Last night High Impact Creations LLC photographed the Big Hat Rodeo at the Outagamie Fairgrounds in Seymour, WI. Despite the drizzle that started in the late afternoon, the weather started to cooperate just as the rodeo began. The crowd size was better than expected given the weather conditions--and the venue was excellent!
High Impact Creations has covered the Big Hat Rodeos for many years now. The photo galleries are on the "Rodeo" page of this site. The Outagamie Pro Rodeo gallery is directly accessible by clicking on the slide show link above as well. Reminder: As we are celebrating the kickoff of the rodeo season, digital download images are available at half off their regular price by using the Promo Code, "RODEO2022" while at the shopping cart checkout. This code is active until the end of the day Friday, July 1st. The promo code is also active on ANY gallery, not just the Outagamie gallery!
High Impact Creations LLC provides photography and limited videography services out of Janesville, WI. We specialize in promotional work, whether it is promoting a company, an individual, a band, or a brand, High Impact Creations LLC is the ideal partner for promotional imaging.
All images Copyright (C) 2022 High Impact Creations LLC
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Tonight is the kickoff of the 2022 rodeo season for High Impact Creations at Seymour, WI. High Impact Creations LLC is once again partnering with Big Hat Rodeo to provide photo and video coverage of the Big Hat Rodeo 2022 Dusty Boots and Gold Buckles Tour. In celebration of the tour kickoff, all past digital photos will be on sale for 50% off now through July 1st. Simply navigate to any gallery, select a photo for "digital download" and use the promo code, "RODEO2022" in the shopping cart.
High Impact Creations LLC will be providing photo/video coverage of the following rodeos this summer:
- Outagamie Pro Rodeo, June 25th, 2022
- Galena, IL, July 1st, 2022
- Galena, IL, July 2nd, 2022
- Kewaunee, WI, July 9th, 2022
- Ogle Co, IL, August 5th, 2022
- Elkhorn, WI, August 19th, 2022
- Elkhorn, WI, August 20th, 2022
Photos are typically posted to the rodeo galleries within 2 days of the event.
]]>I see the usual amount of time has passed since my last posting on this blog. Time has a way of getting away from me. At any rate, High Impact Creations LLC continues to be busy with rodeo marketing business, the usual event photography, such as graduations, and lately, more musical artist related photography. Here are some random photos from this past Saturday night at the Cottage Grove Fireman's Festival. This is Pilot. They put on a hell of a show in front of a crowd that was was in full party mode!
The photos were taken with the Canon R3 paired with 16-35mm f2.8L, a 24-70mm f2.8L, and a 70-200mm f2.8L lens. Pilot's playlist is all over the place: Toxic from Britney Spears, Perry Mason from Ozzy Osbourne, Paradise City from Guns N Roses, and the list goes on. The R3 is a recent purchase as I transition to a full mirrorless setup. The R3 will take the place of my Canon 1DX MK II, which was used extensively for action and low light photography, including rodeos.
Speaking of rodeos, the first rodeo of the rodeo season kicks off this Saturday (6/25/22) night at the Outagamie Pro Rodeo in Seymour, WI. If you see me out there, please say, "hi." Pictures from the Saturday night rodeo will be available on this site Sunday (6/26) or Monday night. Photos from past rodeos are available here as well.
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This summer has flew by extremely fast. Regrettably, this is my first blog post all summer! Let's ring in September by visiting the 105.9 The Hog 2019 Rock Girl Calendar month of September photos with Rock Girl Chelsie posing in front of a Ford Raptor. The bottom photo is the main calendar image for September, it is heavily Photoshopped as we did not have an ideal background for it. The top image gives a hint as to how the background really looked--but not fully. The sky was actually blown out in the original image so the sky here was replaced in the final edit. This is common given the limited dynamic range of digital cameras.
The sponsor of September is Gordie Boucher in Janesville, WI. They have been a sponsor for the calendar for several years. For the 2020 calendar they supplied a Ford Mustang.
September is a particularly interesting month for me, I will have a gallery exhibit at the Beloit Art Center starting Friday September 6th at 5pm. There is a reception starting at 5pm and I will be making comments at 6pm. Today I dropped off my images at the Beloit Art Center. Some of the images are a bit different for me, they include more scenic images and light paintings. Of course I included some of my favorites over my years of photography. A couple of the images were even from the Rock Girl Calendars.
I have a few photo shoots scheduled for September but I still have time to squeeze in a senior session here and there. I also have some availability yet in October, which is an excellent time to get family photos taken with the fall colors.
--Jay Mielke
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I have been tied up with high school senior shoots lately and haven't had much time to post. Here is one photo of a senior down in Rockford. He built these rockets and enjoys launching them. These aren't the kits bought from the store, though. He actually built these out of fiberglass and has special permits to launch them! I can't wait to see where he goes in life. The sky isn't even the limit! ]]>--jay
If the rock mirrors were not enough every ride had music blaring out of huge speakers: Motley Crue, Dio, you name it. So hanging out on the midway was a slice of heaven for a kid growing up countryside in the 80s. I suppose that influences me still and why it is I think the Rock County 4H Fair is a "must attend" event each summer. Things are different than my childhood, to be sure. The mirrors are gone. The rock music is replaced with God knows what. But some of the same elements are still in place--and should never be overlooked. Moving past the grandstand entertainment and endless sources of calories; go back to the barns. The barns are filled with cows, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits, poultry, and, most importantly, the tradition of youth growing up on farms and displaying their achievements for all to see. These kids work very hard raising their animals and then showing them during the various rounds of competition during fair week. Several years ago I spent quite a bit of time trying to photograph all of the activities, including the animal judging. I shared the photos via online gallery and made them available for purchase. I made some sales but honestly, the whole endeavor was a business failure. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching these kids compete in competition after competition showing their animals. Over the course of the week I started to recognize the names.
Towards the end of the fair, on Saturday morning, one of the kids died in a tragic auto accident. The day before he had earned the highest award for his pig and the pig's pen in the swine barn quickly became a shrine of condolences. Largely unseen by the general public was the memorial service quickly put together in the fairground's dooryard, heavily attended by everyone involved with the 4-H and agriculture aspects of the fair. I had taken photos of the pig auction the day before, which included this kid, his pig, and the new buyers. Perhaps this was the last photo taken by a professional photographer and I donated back any of the photos the family may have wanted back to the family. What I did not do, however, was post any of this on my social media pages or web sites. I was disappointed to see that another photographer was posting these things on their site and I felt they were using this tragedy as a cheap promotion for their own business. I refuse to exploit the tragedies of others for my own gain and I have held my thoughts on this for years now, hopefully a sufficient amount of time, before sharing.
I really didn't have enough time to take in everything at the fair when I went out there later in the afternoon yesterday. I made it through the barns but didn't get to see the crafts and other skill demonstrations as those buildings were shut down by the time I got out there. But for good reason: I seemed to run into someone I knew every 10 feet or so and I enjoyed catching up! Past co-workers, past co-volunteers, past clients, and old friends I haven't seen in some time. They all seemed to be at the fair. My number one goal for attending the fair yesterday was to take some after dark "light painting" photographs on the midway. These are long exposure photographs of the rides. I'll share one here as an example but the rest will be in a different post--one that isn't quite so lengthy and rambling as this.
So I reminisced about growing up and going to the county fair as a kid and, in doing so, I find that my trips to the local fair as an adult really haven't changed. I still love seeing the families of the agricultural community working hard and carrying on farming traditions, but I also like to spend time down at the midway where the swirling lights and loud music still dominates. Here is a light painting photo from last night. Keep watching my blog page for a post with more light painting photos.
--jay
There were vendors specializing in Western themed photos, some that mixed world travels, others that were surreal, and even a booth that featured massive photos of underwater coral. This was very vivid indeed! I was mostly impressed with these artists. After all they come in from all over the country and have to haul all of their massive prints to downtown Madison, set up and man the tent in the heat and sometimes rain. The prices on some of these pieces were over $3000! Given all the cost associated with this, I can understand why.
Overall, my trip to Art on the Square did recharge my artistic batteries a bit. I tried to get a card from all of the artists that I found impressive and I am going to pass links to them right here for anyone else interested in checking out their work.
Rudolph De Ram, De Ram Photography
Karina Hergo, Karina Hergo
Ed Myers, www.lionoptic.com
Lijah Hanley, www.LijaHanley.com
Xavier Nuez, Xavier Nuez Contemporary Photography
As I said, there were certainly more artists that I found inspiring but not everyone had a card out on display. Speaking of displays, you'll notice that this blog post does not contain any photos of the booths. Photographers generally do not allow others to take pictures of their art pieces. I feel the same way--and I left my camera phone in my pocket.
For those that are looking for an update on the 105.9 The Hog Rock Girl Calendar, I finished handing the final photos off to the printer. The official release party will be at Sneakers Bar and Grill in Janesville this Thursday evening. The Rock Girls will be on hand to sign your copy of the calendar! See you there!
--Jay
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Round 3 of the 105.9 The Hog 2019 Rock Girl Calendar contest is in the books and we have our winners! From left to right in the above photo, the 2019 Rock Girls are: Laura, Brooke, Marissa, Stephanie, Chelsie, and Victoria. Congratulations ladies! The competition was tough and the judges had their work cut out for them. For those that are curious: High Impact Creations will be shooting the calendar over the course of next week. The calendar release date is July 19th. Sneakers Bar and Grill will host the reveal from 6pm-9pm. Come out and get your calendar signed by the rock girls!
The final theme for this round was bikinis--which was perfect given the 90+ degree temperature! Sweltering summer heat didn't keep the crowd away and it certainly didn't hamper the performance of the band, Pilot, cranking out a mixture of 80s metal and rock favorites. Pilot was an excellent choice for this event. They cover all the popular rock songs, such as AC/DC, Motley Crue, Dio, and even Journey, but with the talented Shelley Faith on vocals.
I will definitely add Pilot to my list of local favorites. That's three weeks and three bands in a row, if you're keeping score. The Anchor Inn knows how find the good bands, their entertainment schedule includes bands, comedians, midget wrestling, and probably more than I can think of at this time. Their calendar is online here. Last week I commented that I would definitely go out to see Denim n Leather again given the chance. Well, I just found out they will be in Evansville on July 4th--so if you see me there, say, "hi!"
One last quick plug on upcoming shows that I want to mention even though it doesn't have anything to do with the Rock Girl Calendar, is the 80s live music concert in Elkhart Lake this Friday night. My understanding is that this is one band with about 4 different singers, which gives them the ability to cover all things metal and rock from the 80s! I've heard nothing but great reviews on this so check it out!
I'll be adding one more contest post this week with plenty of photos. Keep watching this blog though, I will have plenty more Rock Girl related posts up to and through the July 19th reveal.
Jay
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I am a bit late posting this but I've had a busy schedule this week. Sunday marked the second round of the 105.9 The Hog Rock Girl contest. The weather wasn't going to cooperate for an outdoor show but, fortunately, having a great venue like the Anchor Inn means the show will go on indoors! I thought Cherrie Pie put on an excellent show last week and likely would be a high water mark as far as 80s cover bands go. But I was wrong! This week Denim n Leather played--even with a scaled down stage for the indoor venue, they blew me away with an 80s rock playlist I swear they stole off my streaming account!
The opening song was "Long Stick Goes Boom" by Krokus. Krokus is slightly off the beaten bath for casual 80s rock fans but for me, the Krokus "Alive and Kicking" album is still one of my favorites. Krokus is still out there touring, by the way, and they sound just as good now as they did back in the day--which is yet another reason why I was impressed to hear a band covering them but sounding just as good. Denim n Leather is four solid musicians that have no problem recreating whatever they decide to add to their set list. Sunday they covered everything from Randy Rhoads era Ozzy, to Iron Maiden, and Dio. Of course you'll find the occasional Motley Crue cover and GnR cover but they weren't afraid to stray from the well worn path with songs like, "Ten Seconds" and "Rocket Queen." I hope this band gets another shot at the outdoor stage at the Anchor Inn, I certainly wouldn't miss it!
2019 Rock Girl Calendar contestants competed with a sporty and sexy theme. There wasn't much overlap from one costume to the next. There was a cheerleader, a boxer, a couple baseball jerseys, a tennis player, and an assortment of other sports themed outfits. 2018 Rock Girl Kendra sat on the judges
panel for The Hog. Kendra was in both the 2017 and the 2018 calendars. She gets my vote for dealing with the most difficult shoot concept ever: the air conditioning shoot. How do you make an air conditioner sexy and rock n roll? Check the 2018 calendar to find out!
Winners of this year's contest will face the same challenges of modeling for the calendar sponsors. That means representing the sponsor's product or service. The objective is to produce an image that the calendar's target audience will want to look at, while promoting the products and services of the sponsors, making the rock girl look hot but not objectifying or offending. Fortunately, the Hog has an excellent staff and they are fully engaged in the artistic direction of the calendar.
Rock Girl contestants are also battling for fan favorite votes. You can cast your vote by visiting http://1059thehog.com/2019-rock-girl-fan-favorite/ online or stopping by this Sunday, June 17th, 4pm, at the Anchor Inn for the final contest round and the announcement of the 6 girls that will represent 105.9 The Hog in the next calendar.
See you Sunday!
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My previous post regarding round1 of the 105.9 the Hog Rock Girl contest focused on the venue, Anchor Inn, and the band they brought in, Cherry Pie. This blog entry will focus more on the calendar and contest itself. For anyone not familiar, the contest runs for 3 weeks, an event is scheduled each week. During the event, contestants are required to dress according to a predetermined theme. this last Sunday was, "Night on the Town." During the next round, which is Sunday afternoon at the Anchor Inn, the theme will be, "Sporty and Sexy." The final round of the contest is on June 17th at the Anchor Inn, the theme will be bikinis! Each round runs from 4pm-6pm. I advise showing up early though to get a bite to each and to watch the band.
Marissa
This year we are fortunate to have 14 contestants competing for 6 spots. The calendar is made possible through the generous sponsorship of area businesses. Each rock girl will represent two businesses in the calendar. Please support these businesses and let them know you appreciate their support of the calendar:
- Anchor Inn
- Steve Caya (Attorney)
- Frank Bouche
- Gordie Bouche
- Armageddon
- Xtreme Smoke
- Sneakers Bar and Grill
- Burns Full Service
- Rock River Marina
- Ultra Green
- Rock County Fence and Deck
- Team Power Center
- Komfort Heating/Cooling
A keen eye will notice that there are 13 sponsors but only 12 months. That 13th sponsor is on the cover of the calendar.
