Good morning from Space City USA. For dk-studio and myself it was another great week photographing in Sweet Home Alabama.

Two things of considerable note took place last week, both of which are dear to my heart and a true loss for our generation. In the music world we lost the incomparable Soul and R&B singer Etta James best known for her hit, “At Last”. In the photography world, the one name that was synonymous with photography and so much a part of our generation, Kodak, filed for Chapter 11. Both will be missed.

Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of spending time with a dear friend, Pam Lindley Jarrett, whom I met many years ago when she was an aide to Senator Shelby. Throughout the years we have kept in touch and she never ceases to amaze me with her “current projects” She is one of those rare individuals who never meets a stranger. Her current project is publishing an inspirational book she co-authored with a group of women, relating their views and life experiences. Pam asked if I would be willing to be involved and just like being asked by the godfather, how could I say No. Off I went to spend the weekend at Smith Lake, where Pam resides, to meet up with these 9 special ladies and help put the finishing visual touch to their thoughts. To say the least, it was a very inspirational time meeting them and way too much fun photographing them. Kudos to all the ladies for putting up with me.

I must say that the view of Smith Lake from Pam’s residence was spectacular and on one very “crisp” morning I was up early enough to catch this image, a fisherman alone with his thoughts in search of the prime fishing spot.  In that moment, if was as if the lake’s bend was in pure harmony with his movements. ENJOY!!

I am asking if you have a need for stock imagery, art for corporate or private collection or an upcoming assignment please contact me by email or phone!!!!

Best regards ……….
dK

Welcome to another great week in 2012. I know that most all of the non-Alabama fans who watched “the game” thought it was lack luster and boring but I can only imagine that all of those individuals would be proud to hang another National Championship on their walls, not matter the score. One thing is for sure; no other state can claim 3 National Championships and 2 Heisman Trophy winners back to back. Sweet Home Alabama!! Can I say it .. Roll Tide Roll!

I was fortunate over the holidays to spend time with my father, my sister and her family. Family, without a doubt, is where is the heart of the holidays resides. Of course, being single has allowed me, over the years, to adopt a few close friends as family and after spending time in Phoenix I headed west to San Diego to spend time with two of my “second families”. It is the second year in a row to do so and includes countless other times of being on the west coast to celebrate New Years Eve in years past. What an exceptional city San Diego is and what an incredible opportunity the city and the surrounding areas have to offer for photography. It truly is on of my favorite areas to photograph.

My friends have come to, at least tolerate, my passion for photography and tend to find ways to accommodate their desires with mine. So this year my dear friends Tom and Nancie took me up to Romona, Ca to photograph Sutherland Dam but I quickly realized it was also to “hike” around Lake Sutherland, which when full, has 556 surface acres and has 5.35 miles of shoreline.

The most impressive aspect though was Sutherland Dam, which began construction in 1927 and was finally completed in 1954. It is one of the last Dams built utilizing a configuration of what are multiple arched walls. The arches are called semi-ecological arches, curving between 18 buttresses, or abutments, which are the wall of the arches. The backside of the Dam reminded me of the Great Wall of China and the front was a magnificent array of rolling arches. Add in a perfect blue California sky and let the creative juices flow.

I am back in Huntsville and ready to take hold of any photographic assignments that you may have. I am asking if you have a need for stock imagery, art for corporate or private collection or an upcoming assignment please contact me by email or phone!!!!

Best regards ……….
dK

What is it with the weather? It was colder in Alabama last week than in most of the states in the northeast. Since I am just returning home from a holiday trip, I am glad to know that I do not have to deal with the ice and snow like I did on my return in 2011.

If you are any type of football fan the last couple of weeks has been extremely exciting in college football, as well as, the NFL. But it all pales in comparison to the game that is to take place this evening in the Superdome in New Orleans. The BCS Championship Bowl game pits #1 LSU vs. #2 Alabama whom are undisputable as the best two teams in the nation, both hailing from the strongest conference in college football, the SEC. Given the outcome during the regular season when these two teams met, there is allot more on the line this time around for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

I have no doubt, no matter what the outcome of this game, that the debate will continue as to whether these two teams, having already played once, should have played each other again. It will also fuel the debate over whether college football should finally institute a playoff series tournament like all of the other major college sports. Rest assured though, it will once again point to the dominance of the SEC and the teams that play in this conference.

