potr, the book~

There's a certain satisfaction that every photographer feels when she sees her work in print.  For years I would shoot shoot shoot and the only prints I'd see were the occasional photos of my kids and the books and prints that I'd make for clients.  All good stuff, but I'm first and foremost and artist, and I've been making artistic photographs for the last 20+ years.  Last year I framed about 20 or so prints and hung them throughout my house.  And I've since been printing and framing more, for myself but also for my art show last month.  I'll be hanging more prints in home soon and I can't wait!

Now that the art show is over, I'm ready to do something I've always wanted to do but just never had the gumption/confidence/wherewithall to actually do it-- I'm making a photo book of my personal work.  It's called Poetry of the Real, just like my art show, and it's most of the photos from the art show, plus a handful of images that didn't quite make the final art show cut.

In addition to pictures, I'm including some poetry and bits of prose that I've written, all original work.  Some of the words are things that I've written over the years, some is directly inspired by the photographs themselves.  It's my truest, most honest form of expression, pictures and words.

The book is not quite complete, but will be by February 1st.  You can buy it now, if you like, for pre-sale at a discount of $75, or wait until it's complete and pay the full price of $95.

Check it out here along with photos from my art show:

SHOP

Cherie's 10th Birthday!

I can't believe how quickly time has flown. It seems like just yesterday when I was huge and bloated and totally uncomfortable, still just over a week away from the day my third baby was due to be born.  I remember waking up in the middle of the night thinking "oh crap--this just might be it" and before I could even fully register that I was about to have this baby---she was here, after barely 3 hours of labor!

And when I held that little angel in my arms, I thought "this is the most beautiful baby ever to be born. EVER." You couldn't convince me otherwise.  She was so tiny and so perfect, my perfect Little Bird.

Yet somehow...ten years have passed.  I can hardly believe it.

Cherie-- you are still my perfect little angel and I love you so much.  You have brought so much joy....and energy and love to our family. You've completed all of us.  We are all so proud of the crazy young girl you are. Never change!

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY RIE-RIE!!

happy new year!

I'm sitting here, my fist day "back to work" after a desperately needed and completely enjoyable holiday break.  I have SO much to do, I'm already a little overwhelmed.  But it's a good thing because I love what I do and I know that I'm incredibly blessed to be able to do it!

But I know I can do better and BE better. I've slacked in certain areas over the last year or so and this year I'm committed to doing things differently.  I'm excited about this...it means BIG things for my work-- my photography and my business.

One thing I feel bad about is how infrequently I've updated my blog over the last couple of years. Blogging is how I got started with everything--it's what led to my writing and to my photography business. And I love it.  But it's hard to keep up sometimes when Life gets crazy, so I'm not going to stress myself out with trying to post every day. I will commit to posting at least once a week, though. Sort of a recap of what I've done each week, what's going in my world, photography related and sometimes otherwise.  It'll be fun to look back, at the end of 2013, and see at least 52 updates and see all of the things I've done, people I've photographed, places I've been to.

This is a BIG year for me and my family so there will plenty of material. My kids turn 10, 16, and 18---all BIG birthdays! My daughter will get her license, my son will graduate high school and start college....and there's just so much more!

I have TONS of pictures to share too, obviously, and some great events that I photographed last year that I plan to blog about in the coming weeks, months.  I also plan to update my ONLINE STORE several times over the next year, so that will be something new to check out too.

Here's to a fun and prosperous year for everyone!

chelsea & kurt~

It bums me out that I can't shoot Chelsea & Kurt's wedding in May....but it's their wedding is the same weekend as my daughter's dance recital...so...you know.  But we had a great time doing their engagement session. They are a gorgeous and fun couple with tons of great chemistry.  And we lucked out with perfect weather for a November afternoon.  Here are a few from our downtown Columbus shoot:

Raise a glass with me...

