Last Wednesday was my one year anniversary living in Wisconsin. A lot has happened in this last year. I made it through my first Wisconsin winter, a winter that produced record snowfall for much of the state. I survived my first and second Tornado Warning, the second one sending us scurrying to the basement as the storm came right over us. I enjoyed my first summer along Lake Michigan where the temps rarely made it into the high 80′s and we never hit 90. And I basked in the glory of Wisconsin’s beautiful Autumn.

But the most important thing that happened over this last year was that I met Lynne. Not only has she brought love and happiness back into my life, but she has done it in a understanding and caring way that has allowed me to continue my healing from the grief of losing Tammy. Lynne has truly given me my life back. And though I still miss Tammy an awful lot and think about her daily, my life is good and I feel that I have a future to live for once again.

I also feel that my photography has grown over the last year. Photographing Wisconsin has given me new challenges and created new opportunities for me.  It’s opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the world around me and I feel that it shows in my images. The world seems older back here, there’s history everywhere. From the lighthouses along Lake Michigan to the churches and Main St’s of just about every town in Wisconsin, that history speaks to you and I’m trying to capture it in my photos. The land feels older too. The large mountain landscapes of the west don’t live back here. You have to look at the world in a different way and try to find the more subtle beauty of the land. Instead of a large mountain bathed in alpine glow, you have to find those snow covered trees reflected in a gentle stream.

I still miss California. I miss the Eastern Sierra so much. Now I too gaze at the web cams and wish I was there. I’m still a California boy at heart and always will be. The mountains, deserts and coastlines still flow through my blood. But I have found that the hills, farmland, lakes and forest of Wisconsin also run through my blood. And living on the shores of Lake Michigan is truly amazing.

I’ve put together a little slide show to celebrate my first year in Wisconsin. It contains about 75 images that have all been taken over the last year. I’ve also included some music with it that I feel reflects this last year pretty well. The song is “Long Walk Home” by Todd Sheaffer.  I hope you guys enjoy it.

First Year in Wisconsin from Steven Bourelle on Vimeo.