Kristen Roberts Photography

Pick Me, Pick Me! - Making a Smart Choice in Hiring a Photographer

2013-12-05T11:06:00.003-08:00

Every photographer comes with a different style, different expertise, and a different photography and print package. These tips will help you navigate the waters with confidence, allowing you to look beyond the 'pick me, pick me!' of marketing to find exactly what you're looking for.

1. You Need to Sort Out Your Priorities!

Is a reasonable price the most important consideration?
Are you seeking artistic, unique portraits no matter the cost?
Do you need photography services, fast and convenient?
Or are you looking for a trusted, friendly individual who's great with kids?
Love creative, fresh photography but have a tight budget? Look for a young photographer who is just starting out or a photography student. If you are willing to take a bit of a risk, you can find a photographer who will give you a great price and produce some really beautiful, creative photos.

Knowing what you really want will help you identify the best fit for you.

2. Understanding the Details and Managing Expectations
There can be a lot of fine print that goes along with portrait deals, especially with big studios.

For example, paying a $9 sitting fee to get head shots and $49 for the photo CD at JC Penney portrait studio seems like a pretty good deal. Then, when you find out you only get 1 picture on that photo CD, it seems like a terrible deal and you feel cheated and upset.

Or what if your favorite wedding photographer offers a $2,000 package to shoot your wedding. It seems like an incredible steal until you learn that $2,000 does not include all day coverage and after the wedding they retain all the copyrights to the pictures and are charging $50 or 5x7 prints!

Communication is your best ally when hiring a photographer. Ask questions until you feel comfortable and clarified.

If you do your research and know all the facts up front, you may still decide to go with that photographer or studio, but you will have the right expectations of what you're paying for and be a lot happier in the end.

3. Beware the Umbrella Factor
You've seen photography website and you love her work. Her portfolio is stuffed with amazing portraits of precious newborns and laughing children. She's got super cute photo ideas, awesome props, and a real knack for capturing joyful moments. Right now you don't have any children but you do need engagement portraits.
A common mistake people make in hiring photographers is assuming that because they excel in one area, they do great work in all other areas of photography. Before you hire that photographer that seems to specialize in children to do your engagement shoot, see what her work with couples looks like. Do some research, ask to see some samples.
While she may do excellent work with couples too, more often than not, photographers tend to specialize in one area.

To get the best results, hire a photographer that does a lot of work in the particular area you're looking for.

4. Pay Attention to Their Style

You've found a photographer who has reasonable rates, specializes in the area you need, and has a portfolio of great images. The next thing you should consider is their style. Does their portfolio reflect a simple, classic sensibility, a bright, playful look, or an edgy, editorial feel? Do they use a lot of props and Pinterest-worthy poses or do they shoot most of their subjects in a simple, natural setting?

While a great photographer will allow your personality to shine, you should expect that they will shoot your portraits in a manner consistent with their style. Getting a dramatic, high gloss portrait photographer to do a vintage-y, natural light, outdoor photo shoot for you will probably not end very well.

Instead of trying to get a photographer to do what you want, find a photographer who is already doing things you love.

So here is your checklist:

Do they offer the sort of photography you're looking for?
Are they in your price range?
Do you completely understand what's in store?
Will this photographer meet all your needs?
Based on their portfolio, do you like their style?
Will they be able to accommodate your time frame?

Let these tips equip you with the knowledge to make the best choice next time you want to hire a photographer.

Are you looking for a photographer right now? Check me out and see if I am the right fit for you!

In the City

2013-11-27T11:03:00.001-08:00

My dad celebrated an important birthday last week, 50 years old. In the years and months leading up to this milestone, he was very clear about the fact that he did not want a party.

No banners, no balloons, no surprise celebrations, no embarrassing pictures or public announcements.

No commotion.

Unable to let such a big occasion go un-celebrated, my mom made plans for all of us to surprise him him with a trip to New York.

In the weeks prior, she carefully did all the research- transportation, sights, schedules, weather forecasts, and restaurants. Our cousin generously offered his gorgeous apartment for the weekend, so we had a great place to stay.

We were able to surprise my dad with our plans on Thursday and before the sun came up on Saturday, we were headed for the city.

Our plans included the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the 9/11 memorial. We took everything at an easy pace, enjoying the outing.

We spent time at some iconic monuments, very fitting for a man who spends a lot of time watching the History channel. The rest of our time was spent walking, eating out, shopping, and enjoying each other's company. I couldn't think of a better way to say Happy Birthday to my dad. :)

I also made a little video with footage from our trip. Check it out!

