How many changes may I have?

We don’t limit your options here. Time tends to be the limiting factor. The more you are in the dressing room, the less we are shooting. Don’t let that stop you! We can strike a happy balance between variety in wardrobe and time in front of the camera. The best rule is to bring more than we’ll need. That way we have options and can be creative as the session unfolds.

A few words about what works best... solid or lightly patterned clothing works best. Colors should compliment your skin tone. White is highly reflective and tends to “blow out” or wash out the face. Red and orange have the potential to create a color cast on the face. Bare arms tend to draw the eye away from the face. We have an awesome brochure on this subject - please ask for one (rather than me trying to re-create it here). 

I know it seems early to be thinking about senior portraits for 2010 graduates. The 2009 grads haven't worn their caps and gowns yet! Before we know it, summer will be here with warm temperatures, long days, and loads of activities. One of those activities for 2010 grads is to have their senior portraits taken. So many grads and so little time!

Scheduling early assures you of the date and time of your choice! To help you decide where to go (we hope you come to MindWorks Photography - go figure) I've written a series of blogs. They discuss topics like price, packages, locations, etc. We also have samples posted for your review. Start with our About Senior Portraits page which has links to the samples and the blog series. Then call (262.679.7900) or email to make your appointment.

Are you an early bird? Appointments that are completed on or before 6/30/2009 will receive $20 off.

Congratulations to the 2009 grads and let the excitement begin for the class of 2010!

Again, the Muskego schools have produced another winner! Pirates of Penzance was a charming, beautifully sung and staged musical. To all the cast, crews, directors and parents ....


It was a great experience with a side of eye candy. Click here to go directly to the Performing Arts gallery where you will find the cast, dress rehearsal and performance galleries.

Friends and loyal clients provide my competitor's Senior Portrait marketing materials to me each year. (Thank you VERY much!) I analyze their offers and research their web sites. My goal is to stay competitive with regard to price and to exceed their services. 

My first reaction after reading the two I received this week was  - WOW those are some great prices, there's no way I can compete. (How do they stay in business I wondered?) Then I started to "do the math" and found that these studios are really far pricier than we are. Both offer various levels of sessions ranging in price from $19 to $149. There are NO prints (no proofs - nothing) included. One of the least expensive packages is $175 and includes (1) 5x7, (2) 4x5 and (8) wallets. So the least you would pay is $224 and you'd get the prints mentioned above. Did I mention that the prints are all one pose?

Our studio offers much better value! There are no sitting fees and every dollar that you spend is credited toward your prints. In the end, for your investment you could get (mix and match the poses) (6) 4x6, (6) 5x7, (6) sets of 8 wallets PLUS an 8x10 and 11x14. Add to the great value the flexibility of mixing and matching your poses, print sizes and quantities to build what you want in your package and we're looking really good - competitive for sure. (The above is not a package - just an example that matches the competitor's offering as best I can - it's just an example.) The difference here is not price - it's our open disclosure of how much you'll spend.

While I want you to be our guest at our beautiful (and really really big) new studio, I also want to  help you  make informed decisions about where to have your senior portraits made. Whether you use us or our competition, make sure that you really understand what you are getting and the total that you'll be spending. "Do your homework" (do the math, research the quality of the results) before committing to your session. When you do, I know you'll want to book your appointment with us.

Did I mention that the sooner you book your session the more likely it will be at the most convenient time for you? Sort of the early bird gets the (fattest) worm philosophy.

After 2 trips to the east coast in as many weeks - one by car and one by bus - it truly is great to be home. We had fun and shared incredible experiences with so many, now it's time to savor, reflect and process photos.

New Hapmshire was exciting and exhilarating. New York City was amazing and inspirational. Home is sweet!

More after we've caught our breath - and photographed Bay Lane's Pirates of Penzance Jr. and Denoon's Mulan Jr. So much for rest!

Yes, after 20ish hours on the bus we arrived at Battery Park yesterday morning about 9:30 AM EST. We enjoyed Liberty Island...

It feels great to be back in our home!

The trip was long and exciting! All the competitors, parents, coaches, course workers and organizers of the Eastern High School [Alpine Ski Race] Championships were great. We witnessed amazing athleticism and superb sportsmanship. The landscape (or should we call it mountain-scape) is breath-takingly beautiful, and the weather was really a gift.

As we complete publishing (the first slalom run for the women and men is being published as I write) we are living the experience all over again. I'm reminded of why we're in this business in the first place. We preserve the memories that were fleeting - like a 50 second run - to re-live and cherish for a lifetime. It's an honor to be able and allowed to perform this service! 

Wow - the racers, the mountain, the weather! It was exhilarating to watch the competitors speed down some tough courses. Now we're the ones racing - home that is to publish the ~10,000 photos we took during the event. Here are a couple of Slalom (2nd run) photos. Click here for our sample page which has sample photos (duh - hence the name) and will have links to the races/runs when we publish. Watch for the "real thing" late tonight or tomorrow (depending when we make it home).

After a wonderful trip (do you have any idea how big/wide New York state is!!?!!!!) to Franconia, NH we met with one of the organizers of this event then hiked up the "hill". The competitors practiced for several hours on multiple slalom runs. Since these are the best of the best from 12 states we expected great skiing - and we saw it. Can't wait for today's GS races!

Here's a sample...


and another...


More samples from Practice are on our sample page.

We have created a wonderful Memory Book of the performance. About 20 of the participants ordered, and that order was placed today. For those who wish they had ordered we are planning to place one more large order (which includes a 10% volume discount from the publisher). So get your order to our studio by the end of the day 3/18 and we'll get your book ordered at the best price it's going to be.

We are in New Hampshire tonight (ready for photographing the Eastern High School Ski [Race] Championships tomorrow through Sunday) and published the book pages from here. Because of that they are not in "book sequence". I may be able to correct the sequence when I get home - but for now the album is what it is. Click the photo below (first of the performance pages in the book) to go to the gallery.

(A note about profit. It's not a dirty word. However, on the 20 books that were sold, we made a gross profit of $200. So after 14 hours of shooting, 12 hours of book creation and ~ $800 of donated prints for the lobby display, we are at negative $600 and $0 for our 26 hours of time invested. I expose these facts not to complain, but to assure our detractors who think we are charging too much, or profiting from the young people's efforts that we are doing what we do for the benefit of the young people's experience, not to line our pockets.  Our goal is to [some day] break even - and always to enhance the experience of our youth by keeping the memories alive.)