Happy Birthday! Nachshon's 3rd Birthday Party // Milwaukee Photographer

A couple weeks ago I was honored to photograph a very special birthday for my very dear friend!

In February, Nachshon, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. He underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor and has had intense chemotherapy treatments to fight the disease that spread to other areas of his brain and spinal cord.

Right before his third birthday, he had an MRI to see how effective the treatment was. With immense gratitude to The One Above, Nachshon's scans came back showing extremely positive reports!

It was a truly humbling experience to be privileged to photograph such a monumental birthday party, for my super special friend and her family!

Aside from reading ALL.THE.BOOKS (that kid loves to read - or have books read to him), his one birthday request was... Quiet. 😉. He wanted the whole throng of family to take their voices down to a roar. Which they did. For one whole minute!

I have to mention that the spread that Chai Lifeline Midwest put out was so impressive! I was truly touched to see the generosity, and fullness of heart and spirit they put in to making Nachshon's party an amazing event! The food, the music, the Tzitzis, I mean it was truly awesome!

And of course continued wishes for a full and speedy recovery for Nachshon. (Nachshon Meir ben Temima Chaya Sara Shlomit).

Storytellers Blog Circle // May 2018

it’s been a while, but we’re back. The Storytellers Blog Circle is where you can visit the blogs of multiple Offset artists to learn about their storytelling approach to photography

This past Sunday my boys’ school held a bowl-a-thon fundraiser. My boys look forward to it every year because they get to bowl and have fun with their friends. 

I look forward to it each year, because I love the way the friendship and camaraderie play out! All the kids “on the same team” and are truly happy for each other when their friend scores a strike or a spare, and share the disappointment when the ball just misses the last pin.   

For the last 5 minutes of the game they turned the lights off and bowled “glow in the dark”! It was lots of fun, and I took the challenge to try and photograph a bit with the pins highlighting the scene (and the disco lights 😉)

I know it's supposed to be a story in a single image, but I'm really tied between these two. I love the 3 expressions of excitement and joy - someone must have clearly gotten a spare (I definitely don’t think it was a strike...). And even though it’s not perfect because you don’t technically see the pins from their lane, (and there’s a ton of grain) I just love the emotion.

For those of you who want the tech specs, these images were taken at 1/250 of a second, at f/2.8 and ISO 3200 on a Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma Art 35 f/1.4 lens.

And here is the first image in that series. Can you take the anticipation?!

To continue through the circle, see Jen's beautiful work HERE. Jen is a local Wisconsinite and is a documentary photographer in Madison.

And if you made it all the way down here, here's some extra credit. Want to see the before of those photos? (They're not too glamourous. I intentionally underexposed so I can retain the highlights, but I did underexpose a tad too much, because I forgot to adjust my settings as I changed my point of view. But it doesn't bother me.)

World Down Syndrome Awareness Day // 3.21.2018 // Milwaukee Family Photographer

Last month I had the privilege of meeting a wonderful family who've got their hands full  and their hearts even fuller, with 3 beautiful children. Daphne, their oldest, who's eight years old has Down's Syndrome and they have 5 year old twins, Jacqueline and Harvey (who are the funniest ever)!

Sarah, (Mom) is a beautiful human being, who volunteers for a local organization called Gigi's Playhouse - a center for enrichment for children with Down Syndrome.

I will say, Daphne was a bit wary of me and wanted to stay in her room with the door shut. I respected her wishes and slowly eased my way in with her permission. I saw her favorite "hangout corner", her adorable personality and a smile that lights up her whole face!

I asked Mom to share some thoughts on raising Daphne:

"The biggest irony about raising a child with Down syndrome is that you suspect that people feel badly for you. Certainly, when she was born, I felt bad for me! I was expecting a “perfectly healthy” baby, and she didn’t fit that definition. It didn’t take long for me to confidently say that I wouldn’t change a thing about her … not even the 3rd copy of her 21st chromosome. Truth is, Daphne without Down syndrome is not Daphne, and I am so lucky that she is my daughter. She is as charming and warm as the day is long, and touches people in ways that are impossible to describe. She is my little mystery, because there’s still a lot about her that I don’t know because she can’t tell me. So, don’t ever feel sorry for someone who has a child with Down syndrome. They consider themselves as lucky as I do."

