Come see me at Summerfest! June 18, 19, 20th...Booth #106 along 100 North in Logan, Utah!

Click on image above to get a larger view of invite postcard!

Beaver Mountain Snowmobile Hill Climb 2008 and 2009

Beaver Mountain Snowmobile Hill Climb 2009... Sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hill Climb Association a.k.a RMSHA.

If you raced in the Beaver Mountain Snowmobile Hill Climb this year '09 or last year '08 call or preferably email me with you name & bib number and I will email you your free proof photos if I was able to photograph your run! I do not have anyone's contact information from 2008 so you must contact me if you want to see if I have photographs of you! The same goes for 2009, I have handed out business cards this time around and passed around a sign up contact sheet at Thursday sign ups and at the announcer booth during the race but regardless please email or call me if you want to see you if I have images of your run!

I have and still am making collages of the class winners from 2008 and am offering them for sale, they are medium poster size measure 20 x 30 inches and are dry mounted and "ready to frame" or I can frame them for you for a modest amount. I plan to do the same for the 2009 race.

I also offer licensing of the images for advertising's and promotional purposes, email me for details... bracken1975@yahoo.com (435) 764-6367 and see my website http://www.brackenberger.com/ Licensing for what purposes you ask? Think truck wraps, trailer wraps, promo photos for autographs, websites, various advertising and more for the racer their sponsors and part & equipment vendors...

I have some amazing photography of most of the snowmobile hill climb racers from the RMSHA group so contact me to see if I have yours!

I hope to see you at the races, best wishes to all the hill climb competitors!

Artists Home

From a recent interior design shoot, this shot is all about the custom handcrafted fireplace mantle.

Did I ever mention I am an avid cat fan :-) I live with several rescue kitties! I thought the cat added a bit of life to the photo... He was quite the lens friendly model as he followed me throughout the house and made certain he was in nearly every shot! It cracked me up!

Milieu Design -Headquarters-

An image from a recent interior design shoot...

My favorites are the beautiful rustic wood floors, exposed wood beam ceiling and custom armoire on the back wall.

Notice how evenly lit this images is, and how much mood shows through the image via the lighting. Notice how you can even see out the back door and outside, most photographers will blow out the windows, or in other words it will look like the first vision is happening just outside :-) some times that is ok if the outside is ugly or distracting, but if is isn't I try hard to expose the image in such a way as to let you see through the windows to the beautiful outside world...

Architectural Shoots

Below are some select images from recent commercial and architectural shoots.

Recent photo shoots have been commercial shoots mostly of the Architectural and Interior Design type.

Bear Lake Parade of Homes 2008

A lake view from "The Reserve" out the east facing windows of the "Summit Cabin".

An interior sitting room shot from inside one of the other cabins...

I recently attended the 2008 Bear Lake Parade of Homes. I was impressed with the level of quality of all the homes shown and with the way they were furnished. Several of the homes were selling for over a million dollars and were multiple thousands square feet in size. The rather startling revelation was of how low quality many of the brochures and portfolios photos were, many look like the work of a point and shoot novice. I just can’t figure how people involved in selling homes in the 300,000 to 2 million dollar range don’t invest in more professional caliber photography to help them sell these properties and their construction and design services. I am wonder if they just don’t have anyone in their Rolodex to call in this area, as good quality real estate photographers are rare in the region if that is the problem here is my number (435) 764-6367 ask for Bracken or see my website http://www.brackenberger.com/. The other option might be that the investment in a professional may seem like a luxury rather than a necessity, but I am guessing people buying cabins and vacation homes in Bear Lake aren’t usually locals, and thus will at some point will be shopping and contemplating a purchase while viewing photography in a brochure, on computer or online… what does the quality or lack of quality of your photography say about your personal professionalism and the quality of your company’s products and services? Investing in quality photography is money very well spent.

I have close connections with a regional furniture store and thus have the capability to "stage" an empty home with new furniture for a photography shoot and/or stage it longer term to help sell the property. I work closely with interior designers as need to assure the best possible look and widest customer appeal.