Contest judges generally come from the sponsors. As the photographer, I spend more time with the contestants behind the scenes and some of the contestants are returning from the previous year. For those reasons, I am not a judge myself--I simply try to help anyone and everyone do the best they can during the contest and let the judges sort it all out!
Speaking of judges: you can be a judge yourself in the "fan favorite" competition. Simply select your favorite rock girl contestant and vote for her every day! Here is a link to that contest: http://1059thehog.com/2019-rock-girl-fan-favorite/ .
Regardless of who the final 6 rock girls are, I am really impressed with each of these contestants. As I said, I spend more time talking to them before, during, and after the event. That first day is especially challenging for the girls because they don't know what to expect and nerves start to set in. It really takes guts to put yourself out there in a competition like this in front of strangers. Next Sunday, during round 2, take the time to pull these girls aside and thank them for putting themselves out there! They will appreciate it, I promise!
Rock girls throw beads out to the crowd at Anchor Inn.
I promised more photos from the event so I am including a bunch of completely random photos here. I will be blogging some more and including more photos in those posts as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Cherry Pie
Stephanie.
Kara
Krista
Alli
Jessie
Victoria
Brooke
Laura
Chelcie
Sunday afternoon officially marked the beginning of the 105.9 The Hog 2019 Rock Girl Calendar contest. As I mentioned previously, this year brings major changes to the contest, starting with the venue. The Anchor Inn up in Newville is the new home of contest. The Anchor's new owner, Kevin, and the entire staff really know how to draw a crowd and keep the good times rolling. If you haven't had a chance to get out there yet, find the time! I find myself visiting there more and more frequently these days both for the food and for the entertainment. The Anchor Inn pulls in live entertainment all weekend long. Sometimes a single musician will in the dining area and, at other times, they book top bands from Milwaukee, like the Toys and Cherry Pie.
Such was the case on Sunday: Cherry Pie came out and just rocked that event. Between the calendar contest and the band, the place was packed! I don't ever recall seeing a bigger crowd for the calendar contests. Now, with a name like Cherry Pie, the music better be good. Somehow "good" doesn't quite cover it. These guys were awesome! They covered all the best 80s hard rock and metal favorites and they did it without butchering a note! Admittedly, this is the first time I had a chance to see them but rest assured: I won't miss another visit whenever they come around!
Besides the abundance of musical talent and great taste, they guys in Cherry Pie were down to earth and very accommodating of the contest. Normally, I would make sure the girls all get up on the stage for a dance at some point but I was reluctant to intrude on the band given the tight space up there. Regardless, the girls all ended up on the stage for a couple of songs and band worked right through it. The top photo is from that moment. Hats off to Cherry Pie.
That girl in red is Stephani, one of the Rock Girl hopefuls. This picture doesn't quite capture it, but the drummer is shredding one of his drumsticks here--which I think was the ending of "Sweet Child 'O Mine."
Here's another shot of some of the contestants up on stage.
I'll be adding some more blogs featuring more event photos as the week rolls on. But here is a couple of more random photos from the event.
High heels on the catwalk to the stage. Normally, a photo like this just wouldn't fit into my final offering of photos to an event client. I might share something like this on my Facebook page though. Photographically speaking, this photo doesn't have much merit. Artistically, I always like throw in random stuff like this--particularly for boudoir oriented shoots.
To the left is a photo of Rock Girl hopeful Aimee. She was kind enough to lend me her smile while I was scoping out areas to take the headshots of the contestants. I was hoping to avoid fighting the sun outside but this was looking too much like portraiture and not enough like rock girl headshots so I scrapped it. I'll share the headshots in a later post.
This wraps up this blog post. I'll be sharing another post shortly with more photos and stories from the contest.
--Jay Mielke
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I happy to announce that High Impact Creations LLC will, once again, team up with 105.9, the Hog, to create the 2019 Rock Girl Calendar. This marks the third consecutive calendar that High Impact Creations has created for the The Hog, and I am thrilled to have another opportunity to create excellence! The management and staff at the Hog are a delight to deal with and we seem to have gravitate towards the same concepts rather quickly.
The Rock Girl Calendar models are chosen through a 3 week contest. The previous calendar contests were hosted by the Janesville Harley Davidson Dealer at their Tuesday night Bike Night Event. This creates the perfect backdrop for a rock girl calendar but change is in the air! This year the Anchor Inn will host the Rock Girl contests starting tomorrow, June 3rd! Last year the Anchor Inn changed ownership, and if you've paid any attention to all the events booked at the Anchor Inn throughout the winter and spring, I think you'll agree that the Rock Girl Calendar contest has found the perfect new home! The Anchor Inn regularly brings in top entertainment with bands like Pink Houses, The Toys, and Cherry Pie. Speaking of which: Cherry Pie will be the featured band tomorrow afternoon at the Anchor Inn during the calendar contest! How can it get any better than that?!
At any rate, the contest dates are June 3rd, June 10th, and June 17th, from 4pm - 6pm. But get their early to catch the bands! Here's the Facebook Event links for each day:
- June 3rd: Rock Girl Calendar Contest Day 1
- June 10th: Rock Girl Calendar Contest Day 2
- June 17th, Rock Girl Calendar Contest Day 3
For those who might not be familiar with High Impact Creations LLC, High Impact Creations is my creative outlet, my name is Jay Mielke. If you see a short guy with a beard loaded down with camera equipment, it is probably me! Please come over and say, "hi."
Even though the competition is tomorrow, there's always room for last minute contestants. Email [email protected] for more information. Each contest day has a different theme so you'll definitely want to make sure you contact The Hog ahead of time if you're planning on competing.
Throughout June I will be sharing photos and stories from this years contest and previous contests right here. For now, here is a glimpse of behind the scenes footage taken during the 2018 Rock Girl Calendar Shoot. Enjoy!
--Jay
This is 2018 Rock Girl Allie. This is an outtake from the Sneakers Sports Bar and Grill sponsored shoot.
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This is a photo from the Big Hat Rodeo in Union Grove last night immediately after the boot race. The boot race is an event where all the kids come down to the center of the arena. Each kid tosses one boot in the pile then proceeds down to the beginning line, which is at the end of the arena. The first 3 kids to run back to the center, put their shoe back on, and run back to the starting line, are the winners. At any rate, this young man comes down wearing a cast and crutches knowing there was no way he was going to place in that race. But he did it anyway and he stuck to his guns.
That really sums up the spirit of the rodeo competitor--at least as far as my observations go. I've seen bronc riders get on a bronc with broken ankles or broken ribs and still give it their best. Barrel racers sometimes get out to the first barrel only to find out their horse has other plans but they still work through and complete the ride. That's the attitude: get in there, give it your best shot, stick with it until the job is done.
The kid in this photo was just given a rope by the one of the calf roping competitors as a souvenir. Perhaps some day this kid will compete in the rodeo!
Okay, back to the post. Earlier this year I added to the High Impact Creations camera arsenal with the purchase of a Canon 1Dx Mark II. This is the flagship camera in the Canon lineup, it is the same camera you'll see on the NFL sidelines attached to a massive lens. The purchasing decision for this camera was driven by the rodeo photography work I do during the rodeo season. My previous goto camera was the Canon 5D Mark III. At 6 frames per second, it wasn't quite fast enough to catch broncos in a full extended buck. The Canon 1Dx Mark II, on the other hand, is able to capture 14 frames per second! Needless to say, the rodeo photo galleries are far bigger this year than in previous years!
The Canon 1Dx Mark II is also the first camera in the Canon lineup to shoot 4K video. I've shot several HD quality videos with the 1Dx but I haven't had a chance to test out the 4K. This is where the Thresheree comes in. The Thresheree is the perfect venue for testing out 4K video, and that's what I did on Sunday! The video here is a collection of raw clips from that shoot. Obviously, the video isn't streaming at 4K. My web host provider also limits videos to 20 minutes so I had to trim this back a bit. But, if you enjoy mechanical things and you missed the fun, stare at this for a bit.
A few technical notes: This was shot at 1/50s shutter speed using various apertures and ISO settings. The opening sequence shot in the metal buildings was shot at ISO 4000 f2.8. Outside shots were about ISO 100 f16 just like the sunny 16 rule. The frame rate is 23.98 fps. Audio was passed through a shotgun mic to a Tascam DR-60DMKII recorder. Although the Tascam's audio track is mixed in here, it is buried underneath the audio track from the camera, which was taken from a line out of the Tascam DR-60DMKII. No effects were applied to this video, everything is straight out of the camera.
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I try to share some of my photographic philosophy in these posts--I do not position them as a marketing strategy. High Impact Creations customers see the work and decide for themselves if High Impact Creations is the right fit for their needs. So these posts are for anyone that would like to know my philosophy on photography, modeling, hanging curtains, or just about anything else.
Here's a quick recap of some of the major events this year. I had a couple of major pageant contestants stop in for pageant head shots. Pageant head shots require an entirely different approach than your typical, garden variety, head shot. The High Impact pageant look is glamour and big hair! Finding the right angle and styling is extremely important to me. I will take hundreds of head shots until I think I have the right one. Of course, the client is going to be the final judge of that!
Speaking of pageants, I actually had the opportunity to volunteer as a judge in a couple of Illinois pageants in the past few months. I have some thoughts to share in that regard so keep looking back here.
I was on the Beloit Fine Art Incubator annual photo contest jury again this year. This was the second year for me. Judging photos can be pretty tough. Some of the rules specify the photo has to have a minimum amount of post processing. Color adjustments and such are fine--but pixel manipulation is a mouse stroke too far! While judging images I really had to pose the question time and again: is it possible to take this image and then apply basic adjustments to it to get this effect? As a judge I really wanted to be sure I was fair and applied the same standard to every photo. In the end, the winners really had some good stuff--I actually wish I had more time to do the same time of photography they were doing: landscapes, fields, and such. There's plenty of good photographers in the Midwest that can produce those types of images. I'll throw the name Derek Ace out there as a photographer to check out if you like desert landscapes and Route 66 or South Dakota ghost town inspired images. He's one of the best at that genre.
Along those same lines, if you like weather photography, Janesville's own Tom Purdy is the master at it. Check out his work. To get those images, he had to spend quite a bit of time studying weather and clouds. He had to learn where to be and when. I'd hate to guess how many miles he puts on his vehicles each year gathering those images. But he is also another photographer to check out if you are into that sort photography.
I guess in the same way, I've spent quite a bit of time studying lighting, studying and perfecting fashion/glamour editing techniques, and, of course posing. Photography is never about just having a great camera, it is the combination of posing, lighting, and energy. Yes, believe it or not, the right energy on the set will make or break a shoot! The photographer is responsible for setting that tone and maintaining the energy on the set. I guess that's a tip I'll throw out there for anyone looking at getting into photography: your attitude will be reflected an amplified by your subjects in their final photos. Make it count!
This post is going to go long so here's a few other highlights from this year that I'll be talking about more in the near future, promise: I had the opportunity to cover the Wisconsin Broadcaster's Association annual awards dinner, the Wisconsin Broadcaster's Association annual Hall of Fame induction, then Vetsroll.org portraits of many WWII and Korean vets, the 2017 105.9 rock Girl Calendar, Speaker Ryan's sports calendar, the Indy Race up at Road America, the US Surgeon General at the Rockford University Commencement Ceremony, rodeos, and so much more!
I'll try to cover some of those adventures in future ramblings. Until then, keep your batteries charged and your lens cap off!
Jason Mielke
High Impact Creations LLC
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I met several area photographers on Friday night at the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator. This year I was asked to judge the 4th Annual Photography Show with the theme of, “People, places, and things.” Judging another photographer’s photos is a tough gig! As a photographer I know everything that went into capturing the photo, editing it, and then making a decision to submit that photo to a juried photo competition. The harsh reality is: juried photo competitions are going to be absolutely honest with what they think of your photos! Let’s face it, photographers are passionate about their art and are encouraged by family and friends—people that want to be supportive and who don’t necessarily know anything about photography. So, for many, this is the first time they might actually receive honest feedback on their work.
The competition received well over 200 photos! We could only take 100 photos so quite a few photos did not make it into the show. Of the photos that made it in, every one of them was amazing! The theme, “peoples, places, and things,” was quite broad, which made the judging all the more difficult. The top three winners were totally different in their themes and styles. Neither I nor the other judge had any knowledge of who the photographers of these photos were. The names were revealed to us only after all of the judging was done. We awarded the winners at the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator reception on Friday night. The third place winner won with a photo of the Rockford Times building. Yeah, I know that seems kind of simple but the photographer only photographed a portion of the building and framed in such a way that geometry grabbed the viewers’ attention and held it! Second place went to a 17 year girl still in high school! She captured an image of a dancer in an ally and framed it in such a panoramic style that juxtapositions the dancer with a missing brick in the wall behind her. Words really fail to convey this here. The 1st place winner went to Bill Eklund for his image, “Peaceable Kingdom,” which was taken at the Belvidere Park. Several of Bill’s landscape images made it into the competition and I enjoyed chatting with him and learning how he captured them.
All of these images will be on display at the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator for some time. This is definitely a gallery worth checking out. I believe this is an annual competition that is starting to build nicely as well—the reception was packed should to shoulder Friday night. This is yet another feather in the cap for Beloit’s arts community. If you are a photographer that submits to contests such as these, keep this one in mind next year.
My next blog posting will include some specific comments about pictures and what makes a good picture—at least in my humble opinion.
Jay
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Picture a Day #165, July 10th, 2014
I headed out this evening thinking I would catch a photo of the sun setting over a wheat field. I expect farmers to start harvesting any day now so I wanted to get that shot. Unfortunately, a rather uninspiring group of clouds blocked that shot so I had to go in a different direction.
This is a couple of photos taken at Gibbs Lake in Rock County. The photos are stacked one on another and blended to get this tone. The moon looks kinda small in the distance because of the wide angle lens I used. Saturday night will be a full moon, by the way.
At any rate, it was a beautiful night out in the country tonight. I saw several deer, a fox, and oh yeah: plenty of cows! Seriously, we have a week of excellent weather coming up, try to find the time to wander into the Wisconsin countryside as the sun is heading down, there really isn't anything like it!
