Paul Owen PhotographyLLC blog has moved

My blog has moved. Please visit Paul Owen PhotographyLLC Blog at: http://www.milwaukeeprofessionalphotographer.com/blog

weddings and warm weather!

I am supper excited for this years weddings! With summer like weather the past couple days, I can't wait for Saturday's wedding outdoors at Harbor Lights Garden on Lake Michigan. Outdoor weddings are a big gamble with weather, but it looks like it is to be a spectacular day this Saturday. On that note, check out my previous post from last year on protecting your dress. I know most brides are concerned about that one of kind dress you have dreamed of and yet you want to get from point A to B and not have it get dirty.

Pricless children candids

Would you like to get the chance to win a complimentary photography session?

Now that everything is green and warmer weather is on the way, I want to see some of your candid moments of your children or nieces and nephews. I love photographs especially a candids that capture that one of a kind priceless moment. Become a fan or should I say "Like" on my business Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/2dabljk upload your favorite photograph of your child or niece or nephew and let the voting begin (if you include a name 1st names only please). Your photographs need to get posted on my page before May 24th. You and your family and friends can then vote for your favorite one. The one with the most votes will win a complimentary portrait session by Paul Owen PhotographyLLC!

Mother's Day contest results!

Ok the votes are in and I very happy to say Kim Gregor is the winner and below is her mother's story.

I've always know my mom was the best since I was little. Times were tough with five children but we never knew it. For months before Christmas my mom would secretly go to my parent's bedroom where she kept her sewing machine and forbid us to enter. We'd wake up Christmas morning with loads of presents under the tree that my mother lovingly made for all of us. We'd have doll clothes galore from scraps of fabric and we'd get new flannel pajamas every year.

Fifty years have passed since my first Christmas and my mother is still lovingly sewing gifts for all five of her children and her grandchildren. I have a beautiful quilt on a bed, another on the back of my sofa, and one on my chair with sayings about blessed daughters. I have been the one blessed to have such a wonderful mom. I had surgery a couple of years ago and while I was recuperating, I covered up with one of the quilts and felt my mom's love. She visited often and brought meals. She is always caring for others. If one of us gets sick, she still makes homemade chicken and dumpling soup to help us recover.

My mom has taught us what it means to be charitable. If someone is in need, she is always there to offer whatever she can. Children learn by imitation and she has also taught us the value of hard work. She cared for us without the modern conveniences we have today. She had a ringer washer, hung laundry outside on the clothesline, and canned all sorts of produce from our garden. After the youngest child was in high school, my mom got her first paying job. She can do anything she puts her mind to. Even though my parents didn’t have college degrees, my mom insisted I get my degree of which I am very thankful to have had all of that support.

A few months ago my mom suffered a stroke that left her with left-sided paralysis. She has showed us again that she can do anything and that hard work pays off. She faithfully does her exercises and is improving every day. She just finished crocheting a prayer shawl to donate to our church to give to someone who is ill. Soon, she will be totally independent again. She has taught me well and I have her to thank for the person I am today. This is why my mom is the best.

My Birthday

We all have great memories of a birthday in our life. I love to entertain friends and family and I really enjoy cooking. Several years ago my wife asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I said let's have some friends over and cook ribs for them. I had never made ribs up to this point and I cooked 30 pounds of ribs! Fortunately for me they turned out awesome! Good ribs take patience and need to cook slow and low. So with that I will share my successful rib recipe. I started with 3 full racks of ribs (about 2 ft each rack). If you buy from the local grocery store you'll have to flip them over and take a sharp knife and cut and peel the thin membrane off. If you visit the butcher shop, you can have them do it for you (or they will already be de-membraned). Use a dry rub and generously rub the ribs with the seasoning. I use McCormicks Pork Dry rub. Wrap them up in plastic wrap and re-frigerate for 24 to 48 hours. Use a Nesco or very large pot and put the ribs in. Submerge ribs in pineapple juice and worcestershire sauce (approx. 1 large can of pineapple juice about 64oz? and 1/2 bottle of worcestershire sauce 6 0z.) Cook in Nesco or oven at 250 degrees for approx. 3 hours or until ribs start to fall off the bone. Then slather on your favorite sauce. Mine is Sweet Baby Rays, my wife loves Open Pit because it is tangy. Cook on the grill over medium heat until sauce is carmelized and enjoy with a good beer or wine. A wine I highly recommend is an out of this world "Layer Cake - Malbec" Bon apetit.

For a great side dish try my mothers 3 bean side dish.

Cook 3 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

3 finely chopped onions

2-3 fresh chopped minced garlic

Sauté above onion and garlic in butter or margarine 'til soft and translucent

1/2 tablespoon dry mustard

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

15 oz can Kidney beans rinsed and dried out

15 oz can butter beans or lima beans rinsed and dried out

21 oz can Bush baked beans with partial drained juices taken out

combine all above and bake 350% for 60 minutes and bubbly

Mother's Day Gift and your story

Mother's Day contest! Here is a simple great gift that will keep on giving. Email me and tell me why YOUR mom is the BEST, even send a photo if you can. My email is pkrowen@gmail.com. Have your email to me no later than next Sunday the 2nd of May. Please make sure you include your name and phone number. My family will then choose the winner on Monday the 3rd of May and the winner will be notified and announced on my Facebook page http://preview.tinyurl.com/Paulowenphotographyllc with the story posted.

First place will win a family portrait session and 8 x 10.

Second place will win 50% off a portrait session.

Third place 25% off a portrait session

Gift cards and certificates will be mailed to each of the winners by Wednesday the 5th of May, so you receive it in time for Mother's Day.

Shortening a long URL/website address

Yesterday I was on the phone with a fellow photographer and we were talking shop. Now days shop talk for us is Facebook, Linkedin, SEO etc... He happened to mention taking a long website or link and shortening it or customizing it with a different name. When I first came across this a couple weeks ago, I thought I would never have a use for this website. But I was very wrong as I have already put it to use several times when attaching a hyperlink in e mails. Go to http://tinyurl.com copy the website or link you want to shorten and then paste into the window. Make sure you type the name you want to change it to in the Custom alias box. Click make Tiny url and you are done. The next page that appears will show you what the link was, and what the new link is. It will never break up in a email or expire! So have fun customizing your links to everyone.