8" x 10" Giveaway, and More Riverwest

Hello All. It's nice to see some new people checking out my blog. I have hit 1500 pageviews in a short period of time and wanted to say THANK YOU for continually checking in and viewing my work. I am sure that most, if not all of you have been connected here through my Facebook page.

To celebrate and encourage the continued support, I will be giving away a free 8" x 10" print to a randomly selected Facebook fan on Friday! If you are not on this list, you may choose to get on it by going to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Outlet/159393507497315 and hitting the 'Like' button on my page.

In the mean time, here are four more pictures from Riverwest! I suppose I can finally admit that I have a 'thing' for buildings. The flat side of a wall can contain so many interesting shapes an colors that are taken for granted everyday. I think there is character & design everywhere, and bringing it out for your eyes to see is what I try to do with my photography.

The last picture is from the roof of my Eastside garage looking west, as yesterday's sun sets over Riverwest. The colors I shot in this sky were among the most vibrant I have seen in Milwaukee.

If you are new here, be sure to scroll over the photo of your choice and click it to enlarge it in a preview window.

Riverwest

We were blessed with a few sunny days this January and I thought I better capture a few of them before the gray skies of Wisconsin winters returned. Here are a few shots from the Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee. Many people have an altered view of Riverwest based on only what they hear, while not actually visiting. I was pleasantly surprised with the warm feeling that came over me while shooting there. I captured something that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't in the right place at the right time. I was driving through and came to a stop sign. As I looked both ways, I saw 'never alone' written on the side of a brick building. This was interesting to me so I turned around the car, parked it and started taking a couple pictures. Not a minute passed before a father walked into my viewfinder beside his daughter while carrying her back pack after school. It was a great shot and had me laughing out loud in disbelief while taking this photo. I guess it just shows that if you are out there enough with your equipment, something great is bound to happen.  

Chilton, WI and Zoomies

Good Sunday to you. Below is a shot from yesterday in Chilton, WI in my favorite backyard of all time.

The second (cookie wafers) and third (frayed candle wick) photos are 'macro zoom' that I took last weekend using an extension tube. They have a small area of focus, but I kind of like them that way.

If you have a DSLR, and are interested in getting this effect, make sure you buy the correct tube for your brand of camera. They won't ever replace a macro lens, but they are a cheap and neat alternative. A quick list of them can be found here. A corny, but informative tutorial can be found here.Have a great Sunday night, and happy shooting!

Exterior of the Pabst Mansion

I went to the Pabst Mansion last weekend looking to take photos of the grand interior, but this wasn't allowed without renting it by the hour ($$$). Someday I hope to have the money to do so. Until then, I found the exterior to be just fine. I had to make the best of my plans blowing up and decided that I wasn't leaving without at least a few good shots.

More Weekend Photos

Here are two more photos from my weekend trip to the Pabst mansion. Enjoy!

Saturday Afternoon

Ah, Sunday evening editing is a nice way to wind down after a fun weekend. Yesterday I decided to take my camera with as Kelly and I drove around the city before we took a tour of the Pabst Mansion on Wisconsin Avenue. Here are some photos from my Saturday afternoon.

Extra Pics!

Here are two extra photos from the 'pictures with people' shoot. I am going on another shoot this weekend, so stay tuned to The Outlet. 

If you are new and like what you see, be sure to check out my older posts. Remember to like my page on Facebook!

Pictures with People: Day 3

Hope you have been well. Here are a few more photos from my shoot with Kelly in early January near Downtown Milwaukee. I hope you enjoy. See you soon ;)

Pictures of People: Day 2

When I was editing these photos, I glanced outside and realized I took them less than a week ago. We have gotten 4 inches of snow today and it is suppose to keep falling overnight. I can't say that I hate the snow, or love it. I am just glad that we took these pictures when we did. Here are two more from my photo-shoot with Kelly. In the first, I play with funky shadows and light, the second you could call a 'self-portrait.'

As with all my posts, don't forget to click on the images to get an enhanced view, so you can scroll through with ease! 

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon!

Pictures with People!

Something new is always good after a small hiatus.

Last weekend, I took Kelly (my wonderful gf) out on a photo-shoot through a couple parts of the city. It is something fairly new to me, as I haven't really taken too many photos including people...at least with them being aware ;). My next few posts will include photos from this shoot. I hope you enjoy. Mine as well jump!

More Florence, Italy

Florence was a favorite destination of mine when I was in Italy. It had everything. It was a place where great food, beautiful people, and history intertwined with one another, while all having a very relaxed feel. The historic brick streets of medieval city were possibly the most charming aspect. Just as I thought I escaped the aw of being in such a powerful, magical place with such inspiring architecture, I looked down to see the same carved stone streets that so many have walked before me. Enjoy the photos. See you soon. 

A Bittersweet Look Back: Images from Florence, Italy

It is bittersweet to look back on these photos from Italy. On one hand, it is a great thing to review them and realize what I have seen and where I have been. Then I think about the past three years, and my creativity not being utilized to its full extent, taking all of these pictures and doing nothing with them. What good were they stored on a memory card sitting inside of a box, under my desk being shuffled from place to place? The answer is none. Sorting through them is a therapeutic experience, in that, I can seemingly catch up on the time lost. But we both know that isn't true. The only thing I can do is keep plugging away. Taking the camera out as much as I can, start painting/drawing again, and putting my creative energy to use, because I can't use it when I'm dead.