W photography

My blog has moved!

2011-07-29T20:10:00.001-05:00

With the creation of my new website, my blog has moved to W photography Blog

I look forward to seeing you there!

W

Steamy Engagement: Gina and Ben!

2011-07-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

It was 90-something degrees, super humid, and I was melting, but Gina and Ben were great subjects, willing to brave the temps and try four different locations in downtown Milwaukee for a fantastic engagement shoot. They plan to be married in September of 2012. Congratulations on your engagement, and we look forward to seeing you in 2012!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T14:01:00.001-05:00

Shot last night on Okauchee Lake...

Photocamp Milwaukee 2

2011-06-12T10:25:00.005-05:00

On June 4, 2011, my daughter and I participated in Photocamp Milwaukee 2. We missed the original Photocamp Milwaukee in 2009, so we really did not know what to expect. The concept is that people with a common interest gather together to share ideas, concepts, or techniques. The day began with introductions where all participants introduce themselves and offer what they can share and what they would like to learn. The leaders then organize a number of sessions throughout the day and assign locations. Participants are free to move about from discussion to discussion. While we were there, there were groups held on photography equipment, stop motion/time lapse photography, off-camera flash/strobist techniques, use of camera phones/point-and-shoot cameras, and business topics. The skill levels ranged from professional photographers to people who just wanted to take better shots with their camera phones. We had a great day and thought the workshop was a tremendous success. My thanks to the organizers at Photocamp Milwaukee and to Bucketworks, which hosted the event. Bucketworks, the "Health Club for Your Brain," is a project of School Factory, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Bucketworks provides meeting space and a creative atmosphere for projects. For membership information, check out: Bucketworks Membership.

Here are a few shots of my friend and model, Lacie, Class of 2012, who demonstrated tremendous patience while I experimented with some off-camera flash techniques. Also, thanks to her mother, Doris, for holding up the light stands in some awkward positions!

Doug Gordon Workshop "Fashionable Weddings" : Chicago: May 24, 2011

2011-05-29T15:51:00.002-05:00

This week, I attended the Doug Gordon "Fashionable Weddings" workshop in Chicago. This is a 5-hour workshop, which is more akin to a seminar with demonstrations, as the number of attendees really precluded one from shooting, but there was quite a bit of content in that five hours which was really worthwhile, particularly with respect to posing. After an opening talk, and a bit of "YMCA" to get everyone's blood moving, we moved into a demonstration of Doug's posing techniques, with the assistance of our bride and groom. I have to say I was quite impressed at the number of different looks achieved in such a short period of time and without glamorous locations. As I said, the number of participants, somewhere between 25 and 30, precluded the ability of the participants to shoot the models, it was extremely helpful to see how quickly such different poses and images could be created. I was surprised how quickly he reached 100 different looks. I shot more as a way of taking notes. I think everyone can take away some valuable information by attending. From his website, it looks like he will be doing these half-day workshops in two more locations in the near future, June 12 in Orlando and June 26 in Los Angeles. For only $79, it's well worth the money and time. Check it out at: Doug Gordon Workshops

Doug shows his model, Jarred, some love for all his hard work.

A slightly different angle for this shot...

Congratulations, Heather and Martin!

2011-05-17T17:36:00.003-05:00

What a great couple! Martin and Heather and their friends and family were so much fun to shoot at their April 30, 2011 wedding. They seemed to be willing to do whatever we wanted. If only the temperatures and the wind would cooperate! We did have time for a few at Frame Park in Waukesha between the ceremony and reception. Although we could not schedule an engagement shoot before the wedding, I am looking forward to the upcoming newlywed shoot! Congratulations to you both!

Ceremony: St. William Catholic Church, Waukesha, Wisconsin

Flowers: A New Leaf Floral, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Reception: Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Easter in Ireland

2011-05-09T21:23:00.004-05:00

Easter week this year was spent in Ireland. We flew direct out of Chicago, leaving the Monday evening before Easter, arriving in Dublin early Tuesday morning. We had only six days in Ireland, as our return was scheduled for Easter Monday. We saw only a small portion of the country, but saw enough to plan to return to see more.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton Powercourt in Enniskerry, Ireland. Enniskerry is a small village about 20 minutes south of Dublin. The hotel is on the drive off the main road toward Powerscourt Gardens, a beautiful manor and gardens set in the Wicklow mountains.

I'm not much for hotel bars. They tend to lack character and generally the bartenders seem like they are just awaiting a better opportunity. I have to admit those generalizations are unfounded as it relates to the Ritz pub, McGill's. The bartenders are friendly and the bar manager does a fantastic job. I know it may sound kind of hokey, but he runs a trivia night which is loads of fun and gives you a chance to meet a lot of people. This was the first hotel bar I can think of where I actually looked forward to visiting.

We took a walk into the village of Enniskerry.

Our first pints of Guinness in Ireland were at Nancy Murphy's in Enniskerry.

On Tuesday evening, we decided to brave the twists and turns, rock walls, and cows to drive to Johnnie Fox's Pub for dinner. Johnnie Fox's Pub claims to be the pub of the highest elevation in Dublin. In addition to the ordinary perils of driving a vehicle in the mountains in Ireland, there happened to be a cycling time trial going on. We had to capture a shot of the brave souls who dare to ride a bicycle through the area with all the crazy tourists in rental cars trying to navigate the narrow mountain roads.

On Wednesday, we took the DART from the station in Bray (Bre) to Dublin. Bray is a 15-minute drive from Enniskerry.

We walked around for a bit and then stopped in at Leo Burdock's for fish and chips, which we took to the park adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

St. Patrick's Cathedral was stunning. I loved the patterned tile floor and the historical flags. There was a choir practicing for Easter mass, so all you heard was the sound of beautiful music filling the church.

Time for some Guinness! Off to the Guinness Storehouse for a great self-guided tour.

