Water Leaders Summit 2019

Tim Gumz July 10, 2019

Right before the fourth of July, Vagabond Photography had the pleasure to work the with The Water Council at the Water Leaders Summit for the fourth year in a row. It is always a fun and educational experience to work with them. This year’s summit took place at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 26-27th.

Charles Fishman - During opening statements

Normally as photographers, we go to a conference or seminar to photograph the event but we always seem to come away with something a little more tucked away in our brains by the end. This year, main take away was during the opening statement by events the MC Charles Fishman, “Every time we do a search on Google it uses two tablespoons of water.” As a photographer I use the internet a lot to look up how to fix camera/lighting equipment, learn new techniques, to my guilty pleasure of looking up Babylon 5 and Star Trek memes. Never in a hundred years would I have thought for one minute that we really use water in that process. But Google and all the internet search engines do, its used in keeping the servers cool. It also made me think how much water goes into making a camera? So I did some searching and didn’t come up with an answer but I would wager it is many, many of gallons between the circuit boards, plastic, metals and glass in a camera.

It was a great day filled with great speakers from all walks of life. Touching on multiple subjects from Rethinking Water for People, How actions and awareness are no longer the domain just of the water sector and Rethinking Water Use: Risk, Stewardship and Value Creation and Rethinking Water in Corporate Governance. This year focused more on how we use water and the risk of pollution and running out.

Eleanor Allen spoke with Charles Fishman to talk about her work when with the peace corps to bring clean water and better out houses to communities to prevent the transmission of disease to people in foreign countries. She went on to explain how some communities for all for clean water while others didn’t really care but once one community got on board with the project others seemed to be more receptive to it.

During the last panel of the day they talked about rethinking water in corporate governance and as a person who has worked in many fields from photography, to industrial, and farming to commercial it really got me to pay attention while working the rest of the event. They noted if companies really had to pay for the water they use, items we use would cost us a whole lot more money but the companies would also be a lot more apt to stop leaks and save themselves money. One of the speakers stated that one of the biggest leaks for a plant is in its fire suppression system and that was mainly due to leaky valves or connections in pipes. It was interesting to hear them talk about how Ford Motor Company managed to reduce their over all use of water in manufacturing use to help water stressed areas be more sustainable.

So think of how you use your water.

Places we used to farm

Tim Gumz June 24, 2019

I am happy to announce that for part of the summer some of my artwork will be shown at The Hive Taproom in East Troy, Wisconsin. The series is called “Places we used to farm.” The project consists of farms and farming equipment that until recently were still in use. It was one of those things you didn’t notice it until they were gone.

I first move to the area full time in 2002 to attend college and never really left. When I moved down from central Wisconsin, there were a few more operational farms than there are today. While in college I had several photography classes and with them came projects. Because of these projects I quickly became acquainted with the backroads of Walworth and surrounding counties.

This spring I was out driving around the county doing a few bids for the aerial part of Vagabond Photography and started to notice some of the buildings I photographed in college were gone and with the looming reality of what is coming in the future on the family’s(uncle & cousins) farm in Central Wisconsin I decided I wanted to capture some of these farms before they are lost to the ages or swallowed up by bigger farms or turned into a dreaded subdivision.

In Wisconsin alone we lost some 300 farms from January of 2019 through May and 700 farms in the 2018 according to the Journal Sentinel in a recent story “Struggling to tread water: ...” published on May 18th. Much of this is because of the lower demand for milk and dairy related products and some of the trade war related matters. Its sad, but my hope is that even though those stanchions are no longer filled with dairy cattle, the farmers can transition to crop farming or beef. With the way the weather has been out west in the plane states this spring and early summer they may be needed.

This is a project that I intend to keep after because it has meaning and I think it bears remembering where we came from. What is currently on display at The Hive Taproom is just farms from Walworth Co. Wisconsin as I have more time to travel an explore, I intend to capture more and more of these farms before they are lost.

I want to thank Tim and Ayla owners of The Hive Taproom and M-Jai (manager) for giving me a place to showcase the more artistic side of my business which I feel I don’t get to show enough. The Hive Taproom is a great place to hang out at, meet new people and enjoy a cool alcoholic beverage made with honey(mead). They are open Thursday through Sundays and the art on the wall changes regularly with other local artists showcasing their work.

Summer of Senior Portraits

Tim Gumz June 11, 2018

Summer is here and that means it’s time for the class of 2019 to get the glam on in front of the camera before they graduate next spring and head off into the great wide world as adults. First, there is one more year high school, reports, tests and as some young women love and some young men dread the senior portrait session ahead of them.

For most it’s their chance to show a more adult side, be the jester for one last time or just be the person they really want to be. It is all meant to show the world I have arrived. At Vagabond Photography we strive to help bring those dreams to the photos we create with our Seniors.

We understand that sometimes what our Senior’s has in mind for an outfit is not always what the parent had in mind or will approve of. Recently with changes in the fashion industry to push young kids to dress more like adults (not necessarily always in the best ways) we have seen that trend reflected in our photography industry as well when clients bring outfits. The one thing we always recommend to all our clients (seniors, families and engagement couples) if it’s not something grandma and grandpa would hang on their walls at home or mom and dad would put on their desk at work because it might be seen as a little to provocative maybe it would its best also if you bring an alternate outfit so both parties are happy in the end.

