Dennis Keim Dk Studio

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Fall has definitely arrived and what better way to announce its arrival than to celebrate the spirited and goulish annual holiday Halloween. It is the one day where dressing up as pirates, ghosts, devils, drag queens and Madonna is acceptable and all for the bounty of chocolate and kernel korn.
Cheryl and I decided to take the ferry over to the island of Ocracoke and take advantage of the cool weather. The village was full of little pirates and costumed characters trick or treating. We could think of no better place to be on Halloween than the one place where the most infamous of all pirates, Blackbeard, sought refuge and was eventually captured and beheaded.
As history has recorded, Blackbeard (Edward Teach) roamed the Caribbean to the Virginia Capes robbing ships in 1717. In the fall of 1718 Teach returned from his piracy at sea to his favorite hideaway, the island of Ocracoke. He hosted a huge, wild pirate get-together with dancing, drinking, and bonfires. Other famous pirates sailed in for the days-long event. In November 1718, Lt. Robert Maynard of theBritish Navy, commanding a sloop sent by the Governor of Virginia, captured and killed Blackbeard in a bloody duel near Ocracoke. As a warning to other pirates, Blackbeard was beheaded, his body tossed to sea and his head suspended from the bow of Maynard’s sloop..
As we past through the heart of the village and Silver Lake Harbor came into view, a ship gave us cause to pause and reflect back on the history of the Island and the pirate Blackbeard. Moored out in the middle of the harbor, was a sleek but aging black sailboat sporting a pirate flag. For that brief moment we found ourselves wondering if the ghost of Blackbeard was back sailing the high seas and had returned to Ocracoke to reclaim his bounty. Happy Halloween!!

All photos appearing in the blog are available for private, corporate or stock purchase. If you have a corporate shoot upcoming , I am no further away then a phone call or email.

What a wonderful week it was for weather and the weekend was absolutely spectacular in the northeast including a full moon. Cheryl and I took the weekend off to drive up to on the Jersey Shore and hang out with our good friend Dave at Sea Isle City. Part of the reason for the trip included buying a new car.
Last week I found myself flying from Vegas to Norfolk, heading to Hatteras for two days and then driving 10 hours to Knoxville, Tn on Thursday to instruct at a photographic workshop. The wonderful part of the trip to Tennessee included seeing great friends, eating wonderful sushi (twice) at NAMA and the opportunity to drive through the Blue Ridge mountains during and optimum time of year Fall. Mother Nature has a wonderful way of announcing the arrival of fall and there are few places more beautiful than the Blue Ridge with the spectacular fall foliage.
While driving home I found myself taking access roads off the interstate to take in the beauty of the area. I was a few days early for the height of color but it is hard to get much better than what I did get to see and capture while on my trip back to the coast. Enjoy the handy work of Mother Nature!

For the last few weeks my world of photography has had me criss crossing much of the southeast and a little left turn out west. I have had the absolute pleasure of having my ticket punched in North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Nevada and Tennessee. I would venture to say that an apt title for this month could be Rock-tober!
Last week I found myself once again in very familiar October surroundings. For the last five years I have traveled to Nevada, instructing at a photographic workshop in the City that Never Sleeps . Las Vegas. Our annual photographic expedition brings together instructors, models, old friends and soon to be new friends whom all share in the joy and passion of photography.
Each year our photographic excursions take us outside of the confines of Las Vegas Blvd and the many distractions that the city has to offer. This year we found ourselves instructing and shooting in dry lakebeds in Prim, construction ruins in the desert mountain of Indian Springs and Red Stone located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The beauty and the photographic opportunities that each of these locations has to offer is stunning.
But with all of the beauty that we encountered, it is still the mesmerizing allure of the city that continues to call us back. The glow of the city as you crest the mountaintops is like a beacon beckoning sailors whom are adrift and lost at sea. When the city comes into view displaying its entire majestic nocturnal splendor it is truly a site to behold.
With all the city has to offer I still find myself continually migrating back to the one nightly extravaganza of music, lights and shooting water that make for the perfect ballet. The fountain show at the Bellagio is the icon of the Ocean 11, 12 and 13 movies. It is by far one of the best tickets in Vegas and it is free. It is most arguably the greatest show on the strip.
I would bet money on it!!!!

I hope this email finds you doing well today and for those with a holiday, I hope it finds you doing well .. tomorrow.
While shooting in the city last week I had the wonderful opportunity to look at Huntsville from a different perspective. It is one thing to travel the roads and expressways and take note of new developments of growth but it is a whole different perspective to view it from the air. The city takes on a whole different look and beauty as you view it from overhead. To see downtown nestled in and surrounded by the beautiful mountain ranges shows a majestic beauty to the city like no other. But the thing that I continually noticed the most is how prosperous the city appears encased by the interstate and expressways.
It has a beautiful city that appears to be .. All Grown Up.

If you are in need of stock images or have a corporate shoot, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am no further away then a phone call or email.

Where did summer go? Last week I was running around in balmy hot Tampa and I come to Huntsville to be met by a cold wave. What happened to Fall?
It has been a world wind five days back in the city and all ways a pleasure to return to see the many changes in the city. These few days have been filled with corporate shoots, client appointments, catching up with friends and visiting a few of my favorite restaurants. After flying aerials over the city on Saturday, I did take a break that evening to watch the “GAME” – RTR!!!
One of the projects I had been asked to work on was photographing the renovation progress of the Lincoln Mills development. For those that do not know of the history of the mill it was built in 1900 as a textile mill and as time progressed ended up in 1958 housing the initial presence of NASA and many of its supporting contractors. A fire destroyed much of the Mill in 1980 leaving only Mill #3 and the Dye House. The mill has gone through many transitions since but in 2007 was bought by a family partnership, headed by a dear friend Jim Byrne. Hearing his excitement about the historical past, as well as, the future of the Mill, one cannot see anything but great things for this proposed residential and commercial “village” development and its wonderful contribution to the appearance and growth of the city.
Given carte blanche for my first outing, I chose to shoot some of the images in “infrared” to reflect back and compliment the historical past of this once, and now future, thriving village. The view is looking south with the iconic Lincoln Mill water tower and the city of Huntsville in the background.
For more information you can go to http://www.lincoln-mills.com.

What a pleasure it was to visit with friends and clients for the few days my travels brought me here. I leave here, head to Hatteras for a few days and then it is off to instruct at a workshop in Las Vegas. I know I know!!

To all of you that offered your thoughts and prayers for my Mother, Thank You!!! She will be coming home today with additional rehabilitation required but we are thankful for her recovery.