Fall...holding on for dear life

On the first day of November I wanted to take a couple of shots of the remaining reminder of the beauty of fall.

Life and Death - Fall in Wisconsin

My day job

I've got a pretty cool job. I get to work with youth who are changing the world. Not bad, eh?

Julie and Jake's Wedding

Viva Peru

Be Wonder-Ful!

It's one of those days...

Waiting for a rocket to come...

Under a full sky of stars I gazed, with tired eyes, up into the night waiting for a glimpse of a meteor. While I was patiently waiting, I set up my camera on my tripod opened the shutter for ten minutes and was surprised to capture this gem.

Dear Milwaukee...

You certainly aren't my favorite city in Wisconsin. Maybe it's because I've always been scared of you. Your towering buildings, endless web of highways and your sulfur smell never gave me that welcome vibe I get from your younger sister Madison. However, you are growing on me. Maybe it's your diversity or the fact that you've stood strong and kept your own identity even as Chicago creeps closer and closer. Just last weekend you and I shared a moment. It was near 7:30pm, we were hanging out at one of your many lakeside parks and you showed me a sky that stopped me in my tracks. I think it was an olive branch to let me know that although you aren't the Mad City, you still have a lot to offer. I see a future, you and me, Milwaukee, and it's a bright one.

Cheers,

Luke

Big crowds for Big Voices

Under a Madison night sky filled with puffy sun-kissed clouds I was entertained by the operatic sounds of the Madison Opera accompanied by the Madison Symphony Orchestra.

6,800 felt like freedom

Here's my month of June seen "Through the Lens of LPW."

Wedding

Congratulations to my cousin Todd and his wife Kathleen.

~13 miles from it all

Here's a shot from Pope Farms Park in Middleton...about 13 miles away from the Capitol Building (which you can see right under the moon).

In the shadows

It was a particularly foggy night in Willowbrook, IL. My friend Kyle and I were at a mutual friend's wedding when we stepped outside to take a break from the celebration. We never expected to find the conditions the way we did. We both immediately thought this was a good night for photography. These are the images I captured.

Spring is here...

The proof is in the photo

Smoke-Free Air Bill Becomes a LAW!

It's official...

The smoke-free air bill is now a LAW! A big thanks goes to the Wisconsin State Legislature, Gov. Jim Doyle and the thousands of colleagues around WI that made this possible! I

Smoke-Free WI

Last night the WI state legislature passed the smoke-free WI bill! It was a HUGE day for me and my colleagues that have been fighting this battle for years. I think Gov. Doyle said it best in his official statement that he released today.

“I have worked throughout my career in public life to help prevent Wisconsin children from starting to smoke and help motivate adults in our state to quit smoking. Today, Wisconsin is taking an important step to save lives and protect our kids and citizens from the scourge of tobacco.

“I wish the ban would be implemented sooner, but I am proud the state is embracing the healthy direction the world is going. Making Wisconsin smoke free will save money in health care costs, improve public health across the state and save lives.”

Now I'm counting the days until the day of implementation, 7.5.10!

Texture

Found in a parking ramp...

Hidden in the Ceiling

Can you see what I see hidden in the ceiling at the Memorial Union Theater?

Fighting for FACT

Months of preparation and training are finally paying off as FACT groups across the state are mobilizing and testifying in support of three huge tobacco prevention initiatives in WI (increase in the cigarette tax, smoke-free WI and continued funding for the tobacco prevention and control program). The youth are testifying at a series of 6 Joint Finance Committee hearings that are taking place across the state. The Joint Finance Committee is taking public testimony on the Governor's proposed state budget.

Milwaukee played host to today's hearing as 27 FACT youth were in attendance. 8 of the 27 gave spoken testimony while the remaining submitted written testimony. Below are some photos of the youth that made a difference today!

The youth even made the paper: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/41838372.html

The entire group outside of the Tommy Thompson Youth Center in West Allis

Youth from Milwaukee testifying

The Joint Finance Committee

I won't stop...

until it's finally warm for good around here.

A sure sign of summer

Rich colors don't "pop" like this during Wisconsin winters. Spring is on it's way...

Smoke-Free Middleton...Finally!

Message on the signs, from the youth I work with are holding, is clear, Middleton is now smoke-free. Next stop...the entire state of Wisconsin!

Everything looked dead today

On a gloomy day outside of Montfort, I was drawn to this cemetery for no particular reason but to capture the mood that was set by the dense fog. It looked like a scene out of a horror movie. There was a point when I was walking around, that I thought I felt something grab my foot. If anything, this minor detour, was a reason to take a step back and think about my own mortality.