Gingerbread Houses

Each year I build some graham cracker houses for my grand daughters to decorate with candies.





I photographed a favorite holiday decoration - nesting soldiers and decorated a Christmas Card and envelope for my grand daughter that lives out of state.

Happy Halloween

Veggie Tails

A trip to Jamie's Flea Market yielded many vegetables and fruit. Good for eating and stock photography.

Evening Session at Lake

My second session with this family. We met at 6:30 and finished before sunset. The lake was calm and the wind wasn't even noticeable.

Air Show and Peace Rally

Each year on Labor Day we go downtown to view the Labor Day air show and also the Peace Rally in the park.

Burke Lake airport is to the right of this scene. They take off and land on that airfield and fly over key Cleveland landmarks - the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Science Museum, and the home of the Brown's football team.


The Navy Blue Angels were the final group to perform.



A Vietnam Vet stands vigil in front of a memorial of boots. Each pair of boots is tagged with a photo and the name of an Ohio military member that was killed in Iraq.

The Duck Pond

Another session at the duck pond. I enjoyed some freedom with this image and added a few effects to give it a story book feel.

Future Model

This evening on the beach I met a nice young man who told me that he would like to be a model.

Family Sunset at the Lake

These are some of my favorites from the other night's dramatic sunset session at Huntington beach.

Sunset at the Lake

The beach is a perfect backdrop for romantic portraits. I particularly like the drama of the lake waves crashing onto the rocks in the background.



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Clague Park Location

The gazebo, duck pond and walking bridges make this a lovely natural setting for photography.

Little Italy - Cleveland, Ohio Now that's Italian!

The Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy is always a huge celebration. It's hard to believe that it has already been 5 years since I participated in the celebration in Ortucchio, Italy, the birthplace and childhood town of my maternal grandparents. This year I celebrated in the United States like so many other Italo Americanos. I wonder if I have room for one more bowl of pasta?

Part of a very long mural that is painted on a wall on Murray Hill. It depicts the immigration and history of the Italian-Americans that live in this neighborhood.


The real reason for the celebration.


I didn't notice it at the time, but while editing the image I realized that there was something very familiar about this man; his nose, his hands.....yes, he looked related. Maybe he saw something familiar about me, too and that is why when I passed him the second time, he asked me to take his photograh.


This little boy looked so much like my sister's boys - so cute! He was holding a nice bowl of cavatelli and meatballs. I asked his mother for permission before snapping this photo. Is he of Italian descent? You bet, "100%" his mother proclaimed. Buon appetito bello ragazzo.

More at the Lake

I think I have found a great place to spend the remainder of the summer. I love how each time I am there the background is different, but always beautiful!

Many thanks to Shawn Richter, Caught On Film Photography located in San Diego, for your kindness and help - you are a wonderful teacher.

Beach Photography - Lake Erie

I did a little shooting at Huntington over the weekend. I wanted to scope out the area and practice some techniques I've been wanting to try. The first photo was taken during the afternoon and the last one is at sunset.

Book on Photographing Children by Jim Miotke

Author, Jim Miotke is a photographer and teacher. I am honored that Jim requested two of my photographs for the book. I am looking forward to viewing the book when it is finally in print. You can reserve a copy at Amazon.

Digital Scrapbook Page

Digital scrapbooking is all the rage and it's not just for the home crafter. Professional photographers are using it as well to create one of a kind storyboards, photo books, and other frameable photo art. Below is a simple example of a scrap page. I took a couple photos from a recent session and pulled them together with a theme scrapbook page kit.



If you think this is something that you would enjoy, check out Digital Scrapbook Place
for lesson, tutorials, freebies and fun.

This little guy had just turned 2-years old - a very challenging and cute age. The session lasted about 90 minutes and was action packed!

Stock Images Fresh From the Garden

As a stock photographer, I try to remember to make everyday events count. Here is an example from this past week. Summer gardens are in full swing. My brother brought me a jar of home canned tomatoes with herbs and a squash and zucchini from his garden and I had some tomatoes, basil and parsley. I had all of that and a few other items assembled on the table as I was getting ready to make dinner. I stopped arranged the vegetables and snapped a few before continuing with my cooking.