December 2022 in Pictures

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December, a magical thing and sweet to remember: ‘We are nearer to spring than we were in September.’” — Oliver Herford, "Hope"

November 2022 in Pictures

“Colour is everything, black and white is more.” – Dominic Rouse, photographer

After the vibrant chaos that is October — ironically, one of my favorite months dominated by perhaps my least favorite color, I feel a sense of calm and relief to be back in black (and white) throughout the month of November. For me, November naturally represents an absence of color as the world turns brown and gray and the days get shorter and darker. Natural light becomes a precious commodity while artificial light distorts color and clarity. In the past, I have struggled to photograph November since my work day begins and ends in darkness. A few years ago, I decided that, rather than yield to seasonal limitations, I would embrace the lack of color in November and feature black and white images that showcase light (natural and artificial), shadow, texture, and composition. It is a challenge that I look forward to each year and I hope that you enjoy the results. But for those of you who missed color these past thirty days, tomorrow the glorious colors of the holiday season begin.

October 2022 in Pictures

“I’m so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers.” — Lucy Maude Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

September 2022 in Pictures

“By all these lovely tokens, September days are here with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer.” ― Helen Hunt Jackson

August 2022 in Pictures

"Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum…” — Paul J. Meyer

While many people, especially educators, enjoy this last, long month of summer, I really do not enjoy August. It is typically hot and humid and buzzing with insects, although this year, was pleasantly cool. Usually, once August comes, I’m ready to skip right to September.

Over the past few years of curated monthly collections, I have struggled to define the colors of August. Some months seem obvious while other require a bit more creativity. I have tried “sunny hues” — yellows, reds, and oranges, yet, having just finished a patriotic July, my reds have been depleted; I used most of the yellows in April aside from the sunflowers; and since it’s my least favorite, I have very few photos that feature the color orange, most of those being reserved for October. In 2020, I scrapped the color theme in August in favor of the alphabet — an image of something that begins with each of the letters followed by the numbers one through five. In 2021, I featured photos of my favorite things — the things for which I am most grateful: nature (especially the birds, bees, butterflies, and flowers in my own garden), being on the water (sailing and rowing), travel (especially to Door County and Paris), creativity (photography and writing), education (books and my time at Marquette), good food and wine and time with friends and family (especially Miss Piper). And as a bonus, the color scheme evolved naturally and reflected my some favorite hues, rendering August 2021 one of my favorite collages.

This year’s collages are softer, more muted versions of their monthly color schemes, but for August, I embraced a bold spectrum. It’s not my favorite collection, but it still features some of my favorite subjects — flowers, water, shapes, textures, and of course, a certain ever-photogenic beagle.

July 2022 in Pictures

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock