Enjoyed the opportunity to bounce a few words and images off satellites during an online event hosted by PhotoMidwest in Madison, Wisconsin. The presentation offered me a chance to touch on work from both my documentary and art archives and field questions about my process.
Happy to again offer a look back at a few of the moments that caught my eye in the past year. Accompanied by a bit of original music, the images are largely culled from my Wisconsin State Journal work, but I've included a few personal favorites in the mix as well. As always, I'm deeply appreciative of the inspiration I continue to draw from my friends and colleagues in the journalism, photography and arts communities, and grateful for the subjects in the photographs who are open to sharing their time and stories.
As one who’s continually inspired by my photojournalist colleagues, I’m beyond grateful to be included in this group. Do read through the remarks of the other regional winners who were also recognized to get a sense of what drives those in our profession to do what we do.
I normally keep my poetry mostly to myself, because, well, most people hate poetry! Still, was prone to some introspection when a recent kayaking outing was put into perspective by a social media posting I came across. Happened to be drifting past a cemetery when my phone teased the news of yet another tragic death of someone I didn’t know.
SEEN | 2022
A look back at the past year and some of the moments that caught my eye. Primarily featuring work produced for the Wisconsin State Journal, a few personal captures are mixed in as well. As in previous renditions, a little original music accompanies the piece if your sound is up. Grateful as always for the opportunity to continue forging this career path and for all those in my life that continue to encourage and inspire.
When I was a young man with limited spending money at my disposal, I remember riffling through bins of discounted vinyl albums known as cut-outs - marked by snipped or notched corners - searching for overlooked little gems of music that fell under the radar and out of general circulation for one reason or another. Before the days of digital streaming, one had to rely on instinct and intuition while attempting to discern what might resonate most. Cover art, song titles and musician credits were about all one had to rely while taking a chance on a little known artist or group, hoping to find at least a song or two or three that might justify the purchase and transcend the unrealized expectations of the artists.
I recalled that experience recently when I received a small bank deposit from Amazon for a little book of photographs I released in 2010. Produced on a slight budget and tight schedule, it was a minor homage to a community where I was wrapping up an 18 year photojournalism career at. “Common Ground” sold a few copies at the time, through a local bookstore and online, and was mostly intended as a remembrance of the place that offered me many images over the years.
While checking the title recently through Amazon, I was surprised to see the retailer has discounted the paperback 73% to $4.02. Cutout status! Never did read the fine print of that publishing arrangement, but no matter, it wasn’t really intended as a revenue-generator anyways. Still, the experience harkened back to that time in my life where the bargain bin was a place where small treasures might be found. So, if you ever thought about obtaining copy of the book that’s currently ranked #9,428,165 in Amazon’s catalog - here’s your chance. Or, if you’re looking to save even more, I believe I may still have a box of them in a closet somewhere!
Here’s a brief look back at a few of the moments that occurred in front of my camera during 2021. Mostly work produced for the Wisconsin State Journal, with a few personal images included as well.
Well, what a year.. While considering whether to continue this annual retrospective in images, I initially wasn’t sure if I really had it in me to revisit much of what 2020 threw at us. A pandemic, civil unrest and racial injustice marches, business and school closings, event cancellations and election year marked by discord and acrimony. What I was surprised to find, though, were a whole bunch photographs that found a way to illustrate life enduring despite the steady barrage of challenges. Maybe it was out of habit, maybe it was something more, but at any rate, here’s a surprising collection of mostly life-affirming moments collected during the course of our mutual uphill run.
In a playground of my youth, I can remember a weathered and worn merry-go-round, elevated slightly above a dirt patch of ground and comprised of rusty steel supports and cracked wooden planks. A little off-kilter and listing sideways from years of use, it was a splinter hazard too, but the rewards outweighed the risks each time we’d visit. The challenge, of course, was to spin each other on its creaky platform, as fast as possible, tempting the forces of physics to beat us at our game. We’d lose on occasion, such as the time when my brother Tom returned home with a mostly-missing tooth and a broken smile. Still, we’d return often for mad summer spins in the park - instantly transforming our world into a blur of color and motion.
What we learned, though, was that when we’d near the point of losing our grasp, there was always a chance to retreat to the center of the twirling carousel, balance and reset. From there, we’d watch composed, as others vainly tested their endurance, competing against the outward pull of forces.
Sometimes, in a world that seems like it’s spinning out of control, there is a tendency to feel pulled toward the margins. A raucous periphery of confusion and uncertainty, with those on opposing sides of the same plane holding tight, wrestling for control. In those moments, it’s good to remember that we all share an axis, a common place of relative stability and calm. It’s available to each of us, if we’re able to just catch our breath and look inward.
The image on the left is widely considered to be one of the most viewed photographs of all time. Most will recognize it as the photograph that Microsoft selected for the wallpaper of their Windows XP operating system. For the rights to “Bliss,” the company reportedly paid California photographer Charles O’Rear a six-figure sum. The image on the right is a hill I pass nearly every day near my home. I’ve long-noticed the resemblance, but this time of year, when the grasses emerge and the foreground corn crop is low, the resonance is especially apparent, right down to the delineating line at the base of the slope. I call it “Bliss 2.0,” and will be making zero figures from it. The saturation has been tweaked a bit to approximate the also-retouched original, but the content is unaltered and just the way I saw it recently.
Continuing a tradition, here’s a brief look back at some of my favorite images from the past year, set to a little original music. Grateful to those who allowed me to share their moments, their stories in 2019. Looking forward to seeing what happens in front of my camera in the coming year.
A photograph I recently made has started me thinking again about the artist experience, perception, and why and how we create.
The picture, spotted during a rural drive, offers a remarkable juxtaposition of elements. There’s a broken crevice in a fractured road sign that reads ‘Valley,’ and the letter ‘V’ happens to be filled nearly perfectly by the rift. Amazing.
It makes me wonder about all the other fleeting coincidences we pass every day - sometimes at highway speed - most not. I really think the world is full of wondrous, rare moments, just waiting for our eyes to perceive them. Distractions abound - devices, agendas, obligations. Our routines sometimes quell our discovery.
A little further up the road from the ‘Valley’ sign, I passed another for a Rainbow Road. The conditions were nearly perfect, broken skies, a little sun and a light rain. At least that day, the convergence wasn’t in the cards. But I was aware, and that’s really the first step.
Grateful for the chance to explore some new paths this year and share the stories of those I've met along the way. Here's a brief look back at a few of the moments that captured my interest in 2018.
The creative process can be illusive, unpredictable. Sometimes, though, inspiration may arise from unlikely, unexpected sources.
Most artists I know tend to draw ideas for their own work from a wide variety of places. Painting, music, photography, poetry, literature, dance, sculpture and theater all are fuel for their dynamic, evolving fires. For them, the quest to create is innate, and the wonder of the new is an important component of their muse.
I passed this random arrangement of trash bins recently and immediately sensed a convergence of two of my own personal passions. My interest in music well precedes my chosen career, but it's something I've continued to explore in a quiet, personal way for a long time. The pattern of D, D, A, A, C, B struck a chord, and inpired me to try and make a small composition out of the haphazard collection.
While it's not necessarily the prettiest musical progression in the world, I still felt inclined to spend few moments at the keyboard in an effort to give the temporary assemblage a little life. It's an impromptu, unrefined piece, and one that I may not spend too much more time on, but it does hint at what drives myself, and others, to create - and the interesting, unexpected touchstones that drive the process.
Select play below to hear the composition:
One of the benefits of working in a visual medium is exploring the continually-evolving landscape of publishing platforms. Came across Steller recently, and was drawn to its intruiging blend of traditional and digital styles. Offering a nice array of still, video and typeface components, I found it pretty easy to put together this little art piece of a few personal nature captures. It was really nothing more than initial test for me, but I was surprised to see it draw over 22k page views in a few days. I'll probably try a few more efforts in the future.
I enjoy each year the chance to review some of my favorite moments, and favorite captures, from the previous 12 months. Always feel lucky to be working in a profession that presents new experiences and new opportunities each day. Backed with a little original music, here's a brief look back at a few of the experiences and images that caught my eye in 2017.
