Chasing and Capturing Dreams

     Last week I had the opportunity to capture what most likely will be a once in a life time event. This event was to photograph the Union Pacific’s 4014 Big Boy steam engine passing through Wisconsin. On Thursday the 25th Big Boy traveled from Adams Wi to Butler Wi with making a stop in Friesland for public viewing. The Big Boy is traveling though the Midwest to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the joining of the Transcontinental Railroad.

4014 crossing over Lakeview Drive in Packwaukee WI.

     As a child I loved to watch trains pass though my home town (GB&W, CNW, Wisconsin Central, Canadian National). Many of mornings while eating at a The Little Pink Restaurant I could watch to my hearts before heading off the school. Also having gone to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay and seeing the 4017 Big Boy made the child hood me love them even more. So, having the ability see one riding down the rails was something I could not pass up.

     There is a lot that goes into getting a shots like these, because in a way it’s like wedding photography, you only have a moment to get that one perfect shot. For a shoot like this it starts out with looking at maps (google earth) and figuring out where along the line is a good place to set up. Second, is to actually scout the location (ahead of time if possible) to see if what you see on the map is actionable in real life. Then third put your plan into action on the day of and hope it all works out. But always have a back up plan in play.

4014 crossing over Lakeview Drive, Packwaukee WI.

     I chose the bridge crossing at Buffalo Lake in Packwaukee Wisconsin. The for this location is there trestle bridge there along with a big enough body of water that it would keep crowds away and it would easier to edit out the possible one or two boats. I originally wanted to be able to photograph from the waters edge with my camera while flying above with my drone so I could have two view point.  Unfortunately, the owner of the property wasn’t willing at the time(day before) to let people be on her property because she didn’t want to be held liable if they were to get hurt (side note: day of she was letting people on her property, but there were too many that I stayed in the second area). So, I was left with the option of flying my drone from the road and forgoing the ground shot from where I had intended to shoot from. For the ground shot I was left with a small 30 ft opening where it was going to be passing on the small bridge going over the road I had parked on. This place turned out to have a cool photo in the end.

     With events like this there is always the unexpected or multiple unexpected things. First unexpected event was there was another professional drone pilot there and one amateur. After talking with Tom(professional pilot) who runs Dairyland Drone Solutions we were both able to formulate out a plan so we could both fly and get the shots we were looking for. Both of us never did find the amateur pilot connected with the drone flying when we first got there but he/she was far enough away from us not to cause a problem. The second unexpected thing to happened to us was a circling T6 Texan manned plane most likely in route to EAA Airventure. FAA says we have to make way for manned aircraft, problem is when you and your new drone pilot friend are nestled between some pine trees it is almost impossible to land or move to a safe distance away from a circling plane. Thankfully the T6 vacated the area right before the train arrived and we were able to get out shots.

     It was a great time getting to see an old girl ride the rails in an area that was not its normal stomping grounds back in her time and being able to work with another operator to both come away with stellar photographs is something I’ll remember for a long time.

Big Boy 4014 crossing over Buffalo Lake Bridge in Packwaukee Wi. July 25th 2019

Water Leaders Summit 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.

Eleanor Allen & Charles Fishman

         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.

Xiaofeng Zhao and Valeria Orozco

Photos you should ask to see before booking your wedding

     When it comes to weddings you want to know your photographer is the best at what they do. When you sit down and meet with them, you see all the previously perfectly posed photos that could soon be of you and your spouse to be.

Discovering Grand Dad’s Dog Tags

     Though, what is it a photographer didn’t show you during the meeting and maybe something you should ask them to show you? Here’s what it is, during the meeting they rarely ever show you the party photos, the cake cutting(maybe), and the candid’s that comprise around 60 to 70 percent of the what is photographed on you and your loved one’s wedding day.

     Now, you may be asking yourself, Tim, seriously, why are you telling us to ask photographers to show us another person’s wedding candid’s?

    Here’s the reasoning behind it. Posed photos are great, they sell really well as images that will adorn your walls for a very long time to come. As time has passed, from the wedding day to the first showing, I find loved ones spend more time looking at the candid’s and remembering those once in a life time moments with friends and family that aren’t staged and try to figure out how to work them into albums and as small mementos.

     I will admit, at first, if a potential client came to me and said those posed photos are nice but show me some candid’s. I would have probably freaked out in the beginning or even recently because I would be worried about what they are looking for in those. Now, I understand they want to be able to see if us as their photographer can capture those special intimate moments with friends and family that weren’t stages and happened by chance. Those moments that come and go as quickly as the wedding day does.

Blink first you lose.

     This may not be something that you would of thought to ask of your photographer but I encourage you too. As a client I would want to know if they possibly got the shot of the bride and brother noticing that grand dads dog tags were on memorial display which were just added by the husband mere moments before they walked in the room. Or that bride and her best friend were having a stair down right before they busted out so weird hillbilly dance on the back of an old farm delivery truck while laughing uncontrollably. Those are the memories you also want to know your photographer can capture and save for a lifetime.

Family moments

     With the two short scenarios from above think back to a close friends or family members wedding that you attended and then later were at their house and ended up looking through their album or box of wedding photos. Chances are you looked at the posed photos but you held on looking at that candid moment photo or page just a little bit longer and relived it and just maybe busted out laughing or started to tear up.

     Posed and candid photos have the power to relieve special moments in your lifetime make sure you have a photographer that can do both.

New season and I'm ready to go.

Paradise Springs the last time when its too cold 2014

     It’s been a long winter and we’re ready to get back at it. The winter time is traditionally slow for me at Vagabond Photography, it’s a time when I prep for the upcoming busy season and work with our clients to plan their dream wedding photos, senior portraits and generally have some fun in the snow.  This winter became a little bit too long though. In Wisconsin we ended up with almost a week at the end of January of -30* to -50* F temps and as fun as that may sound it gets a little trying after a while. In those temp’s camera gear and drones don’t last long. Though some interesting things happen when it is that cold to spring fed ponds that don’t freeze in normal winters.

    Winter is also normally the time where photographers go to conventions a learn about new techniques and where our printers, camera reps try to sell us on latest and greatest new tech gadget. This year we passed on the conventions in leu of being part of a long terms friend’s wedding in beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic as groomsman. Towards the end of winter and a wet cool spring it was really nice to get away and go sit on a beach and drink some umbrella drinks.

Hard Rock Resort beach Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

     The Dominican Republic is a nice place to visit and there are so many photo opportunities there maybe I should of brought my camera out more but hey its vacation time. It was great to be on the other side of the camera for a change and to see how someone else runs the show. Nicole and Jamie’s photographer Milan Vasovic was astounding, watching him find beauty in something simple was a joy to watch and helped inspire me to try some new things that may have taken me a few more years to learn on my own. That is the joys of watching a photographer with 20 plus years of experience.

Now back from the DR and we’re still waiting on summer to get here, heck even a good spring am I right Wisconsinites? Though what I am really looking forward to is creating something special with you or you and your loved one. Remember at Vagabond Photography we do our best to bring your idea to fruition and have it be something you will love and cherish.