NEW STUDIO PHONE:  608-634-6263

About Valley Visions Photography...

What began as a hobby has grown into a passion...capturing those fleeting moments, looking deep into the eyes and telling a story...and now I am available to capture those moments and tell the stories for you and your family.  Whether you need portraits of seniors, children, families, pets, or even products, you will have a great experience working with my down-to-earth, natural style.  If you are looking for someone to capture the essence of your child, family, or senior and let who he or she is shine through, then you have come to the right place. 

About the galleries...

Within the portrait galleries, you can view images of children, expectant mothers, families, teens/seniors, and samples of collages and cards. I have also developed a line of inspirational gift cards which you can view by going to the gallery section.  There is a gallery entitled "Spirituality" that has a wide variety of gift cards/prints for sale.  These images are available with or without the text and the text can be personalized with wording of your choice.  Be sure to also check out the many other samples of my work in the many galleries. 

About my photography:

I am available for portraiture, freelance photography and writing assignments. Although this is a relatively new endeavor for me, my work has been published locally, state-wide, and in "FamilyFun" magazine, "In the Light" (cover photos), "Visitor: A Visitor's Guide to the Hayward Lakes Area" (cover photos), Kickapoo Valley Map, and "Women in the Outdoors."  Numerous images including a cover shot are included in the 2006 Vernon County Tourism Guide.  The 2007 & 2008 Vernon County Tourism Guides also have a large selection of my images from the area!  My prints have been displayed in galleries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and I have several framed 20 X 30 images for sale.  If you are interested in stock images, please email me for a list of images for sale. If you have product photography needs, please contact me for specifics on what I can do for you. 

Professional Development:

I'm just getting started in this new adventure, but I've taken many steps to grow and learn the art and science of photography.  Most recently, I've trained with leading professional photographers from all over the country in areas such as maternity/baby portraiture, Photoshop/Painter, studio lighting and posing, cutting edge senior portraiture, natural lighting, and relationship portraiture.  I'm a member of WPPA (Wisconsin Professional Photographers Association) and PPA (Professional Photographers of America), and our South Central Photographer's Association.  In the last year, I earned a photography scholarship to attend Treehaven Photography School, I was awarded $400 in lighting supplies and a $200 scholarship to attend Treehaven Photography School in May 2007.  I was also one of only a few in the state who were awared a 4 Day Learning Experience to train with some of the best photographic artists in the state. I've studied with several nationally known photographers while attending the Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography and I continue to strive to grow through continuing education through workshops and time spent with regional groups of photographers.  I still have so much to learn at this early stage in my career, but I'm making every effort to go above and beyond with each session.

Infant Bereavement Photography:

Sad, but a fact of life...so many families lose an infant at birth or soon after.  I belong to the non-profit organization "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," and offer a sensitive, private photo session of the family with the infant as a way to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives.  I will come to the hospital, set up a room there for the session, and capture your final images together. This service is completely free, and the family will receive a CD of images and a DVD set to music.  For more information, or to connect with others who have lost a child, visit: www.nilmdts.com.  This site offers tips on what to say to grieving families and shows samples of what can be done to honor the memory of the child. Out of respect for the families, I do not have any of my work for NILMDTS openly displayed in my galleries.         

About me:

My name is Karen Solverson.  I've taught in a K-12 setting for many years and I'm currently a student teacher supervisor at UW-La Crosse.  My passion as a teacher lies in middle level and gifted education, but I'm quickly adapting to a rapidly growing photography business.  My training in education and my love of children has really been influential as I have focused heavily on relationships before worrying about a particular image.  After growing up and spending most of my life in Vernon County, I feel so fortunate that I've been able to come back to the area to be able to raise my children here and capture the beauty of this incredible area in my work. My husband, Dan Shaha, and I live just south of Westby with our two boys, Zach and Tom, and our dogs, Kaylie & Tobie.  Since there are quite a few Solversons in the area, many people often ask which family I belong to...my parents are Steve and Sharon, my brother is Karl, my sister is Kristine, and my grandparents are Margery & Conval Solverson and Edith Egeness, all of Viroqua.

If you have any questions/comments, please email at: norwegn@mwt.net or call 608-634-6263.    :)

Thanks for stopping by and visit again soon...new images are added regularly to the galleries.