Green Bay Wisconsin Commercial and Editorial Photographer

Documenting The Fans During The Milwaukee Bucks Championship Run • Wisconsin Sports Photographer

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

I’ve said before that for me to be happy as a photographer I need to shoot a variety of things. These past few months, I’ve been very busy with corporate work that I greatly enjoy. Since the start of Covid, I hadn’t documented many events nor shot much in the way of sports. In early June, however, my contact at the Milwaukee Bucks reached out to see if I wanted to shoot some of their “Watch Parties” in the Deer District outside of the Milwaukee Bucks stadium. I jumped at the opportunity and thoroughly enjoyed recording the emotions of the fans. These watch parties generally brought in 15,000-25,000 fans, but for game 6 of the finals, that ballooned to around 65,000.

Luckily, the Bucks went deep into the play-offs and ultimately won the NBA Championship. In total, I shot five different watch parties. Two days after Bucks won the championship, they had a parade through the streets of Milwaukee followed by a celebration at Fiserv Forum with hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance. For the championship parade celebration, I was a member of a team of photographers shooting for the Bucks and the NBA. My responsibility was to shoot the parade on its route to the arena and then hustle my way back to the Fiserv to shoot the stage portion from an elevated position with other members of the media.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the watch parties and championship celebration.

Thanks for looking!

Mike

American Society of Media Photographers Best of ASMP 2020

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Green Bay, Wisconsin Commercial and Editorial Photographer I’m excited to announce that one of my photos was picked as an honorable mention winner in the American Society of Media Photographers Best of ASMP 2020, This is the second year in a row I’ve had an image place in this contest against photographers from around the world. Last year, I won first place in editorial photography. The thing I’m most proud of is how diverse the two images are – one being a sports feature and one being a drone landscape. For me to be happy as photographer, I need to shoot a variety of work. These two awards reinforce to me that I can shoot a variety of subjects well.

Drone photography is new to me. I added a drone to my storytelling tools only two years ago when I became a licensed FAA Part 107 pilot. The drone was a great way for me to stay creative in 2020 while navigating all the hurdles that Covid tossed out at photographers like myself. A drone is the ultimate way to shoot photos and social distance.

The winning photo was taken in the Door County peninsula of Wisconsin on a late winter’s day when I just needed a break from the stress of the early pandemic days. I headed to the Door County peninsula, an hour north of my home base, to take advantage of winter’s scenic beauty and a bright, blue sky day with low winds – a perfect day for drone photography. If you’d like to see more of my photos from that day, please take a look at this blog post.

If you’d like to see the sports feature photo of Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones that won for ASMP Best of 2019 for editorial I’ve also posted that below.

Thanks for looking!

Mike

Winter drone view of an orchard on the Door County peninsula of Wisconsin.

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pause as they walk off Lambeau Field after defeating the Carolina Panthers to shoot a cell phone video.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Beat The Green Bay Packers 31-26 To Advance To The Super Bowl

Monday, January 25, 2021

Wisconsin Sports Photographer – A few of my favorite photos from telling the story of the NFC Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday January 24, 2021 between the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field. The Bucs beat the Packers 31-26 to advance to the Super Bowl.

I’m very much looking forward to Covid-19 being the rearview mirror and photographers being allowed back on to the field. Photographing the awards ceremony was really tough from the stands. Not having to kneel on the sidelines while shooting my knees have been very happy, but the rest of me is very much looking forward to getting back down to the playing surface.

If you’d like to see more of my NFL photography please visit this link.

Thanks for looking!

Mike

The Winter Fleet Arriving In Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Friday, January 22, 2021

Green Bay, Wisconsin Drone Photographer • Earlier this week, I was finally able to shoot some photos I’ve wanted to shoot for the past few years, but never worked in my schedule. Each year around mid January, large freighters come into Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for winter maintenance. The ships’ arrival usually coincides with the closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway for the winter. The opening and closing dates of the St. Lawrence Seaway vary from year to year due to weather conditions and the demands of commerce. The system’s locks have opened as early as March 20 and as late as March 31. The closing date has ranged from December 24 to December 31. This year it was later since we are having a warmer winter than usual. The seaway is a system of locks, canals and channels in Canada and the United States that allows ocean going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

Last Monday I started watching an app called MarineTraffic and spotted a couple ships with clever names like “Are we there yet” as their destination. I kept an eye on those boats, and as luck would have it, one came into the Sturgeon Bay ship canal at the perfect time, right at dusk. With the sun setting and colors popping on the horizon, the 728 foot self unloading bulk carrier – the Joseph L Block – entered the canal that connects Lake Michigan with the bay of Green Bay. I wasn’t the only photographer who had the idea to shoot this event, and was one of maybe six or seven other photographers, two of whom also were flying a drone. Luckily we all got along fine and kept out of one another’s shots; at least I hope I didn’t get in anyone’s way.

On Tuesday I went back up and was able to capture the 715 foot self-unloading bulk freighter, the American Marine, as it came in off of Lake Michigan on its way to the shipyard to join the rest of the ships in what is called the “winter fleet”. The one disappointment is that some of these shots don’t look like winter photos, but we all should be happy that the mild winter will help the water levels decrease from the record highs we’ve experienced the last couple of years.

To see more of my Door County stock photography please visit this link.

If you’d like to see a blog post with other winter photos from Door County please visit this link.

Thanks for looking!

Mike

Packers vs Rams Playoff Photos.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Green Bay, Wisconsin Sports and Editorial Photographer • The Green Bay Packers defeated the Rams in the divisional round of the NFL football playoff at Lambeau Field to advance to the conference championship. The Packers will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. Here are some of my favorite photos telling the story of the day, starting with fans outside before the game, team buses arriving with Covid precautions in place, fans cheering on their teams inside the stadium, the battle on the field and ending with a happy Aaron Rodgers running off the field.

I feel like I got some okay shots, but not great ones. I do like some of the non-action fan shots I got and it was great to see more fans back in the stands with Covid precautions. I must have done okay because I was asked to be part of the team for the Associated Press to cover the NFC Championship, in what could be a snowy Lambeau Field, next Sunday. It should be an epic game with the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers coming in to battle Aaron Rodgers in what is probably an MVP season for him.

If you’d like to see more of my NFL photography please visit the link.

Thanks for looking!

Mike