I also reached out to my friend, Terry, who's daughter Shira also has Down Syndrome. She just turned 21! Shira is our neighbor and she is such a sweet and lovely girl, who's always concerned about others.

Terry says, "I have a Master’s Degree in Special Education and I tell people that Shira is my PhD.  She’s my “unexpected gold”.  (A quote from a man with dementia where Shira works.)
When Shira was born I was determined to provide her with every possible opportunity to help her reach her fullest potential.  When I need help, I turn to Hashem, open my eyes to see what’s going on around me and the answer always comes." 

Thank you so much Terry and Sarah for sharing your thoughts! 

And here's a little glimpse at an afternoon with Daphne and her family.

Real and Beautiful Love Story Promotion for Milwaukee Families

Celebrating Real Life Love. Family Photography Promotion 

$200

February is my birthday month! This year I am celebrating a "BIG BIRTHDAY"! And in honor of my special day, I am going to make this amazing offer, so you can document your special day - which is every day.

Let's celebrate your every day. Real life. Real love.

What does real life love look like?

It's not just about heart shaped chocolates and red roses. Love isn't what we may be made to think and believe.

Love is sharing our lives with someone (or someones), and it's sometimes messy and chaotic.

It's taking turns getting up at night with a crying baby.

It means going to work after a sleepless night, or going to the doctor's office when you had 100 other errands planned for that day.

It's appreciating that you don't always see your spouse as much as you'd like, because they're taking care of the family in a different way, while you stay home trying to work on some of your creative ideas, while dealing with tantrums and food fights.

It's picking up some take out, so dinner doesn't have to be made.

Love is having the patience to repeat yourself calmly, even when your 4 year old persistently asks for the same thing, and you've already said "no".

It's having a date night at home, playing a simple game, because you don't want to leave the kids with a sitter for the second or third time in one week.

It's washing endless loads of laundry for your family, and never seeing the bottom of the hamper. 

It's potty training, and newborn poop explosions, and bath time. It's wiping tears, bandaging skinned knees and validating hurt feelings.

It's relinquishing the urge to protect your child from making silly choices, and letting them experience the natural consequences of their actions (obviously not if it will harm them in any way)

It's filling the car with gas, so you don't have to worry about it when taking your daughter to the dentist, then soccer practice then swim class.

It's letting your 10 year old follow a recipe from start to finish, and (probably) dealing with the flour, sugar and eggs all over the place.

And sometimes, it's saying nothing at all - just sitting together, sharing a knowing glance at the end of a long day.

Because after all, real life isn't about the gloriousness of golden fields and sun kissed hair.

Real life is sticky and gritty and messy, but oh so beautiful in all its ordinary simplicity.

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Milwaukee people (and those of you in surrounding neighborhoods and Chicago!)

This cold February, is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your real life love with a family storytelling session!

For $200, you'll receive a 2 hour Slice in the Life Session.

Includes a beautiful 8x12 fine art print, professionally matted and ready for framing (artist's choice). 

Afterwards, you’ll get the opportunity to purchase what you love from an a la carte menu of prints, products and collections - a stunning way to celebrate the love of your family every single day.

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Let's make meaningful art of your family's real, beautiful love.

(Send this link to your husband so he can get in touch with me. Or buy it for yourself. You deserve it)

Secure your session now.

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*Fine Print: This story session voucher can be used to book a family session, an in-home newborn session, or a fresh 48 story. As well, the value can be applied toward a longer Half Day in the Life and a Full Day in the Life session. The session can either be in your home, or at a favorite location of your choice or a combination of both. (No digitals are included in the session fee.)

All sessions are unposed and documentary in nature - they're intended to capture real life. Check out my family gallery and newborn gallery and check out my blog for some of my blogged sessions if you aren't currently familiar with my work  (goodness I have so many more to blog).

