Anschließen

While traveling with my wife, daughter and a friend of hers for a few days the significance of my work with the Cave struck me. I've been craving a venue where I can implement my skills as an artist. This opportunity to explore and connect to the soil of this land is so thrilling for me. Just before meeting the staff for the first time the other day I walked it's grounds. It was a pleasure meeting the old oaks on their hill.I'm so looking forward to Monday and commencing with this new adventure!

#caveofthemounds #jewelbox #nationalnaturallandmark #usdepartmentoftheinterior #nationalparkservice #nps #usdi #nnl #usinterior #NationalPark #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutthere #naturelover #prairie #prairieland #oak #oaksavanna #findyourpark #travelwi #wisconsin #wisconsintrails #wisconsinparks #driftlessregion #driftless #driftlessarea #wisconsinlife #discoverwisconsin #travelwisconsin

A Living Diorama

10 years, 3 months, 27 days later and I am officially back in the exhibits game. Monday I report in at 9AM to get my Cave of Mounds staff shirt. I just bought blue outdoor pants on my way home from my first meeting with them a few hours ago. On Tuesday of last week I heard about an opportunity there. After careful thought I then presented my portfolio and an idea to the staff. It worked. I'm hired! It's a new beginning for me. I am so thrilled to be working with passionate folks who are obviously so invested in preserving and presenting a National Landmark! I have this giant, LIVING diorama to get to know and work on. On top is an ancient Oak Savannah to save. Underneath is a cavern whose depths I've only seen from the tourists' perspective. I am going to bet that I won't sleep tonight...

The Smell of Hemlocks and Wet Stone

Today I remembering the smell of Hemlocks and wet stones. I remember how the splashes of water felt as they'd leap onto us. It's hard to believe it's been eleven year since we've been this particular spot.

#mcconnelsmill #slipperyrockcreek #frewmill #campagawam #forest #naturalpennsylvania #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #optoutside #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #scenicpa #travelpa #explorepa #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #thegreatoutdoors #naturewalk

So in Love!

Here's another old photo from when I was still beginning as a wedding photographer. This particular couple were adorable together. They were so in love. He was overwhelmed with joy and she simply beamed the whole time. We took a series of portraits at this lovely gazebo on the church grounds. The three of us became so wrapped up in the emotion of the moment that none of us noticed everyone else left. The entire wedding all drove off to the outdoor picnic/reception leaving them with me. When we arrived well after everyone else folks where all like, "uhhh... ohhh... yeah. Knew we forgot something..." LOL 

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

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