Early in my career, I was able to accumulate numerous awards both locally and nationally. Through the Professional Photographers of America I earned a Masters of Photography and Craftsman Degree in a very short amount of time. Having taught other professional photographers in several states around the country helped others achieve their portrait making goals. All this time I was running a business and competing in various competitions. Thirty years ago I made a decision to not compete any longer so I could concentrate all my efforts into serving the needs of my clients better. The satisfaction from a happy client far outweighs the accolades my peers. … [Read more...]
Your First Impression Is Golden
It doesn't seem fair that people first judge you by how you look. But they do. If someone tells you that they are not judgemental toward people they see or meet, then either they're lying or just naive. Very often in an online environment such as LinkedIn, Facebook or even a dating site, your photo, head shot, profile picture or whatever you decide to call it "is" people's first impression of you. Call me crazy, but they will extract certain opinions or judgements about you in less than a second. Much of it is subconscious. But they will judge if you are friendly, approachable or assertive, or bottom line; if they want to do business with you. According to new research at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey and Cornell University, our first impressions of people in photographs influence our perceptions of those people even after we've interacted with them personally. This should be a wake up call to action and fix the situation. Your photograph is going to be different if you're a … [Read more...]
Memorial Day
It's a day to remember our military men and women who died for the benefit of our freedom during the many wars in our nation's short history. The meaning of Memorial Day has changed for me throughout the years. As a kid and even into my teens, Memorial Day was just another day off of school and a chance to kick off summer at a picnic or a get together with family and friends. Today I am aware of what this day is all about: a day set aside each year to reflect on the incredible price paid for the freedoms we enjoy. Memorial Day should be a day of reflection but also be a joyous day. The people who died, did so for a cause. That cause was so that the rest of us could live and enjoy our lives and our freedom to the fullest extent. To do otherwise would make their sacrifices less important. I created this art piece as a reminder that our freedom was not free, and will always feel gratitude for those who died and will still die so that I can live as I choose. "Thank You. We won't … [Read more...]
Exploring New Possibilities
The Kid In The Candy Store Doing something new is usually fun. Doing something new that you're passionate about is ever more fun. Doing only one thing in your life can be like going to work at a job. And honestly, I haven't had a job since graduating from college. Those who know me, understand that I'll often go out by myself just to photograph. Sometimes it's heading to the city at sunrise on a Sunday morning. Others times it's shooting pictures of nature, animals and now even still lifes or antique cars. On a whim in January of this year, I juried for the botanic Garden Art Fair coming up this weekend. It's hard to get into, so I was surprised when accepted. Yes, now the pressure was on to get a body of work together that I could sell. The theme of this show is of course: Botanicals. The last few months of putting this together has been amazingly fun and grueling at the same time. The world has so many subjects awaiting to be photographed and it really is like "being in a … [Read more...]
Witnessing the Miracle of Birth
Events do not have to be rare or of Biblical proportions to be miracles. Babies are born round the clock. Yet having recently witnessed my first human birth in person, assured me that birth is and will remain, among the greatest of all miracles. It left me humbled beyond words, in awe and full of admiration for moms. A New Baby Is Born Every 3 Seconds That a new baby is born every three seconds somewhere in the world doesn't exactly make for a spectacular headline. But experiencing it in real time is life changing for all involved. You see, I'm not a dad and had never before been present during the birth of a baby. When my client Lisa approached me a few months ago, before her 2nd baby was due, and asked me to photograph the upcoming home birth, I was enthusiastic for the opportunity. Here is an accounting of what transpired. September 1st - 5:30 p.m. Knowing Lisa was due around Labor Day (no pun intended) and keeping in more frequent touch as the time drew nearer, I received a … [Read more...]