No trip to the Guinness Storehouse is complete without a trip to the Gravity Bar, with a stunning view of the city.

Time was running out on the day, so we took a quick cab ride to Jameson Distillery for the tour.

There's a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning, evident at "The Church" which is a tavern in the former St. Mary's Church.

Woman does not live on Guinness (or Jameson) alone. It's time for a Hendrick's and tonic.

I feel like I took so many shots of pubs. In James Joyce’s "Ulysses," set in Dublin in 1904, Leopold Bloom remarks that “a good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub.” The solution to the riddle is not to pass, but instead to stop inside.

Kehoe's always had a crowd.

The Stag's Head was a pub we could not pass by.

It was time to take the DART back home!

Thursday included a trip to the Rock of Cashel. From the 4th or 5th century, it was the seat of the Kings of Munster, until it was transferred to the church in 1101. It served as a religious center until 1647 when a Cromwellian army siege resulted in the massacre of its 3,000 occupants. There were loads of preservation efforts underway at the time of our visit, so much so that it was tough getting a photo without including scaffolding and construction vehicles.

We could not believe our luck with the weather. Temperatures were in the 60s and low 70s with sun every day. We saw only a short period of rain on Good Friday, when we were exploring the riverwalk adjacent to Powerscourt Gardens. The pubs are closed on Good Friday, so a bit of exercise was warranted.

Guests of the Ritz Carlton may obtain a pass which gives you access to the riverwalk, a peaceful area of tall trees and a calm river, along with lots of rocks for skipping. There was no shortage of rocks at all in Ireland, come to think of it.

After the riverwalk, we took the car up to the Powerscourt waterfall.

Saturday was our second trip to Dublin. We crammed so much into our first day in Dublin, that this day was spent largely exploring the streets and shops.

We started the day in Dublin at Bewley's.

St. Stephen's Green must be the prettiest park we've ever seen.

Many unique shops in Dublin.

And more pubs, of course.

After crossing the Liffey a couple times,...

...we were off to Christ Church Cathedral.

Roaming the streets some more, we came across Cows Lane, upon which were located a number of vendors offering baked goods, cheese, produce, and even oysters.

The Porterhouse for lunch and a few house brews.

We headed to Dublin Castle, but the tours were full, so we explored a bit on our own.

There seemed to be loads of hen parties roaming the streets. I loved this group.

Time for The Palace Bar.

Easter Sunday took us to Avoca, the setting for the BBC series "Ballykissangel" and the home of Avoca handweavers.

In Avoca, St. Mary & Patrick's Catholic Church.

Also in Avoca, Fitzgerald's pub. We stopped in for an Easter Day pint.

It was a great trip. We look forward to seeing more of Ireland in the future.

For more photos, check out my Ireland 2011 set on flickr.

Gallery Night and Day in Milwaukee: April 15 & 16, 2011

2011-04-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

For 23 years, the Historic Third Ward Association has presented Gallery Night and Day in Milwaukee's Third Ward. The galleries stay open late and a number of special exhibitions are featured. This spring's Gallery Night is the opening night for the five-week run of the Coalition of Photographic Arts (CoPA) Members' Show, featuring the works of 101 CoPA members, including my 13-year-old daughter, Allison. For a great story on Allison: CoPA is First Exhibit for 13-year-old Member

For a preview of the CoPA members' show: 6th Annual CoPA Members' Show

For more information on Gallery Night and Day, including directions, parking information, and featured exhibits: Gallery Night and Day

Saturday in Chicago

2011-03-15T21:05:00.003-05:00

On a bit of whim, we decided to go down to Chicago for the day. This post will make you think that we travel to eat, and that is largely correct, although we threw in a bit of culture to mix it up a bit.

We started with lunch at Xoco, which sits right next to Rick Bayless's other restaurants, Topolobampo and Frontera Grill at 449 North Clark (the entrance is around the corner on Illinois). The concept of this new addition to the Bayless restaurants is the casual street food of Mexico. We have been huge fans of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, so this was worth a try, and it really was worth it. My husband and I split a Shortrib Red Chile Soup and the Ahogada Torta. The soup was a blend of shortribs, red chile broth, roasted vegetables, epazote, wild arugula, and lime.

The torta was a combination of pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, and pickled onions. The bread was super crispy. Truly amazing.

We tried two of the hot chocolates offered (it was really cold outside), both which are made from fresh-roasted cacao beans, ground on the premises. I had the chocolate with almond milk, which was super creamy. My husband and daughter ordered the ground chocolate with water, one with chile and one without. All were delicious, especially with the churros.

In between stops for great food, we hit the Art Institute of Chicago. This is a must-see in Chicago, with an amazing impressionists collection, which is a favorite of mine. As we entered this visit, we noticed this lighting installation called "Public Notice 3" by Jitish Kallat. The installation connects two separate events, both occurring on September 11. In addition to the September 11 event which immediately springs to mind, the other event was a speech given September 11, 1893 by Indian monk, Swami Vivekananda, calling for the end of bigotry and fanaticism, the text of which appears on the rise of the steps of the Art Institute in the five colors used by the Department of Homeland Security to signify the terror risk levels.

Oh yeah, and there are priceless works of art, worthy of at least one visit. My project for the visit was to try to re-compose the subjects I saw as if I were shooting them myself.

When we visited the Art Institute a few years back, when my teenager was only 9, we discovered that the Chagall windows had been removed. We were told that they were removed to prevent damage to them during the construction of the Modern Wing. Well, they're back, in a spot all their own, although I preferred having that bench to sit on and look at them for as long as I liked.

Time for more food, after a bit of shopping. For dinner, we headed to Publican.

