Snow Babies. | Milwaukee Family Photographer.

Today I met an old high school classmate of mine and her lovely family @ the Audubon Nature Center for some laid back winter portraits.

Betsy and her husband Charlie have THEE most adorable blue eyed kids EVER. Their eyes are insanely beautiful and against the stark white, quiet backdrop of the Nature Center they just popped.

Here's your sneak peek guys! It was great to see you again Betsy, enjoy the images!

Are you kidding me with those eyes?!? My GOODNESS.......



There is no stopping the cuteness....

Fractured. On a Friday.

What would you think of me now?
So lucky, so strong, so proud
I never said thank you for that
Now I'll never have a chance
- Jimmy Eat World

Today is a fractured kind of day. All over the place, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to do first. We sold. our. house. I can hardly believe it. All I heard was how terrible the market was...yadda yadda yadda. It sold in THREE DAYS. Un. Freakin'. Believable.

So, here's the catch. We have to pack. Fast. And get the heck out. I got up this morning to an empty house and stared down the greatest obstacle to a fast packing day: Grandma's box. The small box holding everything I have left. The letters. The trinkets. All of it.

Now, I could have just thrown the box in a packing bin and forgotten about it, except it was so stuffed that it needed to be resorted. So, I put on some ITunes, got my camera out, and decided if I was going to have to go through the box, I might as well go through it right...have a good cry...and make it a blog post.
Yesterday, on my way to Madison, I stopped by to see Grams.



Grams still had an old school library card from the BPL.

The last pajamas.

The Nerd Hat. Grams wore these to keep the "do" fresh and poofy.

Nerd Hat #2




Grandma is the one who taught me the wonder of the eyebrow pencil. Seems an odd thing to keep, but it was a part of who she was. She never went out without her eyebrows.

Years of letters.



She was nothing if not persistent.


This breaks my heart. If we only knew.

The letter she wrote me when I was confirmed. She was my sponsor.

I got everything put away. The pajamas still smelled like her. I could still hear her voice in the letters....but with each passing month since her death its harder and harder to remember what she sounded like when she said my name...or her laugh. I wish I was able to bottle that and put it in the box as well. I miss her voice. I miss everything about her. I sat in my office and read every.single.letter in the pile. Years of letters. I normally got one every week...in a card...chock full of coupons for diapers and dish soap.

She said a lot that she missed me and wished I stopped by more often. It makes my heart ache. What was I so busy doing?
Why didn't I call her every time a letter came?
The regrets cropped up with each word.

It's amazing how quickly your whole life changes. Last week we were talking about moving...this week our home is sold and my office is empty.
Two years ago I was getting a letter a week from my favorite person.
Now I'm having a hard time remembering what she sounded like.
I want to roll with the changes. I want to be excited about whats in store for the future.

I just wish I could pick up the phone and tell her all about it first.

This Camera Takes Great Pictures! | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

So, I'm settling in this morning with Fox 6 News to get the latest on the massive snowfall we're supposed to get and the latest goings-on in our area when something caught my interest: A quick interview with the technology-guru from a camera show in Anaheim talking about the latest Samsung DSLR.

Mr. Guru kicked off his segment with this:

"Now, when I really want to get my "photo on" I normally hire a professional photographer....but now you don't have to!!!"

Um....que?

"This is the new Samsung GX-10 and this camera doesn't take a bad picture!"

Yeah, I beg to differ. I betcha it can!

I don't know why this 10 second blip that most people probably ignored bothered me so much. Maybe it was the continuation of the myth that its the CAMERA that takes the picture, not the photographer. Maybe it's a news organization spreading the idea that professionals are not necessary if you have a "nice camera".

You can spend all the money you have on the latest gadget and its not going to guarantee sharp, properly exposed, or creative images. If you just want to snap relatively clear shots of your kid than I am totally behind the purchase of an DSLR for anyone....but it's the assumption by this guy and others that the purchase of such a camera renders professionals unnecessary.

We've all seen the bad that can come from failing to hire a professional when one is probably warranted.

To put it in perspective, let's imagine this scenario: Gus, the home-improvement guy from Fox 6, jumps on TV with the latest nail gun in hand. Wow! This nail gun sure is fancy...and fool-proof! Any dolt can figure it out. In fact...this NAIL GUN builds AWESOME houses. It cannot build a bad house! Who needs a contractor when you have this nail gun?

This is not to say that owners of the nail gun can't build a birdhouse every once in awhile and probably do an okay job....but when it comes to building houses, leave it to the professionals. Even if you think your nail gun does all the work.

I felt better though as I continued to watch the segment and it proceeded to get Rick Rolled (my husband claims it was intentional...but I'm not so sure).

