Light Reading

Busy, busy, busy

2011-11-22T17:36:00.000-06:00

Life usually gets boring in the wintertime, after the last wedding in the fall. Not this year!

But I just booked a wedding for next fall at the lovely Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton -- my first wedding at this location. Madison area brides, if you're looking for a serene, light-filled sanctuary and unbeatable views, this is your place!

Insect ID

2011-10-03T10:56:00.007-05:00

Inspired by this story of a woman who has patiently catalogued more than 2600 species in her garden, I've started photographing and identifying some of my own. Here are a few photos I took yesterday with the macro lens.

So... anyone want to help me identify these? Genus and species would be lovely :-)

Thanks to wolfpix on flicker, I now know the following two shots are of the European paper wasp, Polistes dominula.

Thanks to Zozu9 on flickr, I now know that this insect is a cucumber beetle, aka Diabrotica undecimpunctata:

I'm thinking this one (below) might be Agapostemon virescens?

Katrina and Hao

2011-09-11T16:02:00.002-05:00

Katrina and Hao were married at the beautiful Grace Episcopal Church on the Capitol Square yesterday. They're a fun couple surrounded by loving family and friends, and they had a beautiful wedding day. As usual, we'll have all their photos posted in their password-protected viewing gallery in a week, but here's a sneak peek at a few of our favorites....

Katrina got ready at the Madison Club, their reception venue.

Hao's first glimpse of Katrina in her wedding dress.

First portrait together, overlooking Lake Monona.

A stroll through the Capitol grounds on the way to the church...

And WOW these guys can jump!

Walking to the church with the wedding party...

And formals in the courtyard.

Hao walked down the aisle with his parents...

Katrina walked with her father...

And the ceremony was beautiful and touching. Hao's best man translated the entire service!

A picture-perfect kiss (Eric took this shot)

And the guests greeted them with sparklers!

First dance

Mother-son dance

And possibly the start of a new tradition? The mother-in-law-and-daughter-in-law dance!

Katrina and Hao, we had a fantastic time and we wish you great happiness as you begin your new life together!

Crystal and Adam

2011-09-06T21:49:00.001-05:00

Had a great practice e-session out at the Arboretum today with Crystal, Adam, and my photographer friend Ania Fields! Crystal and Adam are such a cute couple; they really energized us and inspired us to try some new ideas. I'm thrilled with the results and I hope you like these, too :-)

Susie and Tyler

2011-07-25T22:49:00.003-05:00

Some of our favorite wedding clients have been -- strange though it may sound -- couples who are already married! Several times over the years we've met couples who had a civil service and then later wanted a wedding, too. Susie and Tyler are just such a couple. They were married in a civil service and had a reception for her family in California, and then they came to Wisconsin to throw a party for Tyler's side of the family.

They wanted lots of photos of the two of them together and we were happy to oblige :-)

This first one is my favorite, and it's now featured on my website at www.LoriCompas.com. Tyler and Susie held the ceremony and reception at Wintergreen, but we were so close to Taliesin that we decided to head out there for photos. We didn't have permission to go on the Taliesin grounds, but we created some great photos on the right-of-way:

Then Susie, a native of Southern California, declared she wanted some photos with corn. It's Wisconsin, right? So we headed across the highway...

... to the edge of a corn field :-)

While we were crossing back across the highway, the Taliesin shuttle pulled up. The driver leaned out and told us we should take photos by the waterfall up the road. I replied that we couldn't trespass; Tyler and Susie hadn't done the paperwork required to do photography on the Taliesin grounds.

"I was in the service for 20 years," the driver said, looking meaningfully at Tyler in his dress uniform. "If they give you any trouble, just tell them the bus driver said it was all right."

No one gave us any trouble :-)

And I wish I could say that I took this gorgeous photo of Susie on her way back into the reception venue, but it's Eric's!

I love the stonework and wood of Wintergreen. It's really a lovely setting for the first dance.

Thanks for choosing us to document your special day, Susie and Tyler!

Alyssa and Wendell

2011-07-17T15:24:00.011-05:00

Wow, what a celebration last night! Considering that Alyssa and her family are some of our favorite people here in town, that most of Wendell's guests flew in from New York, and that the venue (the War Memorial in Milwaukee) was a stunning lakefront location, we knew this would be a wedding to remember.

UPDATE: The slideshow is online! Watch it here to really get the feel for their day!

First we met Wendell and his family and friends for portraits.

Alyssa got ready in a room overlooking the lake.

Alyssa thought of every detail... and Eric was there to capture it while I was upstairs with Alyssa and her family and friends. (A note to engaged couples -- having two photographers makes a huge difference in the coverage we're able to provide!)

The flower girl and ring bearer were adorable!

One of my favorite photos ever :-)

Wendell and Alyssa booked their venue two years ahead of time -- and you can see why. (Thanks to Eric for getting the amazing wide-angle shots and overviews).

We took some formal (and not-so-formal) photos after the ceremony...

And then the party began -- and what a party it was!

Thank you so much, Alyssa and Wendell, for inviting us to share in your joyous day! We'll have all your online proofs and slideshow ready in about a week!

Morgan and Aaron

2011-06-28T14:56:00.003-05:00

Here are a few of my favorites from Morgan and Aaron's touching ceremony and high-spirited reception in Janesville -- as usual, we made sure that at least 10 of our favorite images were up and tagged on facebook the day after their wedding!

Morgan was a beautiful bride...

...and their ceremony was filled with love.

I don't think we've ever photographed such a "bi-polar" couple before -- their ceremony was sacred and soulful and solemn...

...and the "formal" pictures were probably the least formal ever!

This is why I love having two photographers at a wedding. Eric got the shot above, which is missing a couple of people but captures the light-hearted mood really well, while I got the more "careful" shot below:

It's almost as if one of us is like a decoy photographer, saying, "OK, look over here!" and the other one gets the casual laughter that breaks out right afterward. We fight about who has to be the decoy ;-)

We did finally get everyone to stand nicely for a formal shot in front of their venue.

And then the fun started in the party tent. This is one of my favorite toast shots ever -- look at the guys laughing their heads off in the back :-)

We snuck out while everyone else was eating to get some time with just the happy couple.

We also got some shots of Morgan alone.

Here's another favorite -- the garter "expedition."

And we ended the evening with some great dance shots.

Thanks so much, Morgan and Aaron, for asking us to share and document your wedding day!

Photos featured on Dane101

2011-05-24T21:03:00.002-05:00

My photos and thoughts on the first 100 days of the Wisconsin protests were published recently over at Dane101. Check it out here!

Spring

2011-05-21T21:38:00.004-05:00

It's been a fantastic spring. We're photographing our first wedding of the 2011 season as soon as the kids get out of school, and I met with the bride a couple of weeks ago to look at her venue. She is lovely and the church is a photographer's dream -- can't wait!

We've also been awarded a $500 grant from the Fort Atkinson Garden Club to implement an edible landscaping project here at the house! We ripped out half our front yard last weekend and today we converted it into a "snack garden" for all the little neighbor kids (and our two "big kids"): we planted it in cherry tomatoes, mini pumpkins, strawberries, and green beans. We made a "teepee" out of sticks and planted the beans at its base -- we're hoping the beans will make a little hideaway for the kids. We still have some free space, and we're thinking blueberry bushes if we can condition the soil properly. This is a really fun project -- follow me @FortFarmYard if you're interested.

And I have an amazing new freelance client -- it's a social finance organization that works with investors to make farmland available to organic farmers. It's a perfect fit because I've been interested in sustainable agriculture since I was in high school, and I'm doing communications strategy, writing, photography, and web work for them.... but I'm keeping their name a secret until this fall!

I'm still involved in the effort to honor Wisconsin's progressive tradition -- fighting Governor Walker's efforts to destroy just about everything I hold dear. Follow me @LightReading if you're interested in my efforts in that arena.

Also feel free to friend me on Facebook. Lots of ways to get acquainted and keep in touch during this busy time :-)

"Truth to Power" Pilgrimage

2011-03-24T14:17:00.011-05:00

UW-Whitewater professors James Hartwick and Eric Compas are walking from the UW-W to Madison to deliver a letter from the faculty to legislators. They plan to arrive Saturday morning around 10:30 am.

LATE UPDATE: They arrived right on schedule! Pics on facebook for now.

Get background info about the walk here.

March 25: The guys walked from Cambridge to the east side of Madison today, and they're safe and sound at a colleague's home. Here's a pic I snapped of them today as they arrived at the outskirts of Cottage Grove:

They'll leave the East High School parking lot tomorrow morning at 9. Jon Erpenbach, Andy Jorgensen, and Brett Hulsey will meet them at the Capitol around 10 am. Hope you can join us!

March 24: They walked 20 miles today. They left Whitewater around 8:30, arrived in Fort Atkinson for a lunchtime rally on the Main Street Bridge, and then walked on to Cambridge. Here are a few pics...

One of the Milwaukee TV stations came out to Fort Atkinson to interview the professors and report on the rally.

Eric in the crowd

Walking along Highway 12 from Fort Atkinson to Cambridge

Arriving in Cambridge

They're now safe and in for the night at a colleague's home in Cambridge. Twenty more miles tomorrow!

The biggest rally so far

2011-03-24T09:49:00.006-05:00

OK, so I'm a little late getting this one up, but we got some great pics from the Wisconsin Tractorcade Rally that was back on March 12. I have a million things going on today so I can't explain all of these, but hopefully they speak for themselves...

More photos are on my Madison rally sets on Flickr.

More pics below and in my Madison rally sets on Flickr.

What now?

2011-03-10T22:38:00.006-06:00

As I was leaving the Capitol Square around 4 today, I reflected on what a difference 24 hours can make. At that time yesterday I was headed out to pick up the kids and attend a rally in Fort Atkinson, and I was feeling pretty confident that we were winning this struggle. But on our way home a friend called from Madison with shocking news: the Senate Republicans had lifted the collective bargaining provision (and enough other provisions to fill more than 100 pages) from the budget bill, created a new "non-budget" declared they had a quorum on this new bill, and had scheduled a vote for 6 pm. It ended up passing in something like six minutes. And Madison erupted in anger; you've probably heard or seen the stories.

The scene at the Capitol was pretty tense this morning, too (I tweet and post iPhone pics throughout the day at @LightReading). Again protesters were lied to when they were told the building would open at 8 am; it did not. I arrived at around 8:30 and listened to speeches outside, and then I decided to walk around the building. I noticed an upstairs door ajar and a couple of people running up the steps; I ran after them. It was easy -- we just ran up the steps and into the building. All in all I think about 20 or 30 of us got in before the door was locked.

All was quiet inside for a while, but then they started dragging out protesters who had spent the night in the Assembly lobby, hoping to block access to the Assembly chamber and prevent a vote. Here's a video of part of that scene:

Eventually the building was opened, though under such strict security that people were only trickling in despite the thousands massed outside wanting to get in. I was able to get into the Assembly gallery and watch part of the session (no cameras or phones allowed), and then in the afternoon I was finally so hungry I decided to leave... and I ran into Jesse Jackson at the bottom of the stairs! It was so inspiring to meet this man who has devoted his life to the struggle for civil rights, and another lucky break.

But all our luck ran out later in the afternoon -- I followed the vote on twitter, and we lost, and I tried not to cry but on my way to the car to pick up the kids the tears started and they wouldn't stop.

::Sigh:: So what now? I've signed up to help with Joanne Kloppenburg's campaign. I'm counting the days until we can start the recall process for Governor Walker and Senator Fitzgerald. And I'm giving myself permission to rest and be sad for a few days... but just for a few days :-)

The Wisconsin rallies: our side is so much more fun

2011-03-06T13:39:00.006-06:00

OK, this is supposed to be a blog for my wedding photography business, but it's winter in Wisconsin, which means.... no weddings. I've been putting my camera to good use, though, during the recent protests against Governor Walker's budget proposals.

