2014 Here We Come!

Ahhhhhh. The perfect end to a wonderful year. With 2014 right around the corner we are dog-gone excited around here.  Our little home town business is growing and growing.  More weddings on the books for this next year..more doggie sessions then ever before. Family sessions, baby sessions, baby bump sessions, glamour shoots, senior portraits, doggie portraits..opps, did I already say that. It has become a favorite of mine and have found pet photography to be a huge part of my business. They are after all part of our family to. For some of us they are our only family.  This coming year is gonna be huge. I can feel it in my bones. Check back in the next coming weeks for our new package prices and exciting new products we have in store for you.  Now booking  for sessions starting in January !

Pet Portraits That Come From The Heart

It all started with one...

Meet my dog Timber.

Over a year ago I walked into the SWCHS with a framed picture of this dog

 My sweet girl of 15 years

The pain of losing her still fresh in my soul

I was in the second year of my business

And I had an idea ...

Thank God I had hundreds of pictures of my girl

Had I not taken them I surely would be lost right now

Without a memory of her that I can see every morning

A small comfort when your heart breaks from the loss of a pet

So I decided I wanted to do Pet Portraits

After all they are like children to most of us

And a portrait of them would be cherished forever

Long after they are gone

So we came up with a plan

I would do Pet Sessions and give part of the profits to SWCHS

For every package I sold

Well.... Nobody Called

I have to admit I was saddened that nobody seemed to see the value in what I was offering

Then a new idea was born

The animals at SWCHS were in terrible need of a makeover

They needed portraits

 Portraits that would find them a Forever Home twice as fast

Portraits I could provide.

And So it began that I started volunteering my time to

SWCHS and my name exploded all over their facebook page

The dogs and cats were getting calls, lots of calls

Animals that had been there forever were suddenly finding

Their new forever home

My heart melted and I was hooked

A year later I am still stopping by bringing hope

And....... pet portraits

Now people were noticing

And wanting their own pet portraits

So now it all has come full circle

I get the best of both

I create lasting memories for families of their beloved pets

And I also help to make memories

Every single time someone sees

One of my Shelter Portraits and adopts

So back to where it all began. I adopted my sweet Timber

From SWCHS when she was a pup

She was the best friend I ever had

And every time I take a picture I think of her

 

 

 

 

SWCHS BEFORE AND AFTER

 SWCHS BEFORE AND AFTER

 

 

Waiting on Forever

 

 

 

Happy Endings

 

 

 

Making Memories

 

 

 

Thawkphotography.com

Leaving behind something Beautiful.....

Two dogs.. one unbreakable bond . Find themselves homeless.

Meet Jazz a 13 year old black lab, and partner for life Mugzy. Mugzy is blind and is completely dependant on Jazz to be a seeing eye dog so to speak. They are bonded for life and have found themselves homeless and the South Wood County Humane Society.  Such a heartbreaking situation . Can you imagine how scared Mugzy is without being able to see. Finding herself is a strange environment . With dozens of other dogs barking throughout the day. Strange smells. Clinging to Jazz for reassurance and protection. They are both house broken and very well mannered. If you have room in your home and your heart for these animals or know someone who does please spread the word!

Hello out there from crunchy bitter cold Wisconsin. Isn't it something how everything freezes . The ground is as hard as a rock. Flowers gone, grass gone, everything dull lifeless frozen. But somehow on what seems to be just another endless day of cold. The sun comes out, the air gets warmer, the ice starts to melt flowers start to peak out of the ground, and suddenly before you know it everything is fresh and alive again.  My favorite part of spring is Lilacs. I have tons of them planted all over my yard . When early may arrives the smell outside my windows is intoxicating. The only thing I like about winter is when it snows . Those huge beautiful snowflakes.  Have you ever looked up at night time when it is snowing. If you haven't take a moment to do it. It is stunning to watch them fall out of what seems like an endless sky. Since I started this journey so many things have become so clear to me. I notice things.. everything. The world has become my next location.  I don't see a field of weeds, I see a field of golden sunshine bouncing off lush fields. Clouds , oh my the clouds. Give me an open field and some clouds in the sky and I will be busy for an hour. Everything in the world has so much beauty to offer. Yet I sometimes think that we are so busy we don't even notice.  This is where I find my peace in this crazy world. Some people like to watch tv. I like to take my camera and photograph everything I see, the way I see it. I can get lost in an entire day doing just that. Please spring.. come soon. Because I have to admit. If it is not snowing outside.. I hate winter. I could blog on about all the beautiful things about it from a photographic standpoint. But I have to be honest. I don't like the cold. And because of that I stay indoors.. alot.. so my spring fever is running high. I don't think it could come fast enough.