--jay
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Picture a Day #164, July 09th, 2014
This is a quick shot taken with my Samsung Galaxy 5. What a beautiful night it is--the kind of night that is perfect for a backyard fire, even if it is a Wednesday night! Summer flies by pretty fast and I don't want to waste one night of it! I hope you don't either.
jay
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Picture a Day #163, July 8th, 2014
Summer is flying by pretty fast and High Impact Creations has been busy with all kinds of photography assignments from weddings to event coverage. This weekend I'll be working with a Rockford client on a 2015 fitness calendar, the following week kicks off a series of shoots in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois that I'll be announcing in a separate post, then I'll be into more event coverage and high school senior shoots.
This is a huge contrast to the first and much of the second quarter of this year where my schedule was heavily loaded with model portfolio shoots. The difference between a model portfolio shoot and an event shoot, like a wedding or 5k race, or anything of that nature is dramatic as far as editing goes. Whenever I produce a modeling portfolio, each image that I release from that shoot is fully beauty edited. Beauty editing means removing flaws from the skin, stray hairs, sharpening the eyes, adjusting skin tones, and on and on. I will typically spend a minimum of 30 minutes on each image that I produce for a modeling portfolio. Keep in mind that when I talk about modeling portfolio I am not necessarily talking about agency submission photos. Agency submission photos receive very little editing as agencies would rather see the model they are working with rather than the skills of the photographer or retoucher. Sometimes, however, they are one in the same--it all depends on the situation.
So I haven't been spending much time this summer with beauty retouching and I wanted to try out some new techniques. This is a photo of Jada Marie taken during a photo shoot in March. The new techniques I used on her are simply a different way of editing skin than the methods I normally employ--not that there is anything wrong with her skin, but producing a beauty shot means going beyond the simple capture of the camera.
I am posting this image this morning because I had several computer problems last night. While editing this image, my computer completely locked up and I lost part of the work I had done. So I had to perform some of the edits multiple times.
Enjoy!!
--jay
High Impact Creations LLC provides photography services in Janesville, Madison, Milwaukee, West Bend, Stoughton, Edgerton, Milton, Delavan, Lake Geneva and most other places in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Photography services include corporate event photography, public figure photography, business head shots, modeling portfolios, commercial photography, wedding photography, boudoir, glamour, portrait, and high school seniors.
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Picture a Day #162, July 7th, 2014
The Lilies are blooming today so I took the macro lens out for some exercise. This was taken in my front garden. Fortunately, the extremely shallow depth of field hides all of the thistles that I've neglected to pull due to time constraints.
--jay
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Picture a Day #161, July 6th, 2014
My second dog, Macy, was crashed out on the dog bed in my office as I edited photos. The temptation to add a Crown Royal bottle and take a shot was just too great. :)
--jay
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Picture a Day #160, July 5th, 2014
I am catching up on editing photos this weekend. This is a edit from an earlier shoot with Madison Rynn Johnson.
--jay
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Picture a Day #159, July 4th, 2014
This is a "Reservoir Dogs" inspired shot taken by the second photographer at Ben and Stephanie's wedding on Saturday.
--jay
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Picture a Day #158, July 3rd, 2014
This is another wedding image from Ben and Stephanie's wedding this last Saturday. High Impact Creations LLC was chosen to capture their memories.
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #157, July 2nd, 2014
I took this picture back in August or September last year but I pulled this photo out for a fresh edit. This is the from the Footville Rodeo. High Impact Creations LLC provides photos for the Footville Rodeo's promotional usage and you'll find another photo from this event on the rodeo event posters for the 2014 rodeo, which will be held 8/15-8/17 just outside of Footville.
High Impact Creations LLC will be gathering photos once again at the Footville rodeo and at several other rodeos in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
--jay
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Picture a Day #156, July 1st, 2014
This is another photograph from the Ben and Stephanie's wedding on Saturday. This is the mother helping the bride with her dress.
--jay
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Picture a Day #155, June 30th, 2014
This is Alyssa Spangler--the photo is from an end of summer shoot High Impact Creations hosted in September. The shoot brought together many models, photographers, and makeup artists from Wisconsin and Illinois. Throughout the day, different themes were explored. Here, Alyssa poses in a classic pinup style.
--jay
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Picture a Day #154, June 29th, 2014
Picture a Day #154 is a new edited from a February shoot with Madison Rynn Johnson.
--jay
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All Images Copyright (C) 2014 High Impact Creations LLC. Please do not copy.
I, along with my second shooter, Chuck Flynn, had the honor of capturing memories of Ben and Stephanie's beautiful wedding day yesterday. Here is a quick preview of the day!
--jay
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Picture a Day #153, June 28th, 2014
I was honored to photograph the wedding of Stephanie and Ben Pfieffer today. The weather made the day quite challenging, I almost, ALMOST, complained that winter was better. I know! I know! I know! This past winter was brutal. ;) But I said I almost complained, in the end I didn't.
This lovely couple wanted their pics taken at the gardens. We stopped by for a bit and took several. Here is one of them.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #152, June 27th, 2014
Admittedly, this is one heck of a cluttered photo and not particularly artistic or awe-inspiring. I got that. The significance of this photo is the new addition to my office: a Canon Pixma Pro-1 printer! I've pondered the purchase of a good printer for some time and I've always put off the purchase because I work with top of the line printing facilities and because these are rather pricey to operate. The drawback I always run into, though, is the ability to produce very small quantities of prints that need to get done fast but do not necessarily add up to meet the minimum order at some of the labs. Print prices at the labs have also crawled up significantly over the past couple of years. So, with a little big of prodding from some friends, I finally broke down and purchased the top of the line in Canon's professional desktop photo print line. The shipping weight on this was 79 pounds!
So I spent some time this afternoon experimenting with the various settings and papers to determine what looks best. That wedding couple image coming out of the printer is a 13"x19" print--which is the maximum print size this beast can handle.
Off to the left is my gear case all opened up. I have all of my batteries rotating through the charges, getting ready for a wedding tomorrow in Janesville.
Have a great weekend!
--jay
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Picture a Day #151, June 26th, 2014
I had a rather long day today so I wasn't able to pick the camera up to take some photos. I did, however, have time to do a new edit from a recent bridal shoot with Paiton. I've worked with Paition several times and she is a blast to work with--and she gets quite a bit of practice posing as a bride. Some day, when she actually does get married, I suspect she'll spend more time posing for the camera. :)
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #150, June 25th, 2014
Macy finally makes her debut on the Picture a Day project. We adopted Macy a few months ago. She's about one and a half years old and she has tons of puppy energy--and tendencies. At a certain time of the evening, the sun shines through the blinds in my home office. Macy thinks there is something on the wall and examines it, licks it, paws it, barks at it--you name it.
At any rate, she stopped examining the light long enough to pose for this shot.
Enjoy!! --jay
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Picture a Day #149, June 24th, 2014
The picture a day post for this day is another fresh edit from a photoshoot earlier in this year. This particular photo is from a March modeling photoshoot and the model is Sandy Munoz.
Enjoy!! --jay
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Picture a Day #148, June 23rd, 2014
I finished editing photos from the Rock County Historical Society's 2014 5k/10k walk/run taken on June 14th. This particular photo is form the kid's run--which is considerably shorter than the 5k! This is probably about the distance I would be most comfortable running at: one end of the lawn to the next!
If you are looking for more photos from this event, you can find them here: http://www.highimpactcreations.com/p625203843
--jay
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Picture a Day #147, June 22nd, 2014
I provided photographic services for the Rock County Historical Society's Summer Solstice fundraiser this evening. Here's a quick look.
--jay
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This is part II of the "If You Build It, They Won't Come" post. http://www.highimpactcreations.com/blog/2014/6/if-you-build-it-they-wont-come
But these bands likely lost money by hiring a crew to set up the equipment, hauling all the equipment to Waukesha, flying band members to the show, covering hotel costs for the band and crew, etc. There is a lot of cost that occurs just for the band to get to the show--just as there are for each fan to get there. How on Earth could a band go on the road to perform for fans without receiving the compensation they need to put on that show? Someone has to pick up the costs and, in this case, it was up to the promoter to pay those costs. Without someone there to pay for the equipment, for the crew, for the travel expenses, etc., each band member would have to pony up enough money out of their own pockets to cover those expenses--which means each of them better have a good-paying job that doesn't mind if they ever show up!
That seems to be a common problem with people that work in photography, they are often expected to take a photo and deliver it to someone electronically, for free. The reasoning is usually similar to what happened in Waukesha: the photographer was there, the equipment was there, why not just take the picture? Oh! And if it isn't printed out, it doesn't cost the photographer anything to send the image over. The problem with that is similar to the problem these rock bands ran into: if everything is already there and set up on the stage, why not just go ahead and play "for the fans." Would it actually cost anything more for that 1 hour that they are on the stage? After all, they're not paying the electrical bill to run the amplifiers and they probably aren't using any pyrotechnics for this show. Of course, that seems unreasonable because the bands did incur those costs whether they picked up their instruments and played or not. There is absolutely no way they could be there if all of those costs were not covered in some way. Additionally, some of these entertainers took time away from a family vacation to be there! And, if they were not there, they all could have been someplace else making a living.
Photographers routinely go through this same scenario but the decisions that they made along the way are the opposite. I don't feel compelled to itemize all of the money that photographers have tied up in equipment just as the bands have money tied up in equipment. The cost is rather substantial. Then there's the traveling costs and all the costs associated with providing service, such as private galleries on the web (that won't get hacked.) And there's the opportunity costs associated with providing free services. Opportunity costs refer to the money that could have been made pursuing a different task.
I mentioned that photographers took an opposite approach than the bands did last night. This is true, I see so many very good photographers giving their work away as content to self-published magazines, for example. I know these magazines do not have a sufficient audience to generate any business for the photographer so I hesitate to equate this form of publishing to traditional forms of publishing like an editorial in the Knot magazine.
The same mechanics are at play with retail photography where clients ask for digital files of photographs. That is an element that I've always struggled with because many photographers are happy to hand those files right over. From a business stand point it is quite difficult to turn over all the raw production ingredients to a client without an enormous bill to cover all of the equipment, training, staff pay checks, marketing, etc., that goes goes into producing those images. They cannot be separated yet so many photographers are willing to do that and, as a result, the photography industry is dramatically different than it was 20 years ago. Some of the changes are good and some are bad.
On the bad side, there is an expectation that digital files will be given to customers. Sometimes that expectation can cloud every other aspect of the transaction. Generally speaking, customers that come to High Impact Creations LLC do not expect RAW files but I am often asked for digital files and I provide watermarked, web sized images that can be used on social media sites--but only after an image has been purchased in a print product or, if a client really wants to have that high resolution file, I can make it available at a fee that covers all of the expenses that went into making that image in the first place. That generally means I cannot shoot a wedding and hand over a CD with the images for $500.
So what is the good side to all of this? Well, it reveals whether or not there is actual value in the work produced by photographers. If someone wants to make a living as a photographer, the perceived value of their product has to be sufficient enough to entice customers to purchase their work. That seems pretty simple but let's go back to these bands in Waukesha. Anyone could get up on the stage and play. Oh, I know what you're thinking, not everyone can play guitar, not everyone can sing. I'll raise my hand there, I have absolutely zero talent in the voice category. I think I could probably get someone to pay me NOT to sing! But, given a crowd of sufficient size, you'll likely find a good amount of people that could sing the words of a song. Of course, if you wanted to find someone in that same crowd that sounds like the band's singer, and sang the song just like that band's vocalist, chances are you'd be out of luck. And that is why everyone showed up and paid $30-$100 for their tickets--it is because they wanted to see THAT band. They wanted to see Firehouse or Lita Ford, not Amy Smith from Brookfield. By the way, if there is someone named Amy Smith in Brookfield, I apologize, I tried to make up a fictitious character here. I'm sure you're a great person Amy!
Each photographer is different just as every band is different. Every photographer brings all of their life experiences to the shoot. Those life experiences shape everything: the composition, the subject matter, the tones, the mood, you name it! If five photographers approach the same subject for a photo shoot, you'll likely find five completely different photographs in the end. Therein lies the variable in the photography equation: not all photographers are created equal and it is up to the prospective client to determine the value of each photographer's work and whether or not it is of sufficient value to warrant a purchase. I think an informal survey of photographers in the market would reveal that those photographers that are successful, that is, they are making a decent living at their craft, aren't just good, they're great. That is because the bar to go from an okay photographer to a great one has been raised quite high and anyone that appreciates (sees the value) in photography sees the difference between these two ends of the spectrum.
Somehow we've gotten through quite a few topics here from 80s hair bands to the evolution of the photo industry over the past 20 years. I'm pretty sure a professional editor would hack this two part series down to something that makes a bit more sense--but I am not one soooo. Rock on everyone!
--jay
Anyone that knows me well knows that I have a broad appreciation for music, and when I say "broad" I mean different styles. I like electronic dance music and the various sub-genres associated with it, I like classic rock, rock, southern rock, some of the more tasteful country (don't torture me with bro-country please), classical, yes I appreciate classical music as well. But I hold an especially fond appreciation for metal, particularly hair metal! I grew up listening to the likes of Motley Crue, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Guns n Roses, Iron Maiden (favorite alert), AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Dangerous Toys, Sepultura, Megadeth, etc., etc., etc. Heck, anyone that is friends with me on Facebook knows that I like to post YouTube links to old 80s videos.
Given my love for all things rock n roll I jumped at the opportunity to attend an event in Waukesha yesterday that featured a lineup of bands that were big in the 80s. This outdoor show featured Warrant, Lita Ford, Firehouse, Quiet Riot, and Eric Martin of Mr. Big. I purchased VIP tickets a few months ago and held this day open. I turned down a few photo shoot opportunities and the income associated with it. To be safe, I kept today open as well so I wouldn't show up at a shoot in, well, less than stellar condition. Just to be safe, my wife booked a hotel room near the show so that we could safely stay off the roads after the show. Unfortunately, that meant that our two dogs, Radar and Macy, had to spend the night at the kennel. Of course, we feel guilty so we make sure they have some meaty bones to naw on while they are there.