One Autumn Morning

2013-11-05T12:04:00.001-08:00

I wasn't always a morning person. I remember being in middle school and the struggle my mom endured trying to get me out of bed for school every day. I was a total beast. Can't believe she put up with me.
Even through college, time before 10:00am felt like a groggy, grumpy haze. I guess it wasn't until I started working full time that I really began to appreciate mornings.
I've been waking up with the sun for almost a year now; My morning commute takes me down shaded winding backroads, past sleepy lakes, and sprawling fields blanketed in rolling mist. I've seen bright pockets of wild flowers, sunlight breaking through deep gray clouds, and spectacular golden sunrises.
Unfortunately most days I'm running short on time or without my camera and so these moments of brilliance are captured only in my mind's eye. Inspired by the wonderful scenes I experience on my way to work, I woke up early this weekend, took out my camera and captured some very beautiful things. Expect to see more morning images from me soon. :)

Looking Gorgeous without Photoshop

2013-09-17T13:02:00.002-07:00

I hear it all the time- someone sees a beautiful picture of a celebrity in a magazine and immediately leaps to the statement, "Well, it's all Photoshopped anyway."

I cringe slightly every time I hear it. What they're saying is partly true, most all photos that appear in print have been digitally altered- I think we've all seen before and afters like this:

But is it really all Photoshop? Most definitely not. Here's a great example-

We'd all love to believe that the impossibly beautiful models of Victoria's Secret are half human, half computer generated images, but if you check out the photo above, it's easy to see that while the first photo isn't as bright or saturated, in both images the model looks equally gorgeous. That's just one picture though, right? Maybe it's the makeup, the styling, the camera, or the beauty of the model?

Let's take a look at some other un-retouched celebrity photos and compare.

In addition to these photos being unedited, neither Jessica nor Vanessa is wearing makeup. What can we conclude then- do celebrities just all possess an otherworldly, unattainable beauty that lets them look great on camera with or without Photoshop (or makeup)?

Not necessarily.

Let's take a look at another example.

This is Adriana Lima.
Again, no make up, no Photoshop.

This time you can notice a big difference. The image on the right is immensely more unflattering than the one on the left. So why is that? If it's not makeup or digital manipulation, what's the missing ingredient?

Before I get in to that, let me rewind. When I went away to college, I entered as a graphic design major and my first few semesters were spent learning to use design software, including Adobe Photoshop. In my spare time I started editing some of my personal photos with the software. At the time, I had a small point and shoot camera (a Lumix that met a rather tragic fate a few years later). I had limited photography experience and skill. I was probably more skilled and proficient in photo editing software than I was actual photography. I turned to Photoshop in an attempt to turn my mediocre images into masterpieces. With every failed, Photoshopped Franken-photo, I found myself increasingly frustrated and disappointed with the whole process.

Curves, Adjustment Layers, Layer Masks, Selective Color, Dodge+Burn- All to no avail.

Time went on-

As I mentioned before, my Lumix camera met with a watery grave in a canoeing accident and so I upgraded to a Canon DSLR. A new camera and college photography courses presented me with more motivation to go out and shoot. Fuller knowledge, a better camera body, and better lenses made a difference in my photos, but I still struggled to achieve magazine worthy images.

It wasn't until I started to explore lighting that I really saw a difference in my photographs.

In order to demonstrate my point, I'm going to show you an example.

This is the lovely Bianca. Both photos are unedited (except for color correction on the right). Although both pictures are of a beautiful girl, the one on the right has the most flattering light- It's more the kind of photo you'd see in a magazine. The photo on the left is very shadowy- there's a lot of darkness under her eyes and under her brow. The way the light is hitting her face casts a dark shadow from her nose and the creases around her mouth appear more prominent. From the left to the right of her face, the light is very uneven.

Now look at the photo on the left. The light illuminates her entire face perfectly. Notice how there are hardly any shadows on her face. In the places where there are light shadows, they're smooth, and gentle- not as harsh as the one on the left. In the photo on the left, her eyes are obscured by shadows (and a smile) while on the left you're able to see all the detail and color in her eyes.

The example I showed of Adriana Lima demonstrates the same point in a more extreme way. Take another look at those images. See how harsh and shadowy the light on her face is in the picture on the right? On the right, the light is balanced and the shadows are soft. You can't even see her eyes in the left image, but on the right you can!

Now check out the first few pictures. See a pattern? They all have beautiful, soft lighting.

So there you go. Have I convinced you? However perfect the model, the make up, the clothes, the editing, and the camera- it's all nothing without perfect lighting.

Let's be honest though, no amount of soft lighting could make a close-up of Madonna's 50-some year old skin look like a dewy 18 year old's and there are still problems only Photoshop can fix. But for us regular citizens, just having nice, even, broad lighting will make a huge positive difference in the way we look in photos.

I know what you're thinking- "What's broad light? How can I achieve it? How do I eliminate shadows using light? What can I do to create the lighting I want?"
Unfortunately it's getting late and I will have to leave that post for another day!

Until next time.. :)

**Disclaimer: I made some generalizations about light and shadow in portraits- sometimes severe shadows and dramatic light can look really awesome depending on the desired effect.**

Pensive Paintings

2013-05-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Life has been moving at the speed of light for me these days; dizzying, chaotic and wonderful at the same time. My weeks are filled with a lot of working and driving and the spaces in between the two are filled with friends, church, family, and events. By the time the weekend hits, I take a deep breath, exhale slowly and suddenly I'm standing on the edge of Monday once again. In the midst of this swirling snowball hurricane, I really cherish the rare hour of unbroken silence I spend sitting in my bed before I go to sleep.

