Blair Kooistra Photography

03/11/2024

Friends!

You've been asking--will there be a calendar this year?

Indeed there will be. As in years past, I'm offering two beautiful full-color wall calendars for sale. Out of the box, they come in 11 X 14.5" format, but spiral bound hanging on the wall they're a spectacular 22.5 X 14.5" size, with gallery-sized photos you can enjoy a month at a time and lots of room to write stuff in the calendar dates.

This year, a little different in what I'm offering:

BULLDOGS: cover and 12 photographs of streamlined EMD, GMD and GM designed locomotives I've photographed over the years, from E-units and F-units and in the US, Canada and Australia. I wish a year was 36 months long, as I'd love to share with you more than just a dozen (plus 1 on the cover);

MONTANA: Inspired by my three months in the Treasure State this summer and fall, this year only my usual Milwuakee Road calendar has been replaced by photos I've taken in Montana over the years. We go back to BN and early MRL, Milwaukee Road and UP, BA&P as well. Even a few BNSF orange locomotives get in there. I hope you'll find these Montana images worthy of your wall space.

US Customers: Right now my printer is giving me a little price break (who knows how long that will last), so I'm dropping the price to $45 per calendar including shipping through November 20, and will see if the printer jacks up prices after that. And I'll give you a better deal with two--$85 for a pair snuggling up in one shipping envelope. That's a US price only.

Canadians: Sorry, but you get no love from Canada post: Postage is a killer, and expect you to get hit with $20 USD at least for that, so price per calendar is $60USD including shipping..

Australia: A couple of you last year bought from me; who knows what OzPost will charge this year, but I'll got with a flat rate of $75 USD per calendar including international shipping.

As usual, I'm taking PayPal (but ask about personal checks or money orders), address for that is [email protected] which is curiously also my email address for inquiries; or just message me through facebook.

I hope you enjoy what i'm offering this year, and you'll help fund my upcoming retirement!

Happy holiday seasons!

11/12/2023

Those still awaiting their calendars will be pleased to hear that the USPS has predicted all of my late-order copies will be on my doorstep from the printers by the 15th.

I anticipate a final mail-out on the 16th and will let you know your tracking numbers at that time.

thanks!

05/12/2023

Orders are closed on the 2024 calendars. Thanks to everyone for your interest on my work.i’ll let those of you whose orders have not been filled know when the calendars are in the mail. Thanks again!

01/12/2023

Jeez those retro Seahawk unis look great and bring back some memories. But even Zorn to Largent couldn’t save them late tonight…

28/11/2023

Mary Kooistra, I’d say this is dead-on accurate!!

27/11/2023

Friends:

I've been away for the long weekend doing family stuff, but the order for the 50th and last Milwaukee Road calendar on this first round of printing was made on Wednesday.

This means that a few of you who placed orders on Thursday or after will have to wait a bit longer to receive your Milwaukee Road calendars, as I will fill these orders from the second round of on December 4--realistically, that means I probably won't have them in hand before the 12th or so and get them into your hands until the 17th at the earliest.

Don't worry: you WILL get your Milwaukee calendars, and since I opened up the box on the 50 from the printer, I'll vouch that they will be as impressive as the BN calendar. They did a superb job. It will just be a week or two later than if I'd gotten the order before I ran out of calendars on hand.

I show orders so far for 23 of the 30 Burlington Northern Calendars I have on hand, so there's a few of these left for immediate posting.

Don't let this deter you from ordering either or both if you haven't already--I'll take paid orders until December 4.

Thank you, and hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend.

--Blair

PS--I'll have your orders out in the mail by Tuesday for those of you who had placed orders and paid by last Wednesday. Look in your messages or emails for tracking information.

22/11/2023

CALENDAR UPDATE: As of this afternoon, I've got firm orders (i.e. paid orders) for 21 of the 30 BN calendars I've ordered from the printers, and 47 of the 50 Milwaukee Road copies. The BN's will be on my doorstep by evening, and UPS informs me to expect the Milwaukee's to show up on Saturday, so hopefully by Tuesday, all that have been ordered by then will be out in the mail. Stay tuned! I will take orders until December 4, and at that time will place a final order to fill purchases above the 30/50 initially printed--this should still get your calendars to your mailbox by December 24th. Thanks!

17/11/2023

IT'S CALENDAR TIME!
You can now order either--or both!--of my 2024 railroad photo calendars, beautifully printed by Vistaprint. They're wire bound wall calendars and they open to a glorious 22X14" size--if you've bought these from me in the past, you can vouch for what a good job they do printing them.

Here's the details:

COST: $50 for one, $45 for the second in the same envelope ($90 for two calendars) That INCLUDES US postage. I can mail two calendars in one envelope, so any orders beyond two calendars will be an additional $50 for a third, $45 for a fourth, etc. in groups of two. As in the past, I will sign the back of each calendar, thereby increasing its value in the future to an astronomical amount. Yeah, right.

