Ava's Sunday Photography

Sage Leaves Farm

2019-05-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am feeling so blessed.

What an amazing gathering with delicious food, friends, and a gorgeous garden full of herbs. Getting to Sage Leaves Farm was a fun adventure reminding me of childhood treasure hunts. So exciting! This brined Chicken from Osprey Hill Farm was seriously tasty, it is easily the best chicken I've ever eaten. And the fire roasted veggies with plenty of garlic really hit the spot. Thank you everyone who came together to celebrate such a lovely full moon farm dinner/ get together at the Sage Leaves Farm.

Nicholas and Rei giving the grand garden tour.

Check out the shiny still, that is what Sage Leaves Farm uses to make their hydrosol distillations. We even got to try a few of them out! My favorite was Lime Balm. It was so refreshing and light, perfect for summer.

What a gorgeous garden, bursting with love and life.

I can't wait to see the still in action making plant magick.

If you are looking for healing plant medicine check out

Sage Leaves Farm on Etsy!

For more updates on the garden, I recommend taking

a peek at their Facebook page too!

Until Next Time

Peace & Love

-Mama Bear

Broom Corn Workshop

2019-05-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

The blessings just keep coming!

Yet another delightful workshop by none other than Irene Hinkle.

Seriously, is there anything she can't do?

Thank you for your unwavering determination and tenacity to learn new and old skills with your own flair. Always learning and sharing, bless you.

Getting ready to make a broom, first winding up the nylon cord.

Story time sharing about why all 13 of us wanted to learn this skill of broom making.

What an amazing turnout, and everyone had a unique story to share.

Thank you Lynden Library for hosting such a wonderful workshop.

Check them out for more fun workshops and events!

Irene giving us tips on how to grow, harvest, and process our own Broom Corn.

She even included seeds for everyone to start growing this year!

Broom Making Magic

Thank you to all the wonderful and talented broom makers who stuck around for a successful and happy group shot at the end of the workshop! Ya'll rock!

Sometimes I am so caught up in capturing the beauty around me I don't get the chance to create anything myself. This time I got a chance to make my own broom!

Lovely photo taken by April, thank you!

Until Next Time

Peace & Love

-Mama Bear

ECO DYEING from WEEDS & WASTE

2019-03-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous class!

Irene's extensive plant knowledge is truly amazing.

She is like a treasure trove, here are some beautiful journals she's made with plants printing themselves naturally onto the paper.

Plant brews simmering on the stovetop.

Watching Irene teach her magical ways and share her knowledge for the generations to come, was so invigorating!

Marigolds make yellow and watching them simmer was so fun and witchy.

Onion skins make a fun natural dye, and are easy to collect throughout your week to create pretty plant prints later.

(Tossing them in the freezer helps keep them all together and when its time to dye just pop it in the water, boil and simmer)

You never know how its going to turn out and I think thats the best part about this process. This process reminds me of developing film.

When Irene has another class you should check it out, the Chuckanut Center is always having amazing and informational classes:

https://chuckanutcenter.org/events/

THATS SO METAL!

2019-03-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

Seriously, what a treat!

Between the awesome art, sweet sauna, and delightful demonstrations.

I was in heaven.

Perfect for melting away winters icy grip.

Seriously this was such a toasty treat.

This photo sums up exactly how I feel

about this beautiful sauna

LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS

What a delightful display of skill.

It is always a treat to get to see other artists

hard at work pursuing their passion.

Pheonix Booth

Steven Anderson

Here are some of the finished pieces that were auctioned off,

only 2 dollars a ticket! What a deal!

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard

to put together such a delightful show!

If you want to learn more about classes like this check out the

Bellingham Metal Arts Guild

https://bmag-wa.org

And Make.Shift always has something fun and exciting going on

https://www.makeshiftproject.com

YOU LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL TODAY!

2013-07-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

It has been months in the making but finally I am launching my new lifestyle website/blog! For some time now I have wanted to create a brand that I could be proud of, and finally it is a reality.

If your life is feelin'

a lil lackluster, come on over!

I promise you'll start to feel fabulous in no time!

http://www.youlooksobeautifultoday.com

MADE WITH LOVE

2013-05-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

FINALLY I AM GRADUATING!

This is my exhibition show and if anyone out there in cyber-world

lives in the Seattle area please feel free to stop by!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE DETAILS

TAKE A PEEK

2013-04-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

HOME SWEET HOME

Finally I live in a house!

It has been three long years since I have had an actual room

(YAYY for studio apartments *not*)

The photo above is of my cute new room.

