Alana

Badlands

These are a few images I came across from a trip to The Badlands that I took a few years ago. It's fun to look back on them. I will be posting more images from my archives throughout the new year. 

All in a Day

"A day is a perfect piece of time to live a life, to plant a seed, to watch the sun go by. 

A day starts early, work to do, beneath a brand-new sky. 

A day brings hope and kindess, too...a day is all its own. 

You can make a wish and start again, you can find your way back home. 

Every bird and every tree and every living thing loves the promise in a day, loves what it can bring. There is faith in morningtime, there is belief in noon. 

Evening will come whispering and shine a bright round moon. 

A day can change just everything, given half a chance. 

Rain could show up at your door and teach you how to dance. 

The past is sailing off to sea, the future's fast asleep. 

A day is all you have to be,

it's all you get to keep. 

Underneath that great big sky the earth is all a-spin.

This day will soon be over and it won't come back again.

So live it well, make it count, fill it up with you.

The day's all yours, it's waiting now...

See what you can do."

From the book All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by my favorite artist, Nikki McClure

I want this entire book tattooed on me!

don't do nothing/dig in.

I just saw this on Seth Godin's blog and it struck a chord for me. Running a photography business can at times feel overwhelming. It can be incredibly challenging to stay on top of everything that you NEED to do as a business owner and what you WANT to do to be true to your artistic self. Seth's advice is inspiring and spot on:limit yourself. Don't attempt to do everything and end up doing nothing very well. The world is full of incredible opportunities everywhere you look. Your job is to (in the words of Gary Snyder who's quote I saw on a CSA brochure over the weekend) "Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there."

"The paralysis of unlimited opportunity"from Seth's blog:

There aren't just a few options open to you, there are thousands (or more).

You can spend your marketing money in more ways than ever, live in more places while still working electronically, contact different people, launch different initiatives, hire different freelancers... You can post your ideas in dozens of ways, interact with millions of people, launch any sort of product or service without a permit or factory.

Too many choices.

If it's thrilling to imagine the wide open spaces, go for it.

If it's slowing you down and keeping you up at night, consider artificially limiting your choices. Don't get on planes. Don't do spec work. Don't work for jerks. Work on paper, not on film. Work on film, not on video. Don't work weekends.

Whatever rule you want...

But no matter what, don't do nothing.

"a camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera."

I have been thinking a lot about the role I play as a photographer and what responsibility I have to myself, my clients and my community. I think it's vital as an artist to stay true to yourself and what it is YOU want to explore in the world. It's easy to get caught up in the latest trends in the industry, what you think you SHOULD be doing as a (fill in the blank) photographer/artist...all of these things keep you from being authentic and really focusing on what matters to you. This is especially challenging if you are running your own business because the lines can easily be blurred between making money and needing to make authentic art.

I am reading Dorothea Lange's biography and am inspired by her life and career, one that was full of passion and political action. I deeply believe in fighting for what you think is right in this world and have decided recently to become more active in all areas of my life and challenge everyone else to re-examine and do the same.

I photograph a lot of weddings, as anyone who follows my work knows. Overall I love photographing weddings for many reasons, but one thing that I think more people really need to focus on is making their wedding PERSONAL. Time and time again I talk with people who end up doing things that they think they "should" do or things they may not even think through only because it's the mold that they are all given for what "a wedding is." I have been fortunate enough to have many clients who are making their weddings personal and unique. For example, a couple who is getting married on a farm in Wisconsin this Fall is going against the grain. When I asked them more about why they chose that location and the style, they both said that they wanted it to be personal. They didn't want a million attendants and 3 flower girls and 2 ring bearers and a big hall that didn't feel like THEM. Her father owns this farm and her aunt and uncle live up the hill where the ceremony will take place, so they have a personal connection to the land. She has also been frustrated with the monetary commitment it takes to be a bridesmaid in traditional weddings and did not want her friends to have to do that for her. They both want everyone to come and enjoy the day and celebrate with them. I think it's essential to talk through your wedding with your person and check in along the way to be sure you aren't straying too far from what matters at the end of the day-the relationship the two of you have and the people in your lives who support you. Do you love records? Then have a dj who spins all vinyl at your reception. Do you love bicycling? Then ride your bikes to the reception or use your bikes as decorations. Do you love gardening? Then use some flowers from your garden or seeds and tools as centerpieces. Get creative and keep it personal!

For the love of books

Burlesque Ice Shanty Shoot!

I LOVE these women!! I arranged this shoot with Ophelia Flame and Nadine Dubois of Minneapolis-based Lili's Burlesque Revue and Minnie Tonka of New York City. We shot right after the end of the Best of Midwest Burlesk Festival, which I also photographed and loved. Burlesque is such an incredible world-it's sexy, empowering, challenging, full of humor, talent and history...I absolutely love it. I have gotten to know many of the burlesque performers at BOMB over the last couple of years. I have a new project in the works involving my photographs! So excited!

(Beth and Shanna were a HUGE help during the shoot!)

Buffalo Gospel : Second Album

This is the second album I've worked on with the incredible band Buffalo Gospel. I collaborated with Ryan Necci of Roost Creative (and also the creator and lead of the band) to create this cover. It's an image from a shoot I did last summer with the incredible Caitlin Dvorak as our model and Jake Lindgren as clothing stylist. When Ryan came to me about doing this project again, I started digging through old photos and found this one which was perfect! Stay tuned for the rest of the album art which will feature a few more of my photos AND more importantly check out the band and buy their new album when it's available! You won't regret it!