Trick or Treat?

Here is a shot of our kitchen table at the moment. I am, of course, knee deep in a crazy halloween photography project. It involves a white pumpkin, hubby's drill ( I promise I will clean all the pumpkin juice off!) and some battery operated christmas lights.

If the photo I take later today with this pumpkin turns out like I hope, I'll be entering it in a contest to win a scholarship to attend the Anti-Workshop, which is a kick-ass photography workshop in Vegas next year.

I promise to post the results of my endeavors later today.

For now, it is on to the top three client projects that are screaming for some attention... Shelli, MacKenzie and Monica - your stuff is coming very soon!

Happy Halloween!!

Balls, Paint & Play-doh

If you haven't seen these ads for Sony Bravia tvs, you have been missing out. Their latest is a huge stop-motion animation undertaking that used 2.5 tons of modeling clay and 40 animators. Some of you know that I am (or was at least) an animator, so I have full appreciation for this undertaking.

In truth, all of the commercials are amazing to watch. "Balls" is my favorite... and makes me want to run out and buy one of these televisions for my studio every time I see it.

You can see all the commercials and the "making of" videos Here.

Genus: Concert-Goer Jerkus

(picture from Rolling Stone)

Hubby and I attend a lot of concerts. I've never counted them up, but I'll bet we are nearing a hundred over our relationship. We really love finding an artist early on and participating in their rise. This weekend we got to see two artists we have been following for awhile. Saturday night we went to The Rave to see Shooter Jennings and here is where we ran into the breed known as Concert-Goer Jerkus.

There are many different families inside this breed (to continute my biological metaphor) and we seem to run into a few of them at every concert, especially those that are standing-room only. I have come to believe that it is my height that causes us to always be in their presence. You see, I'm 5'4" (maybe 5'6" in my cowboy boots) so seeing the stage at a standing-room only show is somewhat of a challenge among the throngs. It is okay, I've accepted it. But it does mean I spend as much time trying to see as I do enjoying the concert, and I tend to enjoy/be annoyed by a whole other show put on by members of this breed around me. For the most part, they are all jerks, and they all seem to feel they are at a private concert just for them, and that their actions don't affect anyone. On Saturday night, we ran into the whole variety of this breed in one group. They were all friends and they insisted that they had "their spot" at the front by the barricade, despite their constant leaving it and then reappearing to try and squeeze back in from the bar, bathroom, and who knows where else. I'll break it down for you.

***Warning: This remainder of this post is largely sarcastic and meant to be funny.***

Pink fuzzy sweater girl: It should be mentioned that Shooter Jennings is outlaw country. Your pink fuzzy off-the-shoulder sweater and sweet little hairdo made you stick out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, your mouth and what came out of it was neither sweet nor pretty. Your only saving grace was your apparent attempt to control your boyfriend:

Drunk and Stumbling guy: Yes, we know you and your group have been tailgating since (1pm, 3pm, 5pm - no one in your group could decide. But seriously, who tailgates at The Rave?) and clearly you have been the poster child for drinking all day. You are so drunk that your eyes no longer open fully and you can not, no matter how hard you try, stand up straight. Even hanging on to your girl, you couldn't hold yourself up. You knocked into me and stepped on my feet at least 15 times. And when you turned around to apologize to my husband for "knocking into his old lady" you got an earful from me about it - for calling me someone's old lady, not for knocking into me. Your attempt to take on the two men to our right (who are easily twice the size of my husband and you sir, were smaller than my husband) when they got fed up with you was downright amusing.

High as a Kite guy: You also couldn't stand up straight. Your swaying was incredible - it was like watching one of those punching bags that won't fall over. What was even more incredible - your ability to come within millimeters - millimeters! of everyone around you without actually touching them. No, I did not appreciate you smoking your doobie (hubby thinks its funny that I called it that and I guess it just proves how little I know about drugs) right in front of me. Believe it or not, not everyone appreciates a free contact high.

Way too tall for the front row guy: You are easily at least 6'5". Yes, your friends are less than tall, but you sir, especially in your cowboy hat, are too tall for the front row. You are also too tall for the second, third, and fourth rows. Thank you for being kind enough to not stand in front of me when you returned from your twentieth beer run in an hour, even if I had to ask you not to.

Girl who thinks she is desperately hot: Number one, you aren't as hot as you think you are. Number two, your friend lied to you when you asked her if your red hooker boots looked like cowboy boots in the dark. They don't. And the reason you are having some trouble walking in them isn't because of your blood alcohol level, it is because there is a plastic cup stuck on one of your pointy toes. Your gyrating and clamoring for the act's attention along the front barricade is not only disgusting, but sadly amusing. Oh, and your little tank top that says "Wanna Spoon?" isn't cute, but it does go with your boyfriend's shirt very well (which said "I love Vag**a" - I don't want that to be searchable). Oh, and he didn't really appreciate how you had vertical relations with every guy in a 10 foot radius, even though he pretended to.

Boyfriend of desperately un-hot girl: Yes, you have what appear to be fairly well sculpted arms underneath your UnderArmour tight shirt, but it also shows off well your beer belly which is clearly many years aged, and um, not so hot.
Your huge saving grace was the pure hilarity that ensued between hubby and I when you tore off your shirt (well, lifted it up and got it stuck around your uplifted arms to be exact) and tried to show Shooter Jennings your Waylon Jennings tattoo that takes up half of your back. (Waylon Jennings was Shooter's dad for those of you who are wondering). Why was this so funny? Because suddenly we realized you were "Annoying Tattoo Guy" from the State Fair concert this year. Shooter didn't care about your tattoo then (even though you stood there with your shirt off pointing at your back for a WHOLE song) and your girlfriend's hand waving and pointing didn't get him to care anymore this time either. In fact, he never even looked your way. But it was funny! Oh yes, and your girlfriend's matching mini-version of your tattoo on her lower back is just sad.

One additional member of this species we ran into:

Older Soccer Mom with a Digital Camera: Honey, enjoy the show and stop trying to take pictures for your scrapbook pages. Seriously, I don't like your camera being held up in front of me anymore than anyone else does. I already let you squeeze past me twice to "get a picture", and I have found that is all you do - try to get a picture. You missed the concert. I'm even a professional photographer and I'm telling you to stop. A subset of this variety is the perpetual cell-phone camera picture taker.

It should be noted that Pink Fuzzy Sweater Girl eventually got fed up with Drunk and Stumbling Boyfriend (because all of her yelling did nothing to control him) and left the immediate area, causing him to be under the control of Desperately Un-hot girl. She attempted holding him in a kung-fu grip by the shirt and Nose (yes, Nose!) and also gyrating on him in an effort to control him and eventually gave up and escorted him out to the awaiting and pissed off Pink Fuzzy Sweater Girl (I can only assume). Earlier in the evening, Drunk and Stumbling guy almost lit his girlfriend's hair on fire twice as he tried to light a cigarette. She is totally unaware of this.

In the end, the concert was fantastic. And the antics of Concert-Goer Jerkus will fade.

Devon & Chris - Wedding

Devon & Chris were married October 13th at First Unitarian in downtown Milwaukee. After a horse-drawn carriage ride thru the city they arrived at their reception at the Milwaukee Yacht Club. I blogged previously about the design of their wedding, so I won't go into great detail with that (see "design review"). The day was cloudy and a bit chilly, but the warmth of a good wedding chased all of that away.

Devon is very into victorian lace and other small details, so I played with this portrait a little more than I normally would, but I think it really captures the moodiness that was present, and her sensibilities.


In fact I did a lot more warm toning in processing with this wedding than I usually do, it just seemed right for this couple and this wedding.

Here are more of my favorites in a slideshow. Look for a couple of great portriats of Chris, an incurably cute little girl, the Father of the Bride carrying a purse, newly minted in-laws checking each other out and evidence of Chris's Boston roots.

Allyson @ One

I had the privledge of spending a couple hours on a Monday afternoon with our good friends Steve, Katie and their little girl Allyson for her one-year pictures. Since both of the parents could come along, we also got a few family shots. The beauty of photographing good friends is that I think the lenses feel your love. Allyson's images are positively buttery and a little girl couldn't be any cuter. I see so much of both Steve and Katie in her. Talk about content, she didn't fuss much and was so happy to just investigate (and eat) leaves all day. Allyson is kind of our "honorary niece" so getting this much uninterupted time with her (normally I have to take what I can get amongst many, many family members) was a real treat. Working on these pictures of her have made me realize that hubby and I need to make more time for her before she grows up on us. Katie and Steve - that is an open invitation for date night babysitting...

I had so much trouble choosing the header pictures for this post, but I couldn't pass the top one up, it is just too funny! The slideshow below holds more of my favorites.

Happy 50th Birthday Judy!

Today is my Mother in Law, Judy's 50th Birthday. I thought the picture above was most appropriate since she and I have the same problem - we are always the ones taking the pictures, so we never end up in them. (Until I came along, now we take pictures of each other taking pictures!)

We celebrated with family and friends last Saturday at her "Fabulous and Fifty" party at a local bar and grill. It is always amazing to see hubby's family come together. One because there are SO MANY of them (his dad is one of ten children) and two because they rarely miss a family event. That is true of Judy's side of the family too. It is one tight knit group. The party was a blast for both kids and adults, Judy was truly fabulously fifty wearing the goofy tiara we bought her and the whole night was a big success.
Here is a slideshow of some of my favorite moments.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Yesterday was my little sis, Katie's birthday. I thought I would wait to do her birthday post until I had pictures from it.
We went to La Perla (Yum!) for dinner with my brother and parents (dad was there, though somehow he isn't in any of the pictures, but then again, neither am I). It was mucho bueno. We even made her ride the pepper.