Just as we pulled into the parking lot for the show, rain drops begin to fall. Fortunately, it never really rained out heavily, I would categorize it as sprinkles with brief periods of light rain. This went on for a couple hours. Remember, this is an outdoor event and grounds were a bit soft from the abundance of rainfall over the past week already. My initial impression of the event was that the attendance seemed a bit light. We had gotten there early so I didn't think much about it. One aspect of the venue did strike me as odd though, and that would be the absence of any sponsorship banners or signs. I would expect logos from beer companies, perhaps some logos from health care providers and such. I know it sounds odd to mention health care providers sponsoring a hair band concert but keep in mind that the audience is almost all 40 years old or older!
The moment I entered the VIP area, I heard other guests complaining about such things as drink tickets: some of the guests thought that the VIP ticket included unlimited drinks. At the gate we were given 3 drink tickets. We were also given a ticket to get a dinner from the caterer. Honestly, I think having an open bar in the State of Wisconsin is one heck of an expensive proposition so I wasn't even planning on getting beer tickets with the VIP ticket. My expectation with the VIP ticket was simply to have a goo place to sit up front--and the ticket delivered just that.
As the show began, Eddie Trunks came out to handle emcee duties. Eddie Trunk hosts "That Metal Show" on VH1 and he has a nationally syndicated radio show. Eddie introduced Eric Martin, who is the lead singer of Mr. Big. Remember Mr. Big? They had a couple of hits like, "To Be With You" and "Wild World."
Following a handful of songs by Eric Martin. Eddie Trunk and Eric Martin came down to the fence line to give some autographs and pose with fans for photos. Eric Martin, in particular, really spent a lot of time chatting with fans. Oddly, while this was going on, the activity on the stage was strangely lethargic. Firehouse was supposed to play next but rumors soon began to work through the crowd that Firehouse wasn't going to play because the promoter didn't have enough money to pay them. There were other rumors as well, such as the band getting tied up at an airport. Soon, stagehands removed the Firehouse drum set and gear so that Lita Ford's stage was ready to go. Some more time went by before someone finally got up on stage and announced that the show would be postponed. The announcer didn't give an explanation.
Eddie Trunks made some Tweets on Twitter where he said everyone, including himself, had just found out that the promoter could not pay them the contracted amount of money. That being the case, the bands decided not to perform. Who could blame them? Firehouse charged $10,000 for the show. Some angry fans made posts on band Facebook pages suggesting the bands should have played anyways because they were there and the fans were there. I believe that doing so would have opened up a can of worms where promoters book bands without ever intending to pay them, and then expect them to play for free or at a much reduced price. I applaud the bands for sticking to their guns on this.
---To be continued.
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Picture a Day #146, June 21st, 2014
I rarely get to share many business head shots on my photography page but they are a staple of my work. This morning, I had an opportunity to take a head shot of a fellow photographer! This is Angelea and, while this will likely not be the best photograph out of the photo shoot for a business photo, I liked the attitude and decided to make it the picture a day photo.
--jay
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Picture a Day #145, June 20th, 2014
The sun has just slipped below the horizon but its glow hangs on for a bit longer. Weeds in the empty lot across the street from my house have been well watered this week! Heck: my lawn has mushrooms growing all over the place because of all the rain this week. At any rate, enjoy the picture a day #145.
--jay
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Picture a Day #144, June 19th, 2014
I was up in Sheboygan for a couple days this week for a conference. As I often do, I zig-zagged back to Janesville on the Wisconsin back roads. If you are ever looking for a fun day trip, try following the Kettle Moraine for as long as possible. You'll find all kinds of neat treasures. Today, for example, I found a mill pond in Dundee. The mill house is still there with a water wheel on it. I grabbed some photos of it for my picture a day project but ultimately, I liked this abandoned farm the best.
The house and barn show in this photo seem to be abandoned. Behind that house are more outbuildings. While I would have preferred an angle that showed those buildings as well, those big trees in the front blocked me from getting that shot.
When I see old farms like this I often imagine what life was like on that farm from day to day. Perhaps the farmer walked across the door yard every morning to the barn for milking and other chores. Tractors would have been parked here and there. A milk truck might be parked up front unloading the milk tank in the milk house. As some farmers are still working on bringing in hay, perhaps an elevator would be reaching into the hay mow.
At any rate, this photo is the picture of the day for my picture a day project.
Enjoy!! --jay
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Picture a Day #143, June 18th, 2014
I have been up in Sheboygan for a conference so I haven't had a chance to break away and take another picture. Honestly, the weather was so horrible today (June 18th) that I couldn't even see Lake Michigan past the shoreline: it was nothing but a wall of white fog.
At any rate, this is a fresh edit of an image taken at the same location the night before. This pier goes out about a quarter of a mile into Lake Michigan. This was taken at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI.
Enjoy! --jay
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Picture a Day #142, June 17th, 2014
I am up at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan, WI, for a couple of days for a conference. This is a panoramic image of the Lake Michigan shorline at the resort.
Enjoy!! --jay
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Picture a Day #141, June 16th, 2014
I was holding out for some thunderstorms today but that simply hasn't happened--and if it does, they'll likely go north. So instead of a fresh picture, I am presenting a fresh edit of a recent wedding workshop. This photo was taken in some of the worst lighting conditions imaginable for a photographer, nevertheless, I think the composition and the dram pulls it through.
--jay
High Impact Creations LLC provides assorted photography services in Janesville and surrounding areas of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Photography services include wedding photography, engagement photos, high school seniors, business head shots, pinup, boudoir, glamour, and model portfolios.
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Picture a Day #140, June 15th, 2014
I spent much of the day out at the Edgerton FFA's tractor/truck pull. Of course, there's no way I can attend such an event without bringing the camera with me! I wish I would have brought the sun screen as well, now I am as red as that tractor. At any rate, this was a great event with a pretty good attendance.. Here's one photo of an IH pulling the sled.
I decided to go one step further and share all of the photos here as well. The slide show below contains all of them.
Enjoy!!! --jay
High Impact Creations LLC is based in Janesville, WI, but provides photographic services in most of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Those services include wedding photography, model photography, high school seniors, business head shots, event photographer, boudoir, and pinup.
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Picture a Day, June 14th, 2014
I saw this old Farmall tractor hooked up to a New Holland Baler in a field by Afton early this morning when I was on my way out to a photo shoot. I figured I might catch this rig in action on the way back late this morning and I lucked out! They were just starting to bale this hay field.
When I was growing up I worked for many area farmers in my home town--sometimes stacking bales on the back of a flat wagon as these guys are today. Often times, the baler would be equipped with a throwing mechanism that tosses the bales into an enclosed wagon. That wagon would then need to be unloaded into the hay mow of the farmer's barn. One person would put the bales of hay on an elevator while another person would be on the hay mow side of that elevator. There job was to take the bales and stack them in the hay mow--which was usually hot and very dusty.
Much of that manual labor has been replaced by more efficient methods of collecting the hay these days. Some smaller operations, typically hobby farms or horse boarding farms still do this here and there.
I posted the picture a day earlier today because I will spend much of the remaining day at the Rock County Historical Society's 5k/10k walk/run. This event is at the Janesville Lincoln-Tallman House. Even if you are not participating in the walk/run, please consider coming out: Rainbow Bridge will be playing, refreshments will be plenty, they will be roasting a pig, and it is a great event for the whole family!
High Impact Creations LLC has partnered with the Rock County Historical Society for the past two years to provide promotional photographs for their marketing efforts. I'll be posting some photos on this blog over the coming days.
Have an excellent weekend!!!
--jay
High Impact Creations LLC is a professional photography provider in Janesville, WI, as well as surrounding areas in Southern Wisconsin and Norther Illinois. We provide event photography, business head shots, modeling portfolios, boudoir, glamour, pinup, seniors, engagement, and wedding photography.
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Picture a Day #138, June 13th, 2014
A full moon and it's Friday the 13th! Oddly, I was born on Friday the 13th and it was a full moon that day--plus my name is Jason so I get triple points today. At any rate, here is the full moon as seen from my back yard. That straight dark shape to the right is actually the neighbor's house.
Enjoy your frightful, er, I mean Friday night!
--jay
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Picture a Day #137, June 12th, 2014
Spring is definitely passing us by. The irises in the back yard have now shriveled up to take their rightful place next to the tulips that have now given way to the emerging lilies.
This summer is going to fly by pretty quick. Don't waste a minute of it!
--jay
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Picture a Day #136, June 11th, 2014
Well this is, quite literally, epic! I missed the picture a day project that I dropped exactly one year ago. I've been waiting for some time to pick it up again and, given that the last picture a day post was on June 10th of 2013, I thought today would be the perfect day to relaunch the project.
I think one of the reasons why I wanted to pick the project up again at this time of year is probably because of agriculture. I grew up working farms in Fond du Lac County. Because of that, I still pay attention to everything going on in the Wisconsin countryside. During the last couple of weeks, farmers across the state harvested the first crop of alfalfa (hay.) When I was growing up I never passed up an opportunity to earn a buck by unloading hay wagons or stacking bails of hay in the barn. Sometimes I would have the opportunity to rake the hay beforehand as well. The tractor of choice there was an old Case SC. This particular Case SC model had the narrow wheeled front end and a hand clutch. The hand clutch was great seeing that I was a pretty small guy and I probably couldn't reach the pedals otherwise.
I saw an old, rusted out hay baler on a flatbed hauler a few months ago while I was on my way to a photo shoot in Germantown. Actually, the trailer was moving slow and I was stuck behind it for several miles. But that was about the point where I decided I wanted to pick up the photo a day project again so that I can share some of the summer farming activities that I encounter in my travels across Wisconsin--and my travels almost always detour through the countryside!
This field isn't a hay field, it is wheat. Given that today is June 11th, harvest really isn't that far off. Look for combines to be out in about 5 weeks from now. Combines separate the grain from the stalk and leaves the stalks or straw, in the field. Straw is baled just like hay and used for cattle bedding. Wheat and oat crops leave the byproduct of straw.
This picture was taken on Newville Road just north of Janesville, WI. Actually, this is about 3 pictures stacked on top of each other using the HDR feature of the camera. The lens is a 16-35mm Canon L series.
Thanks for stopping by and checking it out.
--jay
]]>(The slideshow is best viewed at full screen: mouse over the slide show and look to the very bottom right for the full-screen icon.)
High Impact Creations LLC photographs weddings in Janesville, Southern Wisconsin, and Norther Illinois.
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Picture a Day #135, June 10th, 2013
Turkey on the grill! This is how we do it in Wisconsin!
--jay
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Picture a Day #134, June 9th, 2013
I met with some wedding clients over in Madison today. On the way back I caught this farmer out planting yet. He was racing some angry looking clouds.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #133, June 8th, 2013
I visited the Illinois Railroad Museum today not just because I love old trains, but because I needed to gather some images for some digital compositions that I am working on. During the process, I snapped this image.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #132, June 7th, 2013
If you know what this is, you've got Wisconsin flowing through your blood--and probably a good amount of whole milk as well. Anyone?
jay
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Picture a Day #131, June 6th, 2013
I thought I would be sneaky and get a picture a of these three deer as they hung out along the tree line at Clear Lake. Unfortunately, they were to quick and all I got was this fuzzy hip shot. :( Maybe next time.
jay
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Picture a Day #130, June 5th, 2013
This is a freshly edited image that was captured earlier in the week. This Norwegian Settlement Church is located somewhere in the backroads of Green County.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #129, June 4th, 2013
Everybody gets tired sometimes, and so does Radar.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #128, June 3rd, 2013
Yet another reason why June is my favorite month!! (By the way--I am just now coming out and admitting that.) The sky today was bluer than blue and the big white clouds covered the Wisconsin sky. If you haven't ever done so: take the time to get out in the Wisconsin countryside on a day like this and take in the scenery.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #127, June 2nd, 2013
This is just one of the many reasons why June is my favorite month. There's no place like Wisconsin in June!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #126, June 1st, 2013
This picture is from an open house at the Rock County Historical Society taken this afternoon. The chicks hatched this morning and made an appearance at the open house courtesy of the McFarland Pheasant Farms. This open house is the beginning of a year long project, "Breadbasket, Seed to Spoon." High Impact Creations LLC is providing photography services throughout the project. Watch here for event pictures. The next major event is on June 15th: the Lincoln-Tallman Father's Day Eve 5K Fun Dash. More information is available at the Rock County Historical Society's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rockctyhistory.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #125, May 31st, 2013
Often times I will take photos of abstract objects so that I can use the images later on in digital compositions. The heavy rains brought a fresh crop of mushrooms to my back yard and today, as I took this photography, Radar decided to step and investigate further.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #124, May 30th, 2013
This is another image that I pulled from a creative hair and makeup shoot last fall. I wanted to try out a couple of new retouching techniques. To be honest, the model here really didn't need much touch up--the techniques are more for theatrical effect rather than for correction.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #123, May 29th, 2013
I've been waiting to share this image for almost two months! Unfortunately, I sometimes have to wait awhile before sharing images publicly because of the possibility of conflicts with magazine publications. Today I was given the go-ahead to share this and I put the final touches on it this evening.
This is an image of a model friend of mine, Jane Love. Well, it is Jane Love x2! The body paint is the work of Fox Valley body painter, Ottoz Kustomz. Jane's hair was styled by Alex Chili Jankowski, a stylist from Racine.
The concept here is a raven. Both images of Jane were shot on a plane background--as was the cage. All the other elements are digital composites from others. The desert floor, for example, is from kjherstin-stock.deviantart.com. The tree is a stock image as well.
I spent several hours pulling this one together and I was definitely interested by surreal artistry. After all: what could be more surreal of a bird staring at itself in a cage? Especially when the cage's door is open? I'll leave it up to you to interpret that.
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #122, May 28th, 2013
Storms rolled through tonight. I happened to be on the very northern edge of the line so I was able to hang out in the back yard and watch the action without getting wet. I was looking for that bolt of lightning. I captured several of them but it was mostly cloud-to-cloud lightning so the lightning bolts were small streaks between the clouds--nothing to brag about. At any rate, this photo has lightning hidden behind the cloud.
Storms are in the forecast all week, perhaps I'll get that whopper lightning strike yet!!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #120, May 27th, 2013
Sometimes a photo is available right outside your own front door! Water droplets are still clinging to these tulips in the small flower garden six feet from my front door.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a day #120, May 26th, 2013
Here is a look at the final set of images by Mandy and Torrey. I had the honor of capturing their engagement photos 1 week ago at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville. They were a fun to work with and I think we all had a blast that afternoon! I rarely post images on here of couples but High Impact Creations is available for engagement and couples photos as well.
Enjoy!!
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Picture a Day #119, May 25th, 2013
The Staller Winery held an open house today. If you don't know where this is, it is located on County A, just past HWY 89, in Walworth County. I drive by that location frequently and have driven by there many times over the years. This particular location was, many years in the past, a dairy farm. Back in 2007 the property was for sale. Of course, it was nothing more than a collection of farm outbuildings and a house at that time. Now those house buildings include a fully-enclosed gazebo and are flanked by rows of grape vines on either side.
I spoke with the Stallers--the young couple that started the businesses, at their open house. They have an interesting story to tell and it
was refreshing to see a new business thrive against the back drop of the great recession. During the open house, food was available--including these huge blocks of cheese as seen here. The Turtle Creek Chamber Orchestra performed for a couple of hours right in the gazebo. Good times!
Enjoy!!!
--jay
Picture a Day #118, May 24th, 2013
I grabbed this shot of the full moon positioned just over my back yard for this picture a day submission.
--jay
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Here we go: stretching the picture a day project parameters again! :) This video was today in the social networks. This is another collaboration between High Impact Creations LLC and Key Frames Video to produce a fun promotional video for the upcoming Rock County Historical Society 5K run, which will take place June 15th.
The main character in this video is Milton School teacher, Val Croft. Most of the kids are from the Milton track team.
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #116, May 22nd, 2013
I took a joy ride out towards Indianford this evening to get a better shot of an interesting storm cloud that was passing through Northern Rock County. I kept driving in closer until I reached Newville and found that I was right in the middle of it! This is a photo taken from underneath the I90 overpass. The exposure is 1.6 seconds, which creates the dreamy blurry effect that you see in the water. The water (Rock River) is disturbed by the falling rain and those multiple water falls in the distance are from the rain draining off of the interstate.
By the way, here is the cloud I was chasing after. Enjoy!! --jay
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Picture a Day #115, May 21st, 2013
Today I worked with Bob of KeyFramesVideo to finish a promotional video for the upcoming Rock County Historical Society Father's Day Eve (6/15) 5K run. I will share the video shortly but for now, here is a newly edited photo taken the day of that shoot.
--jay
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Picture a Day #115, May 20th, 2013
This is another image from a fun engagement shoot over the weekend with Mandy and Torrey. The photo shoot was at Janesville's Rotary Botanical Gardens. Despite a grey sky, we were able to produce some magical images such as this one.
Thanks again Mandy and Torrey for sharing these!
--jay
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Picture a Day #113, May 19th, 2013
This newly composited image is the first image I've released from a recent creative photo shoot. The model here is High Impact Creations LLC brand ambassador, Alicia. I'll update this post a bit later with the hair and makeup artist information. The background was created by E-DinaPhotoArt (http://e-dinaphotoart.deviantart.com/).
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #112, May 18th, 2013
I spent the afternoon with this wonderful couple, Mandy and Torrey, shooting their engagement photos. This is a quick edit from that session. I pulled this particular photo, not because it meets a set of criteria that, in turn, confirms a merit of excellence upon it, rather, I felt that this image really cut through all of the constraints of photography and simply showed a special moment that these two were able to enjoy. I hope you can see it too!
--jay
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Picture a Day #111, May 17th, 2013
Occasionally I like to flip back to a random shoot and pull out a new photo that I haven't released before. Time does wonders to the eyesight. This photo is from a crazy hair and makeup shoot at the Green Olive Studio back in September. The model is Cassi S., hair and makeup was done by Alex Chili Jankowski.
The name of the photo is "Surrender to me."
--jay
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Picture a Day #110, May 16th, 2013
Yesterday I posted a vibrate photograph featuring a deep blue sky with white clouds peaking out from the treetops. Today I am going in an opposite direction with this darker image taken at the Indianford Dam. Although this was taken in bright sunlight, I was able to expose for 6 seconds by using a neutral density filter.
A neutral density filter is like a piece of dark plexiglass placed over the camera lens. The dark glass blocks light from entering the lens, which in turn, means that the shutter must be held open for a longer period of time to achieve a proper exposure. That long exposure time creates the blurred motion effect seen here in the water.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #109, May 15th, 2013
I probably posted a shot like this earlier this year as part of my picture a day project but I am posting a new version of it showing all the new green! That and I got a new circular polarizer today so I wanted to test it out. The polarizer cuts down glare off the water and eliminates some of the haze in the atmosphere--which leads to a bluer sky. Granted, the sky was looking pretty good today to begin with but I love to see the colors pop even more.
What a gorgeous day it has been!
--jay
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Picture a Day #108, May 14th, 2013
What a gorgeous day!!!! I hope you were able to get outside for a bit--I was!
This photo was taken down at the Riverside Park in Janesville. Although things are getting back to normal, this bench is still sitting in the higher waters created by the massive amount of rainfall several weeks ago.
Technically, this is actually three photos that were bracketed and merged together, it is an HDR photo. I try to keep the HDR look subtle as my goal here is to simply show off this wonderfully blue sky looking down in the mirror.
--jay
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Picture a Day #107, May 13th, 2013
I had a blast last summer taking photographs at the Footville Rodeo. The rodeo benefits the Vets Roll organization and their effort to honor our local World War II and Korean War veterans by taking them to their monuments in Washington DC. The Finnegan family from Beloit, especially Mark Finnegan, have dedicated countless hours of their time to making this happen.
This year, the rodeo will continue--but they have scheduled it for August. The marketing campaign will begin soon and I was asked to provide some photos for that effort. Here is one of them.
--jay
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Picture a Day #106, 5-12-13
Here is another newly edited photo of High Impact Creations Brand Ambassador, Shannon, from a recent shoot.
--jay
Janesville Photographer | Fashion Photography
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Picture a Day #105, May 11th, 2013
I am spending the weekend catching up with some outstanding edits. Here is another newly edited picture of High Impact Creaiton's brand ambassador, Shannon.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #104, 5-10-13
Here is another composite art piece that I just finished. The photograph of the model, Shannon, was taken in February. All of the other elements in this image, the rope, the lights, the floor, etc., were drawn in using Photoshop. I call this type of work "creative portraiture art." Producing these types of pieces is time consuming because of the nature of the creative process. Sometimes the creativity drive is in high gear, and at other times: not so much.
Another factor that increases the time involved in composite pieces is Photoshop skill. While I am quite competent at beauty retouching and such, composite portrait artwork requires skills far beyond that so producing an image might take even longer because of the learning curve required to produce a desired effect.
My first approach to producing this image was to search for a background similar to what is here. After several searches that consumed over an hour of time, in aggregate, I decided to simply draw the background myself. The ropes were made from Photoshop brushes. All the other elements were produced using the basic Photoshop tools such as the paint brush, rectangle, selection tools, blur filter, etc. I added a texture overlay to the floor to make it a bit more interesting.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #103, May 9th, 2013
I frequently travel through southern Wisconsin. When I have the opportunity to take the backgrounds, that's where I'll be--and I'll have the camera with me. This photo was taken northeast of Watertown. A creek nearby is still flooded into the adjacent woods that sports a new shade of green.
Enjoy!!
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Picture a Day #102, May 8th, 2013
When it comes to taking pictures of waterfalls, no matter how big or small, I love the effect created by dragging the shutter. Even at 1/5 of a second, as this was shot, the water takes on a magical glow. I regret that I did not have a neutral density filter with me today as I took this shot as I would have been able to expose even longer. Perhaps another time.
Enjoy!!
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Picture a Day #101, May 7th, 2013
I am getting back on track with the Picture a Day project after taking a few weeks off. Yes, I realize that I probably broke all the discipline built into the project but for good reason: I have been swamped over the past two months!! I guess that's a good thing.
I will post some new edits of some rather creative shoots from the past few weeks soon. The edits I am working on are composite photos that typically take me a many hours to complete. Just keep watching here.
The flowers in this photo were taken a the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, WI, this afternoon. I am proud to be working on a project for the Gardens with my video partner, Key Frames Video. The video will be unveiled this summer--stay tuned.
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #100, April 9th, 2013
Has it been 100 pictures already?! I'm not sure how many of the pictures have Alicia in them, but here's one more to add to that list! This is a freshly edited photo from the shoot last week. Thanks for stopping by and following my picture a day project.
--jay
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Picture a Day #99, April 8th, 2013
Here is a detail shot from a recent shoot.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #98, March 7th, 2013
I hope you had a chance to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather we had today!! Several anglers were out at Traxler Park and along the Rock River today casting away. I swung by just to get this quick shot of the Memorial Drive bridge over the Rock River.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #96, 4-06-13
Here is another edit from a recent photo shoot with High Impact Creations LLC brand ambassador, Alicia. Sure, you could sit on a chair like everyone else, or, break the norm!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #96, March 5th ,2013
The interesting thing about this model is that every time I shoot her she has a completely different set of colors in her hair! Today was not different. I had a quick shoot with Alicia in the studio and we worked on just a couple of concepts. The gas mask just happened to be sitting on the makeup counter so we through that in there as well. Good times!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #95, 4-04-13
I grabbed this shot this morning in downtown Janesville. This lone duck was enjoying the view of the Rock River on the cement wall.
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Picture a Day #94, April 3rd, 2013
This is the water level marker at Clear Lake in Rock County. During the 2008 flood, the water was at least half way up that stick--and it stayed that way for a few years before settling down. For now, enough ice remains on the lake for one brave angler to head out and fish it, but that isn't going to last for much longer as temperatures climb into the 60s over the next week.
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Picture a Day #93, April 2nd, 2013
Here is one of several log piles that were set up on Kiwanis Pond in Janesville. I assume they are going to provide cover for the fish once the ice melts and they fall through.
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Picture a Day #92, April 1st, 2013
Here's a quick image of the pavilion at the Rotary Gardens just as the sun transitions into the golden time of the day. I am really looking forward to capturing some spectacular images out here as the season changes.
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Picture a Day #91, March 31st, 2013
We originally did not plan to use this hat in this portfolio shoot but the hat was just sitting there begging to be photographed. The series of images that taken with it turned out great and introduced a vintage mood to the shoot.
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Picture a Day #90, March 30th, 2013
Here is another newly edited image from a recent portfolio shoot at the studio.
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Picture a Day #89, 3-29-13
Even as patches of snow remains, spring struggles to take over.
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Dairy Barn
This a bit of shift from the "People photography" that I normally do but this is another area that I am interested in: old barns and abandoned buildings. I grew up working on small farms and I love to capture images of small dairy farms whenever possible. Obviously, this image shows an old dairy barn that is no longer in use.
Vines are now starting to take over where a family, somewhere in the distant past, made a living raising and milking cows here. Several of the stalls are missing the stanchions. The gutters behind the stalls aren't even equipped with gutter cleaners! The old, manual gutter cleaning system consists of a track with a bucket on it. The track is still visible in this image in the upper left hand corner. At the back of the photograph are a couple of calf pens. Not seen in this image is the silo end of the barn where the farmer would store silage.
The image below is an image of the single silo at the end of this barn taken from the interior, looking up.
Obviously, I not only hold fond memories of farming but also an appreciation of the role agriculture plays here in Rock County and Wisconsin--in history and in the present. I am excited to announce that I will be the official "Breadbasket: Seed to Spoon" photographer for the Rock County Historical Society over the next year. The Breadbasket project is a historical look at agriculture in Rock County. Here is a link to the Rock County Historical Society's post on the topic: http://www.rchs.us/breadbasket-seed-to-spoon/.
In additional to taking photographs a these events, I will be working working with my video partner, KeyFramesVideo, to produce a promotional video for the Lincoln 5K run on 6/15 and the paranormal investigations coming up this fall. I am pretty excited to work with an organization dedicated to preserving our memories.
By the way: I am always looking for old barns to photograph. If you know of any (and can get permission), please let me know by emailing [email protected].
--jay
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Picture a Day #88, March 28th, 2013
Spring is on the way!! Finally! This photo is an HDR image taken at the Rotary Botanical Gardens this afternoon. There actually three images stacked one on another to get the dynamic range seen here.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #87, March 27th, 2013
I went back to a recent shoot with Shannon for a new image for today's picture a day submission.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #86, March 26th, 2013
This is a photo of Bass Creek taken as some interesting cloud formations were moving into Rock County this evening.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #85, March 25th, 2013
I've made dresses out of newspaper, coffee filters, and caution tape for photoshoots so I certainly didn't get tied in knots over making a skirt out of rope for this shoot on Saturday!!! Alright, the humor was dry. The texture of the rope creates a nice contrast with the skin texture and the black and white finish focuses the viewer's attention to that texture.
Enjoy!
-jay
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Picture a Day #84, March 24th, 2013
This is a freshly edited headshot from yesterday's shoot with Sienna.
--jay
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Picture a Day #83, March 23rd, 2013
Yep! That's me. I had some time to kill before a shoot this afternoon so I played with some light modifiers for awhile. Shooting a self-portrait is a bit of a challenge because the camera has to prefocus on the spot where my head will be. then I need to guess what the rotation of melon needs to be to get the lighting where I want it.
I am posting this photo pretty late as I just got back from the photo shoot a little while ago. Look for some images in the coming days.
--jay
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Picture a Day #82, March 22nd, 2013
The slow warming during the day and cooling at night has caused ice to build up in some of my rain spouts. Here the bottom of the spout was pushed off by the advancing rain spout glacier. Soon, April shows will replace the ice--and soon cannot come fast enough!
--jay
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Picture a Day #81, March 21st, 2013
The Rock River still has a bit of surface ice on it here and there but that will be gone soon enough. This photo was taken just after 7pm this evening--right after the sun went down. Several ducks were out playing yet, oh: and one photographer.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #80 March 20th, 2013
Water is beginning to move through the Indianford Dam a bit quicker as the snow begins to melt. Yes, it was pretty cool out but it is the first day of spring and good weather will be here soon enough!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #79, March 19th, 2013
This is supposed to be the last day of winter--but the weather forecast has a different story to tell. That makes tomorrow the first day of spring. Groundhogs have an odd sense of humor and the early prediction of spring by a rodent named "Phil" is cruel at best.