When Alabama was vying for the National Championship in 2010 I created a photographic tribute, which appeared in my blog, to the team and to the Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram. Since there is no doubt (in my mind) that the photograph must have been a “good luck charm” in 2010, I felt inclined to create a new tribute in hopes that it would assist the team in it’s goal of seeking and obtaining a new championship.

I greatly appreciate the assistance of the stellar Makeup artist, Ms. Kate Carroll and the very beautiful and talented model, Ms. Ashley Fletcher.

What, if anything, is left to be said then, “Roll Tide Roll!!!”

We look forward to 2012 and assisting you with all of your photographic requirements so, please do keep us in mind. Examples of our stock imagery can be found at one of two locations –  http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com.

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best Regards …..
Happy Holidays!!!!

~ dennis keim ~

Happy New Year, Happy 2012 to you all. Where did 2011 go? All I can say is, if you are like most people I have talked to, we were ready for 2012 to get here. I wish you the best for a prosperous, healthy and happy new year.

I find myself in the same exact location that I was when I rang in 2011, in San Diego, Ca. visiting with good friends and celebrating the passing of another year. I feel somewhat like a stepchild when I come to southern Cali because I get to spend time with two sets of friends who eventually exchange my luggage and me much like two sets of parents. Luckily for me I was able to introduce them to each other a few years back and now they have become great friends. It has lessened the “social anxiety” I was experiencing!!!

San Diego is one of my favorite cities to visit for all of the obvious reasons. I have had the great fortune of meeting allot of wonderful people during my many visits and now they are not so unwilling to welcome a southern boy into their hearts and their homes. Like most places I visit I attempt to spread my time between business and social commitments, photographic road tripping and just recharging the batteries after the holidays. San Diego is in my all time top ten list of most beautiful cities to photograph. There are so many places to visit and so many wonderful vistas to capture the beauty of the cities skyline.

I was extremely fortunate to have each set of my “step-friends” to allow me to get around the city during their “scheduled time”. The weather for San Diego has been unseasonably cold and with the inland hot air masses meeting the cold air from the ocean breezes it has, on occasion, created a heavy fog bank that rolls in and engulfs the city. On two of my outings I encountered the fog but with two totally different outcomes.

The first is a skyline view of the city shot from one of the marinas. You can see the fog rolling in and starting to overcome the tops of the buildings.

In the second view you have a sailboat approaching an extremely ominous structure, the Coronado Bay Bridge totally engulfed by the fog.

I hope that you enjoy the first of Blog entries for the upcoming year and will stick with me through out the year for new Miss-Adventures.

If you have any upcoming photographic assignments for 2012, please keep us in mind. Our vast collection of stock imagery can be found at one of two locations – http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com.

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best Regards ….
Happy Holidays!!!!
~ dennis keim ~

I trust this email finds you in Post-Santa bliss and now gearing up for round 2, the New Year. This year has been one of significant change for me and I look forward to next year and the many positive things I “feel” are to take place. I wish you a pleasurable and enjoyable New Years Eve celebration.

When I visited Arizona over the Thanksgiving holiday, I spent a little bit of time road-tripping around the outskirts looking for things to photograph. One of the areas I had the pleasure of going to was Fountain Hills, Az. It is a developed community some 45 minutes from Phoenix. It is surrounded my mountain vistas which include the Superstition Mountains, Four Peaks and the McDowell Mountains. It is, for visitors, most likely best known for its park in the heart of downtown, The centerpiece of the 64 acre park is the worlds tallest fountain, which rises upward to a incredible height of 562 feet (171 M) once an hour. The view is breathtaking for the 12-minute show.

