Meet Our Contributors

Meet the staff

Alan Wohlgemut Marie Krolikowski Mel Woods

Alan Wohlgemut owns and runs his local photography company, Lighter Focus, with his brother and dad. What started as a hobby in high school has turned into a career which is fueled by his passion and love for capturing all the beauty in God’s creation.

He had a unique childhood as his parents were missionaries overseas in the country of Papua New Guinea.

Having been born and raised overseas, he has a great love for travel and meeting new people from all different cultures.

Alan and his wife, Tracy, live in Lake Ozark with their four children. Marie, her husband Stan, and their two children have been coming to the Ozarks every summer for the past 28 years. The family made their dreams come true recently when they purchased a lakefront home in the Four Seasons neighborhood. Marie not only gets to continue enjoying this life with her husband and children, but also with her granddaughters Layla and Harper.

Marie has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations. She headed the public relations department in a Chicago area hospital for five years. She spent many years working as a freelance writer, and had articles published in a number of Chicago area newspapers. She also worked as a real estate broker for 14 years.

Residing part-time here allows Marie the opportunity to fulfill three pastimes she is passionate about: writing, enjoying Lake Life with her family and friends, and now experiencing the Lake with her granddaughters. Mel is the owner of Blue Boat, one of the Lake area’s go-to businesses for drone photos and video. Her Lake Life Portrait Sessions are one of the hottest new experience gifts you can give your Lake lover.

Her work has been featured in several area magazines, on Lake TV and on live TV as the official drone pilot for the 2021 Lake Race, in real estate listings, art stores, and more.

She holds an FAA drone pilot certification and a bachelor’s degree in visual communications. She lives at the Lake and loves capturing Lake life.

See her work at www. blueboatart.com, and follow @BlueBoatArt on social for photos and videos from around the Lake.

Al and Connye Griffin

Al and Connye Griffin retired to do what they enjoy, taking photos of their new home and writing about the people and places here. Al was a forensic photographer for more than a decade before moving to Missouri where he’s had the opportunity to focus on art and commercial photography.

His varied work can be found at www.algriffinphotography.com. Connye likes to knit words together and does so daily. She spent 37 years teaching and still loves to learn and teach. She does both through Al and Connye’s collaboration www.oureyesuponmissouri. com. Al’s photography can be seen in the Local Flavor piece where the couple features restaurants they have visited.