Journalistic Style

Here's an image I shot over a decade ago. It was taken with an old Canon 10D and an EF 33mm f/1.4L lens. I was only a year into really getting into Wedding photography. When I'd first begun as a photographer I shied away from covering weddings as I thought they were "too stressful" or "too cookie cutter" of subject matter. Then I had an interesting conversation with famed photographer Lynn Johnson who I happened to meet through Jeff Swenson. She totally changed how I see photographing a wedding on a conceptual level. Basically she pointed out that every wedding, while similar in stages and goals has it's own unique story. There's so much variety in who the people are, what religions they practice with specific rituals, their personalities, and the family dynamics. It all comes together to set the stage for a chance to explore "micro-cultures" with your camera. I thought that was a brilliant way of seeing things. It inspired me to try to capture those unique "micro-cultural" moments. It especially gave me a better mental approach to capturing the personal rituals that are important to each couple.

#bride #wedding #weddingphotography #weddingphotographer #weddings #madisonweddingphotos #wisconsinweddingphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madisonweddingphotographer #wisconsinwedding #madisonwedding #wisconsin #madisonwi #wisconsinlife #midwestliving #midwestmoment #weddingplanning #weddingideas #weddinginspiration #weddinginspo #wisconsinbride #wisconsinbridemag #lovemadisonweddings

The Bare Necessities

Freja holds still in front of a Kodiak mother and her cubs. They're in a diorama that I worked on many years while @carnegiemnh. Creating a diorama wasn't as simple as it might seem. It took a combination of of scenic landscape painters, designers, graphic artists and sculptors working with educators and scientific staff to create fake rocks, plants and dirt in just the right setting. The aim is to completely recreate a specific locations environment. If I took the time to explain how we made, lets say the grasses or leaves on the bushes I'd have to write an article. This photo is of Freja seeing it for the first time while on a trip home in 2014.

#carnegiemnh #carnegiemuseum #carnegiemuseumofnaturalhistory #cmnh #pittsburgh #diorama #kodiak #kodiakbear #littleandbrave #bestnatureshot #instanature #instanaturefriends #nature #earthfocus #earthpix #awesome_earthpix #ournaturedays #wildlife_seekers #wildlifeplanet #wildlife #animals #animalsofinstagram #animalsmood #animal_sultans #wildlifephotography #wildlife_perfection #travelpa @visit_pa

Bushy Trail isn't so Bushy

I took a hike through a patch of restored Oak Savannah. It's been a while since I've walked this newer trail located in Stewart County Park. I first walked this path when it was little more than a deer trail cutting through very thick Buckthorn underbrush. You could barely make out the shapes of these oaks. I worked with a neighbor as a volunteer cutting down all the brush and piling it high. We couldn't burn that day so cuttings were stacked until either they eventually rot into the soil or are hauled away or burnt later. Since that time they've cut down and cleared even more, and really improved the path. Though it's now nice and wide I have to admit I sort of miss when it was just a simple foot path. One less traveled.

#stewartlake #stewartcountypark #danecountyparks #travelwi #explorewi #wisconsin #wisconsintrails #wisconsinparks #driftlessregion #driftless #driftlessarea #wisconsinlife #discoverwisconsin #travelwisconsin #midwestliving #explorewisconsin #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutthere #naturelover #oaksavannah

A Restored View

A few years ago I volunteered with another neighbor in clearing out the invasive Buckthorn trees and underbrush. Today I took a hike/run around on the trails. I'd stop at places where I'd built massive fires. The chainsaw guy was literally a machine when it came to clearing these nasty trees down. It was good to see the first place I worked on growing native grasses again. What really amazed me though was this view. I could still find the remnants of my biggest fire. It's now covered with interesting plants. Just downhill from that spot they work has continued without me. Not long ago you could NOT see the lake while standing where I took this photo. The Buckthorn was just too thick. You can still see where some downed branches were cut, and the ashes of the fire that cleared it are just past the tree. Well done guys!