I am in the midst of many new decorating projects

so stay posted to see more!

[Insert Title Here]

2012-12-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

[Insert Title Here]

Well it certainly has been a while since I posted anything to this blog. And I've been thinking its about time I get back to posting regularly here.This is just a little snippet of some beautiful things in my life.

Ohh and another thing check out my beauty blog for...
DIY DECEMBER !!!

FUN IN THE SUN

2012-08-05T16:06:00.001-07:00

A PEEK INTO MY WEEK:

Once again I got to spend the weekend at my family beach cabin. Thank goodness, the heat would have been unbearable anywhere else.

Sorry for the short post, but its for a good reason!

Check out my beauty blog :)

http://youaresodamnbeautiful.blogspot.com/

OH and if you like the floral headband that I'm wearing check out my beauty blog for a DIY tutorial *soon*

Summer is (FINALLY) here

2012-07-30T09:45:00.001-07:00

CHERRIES BABY!

You know that Summer is here when you see cherry stands pop up and bags full of cherries fill the grocery stores.

So I have a little story behind this image:

My little sister is constantly raiding the fridge at our family cabin. So when I needed to shoot some food for my Portfolio class, I of course picked up a big ol' bag of cherries. In what seems like a matter of minutes almost the entire bag disappears into the depths of my sisters stomach. Thankfully she had left me 5 cherries out of the hundreds I had bought. Needless to say all 5 cherries that she left for me were not perfect. But at least these 3 cherries were pretty enough to shoot.

THE PERFECT WEEKEND

2012-07-22T18:48:00.002-07:00

MAN OH MAN it has been a while since I have posted on my blog, but have no fear!

IM BACK :)

The best part of summer for me is spending time at my family's beach cabin, and nothing beats a freshly caught crab salad. Now that is what I call delicious!

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL

2012-05-17T11:03:00.002-07:00

PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL:

Now this is something that I have never done before,

and most photographers would not want to show you their before and after Photoshop images.

But I thought this would be an interesting way to show everyone out

there what I do to my images in Photoshop. NO SHAME HERE :)

I'm proud that I have the skills to manipulate my images any way I want.

1. This is what my image looks like without any changes.

2. I straighten the verticals in the photo so that it does not feel like it is leaning.

3. I brighten up the doorway and right side windows with a Curves layer.

4. I darken the upper left side of the building with a Curves layer.

5. I remove the sign and car with the Clone Stamp.

6. I remove the Orange cover on the ground using the Clone Stamp.

7. I remove the large white graffiti from the box above the door using the Clone Stamp tool.

8. I Brighten and Add Contrast to the photo with a Brightness/Contrast Layer.

9. I add a Black and White Layer.

10. Using a Curves Layer I brighten the Door and Windows.

11. I Sharpen the entire photo using a High Pass Filter.

12. I add a Gaussian Blur and Mask it out so it only affects the

right and left side of the photo.

WOW, what a difference!

If you liked this, please let me know.

That way I will know to do more blog posts similar to this one.

Oh, and once again don't steal my images :)

FLUORESCENT PORTRAIT #2

2012-04-23T08:36:00.001-07:00

Fluorescent Portrait #2

I am just so in love with this lighting pattern right now.

So in love that I'm thinking about possibly starting a series with this kind of lighting pattern. Ohh and another thing I just got some new gear, so look forward to some product reviews in the next few days!

My apologies for being a little bit unreliable at times with posting new stuff on Sundays, but its for a good reason....I just started a beauty blog: http://youaresodamnbeautiful.blogspot.com/

If you haven't checked it out,
what are you waiting for? :)

SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT

2012-04-08T15:58:00.004-07:00

This Sunday I thought that I might try something a little different...

Here is a peek into my life over the past few days and the amazing things I saw and experienced:

1. Please Always Love, Something that has been on my mind lately that I wished more people practiced.

(This was one of the most interactive and engaging art pieces at the Art/Not Terminal Gallery in Westlake this Saturday.)

2.Blue Skies. The weather in Seattle has been amazing over the past few days and I feel like everywhere I look I see blue skies.

3. Flowers. Coinciding with blue skies it looks like spring has finally started to show with the blooming of all the beautiful flowers.

FLUORESCENT PORTRAIT

2012-04-06T23:00:00.007-07:00

LIGHTING WITH ALTERNATIVE LIGHT SOURCES:

Fluorescent Light Strips

After going to school for 2 years I have learned quite a few techniques to achieve some pretty awesome lighting using different Light Sources. Such as those ugly fluorescent lights that you always see in office buildings...