If you're wondering why teachers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, police officers, state workers, tradespeople, retirees, and even small businesspeople like me are so fired up about this, please read this excellent article from the Washington Times. It gives a good overview of the issues and the consequences we face if this budget goes through.

But enough preaching. On with the photos!

One thing that's been really upsetting is that Governor Walker is never around to see the protesters who gather at the Capitol. We've been up there almost every day for the past three weeks, but we've never seen him. Anna wondered where he was, so she started work on a "Where's Walker" sign about a week ago (a spoof on the "Where's Waldo" books).

Anna with her sign at the rally -- it's incredibly detailed. Can you see Governor Walker? (hint: he's certainly not down among the people!)

I had to use the macro lens to get shots of the details. My husband, Eric, and I are on there, along with my mom. My mom is a retired teacher and her sign says "Peaceful but determined."

She did a great job capturing all the "characters" that show up day after day... one guy dresses up in a toga made out of candy necklaces (yes, that's true) and carries a sign that says "Scott Walker looks more ridiculous than I do." And of course there's someone delivering free pizza!

I love the police officer standing in the background. He's on duty, so he can't carry a sign, but he's smiling right along with the crowd :-)

And there's Governor Walker! He's hiding out waaaay up in his office, closing his eyes and plugging his ears!

I love this! I hope more people realize that this is a moral struggle!

Things that are irrational....

hahaha

A kid signs a giant wooden peace sign that was set up near Lady Forward.

John Nichols gets the crowd fired up.

And Michael Moore delivered a great speech (really!)

I hope to see you out at the Capitol sometime soon!

New Orleans style "funeral" to mourn lost programs

2011-03-03T23:48:00.006-06:00

i'm tired so not much time to write tonight, but here are a few pics from this afternoon (march 3).

you also might've heard that the capitol doors were rushed tonight -- i was there and i wouldn't call it "rushed" so much as "entered because we thought a judge's order ok'd it" -- you can see the video here.

The biggest rally yet

2011-02-26T23:59:00.008-06:00

Today was the biggest crowd so far! People from every walk of life came out -- big burly union guys, teachers, kids... I even saw a "violinist for labor." Lots of people were sure to wear their Wisconsin gear to show the governor where we're from! We were glad we took one of the DSLRs :-)

And a couple with the iPhone....

The "Wealthy for Walker" contingent was vastly outnumbered, but they mingled with the commoners nonetheless ;-)

A night shot in the Capitol

The people's house

2011-02-23T23:11:00.011-06:00

Today I explored the amazing culture that has grown up in the Capitol. It's peaceful, well organized, and, from what I can tell, sustainable for an indefinite amount of time.

The TAA (Teaching Assistants' Association at the UW-Madison) has set up shop in a conference room that has been reserved for them by a legislator sympathetic to their cause. They use the room as a base for coordinating volunteer efforts including distributing food and drink donations, cleaning the building, circulating petitions, and entering data.

A sign posted outside the door allows protesters to request food items; the requests are passed on to people who call or stop in to ask what they can bring.

People sleep wherever they can find a space and whenever they get a chance.

A guy checks his phone amid the sleeping bags and pillows that line the dark hallways.

Rep. Brett Hulsey's office door, located a the base of a busy stairway, is covered with notes of encouragement.

Today there was a new "Family Space" where kids can do art projects, take naps, and play. This little girl was playing with a tree made out of gold-foil stars.

So it seems like a little utopia, but no one knows how long it will last. Large portions of the building were cordoned off yesterday afternoon / evening; police tape is now strung across the stairways to the Assembly and the Senate chambers. I hope the officers are doing a thorough investigation of what's going on back there ;-)

So far the stairways to the governor's office are still open, and we're still trying to get him to listen. He has yet to show his face in the public spaces of the Capitol.

My husband is a geography professor and he was telling me the other day there's a whole sub-field of geography that looks at public spaces and how they shape society. This movement would not have been possible if it were not for this gracious and accommodating building -- the people's house, and now their home.

This is what democracy looks like, day 9

2011-02-22T21:49:00.005-06:00

No sign of protests letting up at the Capitol, and every day new provisions in Governor Walker's budget bill come to light. Yesterday everyone was talking about the severe cuts to Badger Care, which is a health care plan for low-income families. Today people were furious about a provision that would allow the sale -- without a bidding process -- of state-owned power plants to private companies or individuals. Plenty to get worked up about.

A stranger asked me today, "Do you think we have a chance of winning this thing?"

And I replied, "Of course! I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

I'm really tired tonight so I'm not going to write much, but here are some photos from today.

If you don't know who Bob LaFollette was, you really should look him up.

A videographer checking his phone. He told me he was from Fox News; I don't know if he noticed the "Faux News" sign behind him.

Signs are taped up all over the Capitol...

And "union thugs" are roaming the streets

UW faculty and students walked out and marched up State Street to the Capitol

The Raging Grannies of Madison rehearse for their performance

And finally, the upside of all this is that we're welcoming many new Democrats :-)

21

2011-02-21T21:01:00.005-06:00

Twenty-one is my lucky number, and I have a little superstition: Something amazingly good always happens on "21" days. Today has been no exception.

Best thing first: Today was the day I discovered Ian's Pizza on State Street. I went over there because I heard that people were calling in orders from all over the world to help feed hungry protesters at the Capitol. I wanted to get a photo of the chalkboard that listed where the orders were coming from, while still capturing the hustle and bustle of the staff. While I was there, the staff invited me to try a slice and told me that everything -- pizza, drinks, whatever -- was free. Yum :-)

The outdoor rally at noon. That's a wolf skin this guy is wearing, in case you're wondering.

Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine played a set at noon and gave a rousing speech outside, then came indoors and addressed the crowd in the rotunda.

A reporter from a Japanese news station:

Clever signs made out of pizza boxes:

And today I finally found, courtesy of an unknown protester (probably a teacher), the famed fossilized starfish that's embedded in the steps at the Capitol. Any Wisconsin schoolkid could probably tell you where this is, but I had never seen it before.

And I saw John Oliver from The Daily Show! I can't believe he can still find people who don't know who he is, but judging from the look on this guy's face, it looks like he did ;-)

A pretty good 21 day, no?

This is what democracy looks like

2011-02-20T10:20:00.009-06:00

I've been at the rallies in Madison all week, and what a week it's been! I'm so proud to be part of this historic process.

If you're from out of state and wondering what's behind these rallies, check out "What's happening in Madison: Explained" from Mother Jones. It's an excellent introduction to the issues.

I debated about taking one of our "good" cameras (the digital SLRs that I use for wedding photography and portraiture), but I was concerned that they might get damaged. I decided to use my new iPhone instead -- thank you thank you thank you, Mom and Dad!

The iPhone takes photos of amazing quality, given how easy it is to carry around, but I soon decided I wanted the pics to have a more dreamlike, timeless feel -- like Polaroid transfers. I bought a little app called "Hipstamatic" that gives my photos that dreamlike quality, along with easy instant uploads.

So here are a few of my favorite photos from this past week.....

Singing the Star-Spangled Banner at one of the noon rallies:

I love the yellow sign in the middle of the crowd: "Scott Walker, why you no love lunchladies?" The pink sign is a reference to the fact that our governor dropped out of college (soon after being found guilty of illegal campaigning during a student election) and never returned to complete his degree.

Someone set up a space for kids to make signs. These girls are making signs that say "I love my teachers."

The Capitol rotunda is packed with peaceful protesters. I love these two shots because they come close to capturing the motion and the intensity of actually being there.

This was pure luck, but I love the juxtaposition of the hyperbolic newsstand and the two guys shaking hands in the background. The newspapers and TV news are screaming stuff like "Chaos at the Capitol" and "State of Chaos" but the truth is that I have never seen such a huge crowd remain so friendly and jubilant for such an extended period of time.

And through it all, the "Liberty" mosaic watches over us. The Capitol is crowded and hot and humid -- Eric went with me the other day and commented that it's starting to smell like a locker room -- and it's starting to get a really "lived in" vibe. But you know what? It's never looked more beautiful :-)

For those of you who don't know me, all this is important to me not only because I think labor rights are central to any democratic society but also because I work part-time for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It's a great gig -- I get to do work I really believe in during the school year, when the photography business is slow, and during the summer I have the flexibility to devote myself to photography and fun with my family.

But I walked out on Thursday morning (you can read my note about that here) and I haven't been back since. I thought we would know by Thursday afternoon what the future held for Wisconsin workers. But now that the Democratic senators have left the state and the budget vote can't be held I'm in a bit of a quandary. Should I go back to work until the vote is held, and then see what happens? Should I quit and be done with working for the state? My mind is not quiet about this.

I'm not able to blog much these days, so friend me on facebook, follow me (@LightReading) or e-mail me to let me know what you think about the photos!

Surreal

2010-12-12T17:17:00.003-06:00

I've just been asked if I might consider managing the online presence of one of my favorite writers, William Least Heat-Moon. We're hoping to set up a meeting in Missouri next week to discuss the possibilities.

And in the meantime I'm going to re-read Blue Highways :-)

Tourism Time Warp

2010-12-08T06:12:00.001-06:00

I was browsing around the Travel Wisconsin website the other day and when I clicked on the "Camping" link, this is what I saw:

It's my son and daughter at Clear Lake! I took this photo about 8 years ago and sold it to the Department of Tourism... and promptly forgot about it. Weird to think that at that time I was shooting slide film with my trusty old Nikon, and now my Canon DSLR can shoot digital video. So much has changed in such a relatively short time.

But aren't they cute in their little white jammies? I love how our kids are growing and learning and changing, but I miss those little people sometimes...

See the real page here!

Jess and Matt

2010-11-21T18:20:00.010-06:00

Jess and Matt are my kind of couple: they've had amazing adventures all over the world, they're surrounded by loving friends and family, and they realize that marriage is about much more than The Wedding Day. They were married yesterday afternoon at the Delafield Hotel, and Eric and I were honored to be a part of their celebration.

We started with some indoor portraits...

And went outside for a (cold!) (brief!) walk around the fish hatchery.

Back at the hotel, Jess and Matt and the rest of the party hid away to wait for the start of the ceremony while Eric and I photographed the rings and flowers. Once again Eric rocked the macro lens -- I love this shot of Matt and Jess' unusual rings and the tree design featured on their program. Macro work is an art all its own, requiring a top-quality lens and the patience and skill to use it correctly -- I'm always amazed at what Eric comes up with.

And then Jess and her dad waited to walk down the aisle...

For a ceremony that ended with a perfect kiss :-)

We did some formal -- and not so formal -- family portraits...

And Eric was on a roll last night: this is one of my favorite candids we've gotten this year. Jess' mother is at right, and I love how her friends are reacting to her! When I complimented Eric on this shot, he said, "You've taught me how to wait." Hmmmm.... maybe I have taught The Professor a thing or two ;-)

Loved the cake!

There were lots of kids at the party...

And lots of kids at heart! Here are Jess' grandparents enjoying some party favors intended for the children.

Matt and Jess: Congratulations again and thanks for trusting us to document your day! Many more photos to come but we couldn't wait to post a few of our favorites :-)

Eden Hills

2010-11-15T21:16:00.005-06:00

A few minutes ago I grabbed an old half-used journal, thinking I would start drawing in it for an hour or so every night. I love to draw -- I love escaping to that wordless part of my mind -- but I never have time during the busy summer months.

