Last week I spent three days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum documenting grand reopening events and it’s absolutely GORGEOUS! At first glance of the exterior, the facade of the building looks the same as when it was built in 1976. But when you step inside, you can see everything is sleek and modern. It’s…
New York City is one of the best places in the world for street photography. There are million interesting things happening at any given moment and thousands of photographers walking the streets to find them. I’m posting these in chronological order so you can see how my photos changed throughout my two days in New…
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…
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.
Silver Beach Photography At the end of August, I spent the day with my family at Silver Beach on Lake Michigan in St. Joseph, MI. It wasn’t crowded since local kids were back in school. There was a breeze most of the day, so the water was a bit choppy, but it was perfect for…
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…
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…
Seeing the peace and serenity of McCormick’s Creek State Park, it’s easy to see how this became the first state park in Indiana, founded in 1916. The spot was never destined to be harnessed commercially for its natural resources. Early efforts to build a sawmill and a quarry did not yield the hoped for results….
While visiting the Florida Keys, we decided to visit Key West for a day. It sounds a bit odd to take a day trip to a location that is nearly 1400 miles from home. But as hotel rooms were limited (and therefore EXTREMELY expensive), we thought a day trip to Key West from nearby Islamorada…
If you ever find yourself visiting Everglades national park, I HIGHLY recommend a stop at the Robert is Here fruit stand. Just 10 minutes from the park’s easternmost entrance, this stand has so many amazing fruits from all over the world, with many I can guarantee you’ve never even heard of before! Robert is Here…
The Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, Florida has been an area landmark since 1936. Originally built as a roadside attraction on the highway between Tampa and Miami, today the park is a nonprofit that houses rescued birds and reptiles. Home to all types of flora and fauna native to Florida, Wonder Gardens is a…
Pictures are just better when they’re taken at close range. So when going to the beach, I brought a waterproof camera. Here are the results…
Travel with Kids If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that I shoot a lot of stories on the road. What you might not know, is that we always travel with our kids when producing our work. My photos focus on telling the stories of the locations we visit, and…
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…
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…
Took at walk with the kids at Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve in Fishers Indiana and got some great fall photos.
Visiting Flat Fork Creek Park Flat Fork Creek Park is tucked away in the southeast corner of Fishers, Indiana. During this trip, Zach seeks different ways to capture the feel of this park at this time of year. Blue skies A bright sunny noon hour doesn’t often make for great photography, but sometimes you…
Our story this week features Turkey Run State Park in western Indiana. Carved by glaciers millions of years ago, this park features some of the most unique topography in Indiana. Walk with us through the ravines and sandstone gorges to see what this park has to offer. Please share this post with a friend who…
Today while standing in line to buy donuts at Titus Bakery, I found out it is National Donut Day. It’s not just another Hallmark holiday; it’s a reason to indulge in our unofficial national breakfast treat (as if you need one other than “deliciousness”). So sit back and let me paint (photograph) a picture for…
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…
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?
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…
A walk through native landscapes Humans and nature are inextricably linked and I work to show that when I shoot nature and landscapes. Walking through Barefoot Beach Preserve in Bonita Springs, FL is an interesting experience. As I began down the trail, a thicket of native plant life surrounded me. But as I progressed, I…
On a warm day in January, we stop by 100 Acres at Newfields with the kids. If you’re not from the Indy area, Newfields is the campus that contains the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 100 Acres is part nature preserve, part modern art gallery. The best part of visiting 100 Acres at Newfields (to a…
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….
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…
Reindeer Ride: Bright Night is part of Nickel Plate Express, a train in central Indiana that runs between Atlanta and Noblesville. Throughout the year they offer a variety of themed rides. For Reindeer Ride: Bright Night, Gaylor Electric fitted the entire length of the train with LED lights. The ride is very comfortable and each…
This week we visit Newfields Winterlights in Indianapolis, now in its second year. With over 1.5 million lights, this is THE light display to see. Newfields is the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the surrounding grounds. In this post I talk about photographing in the difficult lighting conditions we encounter at this time of year….
Our third featured partner for our Chicago weekend is the Museum of Science & Industry. This giant museum on Chicago’s south side features more hands-on exhibits than you could possibly do in one day. This is a favorite spot for families because of all the interactive exhibits for kids. MSI is currently featuring a special…
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, 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…
Hats, boots (buy one get two free) and neon signs. This was my initial impression walking through downtown Nashville, Tennessee, known by locals as “Nashvegas” (thanks for the insider info, Val). The images in this post offer a QUICK glance of Nashville. We spent one night and approximately 20 hours in town. With four young…
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…
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…
One of the things I enjoy most about shooting this time of year is the diversity of people that come out to celebrate America’s independence. It’s a great reminder that we all love this country and we all are welcome here. Here’s a slideshow of some of our favorite images celebrating America… A handful of…
We took a quick road trip with the family to Oklahoma City to shoot some work for a client. While we were there, we did some exploring of the downtown area and the Midtown neighborhood. Both areas had a lot to see and do. Here are a few favorite images from a couple days in…
“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…
The Florida Keys State Parks are some of the most fantastic in the country. Here are some of our favorite shots from the following parks: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo), Bahia Honda State Park (Big Pine Key), Curry Hammock State Park (Marathon) and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Key West). An…
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…