I wanted to get my father out of the house and give him a little out door time, which is hard to get these days. So I took him to a late lunch at Chick-Fil-A and had our photo taken with the “Santa Cow”. From there it was a beautiful drive through the desert to catch the 5 O’clock show!!! Lucky for us the sunsets around 5:22 here in Arizona and with the mountain range in the background, Mother Nature provided the perfect setting. At the height of it majestic beauty, I give you the Fountain Hills fountain.

If you are in need of an executive portrait of have an upcoming photographic assignment, please keep us in mind. In addition, if you find yourself looking for stock imagery or art for corporate or private collection, we may have that perfect image. Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com.

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best Regards … Happy Holidays!!!!
~ dennis keim ~

Just a few days and counting before the Jolly Roger of Red and White arrives to spread his joy and cheer. I would imagine that quite a few of you are in the panic mode to make sure his arrival is a welcomed success for Christmas morning. I have a few more days here in Huntsville, then like many of you I will travel to be with family and friends during the holidays.

There is nothing like a good old fashion Christmas parade filled with marching bands, fire trucks with sirens blasting, trucks pulling boats filled with children tossing candy and Santa. Well that is exactly what I was able to enjoy during my visit to the Outer Banks last week. It was heartfelt to see all of the villages come together after all they have suffered through after Hurricane Irene. I wish them the best during the holidays!

One of the Christmas traditions I have each year is to create a holiday photo of one of Santa’s many beautiful Christmas helpers or elves. This year we decided to do a little different take on the subject and looked to the North Pole and found an Ice Princess. As is always the case, many thanks to Ms Sylvia Smith (the makeup artist) for her wonderful artistic talent and to our very willing subject and model, Ms April Johnson who endured the 4 hours of shooting in various outfits and white face paint.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!! Be Safe and Enjoy!!!!!

If you are in need of an executive portrait or have an upcoming photographic assignment, please keep us in mind. In addition, if you find yourself looking for stock imagery or art for corporate or private collection, we may have that perfect image. Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best regards ……….
dennis keim

I hope this email finds you doing well after another week of the Christmas ad onslaught. The good news is we only have a week and half to hold on and then the Jolly Roger himself arrives, taking care of business.

I write today from the eastern seaboard of North Carolina, my home away from home, the Outer Banks. It has been almost 4 months since my departure due to Hurricane Irene. Getting back on to the island had proven to be somewhat of a  difficult task, after the hurricane, due to the destruction and my designated status as a “non essential”! It was not until late mid October that they were able to fix the breach in Hwy12 and allow non-residents back on the island. Even months later there are still tail tale signs of the damage Hurricane Irene did but nothing shows more than the lack of tourists and residents. The once vibrant island is left to the residents that live here and those few tourists, mainly fisherman, that have
found their way back. What I left in August is a far cry from what the island is experiencing today. Almost all the businesses have shut down for the season, if not locked their doors ands moved on.  I am sure it will take time for the vibrant nature of the island to rekindle it self. The one thing I know for sure is the individuals that call the Outer Banks home are a very dedicated, resilient group of villagers. It will take more than a hurricane(s) to alter their loyalty.

One of the “many” things I enjoy most about the islands is Mother Natures’ nightly show and the beauty of the setting sun. Each night has it’s own pageantry and “she” has done all she can to continue to rejuvenate my love affair.

This is a photograph of the “greeting” I received on my return to the island. No wonder I fell in love – with the Outer Banks. Enjoy!

If you are in need of an executive portrait of have an upcoming photographic assignment, please keep us in mind. In addition, if you find yourself looking for stock imagery or art for corporate or private collection, we may have that perfect image. Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com.

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best Regards …..
Happy Holidays!!!!
~ dennis keim ~

You know I woke up the other morning and said, “ Where did November go? Matter of fact where has 2011 gone?” With less then one month to go in the year, can you really put a finger on what all you did in 2011. I try to look back on the year but it just seems to be hidden in a cloud of the unknown. How time Fly’s!!

I came home to a beautiful week in Alabama but knowing, I had left a beautiful week behind me in Arizona. I made the huge discovery that, after all my years of visiting my sister, there are actually a great number of local, as well as, one very well known national park within a short drive from her house. After all these years, who would have thunk??