CANADA/OVERSEAS SHIPPING: The cost will be $45 per calendar, however, I will charge actual postage to you additionally on top of that.

HOW TO ORDER: Let me know have ordered via direct message or Facebook messenger, AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU WILL PAY FOR IT. Then I'll look for your payment to show up electronically. I will send you a confirmation with the tracking number when it ships. AND: I strongly stress that you INCLUDE A CORRECT MAILING ADDRESS on either your message or your electronic payment (ideally, both!). I cannot guarantee that I still have your address if you were a past customer.

HOW TO PAY: Now I've got four ways to take your money--
*paypal me: [email protected]
*VENMO me: -Kooistra (this is the first time I've used Venmo, and it seems to work for me
*mail me a money order (let me know you want to do this via message and I will reply with my mailing address)
*mail me a personal check (same as above--but this will require me to hold shipping until your payment clears)

HOW MANY CALENDARS AM I DOING? Right now I have an order to printer for 50 Milwaukee Road and 30 Burlington Northern. If demand warrants, I will make additional printing orders when needed. The printer has said I will receive these first 80 calendars for shipping by the final week of November.

ORDER/PAYMENT DEADLINE: I will take my last order on December 4th--this will allow me time to place a final order with the printer to get them back to me and then off in the mail to you hopefully by Christmas. . .but no guarantees they'll arrive by then. Orders are placed first-come, first-served based on payment received. When I burn through the first batch of calendars, I'll order more. You will be taken care of.

I APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS. I know $50 for a calendar is a princely sum these days, and the rise in prices is the main reason I didn't offer calendars last year. But, I'm also humbled and flattered that you like my work enough to have asked me repeatedly "are you going to do a calendar??" so I realize the interest is there.

SO, here's links to the photos used in this year's calendars (and excuse me if I repeated a photo of a smoking BN Alco this year that was in the 2021 calendar. . I must've like that photo THAT much!):

MILWAUKEE ROAD CALENDAR: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3tGH

BURLINGTON NORTHERN CALENDAR: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3rPv

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR INTEREST AND SUPPORT OF MY PHOTOGRAPHY over the past many, many years. . .

15/11/2023

I didn't think I'd do one this year--but look at me. . .I'm doing TWO.

Two calendars: one for the Milwaukee Road fans, one for the Burlington Northern fanboys (or girls). All color, with the high-quality printing and photography you've enjoyed in the three years I've done these. They will be the BIG 22 X 14" (open) size you've come to love in the past--no scrawny little calendars here!

More information tomorrow night, including pricing. For now, I'm having 50 of the Milwaukee Road calendars printed, and 20 of the Burlington Northern. . . I'll add more if interest warrants it.

Stay tuned for more information tomorrow. . .

09/07/2023

31/05/2023

After the United 93 memorial we made the hour drive southwest to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Fallingwater. We took an hour tour thru the house and afterwards we were free to explore the grounds and ”take photo here” viewing area. Then we just sat and soaked in the view—comtemplative where man’s work and nature se in perfect harmony: the perfect cliche photo of the place, but no matter. Worth the trip.

Afterwards popped down to Ohiopyle, a popular recreaction area with the former Western Maryland line part of the GAP trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland and beyond; the former B&O is across the river.

Then I thought that instead of a dI text drive back to Pittsburgh, I’d route us along the Monongahela rivee, which took longer than expected but yielded a photo of the amazing Holy Resurrection Church at West Brownsville PA fronting former Monongahela street running on Main Street just south of the junction with the P&LE…I think. It was sunset when we rolled into Clairton and breathed deep the aromas of the USS coke furnace there.

Some exhilarating 2-lane hilly driving! A long day and ready for the barn after dinner….

30/05/2023

United 93 flew along the path of this walkway at 60mph, it’s passengers batting hijackers and plowing the aircraft into a field near Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001. The wreckage was largely confined to a small crater at the edge of a reclaimed strip mine. We visited the national memorial this morning. A quiet, reflective place, light wind blowing, birds chirping, visitors largely silent reflecting in their own thoughts.

24/01/2023

02/12/2022

I’ve had quite a few inquiries as to whether I’m producing a photo calendar this year.

Unfortunately: no. The big price hike from last year remains high, and right now I can’t see going forward because: a) I can’t see easing prices that much and charging you my friends and customers that much for a perishable publication; and b) I could hold costs down to a more reasonable amount by producing an 17x 11”calendar (8 1/2 x11 closed up), but, frankly, I want my photos to hang on your wall BIG, not small.

I may well bite the bullet and come back next year with a pricier large calendar—I’m certainly thinking about it. And I’ll certainly let you know!

Happy holidays—Blair Kooistra