When I was in high school I had an English teacher who was a real hard ass but I loved her because she not only taught, she challenged.  There was a writing assignment that I did, probably only giving half the effort and she knew it so she asked me “What do you even want to do after high school? What’s your goal here?”   I’ll never forget that because she looked at me with such disdain, like she just wanted to scream at me to get my shit together.  I told her I wanted to be a photographer.  I could tell by the look on her face that she was surprised (why, I don’t know- I carried a camera around with me in high school).  She said “Bring me a list of ten women photographers.”  She was one of the only intellectual feminist teachers at my school and one of three who really inspired me to learn and to do something.   (In fact, now that my kids are in high school, I can look back at MY high school years and honestly say that I had some incredible teachers. But I digress…)

I wrote that list of ten women photographers, including Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus, Margaret Bourke-White, and Eve Arnold, explaining why each were great, what they did and how they helped to document and record history in their own unique ways.  I listed nine great women photographers but for number ten, I listed my own name.  I went on to explain that while I didn’t necessarily expect to be in the same category as these women, I still deserved to be on the list simply because I am a woman and I am a photographer.   My teacher handed the paper back to me, with a reluctant smile and said “This is perfect.”

That teacher, Mrs. Doyle, inspired me that day. Her words still ring in my ears.  And we all have those who have inspired and influenced us over the course of our lives.  As an artist, a photographer, I look back at the greats in my field-- Henri-Cartier Bresson, Walker Evans and Elliott Erwitt make me want to carry my camera with me everywhere I go but also remind me of how inferior I am. The Elusive Image, indeed.  Dorothea Lange was a pioneer and set the impossible standard for women photojournalists and her work reminds me of how important a woman’s perspective truly is in the face of cold news and tragedy.  I love the quiet sensitivity of David Hilliard’s portrait work—his photographs make me feel, I only wish one of my pictures could do that.  I’ve recently discovered the incredible work of the mysterious Vivian Maier, a woman who photographed for decades, selflessly giving the world so much with her images and never asked for a thing in return.  She did it for the art of it, not for money or prestige or anything---her photographs stayed stuffed in boxes for years and years before being discovered and uncovered.

But of all of the great teachers, artists, writers, musicians, photographers and people who have influenced and inspired me, aside from my husband and my father, the most inspiring person would have to be Gordon Parks, Sr.  He was this great photographer who worked for Life magazine back in the day, going where no one had gone before, certainly not any person of color. He knocked down barriers and went against every stereotype.  More than just a photographer, he was a true renaissance man, and artist in every sense of the world, a writer, poet, musician and filmmaker.  All of his work inspires me, it makes me work harder and reminds me that I’m not the only one, that this feeling inside of me that compels me to shoot, to write, to constantly create things (even when I don’t finish them), that I’m not alone and yes there are some of us who’s minds just never stop, who somehow find beauty in nearly everything and we have to stop and make note of it, either with a pen or a camera or whatever.  And he accomplished what the rest of us will spend our lives trying to do: He left the world a better place, a more beautiful place, than what it was before.

Today is Gordon Parks’ 100^th birthday.  It’s also the opening of my first solo art show.  I think that’s poetic serendipity.

This show has been a lifetime in the making for me.  The opportunity just sort of fell into my lap about a month ago and on a whim, I agreed to do it. But really, I’ve been planning this night since I handed that paper to Mrs. Doyle back in 12^th grade.  So when I pour myself a glass of wine tonight, I’ll be celebrating all of my own hard work and celebrating with the friends and family who are able to join me. But I’ll also be raising my glass to those who helped me along the way, the teachers, the ones who encouraged me, to my father who bought me my first camera (also on a whim), to the great photographers who’s work will keep me shooting until my eyeballs fall out because I’ll always be striving for better, to my husband and my kids who help, inspire and put up with me. And of course, to Mr. Gordon Parks, because I know that without him tonight wouldn’t be possible.

I hope you’ll join me.

BLACK FRIDAY!!

Visit my STORE and take advantage of these great BLACK FRIDAY DEALS!

up to $100 off all Portrait Sessions (hello, Seniors!)

Savings on Wedding Photography packages

Limited edition Fine Art Prints

Offers good until November 30th.....visit today and check back often as inventory changes and NEW PHOTOGRAPHY OFFERS are added throughout the week!

SHOP HERE!

the secret to a perfect turkey...