My Journey Continues.............

This year my biggest goal is to make myself known to the world. I have had over 800 people view this blog... that is a lot of people. That soooooo makes me smile. I would like to take those 800 people and bring you closer.. connect with me on facebook . Get daily feeds , follow my journey from small town mom .. to what I hope to be someday one of they most talked about photographers in the area. I want everyone to know me... I want to shout it out from the roof tops... I'm over here. The hardest thing in business to conquer is of course being discovered. This year I plan to enter a lot more contest, summit alot more photographs to magazine company's , calender company's.... anything I can do to get my work noticed. I am on a misson . I have already come so far in a few short years. More than I could have ever imagined.  Who would have ever thought that a small town mom with a big dream would have made it this far. I have to admit. In the beginning I was a bit nervous. Afraid of failing.. but you know .. you can never fail unless you quit.  And the bull head in me woudl never even allow such a thing Thank you to everyone whom has helped me along my ever long road to greatness. I ask this small favor of you all.  Please.... If you believe in me spread the word.
I have included links to my facebook page stop on by and hit the like button!  Social Media is such a wonderful connection . Thank you to everyone for your support .. looking forward to a inspiring 2013!


https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/THawke-Photography/294517010570765

Thawkephotography.com

 

 

South Wood County Humane Society's Free Session Winner!

A while back T.Hawke Photography teamed up with The South Wood County Humane Society . My goal was to bring in as many donations of cat food as we could. And I was willing to give away a Session to make that happen. One entry for every large bag of cat food donated. Thank you to everyone who donated to help feed all the Cats still looking for homes . There are so many mouths to feed and anything you can give will help more then you can imagine. Can't afford to make donations.. your time can be worth just as much. These poor cats spend sometimes up to a year..... Sitting in their cages , day after day . A small stainless steel cage. Big enough for a sleeping area directly above there food , water , and litter box. Month after month they wait.. hoping that someone will take them home . Give them a second chance. I myself find it hard to even photograph these beautiful little souls. Simply because I want to take them all home. My husband always tells me when I leave to photograph them not to come back home with another one. These animals have so much to give. And if all you can give is your time, a little time out of their cage to snuggle , play, to remember what it is like to be loved... Helps keep hope alive in these animals that someday they will find a home.  

Sooooooo in celebration of our little event a BIG Congratulations goes out to Sheila. T.HawkePhotography's 

Complementary Session Winner!

And what a wonderful person to have won. Sheila has 4 Cats. All rescued shelter cats. And I have to say.. they were a lot of fun. I set up my lights and camera. Laid out a cozy little blanket and they worked there magic. From Shelter Cat to Supermodel. They posed and posed and posed for me. Bunch of little camera buffs they were. I was so happy to be able photograph these cats .. kind of a happy ever after story.  All once abandoned .. now in a warm cozy home being spoiled with all the love in the world. And they so deserve it.

Keep an eye out for future give aways!

If you are interested in having your own portrait session done with

Your furry family please contact me at

715-451-8106 For Details

Vist me at

Thawkephotography.zenfolio.com

I have been known to

Also photograph humans so even if you don't have a 4 legged member

Call today to have your own personal session... family session

Anything session

And....

Leave behind your something beautiful in 2014!

 

 

 

2 years later

The very words I wrote almost 2 years to this date... Written on Sept 10,2011

I use to sit at my job and wonder .. why am I here. I spend most of my life right here in this building . Am I doing what I enjoy? Well I was to some degree. But I was never truly happy. The truth of the matter was like alot of people I was stuck. I needed the money and this was a good job and I enjoyed what I was doing . But I dreamed of being one of those people that got to do what they really wanted in life. The ones who became what they wanted to be. I came across a quote that inspired me . It said... its never to late to be what you might have been -George Eliot-. Little did I know that those twelve words were about to change my life. Ever since I can remember I have been taking pictures. I may not have always had a nice camera but I was capturing every moment of my life . I always felt I had the vision and the talent but lacked in a proper camera and the chance to .. take a chance so to speak. In high school I was able to use the SLRS at school and bring my images to life in the darkroom they made available. Back then things were alot more complicated if you planned to produce your own images. Now flash forward to the present and everything has changed. That is everything but how to actually create an exposure. I stared at those 12 words and read them over and over. And in those moments an idea was born. I would take the talent that God himself has given me and do what I love. And this is were the story begins....... one step at a time I will become who I should have been.