Was reminiscing recently about a battered and worn upright piano that occupied a back corner of our family's garage during my teenage years. It wasn't very pretty - broken ivories, broken keys, broken wood. Still, there were strings - and the potential for music.
Occasionally, I would wander over to the tired instrument, hoping to coax a melody or two from the heart inside its fading shell. Untrained, I was relegated to simple, original compositions - haphazard improvisations that were largely exercises in avoiding dissonance.
At seventeen, my parents, maybe sensing a little spark, upgraded the piano and enrolled me in lessons with a woman who lived across town named Betty Hansen. A middle-aged widow, she possessed a sparkling personality and a vast love for music that outsized her petite frame. In her cramped front room resided the Steinway. Around it, stacks and stacks of sheet music - Gershwin, The Beatles, show tunes and folk songs - most of them transcribed in her own hand and signed - "Arranged by Betty M. Hansen"
We progressed slowly, working through primary books, and eventually some of her simple sheets. I was surely one of her least diligent students - though she would never say so. We'd meet for 30 minute sessions every couple of weeks, and there were periods where I might not have played in between. Still, she was patient, always quick to encourage and careful not to criticize. Occasionally, when I'd do something well, she would prop open the top on the grand, offering my tentative hands the chance to fill the room with sound. Her love of music was contagious, and over time, I had learned just enough to carry my interest forward, a gift I appreciate to this day.
Near the end of our time together, when it was becoming clear that music was going to be just an avocation for me, Mrs. Hansen offered to score one of the small pieces I had composed. As I played, she plotted the notes on paper. Her handwriting was elegant, lyrical. When we finished, she added my name next to the title: "Genesis."
I read today that Betty May Hansen died two weeks ago. She was 88 years old. One year for each of the keys on her piano.
When we first met, she had a few octaves yet to play. But midway through her own life's symphony, Betty Hansen struck a more resonant chord than she knew. Because of her, I still play today, decades later. Still can't say I practice much, but I play.. I play.
From tears to cheers, parades and serenades, 2016 offered up an array of unique moments which I was grateful to experience and fortunate to share. Here's a brief look back at a few of the images I was able to capture during the course of the year. The short presentation features primarily work done for the Wisconsin State Journal and is backed with a little original music which touches on another evolving interest of mine as well.
Really pleased to have three images selected for inclusion in the upcoming exhibit “Wisconsin Photography 2016” at the Racine Art Museum’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. The show, juried by Karen Irvine, curator and associate director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, will feature the work of 38 fine art photographers from across the state. It’s always an intriguing exhibit, offering a broad array of photographic visions and approaches.
Inclusion in the show holds a special meaning for me on several levels. Racine is my hometown, the place I was first exposed to photography as an art form, and where I nurtured my early interest in the medium.
In addition to my career as a working photojournalist, I’ve always tried to maintain a steady interest in non-documentary work as well. The set of images selected for this exhibit are representative of some of the personal art explorations I’ve continued to pursue outside of work.
The portfolio I submitted for judging was comprised of a set of images all drawn from my interest in square format composition. As a relative newcomer to the Instagram phenomena, I’ve been intrigued by the platform’s 1x1 image ratio preference, and have been composing work with that format in mind for the last year or so.
What I really like about the approach, though, is how it reminds me of my very first experience with photography as a boy growing up back home. I remember the first camera I ever held was a twin-lens reflex camera which my father let me experiment with. I don’t believe there was even any film in it, but I can recall walking around our home composing imaginary ‘pictures’ while looking through the vintage device’s square-formatted, top-mounted viewfinder.
In a way, being part of this exhibit, with these images, kind of brings full-circle my passion for photography from my earliest exposures, to present-day pursuits.
The show opens August 28th, and continues through November 26, 2016.
Here's brief look back at a few of the things that happened in front of my camera during 2015. Some happy, some sad, but I'm still grateful for the opportunity to pursue my career as a photojournalist and share others' life experiences for the Wisconsin State Journal.