I have a small watercolor set in the drawer of my nightstand and a little jar of water- and so I sit, propped up with pillows, my little watercolor notebook on my lap, painting slowly, almost meditatively in small thoughtful strokes. I never have a plan for the blank sheets, instead I let the mood of the hour take its own direction. The process is unwinding, a steady slow spill of the day onto paper; soft puddles of color take shape into delicate organic forms.

They're never finished in one sitting, instead I come back to them each night for a small amount of time, gradually building transparant layers, one upon another. I try not to think too much about the piece as it's happening, although sometimes I do get excited when I imagine what it might turn into. One afternoon, I took up my paints and brushes with the intention of completing a watercolor that I had been working on for a few nights. I found it really hard to slow myself down enough to work on it though. The night seems to be the only time to work on these delicate paintings.

I'm not sure what I'll do with them once they're done. Right now they are tucked in a little sketch book under my bedstand. Maybe one day I'll hang them on my wall or give them to a friend.. :)

Double Exposure

2013-02-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

First and foremost I must apologize for my crazy long hiatus from writing! My life has changed a lot since my last post including a new job (full time!). I'm working as a graphic designer and photographer and I'm loving it so far. I feel very blessed.

Even though I love my new job and the work I'm doing, there is still a part of me that craves fine art.
By my own admission, I really haven't been using my creativity nearly as much as I should be, and I'm ready for that to change.

My latest source of inspiration is double exposure photography.
http://pinterest.com/pin/29203097555241229/
This particular image was the one that caught my attention.

There is something very mysterious about the way the multiple images interact with each other.

I'm a very nostalgic person so I wanted my images to feel like a faded memory- as if the sweet recollections of people, places, moments, and feelings started to bled together creating one beautiful snapshot.

I started by looking through my image cache (which has grown pretty extensively in the year since I got my new camera) and selecting images that seemed they might lend themselves to my purposes.
I paid attention to colors, textures, shapes, and subjects.

As I began to assemble my photos using the Photoshop blending options, I became more aware of how certain colors would appear on different textures, which photos would produce a clear silhouette, and which photos would produce a double image. Most of these images feature a texture image, a color image, and a subject image. I found that sunsets worked really nicely to achieve a striking color with an even blend and clouds can add a mysterious softness.

My experimentation yielded some really beautiful results. As my understanding improved, I became more intentional about what I was trying to achieve.
The pictures I had taken over the past year became almost living memories, sometimes even dream-like. After all, how often do we remember one single frozen moment? More often our memories are mixed with feelings, movement, colors, and dreams. Maybe multiple exposures are actually a better visual representation of how we remember things.

Please click on the images to make them bigger! Can you guess what is in the second to last picture? I'll give you a hint- it's not a butterfly.

Succulent Garden

2012-06-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last year the nursery around the corner from my house was selling all sorts of different succulents. This was the first year they had carried them and I don't think I'd seen anything like them before. Naturally I had to buy them, so for Mother's day I bought my mom a whole bunch of them which she planted in little boxes on the patio. They were beautifully unusual and lasted all summer long.

This year the succulents are back in full swing at my house. My mom has bought a whole lot more and has been planting them in little containers on our patio. Since succulents are so sculptural and unique, they look really pretty in unconventional pots. We chose to plant some in vintage colanders that we've collected from various yardsales. The dusty green groundcover looks really nice with the copper (especially because it's started to develop a patina of the same color around the handles). We added rocks to the bottom of the colanders to stop the soil from running out too much and so far it's staying in with no problems.

We planted others in little old bowls and cups that we found when cleaning out my grandmom's attic. It's amazing how junk becomes a treasure when you've found the perfect purpose for it. When planting succulents, it's good to consider what direction they'll grow in as they mature. For example, in our succulent pots we're combined plants that will grow up, ones that will grow out, and ones that will cover the ground.

Succulents are desert plants and enjoy lots of sun and not much water (which makes them easy to take care of for the forgetful gardener). We used cactus soil in these pots to improve drainage. Drainage is really important, especially in containers like the copper boxes or the blue basin below which do not have holes in the bottom. For these vessels we also added a layer of rocks on the bottom to keep the roots from sitting in water.

These copper boxes were featured in an earlier post when they held pansies. Now that the pansies have died the succulents have made their home here and they look equally as beautiful.
Here are just a few more shots- I just love all the different shapes and varieties! Thanks for reading! Come back soon :)

Peonies on Parade!

2012-05-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I had a tea party in mid-May with a few of my best friends. I spent a lot of time decorating the dining room, arranging china, and organizing a menu. My mom and I picked flowers from her garden and set out several bouquets to decorate the space. The most beautiful bouquet featured big pink peonies from my mom's friend's garden. They were so full and delicate- dozens of little ruffled petals in a big fragrant cluster. That's when I decided that peonies were my favorite flower.

