Lake Michigan through the Eyes of the Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee Art Museum on the shores of Lake Michigan

Milwaukee Art Museum © 2008 Bo Mackison

Milwaukee Art Museum on the shores of Lake Michigan

Say Milwaukee and what do people think of? Beer? Bowling? Laverne and Shirley? Actually when I think of visiting Milwaukee, it is usually in anticipation of attending Summerfest, the biggest music festival in the world – draws over a million people every year – or visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The Museum is an amazing place. The newer addition is a “moving winged affair” designed by internationally acclaimed architect, Santiago Calatrava. It’s a great museum, and it has a large collection of paintings by one of my favorites, Georgia O’Keeffe. And the museum is on Lake Michigan’s shores, so spending a summer day there is usually delightful.

Giant Sunflower and New Perspective

Giant Sunflower

Giant Sunflower © 2008 Bo Mackison

When you take time out to rest your back upon the earth, and look up into the summer skies, it’s amazing what you just might see. Perhaps, like I did, you might see life from a different perspective.

Time Marches On

Time Marches On

Time Marches On © 2008 Bo Mackison

Today I was sitting in the Apple Store waiting for a 1-on-1 lesson on how to promote my long-planned-for, new website when I decided to pop open my blog and see what was going on. It was 2:58 pm CDT and my eye caught my blog visitors counter-50,001 visits. Wow! That’s a lotta clicks. Seems like a milestone to blog about…

I started posting on this photoblog on October 5, 2007. My intention when I began was to post a photo a day for a year. I wasn’t sure who would look at the photographs-I was just learning how to use my Olympus E- 500 and didn’t know much about photography-or who would want to read my rambling words. But it was something I needed to do for myself. I needed to set a goal for myself and then work hard until I achieved it. Prove something to myself, in a way.

I’ve not quite finished the year-I still have another 50 days to make that goal. But I’ve been pleased with my attempt at blogging. I’ve learned an amazing amount of stuff about WordPress and all that techie stuff I always claimed I would never need to bother with. And I’ve got a website – Seeded Earth Photography – that I’m planning on unveiling on October 1st in response to the kind visitors who have asked how to purchase my photographs. (more on that coming soon)

I’ve taken thousands of photos and written nearly 400 posts and I’ve had 3,126 comments. Some of you who comment now have been commenting since the first weeks. I’m rather proud of that. You guys who have been hanging around a long time include Montucky at Montana Outdoors, Chrisy at visuallens, Ron at rtd13, Bernie at BFK Photography, nouveau fauves, Ankush at Ankush Vimawala Photography, Mon@rch at Mon@rch’s Nature Blog, amuirin at Stop and Wander, Robin at Bountiful Healing. How awesome! I didn’t even know that happened in blogland!

I also read and hear from other bloggers regularly, including Anna and Preston at Surface and Surface Photography, Gypsy-Heart at Gypsy-Heart I Am, Marcie at Daily Practice, ybonesy at red Ravine, Jules at The Way I See It , Grace at The Wild Pomegranate, Laurie at Capture This Photography, Richard at Capturing Light, Pat at Wandering Wonderings, and Joanna at Confident Writing. If I’ve missed you, sorry-check my sidebar for more of my favorites places and people. I love all of you!

So – thanks everyone. I don’t know what will happen on October 5. I’m writing for a Wisconsin website now, WisconsinNative.com, and with the launch of Seeded Earth Photography, I don’t know quite what I will do with this original blog. But I’ve learned a lot and have climbed mountains and swum oceans, as the saying goes. So thanks again. Your presence has been an important part of these last 10 months for me.

Early Apples in a Crate

Crate of Apples

Crate of Apples © 2008 Bo Mackison

It seems early for apples, but the first organic fruits are taking their places in the area farmers’ markets. These are on the smaller side, but so juicy and sweet. I liked the simple fruit framed in the crate and tried it in black and white.

Early Apples

Early Apples © 2008 Bo Mackison

But I like the photo is a soft color, too. Sometimes it’s fun to just play with a photograph and see all the different techniques that speak in different ways.

In the Pink

Everlasting Pea

Everlasting Pea © 2008 Bo Mackison

This wildflower was blooming in abundance in the meadows on Washington Island. It is referred to as the “everlasting” pea because of its long flowering season – mid June through the end of September. The plant has a fruit which looks like the cultivated garden pea pod, though it is inedible. The showy flowers attract butterflies and sphinx moths for pollination.

Meadow on Washington Island

Meadow on Washington Island © 2008 Bo Mackison

Washington Island, only 22 square miles, is sparsely populated. The island is 6 miles off the northern tip of Door County and it is hailed as “North of the Tension Line.” In this meadow, one of many wide open spaces on the island, the pea was prevalent; elsewhere there were stands of Queen Anne’s Lace and orange Day Lilies.