On my last day I raced out to Tonto National Forest, which covers almost 3 million acres, is the fifth largest forest in the US and has a rich history. The wilderness is best known for Four Peaks Wilderness, Superstition Mountain and the tale of the Lost Dutchman’s mine. Did I mention it was only a 25-minute drive from my sister’s house?

My Brother in law had mentioned a river and a lake. So off I went to catch another beautiful sunset in a rare desert setting. Note to self: “Next time look at a map before you head out. But “NO” I was a man with a mission with no directions but the one instinct  … follow the hood of the car and see where it takes me. Luckily for me that gets me through a majority of the hard times.

With little time to spare and on a mission of chasing Arizona sunsets and cacti I raced down the highway. What I leave you with are two of the more memorable captures from that beautiful evenings adventure:

A reflective moment of mountain and river just as I entered the park:

And remnant’s of a setting sun as a Saguaro Cactus stands guard over a rising quarter moon:

If you are in need of an executive portrait or have an upcoming photographic assignment, please keep us in mind. In addition, if you find yourself looking for stock imagery or art for corporate or private collection, we may have that perfect image. Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best regards ……….
dennis keim

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope and pray that it was a good and festive holiday spent with family and friends and that you are finally coming out of the comatose haze from the turkey hangover. I liken it to the many ways of preparing shrimp from Forrest Gump … Turkey .. Turkey Dressing … Baked Turkey … Broiled Turkey … Smoked Turkey … Deep Fried Turkey …. Turkey Salad … Turkey Sandwiches and so on!!!!

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend thanksgiving with my father and my sister and her family in Phoenix, Az. It was the first holiday celebrated without my mother and as difficult as it was, being with family and sharing memories made it a very special Thanksgiving. We all should be very grateful for the family and friends that remain.

Very seldom, while visiting Phoenix, do I get to spend time outside of the city and have an opportunity to photograph the natural landscape. The mountains and the desert areas surrounding the city are beautiful and majestic. You generally do not need to travel far to encounter every type of cactus that grows with abandon. I am always amazed by the quantity, size and form of each and every cactus. It is as if they have their own form of social community.

I was able to talk a good friend of mine, Herb Stokes, into taking a Sunday road trip and traveling to one of the desert area parks, McDowell Mountain Regional Park in the Sonoran Desert. The 21,000 acre park provided ample vistas which included a plethora of cactus and mountain ranges. To say the least, I was one happy “photographic camper”. Too many cactus’s, so little time but here are two of my favorite photographs.

If you are looking for a unique gift for christmas, take a moment to view our photography art gallery. It may make the perfect gift.Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com.

Enjoy ……….
dennis keim

What an absolutely incredible weekend for football. All the upsets that were needed to put the SEC back on top and in the hunt for the College football national championship bid (BCS) occurred. I normally do not find myself rooting for the Big East, the Pac-12 or the Big Ten but I was cheering my lungs out for Iowa State Friday evening.

While most, if not all, of you were sleeping this morning, I was on an assignment at the Port of Huntsville shooting at 2:45 AM. While it is not typical, I have found myself on more than one occasion accommodating arrival and departure plane schedules to capture the required shot for the airport. This mornings’ special occasion was the arrival of the first Boeing 747-800F Freighter, operated by Cargolux, into Huntsville. The 747-8 freighter is the largest of the 747’s and was just placed into service in late September.  You might say, in the industry, it was a “pretty big deal” for Huntsville to be first! So rest assured, while you were asleep some of us (thank you Mitch) were up making sure your cargo is being delivered safely and on time.

I wish you the best with family and friends for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. It will be an emotional, but extremely special time for my family and me. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!!!

If you are in need of an executive portrait or have an upcoming photographic assignment, please keep us in mind. In addition, if you find yourself looking for stock imagery or art for corporate or private collection, we may have that perfect image. Take the opportunity to look at http://www.dk-studio.com or http://store.hwy12photoarts.com

Have Camera – Will Travel … Corporate, Advertising and Editorial.

Best regards ……….
dennis keim