So I was flipping through this journal, looking for a blank page, when I came across this entry dated May 19, 2006. At that time we were living in Eden Hills, a suburb of Adelaide (in South Australia). It brought back some bittersweet memories of living far from home. Here it is:

"May 19 2006

My days consist of:

Telling Tom he can't come into our bedroom for our morning conversation until he can hear the lorikeets shrieking outside (the magpies start long before dawn; on full moon nights they can call all night long, filling the starry air with their fluid, fluting calls)

Longing for the smell of oak leaves

Bringing damp laundry in from the line because it's about to rain, or bringing sopping wet laundry in from the line because it has rained, or leaving laundry of varying degrees of wetness out on the line in hopes that it might not rain tomorrow (though it usually does).

Watching footie.
Swimming against a rising tide of the kids' Legos and art supplies.
Drawing in a deep breath as I walk down Wilpena Street, as if I could breathe in the beauty of the broad sea always changing, the leafy plains, the sky.

Holding Anna's hand on the way to school.
Wishing Tom was still young enough to hold my hand on the way to school.
Being thankful that at least he tolerates my presence on the way to school, because I know that all too soon he won't.

Kookaburras.
Building and maintaining the fire.
Knowing I'll be homesick for Eden Hills the rest of my life.
Wondering when the rest of my life will begin.

Loving Eric.
Loving Anna.
Loving Tom.
Loving Bec and Raven and the friends we've made here.
Missing everyone else.

Sunlight through eucalyptus leaves.
Seashells.
The kids talking to each other in their bedroom at night, sometimes sleepy, sometimes so animated that I have to ask them to keep it down. They plot, they plan, they ponder and try to make sense. They are best friends.

The squeal of train wheels.
The smell of oranges.
Video calls back home: something always goes wrong.

Trees losing their bark instead of their leaves.
Buying beef from the butcher who raised it.
Wondering where the time has gone, and where it will go.
Wondering where we will go.

Marveling at the miracle of my life.
Wanting more from myself, from Eric, from my career. Always wanting to do more, live more, be more alive somehow.
Singing along to the Audreys.

The sound of small things slithering away in the grass.
The sea.
The sunshine."

WPJA contest entries

2010-11-02T21:45:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is browse the Wedding Photojournalist Association website -- I always find amazing inspiration there. We have two weddings left this season and I can't wait to try out some new ideas!

The WPJA holds quarterly contests, which are entered by photographers around the world. The rules are really strict -- no photoshopping (conversion to black-and-white is allowed), no posing, and all the photos must be taken by the WPJA member (so you won't see any of Eric's amazing shots in my entry).

Here are a few of the photos I entered in the contest this past weekend:

Kristin getting ready:

Anna's sister-in-law giving her a healing touch when tensions were running high:

Ashley tying her bridesmaid's sash:

Lindsay, her sister, and her mother reacting when Andy (the groom) came to the front door while Lindsay was still getting ready. I love their different reactions -- I had only met Lindsay about ten minutes earlier and I could already tell she would be a laid-back, relaxed, and happy bride...

And we usually don't get too many photos of the groom getting ready, but I just happened to walk in the room when Chris and his groomsmen were duct-taping and ironing a tuxedo that had been tailored improperly. Yeah that's right: they were duct-taping the sleeves of a tuxedo. I love this photo!

One of the categories this time around was "parents." This one of Camden's mother helping him get ready is one of my favorite parent pics ever.

And I love this one of Todd's parents clowning around!

Another of the categories was "ceremony." I've noticed that the judges often recognize images that show the unexpected -- especially if it's humorous. So I thought this one might have a chance. Molly and Greg's celebrant mixed up their names at the end of the ceremony. The celebrant was aghast, but Molly and Greg were cool with it ;-)

OK, so that's most of my entry... Cross your fingers for me!

Wedding canceled

2010-10-25T20:06:00.005-05:00

Are there two sadder words in the English language?

Yes: "We're divorced."

Since I started doing wedding photography, three of our booked weddings have been canceled for one reason or another. One of them was to have been this past weekend. A canceled wedding is heartbreaking for everyone involved, but do you know what I always say to the bride or groom? After the heartfelt condolences and the assurances that they will receive their retainer fee back (they have enough to worry about without losing an additional $400), I always say.... strange as it sounds... "Congratulations." I strongly believe it's the most appropriate thing to say.

A wedding is like a big machine, and as it rolls along it seems to take on a will of its own. As the wedding date gets closer that machine gets stronger and stronger, as if nothing can put it off its course. I think all brides and grooms get the jitters before their wedding; I know I certainly did.

It takes intelligence and insight to know one's self and one's situation well enough to distinguish between these harmless little "butterflies" and the deeper misgivings that signify a real problem in a relationship. And it takes incredible courage to step in front of that big wedding machine as it rolls along, and to stop it.

So as sad as I am for couples who feel the need to call their wedding off, I'm actually happy in the end -- happy that they saved themselves further heartache. And the couple is in my thoughts long after their wedding date has passed -- I wish them happiness and peace either on their own, or in a new relationship, or, if circumstances warrant, in a reconciled relationship that is even stronger and better than it was before.

Catching Up...

2010-10-19T18:58:00.002-05:00

Wow, I have been so busy with the busy summer / fall season and the kids starting school in Madison that I have neglected this poor blog....

Thanks to all the lovely brides (and moms! and maids of honor!) who stopped by our booth at the Whitewater Bridal Fair this past weekend. I can't wait to get to know you better.

We have two more weddings this season (both in November) and then I must admit I'm looking forward to a relaxing holiday season with family and friends :-)

Here's Sarah and Todd's slideshow (a few favorite photos from their wedding are displayed in the post below).

And I have another recent wedding and a senior session to show you but it is going to have to wait for another night!

Sarah and Todd

2010-09-06T20:50:00.008-05:00

Sarah and Todd's wedding yesterday was perfect in every way! Take a look and see for yourself :-)

First, a few details. This cake was one of the most beautiful I've seen.

The rings were gorgeous, too. My husband, Eric, took them out to the waterfall to work his magic with the macro lens (and no, I did *not* photoshop in that glint -- this is straight out of the camera).

We took some formal photos like this...

And then.... well....

The ceremony was lovely......

And after the ceremony Sarah and Todd were reunited with their "best man," their son Jake.

We had time for a few more "formals" right after the ceremony and before the rain started...

And I didn't get the whole story, but apparently attending the reception in a shopping cart is a long-standing tradition in Todd's family ;-)

Thanks, Sarah and Todd, for asking Eric and me to be part of your wedding celebration. I can't wait to start work on your slideshow!

A Wedding in the Northwoods

2010-08-24T08:13:00.007-05:00

What an unforgettable wedding in Minocqua! Lindsay and Andy planned a fantastic celebration for their family and friends. Here are a few of our favorites -- see their slideshow for more!

Lindsay and Andy opted to see each other before the ceremony so they could go directly from the ceremony on a cruise around the lake, and then on to their reception. It was also nice because they could see each other in a relatively private setting. This is one of my favorite wedding photos ever...

We did a few portraits on the bridge...

And the wedding party attracted the attention of passing boaters :-)

Here's my favorite photo from the ceremony: Andy watching Lindsay approach the altar.

After the ceremony the bridal party cruised around the lake. A neighbor took Eric and me out on his boat so we could get some photos -- so fun -- here they are with the reception venue in the background.

Beautiful rings, flowers, and venue...

And a couple that's so in love! Congratulations, Lindsay and Andy, and thanks for letting us share in your special weekend! Your slideshow will be online by Saturday :-)

What has Lori been up to?!?

2010-08-17T20:14:00.006-05:00

We had a fantastic vacation "back home" to Missouri and then out to Colorado -- caught up with family and friends and had a lot of fun!

We met up with our friend Garry for some hiking and climbing. I'm surprised he even bothered to rope up for this climb -- he has been free soloing (climbing without ropes) quite a bit the past few years.

This climb was a bit more challenging -- not much to hold on to!

This was the most beautiful, and the most difficult climb I've ever done.

It felt *so good* to make it to the top!

My husband, Eric, climbed it last, cleaned up the anchor, and rappelled down. He looks happy, too :-)

Now we're home again and looking forward to a string of late-summer weddings!

Kristin and Camden

2010-07-24T15:45:00.006-05:00

Kristin and Camden's wedding last weekend was fairy-tale perfect: happy families, beautiful venues, and two so-in-love sweethearts!

My kids and I are on the road this week so we don't have internet access (I'm posting this from a McDonald's in Missouri). I want to make sure they get their proofs today so I only have time to put up a few pictures here, but here's their slideshow if you want to see more!

Don't miss their slideshow!

Anna and Tom

2010-07-05T08:25:00.003-05:00

Anna and Tom's outdoor wedding last weekend was absolutely gorgeous! We were fully prepared for another Saturday downpour, but as you can see we lucked out...

I'll post a few more of my favorites here, but you should see the whole slideshow!

Molly and Greg

2010-06-07T17:04:00.006-05:00

Update: Molly and Greg's slideshow is available here. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Here are a few favorites from Molly and Greg's wedding near Platteville, Wisconsin, on Saturday night!

When Molly told me that Greg built a bridge on the farm and they wanted their photos taken on it, I was imagining a little homemade-looking wood structure. Um, I was wrong. This thing was built like a tank, but completely graceful, too.

Molly loved her shoes and wanted some photos on the bridge of them.

Eric as usual did a great job with the macro lens.

I love this picture of the toast -- look how they're holding hands, and how everyone is raising their glasses!

And doesn't Molly look like she's having the time of her life?

It rained for much of the day, so unfortunately we didn't get up to the wheat field for the photos Molly had dreamed of. But after the toasts and the first dances we snuck out for a few photos in the last light of the day.

I posted a few photos on Facebook yesterday (the day after the wedding) because I knew everyone would be wanting to see how they turned out. One of Molly and Greg's friends commented on this one: "I think this picture captures Greg's mood from last night perfectly! He was clearly the happiest man on the planet." I agree :-)

Thanks so much, Molly and Greg, for letting us be a part of your amazing wedding! Keep in touch....

Home

2010-05-28T22:36:00.002-05:00

It's so strange to wake up in one country and go to sleep in another. It seems like too much to do in one day... but I did, and I'm home, and I've been so enjoying the kids and all the flowers and the grass and the trees in our yard, and I'm drinking water, and I'm breathing clean air...

and I loved Oaxaca but I'm glad to be home.

Day 6: Language Lessons

2010-05-24T18:56:00.011-05:00

Just joining us? You can start at Day 1!

Some people in this modern age sneer at learning grammar. My own husband, in fact, has been known to call me a "Grammar Nazi." But the importance of proper grammar cannot be overstated, and perhaps this is never more evident than when confronting a dangerous situation in a place where one does not speak the language well.

Case in point: We thought Manuel was saying "This lizard was killed by a scorpion," so Eric moved in to take a close-up photo. In reality Manuel was saying "This is a lizard called a 'scorpio,' and it will kill you."

...Although now we're thinking maybe he was saying "... and it will bite you." See? Sometimes we have no idea what's going on. As the saying goes, we know just enough Spanish to be dangerous :-)

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We started our day as usual, with a great breakfast. We had fresh fruit juice, tortillas, beans and scrambled eggs, and fantastic hot chocolate (which is a specialty in this region).

Everything was so simple and beautiful.

Tanya enjoying herself.

Some of the group wanted to explore the town, but six hardy souls wanted to accompany Manuel on a hike through the countryside to a neighboring town called La Neveria ("nieve" means snow or ice, and in the time before refrigeration people would gather ice from this little mountain town, wrap it up, and take it down to the city to sell).

When the trail departed from the road and headed into the forest, Eric offered proof that Pepsi can be purchased in even the most remote locations.

The narrow trail wound through the woods, with occasional views of the countryside.

Deep in the woods we found a couple of trees bearing fire scars. We thought these were evidence of a natural forest fire, but Manuel told us they had been set on purpose. People burned the trees to get them to release resin, and then they chopped away small pieces to use as kindling. Manuel told us that of course this is illegal -- it's bad for the tree and it presents the danger of forest fires -- but once in a while it happens.