Serves you right, Fox 6!

If you want to see this ridiculous segment, see it here:

Friday Fractured Thought | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

Another week gone by and I am DYING to shoot something...anything. My poor kid is getting so sick of having a camera shoved in her face that she's probably making that weird face on purpose.

But, it's the middle of winter and alas....slow season for photographers. So, what does a photographer in the midst of slow season do? Housekeeping! Paperwork! Re-branding! and....pictures of their kid!

So, here's another installment of Friday Fractured Thoughts. Enjoy!

* We put our little starter home on the market. I'm both super-excited and scared to pieces over this new development. We don't really know WHERE we'll be moving, which is part of the scary element...but the excited part of me cannot WAIT to start looking for a new house. Know anyone interested in a 3 bedroom mid-1950's ranch with completely renovated theatre/basement?

* The kiddo has developed an overwhelming love for Alvin and the Chipmunks lately...namely the 1980's classic "The Chipmunk Adventure", which thrills me to no end. This was one of MY favorite films when I was a young gal, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest to watch it three times a day....every day. Really...I swear! I could hear "Diamond Dolls" over and over and NEVER tire of it!

* Just a business-related FYI, 2010 is filling up pretty fast...so if you're getting married this year and still haven't locked in your photo-gal, I would jump on it sooner rather than later. : )

And for good measure, here's Peanut and her Brittany doll....the Throwback Kid.

Friday Fractured Thought | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

It's been a long week. Snow completely ruined my plans for the last few days and I am not happy with Jack Frost and his inability to show up at a decent time. Yes, I live in Wisconsin. Yes, I should be used to it. But why is it the day I have good, fun plans....it hits us like a ton of snow-bricks?

* I was SUPPOSED to attend a workshop in Chicago on Wednesday. But, snow screwed that up. So, bummer. But, some other time hopefully.

* Because I was stuck inside most of the week, I cooked quite a bit. I made cookies from whatever leftover chocolate or sugar/spice mix I could find in the cupboard. They turned out a bit crumbly. And I'm not sure Betty was too thrilled with my "mixed leftover Christmas candy" cookies. Oh well.

I did, however, find an AWESOME website (in one of my many late night internet trolls) to keep all the recipes I find. It's called One Tsp and it's simply like a very easy to navigate online recipe box. So, I've had a good time playing with that all week. I made herb crusted pork chops last night that were just yummy if I do say so myself.

* We took Betty to Princesses on Ice last Saturday. Now she is Princess Pre-Occupied. Everything is "Princesses!!" (or...as Betty says.."Princeth-ith"...she's got a bit of a lisp that one).

* Very sad to hear about the passing of Alexander McQueen. A very skilled artist in the fashion world : (

* Wisconsin Bride is hosting their annual "Best of Weddings" voting right now. If you feel generous, I'd much appreciate it : ). You can vote HERE

* Am I alone in thinking some of the Kay Jewelers commercials out right now for Valentine's Day are a bit...stalkerish and creepy. Instead of romantic and sweet. I half expect the guy to pull out a knife instead of some necklace. Not very good marketing Kay.

* I actually have a WEEKEND OFF (shh, don't tell anyone) this weekend. I intend to spend a lot of it editing...but catching up on sleep is high on the priority list as well.

And, because including Betty pics is becoming a running theme, here you go. Betty and Daddy taking on the city:

Kindred Spirits III | Beloit Hospice Photography

Today I had a sitting with this patient and their extended family...VERY extended. As in 13 grandkids! It was a full house: full of voices, full of smiling, and full of love and support. I had a great time capturing a small snippet of memories for this family.

If you or someone you know may be interested in a free of charge Hospice photography session, please contact me. Thanks!

Friday Fractured Thought | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

Ahh, another installment of randomness. This week wasn't overly eventful, so this will probably be a SHORT installment of randomness.

* The hubster and I (oh, and the Ginger Kid too) are seriously contemplating moving. We're taking the steps to put the starter home up for sale and have been scouring Shorewest.com for eligible homes outside of Milwaukee. Frankly, I think I'm ready to become a Suburbanite. City-livin' had its perks when we were pre-kid but now....I'd like some semblance of a yard. And neighbors who refrained from hitting our house with their cars would be nice as well!

* When I'm up late editing, I often get sucked into reading other blogs/sites/whatever. There have been times when I've decided to take a 5 min. work break and ended up sitting and reading someone's blog for HOURS.....it's sad really. I mean, I don't know these people. But some people just have blogging down to a science. The way they read and pepper the pages with great pictures. The world wide web is so great for a blog stalker like myself.