The pig is king here, obvious from the swine art and the menu. We arrived for the afternoon menu, and chose a selection of oysters, the taste of three hams, including hams from Tennessee, Iowa and serrano ham from Spain (the best), the pork rinds (not my thing), the frites (oh, yeah), the mussels, a cheese selection, and the charcuterie plate. The charcuterie plate included a pork pie, pancetta-foie gras terrine, head cheese, tessa polish sausage, pickles, and capers. I started it off with with an Orval.

The mussels:

What was left of the charcuterie plate when I grabbed my camera. There was a bit of pork pie left, but not for long.

We caught a glimpse of our neighbor's order off the dinner menu:

Delicious. A good day.

I ♥ Anguilla

2011-01-25T07:24:00.008-06:00

This was our third trip to Anguilla, and it is still my favorite island. Due to the airline canceling our Thanksgiving Day flight, we flew out the day before Thanksgiving, one of the worst travel days of the year. Surprisingly, the trip down was quick and uneventful. We arrived at Princess Juliana Airport and took the Funtime Shuttle to Anguilla. The Funtime people load you up in a van to drive the equivalent of about half a block to the dock. This year, there were many more travelers than we had seen in previous years over Thanksgiving, so the large boat was full. The waves were a bit more exciting than usual too, keeping you attentive that your Carib did not spill on the short trip over to Blowing Point Harbor.

For our next trip, I plan to take better notes on what we do each day so that I can remember what we did. Usually I use my photos to remember, but I did not take it everywhere, and I really do not want to forget the dinners at Barrel Stay , Straw Hat, and Veya, when my camera stayed in the room. That was our first visit to Barrel Stay, and I wish we had discovered it on previous trips.

This year we stayed at Anacaona Boutique Hotel, formerly Sirena. In previous years, we have stayed at Cuisinart Resort and Meads Bay Beach Villas, and found them lovely, although pricey. There is no doubt why Anacaona has received so much great press as an affordable way to visit Anguilla. Our two-bedroom cottage, just steps from a pool, and a short walk to Meads Bay, was only $260 a night. It's tough to find a hotel room in Chicago in the winter for that rate. Although the cottage was not as luxurious as Meads Bay Beach Villas, it was a great value for the money, especially if you are like us and take your kids on vacation. They are continuing their work to update the property. Not a day passed where some new work was not done. The Anguillan breakfast at Anacaona was phenomenal. It consisted of a whole fish and crisp, warm johnny cakes. Delicious!

Anacaona also has the Mayoumba Folkloric Show on Thursday nights. In addition to dinner, you are treated to a show of stories and songs of Anguillan history. They are a very talented group!

Meads Bay was as lovely as I remember. Here is the view in both directions from Anacaona.

If it's Saturday, this must be Smokey's. Since we first heard Christmas carols with a Caribbean beat here in 2007, Smokey's is a regular visit and always puts us in the right frame of mind. The Musical Brothers did just that.

Thanks to the people at the Anguilla Forum, we discovered Sand Bar. The menu, with a cover of sandpaper, features a variety tapas. Every one we tried was fantastic. We will be sure to return.

It's tough to describe all the great food on Anguilla. We love the pastries from Geraud's...

And Koal Keel...

And escargot and wood-fired grilled pizza from Madeariman...

And the margaritas, churros, fish tacos, well, pretty much everything from Picante.

We stopped by Dune Preserve so that the kids could see Bankie Banx. Our daughter is determined to get a new autographed t-shirt on every visit.

Here are some shots over the past three visits to Anguilla in 2007, 2009 and 2010, featuring the sounds of the waves of Anguilla and The Musical Brothers from our 2010 visit:

To learn more about Anguilla: Anguilla Guide and Anguilla Tourism Board

More photos from 2007

More photos from 2009

More photos from 2010

It's a Girl! - Part Two

2011-01-02T09:09:00.002-06:00

Congratulations Kristy and Shawn!

2010-12-28T19:01:00.010-06:00

Congratulations to Kristy and Shawn, married Friday, December 3, 2010 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Fond du Lac!

It's a girl!

2010-10-30T20:52:00.006-05:00

My friend, Becky, decided to celebrate the addition of a little girl to their family with a maternity shoot! She looks so beautiful. I never looked this great pregnant! Congratulations on your third child, and first girl!

Shoot with Beckstead in Milwaukee - 2010

2010-09-29T04:49:00.012-05:00

Last week, I, along with Craig Stodola of Craig John Photography, had the privilege of hosting David Beckstead in his return to Milwaukee last week for his "Shoot with Beckstead" workshop. Last year, we were lucky to shoot in the beautiful Milwaukee Art Museum and in Milwaukee's Third Ward. It would be hard to top those venues, but this year, we had the privilege of shooting in the Pabst Brewery and at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright just prior to his death. Once again, this type of event does not happen without the assistance and generosity of many wonderful people.

I would like to thank David and his wife, Kassandra, for bringing the workshop back to Milwaukee. I have now taken David's workshop three times, and I continue to learn so many new concepts and techniques.

I want to thank my co-host, Craig Stodola, for his assistance in coordinating venues and models and putting this all together.

My thanks to our beautiful and talented models, Gina Ciurro, Kim Streeter, Lynee Ruiz, and Brenna Schwartz, who worked long hours in unique locations, without the utmost in professionalism.

My thanks go out to Dan McCarthy at Towne Investments for embracing the idea of bringing this workshop to the Pabst Brewery development. The development, including offices and residences is a wonderful tribute to the history of the buildings and to the memory of Joseph Zilber. I also must thank his colleague, Mike Kleber, for his patience as we shot the buildings from every angle possible.

My thanks to Attorney Gregory Kotsonis and the members of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church for allowing us to shoot at this gorgeous site of great historical and architectural significance. Greg's grandfather was an architect and was instrumental in bringing Frank Lloyd Wright to Milwaukee to design the church. His grandfather spoke of watching every bit of concrete poured in the construction of the building, and it is a wonderful testament to his care and to his memory. It is a beautiful place of worship, and a Milwaukee treasure.