The communities employ professional foresters who come out once a year to offer suggestions for forest management and mark trees for cutting. At this point the communities are only cutting down trees that have already died from an insect (they call the infestation a "plague" and I suspect it is the same pine beetle that's destroying pines in the western US and Canada, but I'm not sure).

Manuel says they can't figure out how to stop the insect; the forester says trees don't show evidence of damage until they're already too far gone to be saved, and by then the insects have flown off to another tree. Manuel says he can tell when the insects are in a tree because the tree drips resin from the holes, but he says the professional forester doesn't believe him. His frustration is obvious: "He comes here once a year. I'm here every day. Who do you think is right?"

Here he shows me a dead tree that has been marked for cutting, but it is so deep in the woods that there's no cost-effective way to get it out... and so it stands.

A tree trunk :-)

We rested at a river at the bottom of the hill...

...and encountered the lizard soon afterward.

Back up the other side of the mountain...

We had arranged for a "camioneta" to pick us up on the road. We weren't sure what a camioneta was, but we soon found out!

What a great way to go! (and I finally had enough patience to upload a video...)

We arrived back in Benito Juarez just in time to pack up for the trip back to the city :-(
We saw this moth while we waited for our ride...

This was an amazing trip and I strongly recommend a visit to the Sierra Norte to anyone who visits Oaxaca! Contact me if you want advice or details!

Day 5: Good for us, bad for the trout

2010-05-24T11:56:00.014-05:00

Just joining us? You can start at Day 1!

Benito Juarez is a small town east of Oaxaca that has joined forces with seven other mountain communities to manage their forests and promote ecotourism. We wanted to see these projects first-hand, so on Saturday we headed for the mountains with the other professors from Whitewater.

We loved it up there. The air was fresh and clean, we saw virgin forests of oak, fir, and pine, and we were welcomed with warm hospitality. As much as I like the city of Oaxaca, I didn't want to come back!

I like this photo because it shows the contradictions present in the town; the tourist accommodations are modern, while some of the people in town don't have running water in their homes.

Another view of the cabins, as well as interior views of our room (we slept five to a room).

The town was exceptionally clean, with convenient recycling stations. The sign on the left advertises the services of the town's free health clinic, which is staffed by nurses every day and visited periodically by a doctor and dentist. Local women are responsible for the clinic's day-to-day operation.

(by the way, Eric took most of the pictures from here on out)

The women who run the clinic are not paid for their work. This town is a perfect example of what The Professors (Eric and his colleagues) call a "moral economy." So much important work needs to be done here -- running the health clinic and the school, managing and protecting the forest, resolving disputes and dispensing justice -- but there is no money to pay for these services. So every year there's an election, and the elected people are given "carga" or put in charge of their appointed post. These are full-time jobs, and they are dispensed regardless of income.

Manuel has served in several capacities and he said "carga" can be a hardship in a subsistence economy such as this; a person who is working full-time running a health clinic or looking out for timber thieves doesn't have time to tend crops. He said in instances where a person would go hungry because their community work has taken them away from their farms, their families or neighbors will give them food.

So it all works out in the end: the important work gets done, and the people who perform it are able to feed their families. But instead of being based on money, the system is based on a feeling of moral obligation... This is fascinating to me.

But back to our hike -- we hit the trail right away, with our goal being a mountaintop above the town, and then a short walk to a trout farm for lunch.

These loggers were working at the edge of the woods. Our guide, Manuel, explained that there's no way to haul out full-size trees, so they use a large chainsaw to cut them right there. A burro can haul two of these timbers, and each of the men can haul one.

It's important to note that not just anyone can cut down trees at will. A person must submit a written application and wait for approval and a permit. They must carry the permit with them while they're working in the woods. Four men from the community are chosen every year to patrol the forest and be sure that no thievery is taking place, and every person has a share in the profits.

Manuel, at left, helps run a chalk line to demonstrate how they get the straight cutting lines, and then the logs are cut. I had never seen such a large chainsaw -- talk about a portable sawmill!

After an hour and a half on winding, bumpy roads and an hour of walking through remote forest and countryside, what should we find at our destination but one of the collectivo taxis! We thought that was hilarious :-)

The bridge and the zip line.

The view from the top. There was a lot of smoke in the air that day from distant forest fires.

The suspension bridge.

Manuel.

Manuel showing us a tree plantation.

It's strange to see epiphytes growing in oak trees.

The rains are late this year and the corn is not growing well. Erosion seems to be a big problem, too. We asked Manuel why no one terraced their fields, and he said people have started building terraces over the last six or seven years... but we didn't see any around Benito Juarez.

It was a steep climb down to the trout farm through the woods and fields.

I told Manuel I was dreading the climb back up but maybe the trout lunch would fortify us. He thought that was hilarious. "The trout are drawing us down," he said. "Later they will push us up!" We both laughed our heads off, and for the rest of the weekend someone would yell "Las truchas nos empujen!" ("Trout, push us!") any time we had to walk uphill :-)

The owner of the trout farm has decided it's more profitable to convert some of his corn fields to flowers to sell at market. Of course The Professors had much to say about this, regarding the change from a subsistence economy to a market-based economy.

The trout farm. We ate in the building at left.

The kitchen. The cook prepared a delicious three-course meal here, serving our group and another for a total of about 18 people, so I'll never again complain about our kitchen being too small!

Manuel fed the fish to lure them close, and then they were caught.

Observing the proceedings with Aniele, the cook's little cousin.

The first course: rice and tortillas with lime and salsa.

Second course: soup with fish and veggies.

The view from the eating area.

The main course: Fresh trout stuffed with cheese and herbs. It doesn't get fresher than this, and it was delicious!

Aniele wanted her picture taken with this rose. I was happy to oblige ;-)

Peter Jacobs gives an improptu soils lecture. I love traveling with The Professors :-)

We walked back to our cabin and played a pick-up game of basketball. The gringos played amongst themselves and a little girl and I teamed up against another little girl who was very good. She was winning, 5-2, when her grandmother called her in.

Right off the basketball court, which stands in the center of town, Arinela's older brother was playing in a big pile of sand. We walked over there to watch the sunset and I told him that he's lucky -- he surely has the most beautiful sandbox in the world. "Many people have said that," he said with a friendly smile. He is 10 years old and one of the friendliest, most well-spoken kids I've ever met. I felt strange asking to take his photo, so Eric turned his attention to the sunset.

After dinner we came home to a roaring fire. We heard exclamations of delight from the next room as they came home a few minutes after us. And so ended another perfect day.

Day 4 in Oaxaca

2010-05-24T09:40:00.002-05:00

We went to Monte Alban, the largest archeological site in this area. Pics soon...

Day 3 in Oaxaca

2010-05-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

I wrote for a while and lazed around the hotel :-)

Day 2 in Oaxaca

2010-05-20T10:10:00.025-05:00

Just joining us? Day 1 is here.

Being able to speak even rudimentary Spanish opens so many doors; my vocabulary and grammar skills are probably equivalent to a five-year-old child's, but I'm learning fast, Eric is catching on, and people really seem to appreciate that we're making an effort.

A word here about the public transportation system here in Oaxaca. In short, we love it. From what we can tell there are three levels of public transport -- big buses that are crowded but insanely cheap (almost free), little sedans called "collectivos" (they look like taxis but carry passengers only on pre-determined routes), and "first-class collectivos" that are air-conditioned white minivans (luxurious compared to everything else).

Apparently the key to getting out into the countryside is simply making your way to a highway that leads out of the city, standing on the right side of the road, and then waiting to see what comes along. Within minutes one of those three types of transport will happen by and the driver will stop, ask where you're going, and more than likely tell you to hop in -- even if it means ejecting one of his current passengers so you'll fit, if you're going farther and will thus bring in more money.

The little collectivos cars are efficient because the drivers wait until they have passengers before they go anywhere (they aren't like buses that have to stick to a schedule) and there are so many of them buzzing around that you never have to wait long for one to come along. They're usually full to the point of ridiculousness. And they're fun because you don't have to worry about keeping to a schedule and you never know who you're going to share the car with.

Another nice thing about this system is that it requires us to walk through a different section of the city every day, in order to get to the pick-up location. Yesterday morning we wanted to go to Mitla, the archeological ruins about half an hour from here, and our hotel clerk advised us that the nice collectivo vans would pick us up across from the VW dealer on the northeast side of town.

We decided to go to the pick-up location on foot. On the way we saw lots of road construction...

As you can see this involves a tremendous amount of hand labor -- not much mechanization here -- lots of wheelbarrows and shovels instead. Somebody told us this project was only recently begun, probably because of a big gubernatorial election on July 4. The idea seems to be to put lots of people to work in an effort to secure their votes.

A worker told us he was proud to be working on such an important project, beautifying the city for years to come, but it was hard work and sometimes the workers had to stay until 8 or 10 at night to be sure the concrete was stamped and stained before it dried. He said sometimes they missed dinner at home with their families.

Along the way we stopped to take a look around Santo Domingo, which surely must have one of the most ornate interiors of any church in the Americas.

A guy told us the elaborate decorations are all plated with real gold.

We arrived at the busy street corner where we had been advised to wait, and we were wondering if we were in the right place when a collectivo van pulled up. We told the driver we were going to Tule to see the big tree and then on to Mitla. We asked how much he would charge and he said to hurry and hop in; we'd discuss it on the way. Leap-of-faith time ;-)

Two retirement-aged sisters from Guadalajara were already aboard for a sight-seeing tour. We've noticed that most of the tourists in this area seem to be from within Mexico -- we've seen very few Americans and they stick out like sore thumbs (I suppose we do, too).

We had a pleasant ride to Tule and were charged a perfectly reasonable price for the ride. And here's the big tree... the largest tree in the world by circumference.

You can just barely see a church behind it. Pictures don't do it justice -- we took a little video but I think we'll need to wait until we get home to figure that out.

I absolutely loved this tree. It created its own ecosystem -- the air was much cooler in its shade, and hundreds of birds flitted among its branches. The Oaxacan climate has become much drier relatively recently (relative to the tree's estimated age of 2000 years) and the tree now has its own well and irrigation system to keep it alive and healthy.

In Tule we caught a little collectivo car that was going to Mitla, and for a while I had to sit on Eric's lap in the front seat because three women were already crammed into the back. The highway to Mitla has two official lanes and a shoulder, but at times the painted lane markers seemed to be merely suggestions... Our driver's bravery, and our lack of a seatbelt, kept our hearts and minds racing.

And I forgot to mention another level of public transportation -- I don't know what these things are called but they're like little three-wheeled golf carts powered by a four-stroke engine. People use them to go short distances... here one is crossing the highway in front of us.

Mitla is a Zapotec site that, like so many indigenous sites, was destroyed during the Spanish conquest. To add insult to injury, the conquerors used rubble from the destruction to build a new church on top of the ruins.

A few unique mosaic-style stonework and carvings remain. I'll let them speak for themselves...

As we were leaving the ruins we heard loud popping noises, like gunshots. We didn't think much about it, but the pops seemed to increase in volume and frequency as we walked through town back toward the highway.

Turns out a gubernatorial candidate would be making a campaign stop in town; a big crowd had gathered and a bystander informed us that the candidate would be arriving soon.

We discovered the source of the popping sounds when we saw a guy lighting big firecrackers in his hand and throwing them into the air to attract attention. He accidentally dropped one and it danced and sizzled on the ground, temporarily scattering part of the crowd and permanently bringing an end to his endeavors.

Getting ready to welcome the candidate; note the guy on his cell phone in the middle and the two women at left with the lei-like garland. Almost all the women out in the countryside wear embroidered aprons over their dresses.

