Welcome! We are happy that you have chosen to visit the Rick Bate Photography Website. We are firm believers that your photo collection is one of the most valuable possessions you own. It is amazing how, in a fire or other disaster, lost photos are missed more than any other possession. Conversely, we have heard individuals interviewed after a disaster say “we’ve lost everything, but at least we have our photos.” What makes photographs, which are far from our most expensive possessions, the most important to save in a disaster? My partner, B. Artin Haig, for years had the reputation of being the most expensive photographer in Milwaukee. (He also had the reputation of being the best.) When people questioned the high price of his photos he countered by saying that he would buy them back in five years if they still thought the portraits were not worth the price. He never had a taker. We believe that this is because the most valuable things in our life are the experiences that we have. It is the events of our life, not what we own, that mold us into the people we are. Photographs serve as reminders of those experiences. In the future, as you look back over your photographs, you will recall unique smiles, a particular Christmas, the horse you showed years ago, or perhaps how short your younger brother, (the one who now towers above you) was a scant five years ago. So as you browse through the galleries or check for your own previews in the Purchase Photos section, remember that the photography that we do for you will only grow in value as time passes. Tomorrow’s memories can only be captured today.