Our gorgeous gowns were generously provided by Hartland Bridal. Sue at Hartland Bridal has exquisite taste, and the personal service she provides her brides is unmatched. The gowns featured here, by Maggie Sottero and Mori Lee by Madeline Gardner, were not only beautiful but reasonably priced.

Our thanks also go out to Carenza Color Cutting Experience in Brookfield and Kim Streeter for providing hair and makeup services. Carenza provided hair and makeup to us for last year's workshop as well, and their continued support is greatly appreciated. Kim is not only a model and makeup artist, but a photographer as well! Studio Lotus

Last, but not least, I must thank my family, and in particular, my husband, for all the time, patience, and great cooking to put this event together again.

Now, for the images. I had a tough time deciding what to post, because I loved so many of them. My wonderful husband recently gave me the gift of a Canon 5D Mark II, which was amazing. I am still learning all the bells and whistles, but this camera rocked! I hope you enjoy the images!

Graphistudio Sample Album

2010-09-03T16:12:00.003-05:00

I received a call from Graphistudio a few months ago with a great offer. I was offered a studio sample package which included an album of my design and a number of other goodies (small sample books and a calendar) at no charge. I knew Graphistudio had a reputation for beautiful albums, made in Italy, so I thought I would give it a whirl (Why not? The best shoes are made there!). It took about a month in processing, but the album is sensational. I cannot do it justice here, but I can see why people fall in love with these when they see them. This is a 14" x 14" album with laminated photographic paper pages. The cover on this album is the polished silver metallic cover, with a black leatherette spine and rear cover. I cannot really capture how beautiful this cover is given its reflective properties, but it is stunning. In the shots below, you are seeing the reflection of the window in my office, and then a wall in my office, but the cover is amazing.

The pages really do lay flat.

The center crease is not readily visible on light-colored images.

It is more visible on dark-colored images, but not terribly so.

This is a gorgeous book. For more information on Graphistudio products, check out: Graphistudio

Milwaukee Irish Fest: August 19-22, 2010

2010-08-18T21:20:00.006-05:00

Join us for the 30th anniversary of Milwaukee's Irish Fest, the world's largest celebration of Irish music, at Milwaukee's lakefront. For more information: http://www.irishfest.com/

Details: Bouquets

2010-07-26T15:22:00.002-05:00

Shoot with Beckstead - Milwaukee (Part Deux): September 20-22, 2010

2010-07-15T14:27:00.005-05:00

You may remember that last September I hosted David Beckstead's workshop, "Shoot with Beckstead," in Milwaukee: Shoot with Beckstead We had an amazing three days, shooting at the Milwaukee Art Museum, in the Third Ward, and at the Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee. I am pleased to announce that David will be returning for another workshop which I will be hosting with Craig Stodola of Craig John Photography: Craig John

This year, we will be shooting at the Pabst Brewery site. The Pabst Brewery shut down in 1996 after 152 years of brewing in Milwaukee. The 20-acre site is being renovated into a neighborhood, with homes, shops, and restaurants by the Joseph J. Zilber Historic Development group. You may recall that Mr. Zilber passed away last March, but his vision is carrying on. Several of the buildings have been renovated with office and living space. However, many of the original buildings remain, with the beauty of their classic architecture featuring Milwaukee's own Cream City brick. The buildings under development remain under lock and key, however, the Zilber group has graciously allowed us access to these unique, historic buildings for our workshop. My thanks to Dan McCarthy at Towne Investments for giving me the tour and arranging for this to take place. For more information on this historic development, check out The Brewery

As a sneak peek, here are a few snaps around these gorgeous buildings:

For more information on David's workshop and to sign up: Shoot with Beckstead

To see examples of our images from last year's workshop: Shoot with Beckstead: Milwaukee 2009

Upgrade to Lightroom 3

2010-07-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

I have always loved Lightroom because it is so easy to sort and process photographs, but the latest version is a remarkable step up. Adobe recently released Lightroom 3, and I have been using it to process new photographs, but just recently reworked some older photographs which were originally processed in Lightroom 2, and the difference was remarkable. The big selling point of LR3 has been the improvement in noise reduction. Just looking at this one photograph, the difference is clear.

This is a shot from last year's Shoot with Beckstead workshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was taken at the Milwaukee Art Museum and I wasn't using flash, so the model's face was in the shadows. Here is the shot SOOC (straight out of camera):

The next image is after processing in Lightroom 2 to bring up the exposure and lift the shadows on her face:

The detail is not great, but the image was improved. But then came Lightroom 3 with its improved noise reduction:

The real beauty is in the details. Here is an enlargement of her face SOOC:

In LR2, the overall look of the image was improved, but the detail was lost. Lots of noise on her face is evident here:

The beauty of the noise reduction is seen in the detail on LR3:

What an improvement!

W

Album Spreads

2010-06-16T08:42:00.002-05:00

I am working on some album spreads for Desirae and Phillip's wedding.

Cover:

Two page spreads:

Desirae and Phillip

2010-05-17T22:10:00.002-05:00

It was my pleasure to photograph the wedding of Desirae and Phillip on April 30, 2010 at the Country Springs Hotel. The rain held off just long enough so that the wedding could take place in the gazebo, although the rain poured down shortly thereafter. Congratulations!

Ring Shots

2010-04-11T15:19:00.003-05:00

Having some fun today, trying to add some sparkle! For the Strobists, the ring was placed on a mirror surrounded by black cards to which I pinned CDs, shiny side out. I positioned a 430EX II, gelled half yellow, half blue, and triggered it with Pocketwizards (Mini TT1 on camera, flash on Flex TT5, on a lightstand to camera right, aiming toward the CDs to create the splash of color). I fashioned a snoot, rectangular in shape out of black cardstock, for my Mini Litepanel, and held it above the ring, camera left. Shot at 2.8 with my Canon 200mm f/2.8 on my 40D. For the non-Strobists, I threw a bunch of light around to catch the sparkle of my ring, given to me by my husband on our 10th anniversary.