If you've ever seen "Lost in Translation" you probably remember the scene where Bill Murray gets on an elevator in Japan and towers over everyone else... this was Eric's "Lost in Translation" moment.

There were no fewer than four brass bands in attendance, and sometimes they all played at once.

A young woman from Mitla introduced the candidate. She spoke about the importance of more opportunities for young people.

The candidate speaks: promises of more business opportunities in small towns, more respect for the contributions of women to business and family life, better roads, and help for "my brothers, the farmers."

We didn't stay for the whole speech, but we later saw one of his billboards promising "Potable water -- every day." The needs here are so raw and so basic, but the means to meet them are so complex.

We caught another little collectivo car that took us back toward Oaxaca, to the turn-off to Teotitlan, a little town that is well-known for its weavings (rugs, purses, etc.). The collectivos aren't like regular taxis -- they don't take you exactly where you want to go -- they just drive along the main roads and pick people up and drop people off.

So we got out and started on the two-mile walk from the highway into town. Soon a car came along; we asked him for a ride and he willingly agreed. Turns out he's getting his Master's degree in business at one of the universities in Oaxaca, and his Master's project is an attempt to expand the markets for Teotitlan's weavers. He invited us to go with him to visit one of the larger weaving operations. Unfortunately no one was there when we arrived; he said he was going to wait for the owners to return, so Eric and I headed off on our own.

OK, I hope you've stuck with me this far because what happened next was the best part of the day. We went to the little market on the square, where the weavers have their little shops, and there we met Julian Martinez and his wife Luvia.

I was admiring the colors in this rug and Julian pointed out that the design has special significance in Zapotec culture:

He said the design represents life. Each "step" represents a stage in a young person's life; for instance, if you look at the red symbol in this photo you can imagine how the red "stairsteps" leading up and to the left could symbolize birth, childhood, and adolescence. He told us that the top step represents adulthood, stretching for a long way out to the left. Then the body declines in its old age, and the last horizontal line represents the body's death. The soul, however, is reborn in a new body, and so the design continues in a different color.

We asked Julian more questions and soon realized that he himself is a Zapotec. He explained more designs and said that, in Teotitlan as at Mitla, the conquistadores had destroyed the plaza and used the rubble to build their church. He said some designs could still be seen in the church and on the grounds, and he offered to show us around.

I have to stress at this point that Julian never gave any indication that he wanted money, or that he expected us to buy anything from him, in exchange for talking with us. I never got the feeling that he routinely shows people around; he had no set "script" and he simply answered our questions. The time he spent with us was in pleasant conversation and I'm convinced he is a man of exceptional character. There seems to be a stereotype in the American mind of Mexicans always asking for money and cheating tourists, but I stress again that we have seen *none* of this during our time here. There are the occasional beggars on the street, but one sees that in US cities, too.

Here you can see how the church was built on top of the ceremonial plaza. Julian says that archeologists estimate that what we can see now represents about 3 percent of what is currently underground -- but there's not much will to excavate the rest because at least half the church would be destroyed in the process.

Of course, it could be argued that the church would be in no position to complain if that were to happen. Here you can see how the rubble from the Zapotecs' buildings was incorporated into rock walls surrounding the church.

In other places the remaining pieces seemed to be placed more deliberately. Julian thinks it was a further show of force, but I was thinking last night that maybe a sympathetic construction worker might have fit these pieces in to showcase what remained of the Zapotecs' handiwork...

Julian told us that the little triangles represent raindrops, and the spirals represent recurring massive storms.

Here you can see how some carvings were incorporated into the church's exterior walls. I'll bump up the contrast on these when we get home to a decent computer, so you can see the designs better.

This is Julian with the design that he says is most important to him.

The sides of the diamond represent the four elements and the points the cardinal directions. The cross in the center represents the Zapotec belief that the human body comprises four parts: the upper half, consisting of thought and emotion; the lower half, representing, shall we say, the baser functions; the right side, representing things we can see and touch; and the left side, representing things we know are real but do not understand.

This led to the most fascinating thing I've heard in a long time... Julian said he would tell us about something that is real but not understood. He said that a long time ago, when a Zapotec baby was born, ashes would be spread around his (or her) bed the first night of her life. When the family awoke in the morning, they would check the ashes to see what kind of animal had left its tracks in the ashes during the night. For the rest of his or her life, the child would share a spiritual connection with that animal, even to the point of being able to transform into that animal.

I asked Julian what his animal was. He said they don't perform that ceremony anymore, but the grandparents remember. And this is the most astonishing thing -- there is still one man left in the town who can transform, and his animal is a bird. Julian says this man sometimes shows up in distant towns, and people know he transformed and flew there.

I offered to pay Julian for the time he had spent away from his shop, but he adamantly refused. I don't know if he didn't want us to think he was selling his cultural knowledge, or what -- but he would not take any money. I finally convinced him to take 50 pesos to buy something for his daughter... and then we went and bought that rug at full price :-)

We walked around on our own for a while and figured out where the bus stop was, and it turns out Luvia's parents live right there. It was late in the day and Luvia and Julian had closed up shop, so they invited us in to show us their workshop.

Here Luvia is showing me the cactus where they cultivate cochineal, a parasitic insect that somehow creates a bright red pigment inside its body (something might have been lost in translation here). The red dyes for her weavings are derived from these insects, but she says these cactus are more for demonstration purposes than mass production; her family buys most of the dried cochineal that they need.

Her mother crushed a dried-up cochineal in my hand to show us the pigment. She added lime juice to show us how they can obtain various shades of red-orange.

I tried my hand at weaving and Luvia inspected my work. It is incredibly difficult to work on such large looms, especially when they're so intricately threaded!

A design in progress and Julian's detailed plan for it.

The bus never came, so we hailed a collectivo car. It was full, but the driver kicked one of the guys out so we could get in. He said something to the effect of "There are two of them, and they want to go farther." We offered to wait for the next car, but the soon-to-be-ex-passenger was cool about it, saying he understood and another car would be along soon. This was great because we got a direct ride back to Oaxaca, but on the other hand not so great because the two of us were expected to occupy the space formerly occupied by one person ;-)

We sped to Oaxaca and arrived at the "Centro," a crowded, high-traffic area we had never seen before, a little after dusk. At least two lanes of traffic were racing each way. Our driver pulled up on the median, drove onto the train tracks, and the car bottomed out from all our weight. "Everybody out!" he yelled. "I'm going back to Teotitlan!" We got out in the median of this insanely busy highway and he pulled into the lanes going the other way.

Somehow we found our way out of there and we laughed and talked all the way to the hotel. After a much-needed shower we had dinner at an amazing little restaurant nearby that I'll write more about later. Then we walked on to the Zocalo, the main square, where we happened to see the group of Eric's colleagues who had just arrived from Wisconsin... and we joined them for drinks. Didn't get to bed until 1 am, which is why I've been lazy today :-)

First day in Oaxaca!

2010-05-18T22:15:00.009-05:00

OK family and friends, here are some photos from our first day. These are straight out of the camera (and I'm working on Eric's tiny netbook) so forgive me if these look weird!

We arrived late last night and awoke to birds singing and blue skies....

Our hotel is beautiful. Our room opens onto the central courtyard, which in turn is open to the sky above.

We enjoyed breakfast on the roof with Eric's colleague, Seth, who has also arrived early. He's doing an amazing job making all the arrangements for the professors' trip. We expect the rest of the group to arrive tomorrow night, but Eric and I wanted a couple of days to explore on our own before he needs to start working.

Soledad Cathedral, which we stopped in to see first thing, on our way to the bus:

The interior:

Potable water is a big deal here.

We rode the bus to San Martin, one of the small towns in the area that is well-known for its fanciful wood carvings. A guy named Benito was selling carvings with some of his family members at the bus stop on the highway. In my best Spanish I asked him if there might be a taxi into town and he offered to give us a ride. He and his wife, Airin, ended up showing us all around their town -- we are so grateful to them! I wanted to take a photo of them under this beautiful tree :-)

We visited his grandfather, who is an independent carver and who was celebrating his birthday. He invited us back in the afternoon for his birthday party!

In the meantime we visited a big (relatively big) company that employs some of Benito's relatives. They showed us how a piece of wood is transformed by skilled carvers....

...and painters...

into into intricate works of art.

Moving on...

(this one is for Anna)

The town has many woodcarving shops. In most of them we were able to watch the artists at work.

Here's another of Benito's relatives.

She's able to work at home with her grandkids...

and her son. Here's her son with his kids and Benito.

We stopped by Benito's grandfather's house to see how the goat was coming along -- the party couldn't start until he was finished roasting. The goat was still in the fire pit, marked with a cross ("out of respect for him," according to Airin).

So we wished Benito's grandpa the happiest of birthdays and made our way back toward Oaxaca. On the way we decided to stop at a little town that's well-known for its black pottery.

And 11-year-old Mauricio introduced himself while we were walking around town. He became our guide, showing us around the shops and the town square. Here he is playing with an "amigito" or "little friend." When we were ready to go back to Oaxaca we offered to buy him an ice cream for his trouble, but he refused, saying he wouldn't want us to think that he was begging. We bought him one anyway :-)

Here Mauricio is knocking fruits out of a tree for us. They would fall to the ground and he would pick them up and deliver them to us. "There's some dirt on them, but I don't think the dogs come around here," he said. We probably shouldn't have eaten them, but we did. They were delicious.

More yummy food awaited us back in Oaxaca. We happened upon this market on the way back to our hotel. We had tamales Oaxaca-style, slathered in chocolate :-)

We've had an amazing day, but we're missing Tom and Anna and wishing everyone could be here with us! And now I am going to SLEEP..... Love to all :-)

Shadow

2010-04-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

Shadow is an aspiring author and we were thrilled to do her publicity photos today!

She was after a variety of looks, so we did a few photos inside....

And then we moved out to the yard. The trees are flowering now and everything is looking gorgeous (especially Shadow, right?)

Can't wait to see these in print :-)

Thanks to my daughter, Anna, for assisting with lighting... and keep your eye out -- you'll probably be seeing more of Shadow soon...

Baby Tenley

2010-04-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

Today I had the pleasure of meeting baby Tenley, who was born on April 7. Even though she's still a newborn, she was incredibly alert for the entire session (with the exception of a five-second nap). I think she wanted to show off those pretty eyes ;-)

You might recognize her mother, Megan, from her maternity session. It was so great to see Megan again and meet her husband, Josh, and their long-awaited arrival :-)

Jake at one month

2010-03-29T21:52:00.007-05:00

Sarah and Todd stopped by this morning for a studio session with their baby, Jake, who is now almost a month old (his newborn session is in the post below). Here are just a couple of quick favorites from their session....

This is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken! This little guy was so alert the entire time!

And here's the new family :-)

I'll post more when they've had a chance to look through all of the images on their proofing website.

And Sarah mentioned wanting at least one large print or canvas -- I have a cool program that will let me show her how different prints would look at different sizes. All she needs to do is send me a picture of the wall she wants to decorate!

Jake

2010-03-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

Jake was a b-i-g baby -- over nine pounds! -- and we had a delightful newborn session in his home here in Fort Atkinson recently.

This first one is my absolute favorite. I love the look on Sarah's face! The home was pretty dark, so I brought in a light and made it look like natural window light.

A rare moment of sleepiness ;-)

And I love his little hands in this one....

The new family

And another favorite.

Thanks, Sarah and Todd, for welcoming me into your home and your lives! I look forward to watching Jake grow :-)

Megan's maternity session

2010-03-06T15:09:00.011-06:00

Megan is due on April 4, so she's at that beautiful "bump" stage! I took my portable studio to her house, because I thought she would be more comfortable at home -- and after the session she said it was nice to be able to be home with all her stuff rather than having to take everything in the car -- or risk forgetting something at home. So I think the in-home maternity session is a good approach.

