composition, light, contrast, details, depth, patterns, aperture, bokeh, simplicity, mood, moments…
these are some of my favourite things about fotography, no matter the subject…
anyway, happy 2018! is it snowing where you are?!
Tag Archives: photography
{the most delicious holiday chocolate!}
18 Deci am so grateful for fellow foodie friends who get me! and who send me delicious treats like these decadent holiday-inspired chocolates… that look like logs for a cozy christmas fire! aren’t the beautiful?!
and my goodness they were delicious!
i’m not certain, but i believe the flavours were :
- dark chocolate almond
- dark chocolate w/ sea salt and peppermint filling
- milk chocolate w/ peanut butter filling
needless to say, they didn’t last too long…
{corporate headshots – new client, miss k}
12 Deci’m having a lot of fun fotographing corporate headshots, lately. miss k took me on a pleasant walk around north carolina’s state campus on a warm but crisp afternoon.
here are some of my favourite shots :
i think miss K sort of resembles hillary swank… would you agree?!
we both agreed that these were our two favourite shots of the day… at least for what she wanted to use the images for. i am always very pleased when a client is happy with their results. particularly when they are a tad bit nervous in the beginning.
{thirsty thursday – octoberfest time!}
12 Octhey friends!
it’s been a while… and i have lots to fill you in on. for now, i wanted to share some of my favorite beers with you. i’m discovering more all the time, as north carolina has some great microbrews!
although you can catch me drinking sam adams’ octoberfest beer pretty much all the way through thanksgiving, i have a few other kinds of beers i like to drink this time of year…
flying dog does a great belgian-style IPA, which helps me transition from summer to fall…
this was an interesting ale… i haven’t seen it since this one time i tried it…
{total solar eclipse}
22 Augi drove down to columbia, south carolina to watch the total solar eclipse yesterday… and i’m so glad i made the trek! admittedly, i did not do as much preparing as i would’ve normally done… particularly because it kind of came together last minute. originally i had wanted to go to greenville, sc – which is where i was born {and supposedly where the highest totality and visibility would be}, but it all worked out rather nicely and i’m thankful to have been where i was… especially because it was also my mama’s birthday yesterday.
i didn’t have time to make a pinhole camera, which i really wanted to do, but of course i had a camera. if you follow me on instagram, i hope you saw the story… it was fun to create.
it was important to me not to get too caught up in taking fotos, because i truly wanted to enjoy the moment {two minutes, 36 seconds to be exact} 🙂
i shot these images with a 50mm lense… which, of course, isn’t ideal for something so far away… but i kind of liked showing the sky and having the tiny sun and moon fill up a tiny amount of space. i didn’t have a special filter, so i simply put my eclipse glasses over my lense. i thought about using my zoom lense, but like i said, i was more concerned with being there to truly witness the moment… it’s a hard balance sometimes, as someone who loves to take pictures… but i have been challenging myself to “capture the moment with my mind,” from time to time. this was one of those moments.
i took a few pictures of the crowd as well, but i wasn’t super thrilled with most of them. i think i was just too caught up in the experience to really take very many fotos… and i’m okay with that.
it was a truly incredible event and the sky was perfectly clear for the duration of {almost} totality. the crowd was wonderful, the vibe was awesome, the beer was delicious {i drank a special ‘black ipa’ aptly named, “blackout”.} i feel very fortunate to have been where i was during the eclipse. we reached totality around 2:30 p.m. in columbia, south carolina. the temperature dropped, the moon inched in front of the sun, making it as dark as night… the crowd went wild, people screamed and hugged and kissed… it’s kind of hard to truly describe how marvelous it was to see it all happen. the energy felt very intense to me… and as someone who has always admired and been in awe of the stars, it was a lot to take in… something for the history books, indeed.
i’m still buzzing from it all ❤
{beautiful lilies}
21 Augin today’s hectic and fast-paced world, i believe it is very important to remember to stop and smell the flowers… as often as you can. breath them in deep!
particularly if they are stargazer lilies – they are so intoxicating!
today is my mama’s birthday, and always think of her when i see lilies… so these are for her 🙂
happy birthday, judi!
{corporate headshots – new client, mister PD}
8 Augmy latest client, mister PD was effortless in front of the camera, which i’m also super grateful for.
i’ve recently been getting commissioned to do more corporate headshots for social media sites like linkedin. since i don’t have a studio and shoot primarily on location, i haven’t really been marketing myself as a “corporate headshot” fotographer… but i think that’s all about to change.