Not only are fluorescent lights cheap and easy to assemble and disassemble, lets us not forget about all the cool reflexions you can get in your models eyes.

I've included a few behind the scenes shots to show you how simple the set is for these shots.

Below is a shot from the models point of view:

And this is from the photographers view point

MMMMM BREAD

2012-03-18T20:22:00.002-07:00

Despite the fact that this is my last week of class this quarter

YAYYY for finals...*not*

I didn't want to use that as an excuse not to post on my blog.

So with that out of the way, I present to you:

Rosemary Bread

I will have you know that this bread is as good as it looks like.

Thank you Trader Joe's :)

CUPCAKES!

2012-03-11T15:04:00.006-07:00

As of lately I have been trying to get out and take

advantage of the delicious Seattle restaurants.

And of course I just couldn't resist Yellow Leaf Cupcakes.

The different flavors I bought were:

Simply Vanilla and Lavender White Chocolate Chip.

Now I wouldn't normally think that lavender would be something delicious in a cupcake, but thankfully I was wrong. Not to mention having White Chocolate Chips inside the cupcake was a perfect compliment of sweet to the fragrant lavender.

This would be amazing with a cup of Earl Grey Tea!

The Simply Vanilla Cupcake was just the right amount of sweet.

You can always tell how good a restaurant or bakery is by how well they make a simple recipe. And boy did they pass the test!

All in all I was impressed by the selection and quality at Yellow Leaf Cupcakes and would recommend everyone to try out this delicious sweet spot in Seattle.

OH BENTO!

2012-02-26T14:03:00.016-08:00

BENTO BENTO :)

Now as of recently I have been seeing more and more super cute Bento boxes on the Internet and after further thought I decided it is about time I learned how to make myself these cute little lunches. Now all of these supplies I bought at a store called Daiso, the total cost for everything was $30.

Before I get ahead of myself each photo below, are close ups of the supplies I bought at Daiso. I used almost every single one of the things I bought to make my Bento boxes. Granted I first had to wait for my Rice and Hard Boiled Eggs to finish cooking before I really could start my Bento boxes.

MY CREATIONS:

It really wasn't all that hard to make these cute little Bento Boxes once I had all the supplies and the Ingredients ready. I can't wait to make more Bento boxes to bring to school. I encourage everyone to go out and give it a try :)

RAZZEL DAZZLE BERRY

2012-02-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

YUM YUM YUM

Raspberry Cobbler

Despite the fact that it isn't summer time quite yet,

I wanted to make a sweet dish that was summer worthy

and boy did this cobbler satisfy that craving.

In a word, deelishhh.

SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID PICTURE

2012-02-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love these things?

Polaroids, A little thing I like to call instant gratification.

Now now I know that a few of you might be thinking to yourself, "hey that doesn't look like a REAL Polaroid"

I know for all you die hard Polaroid fans this is hard to accept.

But this is a new age of the Polaroid.

Now the cool thing about these new Polaroid cameras is that you can choose from two different sizes:

As much as I miss my old Polaroid its nice to know that Polaroid cameras aren't completely phased out. And actually the Impossible Project is bringing back the film for the older versions of Polaroids that we all thought was gone forever.

Even though I have small hands I don't find that the big version of this Polaroid camera is too big or too bulky to hold or take with me. The photos are crisp and clean, not what I expected from a Polaroid at all. The colors are bright, vibrant, and more delicious then ever. It even comes with this attachment for doing close up shots.

I was so excited about getting this camera in my hands as soon as possible that I spent $100+ on the Instax 210 and one package of film. Now looking online I realize that I could have saved quite a bit of money by buying it on Amazon. ohh well!

But other then spending a bit more dough on this camera because I went to an overpriced camera store in Seattle, I am beyond pleased about this Polaroid camera and I will continue to use it throughout this beautiful weather.

FILM IS NOT DEAD!

2012-01-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for my excitement but

I am in LOVE with my HOLGA 120 TLR...

and this is where I lose you,TLR? What is this lady talking about?

Twin Lens Reflex of course! Let me show you the difference,

This is a Regular Holga that uses 35mm film:

Now this is a Holga TLR that uses 120mm film:

Instead of looking through the back of the camera into the viewfinder you actually get to look down above the camera because a little trap door on the top of the camera opens allowing you to view whatever you are photographing.

OHH AHHH :)

Now onto the difference in film,

35mm:

120mm:

Now I will admit that the first time I used my Holga TLR I was beyond scared of loading the film wrong or not taping the back up properly to shelter it from major light leaks.

But alas YouTube, you have saved me once again from stupidity!

