At the first of the year I look forward to doing a workshop in Peoria, IL. Not so much because the workshop occurs during height of winter but more so because of the road trip I make from Chicago Midway to Peoria. The interstate in some parts follows the old Route 66 and cuts through the heartland of the rural mid west. The landscape and scenery is what “Americana” is all about. I particularly look forward to getting off the interstate in Odell, IL and chasing around the back roads. Odell’s “slight claim to fame” is it is an established rural community along Route 66. It has all the personality of a small Midwest town with the gas stations, train stations and farms. The one very particular view that sets Odell apart is they have embraced wind turbines and that dot the horizon as far as the eye can see. Wind Turbines are very majestic odd creatures jetting skyward and at first glance seem so out of place. But in time they take on their own personality and some how just seem to fit!!

So with that said, I give you a little taste of Americana and Odell IL!!

If you find yourself in need for stock imagery, art for corporate or private collection or have an upcoming assignment, I am asking that you please keep us in mind!!!!

Best regards ……….
dK

Is there any other day that causes so much disdain amongst singles and such large anxieties for couples other than Valentines Day, the day of amour? The celebration was established by Pope Gelasius in 496 AD and was associated with romantic love and lovers. For singles, we want to be in love and for couples it is a day to share in the passion of love and relationships. Singles take a back seat on the bus of love and couples; they go to the head of the line. Yearly, it is the one-day where couples are given the opportunity to profess their love with lavish gifts, confectioneries, greeting cards and fabulous dinners. On the other hand, for singles, we get to save all of that money for a future dowry when our time comes.

Why is it, that singles could not celebrate Valentines like Halloween? You buy the candy and have other singles stop by for a go or no go and you get to select a partner? You give them flowers, put your left over candy out in an “honor system” container and the two of you head off to a late night dinner understanding that all the prime time early slots had been taken by couples. Think about it!

With Valentines, is there any other holiday that we embrace the color Pink more? Is there any other color that we associate, acknowledge and celebrate the beauty, character and strength of women? I think it is the perfect color of Love! Many thanks to my dear friend Ginger Sharp for indulging my artistic demon and being part of this visual celebration of Valentines.

If you find yourself in need for stock imagery, art for corporate or private collection or have an upcoming assignment, I am asking that you please keep us in mind!!!!

Best regards ……….
dK

It is great to be back in the city and for those that keep asking, “How long am I back for this time?” the easy answer is for good! Well, at least until the friendly skies come calling again! Have Camera Will Travel!!

After a few days of rain, the weather cleared last week to offer a great opportunity to shoot some new images around the city. Huntsville, it seems, has a facelift every few months and appears to take on a new persona. So with Camera in Hand and the assistance of Blake Hudson we headed up to watch the sunset and city lights.  It never ceases to amaze me how the personality of the city changes.

It just so happens that it was a Picture Perfect evening ……. ENJOY!!!
Like all of the stock we offer, this image is available for private or corporate collection and use.

If you find yourself in need for stock imagery, art for corporate or private collection or have an upcoming assignment, I am asking that you please keep us in mind!!!!

Best regards ……….
dK

I was scheduled to cover the arrival of the new Boeing 787, appropriately named the Dreamliner, on Friday at the Huntsville International Airport. The Dreamliner’s’ visit to Huntsville was the first stop in the U.S. on the “Dream Tour”.

And as luck would have it, the weather cleared up on Friday just in time to make for an incredible picturesque welcome to Space City USA for the 787 Dreamliner.

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

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

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

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 ~

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 ~

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 ~

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