W

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T17:25:00.000-05:00

Engagement Session: Desirae and Phillip

2010-03-11T18:55:00.002-06:00

Thanks to unseasonably warm weather on Sunday, we had a great engagement session with Desirae and Phillip, who will be married on April 30th. We're looking forward to the wedding!

Coquette Cafe

2010-02-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite restaurants is changing hands. Sanford and Angie D'Amato announced last week the sale of Coquette Cafe to former Sanford and Coquette chefs, Nick Burki and Chris Hatleli. Let's hope Coquette doesn't go the way of the Sanford bakery, Harlequin, which closed its doors last August. Check out Coquette Cafe at: Coquette Cafe

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2010-01-18T14:18:00.000-06:00

Time for indoor pursuits...

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T09:41:00.000-06:00

Missing Anguilla

2009-12-20T14:48:00.000-06:00

With the rush toward Christmas, I just finished processing images from our Thanksgiving trip to Anguilla. We were last there in 2007. Since that time, construction on the Viceroy is in full swing, and Smokey's updated its look, I understand in large part due to Hurricane Omar. This time we stayed at Meads Bay Beach Villas which were lovely. Delta and Lalee took very good care of us for the week. We love the restaurants on Anguilla, visiting Straw Hat, Picante (twice!), Smokey's, Cafe at Veya (amazing jerk chicken!), Gwen's Reggae Grill, English Rose (great fish and chips!), Tasty's, and B&D's, where they barbecue your chicken, ribs, and fish while you help yourself to beer from the cooler! We also visited Dune Preserve for tea (more rum punch than tea for me!) with Bankie Banx, essentially an early show for those of us in their 40's who can't stay awake anymore for the late show. We had another wonderful trip!

Corporate Shoot with Tracey

2009-11-29T16:59:00.000-06:00

When my friend Tracey needed a few corporate shots, I wasn't expecting December weather in October, but it was still a fun outing. Tracey has been with Robertson Ryan since January of 1996. She received her designation as a Certified Insurance Counselor in 1997. Her personal insurance customers include individuals, families and high net worth clients. Tracey's commercial insurance expertise lays in small to medium size accounts with office, real estate, professional and workers compensation exposure. Tracey also assists her clients with their life and health insurance needs. Tracey is a genius as far as all things insurance, so if you need any assistance in finding insurance to fit your business needs, give her a call.

Tracey Moran Fricker
Robertson Ryan & Associates
(414) 221-0398
Email: tfricker@robertsonryan.com
Robertson Ryan & Associates Website

Turks & Caicos Conch Festival

2009-11-07T09:41:00.000-06:00

Kick back with your feet in the sand and enjoy the best dishes in the Caribbean at the Sixth Annual Turks and Caicos Conch Festival, to be held Saturday, November 28, 2009 in Blue Hills, Providenciales.

“Where in the world is that?” is a phrase commonly heard when we tell friends of our trips to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Turks & Caicos Islands consist of forty islands, including eight major islands and a number of uninhabited cays, pronounced “keys,” located 575 miles south of Miami and 39 miles southeast of the Bahamas chain of islands. The islands are a British territory, where the U.S. dollar is the official currency. The islands are known for their pristine beaches and expansive coral reefs. The capital of the islands is on Grand Turk, but the primary destination for tourists is Providenciales, home to twelve miles of perfect white sand, Grace Bay Beach. Providenciales is also home to the only conch farm in the world, the Caicos Conch Farm.

“What in the world is a conch?” Pronounced “konk,” a conch is essentially a large marine snail. The queen conch, the “strombus gigas,” is found in the warm waters of the Atlantic and the Caribbean from Florida to Brazil.

Their shells are readily identifiable, with a bright colored pink lip. The conch, which grows to adulthood with its shell, uses its strong muscle to propel itself. Conch meat has a mild, sweet flavor, and resembles a scallop in texture.

To celebrate the most important food product of the islands, in 2004, the Turks & Caicos Conch Festival was first organized. The festival, held annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, showcases the conch with a “conch-e-tition” where local chefs compete for the honor of the best chowder, salad, and specialty dishes. Included are competitions in conch blowing, conch “knocking,” extracting the conch from the shell, and a competition for the best Mojito among the islands’ bartenders. The festival features live music, boat races, and activities for children. The festival is held in Blue Hills, an area off the beaten path from the resort-filled Grace Bay Beach.

In September 2008, the Turks and Caicos Islands found itself in the path of Hurricanes Hanna and Ike. Although Providenciales suffered only minor property damage, the hurricanes badly damaged the island of South Caicos, the islands’ fishing hub. The Fifth Annual Turks and Caicos Conch Festival, held on November 29, 2008, was of special significance, raising funds for hurricane relief.

The 2009 Turks and Caicos Conch Festival will be held Saturday, November 28, 2009. For more information, Turks & Caicos Conch Festival

Louis Sullivan's "Jewel Box" Banks

2009-10-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

This week, we visited Owatonna, Minnesota, the home of the first of Louis Sullivan's "Jewel Box" banks. Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) is an American architect regarded by some to be the father of the modern skyscraper. Partnered with Dankmar Adler, Adler & Sullivan was responsible for the Auditorium Building in Chicago, the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, the Guaranty Building in Buffalo, New York, and the Carson Pirie Scott store on State Street in Chicago. Sullivan coined the phrase "form ever follows function," evident in the work of those he mentored as well, including Frank Lloyd Wright. Sullivan was one of ten architects chosen to design structures for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. His Transportation Building stood apart from the other structures as more forward thinking than those of his colleagues, which he claimed set back the progress of American architecture a half century or more. Despite his success, the partnership with Adler later dissolved, and Sullivan found himself later in life in financial decline and reportedly trouble with alcoholism. After reading Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," it became clear to me that Henry Cameron is the Louis Henri Sullivan to Howard Roark/Frank Lloyd Wright.

