Archive for 2011

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

With a road trip that covered two weeks and two thousand miles behind me, I find myself home, once again able to sleep in my own bed. What a wonderful way to see the country by driving but that is allot of time and miles to sit in the saddle. From Huntsville it was on to Atlanta, Tampa, Treasure Island, St. Petersburg, Orlando and Pensacola and then the trek home. I left Alabama just as the leaves were changing and again missed the full beauty of why I love this area so much, a change in seasons.

It was a very fruitful trip juggling my time between workshops, family obligations and friends. With each and every trip I find that my time with long lost friends continues to be the most gratifying reward. The time our conversations were split between what was current in each other’s lives (age, family and business) and relieving the past – as far as what we can remember. I am sure all of the stories are somewhat embellished at this juncture in our lives. Catching up with high school and college class mates while in Tampa took on a whole new importance with the advent that I may not be going back as often as I did while my parents lived there.

While on this two-week journey there was plenty to see and capture “on film”. I spent a fair amount of time running around the Tampa Bay area and shooting at places I had rarely visited while growing up there. On my trip home I decided to stop in the Pensacola – Perdido area and visit a dear friend whom I had not seen in a few years.  We had been trying to catch up for some time but schedule conflicts kept us from doing so.  As is always the custom when I visit, sushi was a must for dinner and she took me to a new restaurant called Jellyfish.

The next morning I left knowing I had all day to arrive home so I decided to photographically take advantage of the beautiful day. Jetting in and out of a few marinas, I was amazed by the infestation of jellyfish in the harbors. I had read about it but until you see them in mass it is hard to grasp.  Like any tourist I took my fair amount of jellyfish photographs and marveled at the majestic beauty of these creatures as they just drift with the tide.

With my quota of jellyfish photos taken, I headed back to the car only to be captivated by a group of butterflies nestling in on one of Florida’s tropical plants.  Like the jellyfish, the butterflies were there in mass.  I have been schooled enough, through responses to my blogs, to know that if I am not 100% totally correct on the identification of a flower or butterfly, I need to ask for assistance. Course it does assure me that at least a few of you actually are reading what I write. So for all of you, more versed than I, lend a guy a helping hand with “ID’s”.

With all that I had captured during my journey, I found this image to be a captivating moment of simplicity full of beauty, color and grace so, please 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

Happy Tuesday morning to you all and my apologies for being a day late with my Monday morning blog. Since starting my blog of Miss-Adventures a couple of years ago I have tried to keep on the “Monday morning coffee schedule”.  The demands of travel to teach two workshops back to back, as well as, attending to some family obligations while in the Tampa Bay area prevented me from getting it out as normally scheduled.

It has been over a year since I visited Tampa. This is my first trip home to my birthplace since relocating my parents to Arizona to live with my sister and the eventual passing of my mother.  Visiting the house for the first time since those events proved to be a little difficult. Walking in, I found everything in its exact place like I would have expected it to be. While sitting at the kitchen table I had the sense as if my parents would walk around the corner any minute to join me, as they had done a thousand times in the past. Looking around at all the family photos brought back very found memories of my childhood and all that we had shared. It is a bittersweet situation remembering all the great times that we shared during those years but difficult facing the inevitable realization that I was there to start the process of letting go.

It is always exciting to come home because the landscape of Tampa Bay is ever changing. The area has so much to offer and downtown Tampa has grown up to become a very beautiful and picturesque city. With a night to spare and a need to recharge my batteries I headed out with my good friend and fellow instructor Dave Hickey in search of the prefect location to capture a night view of the city. Following the hood of the car, we were on to our next big road tripping adventure!

The city of Tampa sits on Hillsborough Bay so a water view was a must. Of course it is always the same story, racing against time and chasing the elusive fleeting moments of sunset that makes for the perfect backdrop. With no time to spare and having exhausted all too many side roads we “stumbled” onto a location. It was the perfect water view, due east of the city, with nothing but tow away zone parking. Once again we chose to tempt fate and go for the gusto. I do believe the final capture was well worth the potential of having to ask for forgiveness for our parking indiscretion.

My hometown, Tampa!

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 HOWL-oween. I hope you had or about to have a hollowing good time.

This is going to be short note this week. I am on travel in Atlanta and then headed on to Tampa to do a workshop and handle some family issues with my mothers’ estate. I spent the Halloween weekend in Atlanta instructing at a Supershoots workshop. This workshop is always a delight because we always have great students and work with agency models from Click. The unfortunate part is due to the long hours, we did not make any goulish parties.

Coming out of the activity Sunday evening I looked in to the sky and saw Mother Nauture doing her thing and just had to go chasing another sunset.

Now I am off to Tampa! 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 the image you are looking for. 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

Given the absolutely stellar weather we have had in the south, I would hope you found a couple of outdoor activities to enjoy. I can only wish others around the country were enjoying similar weather.

Last week it seemed like everyday we were blessed with beautiful billowing white clouds filling the skies. The constant flow from west to east provided it’s own wonderful array of pageantry. I was downtown one afternoon visiting with clients and decided, once my appointments were complete, to go down to Big Spring Park and take advantage of the rest of the perfect fall like weather.  It did not take long for me to realize that there was more to take advantage of then just a stroll in the park. The beautiful blue skies, complemented by the huge white clouds, made the perfect background for the cities landscape. One loop around the park on a photographers snail pace and I had my ‘exercise” for the day not to mention a stellar capture of Space City USA.

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 the image you are looking for. 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