{foto friday : baby swans!}
21 Juli had the honour of seeing these beautiful baby swans back in late spring around the lake by the house. sadly, i’m just now getting around to blogging about them.
i was hoping they would get close enough to use my 50mm lense to capture… and they obliged! 🙂
the adorable little babies did not stray far from mama’s side…
the whole family came together…
our neighbourhood lake has these awesome feeders for the lake-dwelling animals…
they perched and munched for a good 5 minutes… it was so cool to watch…
the turtles hung out close by, hoping for some snacks to fall to their level! 😀 Continue reading
{nyc – through the eye of my camera phone}
17 Juli am working on a new volume of “memories in manhattan” and will post one next week… in the meantime, here’s a post about new york to keep the theme going 🙂
i took a trip new york in june… i had been wanting to go back for a visit for quite some time, as it had been about 5 years since i had been there. often times, i think part of me wants to live there again, so i was eager to experience the city once more to see how i felt about being there.
i had a wonderful trip, as i figured i would. the weather was a little ridiculous – as in sweltering hot. but outside of that, it was nice to feel the energy of that amazing city, again. new york has a way of making you feel on top of the world; as if the whole place belongs to you. as an introvert, it’s strange to me that i can be surrounded by people but still feel like i’m in my own little bubble. the “hum” that is always in the background doesn’t feel distracting to me… it’s a strange dichotomy that i have always appreciated.
all that said, i think i realized that i do not wish to live in a place like new york again. i long for a country life – on a farm somewhere, growing food and having lots of animals. of course, that may change – after all, we are human and our desires come and go as we move through life.
it was wonderful to be in new york once more and to walk around and take the subway and just feel the energy… i immediately settled back in to the “way of life” there and even had people asking me for directions – and i knew them! that’s also a good ego boost.
i didn’t pick up my camera too much… i guess because since i lived there for so long, i took so many pictures already and this time i just wanted to kind of experience it in a different way. of course, i did have my camera phone with me – so i captured a lot of snapshots with it.
here is a gallery of fotos from my trip – i hope you enjoy! :
-
- my travel buddy
-
- i love a train ride!
-
- over the plains of VA
-
- i seriously love being on a train!
-
- blowing kisses to my old neighbourhood
-
- back in new york!
-
- doors!
-
- hey, new jersey!
-
- went to see a volleyball tournament
-
- ate delicious lunch here!
-
- lobster roll!!! so good!!!
-
- would love to eat here some day!
-
- entrance to a cool sculpture park my friend took me through…
-
- my friend knows where all the public restrooms are – so handy!
-
- a randomly long slide in a random part of lower manhattan…
-
- WTC fountain
-
- WTC fountain
-
- my old ‘hood…
-
- street fair!
-
- brunch!
-
- glass of champagne with brunch…
-
- who doesn’t love bottomless mimosas! 😉
-
- best. pizza. ever. too bad that car is taking over the foto – haha
-
- so many likes, so little love
-
- st. marks…
-
- union square farmers market!
-
- gorgeous garlic!
-
- radical radishes!
-
- beautiful bok choy!
-
- cool kohlrabi!
-
- was delicious!
-
- photobombed!
-
- “so many likes… so little love…”
-
- i’ve fotographed this door many times…
-
- poetry…
-
- paint night!
-
- before…
-
- during…
-
- after…
-
- ta-da!
-
- last day in the city…
-
- the closest i got to the ESB…
-
- i will always miss the street art, the most…
-
- elevator selfie…
until next time…
{throwback thursday : manhattan henge}
13 Julapparently it’s manhattan henge time… i heard on TV that the big night was last night and tonight it will also be visible.
when i lived in new york, i didn’t think about the fact that you don’t really see sunsets. i guess it didn’t occur to me at the time… but after living in denver and seeing some of the most amazing sunsets ever, i started to realize that i don’t have very many memories of sunsets while i lived in the big city.
anyway, in honour of this twice a year event that happens in new york, i thought i would share these fotos for throwback thursday. i’m super grateful i actually got to experience this… for those of you that may be unfamiliar – only twice a year does the sun line up just perfectly in between the concrete jungle so that it sets right in between the buildings. one can only see this on 34th street, 42nd street, or 57th street… i think i fotographed these images from 34th…
enjoy!
