zee snow angel...

So my roommate, Tomasz, was just talking about how they don't really get much snow in his corner of France, and he's been waiting for a good snow to do his snow angel. Since any snow we've had this year thus far has melted within the day (and before i got home with my camera) he's been a little disappointed...but not today! So, in our winter snow storm and at least a foot of snow, he didn't hesitate and jumped right in....because you know, if there are footprints to the angel, it's not really an angel...

On the day Elena was born...

Photos of John and Sara's hospital stay waiting for the birth of their baby girl... All are doing well...

All smiles early in the day...

Sara dealing with others taking over her body...

John modeling the take-home outfit...

how else does a photographer deal with stress?

Or not...

a long day, but sticking together...good job mom&dad!

Personification of inanimate objects

I think I confused a friend of mine while chatting about the first time we had met. After a night of photos, bottles of champagne and a night walk on the beach, my room key ended up lost. Instead of trying to find it, and with the front desk closed (this wasn't a Holiday Inn, or the U.S.) it seemed best to just climb in through an open window in my room. I think I lost him when i started talking about how when i think of that beach, i think of a lone room key stuck in the sand smiling, if it could, at the thought that two people were more into eachother and remembering the last unopenned bottle of champagne then the room key. I know it's just my (your adjective here) way of wanting to assign and share the emotions with inanimate things, and i'm okay with that...perhaps that's why i like rocks so much (how's that for an introduction?) Fisherman Island's State Park south of Charlevoix, one of the best rock-hunting areas in lower Michigan. Although it looks like i was too late for dinner, i did find a petoskey for Louis' bday. Happy birthday Louis!
The Mackinac Bridge. This bridge freaks me out every time, so i just try to ignore it by photographing it as i cross, had a driver this time...which is probably best for everyone.

Halloween @ The Comet Bar in Detroit

The Comet Bar in Detroit, it's a year-round Vet, Christmas, Marlyn Monroe bar...perfect setting for Prince to spin a lil old school Detroit techno on Halloween night...

Kentucky People

Tonight's wallflower is played by Jon...good job Jon, way to look longingly into the sea of dancers...I think this is the only one where he isn't smiling...
ladies or video camera, Brian was working the room with both!
photo "students" that were in my group, under the direction of Bob Lynn. Left to right, Yanina & Jacob K., Gen & Jacob K., bacardi & Jacob...
I forgot how much fun it is to hang out with people who like getting their photo taken...and will even take yours! left w/ Jonathan Y. right w/ Jacob K.
One of these peeps won the Pulitzer this year...hint? she's a she...

Subjects I photographed
while in Kentucky.

Kentucky Things

The longest time I've spent in Kentucky, here's a couple things from Boyle (pronounced 'bowl') and Casey Counties.
According to most meteorologist, this has been the driest year for Kentucky since the dust bowl. Carroll and Doris remember this creek over-flowing, now it's just dry rock...and a few things that were left behind.
Carroll's uncle died in a farming accident almost 50 years ago. Carroll drove his truck until it wouldn't work, now it's becoming a flower pot.
A very cool shack, my guess is it was a holding place for tobacco, right next to the railroad track, painted and decorated with lots of art work.
Hand guns at the door...in sock drawers, in cabnets, bedside and scatterred throughout the house.

Tobacco dries in a barn, according to Carroll, when you hang tobacco the best place to be is on top, you have less work to do.


I asked Doris not to bother to make breakfast, but I had a feeling Carroll wasn't going to eat all that ham...

Horses hang out along the county road.

Tobacco stalks dry in a barn painted black in Casey County.

Alec & Kristee

Favorite subject of mine & amazing friend, Kristee, finally got her son to agree to get some photos taken for his senior portrait. He was a little awkward initially, didn't work it like his momma, but ended up getting the hang of it near the end...now if we can get him to put on her white wig!

New backdrop!

My mom poses with her latest birthday gift, some sort of electric wrinkle zapper. she's actually laughing under the mask, which makes it kind of weird...uhm...weirder...

a man and his possessions

Rick takes a Friday afternoon nap in his living room amongst the last of his possessions. He was a little tired after couch moving, martini's, tom collins, gyros, police, and me dragging him out of bed for a 9:30 bikram class. I think we were giving everyone in the class a contact buzz from our sweat.

I mostly shot this photo because i was jealous...i wanted to nap!!!

Another weekend in TC

(left)Hot in the sun, cool in the shade, amazing with a breeze, what great weather for tasting wine at the 1st Old Mission Wine & Food festival.
(below)Emily in a slight food, but mostly over-worked coma...
(second down)From left, Chris, Jody, me, Pete and Karen, late night work at getting the Higher Grounds Coffee Bar completed...although at 1am after a day in the sun, I think i just added an extra 6-pack and comic relief...





(bottom photo) On the ride back downstate, the sun shines through the clouds. A friend of mine recently wrote about his mother's recent passing and the blessings of a rainy/cloudy day, how it makes one reflect more on oneself and makes you realize every day is a gift..I didn't read about his experience until after i shot this, i was just thinking how beautiful it is and reflecting on the weekend, all the blessings i have in my life...

Another weekend in TC

So I was back in Traverse to work on Friday, but made lots & lots of time for play on Saturday...
I'm thinking Rick was getting tired of having a camera in his face...
New thing this year, white netting to increase heat...and make the photogs happy!

Okay, so i'm not really sure where he was going with this, but at least he was committed...
Higher Grounds coffee bar...organic, fair trade and their counter tops are logs that were found in Lake Ontario from the early logging days...

Northern Michigan continue...

Do you ever see a large gathering of birds and wish you had your camera as they dodged around? or at least wished you weren't in your car on the way to a job, but rather on your back in an orchard chomping on a long blade of grass and watching silently with a smile on your face at this gift...

Northern Michigan continue...

light from a bonfire, a ripe vineyard and a waxing moon....fall is on her way...
another sure sign of fall is Caleb's allergies...
Rob taking a break from the harvest...or is he?
moon shadows...and RG's car's dome light....
Caleb, RG and moon shadows...

One day & night in Northern Michigan

Labor Day photos from a quick trip to TC and area for, of course, labor...when I get a day off I'll really enjoy this...memories of the quick visit will give me a warm-fuzzy feeling inside...
1st party at Sean O'Keefe's, which is never complete without the family business..high marks for the Pinot Grigio!

jon's visit

I don't think I've ever seen a game from so far away, and without having to file a 5th inning gallery...and drinking beer!!! no wonder people go to ball games!!! This of course, was the only game in the series the Tigers lost to the Yankees...But I didn't even have to pay attention!!! Go Tigers! & thanks Jon for letting me play tourist!