Sacred Light: Reflections from Lake Park Lutheran Church

Sunbeams through stained-glass in the chapel at Lake Park Lutheran Church on the East Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Copyright 2025 Scott Norris Creative scottnorrisphotography.com scott-norris.pixels.com www.etsy.com/shop/ScottNorrisCreative buymeacoffee.com/scottnorris

I love photographing sacred spaces. There is something about the way light filters through vibrant stained-glass windows, casting shifting colors onto the warm wooden pews. The textures of aged wood, the quiet presence of tapestries, the gentle flicker of candlelight—all of it contributes to a profound sense of stillness and reflection. Sunbeams through stained-glass in…… Continue reading Sacred Light: Reflections from Lake Park Lutheran Church

A Little Shameless Self-Promotion

Up in the Air

I’ll be honest—self-promotion has never been my strong suit. But in this digital world, if I don’t put my work out there, who will? So, consider this post my way of saying, “Hey, I’m here, and I’d love for you to check out what I do.” Whether you’re into fine art photography, abstract digital art,…… Continue reading A Little Shameless Self-Promotion

What Are You Listening To?

Music plays a huge role in my creative process. It helps me get out of my head and into my heart. It gives me energy, yet it also calms me. It takes me away from everyday worries while keeping me grounded. And I love so many genres—blues, rock, heavy metal, jazz, electronic, bluegrass, barbershop, and…… Continue reading What Are You Listening To?

Finding Common Ground in a Polarized World

Whether or not to speak on the current political climate—it’s a question I often ask myself. It reminds me of an old saying attributed to Buddha: “If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?” Imagine if we all applied this to all our daily interactions, not…… Continue reading Finding Common Ground in a Polarized World

What to Learn First to Be a Better Photographer

This magical troop of tiny mushrooms was captured on a fallen tree in the woods along Wisconsin's Ice Age Tree in the Lapham Peak section of the Kettle Moraine state forest.

For quite some time, I’ve thought about the first things you should learn as a photographer. Is it the exposure triangle? (I’ll cover this in another blog post later.) Is it the rules of good composition? Is it knowing all the buttons, dials, knobs, and widgets on your camera? Or is it having the latest…… Continue reading What to Learn First to Be a Better Photographer

Color and Smoke I

Color and Smoke I

“Our world is a magical smoke screen.” –Catherine E. Coulson as The Log Lady, Twin Peaks One of the keys to becoming a better, more accomplished artist, is to explore new things, new techniques, new processes.  Through playing, much like a child, we learn and grow.  Many of the new and crazy things we try…… Continue reading Color and Smoke I

Think About What You Will Gain

Think

In early 2013, my wife and I moved from Chicago to Milwaukee.  In doing so, we moved away from an underwater condo, lots of friends, and 2 steady well-paying jobs not really knowing what was going to happen.   She was going to find a job aligned with her passions and I was going to…… Continue reading Think About What You Will Gain

(Extra)Ordinary

Afternoon Bath

There are days – many days actually – as an artist where I can’t seem to find the inspiration to create and everything seems quite ordinary.  It could be the weather, it could be lack of sleep (although that is almost a constant), it could be any number of things.  Whatever the reason, the camera stays…… Continue reading (Extra)Ordinary

Snapshot to Photograph

A lot goes into creating a photograph.   Certainly knowing your equipment inside and out, making sure your settings are correct for the subject, getting what needs to be in focus IN focus, are big parts of making a photo.  Then there is this from National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson, “If you want to be a…… Continue reading Snapshot to Photograph

Thoughts for the New Year

At the start of each New Year, I invariably think about goals for the days, weeks and months ahead. While I don’t actually make resolutions (I find I don’t keep them anyway), I do strive to try new things, stop doing things I shouldn’t, and generally look for new avenues to grow and learn. With…… Continue reading Thoughts for the New Year