However, later in life he was sought out to design a number of midwestern town banks, dubbed his "jewel boxes,"small but intricately-designed. The first was opened in 1908 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Bank vice-president and chief operating officer, Carl Bennett, sought out Sullivan to design the bank. Seven more banks followed, culminating in the Farmers & Merchants Bank in Columbus, Wisconsin, dedicated in 1919. Included here are shots of National Farmers Bank of Owatonna, Minnesota (1908), now a Wells Fargo, and the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Columbus, Wisconsin (1919). Both continue to be working banks, although you will see a lot of people taking photographs in addition to those doing their banking.

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National Farmers Bank, Owatonna, MN (1908):

Farmers & Merchants Bank, Columbus, WI (1919):

Warhol at the Milwaukee Art Museum

2009-10-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

Check out the Warhol exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum, showing now through January 3, 2010. Warhol at MAM

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WOW! Shoot with Beckstead in Milwaukee!

2009-09-25T20:37:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of hosting David Beckstead's Shoot with Beckstead when he came to Milwaukee, September 20 to 22, 2009. The workshop is a three-day event, with one day devoted to learning composition and technique, one full day of shooting, and a day reviewing and critiquing images taken by the group. Our shooting day started with the beautiful Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by Santiago Calatrava. After taking David's workshop in Chicago last year, I knew he would love this place and I think our images demonstrate just that. We spent the rest of the day in the Third Ward, an area just south of downtown, near the Milwaukee River. We also had a bonus shoot at the end of the workshop downtown at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. I cannot recommend this workshop more highly. If you have the opportunity to attend a Shoot with Beckstead workshop, grab it!

Many people contributed hours to putting this workshop together and deserve recognition. My thanks to David and Kassandra Beckstead for embracing the idea to come to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and making this all a reality. My thanks to Elizabeth Egan and Anne Radtke at the Milwaukee Art Museum for coordinating our shooting day at this amazing place. My thanks to Kelly Strong of Zita in Whitefish Bay for all her hard work in procuring and providing the stunning gowns fit perfectly to our models. My thanks to Cathy and Scott Erickson for their work in arranging for the models, Rachel Jacques, Elena Altoro and Angela Altoro, who worked so hard on a very long shooting day, and Elena who came back for more on our bonus shoot. My thanks to the wonderful people at Carenza Color Cutting Experience in Brookfield, Becky Sikorski, Mandi Stout, and Sarah Markunas, for a fantastic job on hair and makeup for the shoot. Many thanks to Mark Bertieri and David Bernacchi for hosting a break at their gallery, Light Ideas Gallery in the Third Ward in Milwaukee. Thank you to Dennis Felber for arranging for the Marcus Center shoot. And finally, my thanks to my husband for hosting and picking up all the duties at home so that this workshop could happen.

Enjoy the images!

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One Week Until Shoot with Beckstead!

2009-09-12T07:39:00.001-05:00

One week remains before "Shoot with Beckstead" takes on the Milwaukee Art Museum. Having attended David Beckstead's workshop in Chicago, I am excited to see what he does with the light and lines of the Santiago Calatrava design of the Milwaukee Art Museum. David has secured exclusive access for our group for a private four-hour shoot inside the museum. The three-day workshop should be amazing. For more information, check out:
Shoot with Beckstead at MAM
Sign up at: Beckstead Workshop Registration

Portfolio Shoot with Brenna

2009-08-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

Last week, I had the privilege to shoot with an upcoming young model, Brenna Schwartz. Brenna is a student at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Although she was busy with preparations for school and a number of shoots this week, I was glad that she could fit me into her schedule. She was quite impressive and professional, and I have no doubt that she will find success in whatever she chooses. Here are a few shots from our session. Brenna can be reached through Model Mayhem, Brenna Schwartz, MM#1311553

Colors of the Dane County Farmers' Market

2009-08-24T20:03:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we headed up to the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square. It was so hard to choose. It all looked so beautiful. Check out what's fresh at: Dane County Farmers' Market

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Nashotah House

2009-08-08T16:01:00.001-05:00

This week, I went out to Nashotah House on assignment to shoot the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin. Nashotah House is on one of our regular cycling routes, so I knew where it was, but had never been on the grounds. Nashotah House is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion of Churches. It was founded in 1842 as a mission to the American Frontier. In 1847, Nashotah House received its formal charter from the Wisconsin territorial legislature as a college of "piety and learning." Set on the shores of Upper Nashotah Lake, the grounds are wonderfully peaceful, and a treasure of Waukesha County. For more information on Nashotah House, Nashotah House

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Pewaukee Lake Waterski Club

2009-07-31T10:35:00.001-05:00

It's hard to resist the charm of Pewaukee in the summer, particularly the Thursday night waterski show put on by the Pewaukee Waterski Club. For 20 years, the club has been putting on shows to entertain the community, and presently does a show every Thursday night at 6:45 p.m. at Lakefront Park in Pewaukee. The club also offers "Learn to Ski" clinics, where for a contribution of a small sum to cover insurance, you can get out on the skis and give it a try. The club has members ranging in age from 5 to 80+, and puts on a great show. Grab a picnic basket and a blanket and come out to the lakefront! For more information, check out the club's website at Pewaukee Lake Waterski Club

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What do you call a photowalk with 32,000+ photographers? A photowalk of historical proportions.

2009-07-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

My thanks to all those who came out under overcast skies and the threat of rain for the Pewaukee Lakefront location of Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk. All over the world, over 32,000 people participated. The photos are now coming in. The shots from the Pewaukee walk are being collected at: Worldwide Photowalk - Pewaukee Lakefront

For a group dedicated to the worldwide event, go to: Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk

Included in that group are discussions including stories and photographs from all over the world. What a great event!