As a real world example I did a shoot for Whisper Creek Log Homes http://www.wclh.com/ that resulted in one of their most used advertising photographs of all time, it is used on their main web page top left first slide, on their main brochure front and center, on their mail out CD, on their company vehicles photo wraps, and on many a banner. This image is hanging poster size on the wall in the CEOs office as well as hanging in the cabin owner’s main home. I hear from the staff that my photograph has directly resulted in several new clients flying in to tour the exact cabin I photographed and my photo has thus resulted in five cabins (million dollar cabins) ordered and counting! How much would a similar photography investment be worth to your business?


Above is my photo which is heavily used by Whisper Creek Log Homes due to its warm home like feeling and perfect composition...

Below is a winter version of the same cabin...

A short review of the Bear Lake Parade of Homes 2008 follows:

As I toured the homes, I noticed the wood and faux wood floors where wonderful as was the stone work inside and out. Granite or its’ look a likes seem to be the major counter top of choice, with a few marble and concrete examples sprinkled in. The oil rubbed bronzed metal finish seemed to dominate the plumbing and electrical fixtures. The wood stairs with no toe kick (that you can see through the back of) is the stair of choice. Paint colors where mostly earthy and inspired by nature, sands, tans, browns, sage greens, rusts, burgundy, and Bear Lake blues. The darker wood stains are gaining ground in the show, although the true standouts where the multicolored woods like hickory, alder and Brazilian cherry with natural color variations showing through a clear coat. The light stains with a darker glaze rubbed over seemed to be found in many homes, I call it the “dirty stain” as it looks a bit like a child rubbed a muddy wet rag over a lightly stained wood and what was left over looks like a dirty “rustic” cabinet door. Metal wall art was to be found a plenty, very much different that the 2007 Bear Lake Home Show where only one standout interior designer “Barbara Hoffman” made full use of metal wall art in cabin #11, it seems she may have started a beautiful trend. As a photographer I was excited to see upscale family beach themed and vacation fun photos on the walls as well as nice children’s portraits in several of the cabins. The upholstery was varied and exciting, much of it was darker earth tones and many pieces incorporated both rustic leather and patterned fabric on the same frame ranging from upscale occasional chairs to more relaxed but quality fancy sectionals. Many homes included home offices, exercise rooms, and the ever popular home theatre rooms. The homes where well worth seeing and relatively easy to find. The staff and builders were eager to show their work and receive feedback. I am excited to see how they try and top themselves next year!

Comments and emails greatly appreciated!

http://www.brackenberger.com/

I Won Second Place in Herald Journal Great Outdoor Photo Contest

This image (Spring Creek -fall-) was entered in the once yearly "Herald Journal Great Outdoor Photo Contest" and it won me second place in the scenic division. I was happy to get such and award and recognition of my work. It was printed in the Sunday August 10, 2008 Herald Journal on a special high quality paper insert. The photo was taken up Logan Canyon last fall. Titled "Spring Creek -fall-" copyright 2007

I was unable to attend the Cache County Fair this year or take some photos there to be judged...as I was too busy to be proactive about it as well as I chose to attend the "Art in the Park" event in Providence that ran at the same time. I have typically ribboned every entry I submitted over the past 10 years (3 photo enteries allowed each year = 3 winner ribbons each year for me), so I gave someone else a chance this year.

I also have a winter version of this same shot and a spring version also.

I have had these printed up at 24"x36" and framed and they look fantastic especially when printed on canvas and framed with a heavy thick rustic frame... They are less than $200 for a framed print and less than $300 for a framed canvas!

I love the 3 season idea as they make a fine series or grouping and I have many other scenics that use the 3 season concept most notably my "Wellsville Mountain Range Reflecting into the Cutler Marsh" series as seen below... These are a framed print at 12"x36" for $150 at the present time.

More of the 3 season concept can be seen at my gallery found inside Edwards Furniture at 1670 South Highway 165 Providence UT...

Comments appreciated!