I did this blog post a couple of years ago and I like to share it every year. It's my how-to guide for brining a turkey. Food snobs all think they have the BEST SECRET TURKEY RECIPE EVERRRR and I'm sure they do....but this method is fool-proof for me, making the juiciest, most flavorful turkey ever. I prefer a fresh turkey, but this works great for frozen turkeys too. In fact, this year, we have a frozen turkey and I plan to start the brine wednesday afternoon...

~~~

Not everyone knows this about me, but I'm a pretty awesome cook :)

It's my 2nd love, next to photography, and I love Thanksgiving because it's one of the few times of the year that I really get to throw-down in the kitchen.  Most people love to EAT Thanksgiving dinner...I love to COOK it.

One thing that I have PERFECTED over the years is my Thanksgiving Turkey.  The secret is the BRINE... and now I want to share my recipe.  You gotta start early though... this needs at least 10 hours to be just right.

HOW TO BRINE A TURKEY

First, start with a fresh turkey.  Frozen is ok too, but make sure you let it thaw thoroughly and properly beforehand.  My turkey is 19lbs, but this recipe will work with any size bird:

I take out the neck and innards, and save for later.  I use it to make a broth for my Homemade Cornbread Dressing and Gravy.

I gather my ingredients (I use all fresh stuff):

3 stalks of celery

3-4 carrots

2 large onions

2 large oranges

1 bunch each of parsely, sage, rosemary, thyme (cue Simon & Garfunkel)

1 cup each of sugar and salt

3-4 tbs. butter

I roughly chop the veggies (celery, carrots and onion) and sautee...

I then add the sugar and salt to a LARGE pot... large enough to hold whatever size turkey you have.

Add 4-5 cups of hot water and STIR to dissolve the salt & sugar.

Then I use my hand to carefully separate the skin of the turkey from the muscle.  I SLOWLY and GENTLY stick my hand inside to separate the skin without tearing it.  I then put the butter (thin slices) and the about 1/3 of the fresh herbs between the skin and the muscle.

The herbs and butter REMAIN INSIDE once I roast the turkey.

Then, I stuff the cavity of the turkey with the remaining herbs, the other onion, cut up, and one quartered orange.  These things also remain inside the turkey when roasting.

Place the turkey in the pot and add enough water to cover.  Add the sauteed veggies and the other orange, thinly sliced.

Cover and refridgerate...

I leave this in the fridge overnight.  I put it in the fridge at 1:30pm and will roast my turkey tomorrow morning at about 9am.  The longer you let your turkey the brine, the better, but give it at least 10-12 hours.

Once I remove the turkey I do the following:

*drain the turkey and allow to sit on the kitchen counter for an hour before placing in the oven.  It cooks better when its brought to room temperature before placing in hot oven.

*leave veggies and herbs inside the turkey...sometimes I add more!

*roast at 325ºF for however long your Turkey requires to roast...

*I cover my turkey while roasting, and remove the cover for the final hour of cook time so it can get brown.

*allow 20 minutes to rest before slicing!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

the tribbies!

I was there when these boys were born.....and I can't believe how big they are!  Connor and Patrick are just too adorable and we had a blast spending a gorgeous Fall day with them at Freeman Farm. Here are a few from our family photo session:

Some fakes smiles lol...

And some real ones...

I love this family so much and I'm so honored they've allowed me to document so many stages of their lives. I'm looking forward to watching them grow for years and years to come!

poetry of the real

Not only is it my profession, photography is part of who I am, my most honest form of expression. I've been making pictures for nearly all my life and I'm so excited to share some of my work with you.

And the location couldn't be more perfect-- music also plays a huge role in my life, inspiring me, feeding my soul. To have my work displayed in a vinyl record store is the marriage of my two greatest passions.

Join me and my family for an evening of photos, music, and fun. Stay the whole evening, or just drop in for few minutes! Enjoy the art, browse through the music selection in this brand new, eclectic vinyl record store in the heart of Downtown Columbus!

Vinyl Frontier
51 E. Gay St.
Columbus, OH

Light snacks and drinks provided!

Leah, Megan, & Thomas ~ Class of 2013

One of my favorite types of sessions to shoot is a Senior Session. Capturing young men and women right on the cusp of adulthood is awesome--with their youth and intelligence and passion and ambition.  I can't help but get a charge of energy after spending a couple of hours with a young person who has the whole world at their feet. It's inspiring!

Here are three Seniors that I've recently photographed. I've known Leah, Thomas and Megan for quite a few years now--- Leah goes to Westervilel South High School and has been in theater with my son for all four years. I've known Thomas, a Westerville North senior, since he was about six years old and can't believe the incredible young man he's grown to be. He makes me feel old and proud!  Megan goes to Westerville Central High School and also dances at the same dance studio as my kids. She's ridiculously talented and poised and so sweet and smart.  All three of them have such bright futures ahead of them - their parents must be so proud!

Leah~

Megan~

Thomas~