Sessions are for immediate family only and must be booked by February 28, 2018 and take place by July 31, 2018 to take advantage of this promotion. (Don't worry about choosing a specific date for your session yet. Reserve it now with your session fee, and we'll book the exact date as we get closer).

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Let's make meaningful art of your family's real, beautiful love.

(Send this link to your husband so he can get in touch with me. Or buy it for yourself. You deserve it)

Secure your session now.

My Birthday Giveaway for Milwaukee Families!

In honor of my birthday, I'm going to celebrate with giving you the opportunity to

win a 2 hour Slice in the Life Family Storytelling Session!

All you have to do to enter is enter your info below and sign up for my emails!

And if you don't win, don't worry! I'm really doing this celebrating thing!

I have an amazing Birthday Deal! See the details here!

You don't want to miss this opportunity! It doesn't come around often.

Plus, if you want an extra entry, be a good friend and tag your friend in my Facebook post so she can also get in on the action, and comment with why you want a documentary family photo session!

Winner will be drawn Sunday, February 11th after dinner (at my house 😆) 

 *Fine Print: This giveaway is for a 2 hour storytelling session for one family - immediate family only. Includes a mini album block with 10 mounted images plus a slideshow of my favorites to share with your friends and family. It can be used for a family session, an in-home newborn session, or a fresh 48 story. As well, the value can be applied toward a longer Half Day in the Life and a Full Day in the Life session. The session can either be in your home, or at a favorite location of your choice or a combination of both. Must take place in the Greater Milwaukee Area (Milwaukee and surrounding areas) - within 25 miles from 53216. (No digitals are included with this session. You will have the opportunity to purchase additional artwork and/or digitals (with no pressure or obligation at all) at your Viewing and Ordering Appointment)

Year in Review | 2017 // Milwaukee Family Photographer

2017 has been a big year for me.

In my personal photography journey, as well as my professional photography journey. I learned a lot about myself this year. I stretched myself beyond my comfort zones, made connections with many new friends, and clients who I am fortunate to now call friends too.

I travelled to Denver, took part in an amazing workshop, met virtual friends in real life, garnered new friendships, learned from my peers and discovered new things about myself.

I am humbled, honored, and grateful to all the families who opened their hearts and their homes, trusting me to photograph them, bringing their essence to life through storytelling imagery. 

I attended birthdays, an adoption, squished some newborns soon after birth, spent time with families as they found their new routine, and spent time with families just being, doing, loving, interacting in their normal everyday; playtime, dinnertime, bedtime.

I enjoyed spending time with all of you. It honestly fills my soul when I can make photos that truly illustrate everything you know and feel about your family, your spouse and your children. And my favorite part is that I'm reallly lucky to call all of you friends.

I am very much looking forward to seeing where my journey takes me in 2018. I would be honored to document your family. What are you waiting for? LET'S TELL YOUR STORY!

P.S. It's now official that I'm open to travel sessions! So if you or anyone you know has been thinking about a half day or full Day in the Life session with me, shoot me an email. Let's make this happen!

I Went to Denver!! // Professional Development // Family Documentary Photography

Last week I, along with 5 amazing ladies, had the immense privilege of attending a workshop in Denver with Kirsten Lewis, world-renowned family documentary photographer.

I do not have enough words to adequately explain the experience. I can say it was insanely intense, completely fueled by adrenaline, waking up at 5:30 to start our shooting assignments, ending at 11:30 after going through the contact sheets of what we had photographed during the day. Having Kirsten come along to our photo sessions, to help guide us in the field so we can take and make the photos we see, and translate them into the perfect image was invaluable!

I have to say, the family I photographed was the best! When I received my assignment I got so excited!! "We are a crunchy family, don't have TV, cloth diaper lovers, plant based diet, book lovers, bike lovers.... I tandem breastfeed my baby and my toddler on demand. We are also baby wearers and cosleepers". I mean this is a page right out of my book!!

Mom, Juliana, is a calm, supermom!! She is able to calmly discipline her children when she sees fit. Makes sure they act "Kind, Safe, Responsible and Respectful". She just goes with the flow of what her children want and need, all the while juggling 3 adorable, energetic children! I came home to my own children with a renewed commitment to be a better, more patient and calm Mom! (She's also somewhat of a superstar - with a YouTube channel for Brazilian Moms, filming the crafts, recipes and activities she does with children.)

