The new Marquette Interchange profile...

... like it's always been this way. This panorama view is taken from the 6th Street Viaduct over the Menomonee River.

Riveredge Nature Center panorama images...

Riveredge Nature Center is one of the premier nature centers in the Great Lakes Region, widely recognized for providing innovative environmental education to learners of all ages for 40 years. Their goal is to build a self-discovered awareness that we are part of nature, and to empower people to act on that knowledge.

These panoramas are created from a series of digital images shot with a vertical orientation. These are then opened in Photoshop® CS4 and blended with Photomerge.

Menomonee Valley Park - Chimney Park

See the 2010 update - the chimneys have been demolisherd.

Chimney Park runs along either side of the 35th Street Viaduct, on the northern half of the site.

This is one of the central features of the area - there are two tall smokestacks, the only remnants of the site’s long history as one of the nation’s largest rail yards.

Chimney Park also offers more passive uses, such as unprogrammed turf areas organized around naturalized stormwater management ponds and meadows.


RenewTheValley.org is a broad group of partners working to restore the neglected river valley at the very heart of Milwaukee. Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc. envisions a redeveloped Valley that is as central to the city as it was in the past.

Kletzsch Park Falls

Glendale is an area once inhabited by Potawatomie Indians, it has been said there are burial grounds along the Milwaukee River as it winds through the park. Kletzsch Park had become one of the most popular parks in the county park system during the early 1930’s – with a river swimming beach and picnic area.

Kletzsch Park was also greatly improved with the use of relief labor. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established in Kletzsch Park in May of 1935 and discontinued in November of 1935.

The CCC projects completed included a new dam built across the Milwaukee River with CCC labor. The new structure, built of reinforced concrete in a serpentine design to lengthen the crest, provided increased discharge capacity without widening the river. Models prepared by the landscape design section of the planning department served as guides in erecting the stone facing and the fish ladder built into the face of the dam. The dam has the appearance of a natural waterfall.

Historical information from the “Friends of Kletzsch Park" website - and click on Kletzsch History.

Brewers Hill project...

Milwaukee River East Bank view of the Gallun Tannery unoccupied building. The Holton Viaduct Marsupial Bridge is at the far right side. View is from the EdgeCondo River Walk. This version was overlaid with a B & W infrared layer in Lighten mode in PS CS4 to bring out the evening light on the trees. Full resolution image is 50" x 10". The first in a series photographed in the Brewers Hill area.

Milwaukee's Park East Corridor

Click on this image to see a larger view - this is created from four separate images.

The Park East Corridor is comprised of 64 acres and 29 blocks. The area became a focus of development after Milwaukee took down the 1971 Park East Freeway spur in 2002-2005. You can access maps of the area, its history, and lots of information about the development plan for the Park East Corridor at the Milwaukee Department of City Development website.

Precious Lands... views from the corridor.

Milwaukee's City Gulls

Beautiful to watch flying over the Lake Michigan shoreline.... sometimes creating a mess when they establish a community in a downtown parking lot or public buildings. During the past few years, the gull community at the McKinley Street bridge over the Milwaukee River has been a sight to behold. While noisy and not without an odor, one can view the community, as if on display. Baby gulls can be seen right now.






Edited June 29. 2009
Growing up!

Inner voice and other rambling...

I was recently asked if I had found my inner voice - this was of course, within the context of photography. I suppose I was being asked this in an effort for me to find the direction my photography was taking me, and possibly narrow my photographic vision towards a specific course. This seems to be what many fine art photographers do, and those who are most successful enjoy gallery representation because of their specific vision.

On a spiritual level, I found this on spirithome.com "Where there's a swinging pendulum, there's a 'paradoxical tension', where the different approaches correct each other. On one hand, you find yourself through the inner voice - that is, through exploring yourself. On the other hand, you find yourself through order, place, work, authority - in short, through other people. "

This probably explains where I am at because I photograph what I am drawn to - be it portraiture, documentary, figure, street photography, city and landscapes and whatever else moves me. Each offers their own particular challenges for me to address.

With this in mind, I am taking the opportunity to partner with other photographers on photo walk-abouts to share in photographic camaraderie. These images were taken on a recent hike with Eddee Daniel in the Riverside Park area adjacent to the Urban Ecology Center.

While I have photographed early spring landscapes in the past, I did not enjoy the results due to the lack of color and interest - Eddee is quite happy with it however, which is why I welcomed the opportunity to shoot with him. I am particularly drawn to the bare tree limbs against the sky, and converting to black and white infrared completed these images for me.

I am quite focused on such excursions, and reminded of the Bob Dylan lyrics "Ain't talkin', just walkin'" and let my mind wander with what I experience - what this scene was and what it might become - and portray it for it's aesthetic and spiritual value. [/ramble]

The second day of spring...

I drove around this last Saturday to check out locations in the downtown Milwaukee area, to use for high school Senior portraits this summer. Of course, it was also an opportunity to do some things I thought about doing for some time. This image was not on my agenda. It was on my way home on a seasonally pleasant day when I was passing Bradford Beach and decided to stop for a 'look see'. I took a variety of images... this was my favorite after finishing it in Photoshop®. I believe Man Ray said he never knew what he was doing untill he was done. That was one of those days for me.

Photoshop® services - retouching and image enhancement...

Click on image to see an enlarged view...

I offer my services for Photoshop® work done on images after they have been captured correctly in a digital camera. I have been educated in photography and have continued with workshops both in photography, digital imaging and Photoshop®. I am a member of NAPP (the National Association of Photoshop® Professionals) which offers continuing education with Photoshop® techniques and practices.

This service is offered to consumers and professional photographers who own the copyright to their images. If you do not own the copyright, I will need a copyright release from your photographer (this is between myself and your photographer - and not a "says it's OK), giving me permission to work on your images. Pricing is by quotation after I have reviewed your images and have an understanding of the work you require.

Basic retouching for portraits includes exposure and contrast adjustment, colour neutralizing and simple blemish removal - $25.00 each image. Services for scenic and art images also includes exposure and contrast adjustment, colour neutralizing and conversions such as black and white, toning and edge effects - range from $25.00 and up.

Click on image to see an enlarged view...