The great thing about senior portraits is that is doesn’t just have a be a quick simple headshot for the year book like in years prior where we all lined up sat for a minute and a half and then were back in class. We can feasibly go anywhere and do almost anything (but not hanging your photographer from a rope off a cliff). Vagabond Photography is nestled out in East Troy, WI we are 40 minutes from the lake front & downtown in Milwaukee, 50 minutes from our state capitol in Madison and all around us in the perfect lake and nature settings. If there is another place outside of those areas that holds special meaning to you and your family we can travel there as well.

Including sports and hobbies into our photo sessions is something we have always tried to get our clients to do more of. It brings the feeling of this is part of who I am into the photos and allows our Seniors to experiment with different poses that include their passions. If possible bring your pets as well. While we understand at some locations it is not possible to have them there but when they are it always brings in the possibility of unexpected hilarity which translates into beautiful photos.

Dates book fast we only do few sessions a day at Vagabond Photography and we do this to give out Seniors the right amount of time in front of the camera to bring their ideas to life. We are also able to do group sessions so if you want to incorporate a senior portrait session with your friends. We have all had that one friend we have grown up with who might as well be family and it is always a fun time when we can bring friends like that together.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The wedding of Jess and Derek Dutkiewicz

Tim Gumz May 15, 2018

Weddings, are something special for everyone involved, there is always a lot of stress building up to the big moment where they say “I do” and then are presented for the first time because there is always so much in motion. From there it’s quick do the posed photos and then onto the party where the stress of the day hopefully fades away into the happiness of the night.

Over the weekend we had the privilege of being the photographer at our good friend Jessica and Derek’s wedding. It was the first wedding for the season for us over at Vagabond Photography and to see the happiness and joy in their eyes it made the day truly memorable.

Going back over the day in my mind two moments really stand out. The first was the ring ceremony. It is my guess from a little bit of stress and nerves it made it hard to slip the rings on and Father Danczyk knew just the joke to make bringing some light and laughter to a special(if not somewhat stressful) moment. The joke was along the lines of good things take time and sometimes it’s not always easy, I believe.

The second stand out moment came during the reception. The best man Tony Z. and a good friend of ours gave one the most memorable speeches I have heard in a lifetime of attending weddings as a guest or photographing them. It was a mix of a lifetime of memories that Tony and Derek have shared thrown in with some classic Jonny Carson style one-liners.
(when they first met) Tony: Hey Derek wanna help shovel driveways for 5 bucks a driveway?
                                   Derek: Hell Yeah.
(over a summer)         Tony: Hey Derek wanna go fishing?
                                   Derek: Hell Yeah.
(repeat over multiple life time events and always with laughter with the response “HELL YEAH”)
(Oct 1, 2015)                Tony: Hey Derek wanna going to Canada deer hunting?
                                   Derek: I can’t I’m with Jess now.
(Oct 2, 2015)                Tony: Time to find a new hunting buddy.
                                    Derek: Laughing the hardest I’ve ever seen him laugh. Needless to say,
                                               Jess laughed, but not at hard.

In those moments there is the joy and a little frustration. Not just between the bride and the groom at the altar of love where the rings are being a little fussy. Also between two good friends, who in that moment knew how to throw that one little jab at his friend to make the night more memorable for themselves and to everyone in attendance. As a photographer getting that special candid moment can sometimes mean more them than a posed photograph with the entire wedding party, because looking at the candid many years later can bring back a flood of emotions and you’ll start laughing all over again.

At Vagabond photography our goal is to be able to tell the story of your special day whether that be in a slideshow, an album or in the select photos you choose to hang on your walls. Moments like the two listed above make the love of our work so much more fulfilling and easier.

Jess and Derek, its was such a privilege to be a part of your wedding and I wish you both nothing but the happiest of days and I cannot wait to see your smiling faces again.

Now here’s a sneak peek from Jess and Derek’s wedding day.

Clean Rivers Clean Lakes Conference 2018

Tim Gumz May 4, 2018

Last week we had the joy of returning for a third year, to cover the Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference for our friends at Sweetwater based in Milwaukee WI at the school of fresh water siences.

This year’s Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference was held at Alverno College. Alverno College has such a beautiful campus and was a great location for this event, the staff was amazing and very helpful. If you ever have the chance tour this beautiful campus I highly recommend it.

This year’s discussions and panels focused on creating purposeful drainage areas inside the urban landscape, porous pavement, new policies and regulations and how we as good stewards can do out part in these endeavors.

As much as it is a day of work for us it is also a learning day. I come from a family with farmers and every year I am impressed to see what these fine people come up with. Some of it in the past I have taken back with me to my uncle’s farm to see if there is something we can put into practice as it pertains to curtailing field runoff into the streams and waterways.

Here are some of the photos from this year’s Clean Rivers Clean Lake Conference.