Now that 2013 is well under way and the typical time for resolutions is two weeks ago, I figured it is about time I post one of my/our goals for this year.

We’re affectionately calling it Bikes vs. Cars, 2013.

If you didn’t already know we live in one of the greatest small towns in the Midwest. We can walk or bike pretty much anywhere we need to, but there are a lot of times that we are lazy or in a hurry or just don’t.

There have been so many times where I walk around town, dreaming to myself about how amazing it would be to live in a city where bikes and feet were the main methods of transportation, instead of cars and trucks. A town that was built around small bike and pedestrian paths and the only roads for cars/trucks were a few strategic access roads to get people in and out of the city.  The entire culture would be… different. Closer. Less isolated. Cleaner. Safer. Healthier. More interdependent. And I think it would be a whole lot better.

Although I know this idea will probably never exist we, as a family, are going to play a little game this year to see if we can make our town just a little bit smaller and a little bit healthier.

Here are the rules for our game:

1 >>> Each day we use a car is a “Car Day”
2 >>> Each day a bike is used, is a “Bike Day”
3 >>> Cars always disqualify bikes when used
4 >>> If there are more Bike Days than Car Days at the end of the year, bikes win, and 2013 is a success in all other related or non-related areas. Makes total sense, right? :) Also, this game has nothing to do with distance. We lose that, hands down.
5 >>> The end.

More updates to follow with cool graphics and official tallies.  And I apologize, this doesn’t really have much to do with photography other than the fact that I do at times take pictures while I bike.  Dangerous, maybe a little. But less dangerous than taking pictures while driving a car.

OH and if you think it’s crazy to bike in winter weather, I agree, people who bike during the Wisconsin winter are crazy. We don’t plan on doing that very often, but we think this is what will make the game a challenge during the days with better weather.

Happy biking!

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling.” – Don McCullin

We love reflecting on our year and have a tradition of going through these questions with each other every New Year’s Eve and these questions on New Year’s Day. We re-live moments in our minds, laugh and cry about the past, and then plan with high hopes for the future.

We have seen a lot this year, been invited into some wonderfully amazing and hard moments, and have created a few even within our own family. Moments that we can vividly remember — ones that we would love to re-live and others that we would rather not.

But we did not just see or witness these moments, we felt them, right along with our subjects. It’s all pretty amazing to us.

Here are 10 moments from the past year that stick:

We had the honor of photographing the funeral of our dear friends’ son.  This was one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching – yet – most powerful, and hope-filled stories we have ever photographed and compiled. More of their story can be found here.

We drove down to Kansas City for the Breadwinners workshop with Ashley + Jeremy and spent a few days experiencing some life- and business-changing moments, along with three other amazing couples.

On their wedding day, we had the privilege of telling Stef + Khalid “Don’t Give Up” — they took it all in and this is their grip, promising each other that they will not.

Travis and Jamie have seen storms. The biggest one in their lives is when Jamie fell 20 feet onto concrete, and Travis, along with family and friends, weren’t sure if she would make it through the night. Here they are, dancing before a storm. Quite an amazing moment for us to document.

Our children are really wonderful, amazing little creatures that bless us every day. I was in tears after witnessing this moment — the reaching out of a big brother’s hand to a very scared and wary little sister.

This is the first milestone in our children’s lives where I (Kelly) really cried. He is so big. And we were so proud.

Ray went camping with all of his brothers on a sandbar island and a storm came in the night, pouring down rain, flooding their tents with water and flattening them to the ground, and honestly — scaring them all, quite a bit. Here is a photo from dawn, the morning after the heavy rains.

Ariel + Jonathan have melted our hearts on more than one occasion. We love this sweet moment, shortly after they were pronounced husband and wife.

I was once asked if I could name the best meal I’ve ever eaten. This was it.

Though, this experience comes in a very close second. Shortly after our brother-in-law built us a table for our backyard, we enjoyed a feast, along with many of Ray’s siblings (and spouses).

“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.” -Sally Mann

Happy New Year!
r+k

Erin + Jeremy are the fabulous duo behind Enos Farms, their catering business that revolves around locally-grown and impeccably-sourced food. Their enthusiasm and talent for what they do is amazing. We first met these two at a wedding we were all working at, then the following morning we received an email asking us if we would be interested in photographing *their* wedding next summer! We became fast friends, then they invited us to document this wonderful dinner.

It was an unusually (but welcomed) warm and sunny October day for this outdoor, five course progressive dinner in Spring Green, WI. If you’ve never been to the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, you’re missing out. :) The afternoon began with appetizers at the bottom of the hill — where many of the veggies for the dinner were grown and harvested. Over the course of the evening we worked our way up the hill, stopping to enjoy soup and Furthermore beer. Once at the top, we were seated and served salad and the main course. After dinner, we walked down a little path, grabbed a wool blanket and a cup of the richest hot chocolate we’ve ever tasted. To finish off the night, we enjoyed maple creme brulee and gathered around a massive bonfire that Jeremy created for us all to enjoy, as we watched the sun set and the full harvest moon rise.

We’ve come to believe that good food tastes even better when it’s paired with a beautiful environment and wonderful experience. Even though, upon arrival, we only knew two of the 18 guests, by the end of the night we felt as though we were dining with family.

I was once asked if I could name the most delicious meal I had ever eaten. Now I’m easily able to answer that question.

Here’s a little taste :) of the day:

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We really love our work, but we make ourselves take breaks. Because when your office is connected to your home, you can work all the time. Believe us, we’ve been there.

But breaks are good.

There’s really nothing better than taking a week away from work, stress, luxuries, and computer screens. We now do this unapologetically for an entire week right in the middle of our busiest time of the summer. It’s a key ingredient in our salve to prevent burnout. And when we return home, we are refreshed and even excited to work again.

Oh, but we really don’t see taking photos as work. It’s our ‘element’, if you will — that sweet spot where your skills and passions collide, a term coined by Sir Ken Robinson – so we didn’t take a break from that. :)

Here is a glimpse into some of our adventures!

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We’ve been on the go. A couple weeks ago, we packed up our bags, slept in a make-shift dorm room, kids skipped naps and stayed up way too late, and we went on many adventures… caving, climbing, zipping, swimming, canoeing, school bus riding. :) We let our hair fly in the wind, had campfires and made s’mores, and spent a lot of time together as a family. We left refreshed, reminded of the importance of spending time outside in truly the most amazing masterpiece around – God’s creation.

Here are a few glimpses from our adventures at Family Camp:

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