There was an amazing positive energy in that house, and I loved getting to know, and playing with Edward, Amelie, and Leon. We parted on such friendly terms, I (almost) feel as if I need to go back there and photograph them yearly!

Without further ado, I present to you: The Reigal Family.

Photographing them for a total of 12 hours definitely was tiring, but oh so invigorating!

I loved spending more hours with them than the 2-3 hour sessions I've been doing until now! A half day session really gives everyone a chance to just be! And you don't have to be doing, doing, doing the whole time. In fact, you don't need to be doing anything specifically for me at all! I literally just come in and document your day as it is. 

If you'd like more information on a Half Day in the Life Session, or a Slice in the Life Session, please reach out to me!! I have very few session dates left in 2017! But do not fear, we can book you in 2018 too! CONTACT ME, I'd love to chat with you!!

Milwaukee In Home Newborn Session // Twins // Milwaukee Newborn Photographer

This was a special session for me. When I found out through a friend that the Community Liason Officer from our Police District was expecting I got all excited and wanted to give them a newborn session as a small gesture of our great thanks for all his involvement in helping keep our neighborhood safe. And then I found out that they were expecting twins! And I knew for sure that I wanted to photograph them in their new reality of parents of 3 under 3!

So I reached out to the officer and then heard back that they had just found out that their sons would be born with severe health problems. And so the session fell to the wayside and I figured if and when they felt up to it, they'd contact me.

And then one day I got a call saying she was labor and would I still be up to doing a session? Is that even a question? I'm always up for documenting newborns! So we touched base and they wanted the photo session sooner than later, because the boys would probably need surgery and/or braces to correct club foot. And by sooner I mean like within the first week of their birth! Seriously! Mom looked awesome just 7 days after birthing 2 humans!!

Mom and Dad are so in sync with each other. They've got this thing down pat! Bottles, breastfeeding, diaper changes and all while juggling the needs of their 3 year old.

And best news of all, is the boys are completely healthy! No clubfoot or any other health issues!! 

To get a feel for the whole session, and all the wonderful moments that we captured, watch the slideshow below.

Are you or anyone you know expecting? There's something special about documenting the newborn stage in the comfort of your own home. 

Contact me today to talk about different Newborn Session options.

Summer activities // Kenosha County Fair

I know I haven't blogged in forever! I think we're going to work our summer backwards, but whatever works. So here goes.

Summer on our end, was so amazing! 10 weeks just seemed to fly right by!

We've wanted to go to a fair, and I felt too intimidated to go to Wisconsin State Fair with my kids by myself. Not the place for an introvert. Too many people. Too much going on.

So we compromised and went to a county fair. Kenosha County Fair, was the perfect venue. Small, intimate, family friendly with so much to see and experience.

Of course, the favorite part was all the carnival rides.

Next year we'd like to check out other county fairs in the area. What other county fairs around the Milwaukee area should we check out? Please share your nuggets with me! 

And if you've ever (or never) thought about having your family photo session at the fair!

LET'S CONNECT! These sessions are so much fun!

Storytellers Blog Circle // Milwaukee Family Photographer

....And it's time for the July edition of The Storytellers Blog Circle. Just to recap, we give you the opportunity to see a collection of posts each with one image that tells a single story. So when you're done reading my post, make sure to click the link at the bottom to take you to the next post until you complete the circle.

How is it that summer is halfway over already? In some ways I feel like it just started, and at other times it feels like my kids have been on summer break for ages! 

Between our road trip this summer and Mommy Camp, our days have been super full!

How am I supposed to choose ONE IMAGE for this month to give you a glimpse into our summer? This is a tough one!

Settings (for those of you interested in the technical details): 1/320 at f/4.5, ISO 100 70mm on a 70mm-200mm lens.

But I think this image represents all our adventures this summer.

We've explored, adventured, hiked, walked, (whined), swam, enjoyed nature, seen wildlife and a had whole lot of fun and bonding time.