I absolutely love how these turned out -- and now I want to do more!

Here are a few of my favorites... at least the ones that I think Megan would be OK with sharing with the whole world -- the rest will be on her password-protected website tomorrow night ;-)

This is probably my favorite photograph of the session...

Or maybe this one is. This was taken in the nursery, with the sunshine streaming in.

I love this one -- she looks fantastic!

Apparently this baby is gonna be a Brewers fan ;-)

Thanks so much, Megan, for a great introduction to maternity sessions -- and I can't wait to meet your little one when s/he comes into the world!

Hiatus

2010-02-19T15:41:00.002-06:00

During the school year I spend most of my waking hours in Madison, where my kids go to school (and play basketball, and play in the band, and do student council, and have friends, and on and on...) and where I do freelance writing as well as part-time work for the Department of Natural Resources. I don't accept weddings during the winter months because I need to be the best Mom I can be to our kids during the school year.

Our first wedding of the 2010 season is scheduled for June 5, the first Saturday after our kids get out of school. And we are booked almost solid after that, with weddings and family travel until October. Can't wait for summer :-)

New website!

2010-01-19T13:33:00.003-06:00

Our new website went live this morning, which is good in many ways (new pictures! new look!) *but* we are still in the process of transferring some of the old files to the new server. So the images here on the ol' blog might not show up for a couple of days.... bear with us....

Orchid

2010-01-18T20:45:00.002-06:00

I have a thing for orchids. And macro lenses.

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-10T14:42:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I question my decision to close up shop in the wintertime. When a bride-to-be calls or e-mails with her plans for a lovely winter wedding, I hate to say no. But there's so much more to photography than simply capturing the moment -- I need this time to design albums from last summer's weddings, meet with next summer's brides, fulfill print orders in time for holiday gift-giving, and think about scheduling and pricing for the coming year.

But more importantly, I also need to take a break from the hectic photo season and make time for family fun... here's a video my husband and I took during the massive "snow day" we had yesterday :-)

We hope you're enjoying your own winter wonderland!

Kristin and Camden

2009-11-08T19:48:00.005-06:00

What a fantastic session today... Kristin and Camden are so in love and so excited about their wedding next summer -- we had a great time and we lucked out with the gorgeous weather! Here are a few faves...

We met in downtown Fort Atkinson and went for a walk along the river (and my daughter just looked over my shoulder and said this is one of her favorite photos ever)...

Then we went to the covered bridge on the bike trail south of town.

Here's one of my favorite shots from inside the covered bridge:

Then we went to Lake Koshkonong...

And we found a bit of fall color for their "formal" engagement picture.

Kristin and Camden, I really enjoyed our session and I can't wait for your wedding next summer! Keep in touch :-)

Thank yous!

2009-11-08T07:54:00.007-06:00

We've been on a family vacation in Washington, DC, so I'm catching up -- but I wanted to quickly pass along this sweet note I received last week from Claire, a bride whose wedding I photographed last month.

You'll see some references to orange juice in the note below -- that's because orange juice got spilled all over Claire's dress while she was getting dressed! It came out with club soda -- so from now on club soda is in my "wedding emergency kit!" And you'll also see references to the cold -- we could see our breath in the chapel! But it was a beautiful wedding, as you can see from Claire and Sam's slideshow/video here. (Please note that some people find the first few bars of their chosen song a little jarring -- sorry about that but it calms down after a few photos and it's really a lovely song!)

So now I yield the floor to Claire...

"Hi Lori,

I know you are on your way to a fun (and educational :) family vacation...but I just had to tell you again how truly grateful we are for your beautiful work. As artists, we are just floored by your and Eric's combined attention to detail and your ability to capture what we believe no other photographer would have been able to: us.

We will never be able to thank you for giving us the ability to remember our wedding day just like it was. I knew from the moment we met you that we were on the same wavelength and it really showed in your work...so thanks for being yourself! It was so wonderful that in the midst of coordinating an out of town wedding, cleaning orange juice, frigid temperatures, and overwhelming emotion we never once worried that something would be missed.

Side note: I love how you found our first dance song and somehow managed to get 86 pictures into it!!! That video really is the perfect example of why we got married. It is warm, fun, quirky, and beautiful.

So, LATE last night (after we watched it about 900 times) Sam and I emailed it to 6 people (Moms and sisters) and I have somehow received 20 something responses to that email this morning. I just wanted to share with you some of the things other people who are not us have said about your work:

My mother called me crying at 7am : "That woman was seriously a blessing Claire. She has given you two the greatest gift you could ever have been given and she helped us get the orange juice out!"

Karen (Sam's Mom): OMG .... CLAIRE, I absolutely LOVE the video. The photos all turned out so awesome, and with the music, it totally captured the beauty and joy of the event. I can hardly wait to see the rest.

Annie (Maid of Honor): I was not expecting this at all. I haven't ever seen wedding pictures that look like this. They look like magazine pictures. How did they do that? ....I am so glad there are pictures of the orange juice drama!!! The whole thing is just perfect!

Joe (our "Rev"): SISTER!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG Those pictures are AMAZING!!! I cried a little lot! My favorite one is...ok that is a lie. I have watched this thing 30 times and I keep switching my favorite. Damn it!! They are just too wonderful!

Nora (my sister): That woman is a magician like she belongs in Hogwarts. OH AND I totally love how I don't look completely wasted in these!!! WHOOT! But seriously I have watched this thing on repeat like 400 times. Is that creepy?

Maggie (my close friend who missed it): I feel like I was there. Can you please thank this photographer for me, please?! I can't get over how Claire and Sam that video was! Oh, I am so glad these aren't cheesy wedding pictures like I usually see...that would have been more depressing than the fact I missed it.

Taylor (the teenage junior bridesmaid): It doesn't even really look that cold. How did she do that?

Safe travels to you and your family,
Claire and Sam"

Maureen and David: Engaged!

2009-10-25T19:54:00.010-05:00

What a delightful engagement session with Maureen and Dave this morning! After days of rain and cold (or is it weeks? I'm losing track) we finally had a "normal" autumn day with sunshine and cool weather. The leaves are gorgeous this weekend -- I think the yellow maples must be at their peak -- so we took advantage of the fall color. Here are just a few favorites....

Maureen and Dave, thanks for letting me share in your joy today!

Shawn

2009-10-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

Had a wonderful day with my daughter, Anna -- did some location scouting in Cambridge for an engagement session tomorrow, went for a walk, raked leaves, and baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies... I love this time of year!

And now I'm catching up on some blogging... Shawn stopped by last week for a yearbook-only session because he "hates having his picture taken." Give me a break! This guy should be a model!

Grandma's House!

2009-10-05T22:42:00.008-05:00

Saturday's dreary weather didn't put a damper on this family's session at the grandparents' home near Helenville. There is so much I'd like to say about this family... so much love in this home... but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We decided to create portraits of the grandkids indoors while we waited out the rain :-)

And Kathleen has a conservatory off the kitchen! It is truly beautiful, and soon she'll bring her orchids inside for the winter. Since it's obviously one of her favorite rooms in the house, I wanted to make a portrait of her there, with a hint of her stained glass and beautiful banana tree, but not so much that it would be distracting...

Kennedy's favorite thing to do at Grandma's house? Watching movies!

And another favorite activity: Story time :-)

The sun came out for approximately 3.5 minutes, when we got this photo of the grown-ups...

And another of my favorites from the session, Kathleen and her son.

Many more to come on the online proofing site... This session was truly a celebration of life, and of family, and of love. Kathleen, I'm so honored to have been part of your day.

Ashley and Chris

2009-10-04T17:08:00.007-05:00

Ashley and Chris came all the way out from Minneapolis for their engagement session this morning! We've had a lot of dark clouds lately, but at least it wasn't raining... so we took advantage of the break in the rain and headed out to the country. Here are a few of my favorites!

Ashley shows horses, so this rural setting seemed a perfect match.

I love how he makes her laugh...

And this is one of my new favorites.

We went downtown for a walk along the river...

And Ashley told me, "If we fight about anything, it's this..." and she pointed to her Wisconsin sweatshirt and his Minnesota one. Not a bad thing to fight about ;-)

Thanks so much for a great session, Ashley and Chris! Can't wait for your wedding in Green Bay next summer :-)

Theresa and Allen

2009-09-20T22:28:00.016-05:00

So much love and so much joy at Theresa and Allen's wedding last night!

Take a look at their slideshow, or you can scroll down for a few of our favorites.

The rings were gorgeous (thanks to my husband, Eric, for this shot)... he's been practicing with our brand-new macro lens and it shows!

The girls watching Theresa get dressed...

Theresa's father was remembered in so many touching ways throughout the day. Her dress revealed part of her tattoo, created in memory of him...

We went outside for some portraits before the ceremony. These girls were adorable!

And of course, if you have a swirly dress you have to take it for a twirl!

Allen during the ceremony. I love the expression on his face here.

Theresa during the ceremony...

Outside afterward...

And I just love this shot that Eric got of the groomsmen laughing. Another good reason to have two photographers is evident here: one of us always gets the formal, posed shot and the other gets everyone laughing right afterward :-)

Look at the look on his face! So in love...

And a formal portrait. These are so important! I like to think that this one will be handed down to the grandkids...

And this one is a stand-out, too -- it's an unusual pose, perhaps because it wasn't posed! We had walked over to some big trees to do a few portraits and something about the way Theresa was standing here caught my eye -- she seems like a really strong, independent woman and this image reflects that... and it looks like a fashion shot out of a magazine, don't you think?

One of the grandest "grand entrances" ever :-)

First dance.

The DJ (Travis at Madison Mobile DJ) got everyone dancing...

Do you want to know what's in the pretty box?

Good fortune :-)

Thanks so much, Theresa and Allen, for inviting us to share in your happiness. We wish you all the best ~ and of course there are lots more photos to come.

Candice and Josh

2009-08-23T00:41:00.012-05:00

"One of the problems with eloping," Candice wrote to me in her first e-mail, "is no pictures."

Later, at our first meeting, she and Josh explained that they had eloped just prior to his deployment with the Marines, and a friend of Josh's had taken some pictures of their civil ceremony with their digital camera. That camera was stolen the next day (!!!) so they were left with no photographs at all of their wedding.

This time around they wanted lots of candids of family, friends, and the ceremony; posed shots with relatives; and creative photos of just the two of them. Candice had found me through my membership in the Wedding Photojournalist Association, and she said that photography was *really* important to her.

So today we met again -- and we had a truly lovely time. The air was cool, the sun was bright, and all in all it was a great day for Candice to marry the man of her dreams... again :-)

And here's their slideshow!

Crazy busy

2009-08-14T22:17:00.007-05:00

OK so we're back and I've had some really fun shoots this past week. And also -- get this -- we got back from Colorado at 1 am and *six hours later* Eric and I were ripping out our kitchen ceiling.

I don't know what came over us. I woke up at 6 am and I took one look at our kitchen -- which I have never liked -- and decided something had to be done. Immediately. I decided I'd paint the cabinets, and I went upstairs to wake Eric up and tell him so. He came downstairs, looked over the situation, and said it would be a wasted effort to work on the cabinets before doing something about the ceiling, which looked kind of saggy and weird. A few hours later we were knee deep in plaster and lath, literally shoveling out our kitchen with a snow shovel!

So I've been doing photo sessions this week but we've been so busy dealing with the mess in the kitchen that I haven't had a chance to even *look* at many of the pictures yet, let alone start editing. But here are a few from a session in Milwaukee on Wednesday. This guy is Danny Litz, an aspiring model from Kenosha. I think he's got the look!

Off to Grandma's house!

