Wisconsin

Newborn Photography Session at Taproot Farm, Ridgeway, WI

Taproot Farm farm sits atop a hillside clearing east of Ridgeway, WI, looking east toward a rolling valley of forested folds. I first visited Taproot with my brother, who is knows the owners. They had invited a bunch of folks out to help pick and press apples from their old orchard trees, a fun project with delicious results. We brought Sebastian, our newborn first child, out for the festivities and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food and good folks. When the owners asked if I would photograph their newborn baby boy, I jumped at the chance.

This boy must have been excited too, maybe that's why he didn't want to sleep. Mama really wanted to do some sleepy naked baby photos, but the kiddo wasn't having it. He was wide awake, super curious. So we sauntered around the property, up and down dirt roads, past the orchard and gardens, and generally had a nice time waiting for the babe to get sleepy. It didn't happen until the sun was just about gone, but right around sunset he finally close his eyes and we got a few precious shots in the grass.

Rebecca + Matt - A Wedding at Fitchburg's "Art in the Barn"

This wedding involved so many things I love, including:

1. Charismatic megafauna (horses, in this case)
2. Lots and lots of party lights
3. Food carts (yes, plural)
4. A beautiful, well-loved, well-lit old barn
5. Really nice people
6. Charcuterie (with pickles and some sort of amazing cherry preserves)
7. A good breeze

Feeling lucky. And hoping to get out to Art in the Barn again for a show this year. Check out their schedule for more info.

Olbrich Gardens Family Portraits in Madison, Wisconsin

This shoot was scheduled for Labor Day weekend, but it turns out the Navy does not predictably schedule leave for its sailors. Which was okay with me, considering I'm not the one with a family member in some unknown location in the Pacific Ocean most of the time. That brings some perspective. Thank you, thank you a thousand times to those who serve and protect us all over the world.

Before our session, I got to visit the home and see the wonderful collection (and implied appreciation) of black and white prints this family has in their home. Beautiful work all over the walls, both in-house from dad and daughter and from friends and colleagues as well. And they asked ME to photograph their family... I felt that was quite a compliment. And a little bit of pressure, but that's a good kind. Nice making work for folks with a deep appreciation for photography as a medium.

Great Gatsby Holiday Party at The Edgewater Hotel, Madison, WI

Want a delicious recipe for holiday party success?  How about 20's garb, casino games and dueling pianos in one of Madison's newest and oldest establishments, the newly refurbished Edgewater Hotel. The Edgewater is decked out in its holiday finest right now, and the ice rink, the comfy chairs, the huge fireplace and all the gorgeous people coming and going make it a fantastic spot for a party. And with the Statehouse bar available upstairs for the afterparty and beds available above when you're ready to hit the sack, you don't even have to drive anywhere afterwards. How convenient.

I gotta mention the dueling piano guys, Felix and Fingers, because they were fantastic.  F&F take song requests - ANY song requests - and more or less nail them anytime. They played everything from 90's rap to "Wreck fo the Edmund Fitzgerald" to the them song from "Jurassic Park" to They Might Be Giants. And more. Even when everyone was on the other side of the Grand Ballroom playing craps or what have you, these guys were having a blast on the other side, keeping the party going. If you want awesome party entertainment and are looking for something a little different, check them out.

Looking forward to more holiday cheer this week. Happy solstice and enjoy a wonderful holiday week!

Christmas Family Portraits in Madison, WI

There are lots of kinds of people out there. I don’t know exactly how to describe these kind of people, but I could stand to spend more time with them. Funny, loving, kind, warm, at ease with themselves. Maybe that’s because the elders of this clan are so heart-meltingly wonderful. Grandpa’s eyes sparkled the entire time. And those glasses grandma was wearing… so awesome. Fun challenge to shoot an indoor session where two people can’t leave their chairs and half the family leaves for Toronto in an hour, I like adventure.

Winter Family Portraits in Muscoda, Wisconsin

Went out to Muscoda again this year to photograph this crew, less all the relatives and plus a new little brother. They have this perfect little getaway cabin, tucked up in the hills, full of splendid winter sunshine and warmth. And if you can manage to break away from the coziness, there is a beautiful forest with big oaks and lots of trail to stomp around in. And you get to do it all with Darwin the dog, who I simply adore. Lucky guy, I am.

Winter Family Portraits in Shorewood Hills

The early freeze-down this year has had me a little bummed, as I always feel like I can count on November for being perfect: highs 40 - 50 degrees, beautiful monotone landscapes of 100s of shades of browns, crunchy leaves, crisp air, empty parks, etc. November is often a month filled with personal climbing trips and lots of pre-holiday family portrait shoots, but the cold has slowed things down on both fronts. Despite some crushed hopes, I really enjoy the variety Wisconsin weather brings; adversity always raises new opportunities and keeps the adventure alive in what otherwise might grow routine.

While I would rather shoot outside any day of the week, when it is raining down freezing drizzle and the steps to my clients' home is a skating rink... then we work inside. A good time to have some fast, wide lenses, which is why I decided this shoot would be the perfect excuse to buy the 35mm lens I have been thinking about for a while. So this session ended up being almost entirely shot with that new lens, and I loved the opportunities the glass opened up for us.

 

Headshots on Lake Mendota with Madison Author Melissa Falcon Field

I have been lucky over the last few years to work with some really fantastic Madison writers, including Susan Gloss (Vintage), Michelle Wildgen (Bread and Butter), Chloe Benjamin (Anatomy of Dreams), Judith Mitchell (A Reunion of Ghosts), and Jesse Gant and Nick Hoffman (Wheel Fever). I recently got together with Melissa Falcon Field, another fine local author, to shoot headshots for her upcoming book. A Connecticut native, Melissa Falcon Field relocated to Madison a few years ago and has been working on publishing her first novel (What Burns Away, January 2015) while doing freelance writing and teaching with the Madison Writers' Studio. If you get a chance to see her read around Madison (or elsewhere), do so; her personality is a dichotomous balance of East Coast boldness and Maine coast humility. We shot on the lakefront in Shorewood Hills and I think we created some great work for her to represent herself with. Looking forward to reading her words in the new year.

Autumn Family Portraits in the Williamson-Marquette Neighborhood

I love it when families want to do an urban shoot. Not that Madison is that "urban," but shooting along an urban corridor is just a lot different - in a challenging, good way - than shooting in a park. More difficult, I think, because the hard lines of the city don't naturally place to the warm, intimate feeling most families are looking for. But shooting in a city neighborhood feels more day-to-day than park romping and I like that authenticity.  

The black and white image of this little boy holding his dad's hand... it might be my favorite capture of the 2014. I can't think of one I like more. It has a timeless feel to it, and his eyes are so dead-on sharp and beautiful.

Apple Picking at Door Creek Orchard

After moving back to Madison in 2010, we spent a few years exploring different apple orchards before landing on a place we loved last year: Door Creek Orchard. I think this orchard is pretty popular, but we go during the week around 4:30 and it's pretty quiet. Tom, one of the owners, is always really sweet with the boys, telling us about his unique Black Welsh Mountain sheep, letting Basti ride his tractor, and even providing dinner recommendations. And the setting here is pretty idyllic, with a gorgeous farmhouse and barn overlooking the expansive wetlands below.

If all these things vanished, however, I would still come here for the fantastic apples alone. Door Creek grows an Empire apple that is currently my very favorite eating apple. We bought $35 worth, thinking they would last us into December, but they are already almost gone. A testament to their flavor, or our gluttony... you decide.