2014: Uncut

When I used to blog more consistently a few years ago I would do a wrap-up post on the best photos I took each month through the course of the year. Since you can't look back at those posts because I'm a moron and deleted my last site I'll start fresh.

Business has been good this year. I switched over from Pentax to Nikon, crop sensor to full frame, cheap lenses to expensive glass, and I no longer confuse Tony Danza with Ted Danson. Not sure how I did in the first place. I presented at my first photography conference over the summer with Out of Chicago, and am excited to have been invited back for next years conference. You can view the line-up and be an early-early bird sign up here: SIGN UP HERE! I swear the link takes you to the Out of Chicago Conference page.

I've also added more content to my stock portfolio over at Stocksy for those of you looking to license images for your business. VIEW THEM HERE!

And here are some of my best images from the year...

Have a GREAT NEW YEARS! 

Muchacho

I want to tell you an intriguing story behind this young man and these paintings at the Milwaukee Art Museum, but I'd be lying. This is my wife's little cousin and he didn't enjoy the art museum at all. I'll tell you what he did like though; cheese curds. He was better than the other kids I saw there though. One of them was climbing on an exhibit. So, there's that. 

Adding people to scenes can help show scale and in this case I wanted to showcase the scale of the paintings. Closest thing I have to "street photography" in all my collection. 

State Connector

The Mackinac Bridge is quite spectacular. It connects regular old boring Michigan with it's awesome counterpart Upper Peninsula Michigan to form Pure Michigan. At least I think that's the equation? Anyways, the bridge from Mackinac City is seen below. I personally liked the layers in this image. 

Tip:

Another telephoto lens spot. This bridge is gigantic. My wide angle lens made this bridge look so tiny and insignificant that I had to use my long range lens to get better detail. If you're trying to compose with a telephoto lens; which I know is difficult than you should try stepping back about 50 yards if you can. Try to grab some beach with it and use the foreground to bring the bridge and beach together. 

Ice Is Dangerous

The wicked winter winds really haven't surfaced yet. This is a throwback from a few winters ago. Fullerton is a favorite spot of mine in the winter. Fuck, Fullerton is a favorite spot of mine anytime of the year... Well, until the city cleans it up and makes it look dull and boring. The city plans on remodeling the revetment wall along the lakefront...It will look nice I'm sure, but not all things that are broken need to be fixed.

Shooting a skyline without any foreground (lakes or large bodies of water don't count) is classic and clean, but often times comes out flat and typical. By adding an interesting foreground to your skyline you're giving the viewer a POV (point-of-view) that makes them feel like they're out there with you. Or, by adding a foreground you're giving the viewer more to look at than the original skyline shot. In plain English: you've made your shot more interesting.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail

This post is a splash back from our Memorial Day Weekend trip through Kentucky and it's historic Whiskey distilleries. On our way to the Great Smoky Mountains we drove through the Whiskey trail. We stopped at Heaven Hill Distilleries and Maker's Mark just south of Louisville, Kentucky. I learned the most at Heaven Hill, but Maker's Mark is well... very well kept and more keeping to the eye.

While I loved the scenery at Maker's Mark; Heaven Hill Distilleries who brings us brands like Evan Williams and Elijah Craig taught me the most. According to their history Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher who accidentally changed the color of bourbon to what it is today by using charred oak barrels. He didn't purposely char the barrel. His shed burnt to the ground and the inside of the barrels charred with it... Instead of throwing the expensive barrels away he used them and shipped them down the Mississippi and when they got to New Orleans they were turned into the golden orange we drink today.

Almost all the photos in the slide below are from Maker's with the exception of just one photo. The large white barn is actually a whiskey storage facility at Heaven Hill Distilleries. That's where they store all the whiskey while it ages and becomes the liquidy goodness that bestows upon my gullet. At the end of the Maker's tour you can dip your own bottle, but you have to buy your own bottle. It was an easy purchase since I love Maker's Mark. But I love whiskey so I bought whiskey everywhere I went on this trip. I think I came home with 6 bottles and a bottle of BBQ sauce from Fighting Cock (Heaven Hill Distilleries) and I have to say that it's best sauce I've had in a minute. You can get it online which is also great.

Northern Bitter Winds

Even in the bitter winds you look marvelous tonight. A photo from last year at North Avenue Beach. Believe it or not there were people out running and biking along the lakefront. I got low for the reflection shot in the puddle. 

Connecting

The plot synopsis to any good read is a thesis worth reading about at length. Any writer could tell you that in order to sell you on a story or an article there has to be some sort of relationship or barrier for the reader to connect or think about. Same goes with photography; of course.

There needs to be an element that you can relate to for this article to have any impact on you. Maybe it's the skyline. Maybe it's the Nikon featured in this photo. Maybe it's the bokeh, VSCO filmpack filter. Whatever the case may be there needs to be a point that connects us for it to have any impact. A point of relationship for you to connect with your experiences. That's what a good read, photograph, or song could do for you. It connects you with your own life experiences and brings you to that moment (past, present, or planned future.)

I will be more active writing in the next few months so let's see if we can make a connection.