What have you done this summer? Have you checked off any bucket list items? Please share with me in the comments!

And if you have any questions about storytelling photography, please ask! I am more than happy to share with you!

And don't forget to go through the whole circle. Treat yourself to some eye candy and check out the rest of the posts from all my talented photographer friends. Check out RENATA'S STORY.

Bar and Bas Mitzvah Party // Milwaukee Photographer

I love photographing birthday parties. When you think of documenting a birthday party, you might think it's only for little kids - like first or second birthdays or for 5/6 year olds.

But in truth, every age and stage is a huge milestone. Especially for a girl turning 12 and a boy turning 13. And when you have both in one year, you get to make a combined Bar / Bas Mitzvah party for all your extended family!! 

This special family, who I'm lucky to call friends as well, celebrated with a beautifully intimate event for all their family and closest friends. And I was lucky enough to document it. I got one instruction and Amelia left the rest up to my creative vision. Her one instruction was to get photos of her Mom. She is the last living grandparent on both sides and they want to make sure they have their memories preserved with her. 

I have to say it was a pleasure meeting Bubbie (Mrs. Weitzman), who is so full of joie de vivre, happiness and great attitude!

I hope you enjoyed the slideshow. I love getting to meet extended families, watching dynamics, and seeing how everyone's personalities come out when they're all together! 

Are you planning a birthday, are your parents or in laws coming to visit, or do you get together with your friends and/or family for bbq dinners during the summer months? These are all special everyday moments that deserve to be documented and preserved!

Contact me to discuss your next session!

5 on 5 - May 2017 // Milwaukee Child Photographer

With May has come the beginning of spring and the hope of summer's arrival.

We were fortunate to have some warm days and we took full advantage of them!! We played in the sprinkler at every opportunity. (I don't think my kids did their homework this past month.)

Sprinklers, watermelon juice, and the smell of sunscreen - these are some of my favorite things...

This kid loves the sprinkler, maybe because his favorite thing to do is drink the water😂.

This is by far one of my new all time favorite images!

Storytellers Blog Circle // Milwaukee Family Photographer

It's the end of the month already, (May?? How did that happen so quickly?), and it's time for our Storytellers Blog Circle. 

This month has been a great introduction to summer! Spring has finally arrived and we are all so ready to be playing outdoors (all day and all night).

It has definitely been raining quite a bit here, but there have also been lots of sunny days. In fact, I was talking to my sister in law, on yet another rainy day, and we were trying to figure out how we should entertain our kids. She was complaining that it's been so gray, and cloudy, and I said, "You'll see at the end of the day, right before the sun sets, the sun will come out". And it did!

This photo was taken on a  rainy day. It was so gray, foggy and rainy the whole morning and then the clouds disappeared, and we had a beautifully blue sky with perfect white clouds. The sun was playing a game of hide and seek and I captured this moment as it was shining so strongly, and 30 seconds later it was back to gray and overcast.

I love this image for many reasons. Firstly, for the sentimental feeling it gives me now (and for sure will give me in the future), as this is on the porch of my kids' great grandparents. We had just finished planting tomatoes for them, and the kids wanted a treat (of course :). And we all know, grandmothers - especially great-grandmothers - have the best treats! So we treated them to some frozen ice pops. And second, I loved the way the wooden beam created all these amazing shadows, and my son is sitting right in the perfect spot of sunlight.

And long after the sticky sweetness of the sugar filled treat they had disappears, the sweetness of this memory will always be with them.

And don't forget, this is a blog circle. Treat yourself to some eye candy and check out the rest of the posts from all my talented photographer friends. Check out Anna Liisa's story. She is a family photographer in Hollywood, FL.

Beauty Revived - 50 Beautiful Moms // Milwaukee Family Photographer

MOTHERHOOD. What does it mean?

I asked this question to Molly and got an eye opening answer. But before I met her, I hadn't known anything about her. I had many people nominate her, and decided to see for myself "What is the beauty everyone sees in Molly?" I reached out to Elissa, one of our mutual friends and asked her what she can tell me about Molly.

