So, what’s so great about it?

“This year we concentrated on providing the customers with all the information they need on the boats while at the same time maintaining an artistically creative, visually appealing brochure that makes you want to head out on the water in a Manitou during a warm summer day,”  Greg VanWagenen, Manitou’s director of marketing and communications, said.

“High quality pictures, premium paper stock and expertly executed printing processes portray our boats as the high end premium brand that Manitou has become known for.”

In addition, he said they decided to go green with this brochure – it was printed with 100 percent wind power.

Here’s a preview of some of the great photos:

Manitou will begin to send the new brochures to dealers and retail customers next week.

Day 3 started off with a grim weather report. The afternoon called for thunderstorms and hail. The rush was on in the morning to see how many boats we could finish before the day was rained out.

Bryan Hermann and his wife Denise came all the way from Iowa to see the new boats and take part in our video and brochure. They are two of our most loyal Manitou owners who just love their boat. They were able to drive 3 new boats and take a tour of the Manitou factory. We are very appreciative of their time and dedication to boating and Manitou.

As the day progressed the weather report got a little better each hour. Before we knew it 7 boats were completed and we had only two left to shoot before the photograph portion of our on water fun. Looking back on the weather forecast and worrying about our timeline makes me wonder how all the weather services could have been so wrong. Don’t get me wrong I am thankful for the sunny productive day but I could have done without the stress and worry the night before.

The sun is rising on our last morning for photographs and I am happy to report that this year turned out to be one of our best shoots for pictures and for timing.

Mist over the corn fields as we approached the lake.  Always surprising to have this beautiful lake appear, suddenly amongst the verdant farmland.  Beautiful morning, bodes well for a great day of shooting.

Sky over the lake is baby blue with trailing cloudy wisps, not unlike the wake behind   a boat.  A group of swans grace the water, their images reflecting in the clam, mirror-like surface.  Maybe the lake should be renamed Swan Lake?

It’s always a slow start on the first day of the shoot.  We are all rusty; a few hours later and Team Manitou is a fine tuned machine.  The questions come easily, and better yet, the answers flow with creativity.

• Which boat next?
• What is our motivation? Atmosphere?
• Who are the best models for this shot?
• What shall they wear?
• Props?  Too many, over kill.  Just the right amount set the scene.
• Load ‘em up…jump on the shoot boat…fire up the walkie talkies and get another shot in the can.

Of course we shoot a lot of young people for the brochure.  Lots of obvious reasons, but you can add free time, youthfulness, and lots of choices in swimwear to that list.  Interesting to watch them as they patiently wait for the model time.   One with a book, several with magazines, but ALL with cell phones.  Cell phones that, even in this fairly remote spot, on a glorious day at the lake, are GLUED to their hands, ears and eyes.  Checking texts. Playing games.  My how things have changed.  I tried to imagine what they would be doing if there were no cell phones.  What did kids do at the beach before the advent of this hand vice?   Probably there were more conversations and interactions. Possibly more physical activity, tossing a football or Frisbee.