Spirit of Place - Jack V. Johnson Photography
It’s starting to look like I might not get in a whole lot of winter shooting this time around – temps have been well above freezing most of the time, and there’s far more brown grass than snow to be seen. In the spirit of making the most of what I’ve got, here are some images of Big Hill Park during a recent rare period of sold and snow.
Just for fun, I’ve made variations with square crops – what do you think? Let me know in the comments section below!
– Jack
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Well, 2011 certainly flew by! As part of wrapping up the year, I’ve added a new gallery containing my personal favorites from among the many images I shot in 2011. Photos from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan feature prominently, of course, but I also have a number of favorites from Alaska and the Old Northwest Territory, including my home town of Beloit.
A number of factors came into play as I made my selections. Some I like more for aesthetic reasons, some evoke fond memories of the location, and some remind me of the stories behind their making. Many photographers select their top 10 shots of the year, but I didn’t feel like restricting myself to that arbitrary limit, so there are quite a few images in this gallery.
As of this writing, “Foggy Fall Mercer Morning 3134″ shown below is my single favorite image of 2011. That might very well change as time passes, but that’s my pick for now!
Which are your favorites, and why? Please let me know in the comments below!
– Jack
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Well, another Holidazzle has come and gone! I think we had a pretty good turnout this year, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. After picking up my emergency caffeine supply at Nikki’s Cafe (which sadly is still not open 24×7, despite my repeated urging), I spent the evening at The Villager. Things got off to the usual slow start – most people don’t get off work in time to get downtown right at 5:00 – but picked up nicely after a short while. The weather cooperated this year; it was pretty chilly, but there was no rain or snow.
As always, I got to visit with some terrific people who stopped in, including a few high school classmates, fellow Camera Codgers and other photographers, nature lovers, and art lovers (with some overlap between categories, of course). I really shouldn’t be surprised by now at how many people know where tiny Mercer, WI is, yet I still am at each show or event!
Many people admired the new prints of my nature & landscape photography of the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan, the Old Northwest Territory, and Alaska – always very pleasant to hear and much appreciated. Now I’m hoping some of those wonderful people come back to become collectors! 
I want to thank Betsy and Tim Schmiechen and the rest of The Villager staff; they were terrific hosts, as always. I also want to thank Lloyd Smith of Nikki’s, who let me hang additional work there for the event. Thanks, too, to the Downtown Beloit Association for creating Holidazzle. And I especially want to thank everyone who came out for Holidazzle and made it the fun holiday event it always is!
If you were at Holidazzle, I’d love to hear from you – did you find any new artists, musicians, or craftspeople, or anything you especially liked? Please leave a comment below to let us know what you saw & what you thought of it!
– Jack
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Tonight’s the night! I’ll be at The Villager (429 East Grand Avenue) for Holidazzle from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (although I might head down the street at 6:30 PM to check out the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator auction, for which I’ve donated a piece). I also have work for view & purchase at Nikki’s Cafe (604 Pleasant Street), so be sure to check it out while you’re getting a delicious hot beverage!
Holidazzle includes over 40 locations in the Downtown Beloit, Wisconsin area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists. There’s free trolley transportation around the downtown, and Santa will be at the Turtle Creek Bookstore. There will be events for the kids, and holiday treats for all, so bring the entire family out for a free evening of food, fun, and art!
Most of my photos on display are from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan, but I’ll also be showing photos of Alaska, the Tetons, and the Old Northwest Territory (as the area around us in the upper Midwest used to be known). The Villager will also be hosting several other artists working in a variety of media.
I’ll have lots of new prints on display (and for sale!) this year, so please do stop in at The Villager to see my new work and say hi!
- Jack
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