Since then, my mom and I have planted two peony bushes in the cutting garden- one is the light pink (like the one on the right) and the other bush produces darker purply-pinkish-reddish blooms. This is the second or third year we've had them and the blooms are finally starting to plump up. As the bushes mature, their blooms get more full.

I get so excited when I see them starting to bud up. A dozen of them all at once- then all of a sudden, you wake up one morning and they've arrived! Little round buds burst into giant blooms.

They really only last about two weeks and I'm always sad to see them go. Their fleeting beauty is what makes peonies special- they give you something to look forward to and you can't take them for granted when they're blooming. I made some arrangements with them while they were here and they really looked lovely in the house. Each arrangement has a really different look depending on the other flowers and leaves mixed in with the peonies. (click on any of the photos to make them bigger!) Thanks for reading- love peonies? leave a comment!

Herb Garden

2012-05-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

I love gardening.. ok- I love the idea of gardening. I love the idea of planting flowers and of growing fruit and vegetables- of cutting flowers and arranging them inside- of carefully maintaining a flowerbed. There's something very noble and gentle about people who care for a garden.

After all, our first responsibility was to garden. God placed Adam in Eden to tend and care for the plants that He had created there. (Gen. 3:15) That ancient commission given to man is what pulls at my heart when I think about gardening. It's a desire and a purpose woven into the fabric of who we are as humans.

I watch my mom do it every year- minding the bulbs as they bloom every spring, planting annuals in the places where perennials haven't yet bloomed, planting and transplanting, sowing and weeding, cutting flowers and pruning leaves. Unfortunately I have yet to really dive into gardening for myself. It seems that around this time every year I'm either really busy or so exhausted from school that my motivation for anything other than relaxation is non-existent. I really want to start though.
So today I stopped by a local nursery and bought a flat of herbs. I love growing herbs because they're generally easy to grow and very practical (I've already used some basil from the garden to make bruschetta!) For my little garden I chose cilantro, parsley, basil, rosemary, spearmint, chives, dill, and lavender. It'll be fun to think of meals inspired by each of my plants (except lavender, of course). Since we have trouble with little creatures eating our plants- especially stuff like parsley- I chose a wide metal container for my garden and put it on the steps by our door.

My mom babysits teacher's children during the school year. One of the little girls, Riley, likes to help in the garden. She helped me dig holes for the plants and pat them down into the soil.

Not all the plants I bought could fit in the container, so me and Riley planted the rest in the garden out back. It was a good thing we only planted a few out there because, wouldn't you know, after just a few hours rabbits came and ate all the leaves off my parsley and cilantro! Unbelievable. Thankfully my mini garden by the steps is safe and sound- for now at least. :)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2012-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to Steph's graduation party in Delaware (you remember Steph from 'Pottery and Frozen Yogurt', right?). Knowing Steph, I should've been prepared for the wide array of delicious and unusual foods that her and her family put together. I was not. I was so impressed by all the yummy cookery- especially the cupcakes.

She made six different kinds including White Russian, Mojito, and Nutella and they were all fantastic.. or at least the 4 that I tried! After trying these uncommonly delicious cupcakes, my mind went crazy thinking of all the different things I wanted to bake when I got home. After much consideration and recipe browsing, I decided on Snickerdoodle Cupcakes by recipegirl.com.

I love snickerdoodles, I love cream cheese frosting, and I love cupcakes- so I really couldn't go wrong! They turned out wonderfully and I'll pass along the recipe so you can try it too! Here are the ingredients:

For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temp.)
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole milk

For the Icing:
12 ounces cream cheese,
at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter,
at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

First things first- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 28 muffin pans. (I chose to make mini cupcakes so I did 24 in small pans then did a second batch). I just like mini cupcakes better :)

1. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with additions of milk, beating until combined after each addition.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

As for the frosting- In a medium bowl, use electric mixer to blend cream cheese and butter. Add sugars, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, or scoop into piping bag and pipe on the frosting decoratively.

They turned out so tasty! As I was making preparations for the cupcakes, I was invited to have dinner with my boyfriend and his family. I was able to bring some of my cupcakes with me and I was very happy to have people to share them with!

Unconventional Organization

2012-05-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Since I recently graduated college, I moved back home with my family. I arrived a little over a week ago with my car packed to the hilt with clothes and kitchenware and craft supplies and shoes and books and everything else! Unlike the last time I came home, I can't just put all of it in a corner of the garage and label it "for college." This time I actually had to sort through everything, get rid of the things I don't need, and find a place for the stuff I want to keep. Most of the stuff I wanted to keep could be put in the attic for a future home but I also had a lot of craft supplies that I use and need to be able to access easily. The problem is that I share a room with my sister and there is virtually no room for any more stuff. My only other option was to store my stuff in the loft adjacent to my parent's room. The one proviso my parents attached to that deal was that my supplies had to be organized and out of sight- so I got creative.

Here is a vintage train case my mom got me a few years ago for Christmas. At the time, I was traveling pretty often, flying to Boston for weekend trips once every few months. Now I'm not traveling nearly as much and so I decided to use it to store my sewing supplies in. I used tins and jars to micro organize the little spools and bits of ribbon.

