Flashlight photo art - strange Birthday Balloon photos - open aperture night photos

Flashlight photo art by Mike Fisk

Here's some more flashlight photo art like the Flower Power photos I took and the flashlight band photo (which is also found in different forms here and here).

I just opened the aperture and shined a flashlight around artfully.

Catch the Top Ten Soul Amp Songs by clicking this link.

You can catch more flashlightphoto art here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/picture-of-floating-umbrella-house-of.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/curse-of-derrick-turnbow-bobblehead-may.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/flower-power-flashlight-photos-still.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/artistic-band-photo-using-flashlight.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/lovely-sea-monster-in-underwater.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-and-beauty-is-all-in-shit-time-to.html

And here's a cool pic of a ripped flannel shirt shot with finger over flash to create a blood red effect:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/09/for-you-to-bleed.html

And More free Soul Amp music here:

http://soul-amp.com/freebies/?M=D

Milwaukee Coast Guard Station Demolished....3/25/2008

The Milwaukee Historic Coast Guard station was demolished on 3/25/2008.

Here's a story on it:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=732153

Click here for pics of the building before it was destroyed.

Cougars in Wisconsin - in Walworth County

The DNR is investigating cougar tracks found on March 7 seven miles northeast of Elkhorn:

http://www.chippewa.com/articles/2008/03/16/ap-state-wi/d8velcp80.txt

"Although there have been reports of cougars around the state since then, none have been documented as wild cats since the early 1900s."

My bandmate and good friend M2 has been tracking information about cougars (aka mountain lions...when they are found in the Rockies) in Wisconsin (in particular Southeast Wisconsin). It's quite interesting that he is way ahead of the DNR on uncovering information about them:

http://voodoodrums.blogspot.com/2007/09/possible-druid-activity-in-kettle.html

http://voodoodrums.blogspot.com/2007/09/this-guy-probably-got-eaten.html

Maggie also has some info on them:

http://theessenceoftriangularity.blogspot.com/2007/09/cougarsmountain-lions-in-wisconsin.html

It's great to see some of M2's theories and Maggie's information validated!!! =)

Ice Bergs on Lake Michigan...

Check these out:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mkx&storyid=13545&source=0

Some very cool Lake Michigan iceberg satellite images and airplane photos. The warm weather and West wind have blown the ice that was accumulated on the western shores of Lake Michigan miles out into the lake. I wonder what would happen if the warmup stops and the wind shifts to the East. That might cause a cool ice pile-up on the shores... probably too late in the season for that to happen.

I have some more Lake Michigan ice pics that I'll post maybe this weekend... I've been a slacker getting this stuff posted.

Here's a song about people being cold and cruel to each other (look for the line...."showed you ice parades"):

Setting Traps

Winter Fading In Wisconsin-Ice Beneath the Snow - Soul Amp releases new song/video - No Voodoo drummer this time - piano, acoustic guitar, Hammond M3

Snow and Ice in Milwaukee WI - Jan 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

"Winter's Bones Begin to Show"

Bradly and I were able to get together for a Soul Amp practice tonight. Our Voodoo Drummer, M2, could not make it tonight. (M2, check out the orbs in that pic...pretty cool eh?)

Bradly had a chord progression in mind and so we ended up writing this short tune. Bradly actually wrote some lyrics down this time and we made a couple of changes to them and did about three takes.

It's a song that has to do some with the reluctant release of winter's grip on us (it's been many months since we've had a decent thaw and now the snow is finally melting some after the 4th snowiest winter in Milwaukee so far). But there's more to it than that.... you'll have to listen to find out.

It has piano (off the Nord Electro 2), Hammond M3, and acoustic guitar.

It may be the shortest tune we've ever done.

Here ya go:

Ice Beneath the Snow

You can also check out the video of us recording this take of the song at:

Ice Beneath the Snow - Video

Ice in Milwaukee WI through a windshield in the sunrise - Jan 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

"The Sun Begins to Glow"

Milwaukee Coast Guard Station - Historic Building Lake Michigan Is Scheduled to be Razed (perhaps this month, March 2008)

Historic Coast Guard Station - the tree that lost its branch which fell into the side of the building - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

The historic Coast Guard Station in Milwaukee on McKinley Marina may sooned be destroyed. I have always found the building to be very interesting. It's a 92 year building that has experienced two fires since it was abandoned in 1972. I would love to take a look inside myself (I suspect it's full of photographic opportunities). Some people find it an eyesore and I disagree completely. It's a lovely old structure.

The following is a good article with excellent photos about the restoration funding effort:

http://milwaukeestreets.blogspot.com/2007/10/coast-guard-station-salvation.html

As you can see, even in the few months since October 2007, it has experienced further damage include a tree falling on the south side of the building.

