Wisconsin

Story in Photos: Headshots for Claire, A New Friend for Me

March 19, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs Leave a Comment

When you schedule a photo session in winter in Wisconsin, you really just hope that a blizzard doesn’t ruin your day.

Luckily, when scheduling a headshot session with Claire earlier this year, we were able to pick a couple of dates and then decide if the weather would hold out for us – and it delivered. Crisp sunshine, temps warm enough to spend a few minutes without a coat outside… it really was a marvelous day to wander around the city and make a new friend.

And that’s what we did: at the beginning of the day Claire was a friend of a friend. After spending a few hours together in the library, in a bookstore, and at a coffee shop, I can now say that she graduated to first-degree friendship with flying colors. I love when photography clients do that – it makes taking their photos extra easy and extra special.

Here are a few shots from our day in the sun:

Claire reached out to me because she has recently launched her own business venture: she became a facilitator of Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map workshops. The Desire Map is a program that helps you clarify what you truly want in life – and helps you take that new awareness and use it to make choices to create a life you actually want to live, not one that you are struggling through each week until Saturday. Claire is holding her first workshop in Madison this Spring, and I would encourage anyone looking to recharge their life to register here.

What new venture have you started lately that put a smile on your face? I’d love to hear about it!

Story in Photos: A Visit to the Ice Caves

March 17, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 12 Comments

Spectacular.

In a word, that was our experience at the ice caves.

We ventured up to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on the northern edge of Wisconsin with good friends the first weekend of March. They had gone last year and couldn’t ~~shut up about it~~ stop talking about how awesome of an experience it was to walk across a frozen Lake Superior and climb through dozens of caves full of icicles.

And it was pretty cool.

Photo evidence:

How to Visit the Ice Caves Next Year

First, go like the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Facebook page for the latest updates. Some years the caves are open, and some years they are not – it all depends on the weather. Once they start talking about the caves being open in early 2016 (it takes a while for the lake to freeze over), they post almost daily updates with what the conditions are and if the caves are open.

Plan ahead! It’s kind of a game of luck on whether or not the caves are open the weekend you have free to go up. This year hotels booked up with a hundred mile radius – if you want to go, book your hotel in Bayfield or Ashland early. And then hope the caves are open that weekend.

Arrive EARLY. We left Presque Isle for the 2 hour drive at 4:30 AM. We got to the park just before 7 AM and were able to park on the road right outside the parking lot – the lot was already full. When we left around 2 PM, cars were parked 3 or 4 miles down the road – and they still had a long way to walk just to get to the caves.

Bring the right gear. Wear warm, waterproof clothes. Make sure you have some Yaktrax or other studded boot covers. Scott and I had these Neos overshoes and they worked like a charm to keep us from slipping and sliding on the ice. We wore them over our snow boots. Make sure to bring your camera, snacks (its a long walk), and water.

Prepare to walk. I was not quipped for how far we would be going, and I am NOT in shape these days. Make sure you are ready to walk a lot wearing heavy gear – it’s completely different than a leisurely stroll in the park.

I think that’s about it!

Would you visit the ice caves next year? Have you ever experienced something like this anywhere else in the world?

Story in Photos: #Instameet at Wisconsin State Capitol

March 10, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs Leave a Comment

In January, I stumbled across an Instagram post by Josh Haroldson about an Instagram meetup at the Wisconsin State Capitol on a Monday evening, promising the chance for a tour around the state capitol for a photo adventure. I was luckily able to go, and while a snowstorm caused me to arrive late and out of breath, having run uphill to the capitol from where I parked (and let me tell you, it has been a while since I have ran anywhere), it was a great chance to get together with other photo-loving people in Madison and nerd out to our hearts’ content.

Here are a handful of the shots I captured, and I can’t wait to make the next event, too.

It really is a lovely building.

Have you ever been to an #Instameet anywhere? Where was it?