The Right Place

It was such a rewarding experience for me as an artist to be camped with other artists. Some of them I've worked with in the past. Camping in with a group that tries to not just "whoop it up," but actually puts on a real show makes for a very easy life for me. All I need do is wait and watch everything unfold. It's as if I live in the set of my imagination. The exchange of creative energy is pure, powerful and very sensual. So many times while having conversations, or photographing something I would physically feel a rush that made the hair on my arms stand up.

#Pennsic #Pennsicwar #Pennsicwar46 #sca #reenachtment #medieval #medievalreenactment #societyofcreativeanachronism #cooperslakecampground #Vlads #vladspleasurepavilion #bellydance #tribalbellydance #tribalfusion #sworddance #shimmy #tribalfusionbellydance #tribaldancer #kirahabibilal #lovebellydance #love_bellydance #bellydancing #bellydancer #dance #dancing #dancer #oriental #orientaldance #perfomance #passion

Waiting

The thing about camping at Pennsic War for me is that it gave me a chance to really relax and just be me. I occurred to me at one point that I probably bother a few people. I don't play out a fictional "persona." I'm just the same me in all the settings. When I would talk to people it wasn't to the character they were trying to portray, but to the person. My photography was the same approach. I didn't run around, trying to find the best thing to photograph. I didn't look at Pennsic with an eye as to what it was trying to portray. Instead I shot it the way I saw it, when I saw it, and most importantly, when I felt like shooting. I tried to set up a number of special sessions, and then waited to see which of the many ideas would come back to me. A lot of my time was spent just sitting around camp, waiting for those moments to come. Honestly, being down by the lake wasn't so bad.

#Pennsic #Pennsicwar #Pennsicwar46 #sca #reenachtment #medieval #medievalreenactment #societyofcreativeanachronism #cooperslakecampground #naturalpennsylvania #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #optoutside #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #scenicpa #travelpa #explorepa #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #getoutdoors

An August Sunset Welcomes Us Home

After a nearly eleven hour drive from our house in Wisconsin we found ourselves HOME. I love this lake, and our first night home the sky gave me a little show. I cannot even begin to try to calculate how many sunsets I've seen from this vantage point.

#morainestatepark #lakearthur #naturalpennsylvania #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #optoutside #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #scenicpa #travelpa #explorepa #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #thegreatoutdoors #naturewalk #getoutdoors

Pennsic War XLVI

So I ended up going to Pennsic War 46. While I was onsite during of the 2 weeks of the event, I mainly spent time running around visiting my immediate family. It was a whirlwind trip, and at first it was a bit disorienting. One minute I'd be somewhere in "Time." The next I'd be with those whom I don't spend enough time with. It was all amazing though. As I write this my mind is flogged from the over 12 hour drive home (yay for road construction on 80 west!). I just needed to process and post ONE photo. It's not the best of them. I will need time to sort and review everything. I shot this as I was walking around the lake on a clear summer night. The moon was shining brightly having been totally full the night before. I began with this photo location, which is way at one end of the event grounds, and I meandered all the way to the "Castle" at nearly the other end. I can't wait to share the really good ones!

#Pennsic #Pennsicwar #Pennsicwar46 #Pennsic46 #sca #reenachtment #medieval #medievalreenactment #societyofcreativeanachronism #archery #viking #camp

Pennsic War 46 is Coming!

In just a few days the 46th Annual Pennsic War will begin. @coopers_lake_campground will swell from a population of a handful of folks to over 10,000 people from ALL over the world. This is not a renfair where tourists can come in to stroll around and have fun. Nope, this is an event where EVERYONE on site is part of the culture that forms there as a whole. Historical re-enactors from a wide range of "Periods," from the 16th Century back to days of Before the Common Era, all come together in one place. Just some of the things to do is to attend classes on a variety of historical subjects, mingle with friends from around the globe with similar interests, partake in a very WIDE variety of "historical entertainments," and of course, bash each other with blunted weapons while wearing armor and competing in contests that test their skill at arms.

#Pennsic #Pennsicwar #Pennsicwar46 #Pennsic46 #sca #pennsiciscoming #reenachtment #medieval #medievalreenactment #societyofcreativeanachronism #archery #medievalarchery #crossbow #missileweapon #crossbowmen #crossbowman

Guru Puja with Tsok - 07-23-2017

As an artist it seems I have found myself really doing more meaningful work this year than at any point in my career. I cherish my days at the natural history museum working on educational displays intended to teach about the wonders of our world. It is now the wonders of the human spirit I am just beginning to explore. Yesterday I was invited to photograph and document the special Guru Puja with Tsok (a ceremonial cake) to commemorate the passing of Deer Park Buddhist Center's founding teacher, and spiritual guide Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche. As I write this I am trying to define my own sense of wonderment, confusion and desire at trying to learn this spiritual path of compassion. I am still at the very beginning. I am still struggling with my own sense of internal darkness. In learning about the Eight Fold Path I have cast a light into the blackest aspects of my very being. There are times that in drawing those recesses into the light I almost become smothered in grayness. As I moved through the Temple, trying to get the best shots, listening to the songs of prayer and meditation, I could also feel the grief of those who loved Geshe Sopa. Their mourning touched me and added a sense of earnestness to my efforts. I only wish I could have met him in person. I feel that I have met him in spirit through the interactions I am now having with those he taught. I am so fortunate to have found my way to this opportunity to learn about myself.

#Bodhicitta #Bodhi #Citta #Mahayana #dharma #buddhist #buddhism #learningthedharma #meditation #puja #soulsearching #monastery #meditation #holyplace #holy #buddha #driftlessregion #driftlessarea #wisconsin #wisconsinlife #thedriftless #driftlessart #deerpark #deerparkbuddhistcenter #madisonwi #madisonwisconsin #geshesopa #geshe #tsok #temple

Mt Horeb's Art Walk

I picked up an interesting photo assignment for the local Tourism/Chamber of Commerce a few days ago. Last night was the town's Art Walk, an event aimed at kicking off our annual Art Fair weekend. Local businesses invited artists to display their work and offered refreshments. I was tasked with capturing "crowds" having fun enjoying an evening out on the town. The time frame was a two hour window. In order to eliminate the biggest variable, namely the "crowd," I decided to create my own group of "tourists." I invited a few folks I knew dressed well and were comely to meet for cocktails, and then basically we had ourselves an enjoyable "night out." There's something to be said for real experiences, and instead of posed shots we basically took a tour of a few of the gallery spaces and had fun. For instance, while checking out the needle felted wool masks created by Gwyn Padden-Lechten at the Cat & Crow they got to wear them. As they tied up their masks I quickly set up my lighting scheme. It was super simple, only one flash off camera bounced off the ceiling and gelled to color match the lighting. The group sort of fell in place with just a touch of direction from me, and then they just acted normally, like you do when you're wearing an animal mask. So while I didn't get to every single location, which was simply impossible, I did manage to capture some signature images that can be used for advertising this event next year. I was so wound up from the creative process I then couldn't sleep, only finally dozing off around 4AM!

#driftlessregion #driftless #driftlessarea #wisconsin #wisconsinart #wisconsinlife #discoverwisconsin #fineart #finaeartphotography #contemporaryart #art #modernart #ig_mood #featuredpalette #artlovers #artlover #thedriftless #driftlessart #wisconsinphotographer #travelwisconsin #mounthoreb #mounthorearts #mthoreb #mthorebarts #mthorebartists #danecounty #adulttime #animalmask #romanticgetaway #artwalk