My latest obsession is The Chloe Conspiracy. I WISH I had this type of dedication to style. She's just one of those types that everything looks adorable on her. I am completely style-inept in most cases. I think this is why working in the wedding photography field works so well for me. I normally wear all black like a stealthy photo ninja. Not too hard to match black to black! Start throwing color in there (or heaven-for-bid accessories) and I get instantly confused! Chloe is inspiration. Or, at least a funny writer good for 5 minute work breaks!

*Type A Images was recently accepted as a vendor for the side Soyoureengayged.com which is a wedding planning resource for same-sex couples. I am really honored to be a part of this list (I'm the only WI photography vendor!) and to extend Type A's photographic services to the same-sex couples in our area looking to have commitment ceremonies or weddings. It's a really cool site and I urge you to check it out! (And I have to say thanks to my pal Mysi from Soda Fountain Photography for introducing me to the site!)

* I got myself some NEW DVD boxes and labels, featuring some of the new branding touches (but the old logo, which I am in love with, so that stays). I decided to go with silver tin boxes for client DVDs. They are super-cute.

* This afternoon I was watching a History Channel special on the Kennedy Assasination that focused (no pun intended) on film and camera use during the moments he was killed. It was really fascinating. They showed what kinds of cameras and film were used from each person who all captured unique perspectives on the incident. It really sucked me in and made me marvel at how important the little tool of the camera was to that enormously history making event.

Even Betty is getting in on the film-making act with her Disney Princess pretty pretty pink camera. She likes to aim it at me and yell "Mama! Smile!......click....Good!!!" She's learning....that one!

A Girl Named Ava.

Isolation pulled you past a tunnel
To a bright world where you can make a place to stay
But everybody's scared of this place, they're staying away
Your little house on Memory Lane
The mayor's name is fear
His force patrols the pier
From a mountain of cliche
That advances every day
The doctor spoke a cloud
He rained out loud
You'll keep your doors and windows shut
And swear you'll never show a soul again
But isolation pushes you 'til every muscle aches
Down the only road it ever takes
But everybody's scared of this place, they're staying away
Your little house on Memory Lane
-Elliott Smith

One of the photographers I most admire is a woman named Sheye Rosemeyer . She was one of the people who inspired me to venture into this crazy world of photography. Even though we've never met.

Three years ago, Ms. Rosemeyer lost her beautiful daughter Ava to a tragic accident. Since this dark time, Sheye has opened up her blog and her life to the memory and celebration of Ava's life. The way she writes about her children and her true, raw thoughts makes you remember that capturing memories for yourself, and for others, is such a fabulous way to make a living....but making memories is infinately more important.

I hope Sheye doesn't mind me writing about Ava here. She is in my thoughts this week as it comes upon 3 years. If you would like to light a candle for Ava, that can be done here.

And please check out Ava's Rule, regarding Always locking your car, Verifying that your children know never to go into the car unsupervised and Actively seeking out sheltered locations for your vehicle. Read it and pass it along.

Sheye, you are in my thoughts this week and I send you lots of love and peace to you and your family as you come upon another year without Ava. Just know you have a community of people worldwide that you have touched with your words and your strength, and your story.

Offbeat? Definitely! Mysi & Craig's Wedding Featured! | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

Type A Images and the wonderfully vintage wedding of Mysi and Craig have been featured on Offbeat Bride!! Check it out here!





Offbeatbride.com is a fabulous resource for brides wanting just a little something different. Mysi and Craig's wedding combined a number of things "offbeat": Star Trek, teacups, antique books and vegan cupcakes. It was a great time and I loved revisiting it here!

Drumroll PLEASE...... | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer.

Try your best to win them all
and one day time will tell
when you're the one that's standing there
you;'ll reach the final bell!
You're the best.....around.
No one's ever gonna keep you down!
- Joe Esposito (The Karate Kid)

Sweep the leg!

Victory has been declared and it is Stacey and Tony who are the winners! The shot from their summer Lake Geneva wedding of the young wedding guest checkin' out Stacey was the winner of the Best 2009 Wedding Shot by a LANDSLIDE. Stacey and Tony will get an 8x10 gallery wrap of their choice (though...I think picking the winner would be cool!)

Second and Third were neck and neck the entire time, with Kim and Robert's beautiful black and white shot of Kim getting ready edging out Lauren and Tony's lakeside shot by just ONE vote.

Kim and Robert and Lauren and Tony will be getting an 8x10 print of their choice for their 2nd and 3rd place finishes.

I'd like to thank everyone who voted and all of my fabulous brides and grooms. Narrowing down this list was SO hard! Still...I can't wait to do it all again next year!