Photography

Story in Photos: A Day on Campus

January 8, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 3 Comments

Back in October, I connected with Madison-area photographer Nicholas Hanson to have some head shots taken. As a photographer, it’s always nice to see how another one operates. It’s also next to impossible to wind up with photos of yourself when you are the one always behind the camera.

Nick asked me if I had a location preference, and I was more than happy to suggest the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, my alma matter and one of the most beautiful college campuses in the Midwest. Nick quickly agreed as he actually works on campus, and he and his wife Molly (also a photographer!) met me there on an October morning during homecoming weekend (oops). We arrived to bright sunlight and slightly windy conditions – not always ideal in the portrait world – but Nick and Molly did a great job working with the light to take some neat shots. One of my wish list shots was to take photos inside Memorial Library with my 1930s antique typewriter, so I lugged the 10+ pound typewriter around in my backpack. And it was so worth it.

I was a bit nervous going into the day, being someone who usually takes the photos and isn’t in them, but the whole experience was fun and relaxed – Nick and Molly quickly put me at ease with a smile and good conversation throughout the whole shoot. I am glad that I chose to work with them.

When is the last time you had a professional photo shoot where you loved the results? If the answer is “never” and you’re in the Madison, WI area, give me a call and we’ll change that.

Story in Photos: The Hartman Family

November 6, 2014 by Abbigail Kriebs 4 Comments

When I decided to wrap photography into my business last year, I had no idea how rewarding it would be. I love getting the chance to take fun, energetic photos of families that they wouldn’t ever be able to capture themselves.

I had the opportunity to photograph my good friend Jamie’s family last year, and it was a lot of fun to do it again one year later. The kids were a little less wiggly, but just as full of their own personality. My personal favorites are always the candid shots: her little boy running through the leaves, smiling up at me on the jungle gym. His little sister skipping down the path, her fist pumped in the air, a war cry on her lips.

These are the memories that give me the most joy to capture.

What is your favorite family photo ever? What makes it so special?

A Season of Rest: A Weekend Away

September 25, 2014 by Abbigail Kriebs 7 Comments

I often find that when I take a day “off,” I end up filling the day with other things that need to get done. Saturdays and Sundays, for me, routinely become catch-up days, where I take care of the laundry and the dishes and the unread emails and then get to the end of the weekend feeling unsatisfied: I didn’t play enough, sleep enough, read enough.

I didn’t practice rest.

I am learning and relearning over and over again that on a semi-regular basis I need to completely unplug. Sometimes (okay, most of the time), the only way to do this is by getting out of town: away from the laundry and the dishes and the unread emails. As much as I love being home, home can become a sort of prison when all you do at home is more work.

So it was an easy, easy decision when friends asked us to travel north this last weekend to spend some time away. I thought I might have to miss out because of a cold early in the week, and I am so glad that I did not. My favorite weekends away are weekends away in the fall, and this time, completely unexpectedly, the fall colors in the north woods were absolutely breathtaking.

It is hard to put into words the joy that I felt on Saturday, as we drove around and stopped to look, taking the time to just stare. I can honestly say that I have not felt more whole in a long time. The ability to pause and contemplate creation was exactly what I needed.

What does a restful day look like to you in this season of life?