Another piece of vintage luggage became the home for some of my other miscellaneous craft supplies including watercolors, inks, feathers, and glitter. The deep lid allows taller items to stand even when it's closed. Here again you'll see jars and boxes are used to keep the smaller things organized.

I've been tucking my oil paints and brushes away in this spare tackle box that my dad gave me for years. It has just the right sized compartments for my tubes of paint, plus the paint boxes they sell at art supply places are way too expensive. This is a great alternative.

I love saving my change and when I was at school I kept it in a starbucks bottle. Now that I'm home, I transferred all my change into a prettier alternative. I got this tin at a thrift store a few years ago. I just love these bright colors.

My brother has been collecting vintage cigar boxes for a while and he likes to store his little treasures in them. This one contains a small collection of matchbox cars. Cigar boxes look neat on shelves and you can find them in many different colors and patterns.

I was helping my grandmom clean out her attic this weekend and I came across a set of old suitcases. When I asked her what was in them she told me that she stored her Christmas ornaments in them. My mom does the same thing. When we go to yard sales she'll pick up neat old suitcases and store ornaments in them. It's a great idea because they're easy to pack up and put away. Here is a mini suitcase with my collection of vintage ornaments tucked inside.

Sahara Restaurant

2012-05-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

This past week has been so lovely- I graduated from college on Sunday and have spent the week celebrating and relaxing (and working a little bit too!). I went out to dinner with my family, went to a graduation party, cooked dinner for my family, went thrift shopping, caught up on some reading, made a dessert... relaxed.. :) My boyfriend Alex also graduated from college on Friday so he's been in the celebratory mood lately as well. Feeling carefree and adventurous, we decided to make the trip up to New Brunswick to visit my friend Angelica at the Sahara Restaurant.

A few months ago I started working on redesigning the menus for Sahara- first the dessert menu, then the full menu. Right now I'm in the process of creating a new website for them as well. Since I spent so much time looking at the menu, I decided it was time to actually try the food! Sahara is a Turkish/ Mediterranean restaurant and I can't say I've ever tried Turkish food so I wanted to give it a go. I was excited as soon as we walked through the door- the decor was beautiful! Warm, vibrant colors and hand-painted murals.

Since neither myself nor Alex knew what we should order (let alone what the food would taste like), we asked Angelica for her suggestions. She brought us out a plate of the most amazing hummus I've ever had along with warm pita as an appetizer. I loved it and so did Alex!

For our main course I ordered shrimp saute and Alex got some sort of lamb (both were recommended by Ang). I was so pleased with my meal and Alex, who had never had lamb before, loved his too. The shrimp were served with two types of grain- one was like long rice and the other I think was quinoa- both were vey good. Alex got mixed vegetables with his meal.

To top off our wonderful meal, we shared a dish of keskul, which is like a Turkish pudding topped with pistachios. I always love something sweet to finish my meal :) To me it tasted like vanilla and cinnamon. I also got an Espresso Macchiatto.

Speaking of dessert, here's a picture of me with the dessert menu I designed for them! I loved everything about our dinner from the food to the atmosphere to the company. What a perfect night to celebrate new beginnings.

Summer Memories

2012-05-08T07:15:00.002-07:00

Early May- could there be a more perfect season? Peonies are budding up, the weather's getting warmer, and best of all college is out for the summer. I've started making my summer wish list on Pinterest already- it's gonna be a lot of fun. I love making plans early so that I don't waste any of the precious summer time. Me and my boyfriend Alex kicked off the summer and the end of our college careers with a bonfire last night (old notes, tests, and papers provided the fuel, haha!)

This summer will be a strange one. I'll be trying to find a job and working and figuring out where my life is headed. In some ways I just want to celebrate and enjoy myself, but on the other hand, I really want to start building my career and being independent. What happened to the carefree summers of yesteryear with their golden halos of sunshine? I often think about those warm memories throughout the winter- truly, summer is the best time of year. I really look forward to the things we do every year like cooking crabs, fishing, going to the beach, and camping. Summer just wouldn't be the same without them.
Here are some of my best summer memories and essential summertime ingredients.

Wildflower Bouquets

2012-05-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Another fresh new day with nothing to do but enjoy myself. These few days have been the best- hanging out with friends, eating great food, and relaxing. Today my roommate and I decided to make mini arrangements from the wildflowers growing around campus. The variety of flowers that we came across in a short walk around our apartment was absolutely amazing. On my way to and from classes, I noticed a few bright blooms growing, but I had no idea how many different kinds there were until I really looked. What a great way to appreciate nature.

Along with the little flowers, I picked some unconventional foliage and other wild things to add some excitement. Looking at the pictures it probably seems like I chose only purple and yellow flowers, but those were the only ones growing. Purple and yellow happen to look lovely together, so that was ok.

The first step, after picking the flowers, is to remove the bottom leaves from the stems. Any leaves that will be submerged under the waterline should be removed. Doing this and cutting your stems at an angle will help the flowers to last a bit longer. The actually arranging of the flowers isn't fussy- it's a wildflower bouquet so it shouldn't be too structured.

