Lot’s of new things to post, ‘especially photos. So here we go!

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My ears are still ringing. Even though I have been quasi-diagnosed with Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears), I went a tad overboard last night. I need to remember I’m 33 years old and should bring hearing protection when attending a show. Especially when it comes to metalcore bands. I’ve been around the metal scene for years and have been to hundreds of shows. Which probably accounts for my hearing issues. Regardless, I wouldn’t have missed this one…

Adam, Adam V, Jolene, Sam and I drove down to see our friends in Still Remains play in Madison, while on their US headlining tour with Secret & Whisper, Catherine & Gwen Stacy. It was sooooo good to see Ben and Steve once again, as their return trips to Appleton have been few and far between while touring around the world. Hugs were plenty!

I was excited to grab a handful of press shots before the show. Sadly, after their tour is over, they will be seperating with Roadrunner Records and calling it a day. I know most of the guys will carry on playing music or pursuing something new in their lives.

More live shots at The Loft in Madison..

Ben with his parents after the show..

Ben and I…

…he smelled awful.

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A couple of the girls, hanging out around the house last week. Zoee has discovered HATS! Yes, hat’s are her new thing…

Lazy afternoons. I love them!

It’s no wonder why my iPhone got stolen.

Tobin and her best friend Brady.

Spring is almost here. It felt so good to get the girls outside to play for a change!

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MARK ZIEMANN BENEFIT

I was truly amazed at the turn-out for Mark Ziemann’s Benefit this past Saturday night!!! From the looks of it, they made a fair amount of money for the family, during this time of need. I was really excited to see my two 16×24 prints get auctioned off. I guess they saved the good ’til last, cause after they raffled my prints… they did a 12-string acoustic guiter donated by Cory Chisel (of the Wandering Son’s) and a guitar signed by the Goo Goo Dolls!! Whoa, I had my fingers crossed for those!

Anyway, HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SLIDESHOW from Mark’s Benefit. The Ziemann’s are in my thoughts and prayers!

Cheers,
~dave

On March 3rd, Mark Ziemann (a member of San Damiano Church where Melanie and I attend from time to time) was in a serious construction accident. While on the site, a two story staircase collapsed underneath him. He was flown to Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee where he would be treated for very critical injuries. He remains there today, showing improvement.

I first met Mark at his home through Nick and Mike Ziemann from the band, The Wildbirds, during a photo shoot about 2 years ago. Although my meeting with him was brief, it was immediately apparent that he is a dedicated husband and father, always willing to give of himself to others.

There is a benefit for Mark this Saturday, March 29th, at The Fire pottery gallery located at 230 E. College Ave, downtown Appleton. The event kicks off at 6:30pm and lasts until 10:30pm. There will be a silent auction held, in which I have donated two 16×24 gallery wrapped canvas prints from my SIMPLE+DIRTY collection.

Stop on down and feel free to make a donation or bid on the silent auction. Corey Chisel from the Wandering Son’s, along with Tim Schweiger and Freddie Haas will be playing live!

~dave

Wow, what a night! I spent the last fours hours with the one and only, Matthew Billingsley. Matt was my former assistant up until 8 months ago. He made a surprise visit to Appleton over the Easter holiday from afar! I knew he was coming for several months, but kept my mouth shut for the duration. Since I was finally up to moving after my surgery, I met him out at the cigar shop.

Matt is currently attending University Falmouth in England for photography. We spent alot of time catching up and loading each other up with creative inspiration. Matthew is truly talented behind the lens and a one-of-a-kind type of guy! His work is simply amazing.

After a few pints of New Castle and some Jamison on the rocks at Dr. Jekyll’s, I begin to speak with his acquired English tone. I will miss him over the coming year, but it was great to catch up on old times. He even brought his polaroid. Only if photography was this simple….

I’ll post my WPPI wrap-up here tomorrow!

Cheers, oy!
~dave

On our second day at WPPI, Rob, Adam and I hooked up with a Flickr group on the invite of my friend Amy. They scheduled a shoot with models at the Neon Graveyard and at a ghost town in Nelson, NV. We decided to join in on the fun and ended up shooting for 9 hours between both locations. It made for a long day. You never get this kind of light here in Wisconsin. Oh well…

I had the opportunity to shoot with some amazing photographers from around the U.S. for the day, including Corey Ann, Tim and Jamie Jackson, Kelly Lee, Chad Franz, Rachel Olsen and many more! Not only were the models great, the locations were killer! It was a good chance to network with other photographers from outside the Midwest. I even had the chance to give a brief tutorial on Zack’s OneLight technique!

This first set of from the Neon Museum, located on the north end of the Las Vegas strip. It’s a proverbial graveyard for all of the old, historic neon signs that once populated the city. Dana and Nicole were amazing to work with!

Thanks to Adam for taking this shot of Rob and I, making me look like I really need to go potty…

This is the result of a “shoot-off” between Amy and I…

The next location we hit was the ghost town, located in Nelson, NV. We literally drove about one hour into the desert to reach this location. Nestled comfortably in the middle of nowhere, near the Nevada – Colorado border, we managed to eventually find it. Finding the perfect light was easy here. Miki and Michelle were great to work with.

YOU CAN VIEW THE FULL SLIDESHOW HERE!

Enjoy!
~dave

For those wondering, I’m pleased to report my rather “minor surgery” went great today! I’ve spent more time on the couch than I have in years. So far, no luck on my iPhone. I figure that it is now gone for good. Which means that all my contacts (well, over 75+) are now gone. Nonetheless, I hope to have a temporary loaner phone up and running sometime tomorrow. So if you have been trying to call, please be patient.

Most of my day was spent catching up on my 159 emails I received while I was in Vegas. Again, if you are waiting for a response, I hope to have those out sometime tomorrow.

Below are some shots I took I Las Vegas from the first night we were in town for WPPI. After 10 hours of traveling, Rob, Adam and I made it to Bally’s. It wasn’t the most elegant hotel, but I’m sure they don’t want people lingering in the rooms to long. After all, it’s Vegas…

After settling in, we decided to soak up the strip a little. Although very tired, we managed to walk around for an hour before going to bed well before 10pm. Las Vegas is very fake and “plasticy”, to say the least. By the third day I was ready to go home.

I’ll post more photos from the Neon Graveyard and Nelson Ghost Town tomorrow night.

And what would Vegas be without Elvis….?

I’ll post more tomorrow!

~dave