Aug 30,2012

"Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there's a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living." Anonymous

Its been almost two years since I started my journey . And what a journey it has been. I have grown so much in the last two years . As a mother, photographer, a wife, homemaker. To say this has been an easy ride would be lying but it has been an enjoyable one . It is said that God will put the right people in your path , those who will help you become what you were meant to be. And he sure has not given me a short supply. I am so grateful for all the people whom I have met , and even not ever met but have become a part of my life. My journey would have been much harder had they not been there to lend a hand to me. Some believe that to get to the top you should climb over everyone in your way and don't look back. I believe that the best way to get to the top is to push the person in front of you from behind . Lift them higher, help them get to the top . Because sooner or later when they reach it guess what. So do you. I look back now at when I started and can not believe how my work has changed. Everyday I try to photograph something. Even if it is just a flower. Because everyday is a chance for me to learn something new. And of course my family has always been my favorite target. My children are so use to being photographed it has become second nature to them. Some day when I leave this world for the next I will surely leave behind a legacy that my children will cherish. For no matter where this journey takes me I will be documenting there lives every single day. This is a sometimes frustrating business to break into. Spending hours and hours trying to come up with the new best idea, the promotion that everyone will love. Striving to always be better then the day I was before. Never really happy with my work no matter how perfect of a shot I get. I am always challenging myself for bigger, better, the learning curve in this business never ends. In these few short years I have now become active in school and church script programs. I am volunteering my time and images to the humane society to help find homes for the animals there who desperately are in need of a portrait makeover. I have even had several chances to photograph horses. One of my photography bucket list entry's. Senior portrait's, family sessions, pet portraits, threw all of them one thing has not changed. I still love to photograph children. It was my first love and continues to be . There is something so precious to me to have the opportunity to follow around a child and capture there little personalities. Yes I will probably never be able to pull of a 30 min session. When I first began for some reason I believed this is what I needed to do. I guess that is part of what makes me different. To get what I want ... takes time. So if you are booking a session with me plan on at least an hour. I cant ever seem to walk away from a session any sooner then that when it comes to children and families. Yes I have been told I over shoot sessions. But you know ... that is ok . Because at the end of the day when I am in front of my computer and I see the images I captured. And I begin to piece little glimpse of there lives together . When a photograph of a child can bring a lump in my throat and they are not even my flesh and blood.. well to me that is priceless. And well worth the extra effort. And now two years later my story continues.. having become who I should have been and striving to be so much more. Thank you to everyone whom has helped me get this far. I am truly grateful!



 When I was a little girl I dreamed of one day having a horse of my own. We had a family friend whom had a couple of horses and I was able to go there riding sometimes. I loved the awesome freedom that came with galloping across the field. Like I was flying. I dreamed of having a all black horse.. like THE BLACK STALLION. What little girl didn't love that movie. More even then horses I loved unicorns. My whole bedroom was full of these beautiful mythical creatures. I remember the first time I saw Legend.. a movie with a princess, a handsome lover, mythical creatures, good verses evil , and the unicorns.. the unicorns were so beautiful they took my breath away. I dreamed about being the princess in that story. To have the horse , the prince charming... So when I got the chance to take photographs at the Adams County 4H horse and pony project.. two passions coming together. I couldn't say no.  

 Watching these young girls and young men compete together with there horses reminded me of what I so longed for at that age. How lucky they are to be living their own dreams. As I am lucky to be living one of mine. To use my gifts to capture these magnificent animals and the love they have for there riders.. was pure heaven to me. I find it truly incredible the respect these horses have for their riders..and there riders for them.. it really touched my heart to watch them interact

 I was in my element, that is for sure. Camera in hand, the smell of hay and horses... couldn't think of a place I'd rather have been at that moment. So if my portraits of this day look dreamy to you .. perhaps its just that part of me .. that is coming out in my images... a part of me I'd tucked away close to my heart .  I was truly blessed with this opportunity and I am thankful for the hours I spent there capturing moments of what I wanted to be as a child, as a young adult. Perhaps I was living a small part of their dreams while I was sharing my own ... My love of light, human nature, and my passion for taking just a moment in time.. a second .. and tucking it away so that years later can look back at those images and remember for that moment in your life your were truly happy.