This was her response: "Molly was my son's Morah (teacher in Hebrew) at JB in his two-year-old year. I didn't know her until then but heard great things about her from other parents. From a parent perspective I loved her cuz she was so patient and loving to the kids who she practically considered her own in a "super cool, chilled out mom" kind of way! But I was able to recognize her beauty as a person as I got to know more about her. She connected me with a shelter that she works with and I was able to donate lots of clothes and baby formula - so through her I felt like a better person. She also went on maternity leave during the year she was my son's teacher as she fostered a baby girl. I mean, which foster-to-adoption parent ISN'T beautiful!! Seeing a lot of her personal life via her Facebook and Instagram pictures you can see how incredible of a heart she has. You can just tell she works hard at her successful relationship with her husband, is an incredible mom to her biological son (that she thought she would never have!) and adopted daughter, just as she is with her "school kids". She focuses on each relationship she has in her family, making them feel special on their own, instead of just regular family time (which she does too!) She is incredible giving to the world around her, helping people less fortunate  out of pure genuine goodness and making it a huge priority to instill those values in her kids and students.) I know this sounds a little sappy and honestly, I don't even know her in her day to day life that well but she just oozes the beauty you're looking for, you'll know when you meet her!

I have to say, that when I met Molly, everything I had heard really rang true! She is truly an amazing woman in such a quiet, gentle and unassuming way.

I asked Molly what she thinks motherhood means. What does being a mother mean to her? She responded, "I think being a mother is not defined in a biological sense, but moreso being a "Mother Figure". Whether it's to my biological son, my (foster) daughter or my students, I have the responsibility of a mother towards them."

Her response echoed what my friend had told me - of how she instills values in everyone - her children, her students and those around her. If she sees the need, she fills it. And you can truly see and feel her motherhood in every relationship, action and reaction she has.  She truly has an amazing level of love toward everyone she comes in contact with. I could feel her energy; positive and strong, but in a refined and measured way.

Molly has expended endless amounts of energy in the fields of foster care and adoption, and feels so passionately about this subject. "Every child should have the opportunity to grow up in a loving environment", she says. So much so, that her husband jokes that he's nervous to come home from work some days, because there might just be some new children in the house. 

I spent an immensely enjoyable evening with Molly and her family, observing their interactions as they went through a typical evening.  I hope these images give you the feeling of what being a mother entails. See the love, the laughter, the calm, quite moments and even the chaos, and appreciate the beauty of what may seem mundane. Because THIS IS MOTHERHOOD.

Sweet Baby Girl (aka Chicken Nugget) // Milwaukee Fresh 48 Session

Oh my darling!! I was privileged to come and document the first precious hours of this little girl's life. Literally, I was there when she was only four hours old! She has the cutest head full of hair, and clearly has her parents wrapped around her little, flaky finger!

It's such a treat to see new parents fall so gracefully into their new role. Learning baby cues, emotions and new relationships all come with the territory. And I'm sure this beautiful girl will grow up surrounded by all that love!

Now offering Weekday Mini Stories // Milwaukee Family Photographer

I have an announcement to make. I know custom family photography is an investment. I honestly feel like it's the single most important investment your children will thank you for! And all too often, we only realize just how precious these memories are when they are no more. (So on a side note, don't wait for something drastic to push you into booking a session! Do it now. You'll be so grateful you did!)

Okay, back to the topic at hand. I am a mom too. I have expenses. Household. Clothing. Groceries. (Target...) and what not. So I understand if you can't make a full session a priority right now.

That's why.... (drum roll please...)

I am now offering Weekday Mini Stories.

FOR THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE ONLY!!

These sessions:

• are a 30-45 minutes long. Perfect for one family activity like a walk to your favorite ice cream store, planting in your garden, bedtime routine, Mommy/daughter manicures followed by a special treat, picnic at the beach or just morning hangs.

• take place during the week only - Monday to Thursday. (mornings generally, but we can be flexible on that point)

• include 10 high resolution digital images

• include 1 framed 8x10 print.

$450. (Amazing deal, I know!)