So, Happy 25th Birthday Katie!

Design Review

As a designer and an artist, I have been known to get a little more than giddy about a well designed wedding. As a photographer, the weddings that fall into that category are aboslute eye candy. I'm still editing all the pictures from Devon & Chris's wedding last weekend, but I thought I would do a little review of the look they pulled together because it was fabulous.
Devon truly has a real eye and edited to perfection all of the elements.
The church was all cream and chocolate brown wood with a green velvet seat in the pews (and amazing big green doors) and the reception location (the Milwaukee Yacht Club) was beautifully contemporary with great light, three walls of windows and all medium brown and cream tones. I can only assume Devon took all of this in when she designed the color scheme of her wedding, because it all worked so well. She had ivory and chocolate brown taking center stage with touches of pale green, and then for a surprising twist at the reception - touches of orange and a hint of blue to bring in the lake. All in all, it was a beautiful, simple and clean backdrop for their day.
Oh yes, and mad props to the floral designerJulie at Grande Flowers - she did an amazing job on all components.
Here are some of the details:

These tall vases held branches wired with individual roses that were a pale yellow/green color. The look was wonderfully modern and also so pretty. There were four of these at the altar (two on each side) that were then reused at the reception.

I giggled with glee when I saw the tables at the reception. A beautiful use of linens (and a less expensive option as well) with the smaller chocolate colored squares over the proubably provided white linens and chocolate colored napkins. The plates also coordinated (ask what your plates and service will look like girls! It could ruin your whole setup - sometimes they are not neutral.) The fabulous favors were beautifully and simply packaged and helped to decorate the tables allowing for a smaller centerpiece to be more than enough. The centerpieces were small fishbowls with three of the yellow/green roses in bright blue marbles. The marbles were internally lit by a hidden light. I know the blue seems like an odd choice, but I will say that it really did work. The light from the windows as the sun went down was the same shade of blue and it was a great little pop of color that tied in the lake. I would have never thought of this.

Here you see the lit up version of these centerpieces on the bar (with just one rose) and the blue light I'm talking about.


The favors were wonderful. I've seen these done before, they are a Martha Stewart classic, and so easy. Stacked sugar cookies to resemble wedding cakes housed in clear boxes with a simple ribbon. There were many "oohs" and "ahhs" over these.

The head table had a line of the rose centerpieces with orange roses, and the cake brought the two rose colors together. You also get a peek at the simply elegant placecards and menu cards here.




Devon (and her Maid of Honor's) bouquet was a collection of cream and pale green/yellow roses hand tied and accented with a brown wrap with pearl pins.

Beautiful job Devon and Chris! I think this wedding is a great example of what careful consideration, diligence, and attention to detail can do. It doesn't have to be about having the money to spend. Every bride is capable of this - it just takes effort and organization.

Laura & Jesse

About a week ago on a hot, muggy Sunday I met Laura & Jesse at a sheep farm (Thank you to the Nelsons!) for their engagement session. As they told me the stories of their first meeting, engagement and wedding plans we explored the farm and Laura giggled. I mean it, she laughed her way right thru the whole session, with Jesse joining in a good portion of the time.

Laura and Jesse will be married on leap day (!) in Vegas and then again in May here in Wisconsin, at their "Happily Ever After" Party, where I'll be there to capture all of the laughter and smiles.

You guys were great sports, I hope you like the pictures! (They will be on their way to you today) I tried some texturing with one of my favorite shots (as you see above). I hope to do some more artistic treatments like that in the future.

H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S !!

I saw this on "the best week ever" this morning and it is so freakin' funny, I just have to share it. Disney characters re-cut so that they look like they are rapping to "Soulja Boy". It is so, so funny and really worth a trip over to You Tube. There are many varieties, several with Disney characters, a Spongebob Squarepants and even a Barney one. Some are better than others. I have no idea if it is legal or not for this footage to be re-interpreted this way, but it is so funny. And as a degree toting alumni of "the disney school" I enjoy a good send-up.

This one is my favorite.

Gearing Up

I know the posts have been light this week, but I hope the quality has made up for it. I'm gearing up for a busy weekend today on top of work. Devon & Chris's wedding is Saturday and the Trash the Dress shoot is Sunday! Whoo HOo!
I can't wait to hit the cornfields with the two brides that volunteered, keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off!

I took this picture about a week ago of our Sumac trees in the backyard. I just think it is incredible how they are changing color very precisely - one leaf at a time. There can be two leaves right next to each other and one will be bright green while the other is bright red. No transition. Gotta love fall.