Here are a few more of mine from the walk.

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Worldwide Photowalk

2009-07-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, July 18, 2009, I will be leading the Pewaukee Lakefront Photowalk as part of Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk. This is the second year of Scott Kelby's walk, and it appears that this year's event will draw over 30,000 people from all over the world. Leaders organized walks for their area, and participants may sign up for the walk of their choice. Each participant will submit their two best shots from the photowalk and as leader, I will select the best from the group to be submitted for the international competition. Our group is not yet full, so if you're interested, sign up today at Worldwide Photowalk - Pewaukee Lakefront The local winner gets a copy of Scott Kelby's Digital Photography book, Volume 3, when it is released, and entry for all the big prizes. Here is an outline of our route:

View Worldwide Photowalk - Pewaukee Lakefront in a larger map

Even if you do not participate, take a look at the great shots taken from all over the world at the Worlwide Photowalk home site: Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk This is also the monthly photowalk of the Cream City Flickr group. Check out their great work, including shots from the monthly walks, at: Cream City Milwaukee

All ages and all levels of experience are encouraged to attend. I look forward to seeing everyone Saturday!

Mandi and Drew's Wedding Slideshow

2009-07-14T08:43:00.001-05:00

A slideshow of images from Drew and Mandi's Wedding.

Mandi and Drew's Wedding

2009-07-13T18:47:00.002-05:00

I am excited to share some shots from Mandi and Drew's wedding on June 27, 2009 at Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. My thanks to Mandi and Drew for a wonderful day. Your family and friends were a joy to be with, and I hope you enjoy the photographs.

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Shoot with Beckstead in Milwaukee!

2009-07-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be hosting Shoot with Beckstead in Milwaukee! The workshop dates are September 20-22, 2009. Here's a message from David Beckstead about this great opportunity:

Shoot With Beckstead Workshop at the Milwaukee Art Museum!

September 20-22
$950 per photographer

Wendy Gunderson hosting

Woo Hoo! I just secured the Milwaukee Art Museum to have our shooting day! Inside for 4-hours and outside for as long as we want. This workshop includes lunch at the Museum and the entrance fees and use of the place when it is closed (they will open just for us!). This is a once in a life time chance to shoot in one of the most well known architectural wonders of the world!
THE LINES AND LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! MAN I CAN’T WAIT! Can you even imagine what we can produce there…the reflection potential is off the chart!!

For more information on the workshop:Shoot with Beckstead
For David's amazing shots from all over the globe, check out: David Beckstead

Tanya and Mike

2009-07-01T13:17:00.001-05:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of friend and photographer, Mike, and his bride Tanya. When a photographer gets married, you can expect every angle was covered and between the four of us on the job, I cannot imagine a moment that was not captured. Here are a few of my shots from the day.

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Published!

2009-06-22T17:58:00.000-05:00

Check out the July 2009 issue of Milwaukee Magazine:

My first published photo! I hear that I also sold an image to Waukesha Magazine, so keep an eye out!

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Weekend in New Orleans

2009-06-18T19:54:00.002-05:00

Enjoy this slideshow of selected shots from our weekend in New Orleans.

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Contemporary Wedding Guest Book

2009-06-15T08:53:00.001-05:00

Things have changed in many ways since I was married 18 years ago. "Digital everything" creates so many more possibilities for your wedding day. Gone are the tired-looking Hallmark store guest books with zero personality. One of the trends is to use you engagement photos to create a very personal guest book and a wonderful keepsake you will look at again and again. Here is the guest book I created for Mandi and Drew, who will be married at the end of the month. Guests are free to write personal notes on the pages for the bride and groom. Press-printed books make this an economical and personal touch for your wedding.

Mission Accomplished: 100K

2009-06-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

I celebrated my 44th birthday Saturday by finishing the 100K route (actually 63.8 miles!) at the Trek 100. This year's ride was the 20th anniversary of the event, and started out of the Trek factory in Waterloo. This was a wonderfully organized ride. Many volunteers contributed valuable hours to make this event a success, bringing 2400 riders and raising an estimated $850,000.00 for the MACC fund.

And we got these great socks!

Despite the temperatures in the 50s and the rain, it was a great way to spend the day.

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New Orleans Tradition: The Second Line Parade

2009-06-04T19:11:00.000-05:00

While walking through the French Quarter on Saturday night, my husband and I stumbled across a wonderful New Orleans tradition, the Second Line Parade. Traditionally led by a brass band, a crowd forms a parade following the band, joining in the music by twirling handkerchiefs and dancing. Second Line Parades are commonly seen with celebrations such as weddings, and also with funerals. A Second Line Parade will follow mourners from the funeral service to the cemetery. When associated with a wedding, the parade leads guests from the wedding ceremony to the reception. What a great tradition!

Weekend in NOLA

2009-06-03T23:06:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend! My husband and I headed down to New Orleans, leaving parental duties behind. New Orleans is loaded with beautiful architecture, great food, and wonderful local musicians.

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Mandi and Drew's Engagement Slideshow

2009-05-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

Here are some shots I took and some by my colleague, Michael D. Stotler, from Mandi and Drew's engagement session.

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Engagement Session: Mandi and Drew

2009-05-20T11:23:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph this great couple, Mandi and Drew, who are engaged to be married. We had a great session and look forward to the wedding in June! W

Slideshows in Minutes

2009-05-12T15:28:00.002-05:00

I am having fun playing with Animoto, a site where you can put photos to music. Check out this video created in minutes at animoto.com

Oh Baby!

2009-05-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

This week, I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with this handsome little boy. Beckett is the 3-month-old son of a dear friend, Lisa, who has has worked so hard with our son, Michael, with his special needs. Beckett was very patient with us both as we worked on his portrait, and his sister, Luci, helped out between clothing changes and to make my favorite shot below. Thanks Lisa, Luci, and Beckett for a great shoot!