Artist Meets Artists
Fun Creating Artist Portraits At August's Glenview Art Fair, I had the privilege of photographing several featured artists in this year's show. While also participating as an artist with a booth, I did take a few little breaks, (thank you Savannah for manning the booth for me in my absence), to meet some of the artists whose work especially intrigued me. The first artist featured here is Kerri Ann Branson. Having only picked up a paint brush merely four years ago, Kerri's work demands the respect of artists many years her senior. Kerri's vivacious, hard working and makes good use of her talents. From what I could observe, she sold several of her pieces. Featured below, is James McArthur Cole a fine art and landscape photographer. I was taken by this large piece shot in Venice in 2014. I wanted to create this portrait to give the impression that I had photographed him at this location. James is a great guy. I hope to see him in the not too distant future as a portrait client. Next in … [Read more...]
Someone You Should Know
A Love Story Meet Heidi and Bryer. When they arived for their photo shoot in early summer, the deep bond between them was immediately discernible. All of us who have ever loved a dog like family, understands this connection. Heidi adopted Bryer, a Collie Shepherd mix shelter dog, when he was two. I've not seen many dogs like him... quite regal and handsome... with a gentle demeanor that was calming and attentive. Heidi spoke of times when Bryer was younger and served as a "comfort dog" visiting patients in hospitals and rehab facilities. He had a way of intuitively sensing who needed him most, bringing joy to thousands of people of every age, by how he responded to them. Heidi has witnessed Breyer singling out special needs children in a crowd on his own and letting them know they mattered. Heidi reflected on what her loyal companion has meant to her through the years. "For me, he has been a constant companion, sticking by me through many twists and turns in life. I have had a number … [Read more...]
Haiti Trip
Where Do We Begin? So where do I begin to tell you about this recent trip or the state of the country as a four day observer. It's been nine years since my last mission trip to Africa so I think I went into this knowing that consciously or not, I'd be contrasting and comparing Haiti to Africa. In Africa for the first time, I mostly compared it to living in the US, and that was the biggest cultural shock ever. There were certainly a lot of commonalities between Haiti and Africa to be found; extreme poverty, lack of housing, food, nutritious food, education, and water to name a few. The group I went with is called Service With Love. A total of just six people went on this trip. Several suitcases filled to the brim were brought to Haiti filled with food and wearables and even some toys for the children. Many efforts are being attended to at the same time, but lack of everything imaginable especially funding makes it difficult to move forward. We spent … [Read more...]
How Much Are Professional Portraits Worth?
Value vs Price The value of something like a professional portrait is intrinsic, meaning it has a value that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. I like to think of professional portraits as "priceless." In this age of digital selfies and social sharing, fine portraiture to some has taken a back seat. The thrill of posting a photo on Instagram or Facebook gives instant gratification, plus it's free. Sure it's free but how valuable is it? How much thought has gone into making it a statement about that person? Would you be proud to pass it down to your grandkids as an family heirloom? "From selfies to the mall... to the professional studio." I was telling my partner Savannah that this is going to be the "lost generation." The pictures on your cell phone will stay on your cell phone till you drop it in the swimming pool or someone steals it. The pictures on your computer are most likely a big hodge-podge of photos you can't find, are unsorted and will also … [Read more...]
“Who Wants A Portrait of Me?”
The Answer May Surprise You? I wish I had a dollar for each time I heard "Who wants a portrait of me?" when suggesting a portrait of a parent with their kids, alone or with their spouse. Several years ago after just a bit of coaxing, I photographed my parents, George and Audrey Buschauer in my studio. It was a delightful experience being able to finally tell them what to do:) Actually we all enjoyed it very much. Except dad din't like the part when the makeup artist asked him to sit down in the chair. You see dad's always been the rugged type. The thought of a makeup artist applying makeup to his face didn't sit well, but didn't complain. Well that was fun to watch. Under normal circumstances I don't have makeup artists put makeup on the men, but in this case the opportunity for a good chuckle was too much to resist. In our family there are five children. I'm the second oldest. I always told my parents they should have stopped at two. But growing up Catholic... well no need … [Read more...]