great Circus Parade has crawled up Wisconsin Ave. with muscular draft horses pulling monstrous circus wagons. But this weekend, the Circus is back in town!

Last night I went down to meet one of the Percheron horse teams from PA. Leearon Kline, who will drive the 6 hitch team and wagon, works for my photographer friend, Janet Fulcher, in Fawn Grove, PA. After 2 days on the road, they got the giant horses settled and showed my neighborhood kids what big horses are all about. The kids loved it!

Afterwards, I headed out on the circus grounds to have some fun with night photography. While hanging around the Merry-Go-Round, I ran into the Beck family, some of my great clients! Jordan was having the time of his life riding a pony around and around.

There's something about the Circus and carnival when it comes to town. Warm summer nights, cotton candy, animals to pet and acts to watch. Being out there at night really stretches the day's enjoyment! Now Leearon has some images to help her remember her time in Milwaukee, driving a 6 hitch Percheron team that pulls the big 'ole Circus wagon, for what may be the last Circus Parade to ever grace the streets of Milwaukee.

A Day in Chicago

Yesterday I had fun taking the train to Chicago to meet a friend and see the Broadway cast's performance of Mary Poppins! It was a wonderful afternoon in the Palace theatre, where the audience was 98% women and young girls. Busloads of girl scouts and grandma's with their grandaughters graced this storied theatre for the 3 hr. show.

It was fabulous! The dance numbers were impeccable and of course, I enjoyed the lighting and sets. I'm so thankful that there are people that choose to make their living in the theatrical arts. Their abilities always leave a smile on my face!

Back at the train station, I made a few images of the Great Wall, with the American flag draping the one side. The train is a wonderful way to commute into Chicago and avoid the construction on I-94.

A Senior to Remember

Every year, when I'm photographing high school Seniors, I get a glimpse of their character and personality. This year I've been lucky to photograph a student from Franklin High that has already shown enough ambition, dedication and selfless acts to fill a stadium.

Because I'm going to produce a custom book for Derek, I started photographing him during wrestling season. He was fast and strong!. Then we moved into Track & Field season, where I watched him reach a personal best in the pole vault. Add in an 800 run and a relay and you get the picture - fast, strong and has endurance!

But what really impressed me was the Eagle Scout project Derek took on. My nephew's an Eagle Scout so I know the drive, dedication and ambition one has to have to achieve the Eagle Scout ranking. For his project, Derek built a Veterans Memorial in Franklin to honor those that have served our country, including 3 generations of his family. No big deal, you might think, until I tell you that he sold the idea to the Planning Commission, Parks Commission, Veterans Associations and many others that could say "yea" or "nay" to his project. Throw in requests for donations to the tune of $50,000 so that the Memorial could be built, and I think you get the idea of his goal setting.

So it was an honor to make some images of him that show off the work he's accomplished thus far and give you a glimpse of the quiet strength he possess to achieve his goals. Here's a young guy that each time I'm done photographing him, thanks me! Little does he know that he's made me feel like a million bucks!