This photo was taken in Rock County. The snow was blowing across the field and sometimes across the road as well.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #78, March 18th, 2013
Here is another freshly edited photo from a recent boudoir style photo shoot.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #77, March 17th, 2013
This is straight from the kitchen! My wife makes up these breakfast cups with eggs and assorted other ingredients each week.
--jay
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Picture a Day #76, March 16th, 2013
I pulled this out of the archives and edited it up because I am planning photoshoots into May and I needed a reference of what the world looks like without snow on the ground!!! This photo was taken in May of last year at the Fond du Lac Lakeside Park, from on top of the lighthouse.
I grew up in that area and I had quite a few fond memories cruising that park as a teenager. I don't think that kids cruise that park anymore--the tradition had apparently died years ago, but when I was young this stretch was the turnaround point for cars on the cruise--and they'd be stacked up bumper to bumper every night!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #75, March 15th, 2013
I am posting this a day late but it was a photo taken yesterday during an actress portfolio shoot. The young actress here, Courtney, favors the traditional black and white images that traditionally occupy the portfolios of live artists. Of course, that made for an exciting shoot for me as well!!
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #74, March 14th, 2013
Spring is quickly approaching and I am looking forward to getting back outdoors for some shoots. Here is a newly released photo from a shoot last summer.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #73, March 12th 2013
I had a meeting tonight in downtown Janesville to discuss targeted marketing, I know: it is a bitt off the photography business but tarketed marketing is part and parcel to some of my public figure photography and promotion. At any rate, this band started to play so I jumped in and got this shot. I think I jumped in front of a video camera to get it, which made the person capturing the video rather unhappy. Speaking of video and photography, if you hire a photographer/video team that works together nicely, you could avoid the problems that occur when hiring them seperately. A good photography/videography team knows how to work together to get the best shots while keeping out of each other's shots. High Impact Creations LLC works with KeyFrames Video to produce wedding and event videos. Give me a call when you need video for your next event or wedding.
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Picture a Day #72, March 12th 2013
Well, it is has been awhile since Radar has shown up for a visit at the Picture a Day blog! Anytime I get near the front door he comes over to see if anyone is approaching the house. Here he propped up against the window which, by the way, has very little finish left on it, checking things out.
--jay
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Picture a Day #71, March 11th, 2013
Here is another newly edited image from a recent shoot with Lulu. The wardrobe was a challenge to work with as it flows rather loosely. Here Lulu makes the best of it by extending her arms and shifting her weight back to create more form.
--jay
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Picture a Day #70, March 10th, 2013
An interesting challenge cropped up during this photoshoot: I realized that I had forgotten my laptop computer power supply and the laptop batteries were dead. To compound the problem, I only had a limited amound of compact flash space available. The rest of the shoot was performed as though we were using film--which meant every shot had to count. In retrospect, it was a great exercise and lead to some great shots. Here is one of them! This is Shannon.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #69, March 9th, 2013
Here is a fresh edit from a recent shoot with Alicia, one of High Impact Creation's brand ambassador models.
--jay
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Picture a Day #68, March 8th, 2013
Some people are blessed with the ability to cut dovetails flawlessly by hand, others develop that skill after constant practice. I am neither! So here was my first attempt at building a jig to cut dovetails with a router. It worked out ok and I used the jig to make drawers for a cherry jewelry chest of drawers for my wife. I later purchased a much better jig.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #67, March 7th, 2013
Yep!!! That's snow on that firewood! Winter just won't quit this year!!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #66, March 6th, 2013
I've been spending quite a bit of my photography time working on creative pictures and pictures that are consistent with modeling portfolios. I thought I'd take a break from those genres and finish a photograph from a recent boudoir-style shoot.
Boudior comes from French origon, it is a lady's private bedroom, sitting room, or dressing room. Boudoir photography tends to be more elegant than other genres of photography, such as glamour, or semi nude portrait.
Those that read this blog regularly know that I am a big fan of black and white photography. I believe that black and white photography removes distracting colors and forces the viewer to spend more time looking at textures and shapes. I also believe that black and white photography seasons a photo with a timeless elegance and safistication--and those are the qualities that should come through in a boudoir shoot. Absent those qualities, the photo becomes more about glamour photography rather than boudoir.
One of the more common uses of boudoir photography these days is as a gift from a new bride to her groom on the day before or the day of the wedding.
This photo features High Impact Creation's brand ambassador Alicia. Alicia is also featured in High Impact Creations second promotional video:
Enjoy!!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #65, March 5th, 2013
This was a fun image to create. There are actually two images in here brought together over a Photoshopped tear. The model here, Mandy, is very creative. She spent about a year working on this dress, which is made out of red duct tape. I think the dress has a sci-fi look to it and I'll be creating another image from this set that is inspired by sci-fi.
I like to think that this type of creativity is the hallmark of my style. Of course, in this case, the creativity was a product of teamwork and I am fortunate to have worked on some wonderful teams!
Enjoy!!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #64, March 4th 2013
This is a new edit form a recent photo shoot. The model here is Mandy. I've said it before and I'll likely say it a thousand more times: I love black and white. Here is a high-key black and white.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #63, March 3rd 2013
This a freshly edited photo from a recent shoot with Melissa. Melissa competed today in the Miss Illinois International pageant and finished very strong as the 2nd runner up. Congratulations Melissa!!!
jay
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Picture a Day #62, March 2nd, 2013
Here is picture a day #62. I thought I'd edit up another photo from a recent shoot with this model as I will be shooting her for a commercial shoot today.
Enjoy!
jay
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Picture a Day #61, March 1st, 2013
I had to make a trip over to Racine today and I stopped to capture this winter scene of a chapel surrouned by a cemetary.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #60, February 28th, 2013
This is another visitation back to a shoot in early January. The model in this photo, Megan, was the star of High Impact Creation's first promotional video--and this photo was taken during the recording of that video.
I returned, once again, to black and white to finish it off. Black and white is elegant and timless even as different color fads come and go.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #59, February 27th, 2013
So there are actually 10 photos in this one. All of these images came from a recent photo shoot. The silhouettes were taken in a window--the bright daylight came through and cast the model's body into shadow. But that isn't the outdoors that is showing through these windows! If you look close enough you'll see the tattoos that cover the model's entire back. I've been looking for a creative way to display them for some time!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #58 February 26th, 2013
Picture a Day #58 is another newly edited image of Lulu from a recent photo shoot.
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Picture a Day #57, February 25th, 2013
Shannon made her way back to the studio for a second shoot recently. Here is a fashion-inspired photo from the shoot, just edited. Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #56, February 24th, 2013
Here's another photo selected more for humor than technical merit. I was looking at new water containers at the local retailer and came across this display. Comment when you see it!
--jay
]]>I spent much of today working with Bob at Key Frames Videos to edit this video. The video was shot last month during the photo shoot of High Impact Creations LLC brand ambassador, Alicia. Alicia has a unique look and a passion for modeling that invites creativity. I did quite a bit of work on some of the photos from this photo shoot. Some of those finished photos made their way to the Picture a Day Project.
The video was shot by Bob of Key Frame Videos. Key Frame Videos and High Impact Creations LLC will soon be available as one package for select events, like weddings. The beauty of this photography/videography combination is the synergy of embedding still photos with the video. If you are interested in bringing this level of fusion to your event, give us a call.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #54, February 22nd, 2013
Today is National Margarita Day. National Margarita Day is celebrated each year on February 22nd. I don't really know who started it, nor do I care to investigate its origin any further. I simply observe this day the best I can. This shot was taken with a cell phone camera.
Cheers!
--jay
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Picture a Day #53, February 21st, 2013
Lulu made it into the studio today for another fun shoot. Here is a headshot from that shoot.
-jay
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Picture a Day #52, February 20th, 2013
This is a rather closeup shot of the toolrest on an 80 year old wood lathe made by Delta. The lathe hasn't been used in awhile--nor has it been cleaned up after the last job.
--jay
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Picture a Day #51, February 19th, 2013
Fresh snow and high winds, right on the heals of a rain, makes for treacherous roads in Rock County. I was in Western Rock County this morning on business but I was able to stop and capture this picture of the day.
Just for kicks, I recorded a quick clip of the blowing snow. Here it is. Enjoy! --jay
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Picture a Day #50, February 18th, 2013
Here is picture a day #50, 50 already?!! Mr. Jackson sits several feet away from my editing workstation and is frequently one of many sources of distraction.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #49, February 17th, 2013
I realize this might be stretching the "picture a day" concept a bit far but I spent much of the day working on this video.
This video is the first in a series of videos that I am producing to give clients a peek at what goes on at a typical photo shoot.
Featured in this video is one of High Impact Creation's brand ambassador models, Megan. Megan is finishing up college and has already landed a job in sports marketing.
The video was shot by Bob of Key Frame Videos. Key Frame Videos and High Impact Creations LLC will soon be available as one package for select events, like weddings. The beauty of this photography/videography combination is the synergy of embedding still photos with the video. If you are interested in bringing this level of fusion to your event, give us a call.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #48, February 16th, 2013
I caught this one with my phone's camera at the Butterfly Club last night. Althouth I would have preferred my big camera, the capabilities of these phone cameras are pretty amazing.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #47, February 15th, 2013
The days are slowly growing longer. This photograph was taken shortly after 5pm this afternoon. Remeber when the sky was dark at 4pm only a couple of months ago? Spring will be here soon enough!!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #46, February 14th, 2013
Happy Valentines Day!! I hope yours excellent as well. These flowers were for my Valentine.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #45, February 13th, 2013
Another shot of Mandy! This time featuring my new logo. Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #44, February 12th, 2013
I posting this photo a bit late as I was tied up in meetings last night. Enjoy!!
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Picture a Day #43, February 11th, 2013
Here is picture a day #43, a freshly edited image from a recent photo shoot with Mandy. Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #42, February 10th, 2013
We're expecting up to .3 inches of rain today! The weather outside is gray, rainy, cold, and just outright miserable. That makes for a great day to stay indoors and work on some editing. I edited this photo this morning. The original image of Lisa was taken in the studio a couple weeks ago. Often times, I find that I must leave an hour or more after a shoot to clean up. That was definitely the case here where the snow flew everywhere!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #41, February 9th, 2013
I was able to spend some time in the studio today with a High Impact Creations model, Alicia, for some spontaneous, off the cuff shots. There was enough light coming in through small window to shoot some natural light photography. I miss the warm weather months and the outdoor shooting but spring is right around the corner!
Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #40, February 8th, 2013
Picture a day #40 is another fresh edit from a recent model shoot. This is Lisa. Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #39, February 7th, 2013
The wind is howling tonight and in the howls the snow is flying! We're expecting a few inches of snow yet tonight to top off the wet snow we had today. This combination spells trouble and hopefully everyone is home safe. I opened up my front door just a crack, stuck my lens out and grabbed this picture of the snow blowing through the street light across the street. That's about as far as I want to ventur out there if I can help it.
While I am glad I do not have to be out there, I am also extremely thankful that some others are willing to step up and battle this weather when they are needed: snow plow drivers, emergency responders, and electrical line workers. Oh boy! Electrical line workers! I hope you guys don't have to head out there tonight!
Stay safe everyone!
--jay
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Picture a Day #38, February 6th, 2013
Another beautiful morning in Wisconsin! I knew when I looked out my window this morning that there would be plenty of photo opportunities when I saw frost clinging to the trees. As I drove down Newville Road I found this fence behind a line of trees and I was able to get this shot before the sun was able to melt it away.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #37, February 5th, 2013
I was hoping to finish a composite piece this evening and share it here as the picture a day. Unfortunately, the day has been filled to the brim and time ran out so here is a fresh image from the weekend shoot. Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #36, February 4th, 2013
Picture a Day #36 is going to be another portfolio image (edited today) from an up and coming model, Shannon. I present the photo in black and white as I've always loved the elegance and class of black and white. Black and white photos, such as this, are also common in fashion magazines so I try to bring that style to my model portfolio shoots. My blog stats tell me that you like these type of photos as well.
Shannon has a big modeling interview tomorrow. Good luck Shannon!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #35, February 3rd, 2013
A small dusting of snow came down last night--apparently it wasn't enough to deploy the snow plows across the county but it was enough to freshen up the Rock County countryside. This photo was taken on Tripp Road (I think) in the Center Township of Rock County. Actually this is 4 photos stitched together to create the panoramic image seen here.
When I was getting back into photography about 6 or 7 years ago, I would drive through the countryside looking for interesting scenes to capture. I began to learn the roads in the area quite well. I also learned that getting shots like this is 1 part skill and about a thousand parts timing! The sky doesn't open up like this too often--especially when the snow is hanging on the trees and the ground as it is here. The lesson is not to pass up on the shot, take it! Hmm, sounds more like a lesson in living life.
I spent better than 9 hours in the studio yesterday working on a creative model photo shoot. That is pretty much the norm these days with my photography and I love it! But, on occasion you'll still see me take the longest path I can to a destination, camera in the passenger seat, stopping to capture another image of beautiful Wisconsin!
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #34, February 2nd, 2013
I am posting this picture a day entry late but for good reason: I had a rather long photo shoot today and I didn't get home until after midnight from that shoot! So, here is a quick photo from that shoot.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #33, February 1st, 2013
The temperature was -7 when I took this photo this morning. The snow drifts have been etched by the frigid winds. Before the sun set higher it cast shadows in those etched drifts.
Spring will be here soon!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #32, January 31st, 2013
This photo was taken down by Palmer Park this morning. The snow from yesterday's storm is still clinging to the trees. This will be the last picture for January, 2013.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #31, January 30th, 2013
OK with only moments to spare, I upload picture a day #31. I realize it would have been easy to simply run out into the snow storm and snap some photos of snow on trees but that seems a bit obvious and my photogrpahy has never been about obvious. Here is an image originally taken in the summer. The water drops that are falling are real. This came from a "rain machine" that I built and this was the first shoot using it. I spent some time producing a new edited image from that shoot while anticipating an upcoming rain machine shoot (did I mention that I do offer rain machine shoots as a premium add on to standard model portfolio packages?) At any rate, the editng is subtle at first glance. The entire water reservoir present in the original image has been replaced by a pond of water.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #30, January 29th, 2013
Mist rose up from the ice remaining on the Rock River today in Traxler Park. The mist seemed to settle down a bit while it was raining out, as it was when this photo was taken.
Emjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #29, January 28th, 2013
I opted to once again post a composite picture of Alica. This image took about 1 hour to edit. The original picture of Alicia was shot on a gray background and the background shown here is from a digital background collection.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #28, January 27th, 2013
The picture a day for today is going to be another composite edit that just finished this evening. The image started with the picture of Alicia taken on a gray background. The rock and sky came from a digital backdrop. The concept is pretty simple but execution took several hours: all of those fine hairs are a real challenge to mask and I tried several techniques in search of the best results. After the initial hair masking was complete, I had do clean the hair mask up in detail.
At any rate, I hope you enjoy it!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #27, January 26th, 2013
Today was a quite a long day. I had a couple of photo shoots at the studio in Germantown and I had to be on the road long before the sun came up. Fortunately, I was able to witness a rather majestic sunrise. Here is the the southeastern sky looked like minutes before the sun came up.
Emjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #26, January 25th, 2013
I shot this portrait this afternoon at the studio. I've always loved the mood that black and white lends to a photograph and I think it conveys the mood in this one as well.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #25 January 24th, 2013
Here is picture a day #25. I was up in Madison on the square tonight at an Irisih Pub and then went down to State Street to the Comedy Club for some standup fun. It was freezing out there on the square! I captured this quick pic with the cell phone. I thing I'll come back when it is warmer out with the big rig to get a higher resolution photo.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #24, January 23rd, 2013
The temperature is a tad higher than it was the last couple of days. Even so, the wind is blowing and it is the kind of weather that soaks right through the skin down to into the bone. I've been chilly all day and I see I am not the only one. My best buddy finally makes his debut on the Picture a Day project. Meet Radar. Radar is all snuggled in tonight after a long day at doggy daycare.
His report card read, "Not everyone is going to love Radar the way others do, but Radar doesn't seem to take it personally."
I hope you are finding a way to stay warm in this January weather.
--jay
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Picture a Day #23, Januray 22nd, 2013
Oh boy it's cold out there!!! This photo is a bit of an abstract taken on my patio. The temperature is -6 but a light dusting of snow stil found its way down last night!. The whispy haze is from the furnace exhaust. Burr!
--jay
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Picture a Day #22, January 21st, 2013
The weather outside is absolutley frigid. That in conjunction with a rather hectic schedule today means I didn't get outside to find a new photo. This post is a bit late but the photo editing was perfomed on January 21st. The featured model here is Melissa May, Miss Lake County International.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #21, January 20th, 2013
Here is the 20th picture of the day in my Picture a day project! This photograph was taken a couple of days ago but I did the editing today--and that is what I am highlighting it here. I spent about 4.5 hours editing this image! I realize that seems like quite a bite of time and the photograph isn't very complicated. The original photo has solid background, I added texture as show here. But that really didn't take much time. Most of the time editing was spent on the model's skin. There isn't anything wrong with this model's skin but I spent quite a bit of time there as I was editing the image while zoomed in at 1000%! At 1000% the skin is pixelated and I edited only tiny patches of the skin by eliminating the contrast between light and shadow that is inherint in the texture of the skin. As the edit progresses, the skin begins to look more like that from a magazine ad. The technique here isn't exactly a secret but it does require quite a bit of time and, well patience.
Here comes the shameless plug: I include at least one photograph finished to this level with each of my portfolio development packages.
Have a great week everyone!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #20, January 19th, 2013
I headed over to Prairie Du Sac today to watch the release of 4 rehablitated eagles. This is the fourth eagle. As you can see, this eagle does not have the white head that we've come to expect--this one is still too young.
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Picture a Day #19, January 18th, 2013
Here is a quick edit from my shoot today with one of my favorite models, Melissa May. Melissa just announced that she is Miss Lake County (Illinois) International and she will be competing in the Miss Illinois International Pageant in March. As a contestant, she needs sponsors. High Impact Creations LLC will be sponsoring Melissa but she will need more. If you are interested, send me a message and I'll give you more details. After I finish editing a few more images from this session, I'll post them in a blog with more information about Melissa.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #18, January 17th, 2013
Alrighty then! Here is picture a day #18--another submission only moments before midnight. I know what you're thinking: this is from the weekend photo shoot, and you're right! But look closer, see that fan? I took that picture today. Oh the fun of Photoshop! Looks can be deceiving! That fan is a little CPU fan about 3" inches or so in diameter! The original image of Alicia and the clock is just a white background. I suppose there is more work to be done on this piece but not tonight--time for bed as I have a big shoot tomorrow!
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #17, January 16th, 2013
This is another "blue hour" photograph, this time I was in Edgerton, WI. I use the term "blue hour" to descibe the hour before the sun comes up and the hour after the sun goes down. During this time one can get a nice deep blue sky.
I might have to revisit downtown Edgerton in the future for more blue hour photogaphs--preferably when it is warmer out! Edgerton has several interesting buildings given the tobacco heritage of the area and I was tempted to finish this photo as a black and white before settling on an HDR finish.
Enjoy!!
jay
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Picture a Day #16, January 15th, 2013
The picutre a day submission for today is a view of the Janesville, Wiscosin downtown area. The photo was taken this morning and it actually consists of 4 photographs stitched together.
Enjoy!!
--jay
The City of Janesville downtown area photographed on Jaunary 15th, 2013, by Janesville photographer Jason Mielke of High Impact Creations LLC.
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Picture a Day #15 January 14th, 2013
OK, so this is coming in a few minutes late but it is a new edit that I just finished of a shoot in November. This is one of my favorite models to work with, Melissa May.
Enjoy!
jay
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Picture A Day #14, January 13th, 2013
I spent most of my day editing photos but I really didn't edit a many photos. At times I like to just take as much time as is necessary to turn a picture into a work of art. My picture a day submission for today is a photo I spent a couple of hours working on in Photoshop. The photo started out with the clock held as you see it here photographed against a white background and floor. The clock was rather heavy and it was awkward for Alicia, the model, to hold up. More fully edited photos are posted on my Facebook wall here.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #13, January 12th, 2013
I had a fabulous photo shoot today at the studio. Pictured here is one of the High Impact Creations models, Alicia. As I mentioned earlier, I am working on some promotional videos that will give new clients a sneak peak at what goes on behind the scenes of a photo shoot--and we we're recording video again today during this shoot. I am pretty excited to see what the final video will look like!
The model is sitting in an antique barber's chair.
Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #12, January 11th, 2013
The January thaw is here and it brought dense fog with it. This image was taken this morning at Riverside Park in Janesville, WI. These trees are nested between a couple of big hills that are popular sledding runs for kids in the area.
Tomorrow I'll be heading back into the studio for another model portfolio development session--and more video recording for some promotional videos I am working on. This should be a great weekend, enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #11, January 10th, 2013
For today's picture a day I am posting and image that I edited tonight. I used some different beauty retouching techniques on this image--different than the techniques I typically use.
Enjoy!
jay
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Picture a Day #10, January 9th, 2013
This is another panoramic photograph stitched together from three individual shots. The photos were taken a bit after 5pm today from Newville Road while looking west. The significance of the photo is the sun light still visible in the sky past 5pm. If there is anything to look forward to in January, it is the promise of spring in the cycle of the sun.
Enjoy!!
Jay
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Picture a Day #9, January 8th, 2013
Recently, a new photographer moved into the area from California. Last month he sent me a rather kind message praising my portfolio. Naturally, I was curious as to who this person was, so I looked at their portfolio. I was blown away! Such an accomplished photographer, such a beautiful port. My first thought was: oh great, more competition! So I waited a couple of weeks and looked at his portfolio once more. Again I was just amazed at the talent. I decided I had to repay the compliment--which I did. We chatted a bit and started planning on getting together for a cup of coffee. I continued to admire his posts of Wisconsin countryside pictures taken after the last storm.
Last night I learned that this accomplished photographer died earlier in the day of a heart attack. I was shocked! I didn't really know him all that much but the outpouring of sympathy for him and his wife was overwhelming. For my new friend Ken: I guess we'll have to wait a bit for that cup of coffee.
This tragic event reminded me of another similar loss last summer. I spent almost every day of the Rock County 4-H Fair on the fairgrounds taking pictures. I took pictures of exhibits, pictures of animals, pictures of kids showing their animals, pictures of rides, pictures of vendors, pictures of entertainers, pictures of royalty, you name it! All of those photos are available in the "clients" section of this web site. I spent the majority of my time taking pictures of 4-H kids showing their various animals. Because of that, I started to recognize the names and faces of many of these kids. There even were times that I felt proud of the trophy winners because I saw all the work they put into earning that trophy and I saw the ups and downs that they endured during the course of the fair.
One of the participants, an older kid at the end of his 4-H career, took the Grand Swine Champion award. High Impact Creations LLC captured a picture of him at the meat auction posing with the buyers of his swine meat. The next morning he was killed in a horrific car accident on the way to the fair! That picture was the last professional picture taken of him.
This is the first time I am sharing this story publicly as I don't want to get anywhere near exploiting a tragedy for business purposes. I didn't do it then, and I will not put a name to the tragedy here, or a picture. But events such as this do tend to put our lives in a bit more perspective.
The picture of the day was taken at the cemetery gates of a lonely, neglected cemetery out in the country. An old, mangled fence suggests that entry is forbidden. Inside the cemetery, a long, vertical headstone has fallen over and now rests on a smaller headstone. No human footprints are visible in the snow--only the trail of a squirrel offers evidence of tribute in this cold place of solitude.
Take care,
--jay
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Picture a Day #8, January 7th, 2013
Here is the picture of the day #8. Another rack of servers with a creative angle! I spent much of today working with this rack of servers so it was only fitting to make them the Picture a Day.
Enjoy!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #7, January 6th, 2013
After taking several weeks off of model portfolio building, I finally got back into the studio--and with a vengeance! Today I was accompanied by a video shooter as well. We began filming for a few short promotional videos that will give a brief glimpse of what a photo shoot looks like at High Impact Creations LLC. This really dovetails into a product offering High Impact Creations will be offering for wedding clients: the fusion between video and photographs. Soon, we'll be able to take of both needs on your big day! And because they are both handled by one company, you'll be able to see still photos embedded with the video product. And that isn't all of it--we have more exciting news coming soon.
At any rate, here is a photo of Megan from the shoot today. Enjoy!!!
--jay
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Picture a Day #6, January 5th, 2013
Here is the picture of the day. I grabbed this capture on my way back from the studio. The sun was already down when I took the shot. I had spent much of the day working inside the studio and had hoped that I would run across something that would be picture worthy on my way home. After all, it had been sunny on my way to the studio and I thought that the clear skies would hold out! I thought wrong! As I made my way home, large snow flakes fell from the sky--I was just hoping to have something to put in the background. Then I came across this vineyard sitting lifeless for the season except for the lights wrapped around the poles at the end of each row. Enjoy!
--jay
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Picture a Day #5, January 4th, 2013
The ice skating lagoon opened up at Traxler Park in Janesville at 5pm this afternoon. I stopped by immediately after work hoping to catch the magic of hundreds of people skating round and round and round. Then I realized that only seems to happen in movies. I did catch a few people testing out the rink and I captured this image. The image was taken with my camera mounted to a tripod. I exposed for 15 seconds--which accounts for the blurry family. Also, way off to the left of the picture a pair of car headlights streaks down the ramp.
On the ice, a father helps his son learn to skate. If I actually knew the family I would have pulled out a flashlight or a flash to light them up and "freeze" them in the image. But I probably would have ended up using this version of the image anyways!!
Thanks for checking out my picture for the day--feel free to leave comments or ask questions below.
--jay
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Picture A Day Project #4, January 3rd, 2013
When I first began experimenting with photography I photographed a lot of abstract objects and exploited the camera/lens characteristics to come up with interesting images. Here I created this photo using a Canon 24-105mm L series lens set at f4.0. The shallow depth of field was narrowed further by positioning the lens as close to the object as possible, I was probably 12-13 inches away from the computer when taking this shot. Yes, that's a computer, I come from a technical background and this machine is part of yet another project I am working on. The diagonal framing of the computer adds a little more interest to the image and helps lead the eye.
Looking back at this photo, I might go back and take another photo of the grill along and add it to my inventory of textures and stock images that I often times add to other photos.
Thanks for stopping by and checking this out.
--jay
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Picture #3 January 02, 2013
I find it hard to believe that January is already here. Some people absolutely hate the winter season in Wisconsin. I actually grew up snowmobiling and ice fishing so I don't mind a nice, snowy winter. This photo is actually about 4 images stitched together of Storrs Lake in Milton. Plenty of ice anglers were out under a clear sky. The smoke in the background is coming from the ethanol plant.
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Picture A Day #2
The new year is here! Can you believe it? If you rung it in like I did, you're probably nursing a headache right now because you drank too much Champagne. I managed to convince my wife to let me take a couple shots of the Champagne before our traditional New Years toast. (That's "shots" with a camera for all of you partiers still at it!) Here is one of the images.
I hope the new year brings all of our clients joy and prosperity.
Happy New Year!
--jay
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Picture A Day #1
Alright, I said I was going to start my "Picture a Day" project in 2013 but I am starting one day early! This is a photo of the Beckman Mill in Beloit. I realize that it has been photographed many times but it really is an interesting place to visit.
]]>Starting at the top of the list, my #5 goal is to avoid voting in any online contest, period! Some of my readers will understand this and others will not. Those that understand this goal understand it without explanation. For everyone else, I'll explain it a bit more here. Several businesses conduct online contests, usually aimed at models. The contests work something like this: a magazine holds a "hometown hottie" contest (yeah, I made that name up just for this example). The contest runs anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. Hundreds of models enter the contest for the opportunity to be named "hometown hottie." All of the contestants are encouraged to solicit votes for themselves online. The contestants then turn around and badger everyone on their friend list--DAILY, to go to the magazine's web site and vote. Thus, perfectly awesome models are turned into social network spamming pests overnight. During 2012 I would offer up one vote for anyone asking for it. During 2013 I will simply unfriend anyone asking for votes.
