1000 mile weekend

        Last friday morning i left Madison for what would be a 1000 mile weekend. My first destination was Copper Falls State park located south of Ashland. I would have arrived there in record time if not for the small town of Phillip's police officer who pulled me over for speeding. I swear that i was driving in a 65 mph zone. Arrgghhh...not a good way to start...but i was on my way to doing what i love, exploring nature and taking pictures.
Copper falls is a beautiful area with waterfalls and rapids, great hiking trails and very void of people (which is how i like it). With no one around it made it much easier for me to sneak off the trails and get into some "forbidden areas" for some great photos. After spending 3 hours hiking i met another photographer from the area and we talked shop for about 45 minutes. He gave me some good info about the surrounding area and Lake Superior if i ever get up that way again....which i will.
My plan was to find an inexpensive motel nearby, spend the night and then leave early in the morning for the Spooner area. After getting a look at the local "bates" motel and knowing that Norman himself would not be caught dead there i decided to head for Spooner immediately.
The drive was awesome as i got to drive through the state forest that borders the area. I was hoping to see some Elk but no such luck.
Got to spooner in the late afternoon and headed off to the family cabin to see how winter had treated it.....more to come.

Wildlife

Well, the Eagle shooting trip to Sauk City was a major bust. I saw one Eagle but it was to far away to get anything resembling a decent shot. I also saw a Cardinal but he was again to far away. After two hours of sitting and waiting for something to happen I got up and got out of there. I drove for a while and finally decided to head back to Devil's lake and climb the west bluff. It was a nice day, sun was out and it was fairly warm so dealing with the elements was not going to be an issue. Got a few good shots, nothing spectacular but the exercise was great. After a walk on the ice and a few moments where I thought I was going in I headed back home.
Per my last post, I love searching for and shooting wildlife but I really prefer to be much farther north where things are bit more wild and where I actually know where to find what I am looking for.
I am seriously considering attending a photo workshop out west or in Canada where wildlife is more abundant. If this show season turns out to be profitable I may just look to do something like that in the fall.
Actually, I would love nothing more than to grab a small RV and travel the US for a couple of months. Go where I want to go and shoot what I want to shoot. There's no reason why I can't do this...............except for maybe a job that pays my bills and health insurance and car insurance........Arrgghhhh....do we really need all that stuff? I guess the responsible person does. I remember my youth when irresponsibility was a trait that you somewhat lived by. Hmmmm....I did it once, who says I can't do it again....

Wildlife

  
One of the things I love to do is shoot wildlife. There is something special about capturing birds and animals in their natural habitat. During the summer I have an abundance of opportunities with all of the time I spend at the lake but in the winter it becomes more difficult. I am dying to get out there again so I think that I’ll head over to Sauk City this weekend and see how the Bald Eagles are doing. I am going to experiment with back button focusing and see if it improves the quality of my shots. From what I have read it takes a little getting used to but is apparently much more effective when it comes to focusing on your subject.
I could just sit on the deck and wait for a Cardinal or Blue Jay to show up but that just feels too controlled to me. I much prefer to be out in the woods where circumstances are what they should be when you are looking for wildlife.
I am still waiting to hear if i was accepted into the Audubon art show in May. I'd like to have some new wildlife photos to show so that's what i'll focus on this week and hope for the best.

Taking a chance

I took some time in December of last year to re-evaluate my display and after looking at it from a distance found it to be cluttered and unorganized. It had too much stuff, to many pictures, to many signs, just way to much to look at.
So, over the last two months I have invested a decent amount of money to "overhaul" my display. It started with gray display covers to cover up the steel mesh of the walls. I then made the move from framed photos to standouts and canvas. I will still display a few framed pieces but I think that the standouts display much better and are something that I haven't seen a lot of vendors doing. Going forward, each display wall will carry a maximum of 3 prints as opposed to the "get as many on there as I can fit" mentality. The photos will be larger and more eye catching than before. Also, there will be many new photos on display. After reviewing my sales over the last year I think I have found what people are looking for....at least for the time being.
I have also added a heavy duty pole that will hold track lighting. Lighting was one thing that I sorely missed for indoor shows. Gone are all of the price signs as I have now individually priced every print regardless of whether it is on the wall or in the display bins. Gone are the signs with the business name. I will still use my banner for outside shows but I will be relying on business cards and brochures to promote my business for the indoor ones.
The scary part about this is that 2011 was a decent year and the display seemed to do just fine. I am looking at this as taking another step to "professionalizing" my self. Considering the money I spent it is a big risk but I am in this for the long haul and if this new display makes people look at what I have to offer in a different light then that works for me. Change is good.........I have done my research and believe in what I am doing so I know that it's the right decision.

Boy, am i in a rut!

It's now been one month since I turned out what I think is a quality photo. My "go to" spot (Governors island) located here in Madison is starting to get old. It's been impossible to get a decent sunset or sunrise shot when the landscape is scattered with ice fishing shacks. I have tried to get more interested in macro photography and have even tried out a fish eye lens but it's just not working for me. I need sprawling landscapes!!! What I really need is to get out of Madison and fast. I did the Devil's Lake trip twice this last month and that was great but I need to get out into some unfamiliar territory. Maybe I’ll head up north towards Spooner. Although I know the area like the back of my hand, there are always new photo opportunities. Last year at this time I spent 2 days on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Got some great shots but the cold winds and the 17 inches of snow that we got made it a little difficult to get around. Maybe it's time to take my chances with the weather and head back.
I have one month until my show season begins and that can become very busy so I need to take the time to get out and that's exactly what I am going to do.

