This morning I had the privilege to photograph Lt. Col. Mike Harmon and his wife, Joy. Mike, 42, is a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps who just completed a one year deployment to Afghanistan. Mike and Joy wanted some portraits of themselves so they stopped into Alway Photography. I couldn’t resist interviewing Mike and Joy for MasonCountyPress.com about life in the Marines. Both Mike and Joy are truly American heroes, putting service to their country before everything else.

I’ve known Mike most of my life, pretty much since grade school. We graduated together at Mason County Central and grew up down the road from each other in northern Amber Township. After high school he attended Purdue University on a Reserve Officer Training Corp. (ROTC) scholarship to the Marines. 

For more of Mike’s story, go to www.masoncountypress.com. 

- rob

Emerald Expressions is a result of our 14-day journey in Ireland last May.

I fell in love with Ireland in 2006 when I traveled there with my brother, Tom. We spent 9 days there, not really knowing where we were going. Since that time I was able to do a lot of research and a lot of dreaming.

Becky and I started talking about our trip last winter. Originally we were going to visit Scotland as well, but we decided 14 days wasn’t enough time.

I have been to tropical islands and as far south as Argentina. I absolutely love Michigan and the Great Lakes region but there is nothing like Ireland. When you hear about how green Ireland is, it’s no exaggeration. Though Ireland is located 10 degrees further north than Michigan it is in line with the Gulf Stream from Florida, keeping the temperatures above freezing most of the year.

As we get closer to the show I will talk more about our adventures.

- rob

The center will observe Irish Cultural Month throughout March with special presentations, including:

• Thursday, March 8: “Emerald Expressions,” Photographer’s Journal. Rob will discuss the photographic journey he and Becky took last May and how they created the images in the exhibit. 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 9: “Secret of the Cave” film screening. Scottville native Harold Cronk, co-owner of 10 West Studios in Manistee, will talk about the movie “Secret of the Cave,” which he served as production designer. The movie was filmed on Achille Island, County Mayo, Ireland, which is also where many of the photographs of “Emerald Expressions” were created. 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 16: “Reading the Irish Landscape.” Professor Seàn Henne of West Shore Community College will discuss how the Irish landscape influences poetry, art and photography. Professor Henne majored in Irish Studies at Boston College. He is of Irish decent and has traveled there several times.
• Saturday, March 17: Emerald Ball. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style as the Ludington Area Center for the Arts holds its annual major fundraiser. The event will feature the General Assembly big band.

On the way to the Cliffs of Moher in what is known as The Burren in western Ireland, we came across this beautiful castle that overlooks the Aran Islands. In three short months, Becky and I will debut our Emerald Expressions exhibit at the Ludington Center of the Arts. We are hoping to turn this into more than just a photography exhibit and plan on holding cultural and educational programs about Ireland. If you have an interest in Ireland and would like to participate, please feel free to contact us.

- rob

Investors may contribute through www.kickstarter.com. This amazing site exists solely for the purpose of helping creative people reach their dreams.

If you would like to help out, please visit our project site at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1600163945/emerald-expressions-a-photographic-tour-of-ireland.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Several years ago, we had the honor of photographing Dan and Kara’s wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony on the shores of Lake Michigan. We recently photographed their first child, Alexis. She was quite adventurous around our studio but really enjoyed our retro children’s couch. Winter is a great time to bring the kids in for their annual portrait. Remember, they are only little once. Trust those precious memories to a professional.

Daniel is a senior at Ludington High School this year. We had a great November day to create some memories during his senior picture session. 

In the world of photography, not everything is as it seems. Morgan is a high school senior at Ludington High School. She was on the cross-country team, which took up a good chunk of her fall. By the time the season got done, the temperatures dropped. However, she wanted some outdoor pictures, including the beach. So, on a brisk fall day we headed outdoors and created some wonderful pictures around Ludington, including beach pictures. Though the temperatures were in the upper ’40s, Morgan was a trooper and did great. Us Michigan people are just pretty tough when it comes to the weather!