Resolution #4 on my list is, "stop shooting wrinkled backdrops." That seems somewhat trivial but I've spent countless hours fixing wrinkled backdrops in images that should have taken no more than ten minutes to edit! The bizarre thing is: I know it is going to happen when I set the backdrop up but I choose to do nothing about it. My goal this year is to fix the wrinkles BEFORE shooting. This goal is also somewhat metaphorical for making sure everything is right in camera before shooting. I left a 5 pound bag of flour in that flour shoot that I pictured in the last blog post. The result is extra shadows everywhere and I had to copy and paste a foot in from another photo on more than one occasion. Again, I saw the flour there during the shoot and chose to do nothing about it. Live and learn--and I'm learning!
Resolution #3 is already in progress: blog more frequently. I establish long-lasting professional relationships with my clients--once they meet me. Isn't that part of the experience? You bet it is! My photo shoots are a blast but you wouldn't know it unless you are there. That is why I am hoping to share a little bit of myself outside of the studio, so readers can get an idea of what to expect beforehand and, hopefully, there jitters are put to rest.
Inspired from another photographer in Southern Wisconsin, I decided to start a Picture A Day (PAD) project for the next year. This is resolution #2. I will post the pictures here every day (hopefully). This is going to be one of the hardest resolutions to work on and I might have to take multiple images on one day and spread them out over a couple of days but I think it will be fun. I already went out and took some images today outside in Rock County. Instantly, I was reminded of my re-entry into photography several years ago. I had just purchased a low-end DLSR and I often times took drives into the countryside looking for interesting things to shoot. I got to learn the roads in Rock County rather nicely, thank you!
That brings me to the final resolution for 2013. This is also a difficult resolution to make but it has been coming for a long time now. Photographers and models sometimes participate in "trade for" shoots, or TF shoots. Here's how it typically works, the model works with the photographer on a shoot. The photographer provides images, either digitally or in print, for the model. Ideally, both parties received something of value and no further compensation is exchanged. I've had a lot of these in 2012--more than I can really remember. The problem is, for me to get any value out of the images, I have to ratchet the shoot up. That means bringing in hair and makeup, costumes, props, special inventions, you name it. What happens is the trade value equation often becomes unbalanced and I simply ended up footing the bills and putting in the long hours to produce images. For 2013, I am putting that equation back into balance. I will no longer take on trade agreements with a model that does not have a well established portfolio. I have several models that I have worked with in the past and I feel they represent the High Impact Creations brand rather nicely. I will continue to work with those models to flesh out new concepts. Of course, if that roster shrinks I will recruit models to fill those positions.
Along that same line, I will not participate in many group shoots in 2013 either unless there is a compelling reason to do so. As I've pointed out repeatedly in this blog, I strive to improve my craft and to do so, I must raise the bar by using professional hair stylists, makeup artists, equipment, and talent. These elements just cannot be guaranteed at a group shoot and when they are, it usually means several photographers end up producing the same images. High Impact Creations is about providing unique images.
For models that wish to obtain high-quality images for their portfolios, I offer a very reasonable package that include professional hair and makeup. Your images should be unique, just like you, and that's what High Impact Creations is about. Who knows, we might just be impressed with you and ask you to become part of the creative fun when the opportunity is there.
Have a prosperous new year everyone!
jay
]]>This year has been a year of incredible growth for High Impact Creations LLC. I hate to be repetitive but I know that there are so many people that are learning about High Impact Creations LLC every day so here is a quick summary: High Impact Creations LLC is the creative outlet of Janesville photographer Jason Mielke (that’s me). I began photography way back in high school as the yearbook photography editor but I put the camera down for quite a few years to pursue a career in technology. Eventually I returned to photography but I returned with a technical mindset and close to twenty years of working in a promotional industry. To what end? I’ve developed an eye towards promotion and the technical know-how to make mental vision a reality.
My goal in 2012 was to distinguish my photographs from those of other photographers by creating separation in three areas: photograph creativity, technical proficiency, and post processing. All three of these elements must come together harmoniously for a photograph to become a work of art rather than a mere snapshot. Of course, designating a photograph as “artwork” is the subjective duty of the viewer and, as in music, everyone seems to have a preference for different styles. I tend to work between a few different styles, depending on what the subject is and the final use of the photograph. I suppose if I was photographing newborns I would work in a lighter, airy style. But newborns are not my primary audience—there are plenty of very good newborn photographers in the area that do great work.
I digress (that’s digress #1 for anybody keeping count). Back to the photographic creativity I mentioned earlier. The creative process is both fun and a ton of work all at once. Coming up with different themes, locations, and unique ways to shoot that combination requires plenty of planning beforehand. I am often times fortunate to work with people on the other side of the camera that also contributes to that creativity. The model in the photo here, Alicia, is actually throwing flour up in the air and she was the one to dream up the idea. The belly dancing outfit was on-hand in the wardrobe area and I thought it might be a good compliment to this bizarre idea. I was stunned to see the images begin to appear on the back of the camera.
The lighting for that shoot was adapted from another concept that I tamed earlier in the summer: that of capturing rain drops. Of course, I didn’t bring anything new to shooting with water but most demonstrations of catching water drops relied on garden hoses shooting water behind the subject and letting the wasted water run down the drain. My adaptation of this technique is a little invention I call, “the rain machine.” The rain machine is simply a pump recirculating water from a reservoir up through hoses to PVC pipe drilled strategically with holes. The water then drops down behind or over the model to create the rain effect. Below is a quick phone video I took before one shoot in the rain machine. The photo below that is from the first shoot I did with the rain machine. The model, Melissa, is a frequent model in my work and is often my “go-to” model when I want to try bizarre concepts such as this.
Beyond the creativity, great photographs require technical proficiency. Improving my technical proficiency has been a huge goal in 2012 and it extends beyond simple camera settings to include lighting and posing as well. I will push the limits of lighting in EVERY shoot. Often, I’ll move through a few different lighting setups to find the setup that produces the most interesting outcome. Here is where that discussion of style flares up again: the manipulation of lighting by the photographer often leads to a signature “look.” My signature look relies on shadow as much as light to reveal the features on my subject. The number one thing that a photographer must do, in order to create an image, is to paint a CMOS sensor with light. It is, therefore, one of the top priorities of any photographer to make sure there is enough “paint” for the sensor and the paint is distributed across that sensor properly. I suppose a less boring way to say that is, “the photographer needs to get the lighting right!”
My third goal in 2012 was to continue to look for creative ways to post-process images. Post-processing is often a topic of heated debate amongst photographers. There is a whole cult that believes in “getting it right straight out of the camera.” That is, little to no post processing. Then there are those that believe a photograph is merely a starting point—that much of the artwork is added in the photo-editing software. I believe both points of view have merit and I use both of them. Wedding photographs, for example, should be able to stand on their own without any real changes afterwards. Then again, if that image can be converted from a mere image to a fine art piece suitable for display in the living room, well I’m all for creating that artwork. The real trick is finding a balance between how much time should be dedicated to processing, how many images should be processed, and timely delivery of the product.
Model portfolio images, on the other hand, always receive a good amount of post processing. I use several different techniques for beauty retouching and I continue to seek out new and more efficient methods to do the same. I’ve begun to work some more significant edits in when appropriate. I call these edits my “signature” edits. Below are two of my signature edits.
As I look back on my 2012 goals, I am rather happy with the outcome. I will continue to pursue these goals into the New Year a well. But I have some new goals for 2013 to add to them and I’ll going over my New Year Resolutions in the next post.
--jay
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The holiday season has drawn to a close but, before too much time passes by, I thought I'd talk about a few of the highlights for High Impact Creations LLC. During the month, I had an opportunity to photograph several private sessions, holiday events, and even a couple of commercial shoots.
I have always been a strong proponent of community involvement and I carry that belief into my business. This year, I was given the opportunity to serve as a celebrity waiter at the Rotary Botanical Gardens "Taste of Chocolate" event. This sold out event raises money for the gardens and it provides a private sneak peek at the Rotary Botanical Gardens Holiday Light Show. Last year I photographed the event and some of the photos were used in their publications. I included a quick flashback to the 2011 Rotary Botanical Light Show here. 
High Impact Creations LLC is also a frequent partner with the Rock County Historical Society. Over the summer I captured photographs the of the Tallman Festivival, the Prospect Hill Tour, and I was able to produce some promotional bridal images for the Lincoln-Tallman House. I included a couple of those photos in this blog post.
Continuing with that train of thought, I was invited to capture images of the Rock County Historical Society Holiday celebration held at the Lincoln-Tallman House in Janesville. I posted a public gallery of the event right here. The event is rather special: woodcarvers, singers, crafters, actors, yarn spinners, and a host of other artist-volunteers gather to demonstrate a good old-fashioned Christmas celebration in the period of the 1860s.
The image of the choir at the top of the this blog post is the Edgerton High School Swing Choir singing carols at in front of the Lincoln-Tallman House that evening. They sounded excellent and they added so much to the festive atmosphere!
High Impact Creations LLC is often hired to cover corporate events. This year we were able to provide coverage for a rather large corporate holiday party at the Delta Center in downtown Milwaukee. Two photographers covered the event. I personally took photos of kids on Santa's lap for much of the day. The photos were completely edited and made available to employees within 36 hours of the event!
And finally, I was able to participate in a Toys for Tots pinup shoot fundraiser. I rarely participate in group events such as this these days but the Toys for Tots aspect was a pull through for me and a couple of the models that I had worked with previously asked me to participate.
Pinup seems to be growing in popularity here in the Midwest where we tend to lag trends on the east and west coast. Of course, there are several sub-genres in the pinup category, but my preferred style is usually in the "cheesecake pinup" category. This is, of course, a product that High Impact Creations offers, and we are happy to customize this for pinup themed parties as well as a single person shoot! Just give us a call or send a message.
Well, those are the highlights of this holiday season. I've got several exciting develops that I am working for 2013, watch here for more details.
jay
]]>Here is the first photo that pulled and edited. I performed several photo shoots in a limestone quarry located right here in Rock County. The original image is rather bright. Indeed, the sun can be seen coming in from high above and casting harsh shadows on the subject, Lisa. The cream colored limestone bounces the sunlight around quite a bit during the summer, which adds to the challenge of shooting out there. For this photo, I eliminated much of the cream color tone by adding a cool, dark, color cast in the background while popping the subject's tones in the foreground. The red cape seen here is displayed as captured--I almost always bring extra props such as this to my shoots, they come in handy in the most unexpected places.
The next photo is also Lisa but it was taken at a different location. This time on the shores of Lake Michigan during the morning hours. In fact, the photo was taken immediately after a sunrise beach shoot just down the shoreline a ways. Unfortunately, the sun was behind Lisa and the sky was rather unexciting. The edit here brings in additional cloud cover from a different photo. The dog laying next to Lisa is Rambo. Because of the timing of the shoot, Rambo had to come with. Of course, Rambo found his way into several of the shots!
Hopefully, I'll have time to pull some more photos from the 2012 gallery and provide additional edits. If so, I'll add them here.
As I look back over the many sessions I found that I have a bias towards more dramatic images like the ones I am showing here. When looking for a photographer, style is important. If you are a reader that is casually looking at this blog with an eye towards hiring a photographer, compare the styles of the different photographers and determine which style you like the best. Styles are subjective, there isn't a right and wrong--only preference. My dramatic style isn't suitable for all subjects but at times, it will make the difference between a boring stare and a High Impact Creation.
--jay
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I love Halloween! Who doesn't? Recent news reports cite surveys that show Halloween is the favorite holiday of more than 2/3 of adults out there. Judging by the events over the weekend, I'd say that is just about right.
Once again, High Impact Creations had an opportunity to take photographs of costume-clad patrons down at Franchesco's 2012 Halloween Party in Rockford, IL. Thank you Franchesco's for this opportunity. The photos are posted in a gallery here on this web site as well as on High Impact Creations Facebook page.
For businesses, this is a great way to extend your brand into the social networking circles--not by a single monolithic post, rather by the constant tagging and sharing of all the zombies, witches, and other creatures that tag themselves in those photos. And what appears behind them? The business logo of course! On top of that: one of the local radio stations mentioned the photos on the air several times and drove additional traffic to the photos which translates into additional impressions on that business's logo.
Beyond the obvious benefit to the business, I received overwhelmingly positive feedback from every one of the patrons that came before my lens. After going through all the work of putting together that "hot" or "scary" costume, who wouldn't want to have a professional photo of it? This is the type of photography that I love and these are the type of people I love to meet.
Until next time creatures of the night!!!
Jason Mielke
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During the Ghost Hunters episode, the door below the basement stares popped open and they heard noises here and there. While I was in there, I didn't notice anything like that but I can see how the place can be a bit creepy with all the lights shut off in the middle of the night.
The Rock County 4-H Fair has now come and gone. The annual fair occurs at the end of July each year. I anticipate the fair each summer and regard it as the pinnacle of the summer season. Unfortunately, August sets in immediately at the end of the fair and back to school ads begin to dominate advertising everywhere.
This year, I had a blast at the fair: I spent almost everyday out there taking photographs. I am reminded of growing up in Fond du Lac County where I loved going out to the fair as often as I could snag a ride into and out of town. But this year was different: I was at the fair to take photos of all the activities. Naturally, I gravitated to the stock barn for many of the judging events. As the days passed by, I found that I started to recognize all of the kids--after all, I had taken many photos and several of the 4-Hers participated in quite a few contests.
What struck me is the hard work and dedication that these kids put into whatever activity they were in. Moreover, the amount of respect given to the judges made a lasting memory on me that I don't think a photo could ever capture. While taking photos of the rabbit judging, for example, I struck up a conversation with a woman that was standing next to me. She pointed out her daughter, who was showing three New Zealand White rabbits from behind three long tables placed end to end. The young girl won a trophy for her rabbits. No sooner was the trophy in her hands before she handed it off to someone else and walked all the way down to the end of the table, crossed to the other side, and then walked all the way back down to catch a somewhat startled judge. The young girl took the judges hand, shook it, and thanked her for the award. The judge, trying to remain composed, said something about the rabbits being the best she's seen.
The second the young girl walked away, the judge, who was an older lady, turned her face away. But when she turned her face it happened to be towards me. On her face, which I gather does not show much expression, she briefly wore a smile bigger than any young kid on a midway ride.
Fleeting moments like this, and capturing those moments in a photo, are the very attraction of photography, at least for this photographer. I posted almost 4000 photos from the fair in the clients section of this web site in the "Rock County 4-H Fair" collection. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Jason Mielke
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