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Madison Images

2009-05-03T08:40:00.000-05:00

Last week, mkeimages.com began a gallery of Madison images. Check out this new gallery, and many other galleries of Milwaukee and the surrounding area at www.mkeimages.com

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Back to the Beach

2009-04-25T13:40:00.001-05:00

After a beautiful 80 degree day yesterday, it's raining and the rain is expected to continue through the weekend. Time to go back to the beach, if only by way of photographs. Beauty, courtesy of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

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Beauty in Motion

2009-04-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I attended a photography workshop with Joe Buissink, one of my favorite wedding photographers. He has many beautiful photographs, but one of my favorites was a close up of a bride dancing with her groom. You can see the photograph on the front page of Joe's website here: www.joebuissink.com/
I remember him telling us that this scored poorly (well poorly for Joe) at WPPI because it was not sharp. This reminded me of one of my favorite shots I took at a friend's wedding where the bride is blurred, trying to show movement against the onlookers off the dance floor, but a shot I love. It's not always about technical perfection, but sometimes just how the shot makes you feel.

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Milwaukee Art Museum

2009-04-19T21:47:00.001-05:00

On a rainy Sunday, what else is there to do but clean the house or do laundry? Or maybe visit the Milwaukee Art Museum. The Santiago Calatrava design is the big draw. Here is a shot from today and some favorites from previous visits.

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Milwaukee Neon

2009-04-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

At McBob's yesterday, I shot a Killian's sign and added it to my collection of neon signs from the area. Here are a few, including yesterday's shot.

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The "Milwaukee Grill" is actually in Janesville, Wisconsin

From "The Harp" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Yesterday at McBob's Pub & Grill, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

McBob's Irish Pub & Grill

2009-04-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

This morning, when my husband suggested breakfast, I did not anticipate heading to a bar at 49th and North Avenue in Milwaukee, but I'm glad he did. McBob's Irish Pub & Grill at 4919 West North Avenue was fantastic. I had the McGinnity, a combination of 3 eggs, corned beef hash with the most tender corned beef, hashbrowns, and a scone. Fantastic.

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Looking Forward to Irish Fest

2009-04-09T13:41:00.000-05:00

With St. Patrick's Day behind us, it's time to look forward to warmer temperatures, but the weather here is not cooperating with record lows. I am looking forward to August when Irish Fest will be in full swing in Milwaukee. Here are a few shots from last year's event.

http://www.irishfest.com/

The Art of Processing

2009-04-06T14:34:00.000-05:00

There is something to be said for getting the shot right in the camera, but most of us are not perfect. With the assistance of a friend (Thanks, Mike), here is one photograph which did benefit from some extra care. I initially converted it to sepia, but it looked a bit muddied. Here is the shot before and after some cropping and pixel manipulation.

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BEFORE

AFTER

Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee

2009-04-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, we loaded up the kids and headed to Lakefront Brewery for the tour. This was probably the best brewery tour I've ever been on, and we wondered why it took us so long to make it here. They promise that you will "taste" before, during, and after the tour, and they held up their end of the bargain.

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A Few More from the Buissink Workshop

2009-04-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more from Thursday's workshop. What a great time!

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Joe Buissink Workshop in Chicago

2009-04-04T08:06:00.000-05:00

Thursday, I was able to attend Joe Buissink's one-day workshop in Chicago. If you are not familiar with Joe, click on the link to his website in the margin of this blog, and take a look at his work. He is best known as a celebrity wedding photographer based in Beverly Hills, shooting weddings for JLo, Jessica Simpson, Christina Applegate, etc. His work for a book of parents of and children with autism brought me to tears. Joe makes you realize that amazing talent and great people do meet. He obviously puts his heart into his work, likely why he is so successful.

Please check out Joe's book, "Autism Heroes" for The Help Group:

www.thehelpgroup.org/

We only had a short amount of time to shoot given that our poor model, Anna, had to endure 40 degree temperatures, but it was a wonderful workshop.

Trek 100 Ride for Hope

2009-04-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

In celebration of my 44th birthday, my husband and I (and hopefully a few friends, ;) ;), are doing the Trek 100 Ride for Hope in support of the MACC Fund, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. For more information or to pledge, please visit my page at:
maccfund.kintera.org/trek100-2009/wgg/

Personal Training with Dory

2009-04-03T08:37:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I got up before the crack of dawn to do the first of several sessions with my personal trainer, Dory. The best thing about this session was that I was not the one being tortured. Instead, we shot some promotional photographs for Dory and she had to do all the hard work. Those weights are pretty heavy after a couple frames.

Dory works for Elite Clubs. Call her to schedule a training session at Bluemound Elite, Brookfield, Wisconsin: (262)786-3330

Shoot with Beckstead Chicago

2009-04-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

Last June, I attended a two-day seminar by David Beckstead. If you're not familiar with David, he was named one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world in 2007 by American Photo, and has received many honors for his work too numerous to mention. David puts on a variety of workshops including his own "Shoot with Beckstead." This workshop, hosted in Chicago by Tricia Whitmer, was a two-day event, one day of shooting and one day of critique. Below are a few shots from the workshop. For more information on David's workshops, go to:

www.shootwithbeckstead.com/

St. Patrick's Day with The Tossers

2009-04-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

My husband and I spent St. Patrick's Day with The Tossers at Turner Hall again this year. Here are a few shots from the show. A gallery of all the images is available on mkeimages.com.

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Time to start a blog

2009-03-31T20:41:00.003-05:00

I have followed blogs of my favorite photographers for years and decided it's time to start a blog of my own. Let's start with a project I just completed on area Irish pubs. The gallery is featured on mkeimages.com. These are a few of my favorite images from that project.

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