{homemade relish with my homegrown cucumbers!}
11 Jul
so, as i mentioned in my last blog – i have harvested well over 200 cucumbers this year from my garden! i wish i would’ve been weighing my harvests, to get more of an idea of yields. however, looking back through the fotos i snapped every time i harvest – it’s safe to say that number is pretty accurate. crazy, right?
anyway, on top of sharing my harvests with neighbors, and consuming a cucumber a day, i also enjoy making pickles and relish with my cucumbers! that’s why i specifically grow the pickling cucumbers. that, and i just think they taste better.
i will share my pickle recipe soon, but for now i want to share this super yummy relish recipe that a good friend of mine passed along to me last year. i love it because it’s very simple and does not have added sugar. the only sweetener is honey and i think it is so well-balanced in flavour. i love add my relish to egg salad or tuna salad. it’s also just good right out of the jar!
homemade pickle relish recipe :
- 1.5 pounds {pickling} cucumbers, finely diced {mine was homegrown}
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1.5 cup distilled white vinegar
- 6 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill {mine was homegrown! 🙂}
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp kosher salt {i used himalayan pink salt}
- 1 tsp celery ceeds
- 1.5 cornstarch
directions :
- in large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch. simmer over medium-high head until vegetables are tender – about 8-10 minutes.
- in small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of the cooking liquid until smooth. add to pan and let cook another 3-5 minutes. cool.
- use canning method to preserve, or store in airtight container, chilled, up to 1 month. also freezes well.
i made a lot more than what is pictured – this jar i gave to my neighbours. 🙂
i also tasted mine before adding the cornstarch. if i needed to increase any of the ingredients, i did. i think i added a little extra honey and vinegar to mine because i had a little more than 1.5 pounds of cucumbers. the key is to start with small amounts… you can always add more. i love the colour it turns out – that’s largely due to the turmeric.
i hope you enjoy this recipe and please do let me know if you ever try it out!
thanks for reading! 🙂
{1500 followers!}
10 Jul
i am so humbled to have recently welcomed my 1500th{+} follower on this cherished little blog of mine!!
thank you to all of those who have stuck around all this time. and thank you to the newcomers – i want to extend a warm welcome to all of you who chose to hit that ‘follow’ button and come play along as we talk about yummy food and pretty things, whilst taking pictures of it all!
as a reminder, if you don’t already – please follow me on instagram for the most recent updates on all things food&foto related. {you can also find me on facebook and pinterest.}
i appreciate all the love and support i’ve received over these last 6 years of blogging. i look forward to more adventures to come!
the most sincere appreciation to all of you, from the bottom of my heart.
—–
{saturdays in the garden : volume seven}
8 Juljust a little update on the garden… my posts are not in “real time,” as it were… i’m several weeks behind in keeping up with what’s going on, currently.
for example, most of what you see in the following fotos, has been pulled from my plot. we are straight up in the heat of summer here in NC, and my tomatoes are just about all that remain. i pulled up all my broccoli, because i didn’t get it in the ground soon enough and it never formed a head. i harvested one beautiful cabbage that i’m currently making sauerkraut with. my cilantro is done… as is my dill and basil, but i planted more of both. i pulled my kale and planted arugula in its place. and my cucumbers are on their last limb, but i must’ve harvested around 200 of them this season. i have pickles for days! 😉
july will be focused on tomatoes. then in mid august, i will plant more cabbage and cucumbers and perhaps try again for more peas later in the month or toward september. i really enjoy making {and eating} sauerkraut, so i intend to plant a lot more cabbage for fall.
meanwhile, here are some pics of what late may/june were like in my plot :
so pretty and ALIVE!
still fascinated by pea tendrils… and i made lots of pesto with my basil!
oh kale, yeah!
harvest!
my beautiful cabbage! Continue reading
{my new camera!}
26 Jun
i bought a new camera!
i have to admit, i felt slightly guilty about it at first, but i also don’t treat myself enough. and although this is a “treat,” it is also an investment.
my other camera is about 10 years old at this point. it is still reliable and does the trick, but it is definitely slower and much heavier than this new one. photography is a funny field in that you can invest as much or as little as you want into it. these days, our smart phones have just as many megapixels as some “professional” cameras. however, it is my belief that no amount of equipment or money can truly substitute for a good eye.
i recently read an article that had a quote that resonated with me :
“walker evans once said, ‘people always ask me what kind of camera i use. it’s not the camera, it’s –‘ and he tapped his temple with his index finger.'”
i can’t help but subscribe to walker evans’ approach to photography. it is my belief that no matter what kind of camera or equipment one uses to capture an image – if it is uninspired, that will be evident, and ultimately translate to the viewer. Continue reading
{foodie friday : the teeniest strawberry}
9 Jun
actually, the teeniest strawberries probably grow wild in our back yard…
but i don’t think these are edible… 😉
{it’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood…}
6 Junhere are some pics from a stroll i took last month, when springtime was peaking and i was tickled to find a bunch “life” happening… ! 🙂
there are so many turtles around these parts!
tons of beautiful blooms, as well!
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 