Now your all done shooting and its time to unload your film, here are some things you need to know. You do not need to use a darkroom when unloading your 120 film, subdued light works just fine since the film has a dark backing that protects the film. But if you plan on using a 35mm adapter with your Holga 120 TLR then you will need a "darkroom".

Now that I have bored you to death let me show you images that I got with my Holga!

(p.s. i used a fisheye lens attachment)

Disclaimer: Do not steal my images and not give me credit (how rude)

You wouldn't dare think of doing such a horrible thing now would you?

But...If you do I will have to track you down, get ahold of your mother

and have her spank you. Don't make me get ahold your mommy.

MMMMMMMMMM PIE :)

2012-01-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

I know I am super horrible at posting on Sundays. . .

so lemme tell ya why.

I am doing my homework, because procrastination is my middle name. :(

Yes I know its crazy, who would think that someone going to school would actually have homework.

So if I don't post on Sunday just wait till Monday, because I will for sure post some pretty photos. *pinky promise*

Now that all of that is out of the way...

Homemade Apple Pie

Disclaimer:: This does taste even better then it looks, and if I could

I would send each and every one of you guys one of my homemade apple pies :)

OLLO CLIP

2012-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:00

Now this is a first for my blog, a Product Review!

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA FOR YOUR IPHONE:: THE OLLO CLIP

"The olloclip is a quick-connect lens solution for the iPhone 4/4S that includes fisheye,wide-angle and macro lenses in one small, convenient package that easily fits in your pocket. Nestled in the palm of your hand, the olloclip connects to the iPhone within seconds so you’ll be sure to capture the image you want…if you don’t see the picture you’re looking for just flip it over to switch lenses."

4/nses

THE DIFFERENT LENSES:

(these images were taken with my IPhone 4s)

"The Fisheye lens captures approximately a 180 Degree field-of-view and produces some striking images."

"The Wide-Angle lens is great for when you need that extra field of view, approximately double that of the normal iPhone."

"The Macro lens adds about a 10X multiplier and allows you to focus the iPhone within 12-15mm of the subject. The Macro lens is cleverly concealed within the olloclip and can be accessed by unscrewing the Wide-Angle lens that is normally attached to it."

PRO'S:

- It is very easy to switch between lenses on the fly.

- The lenses are made out of Quality Glass for superior sharpness.

- No magnets are used as opposed to other IPhone lenses so it does not affect phones service.

- Macro lens was a lot more powerful then I expected!

-Small convient size allows me to always carry the Ollo Clip on me

CON'S:

- Sometimes it feels like the lens might slip off the phone

- If your flash is turned on it makes green/yellow circles on your image

All in all I would recommend this product to anyone who is not willing to sacrifice the ability to adapt and change lenses on the go like you would with a DLSR camera. The Ollo Clip turns your regular old IPhone camera into a high quality shooting machine. The pure power of the Macro lens still leaves me breathless, not to mention the sweet deliciousness of the vignetting achieved with the Fish Eye lens. Seeing as it is hard for me to always have my DSLR camera on me, having these lenses in my pocket or school bag insures that I am always ready to pull out my IPhone and take some amazing shots; regardless of where I am.

Disclaimer: Everything in "Quotation Marks" is directly quoted from the olloclip website.

If your interested in this product, please feel free to visit their site:: http://olloclip.com/

SNOW SNOW SNOW

2012-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well finally it looks like the storm is over!

Not that I don't like snow or anything, but it sure is hard to enjoy it without the proper footwear.. Slipping and Sliding all over the place gets a little old after awhile.

Hopefully all of you had a safe snow vacation!

Now I don't know if you guys noticed but we have had some pretty amazing sunsets over the past week, and because of that I have been bogged down with editing all these crazy sunsets.

And I know I didn't post anything last Sunday and I am posting early this week, but I wanted to do two posts this week to make up for last week.

BACK AGAIN :)

2012-01-09T09:55:00.001-08:00

HELLO AGAIN,
I know that it has been quite a while since I posted on this blog, but obviously I want to get back into the swing of things.

At least once a week (hopefully on Sundays) I will post a new photo.

Depending on how exciting that week is I may have more then just one photo to post.

I will also have another blog that is dedicated only to my Food Photography.

(I'll be posting a link to that site real soon)

Just like the commercial photographer Chase Jarvis I also believe that the best camera you have is the one on you. Because it is not always practical to carry around my DSLR camera (Nikon D90), I never miss an opportunity to grab a good shot with my iPhone. That is exactly what I used to take this beautiful shot.