The most important thing is to have a balance between variety and unity. In the arrangement to the right, the unity comes from the color and relative size of the blooms, the variety comes from the height , texture, and shape of the various flora. I think it turned out great.

The vessels we chose are just as simple and unpretentious as the flowers themselves. I've been saving little glass jars for a time such as this. The ones pictured here used to contain mayo, jelly, and artichoke hearts. I wrapped them with twine and made a loop so that they could hang in my kitchen window. I love the idea of wildflowers in recycled jars. It's so simple. I love finding every day things and turning them into something else to showcase their beauty.

Christine and I picked enough flowers for three mini bouquets. Arranging them didn't take long at all. They came together organically, a flower here, another there, some leaves in the middle- very effortless. A nice, peaceful activity for a cloudy day. After we finished making our bouquets, we filled the jars with water and simply found a nice place to hang them. I chose to suspend the three jars from the kitchen window. I'm very happy with the way they turned out! I move back home tomorrow and I'll really miss these lazy days of no school and no work.

Pottery and Frozen Yogurt

2012-05-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

More grad week fun- Seniors were able to purchase tickets for special fun events at discounted prices during the week before graduation, and me and Christine took advantage! We bought vouchers to paint pottery and get frozen yogurt at two local businesses today. Another very special delight, our dear friend Stephanie came to visit today. It was a recipe for a fantastic afternoon.

We started off the day at the paint your own pottery place- there's Steph painting a mug to give to a friend. We could pick out anything we liked within the price range of 15$. From there we got to choose as many colors of paint as we liked and put them in little paint trays. It was kind of hard to tell what the finished product would look like once it was fired because the colors were so pastel in comparison to how they would eventually turn out. I chose to paint a little soap dish. I just thought it was cute. I painted a little striped design on the inside and covered the outside with creamy neutrals.

Christine chose to paint a large plate to give to someone special as a gift. (I can't show you exactly what Steph or Christine painted yet because they haven't given their gifts to the people they're meant for!) But here Christine is, peacefully painting her plate with bold, vibrant colors. The pottery shop was a relaxing place to spend the afternoon. The atmosphere was artsy and calming- nice music in the background and little crafty touches throughout the shop. There's something really soothing about carefully painting a simple design, taking your time and getting lost in the moment.

It took a little while to do because you have to go over each color with a few coats of paint so that they turn out nice and bright. There's me and Steph after we finished up our projects. They came out really well, we were all pleased with our pieces. I can't wait until we pick up the finished pottery on Friday!

Afterwards we got frozen yogurt at Yogo Factory. We met up with our friend Lawton for some extra fun. I love this place. I've been a few times before and every time I get something completely different. You can choose as many flavors of softserve yogurt as you like and then load it with as many toppings, syrups, and mix-ins as you like. I got mint and vanilla yogurt with chocolate syrup, chocolate sprinles, mini junior mints, brownie bites, mini m&ms, and whipped cream (one of the more simple creations I've made here believe it or not!). My friends are kind of crazy so it's always an adventure.

It was so nice for the three of us to go out and enjoy ourselves. Steph, Christine, and I met each other through Stockton Christian Fellowship and have known each other since freshman year of college. We were roommates for the last 2 years and have grown really close during our time at Stockton. I'll miss seeing them so often after we graduate, but for now, we're livin' it up :)

Homemade Pasta Night!

2012-05-01T22:42:00.002-07:00

Finally finished all my classes for the semester. I'm graduating in less than a week, so no more exams for the rest of my life! Most of the campus moved out on Monday night after exams were over, but seniors could apply for extended stay until graduation- so me and my roommate are here for a week with nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. Since this semester has been so hectic, I really haven't gotten too many opportunities to cook nice meals. Now that I have almost nothing to do, I decided to make homemade gnocchi for dinner!

I learned how to make these little potato dumplings with my family and I really enjoy making them on my own. They're made from simple ingredients and are inexpensive to make. Flour, parmesan cheese, potatoes, an egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg- that's it! That's my roommate, Christine, ricing the potatoes. (I needed her muscles!) She's a great kitchen companion because she knows how to make a variety of different things and she's an expert at improvising.

Making gnocchi takes a little while to do but it's simple enough once you catch on. The first step (after ricing the baked potatoes) is to make them into a well, sprinkling the dry ingredients on top. Then you put the egg in the middle of the well and gradually combine everything until you have a consistent dough. Having more hands involved will help it go by faster - especially when it comes time to roll the dumplings. The little grooves which hold the sauce are created by pressing and rolling the dough on a fork. After the gnocchi are formed, they are boiled until they float.

Everything turned out perfectly- the gnocchi were light yet firm and the meatballs were juicy and flavorful. Some friends stopped by to enjoy the fruits of our labor (and of the vine, lol). I couldn't have asked for a nicer way to relax and celebrate 4 great years at Stockton coming to a close with friends.

