Creating Art with Art: Documentary Photography at Museums
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Creating Art with Art: Documentary Photography at Museums

For the last hundred years there have been photographers creating documentary photography at museums.  Famed photographer Elliott Erwitt documented so many museums around the world that he created an entire book dedicated to the subject: Museum Watchers (published in 1999). Photographing museum visitors connecting with art becomes art itself. Last week I visited the Indianapolis…

The Challenge of Photographing a Balloon Glow
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The Challenge of Photographing a Balloon Glow

Photographing a Balloon Glow like Jupiter Flights at Connor Prairie is challenging due to quickly changing light conditions. Digital photography makes this much easier with instant feedback and take a lot of frames. However it is possible on film especially with an automatic mode like aperture priority.

Documenting Race Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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Documenting Race Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

I recently worked with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to document their Verizon 200 at the Brickyard race weekend. There were four races over the weekend and I was there taking photos of the experience. The Scene I took a documentary approach to show what it felt like to be at the track, capturing the overall…

2023 Indianapolis 500: Two Different Views
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2023 Indianapolis 500: Two Different Views

The Indianapolis 500 is a month-long celebration during the month of May in Indiana. This year I photographed two different perspectives on the festivities. First, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum hired me to photograph their Hall of Fame dinner two days before the race. It was an evening of racing legends, stories and a celebration…

A Spectacular Convergence of Nature, Art, and People
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A Spectacular Convergence of Nature, Art, and People

Today we make a return visit to the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres at Newfields in Indianapolis. For the sake of simplicity, let’s stick with calling it 100 Acres. Revisiting 100 Acres in Indianapolis allows me to explore a subject I’m drawn to frequently: the interaction between people and nature. What’s…

everglades national park anhinga trail
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Beautiful Wildlife on Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park

After a year of staying near home and only visiting state parks, I had forgotten just how large national parks are. Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park was a great way to reacclimate to hiking with young kids in an expansive environment. Anhinga Trail is less than a mile round trip and there were plenty…

Havana Spice Restaurant – Homestead, Florida
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Havana Spice Restaurant – Homestead, Florida

Being a documentary photographer means photo stories present themselves at random times, including while waiting for takeout at an eclectic restaurant called Havana Spice in the city of Homestead, Florida. I need to be ready to shoot them at the drop of a hat. This is exactly why I carry my compact Fujifilm mirrorless camera…

bonita-springs-florida
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Bonita Springs Florida

Bonita Springs, FL is located on the Gulf of Mexico between Fort Myers and Naples. I’ve been going down to visit since my wife Courtney started taking me there around 2005. As a professional photographer since 2004, there’s no “vacation” from shooting (mostly because it’s not work), so I’ve built up a pretty good catalog…

bonita-springs-florida-sky
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Gulf Skies

Here are some never-before-seen photos from my Florida archive. This series of skies are all shot from the same stretch of beach in Bonita Springs, Florida, (many in the exact same spot) on different days and years. Sky and water only. NO FILTERS. Looking for more Florida?

disney-world-epcot-center
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Disney World

Everyone remembers their first trip to Disney World, right? I certainly do because it was only a few years ago and I took a bunch of photos. Through these images, I’m looking to capture the feeling of taking a trip and experiencing a new place. This is neither a guide to visiting Disney World nor…

Moonshine Store
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Moonshine Store

I first learned about the store in Moonshine, Illinois from some random magazine about living in and/or visiting the Midwest that was lying on the coffee table of my in-law’s house about 3 or 4 years ago. Word had it that this tiny place (population 2) had one of the best burgers in the country….

jingle rails eiteljorg indianapolis
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Jingle Rails 2018

You see model trains a lot during the holiday season, but nobody does model trains like the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. Jingle Rails is their annual train display. Models travel through famous local scenes and national landmarks from the American West. You’ll find downtown Indy, complete with a scale model of the Soldier and Sailor’s…

indiana-pacers-player-intros
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Indiana Pacers Premium Experiences

In October I was commissioned to document the Indiana Pacers premium experiences.  They want to give fans looking to purchase tickets a sense of the available spaces during a game.  It was fun to get a first-hand view of all the awesome areas throughout Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. In this post, I’ll talk about how I find good…

downtown-chicago-willis-tower
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SkyDeck Chicago

Last week we were in Chicago for a three-day visit. While there, we partnered with SkyDeck Chicago for some unparalleled views of the city from the top of Willis Tower (originally Sears Tower). SkyDeck is located on the 103rd floor of the tower at a height of 1353 ft.  Glass boxes known as “The Ledge”…

chicago-downtown-michigan-avenue
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Chicago

Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town.  I can’t say what that means, but if Frank Sinatra sang it, then it must mean it’s a groovy place.  Recently I spent a few days touring the city and documenting the sights.  This post features the sights on the streets.  You can also check out posts on SkyDeck (the…

Great Smoky Mountains National Park -clouds and sky
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Photography from Kuwohi in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2024 UPDATE: Kuwohi (also Kuwahi) is the Cherokee name of the highest peak in along the Appalachian Trail. Beginning in 1859, it was renamed Clingmans Dome by geographer Arnold Guyot, and kept that name until September 18, 2024, when the original name was restored. According to the resolution to restore the original name drafted by…

indiana dunes state park lifeguard
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Indiana Dunes

UPDATE: As of February 15, 2019, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is now Indiana Dunes National Park!  This post feature photos of our trip to the Indiana Dunes State Park, which remains as-is, but will now be surrounded by a national park. With sandy beaches and cool, clear water, Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan is…

key-west-florida-bloomington-indiana-travel-tourism
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Key West

“We seceded where others failed.” That’s the motto of The Conch Republic, the nickname taken on by Key West when they declared independence from, then war on, the United States in 1982.  Key West does not disappoint! It has an amazing mix of scenery, history, food, drinks, entertainment and more. Our four kids traveled with…

Sunset. Islamorada, Florida Keys.
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The Florida Keys: Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon

We spent about ten days driving from the mainland to Key West and back and spent a couple of days each in Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon. The upper, middle, and lower keys’ communities offer coral and rock beaches and blue green waters popular for fishing. The Florida Keys are made up of around 1700…