Devon & Chris

On a blustery day at the end of September (quite possibly the last blustery day we had until today thanks to the heat wave) I met Devon and Chris at the Milwaukee Art Museum for an engagement shoot. This one was a little unusual because well, they are getting married this Saturday. Yep, that is right, we did their e-shoot just two weeks before the wedding. Devon was a bundle of to-do lists and worries about the big day, so I hope things have started to fall into place this week and I'm looking forward to the big event on Saturday!

You really can't beat the Calatrava for scenery, oh and a little Dale Chihuly never hurt anyone either.

Nolan @ 3 Months

A couple of weeks ago (yes I am behind on blog posts) I had the opportunity to meet little three month old Nolan. What an absolute cutie pie- with a very infectious smile! We coaxed as many giggles out of him as we could before he fell asleep on us. He also gave me quite a few "looks" as you will see.

Here are a few highlights from Nolan at 3 months:

Photo Field Trip

As an alternative to the Picture A Day (for which I am failing miserably at) I offer you a Photo Field Trip.

My trip to Madison last week for Kate & Bobak's e-shoot was a blast, and my assistant and I got there early to explore the capitol and the neighborhood a little bit.

The hands down, coolest thing I saw was this church. It is being renovated and the roof is off! So all this sunlight is streaming into it, illuminating the stained glass from the inside. Let me tell you, I would have given a lot of things to be able to get inside this church and take some pictures. Alas, it was fenced off and had many, many no trespassing signs.

We also came across some other cool stuff:



And climbed to the top of the Capitol Dome (a very easy climb compared to some of the tower and dome climbs I did in Italy):





We did get a sneak peak inside the Assembly Room where Kate and Bobak will be married:



And this, well, this was just funny:

Kate & Bobak

Kate & Bobak (pronounced "bob-ick" as I'm still learning) are getting married next August in Madison. They will both be graduating from UW law school this spring and joining the ranks of legal types everywhere. I can't tell you how excited I am to photograph their wedding, number one because the ceremony is going to be in the assembly room of the State Capitol (and I'm dreaming up epic pictures) and two because these two positively sparkle on camera. Just look at this engagement session - Kate is going to be a drop-dead gorgeous bride and their connection is so apparent in every frame. And I have to tell you - as a wedding photographer I watch a lot of couples kiss and when I would ask these two to do so - they had no idea I was even there anymore - the molecules changed around them.

We had a great time last Wednesday afternoon strolling around the UW campus and capturing moments here and there. The weather was amazing, and Kate and Bobak got to appreciate and enjoy the beautiful campus and each other for a couple of hours.

I made a slideshow for the first time for this one - I hope that it works:

A Good Wife

(click to enlarge)

I saw this on Wedding Bee today and I just had to share it.
I think I have seen this in various forms before, but now that I am a wife myself, it has a new meaning. The thing that strikes me the most is that for my grandmother this was a reality when she entered into marriage. Wow. Both of my grandmothers are/were very strong-willed, and I can't picture them being like the woman in the picture. Something tells me they were both amazing homemakers though.
As antiquated as it is, I think there might be some good points - like not bombarding your spouse the minute they walk in the door. And taking a sweep of the house 15 minutes before he comes home could help me on my path to an always tidy house!
What do you guys think?

Pandora

Another non-picture related post? Yup. I'm busy with editing everything I shot last week and some graphic design work as well, so revealing all of that will have to wait...

But while I'm working my ears are happy thanks to Pandora. If you haven't tried this thing, you have to. I used to get exposed to new music by my good friend Timm when we shared the same office. But now that my only office companion is my iDog I have been forced to find a new resource. Pandora is a super cool music player on the internet (and therefore, free) where you put in a song you like, it analyzes that song and then plays an endless stream of music that is similar to it, most of which you have never heard before. It is so fabulous. If a song comes up that you love or hate, you can tell Pandora so that it fine tunes your "station" to what you like. And you can save your stations and make new ones based on your moods. I swear I am not a walking advertisement for this thing - I just think it is genius, and I love to spread a little genius.

Check it out at:
PANDORA

Am I the only one?

Am I the only one that didn't know it was Kim Cattrall who was the girl in Mannequin (the movie)?

I loved this movie as a kid - the magical coming to life of a mannequin was such a fun thought! It was on tbs yesterday morning so I caught a few pieces of it as I was working around the house. And now that I am an adult (and a Sex in the CIty fan) my realization that the mannequin is Kim Cattrall made the whole movie seem so different. If you didn't realize this either and your only exposure to her had been as "Samantha", you have to see this movie again - she is bubbly sweet in it and it seems so odd when you are used to her witchy Samantha character.

I do love finding now-famous movie/tv stars in old films. Well, sort of old films.