DOCUMENTED MEMORIES….. the PHOTOGRAPH.
We need them so we can reflect on the past, they can make us happy or sad, they help us remember the precious past.
Every day we experience connections with people, it may be family, friends or people we don’t even know. One very powerful and lasting way to preserve and reflectlife’s journey is through recorded images. PHOTOGRAPHS…
How do you remember a close family member who has passed on or a child who is now grown? PHOTOGRAPHS…
What can make you cry when you look at that printed memory and reflect? PHOTOGRAPHS…
Images have always been a very powerful form of media that documents the past. Before photographs we remember people and events throughout history from paintings and drawings. It is a vital testament to documented history that what we see in an image actually occurred.

A true story:
A few years back we were commissioned to photograph a birthday party for a client’s mother. She was turning 90 and her daughter thought to have the party photographed. It was set in a museum, ancient dinosaurs as the backdrop. How appropriate She loved the idea, after all they were the only thing older then her that evening… We witnessed everlasting love and interaction between the grand mom and her charming husband.
After decades of marriage, they still had it. We captured this and other very special moments between family and friends. We were only documenting a 3 hour pieceof history. That 3 hour piece of history was represented in a book that not only told the story of the elderly couple but also the spirit and mood of that wonderful evening. All of the people that attended, their unique personalities and interactions.They were the “characters” in the pictorial storybook.
About a month after the grand mom and her husband received the book he passed on….
So now that book, the PHOTOGRAPHS and the memories contained are a priceless treasure for the grieving wife. It is her memory of a good time with close family and friends. Her daughter told me she looks at it almost every day it helps her remember the “good times”. It makes her smile now, it heals it comforts her.
So just remember that it is very important and necessary to record these little slices of life…. We never know when we may need to look back, reflect and savor the memories of life.

Here is my piece of history…

The Hoover Dam bypass built in 2010 speeds up the journey South, but how could we not stop when the sky was so perfect. If you decide to walk across the Dam, make sure to stare at your iPhone as it magically changes from Nevada to Arizona time and back. The Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge offers the most spectacular Dam views! The best view of Lake Mead is from business route 93 in Boulder City, where we had to stop for supposedly Nevada’s best burger at the Boulder PIT Stop. The french fry sauce was tasty!

Grand Canyon West is located on a Hualapai Indian reservation about 2.5 hours from Las Vegas. Different location = different weather. It was 24 degrees at the Canyon! It was our first time seeing snow covered cactus in the desert. The Canyon views are about fifty miles from Rt. 93, partly on a dirt road – frankly the most in the middle of nowhere place either one of us has ever been. The weather had been uncooperative for the entire week. That is until we got there. Visibility was supposed to be zero, but the clouds just floated away when we arrived. There are three main points of interest on the reservation – two breathtaking viewpoints and a mocked up western town and working ranch. We couldn’t be bothered with the Sky Walk at Eagle Point – NO cameras allowed – what good is that to a photographer? Guano Point on the other hand had the most amazing 360 view of the Canyon.

Only a little scary standing on the tallest rock on top of the tallest hill around!

The ground was too slippery for a horse ride along the edge of the Canyon, but we visited the horses at sunset anyway.

As one of the presenters said, “The day we get home, we start planning next years trip”
So true…

mike & jana

Here are a few images from Jana’s workshop with Yervant.

We must already own everything since we only purchased a few memory cards and a Motibodo keyboard at the tradeshow to speed up our workflow. We will be sharing our insights once we have it up and running. We absolutely love the idea that the software can be installed on multiple computers. Thanks Dave and Quin!
We also found an exciting new album company and will be adding several books into our already awesome production collection. We are super excited about their paper surface selection and stylish album covers.

…Elvis has been replaced…

Signature Suites at the MGM was our home again. Clean scented air and perfect accommodations. Upon arriving in Vegas we stocked up our kitchen cabinets and fridge with healthy food from Whole Foods. Great breakfasts and lunches on our balconies, a scenic view of the mountains and strip! Dinner… well that was eating out and we made sure to visit our favorite restaurants Shibuya for sushi and Teppanyaki Japanese grill, Diego for table-side guacamole and superb margaritas and Mon Ami Gabi for some yummy French cuisine. The find of the trip was Holsteins Buns and Shakes at the Cosmopolitan. We were so glad that we did not discover their amazing burgers and spiked milk shakes until the last day!

A show and a trip have become a Vegas Tradition.
Zumanity was a very unique form of adult entertainment and we really enjoyed it.
We traveled south via Boudler City, Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon for our trip this year. Mike insisted on making the drive memorable and rented a Camaro SS. What a fun ride, especially on the twenty- mile dirt road in snow! LOL.

Part Two with amazing photos from our trip is coming soon!

mike & jana

Coming up… The BEST of mk Photography WEDDINGS 2010!

Happy New Year!
mike and Jana

Thanks Again,

Jana and MIke

There are more photos to see
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