Night in AC

2012-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sort of a divergence from my normal content- I went to Atlantic City this past week for one of my classes. It was originally for a project on the night in a city (that's really as general as our guidelines were) but I took the project in a slightly different direction; I wanted to gain a new perspective on AC at night through interviewing a series of people from different walks of life in the city. I took my friends Christine and Andy along to help me out. Christine is a psychology major and she did the interviews along with me. Andy provided photo support- he brought his camera and some different lenses. (He also took some of the shots featured here!) They were awesome people to go on this adventure with- very friendly and not afraid to approach strangers.

It turned out to be a great night- not only did I get to meet some really interesting people, but I was also able to take some awesome portraits and scenes of the night. (plus I got to try out some different lenses :D ) Andy brought along his fisheye- as you can tell from the first picture. It handled pretty well in the low light. My lens, with the largest aperture being 3.5, was not cuttin it. So I traded it for one of his faster lenses almost immediately.

We started out in Caesar's- thus the colosseum. I've been here a few times before, but this is the first time that I noticed how bizarre the casinos are. As Christine aptly put it- they're theme parks for adults. It's all very glamorous (and expensive!) until you get up close and realize that it's a mirage.

We stopped to sample some gelato and talk to the girl behind the counter. She works the night shift (11-7) and is only 18. She told us that one time she saw a drunk lady swimming for pennies in the fountain near by. I love this picture- what a natural beauty. We snapped about 4 pictures of her and all came out lovely. We ended up leaving without gelato (too expensive!) but not before sampling almost every flavor. Here's the fountain the lady was swimming in-

We headed over to Bally's Wild West next- from ancient Rome to a Western saloon- in 5 minutes (lol). I was surprised at how barren the casinos were. Not many people at all. Outside the main part of the casino floor we found Tom. Tom was by himself and seemed to come often by himself. He told us that he'd been coming to Atlantic City since he was 14 and he treats himself to a trip to Vegas every year for his birthday. Tom is 62 and has been going to Vegas since 1974. There were a lot of people like Tom in the casinos- older folks seemingly by themselves, playing the slots. The Wild West was elaborately constructed. From the picture on the left you can see the "seams of reality", it really does look like a movie set.

Hoping to find a different demographic, we went out on the boardwalk. Before long we ran into two girls who were out celebrating a 24th birthday with friends. They'd only been to Atlantic City a handful of times and couldn't really offer much of a perspective on it. I love the pictures we captured of them though- the lighting was very interesting.

As a girl who loves available light photography, the city at night provided a lot of unique and fun lighting opportunities. The key is having the right tools- for me this means a wide aperture and high ISO. The boardwalk was even emptier than the casinos and the closed-up shops looked sort of eerie and magical at the same time. Sparkling lights and glowing signs. Not sure what's causing the purple/ pink glow in the bottom image, but it's really beautiful. The image on the bottom left is also one of my favorites. The crazy lens flare running across the image is awesome.

We decided to check out the Tropicana. More dazzling lights and bright colors. That's me on the casino floor before we were asked by the security guards to stop taking pictures. I guess they're concerned about cheating. I took some more pictures anyway... sneakily. The opportunity was just too good to resist!

On our way out we ran into John. We initially walked past him but God called us back to talk to him. He had some really interesting things to say and a great story to tell. He told us about how he used to be an addict but had been clean for 12 years by the grace of God. Now he prints t-shirts, and he gave us his business card in the form of a beautiful illustration with his info on the back. John told us one night he talked to a woman leaving the casinos who was going to kill herself. He was able to share the gospel and talk her out of it. He caught up with her 3 years later. John was definitely the most interesting person we talked to that night. He told us that the city is what you make of it- he's seen both sides of the nightlife in Atlantic City and is happy to be on the sober side of things.

By now it was about 3:00 am and we were very tired. The night was becoming a blur of slot machines and drunk people. We headed back to Caesar's in one of those rolling chairs- (10$ for 3 of us for like 6 blocks- great deal!) Looking back, it seems like a dream- going into those casinos makes you feel like you're in a different place all together- I suppose that's how they intended it. Even the photos I took at the end of the night echo this dreamlike fuzz with which the night ended.

Capturing Memories

2012-04-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first became interested in photography, I've been fascinated with trying to bottle people, places, feelings, and motion, just as I remember them, into photographs. It's always been a challenge, and until recently, I found it almost impossible! I invested in a DSLR not too long ago and have really enjoyed the new possibilities that it allows me. I've seen low lit rooms captured with ease and rich colors pop in direct sunlight, as well as dreamy, soft backgrounds and complex subjects captured with a new crispness. Part of the solution is certainly having the right equipment, but simply learning how to work with the tools you already have and learning how to compose a successful shot is where the real magic happens.

Here are some tips for capturing subjects as you see them:

1. What is your subject?

The first step to capturing a scene just as you remember it is isolating the aspect of the scene you want to remember.

When we take a picture we usually have a subject in mind that we're trying to capture. The problem is when we review the pictures, the subject is not the main focus of the shot. The picture below on the right is a perfect example of this: I wanted to take a picture of this plant (not too sure why) but as you can see, it's a really uninteresting picture partly because the viewer doesn't know what he's supposed to be looking at.