Dog Days

Some people talk about the "dog days" of summer when it's to hot to do anything other than lay around. Well, it feels like I am going through the "dog days" of winter. I am well equipped to handle shooting in any kind of weather but sometimes it's just so damn difficult. If it's not the cold then it's trying to manipulate your camera controls under cover or with gloves on.....or knowing that a long hike IN means a long hike OUT which can be unpleasant in some weather conditions. There is nothing worse than being out in the (rough elements) and returning to find that none of your pictures live up to your standards or just didn't turn out how you envisioned them. I guess you need to be able to accept it for what it is and to just enjoy the journey. Like I have said before, I am not one to just shoot, shoot, shoot. I like to see and then think about how I am setting up to get the picture that i am envisioning. What are the alternative angles and how can I make the photo interesting. I want to see what others don't. I thrive on doing some of the difficult things that it takes to get interesting shots but sometimes second guess myself on whether it's going to be worth it. I have hiked an hour and a half into heavy wilderness only to find that there isn't much of anything interesting to shoot. The experience is great but the disappointment can be maddening especially knowing that time is limited.
I think that's what it all comes down to.......time and not having enough of it. This is not a casual hobby for me. I could spend 24 hours a day living this thing. The problem (that I am sure most of us experience) is the responsibility of everyday life. Jobs, monthly expenses for things you have but probably don't need and everything else that goes along with trying to survive in this world seem to take precedent. I am convinced that I could easily live in a cabin in the northern woods of Wisconsin. Having only food, electricity, heat and hot water would work just fine for me. Unlimited time to explore and photograph nature is what I am dying to have.
So, all that talk about dealing with the elements isn't really the issue, it's time. Time to be inspired, time to experience the wonders that nature has created, time to waste and not care about it, time to learn, time to do what you love and time to be who you really are. That is what I am looking for. Sounds simple.............right?

Devil's Lake

On December 31st of 2011 I took a trip to Devil's Lake state park. It would be my first of two consecutive trips to the park. The goal was to get there before sunrise, hike the bluffs in the dark and be set up and ready to shoot as dawn arrived. On my first trip I chose to hike the west bluff so that I could get the sun rising over the east bluff. Hiking in the dark and knowing that you are probably the only one in the park is a little unnerving but at the same time very exhilarating. The west bluff climb is moderately easy and doesn't require that you risk your life. I reached the top about 6:30, found a good place to set up and waited for the morning color to cover the horizon. It was a clear morning and not to cold so I was anticipating some nice opportunities. As the sun broke I could see a fog bank gathering over a valley at the base of the east bluff. This made for some great shots especially with the birds eye view that I had. I moved to several spots along the ridge during the next 45 minutes so that I could shoot different angles of the rocky bluff. I am not a religious guy but being alone on the ridge and overlooking the landscape as the sun rises is nothing short of a religious experience.
The crisp quiet morning, the white untouched snow, the different shades of blues, reds and oranges and the detachment from everyday life was an overwhelming experience. It's one that will stay with me for some time.
      About 7:45 the fog bank turned into a massive wall and filled the entire park within minutes. The big pines became shadows of grey and green and the lake disappeared. I took this as a sign that it was time to depart and head down to the lake front for another hour or two of shooting. As I hiked down the bluff I though about how lucky I was to be able to have these types of experiences. I have always loved the outdoors but having the ability to capture its beauty for others to enjoy has given me a second life and I will be forever grateful.
     A week later my middle son Jordan accompanied me on my trek up the east bluff. We arrived at the park around 6am, put on the headlamps and searched for the trail. This trail is a fairly steep hike and not for the faint of heart. It was probably a good thing that it was dark so that all I could see was the next rocky step and not the impending death that was two feet to my right or left. Both of us had recently seen the 60 minutes segment on a guy who climbs sheer cliff walls with just his hands and feet, no ropes, nothing. We laughed at our wimpiness of worrying about climbing a man made trail while this guy hangs by his fingers a mile above the ground. Jordan's a strong guy and very athletic so he brought up the rear in case I needed to be caught. I knew it was tough when he started to talk about how his calves were burning. He's a fitness trainer so you can imagine what my legs felt like. At this point all I could think of was what it would feel like to be dragged to the top. With the way my legs felt it was only a matter of minutes before that experience would come into play.
   Well, we finally reached the top and took a break. I enjoyed a bottle of water and a nutri grain bar that was in 7500 pieces. We found a spot and set up to shoot. As we waited for the sun to rise Jordan reverted back to his childhood and tossed stones over the side to see how long it would take before we heard them shatter against the rocks below. When we finished shooting we spent the next hour or so hiking off trail which usually led to "here, hold this while I jump from this rock". Finding the way back to the trail brought along a huge potential for ankle sprains and broken bones as we moved about the fallen rocks and dead trees. When we finally found the path you'd think that we had been out in the wilderness for 2 weeks. After the high fives and the water break we continued to the other side of the bluff and then down the icy path to the bottom.
   After some more childlike play of throwing big rocks on the icy lake and walking on thin ice we headed down the railroad tracks and back to the car. The shots I got on the first trip were 100 times better than this one but the company of my son was something I wouldn't trade for anything.