#stewartlake #stewartcountypark #danecountyparks #travelwi #explorewi #wisconsin #wisconsintrails #wisconsinparks #driftlessregion #driftless #driftlessarea #wisconsinlife #discoverwisconsin #travelwisconsin #midwestliving #explorewisconsin #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutthere #naturelover

Cranes Descent

Cranes Descent. For the first time in a while I went for a photo walk into the park. Wanting to photograph birds I carried my camera and 400mm zoom lens ready. As I stood at the head of the ridge trail that runs just downhill from our home I could hear Sandhill Cranes in the distance. I scanned the sky all around me but tree cover prevented a clear view. As their calls grew louder they began to bounce off the heavy tree line opposite me. I never saw that particular flock. As I made my way down the trail I stopped periodically to scan the skies and to take photos of very high flying formations of geese as they migrate back to Canada. Eventually I found myself in the middle of the open prairie, the sky a nice dome above me. I settle into a very balanced stance and began to just relax, meditate, watch and listen. I heard another flock coming off in the distance. After long moments of waiting and not seeing anything I figured I'd missed this flock as well. Just then I noticed what I thought was a small, silent gaggle of geese circling above me and descending. I literally had to keep my camera directly pointed over my head, framing, adjusting my exposure and tracking them as they circled around and around above me. It was a really good exercise as I tried to aim the heavy camera and to turn it just so in order to compose the scene. When I got home I had a chance to actually see what I photographed. They weren't big geese or swans. It was a flock of Sandhill Cranes! WOOT!

#Grus #canadensis #Grus_canadensis #Grus-canadensis #Sandhill #crane #Sandhill_crane #Sandhill-crane #Sandhillcrane #migration #natureasart #naturelovers #wildlifephotography #exploretocreate #your_best_birds #nuts_about_birds #bestbirdshots #bb_of_ig #bird_brilliance #eye_spy_birds #feather_perfection #birds_adored #thebirdingsquad #nature_worldwide_birds #total_birds #instabird #birdlove

Interception!

The bouquet toss can sometimes make for a fun photo. It's usually one of the trickier shots that I take. You NEVER know where it'll land! Sometimes they throw them super high and it lands way in the back. Sometimes it's thrown off to one side or the other and you can't see where it lands. Sometimes though, it lands just right. That is, if you're NOT the Bride's Maid who really wanted to catch it.

#bouquet #bouquettoss #reception #weddingreception #wedding #weddingphotography #weddingphotographer #weddings #madisonweddingphotos #wisconsinweddingphotographer #wisconsinphotographer #madisonweddingphotographer #wisconsinwedding #madisonwedding #wisconsin #madisonwi #wisconsinlife #midwestliving #midwestmoment #weddingplanning #weddingideas #weddinginspiration #weddinginspo #wisconsinbride #wisconsinbridemag #lovemadisonweddings

When You're Taught By a Legend

3x World BJJ Champion 🏅2x Master World Champion 🏆MMA Record 20-5 🏆Cage Rage Former Champion 🏆Shooto Former Champion @vitorshaolin came to Madison all the way from the East Coast to teach us. I really enjoyed his teaching style. He taught us how to play Single Leg X Guard, something I'd not seen before being just a Blue Belt. Not only did I enjoy learning new techniques from a true master of his craft, but I enjoyed his thoughts on how to train and approach BJJ mentally. I have to admit the best though was getting to talk to him at the group dinner afterwards. if I ever get to New York city I'll be sure to drop in at his school. Oss!

#xgaurd #vitorshaolin #vitorshaolinbjj #bjj #bjj4life #brazilianjiujitsu #jiujitsulifestyle #jiujitsu #graciejiujitsu #martialarts #grappling #bjjlife #jiujitsulife #fitness #gym #fighttraining #Selfdefense #bjjtraining #martialartslife #fitnessjourney #artesuave #oss #mma #graciejj #bjjmadison #bjjwisconsin #riseup #riseupmartialarts #bluebelt