The picture on the left is a similar subject matter, leaves/plant with a body of water as a back drop, but the way it's handled creates a much more appealing image. To make your subject the focus of the image, start by creating a visual hierarchy. You can make your subject the main focus a few ways-

get up close- making the subject larger in comparison to it's surroundings will automatically cause it to carry more visual weight
color contrast- photographing your subject against a different color will help it stand out. try and choose a complimentary color for even more excitement. here the green leaves are photographed against a peachy orange
tone contrast- in the first picture, the highlights and shadows are scattered across the image. in the second picture, the lighting seems much more organized- the dark, backlit leaves in this image stand out against the pale background
shape contrast- the first image contains a lot of small confusing shapes whereas in the second shot, the round organic form of the leaves create contrast between the linear vertical forms behind it.
Try and think in terms of ways to distinguish your subject from your background. texture and quantity of the subject are also some considerations.

2. Be Aware of the Lighting

use available light- when trying to capture moment in time, try not to use a flash. if you want to record an image that looks as beautiful as what your eyes are seeing, adding an additional light source will certainly alter the outcome (especially if it is the flash that's built into your camera).
try different angles- your vantage point can really change how the subject is lit. when I find something particularly beautiful, like these flowers that were sitting in our bathroom, I try and think about what angle will create the best lighting situation in which to display them.
unique light- often times lighting is the most important aspect of a scene- it sets the mood, tells the viewer what time of day it is, and can make the most boring subject very interesting. the picture above was shot in the morning. what inspired me to capture this scene was the bright morning sun illuminating these yellow blooms. I positioned myself facing the window, allowing the light to pass through the petals- the result is a soft halo of light around the subject. (the same could be said about the leaves at sunset above)

3. Know Your Equipment

choose the right settings- for those of us who own DSLR cameras, that means knowing what ISO, shutter speed, and aperture combinations are best suited for different situations- all this takes is a bit of knowledge and a lot of practice. for those of us who prefer point and shoots, this means knowing how to use some of the program settings. read the manuel- some nicer point and shoots let you have some control over the aperture and shutter speed.

ISO- if your camera lets you change the ISO setting (sensitivity to light) try increasing it in low light situations to help avoid using the flash. setting your ISO too high can create color noise which compromises image clarity, so be careful. for stationary subjects, you can use a tripod and a slower shutter to reduce noise and produce richer color. the lighting in my apartment is horrible, so for this image I increased my ISO and reduced my shutter speed.

aperture- when you want to narrow the focus try adjusting your aperture. not all cameras allow you to do this but if you have the ability to- it's a cool thing to play around with. A setting of f2.8 will produce an image where a smaller amount of the image will be in focus, as opposed to f22 which will allow more of the scene to be in focus. below I chose a larger aperture (smaller f-stop) to blur out everything but the pastry.

As you can see, by manipulating my cameras settings, I've created an image that evokes the warm, cozy Valentines evening that I shared with my boyfriend. What a lovely memory.

--Hope these tips were helpful-- :)

Tiny Cat

2012-03-30T06:46:00.001-07:00

I've been so extremely busy this week (senior project, 2 research papers, freelance work, 2 event posters, etc!) and I've had to spend the majority of my waking hours toiling away at the computer. Wake up, work on homework, eat, work, go to class, work on more homework....

I'm shut away in my apartment most of the day despite the lovely weather. The only time I can be outside is on my way to class, and now that 1 mile trek is the best 15 minutes of my day. I've been taking my camera with me as I walk, just incase I see some beautiful facet of spring waiting to be captured. What caught my eye this time was less organic. I see this little guy every time I walk to class. He sits in the knot of a tree silently observing the busy campus. This kitty cat used to live in one of my small terrariums until something went terribly wrong and I had to leave him outside. I put him here a few months ago and here he remains. Hopefully others have also seen the comedy of a tiny ceramic cat in the wilderness.

First Flowers of the Season

2012-03-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Came home this weekend to see my mom had already started planting the first flowers of spring- they're truly a welcome sight, little pops of color in an otherwise barren backyard. In addition to the ones she planted in the ground, she also has planted flowers in unusual little containers.

I went on a mission trip last spring to the island of Exuma where we cleaned up a woman's yard, among other things. During the clean up I found two discarded copper boxes that had developed a beautiful patina from being left outside. I brought them back in my luggage and gave them to my mom. This year she's planted purple pansies in the boxes and put them on a garden cart near the back door- they look wonderful! Once the pansies die. maybe a group of succulents will take their place for the rest of the summer.

2012-03-22T21:17:00.001-07:00

Hello!
First post ever- Thanks for reading. :)
I'm loving this warm weather. The best part of the changing temperature is seeing nature come to life again. As I walk around campus I can see little shoots of green poking through the grayish dirt. The smell of spring is everywhere. I've been dying to have flowers in my apartment. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of the woods so there aren't any flower beds around here. Instead, I've made a mini arrangement out of wild plants and placed them in a jelly jar. It'll do for now :)