2009-07-27T15:39:00.006-05:00

I'll be in Colorado and away from e-mail until August 10. If you have an urgent request, please call my Google Voice number (local call in Fort Atkinson: 920-397-9749) and it'll record you -- or someone at my grandma's house will take the message :-) I might even pick up if I'm somewhere with cell service!

Jenny and Kevin

2009-07-27T06:49:00.007-05:00

Jenny and Kevin were high school sweethearts, and this past Friday afternoon they got married! Eric and I were honored to be part of their wedding day.

The flowers were gorgeous...

...as were the church's stained-glass windows.

Kevin and Jenny's officiant was a friend of Jenny's from church -- he took classes for a year so he would be qualified to give their ceremony! Now that's friendship...

After the ceremony we had planned to go to Palmer Park for photos -- Jenny and her mom and I had met about a month ago to walk around and pick out the best locations. We ended up having to do the wedding party portraits inside the church, and they turned out just fine anyway :-)

We went to the park to at least attempt a portrait of the happy couple. Now, I have to say this is one of the most challenging storms I've ever worked in -- and I was a newspaper photographer in Montana! Drizzle, I can deal with. Rain I can deal with. Even snow is ok. But this was high winds and lashing rain -- the storm was really unbelievable! I consider it a sheer miracle that the photos turned out as well as they did -- and that my camera and lenses stayed dry. Wish I could say the same thing for Eric and the limo driver, who were holding my lights and umbrella ;-)

We had a blast in the party bus...

And Jenny and Kevin made a grand "grand entrance" at the reception.

There were kisses...

There were toasts...

and lots of adoring looks :-)

And you know what? During the reception I was looking at Kevin and Jenny, and I was admiring them for handling all the craziness with the weather so calmly and in such good spirits, and I thought, "It isn't their fault that it rained!" They had wanted photos in Palmer Park so badly, and Janesville isn't too far from our hometown... so I decided to offer to meet them there the next day for the outdoor portraits they had dreamed of. They gratefully accepted, and I'm so glad they did!

Even though I generally like high-energy shots with lots of motion and action, I think this is one of my favorite wedding pictures ever because it so perfectly captures Jenny and Kevin's happiness -- but also the deep reverence they have for their relationship and each other. They just settled into this pose -- I didn't direct them -- and I think it's so sweet.

If you want to see more pictures set to the song from their first dance, you can see their slideshow here.

Thanks, Kevin and Jenny, for inviting us to share in your joy! Best wishes!

Family sessions

2009-07-22T18:09:00.007-05:00

I *love* it when I hear from a mom like Millie. Millie is artistic and creative and a really devoted mom -- and along with some posed shots of her mother, grandmother, and her children, she also encouraged me to hang out with the kids to get some candid photos.

So after the formal pictures I asked the kids to take me to their favorite place in their great-grandma's yard.

Luke chose the riverside...

Carly showed me a flower...

And Emry climbed a tree :-)

Then we decided to do individual photos of each of the kids with their mother. Carly didn't want to cooperate, but that actually resulted in one of my favorite images from the entire session:

Thanks for getting in touch, Millie, and thanks for a great morning -- I hope these photos bring you and your kids lots of happy memories of your time at grandma's house!

Alyssa

2009-07-20T22:47:00.002-05:00

Here are a few of my favorites from a fashion shoot in Madison today. Hair and makeup by Rosalee Eichstedt, assisted by Mallory Schinker. Stephanie Johnson was my assistant today.

These first two are my favorites, but that's just because i'm such a nature girl ;-)

loved rosalee's work with alyssa's hair!

this was a great location, too... (thanks rosalee)

wow, what a great day! and now i'm tired... going to sleep ;-)

Sneak peek: Sarah's bridal session

2009-07-18T18:31:00.005-05:00

Here are a few details from Sarah's bridal session this morning -- but I don't want to spoil the surprise of showing her dress before the wedding, so the rest will have to wait!

Sarah beaded this bag herself...

and she made her own veil, comb, and earrings:

Needless to say, I'm sure her wedding will be full of heartfelt details. This girl has a real sense of style!

Bridal sessions are included with some of our packages and they can always be added to others. Since they're done well ahead of the wedding day, there's no stress, no hurry, and it's a great way to make sure your dress and accessories look just as you want them to. I'd love to do more of these sessions, so give me a call if you're interested!

Jess

2009-07-16T22:20:00.008-05:00

Jess lives in a beautiful house out in the country, so we had some fantastic settings to choose from for her senior session this afternoon. We had a great time -- here are a few of our favorites :-)

For more information about senior sessions, please see our
"seniors" page on the main website. Thanks!

Krista and Kaylie

2009-07-15T22:32:00.004-05:00

I met the sweetest seniors today -- Krista and Kaylie. Here are a few faves -- more on Facebook :-)

County Fair

2009-07-13T08:36:00.011-05:00

I feel like we finally arrived home from a long vacation -- but Anna and I have just been a few miles away at the Jefferson County Fair! Anna had the time of her life. Here are some photos (bear with me if you're looking for weddings, seniors, or family photography -- this blog sometimes doubles as a way to share pictures with far-flung family and friends).

So, here we go. All the 4H clubs decorate their stalls according to a theme. This year's theme was "Going Green," so they used recycled materials as much as possible. The dads made large wooden horseshoe-shaped frames that the club can use year after year from now on.

In line with the "green" theme, the kids covered their stalls with old feed bags turned inside-out...

...and they decorated old horseshoes to make picture frames.

Anna loved getting to take care of Comanche full-time.

She didn't have to show until Saturday, but she had to care for Comanche several times a day. One day we went around to see the other animals and she took pictures of just about every goat, rabbit, sheep, and chicken at the fair. This is one of my favorites :-)

Saturday morning: The horses had to look their best for the showmanship classes.

Their hooves had to be blacked...

And Anna got all dressed up to go in the ring. I asked her if she was nervous and she said, "I don't get nervous when I'm on a team with an animal."

She looked so proud out there!

She and Comanche got a red ribbon! This was the first time Anna had ever shown a horse so we were really proud that she did so well!

Later that afternoon, waiting to watch the drill team perform.

Yesterday morning, second show day. i think Eric took this one, but I'm not sure...

She got another red ribbon for equitation, and I had to take one picture at the "official" photo place. Comanche even smiled for the camera :-)

Back at the stall, Comanche showed Anna that he loved having his neck brushed. This is what it's all about...

Anna loves the new friends she has made in 4H.

And finally, a quick portrait at the end of a long day...

It's good to be home -- and I promise to get to that backlog of e-mails today. We're already looking forward to next year's fair!

Head, Heart, Hands, Health

2009-06-24T23:02:00.009-05:00

Our daughter, Anna, has been really active in 4H this year. She's showing our dog, Sadie, at the fair/dog show next week and she'll show Commanche the following week. I'm new to the whole 4H thing so this is a big education for me, too! Apparently the kids are supposed to decorate the horses' stalls, and part of the decorations are pictures of the kids and horses working together. So I've been taking photos like crazy the past two nights, trying to get enough pictures together before we leave for vacation tomorrow.

Should I be packing right now? Yes. But these are too cute to leave neglected in the computer!

Anna has learned so much at 4H, from how to feed and groom a horse...

To how to ride...

And most of all, she has developed such a sweet relationship with Commanche...

And I'm re-discovering why I loved horses so much as a kid :-)

Off to pack, and then off on a roadtrip tomorrow morning! More when we get back home!

Kids session

2009-06-23T17:00:00.004-05:00

Wow, we've had a busy summer! I can't believe July is almost here.

Here are a couple of pics from a recent family session in Lake Mills -- these sisters were adorable!

I'm looking for studio space here in Fort Atkinson but I still think that nothing beats meeting kids at their own home, where they feel comfortable, and just letting them play and laugh....

Kelly and Dale

2009-05-17T21:01:00.007-05:00

Here's a sneak peek from Kelly and Dale's wedding on Saturday :-)

Update: .... and here's Kelly and Dale's wedding slideshow! Eric and I had a great time, and as usual Eric's help was invaluable -- if it looks like we were in two places at once, that's because we were! Many of the shots in here are his, and he also helped me carry gear, scout locations, and get the lighting just right. And then he took me out to dinner afterward :-)

What a beautiful day! Congratulations, Kelly and Dale!

(If you can't see the slideshow above, click here to watch it)

Spring!

2009-04-29T10:25:00.004-05:00

I love this time of year -- the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing... and my phone is ringing like crazy! Our first wedding of the season will be on May 16 at Olbrich, and I can't wait! I'm also planning a portrait fund-raiser for my daughter's 4H group in a couple of weeks, discussing some fun family reunions this summer, and taking calls from last-minute brides.

I'm catching up on work since we took two weeks off to go to Utah -- seems like an entire month's worth of work was waiting for me when we got home. We have lots of trip photos up on Facebook so friend me if you want to see them!

Enjoy the season while it lasts....

Off to Utah!

2009-04-02T09:16:00.001-05:00

We'll be back sometime around April 20 with lots of photos to share :-)

St. Louis

2009-03-16T08:40:00.004-05:00

My mom and my little niece Sophie celebrated their birthdays last Friday, so we went to Missouri for a visit. We spent most of the long weekend at my parents' home in the country, but we also went to St. Louis to see my brother's new house. He and his wife are buying (today!) a house near Forest Park. While everyone else was inspecting the house, Anna and I played outside with Sophie and met some of the neighbor kids...

Casting call: Spring warm-up

2009-03-16T08:26:00.005-05:00

As you might already know, I generally don't do winter weddings or portrait sessions. The weather here is too unpredictable and I need the winter months to fulfill print orders, work on wedding albums, and prepare for the coming year.

I have lots of great ideas to try out, but of course I don't want to experiment around on someone's wedding day -- so I decided to offer a free bridal session to help me get warmed up and ready to go!

Here's the deal: Help me find a bride-to-be or a recent bride who's willing to pose for about an hour in her wedding dress. We'll go to at least two different locations but this will not be a "trash the dress" session unless she wants it to be.

She will get a proof CD of some gorgeous photos in her dress, as well as 2 free 8x10s. You'll get a gift certificate for a portrait session!

UPDATE: And we have a bride! I'll be photographing our winning bride in mid July. Stay tuned for the pics!

Testimonials

2009-03-02T22:44:00.003-06:00

A bride-to-be requested a reference the other day, so I sent an e-mail to a few couples from last summer. I told them they could reply directly to the bride or, if they felt like sharing their responses with me, they could include me on their reply.

Wow! The notes we've received back were so incredibly sweet! I've used them to create a new "testimonials" section of the website! I only have two online now, and the text is a bit hard to read, but I'll fix that text and post a couple more letters when I have time (hopefully later this week).

Check out what I have so far!

I'm so lucky to have such truly wonderful people as clients :-)

Meet me at the fair...

2009-02-20T19:35:00.003-06:00

I'll be at the Whitewater Bridal Fair this Sunday! I'll have albums, beautiful book-bound proof sets, and lots more to show you. Hope to see you there!

Baby Joey

2009-01-25T22:05:00.003-06:00

On my way to the inauguration I was able to catch up with my dear friend Mark, his wife Becca, and their newborn son. Mark and I went to high school together and we've kept in touch over the years; he just happened to be living in Denver when our son, Tom, had to spend some time in the Children's Hospital there (Tom is an athletic kid now but he got off to a rough start).

I've always remembered Mark's kindness to us during that time, so it was great to be able to visit him and his new baby!

Inauguration Day 2009

2009-01-25T11:48:00.004-06:00

I was there :-)

This blog is usually about my photography work, but I didn't want to take my precious camera gear into such a crowd. So here's a little video....

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:37:00.002-06:00

Hey everybody, here's hoping 2009 is a happy and healthy one! We had a great time with our families back in Missouri at Christmas and we're now in the midst of unpacking and getting organized for the coming year.