Non refundable retainer of $150 due to book your session. Remainder due 1 week before session.

If you think 45 minutes is not enough for your awesome family, don't worry! I still have my regular sessions available at any time (weekends included). You can see the details for that HERE.

5 on 5 - March // Lensbaby Experiment // Milwaukee Family Photographer

Can't believe we're already up to the 5th of April! March here has been quite crazy! I felt like February was forever and March has just suddenly come and gone! From snow to sixty degree weather and lots of other things happening, it was all a blur! In a good way!

And talking about blur, this past month I borrowed a Lensbaby to add some variety in my day to day images. (For those of you who have no idea what a Lensbaby is - it's a lens that creates interesting blur effects on your images.) My kids funnily enough called it a Baby Lens! So apparently there are a couple different ones and they each have different effects. The one I borrowed, the Sweet 35 optic, had a very strong linear blur - almost like leading you into the scene - which kind of made me dizzy in some of the images. 

It worked well for these images taken on the swings - because you could almost feel the motion and movement.

And then I tried playing around with it indoors. It was so tricky and the backgrounds felt so disturbing, so I converted those images to black and white. 

And just in case you're wondering, no we don't usually brush our teeth in the bedroom! 

After all is said and done, I was not super excited with this lens. So now I have to decide if I want to try a different one, or just continue freelensing!

Make sure to check out Becky's 5 image story here. Becky is Milwaukee, Wisconsin Storytelling Photographer and a really great friend of mine!

Storytellers Blog Circle // Milwaukee Photographer

I am so fortunate to be part of a wonderful group of artist who contribute to stock photography websites. Within that community, we have come to admire and respect each other and appreciate the stories our photos tell.

Fo the Storyteller's Blog Circle, we choose one photo and give the background story into what makes this photo the strong Storytelling Image.

Lately, my girl's favorite snack is an orange. (To the point that we ran out of oranges, and she wouldn't eat a clementine!!) She loves when I cut it in wedges and she can suck all the juice from each piece.

This was a Friday morning snack before nap time. I basically just let her eat her orange and I worked the scene, shooting from different angles. I wanted to capture the one photo that sums up her personality - the enjoyment she has while eating the orange. I want the viewer to be able to feel her happiness and wholesomeness of how much she enjoys eating the orange.

So while I love the three images above, I feel like the one image below really gives you the full feeling of her intensity, and how seriously she takes her orange!

See the concentration in her eyes!! And the way she's holding her orange - as if not to miss one tiny drop of orange juice!

Settings: 1/250, f/2.0 ISO 800 Canon 6D, Sigma Art 35 mm

And since this is a blog circle, make sure to check out Jen - from Jen Lucas Photography's post to see how she tells a story with one image.

Local Outings Blog Circle // Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago // Milwaukee Family Photographer

Last month we went on a family outing to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

It was a fascinating trip for everyone involved - adults, big(ger) kids and littles.

They got to do lots of exciting hands on activities, like drive a tractor, go on a real pretend airplane, finish electric circuits by pedaling on a bike and lots of water play.

One of the most confusing and fun parts is the Mirror Maze. Walking through it, you don't know if the person you're looking at is real or a reflection or many reflections. Can she hear you if you talk to her? If you stretch your arm out will you touch her? It was definitely a highly brain stimulating activity that left us all a bit dizzy!

I can positively say, (even without double checking with the kids) that the highlight of the trip was watching an egg hatch! We got to see how the chick works its way through the egg until it comes out completely! That was such a wondrous thing to see!

Don't forget to check out Meghann's local outing for this month. She's the photographer behind Meghann Maguire Photography in Melbourne, Australia.

ClickinWalk 2017 | Milwaukee // Milwaukee Photographer

I am so excited to lead the Milwaukee ClickinWalk with Becky Auerbach on Sunday, May 7, 2017.

We would love for you to join us as we explore and photograph our city and get to know and learn from each other! All ages, skill levels, and camera types are welcome!  

Follow the link for more details! http://www.clickinmoms.com/clickinwa…/clickinwalk-milwaukee/

We hope to see you there!!