Here's a current article from JS Online:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=573278

Enjoy the pics, it may be the last we see of her.

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - the back of the building with the boat launches - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station rear of building with boat launches - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - the bridge over the boat launches - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - the lookout tower - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - the tree branch that smashed into the side of the building -Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - the tree branch that smashed into the side of the building -Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Historic Coast Guard Station - Milwaukee WI - Jan 30 2008 - photo by Mike Fisk

Here's Soul Amp's top ten songs:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Here's the Milwaukee Skyline during warmer weather:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-in-milwaukee.html

Here's some coldest day in 2008 in Milwaukee pics:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html

Here's some pics of a stranded sail boat from 2007:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html

Horizons They Are Gonna Meet You - Wisconsin Jam Band, Soul Amp Experience, Releases alt country scratch tune... more than a bit farty in places...

Horizon Sunrise Photo with Rocky Mountains in the Background Driving on Hight - photo by Mike Fisk

Horizons They Are Gonna Meet You

Here's a new one for you that was recorded in September 2007 by Bradly and myself. It's a first take (or rather an only take), so it's a bit rough. It was recorded using the Hammond M3 and Bradly's Strat using the Zoom H4 as per the usual these days. It's a song about driving through the desert... not sure where (not necessarily the Arizona desert) and about getting through life's troubles and how there is always another day or something like that... sh*t I've said too much already... just take a listen... you'll want to listen to this at least twice before it's sinks in some... so don't just hate it right away... give it a chance to breath... there's some farty stuff in there.... we probably should have called the band Fart Proudly.... well here's goes and enjoy:

Horizons They Are Gonna Meet You

Here's Soul Amp's top ten songs:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Here's the Milwaukee Skyline:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/sailing-in-milwaukee.html

Here's some other coldest day in Milwaukee pics:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/coldest-day-in-milwaukee-2008-milwaukee.html

Here's some pics of a stranded sail boat on the shores of Lake Michigan:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/chinook-34-wrecked-milwaukee-sailboat.html

Flower power - flashlight photo art - still life image study - dead yellow roses in a vase - aperture open - samuri swords - smoking pipes

Here's some more Flower Power photos (well the the last flower power thing was a painting).

I'm calling these flashlight photo art (I'm not sure that's an actual artform... if not, I'm inventing it). Click here for a Soul Amp photo using the same technique.

On these, I opened the aperture on the camera for 30 seconds and shined a flashlight around artistically. It took a bit of experimenting, but I think these came out looking pretty cool. Those are samuri swords that my bro gave me and the pipes are my grandfathers... The dead yellow roses are from E. I dried them to save them. She also gave me some roses for valentine's day that I'm drying. Not sure where I'm going to put those. The vase was created by the very talented artist named Arthur Romero. (If you get a chance to buy an Arthur Romeor, do it... it'll be a good investment in the future... and he's my brother-in-law =) ) In front of the vase is a prayer bowl.

Be sure to click on the images to blow them up if you like.













Be sure to grab some free Soul Amp MP3s for your player at:

Free Soul Amp Music

You can catch more flashlightphoto art here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/picture-of-floating-umbrella-house-of.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/curse-of-derrick-turnbow-bobblehead-may.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/flower-power-flashlight-photos-still.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/artistic-band-photo-using-flashlight.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/lovely-sea-monster-in-underwater.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-and-beauty-is-all-in-shit-time-to.html

Phonies and the "Catcher in the Rye" and Innocence Lost... sitting on a Hammond M3

"Catcher in the Rye" on a Hammond M3 - photo by Mike Fisk - March 2008

For whatever reason, I was thinking about J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" last night.

The book is one of my favorites and I have identified a lot with the narrator/main character, Holden Caulfield. A key theme to the book is Holden's dislike of phony people. I've always had a disdain for people who didn't appear genuine to me, but I've been thinking about that lately.

There is another aspect to phony other than trying to be something you're not. And though I think most people do a bit or a lot of that, the other aspect is not saying what you mean.

It's always bugged me when people don't behave the way they really feel towards me and it also bugs me that I do that myself to them. When we're kids we don't have the phony-filter turned on because we don't know any better. We just say and do whatever the hell we're feeling. That's why kids can be so charming and also so exacerbating. It takes awhile for the innonence of our childhood to get pounded out and molded to the point where we may lose some of our simple charm, but we also become less annoying.

Its kind of like when Bilbo says "Good Morning" to Gandalf at the start of the book "The Hobbit". Gandalf says, "What do you mean?....Do you wish me a good morning; or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel it is a good morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

A lot of what we say is just so that we get along somehow, but we really don't want to be bothered with the details or really getting to the true meaning what we're saying; heck it's the stuff we always say in given situations. Occasionally someone, like Gandalf, comes along and slices through our phony-filters to find out what we really mean. In the Hobbit, Gandalf finally says to Bilbo, "What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!... Now you mean that you want to be rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off..."

