how to make a REAL omelet

Heath (and his family) invited us over for breakfast...but I think Heath just wanted to show off his omelet skills.  He sure has them, or at least it seamed like it this time, we will have to be asked back a couple more times to sample them to have a more definitive analysis.

a different kind of pre-wedding portraits

Ed and Wendy wanted to do something different for their pre-wedding portrait session...

You have seen the movie Mr and Mrs Smith, right?

All those times playing guns as a little boy and AirSoft in college finally paid off.

Trying not to scare the locals (or get shot at by the police) we raided an empty parking garage with painted plastic guns and blue steel looks.

We also did the traditional pre-wedding portrait shoot after this...but more of that later.

melting ice

This winter in Wisconsin has been...different.
It feels like we have swung from below freezing temps to above 50 every other week.

Over the weekend I noticed that the lake was melting.  When this happens the wind actually pushes ice sheets up onto the rocks and they pile until they melt.  Pretty cool stuff.

snow and a bonfire

The other night, Mike invited several people over for a bonfire in the back yard.  First off, that would be unheard of in California.  Second, it is snowing.

There was more than one time that night that I was muttering, "Only in Wisconsin."  And it was not just because he was serving brat's, and beer.

And I love it here....

Technical: there was very little light there, despite the fire, so all of these were beyond the reach of my camera, even at extra high ISO and a fast lens.  But it was still fun.  You would have though that I would have said that I just can't take photos and left it at that....but no.

walking our block while it was snowing

After work on Friday, while the snow was still falling, I just had to get out and see it all.  It had been snowing nonstop for 6 hours so there was quite the accumulation.  I just walked up and down the street we live on until I got to cold.

camera button friday - non camera gear review

There are so many gear reviews online about photography equipment, but what about everything else?  I never really thought about what I was wearing or what other gear I needed to get to places to take photos...until on a recent shoot it dauned on me how much I rely on this other gear. 

For starters: above are my North Face Gortex running shoes.  This is actually my third pair of Gortex Shoes (all different types actually) so I guess I really like them.  It really doesn't matter what brand or style you get, that is up to you and your foot/needs.  The point is this: on a recent trek I stepped through the ice once and needed to get through a lot of mud early on.  If my feet were wet and cold the entire trip I may not have stayed out as long.

My latest great find is the above pair of gloves, they actually keep my hands warm AND allow me to use my camera.  Yes I have a great pair of big thick gloves that will keep my hands toasty in sub -20 windchill but it is a little harder to use the camera with those "oven mits."  These beauties seem to be made for photography: a thicker back of the hand for warmth, and thinner palm for dexterity on the fingers.  The greatest part is that they are made for a hobby that is more popular than cold wheather photography: cyling.  Since these area actually biking gloves, there are a lot more demand for them and I actually found these on clearence at REI.  Again, just because the Giro Blaze is what i like, that doesn't mean it works for you, go and try out what you have locally.

There are a lot of other pieces of clothing that really help you stay warm but these two have really made more of a difference than I would normally give credit to one piece of gear.  Don't get me wrong; I love a good pair of wool socks, merino wool base layers, a hat, and a simple shell do a lot of good...but these were my best purchases for this winter so far  (And it has been a mild one, in a lot colder weather, like below 20, I would need more than this.)

So yeah, sometimes the non photographic gear is just as important as your lenses, tripod, and camera because it allows you to stay out longer and be comfortable as you shoot.

Just sayin'

pewits nest - ice

Durring the spring, I discovered Pewits Nest (see that post here) and I remember saying to myself, "Self, you need to see this place again."  This time I could walk on water, most of the way up the gorge because the stream that normally covers the bottom, was frozen solid.  (I knew it was safe because there were plenty of footprints to prove that others have tried and the ice didn't break.) Yes, that is me in the photo, not because I am vain, but I was the only human around to show scale...

Last time, the biggest draw to the goarge was the swirling water, this time it was this waterfall that was frozen all around it.  I could literally walk all around to get any camera angle I wanted.  I was, once again gity, like a little boy that couldn't believe his lick in finding the perfect mud hole to play in.

Once I got over the intrigue of the waterfall, I started noticing all the other details, shapes, light formations and the general feel of the rest of the gorge.  This is definitely a location I need to come back and see how it changes with the seasons.