We were swamped with print orders before the holidays and now we're looking forward to a couple of months of working on albums, expanding the website, and organizing our new office space. As you might know, we generally don't accept weddings from December 1 - April 1 because of the unpredictable nature of Wisconsin winters. We also really need this time to take care of our existing clients, meet with new ones, purchase and test new camera gear, and check out new products.

Speaking of which, I'll have some more new products to show you soon -- namely the proof boxes (oh they're pretty -- covered with fabric and printed with a wedding photo!) and book-bound proofs.

I'll post the link to our new "products" section when it's ready to go. Until then, be well and Happy 2009!

Portrait albums

2008-11-24T09:22:00.005-06:00

A quick note to share one of our newest offerings: portrait albums! These feature your favorite photos from your session and they're available for newborns, children, families, and teens. We also offer them for engagement, boudoir, and trash-the-dress sessions for wedding clients. These are a fun way to share your faves and they make great gifts!

We offer a variety of sizes and cover options (we have about 30 fabrics and faux leather swatches so please do stop in to see them):

An image fills each page:

The pages are stiff, so they won't bend or crease under normal use:

Our base portrait album (pictured above) features 10 5x5 prints from your session and your choice of finish options and cover materials. They cost $200 for the first album and $150 for each additional album -- and when you consider that each 5x5 would be $10 if ordered on its own, you can see really see the value in these! Let us know if you want more images or a larger size and we'll work out a quote.

This year's "Making a Difference" photograph

2008-11-14T23:05:00.006-06:00

Those of you who have been following the ol' blog for a while might remember the "Making a Difference" assignment I photographed around this time last year. The idea was to take a photograph that helped someone in the community, and I hoped at the time it would become an annual event.

This year I hadn't sent a press release to the newspaper yet, but the opportunity to "Make a Difference" presented itself anyway. The local library director contacted me last week about doing a series of photographs for the library's capital campaign. Community leaders are hoping to raise millions of dollars to fund a much-needed addition to the library, and these photographs will be used on fund-raising materials. (By the way, the Dwight Foster Public Library is one of our family's favorite hangouts -- check it out if you're in town! How many libraries have a cozy fireplace -- or three or four or five?!?)

Cristin and Arlin

2008-10-30T23:46:00.002-05:00

Can I just say how much I love photographing seniors?!? Cristin and Arlin's mom (they're twins) called to make their appointment several weeks ago and we kept running into bad weather and scheduling conflicts. But we kept it flexible and today was *perfect* -- well, maybe a little windy, but Cristin worked it to her advantage ;-)

We started out with some shots at their farm. This place is gorgeous! We got some nice photos by the barn, too, but it's getting late so I'll leave it at these...

Then we went to Whitewater, which is a cute little town! Eric (my husband) is a professor at the UW-Whitewater but I had only been to campus and the printing shop downtown -- I'd never seen the old train depot...

or the lake (more to come from the lake!) or anything in that area! Fun fun fun :-)

Trick-or-treat

2008-10-27T22:04:00.002-05:00

Halloween comes early to many Wisconsin small towns, where trick-or-treating is usually held during the day (??!?) on the Sunday before Oct. 31. It's kind of nice because you can actually see the kids' costumes (that's Anna in the witch's hat and her best friend the pirate queen) but it has none of the crazy magic that happens when hundreds of kids are running from house to house in the dark. We're thinking we'll take the kids to Madison on Halloween night to see old friends and do some proper (nighttime) trick-or-treating.

Sneak peek - Sarah and Marshall

2008-10-12T22:11:00.002-05:00

More to come from this sweet couple, but I couldn't resist posting one of my favorite shots from Sarah and Marshall's wedding yesterday...

Fall light

2008-10-04T22:37:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a family reunion in Middleton. The host family wanted to be photographed in the lovely Pheasant Branch Conservancy because they live nearby and often walk in the woods and meadows there. We did some group shots...

individual family shots...

and then I took some portraits of the kids. Here are two of my favorites...

Barb and Mike - Married!

2008-10-01T13:27:00.008-05:00

So I was planning to post a few of my faves from Barb and Mike's wedding last weekend, but I had such a hard time choosing only three or four (or five or six) that I just decided to post their slideshow!

Click here if you can't see the slideshow linked above...

Han-Sam and Angel

2008-09-26T23:11:00.005-05:00

Here are a few photos from this afternoon's *superfunamazing* senior session at the Arboretum!

Han_sam invited her friend Angel to come along, which was great!

I try not to go overboard on the too-trendy Photoshop effects, but I couldn't resist having a little fun with this shot...

And by the lake at sunset...

So many more pics to look through, but I have a family shoot tomorrow morning and a wedding tomorrow afternoon - night... must sleep :-)

Sarah and Marshall - engaged!

2008-09-24T11:12:00.003-05:00

Oh the joy! Sarah and Marshall have been together since college and they're getting married next month! We had so much fun at their engagement session. Here are my faves of this cute couple...

Thanks, you two, for a great afternoon -- and see you next month!

Stay

2008-09-15T22:46:00.002-05:00

Our daughter Anna has taught Sadie to sit and lie down. Now we're working on "stay."

And we've been test-driving a 135 lens for the past week, seeing if we like it well enough to shell out big bucks for one of our own. Eric snapped this pic with it. It's an absolutely fantastic lens -- great color and contrast and beautiful bokeh. I think I feel an investment coming on...

Guest books!

2008-09-15T20:23:00.004-05:00

I will get these pics on the website asap, but for now I just can't wait to show off this book! Barb and Mike wanted a custom-designed guest book featuring their favorite photos from their engagement session. So here it is...

Cover embossing available in silver or gold

Book starts on the right page, with your names and wedding date if you want -- the design is completely up to you

The left side of the book has "full strength" images, while images on the right side are scaled back so your guests can write on them

Details: 10"x10"
16 pages
Spiral bound so pages lie flat
Presented in a protective box
Includes two archival-quality pens

Let me know if you're interested in one of these. They're a great way to show off your engagement pics!

Diane and Mark

2008-09-06T22:51:00.003-05:00

Today Eric and I photographed Diane and Mark's wedding at Trinity Lutheran Church, which is only a few blocks from our house! It was *so* nice to not have that l-o-n-g drive to Madison and back! This was a beautiful wedding in a truly lovely church.

By the way, someone asked me the other day if I ever do posed formals, because I don't have any on the web. The answer is, yes, I can boss people around ;-)

but I'd much rather capture real emotions and intimate moments like these...

Best wishes to Diane and Mark as they begin their new life together! Thanks so much for letting me be part of your special day.

Hazel

2008-08-29T21:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking Hazel's senior portraits at the Overture Center and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Then we did some casual shots outside in her letter jacket :-)

Sadie

2008-08-28T20:54:00.008-05:00

This summer has flown by -- I've been shooting a lot but I've been so busy fulfilling orders, visiting with clients, and doing family stuff that I haven't had time to update the ol' blog in a while. And we got a puppy on Monday! She is the sweetest little thing we've ever seen.

Details:
* Lab mix (lab mixed with what, we have no idea! Anna thinks her ears look brittany-ish, and I agree)
* Eight weeks old
* Fortunate Lab Rescue (Fox Lake, Illinois)
* Cheerful, clumsy, intelligent, *hilarious!*
* Anna already taught her to sit on command!
* Requires constant supervision, like having a toddler in the house again
* Addie (our older dog) is not happy with this development but is tolerant so far.

Family session

2008-08-19T22:26:00.006-05:00

I *love* doing family sessions! Last weekend this family got together for a reunion at the parents' lakeside home. They wanted to commemorate the occasion with family photos -- what a great idea! Here are a couple of my faves.

By the way, I can do group shots like this...

but I really love doing casual portraits like this.

What a great day -- and what a sweet family! Thanks for letting me be part of your reunion!

Mary and Mo

2008-08-13T18:28:00.003-05:00

And just catching up from last weekend... Mary and Mo are engaged to be married next June. They wanted an engagement photo for the newspaper, which we did -- but I think this is my favorite from their session, just because it's a little different : )

Hans

2008-08-13T16:19:00.013-05:00

I only knew three things about Hans going into this photo session. These were that 1- he was named Hans, 2 - he's a senior, and 3 - one of the neighbor kids told me he was a swimmer with "incredible" arms. So on my way to meet him I was imagining a 300-pound Viking with an attitude. When Hans turned out to be a super-nice guy with a super-cool car I breathed a huge sigh of relief!

We had fun photographing him with his car on a country road outside town, then we went to the swimming pool, and we finished up here at the house with a few shots in the "outdoor studio" (otherwise known as our backyard) and the "portrait studio" (otherwise known as our garage). We got some great photos for the yearbook, his graduation party slideshow, and prints for family and friends. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Fun fun fun!

Sarah and Eric's wedding

2008-08-10T10:37:00.012-05:00

Last night was a night of firsts: Our first wedding at the Overture Center (what a spectacular venue!) and our first dinner/reception at Restaurant Magnus (what a meal!) We hope there will be many more to come. Here are just a few favorites.

My fave from the day : )

Eric and Sarah opted to do their photo session before the ceremony -- this was great because it gave us more time with just the two of them.

During the ceremony, guests were invited to share their loving thoughts for the couple (Eric's scoutmaster attended the wedding! So did Sarah's soccer coach -- from when she was five years old until she was in high school! This couple has made loving, lasting impressions their entire lives...)

The guests waved from the rotunda balcony...

and Eric and Sarah took a ride around the Capitol in her uncle's Bentley, with another quick photo session on the Capitol grounds.

Then it was party time!

What a day! Thanks to my husband, Eric, for being such a great help to me and a fantastic "second shooter." See that wide-angle shot of the couple as seen through the car? And the one of them in front of the car? His. Wow! We're so happy when we can photograph a wedding together because two pairs of eyes -- and two sets of cameras and lenses -- really are better than one.

... and we're back

2008-08-01T16:27:00.004-05:00

Here's my favorite image from our trip to Missouri: my niece Sophie in her christening gown, which was made by my mom.

Goin' on a road trip

2008-07-23T11:07:00.003-05:00

I'm off to Missouri to re-join my kids (who have been having fun with both sets of grandparents for the past week) and meet my brother's parents-in-law from Romania and celebrate my dad's birthday! I'll be back in early August and will return all calls and e-mails then. Thanks for your patience : )

Barb and Mike - engaged!

2008-07-21T23:25:00.011-05:00

So I was wandering around Olbrich Gardens this afternoon when I heard the unmistakable rumble of two Harleys pulling into the lot outside. "Hmmm..." I thought. "That must be Barb and Mike, here for their engagement session."

Sure enough...

And yeah, we got lots of sweet, normal-looking pictures in the gardens with flowers and fountains and stuff. This is not one of them:

They're getting married in late September. I cannot *wait* to see what these two come up with for the wedding : )

Aurelia and Tim ~ Spring Green, Wisconsin

2008-07-21T21:49:00.009-05:00

Aurelia and Tim live in Seattle now, but they were married last Saturday near Aurelia's childhood home. It was a beautiful wedding, set under a *huge* oak tree, and infused with soulful details.

My husband, Eric, went along with me and we got some great photographs (he did the rings you see above). A slideshow is the works -- I'll post a link when it's ready : )

Family session

2008-07-13T07:28:00.009-05:00

This sweet family came over for a family portrait session in the backyard last week. The kids were adorable and so well-behaved -- we had lots of fun!

The backyard studio is really coming together. We painted the garden shed in bright colors (see above -- wow!) (eventually we'll have a different color on each side, and the garage is next!) and we set a park bench under the big oak tree. The pumpkin plants have started blooming so we're hoping to have "pictures in the pumpkin patch" this fall. Lots of ideas...