Ultimately all this phoniness crap appears to have it's root in trying to get stuff from other people by saying or acting or doing stuff that's not truely who we are or what we feel. I find we mask what we really feel to protect either ourselves from riprisal and hassle from others or to protect others from unnecessary pain and conflict.

I'd like to minimize the phony-filter in myself by turning my inpatient or critical feelings into something genuine and kind in regards to finding good things about people. And that takes more work than the standard "Good Morning"... When I can...I'd at least I'd like to try.... maybe return to some of the innonene, but put in the effort to polish it off with a dash of practicality and hope to avoid appearing phony.

.... And when there really isn't any good side to comment on, I'm going to just have to tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may....

Anyhow, not sure that made any sense, but that's what I think.... oh and sorry about not tying this thing back to "Catcher in the Rye"... all right I'll try.... let's see here ...to summarize Holden wants so save his sister from growing up because he's hating it himself and he sees the innonence in her. But when he get's the chance to save her he doesn't.... so in a sence he's a phony too and I think that was the lesson of the book which I don't think I really got until just recently. Oh well... I'm slow.

Have a great weekend!

....and be sure to grab some free Soul Amp MP3s for your player at:

Free Soul Amp Music

Gigs coming up for your chance to the see THE AMP live... nothing like some good ol' rock n' roll!

Looks like we might have a gig lined up for April 5. More info to follow.

We definitely have a gig lined up at the House of Guinness in Waukesha, WI on Friday May 9. So there will be oppurtunities soon to see the Amp.

In the meantime be sure check out all the new music that's being released here:

FREE SOUL AMP MUSIC

Artistic Band Photo using flashlight and open aperture - Friday Party Tune from Milwaukee's Jam Band - lots of Strat Guitar and Hammond B3 Organ!!!

Soul Amp - Mike Fisk, Bradly Odland, Michael Nettesheim - March 6 2008

click the pic to zoom in

Well we finally got back to practicing after a long hiatus of about 3 months. It was pretty damn nice to see each other after such a long while. We have tried to get together to play, but between all our job and family responsiblities and the fact that nature has snowed its ass off this year in Wisconsin (as you can see in the pic), it has taken while to reconvene to rock.

The pic was taken by opening the aperture on my camera for 30 seconds and shining a flashlight on our faces (in my case there was a bit too much flashlight). There were actually 3 photos taken; one of each of us and then I stitched them together in Paint Shop Pro (a now fairly defunct product since Corel bought them and changed the program... made it worse imho). There were some technical glitches with the camera and we were cold, so it didn't come out as cool as I wanted it to. But M2 looks damn cool in it.

We were a bit rusty last night but we did record a couple of semi-gems. Here's one of them. It's a party tune to get your Friday partying started off just right... it's packed with Strat and Hammond B3 and lots of brilliant musical farts... so crank it up and have a great weekend!! Here's the tune:

Funky Kicking Blues Crusher

More free music can be had here.

You can catch more flashlightphoto art here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/picture-of-floating-umbrella-house-of.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/curse-of-derrick-turnbow-bobblehead-may.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/flower-power-flashlight-photos-still.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/artistic-band-photo-using-flashlight.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/lovely-sea-monster-in-underwater.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-and-beauty-is-all-in-shit-time-to.html

Milwaukee Wisconsin Jam Alternative Band Soul Amp Releases new Song about Time - Includes Denver Bar photo of Clock - recorded on Zoom H4 - Free Music

Bar clock in Colorado - Nov 2005 - photo by Mike Fisk

Here's a new song from our November 2007 jam session. Bradly made up the lyrics on the fly as per the usual as of late. It was recorded using the Zoom H4, mastered on Ozone3 in Sonar.

Another big ending!


Here's the song:

Time

Click here for info on more Free Music and MP3s.

Watercolor pencil image - Flower Power Image - And Free Music

Free Music Can be Found Here

This was created using watercolor pencils and regular color pencils. I'm really digging using watercolor pencils. You end up with something much different from regular watercolors and they are very easy to use.

Here's a water color and pastel image to check out:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/more-weird-artthe-hat-stick-and-wind.html

Also, here's another odd painting the you might like:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/01/milwaukee-photographer-and-alternative.html

Here's another watercolor and pastel painting:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/06/lovely-sea-monster-in-underwater.html

Here's some flashlight flower pics to check out (weird stuff):

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/flower-power-flashlight-photos-still.html




Enjoy, live long, and prosper!