Welcome! I am a photographer in north-central Wisconsin, based in Marathon and Wausau. I specialize in high school Seniors, children, portraits, and families. For more information about my services, please visit my Home Page on the link at top or send a note in the "Contact" section.

What Your Phone Camera Can Do (Part 1)

March 05, 2021 • 1 Comment

I thought I'd share a few sunset photos I've taken with my Galaxy S9. I've had this phone for a little over a year and there have been upgrades since it came out, but one of my favorite features on this phone is its camera! I noticed how great the quality was with my S8 (and I expect that the iphone is similar,) so this has quickly become my "point-and-shoot." I can't always have my "big" cameras with me, so I am very happy with this option, especially as I am on the go so often and photo opportunities just tend to pop up. One of those unexpected moments is the ever-changing sky!

I am not a landscape photographer as I've said many times before, but I do notice and love a beautiful landscape. Frankly, they are hard to avoid when you've lived in beautiful states, but beauty can be found pretty much anywhere. So, when I see this beauty I can't help myself and try to capture it. Of course, easier said than done. In my opinion, landscapes are among the hardest "subjects" to capture well. What I see with my eye is rarely replicated on my lens. There can be many reasons for this: 1.) Poor quality equipment that cannot handle the dynamics well, 2.) the "wrong" lens, 3.) poor lighting conditions, 4.) bad exposure, 5.) inadequate auto features, and more.

We are quite limited with our phone when it comes to overcoming the obstacles I just laid out and, worse, we often are greatly limited by a short time frame. Luckily, our cameras already come with a wide-angled lens and the auto features and resolution are better than ever! This is exactly why I have stopped carrying a point-and-shoot camera around and use the phone. I expect these features will only improve with time.

So, yes, if landscapes are your bag, get your big camera out and keep working it, but if you are like me (a landscape "hobbyist,") then test and see what your phone can do!

NOTE 1: Though our phones now come with excellent editing programs, I caution you to go easy on them. It is tempting to enhance your photos and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you are trying to match what your eye has seen and what the camera couldn't quite capture. But over-editing is the bane of landscape photography and it's surprisingly easy to detect (especially to a trained eye) immediately. Editing for artistic purposes is one thing, but I like to keep my nature as natural as it was created.

NOTE 2: If you have a pre-2015 phone, it might be a LOT harder if not impossible to get results like I posted. Still worth a try when the moment comes and still can capture a memory.

Here are some favorites from late 2019 that I've collected. All were taken in Marathon, Wisconsin where glorious and awe-inspiring skies are frequent! Who says you need a fancy camera to take stunning shots? :)

Happy New Year 2021!

January 01, 2021 • Leave a Comment

Like many of you, 2020 was a rough year. Though my family has been spared many of the problems that others have faced, I am hoping for much better things in the new year. I am hoping to be able to expand into the Wausau market as we (hopefully) get past the worst of the pandemic. Though I wasn't able to garner the volume of years past, I was still able to pull out my camera for several special events and portrait sessions. I have made a little collage featuring some favorites and hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed looking back. Happy new year and many blessings to everyone in 2021!

Marathon Red Raiders Football | Marathon & Wausau, WI | Sports Portraits

July 22, 2020 • Leave a Comment

I have been sort of forced into sports photography, thanks to my kids! I don't offer event photography as a service, but I do offer sport portraits either studio-style or on the field. I enjoy both and love to show off this new specialty. Here are some favorites of Caleb who is a JV Cornerback for the Marathon, WI Red Raiders!

I love this dark, moody, edgy look with the solid black background -- and so do the athletes!

I also had some fun playing in Photoshop -- sports portraits are perfect for posters and magazine covers.
Contact me if you would love these awesome keepsakes for your own athlete!

Sunflower Field | Edgar, Wisconsin | Wausau & Marathon Photographer

May 04, 2020 • Leave a Comment

Late summer means SUNFLOWERS! And people are always on the hunt for them. Luckily, I found a beautiful field very close to my house. The window for getting great photos with them is pretty short, so I was lucky to find a perfect evening for some loveliness (and even took a few home.) I envisioned a timeless scene with a beautiful flowers and beautiful girl and was not disappointed! Keep me in mind if a sunflower session is in your future! :)

Independence Day | Wausau & Marathon, WI | Wausau Family Photographer

February 22, 2020 • Leave a Comment

We always make it a priority to celebrate our great country's birthday. Beyond all the fun -- parades, picnics, fireworks -- there is the solemn remembrance of what our fore-fathers sacrificed and created and how very blessed we are to live in the land of the free. Their courage and genius never cease to astound me and I was inspired to conduct a little photo-session celebrating this great holiday.

Winter 2019 | Wausau & Marathon WI | Wausau Family Photographer

January 18, 2020 • Leave a Comment

Valentine's Day was on the horizon and these two had the perfect dresses to acknowledge the occasion. We also had a lovely, fresh snowfall and wanted to take our photos in this unique setting and light. I love winter portraits!

I also thought I'd share a few photos of my boys shoveling! So lovely coming down; not so fun to clean up. :)

Youth Football | Ashland, Wisconsin | Wausau Child Photographer

December 29, 2019 • Leave a Comment

Year two for Caleb on the Ashland, WI "Oredocker" Youth Football team. It has been an amazing experience for him -- more than we could have hoped for, moving to Wisconsin from New Hampshire with little time to get him started. We are forever grateful to the amazing coaches and other players on the team that welcomed him. It was tough -- a lot of hard work -- and he loved every minute of it. These guys are SERIOUS about football! And such a growing experience. It set him up perfectly for the High School team in our new town, Marathon.

Of course, that means portraits in his uniform! He's changed a lot in one year, so we decided that it would be fun to do some more edgy, cool shots in a studio-like setting with a black backdrop and strong directional lighting. I LOVE the results and so does he! Here are our favorites.