Where The Wild Roses Grow

Spring brings with itself so many things that always amaze me again. For example the smell of roses. I get used to it during spring and summer, and once the roses disappear I stop thinking about the scents. Then spring comes around again and the red buds seem like a fresh discovery.

I applied a soft-look to the last image, since it goes well with roses and our notion of them. These roses are bright red, smell wonderful and make the green scenery complete.

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This is the edited soft-focus image, I was taking about. I desaturated the colors slightly and added a selective blur to this. I like to finish it off with some digital grain. It gives film-look to your image. If you want I can make a tutorial for this technique.

I hope these red roses will brighten up your day. Thanks for visiting!

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Strawberries are coming into season right now, and while I love eating them as they are, I also love making ice cream with them. This is a fairly easy recipe that doesn't need many ingredients, and the results are fantastic. I will be using the vanilla custard that I made earlier when making vanilla ice cream, and this post continues on that. The vanilla custard is a base out of which many ice cream variations can be made from.

Ingredients:
- 1 vanilla custard portion from the French Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
- 500 gr (1 pound) strawberries, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar

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I love strawberries, you can use frozen ones, if you are in a pinch, but make sure to strain the seeds. With fresh strawberries you don't need to do that, since they are soft.

Wash the strawberries first, and trim of the leaves.

Juice a lemon and save two tablespoons. (Use the rest of the juice for a nice fresh lemonade).

Slice the strawberries into small chunks .

After you have diced them, sprinkle them with two tablespoons of sugar and leave them to steep for 20 minutes, so that all of the flavors will infuse.

 

Take the chilled custard out of the fridge. The custard needs to me made one day ahead, so that it's cold for your ice cream maker. If you are not using one, then you can make the custard the same day, but make sure that it's completely cooled before preparing the strawberries.

Puree the strawberries in a small blender, or if you don't have one, use a fork and mash them. If you mash them you will have small chunks of strawberry in the finished product.

Put the strawberry puree and the lemon juice into the vanilla custard and mix thoroughly. 

Put the custard into your ice cream maker. 

Tip if you don't have an Ice Cream maker: If you don't have an Ice Cream Maker don't be alarmed. You can make this without one (even though It won't taste quite the same). The trick is, once you pour the mixture into the airtight container in the end, take it out of the freezer every 30 minutes for the next 5-6 hours and give it a good stir. That way you'll get rid of the ice crystals that stop the ice cream from being creamy.

This is creamy, rich and refreshing. The strawberries come out nicely in this and they are very flavorful. This makes a lot of ice cream. Store it in an airtight container and put it in your freezer.

What types of ice creams do you like? Do you make your own? I know buying it is convenient, but the taste of fresh ice cream is unbeatable and it's so easy to make. Thanks for stopping by!

Vintage men 1904

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Abandoned Building in Mostar

I have to admit that I don't know much about this abandoned building that is situated along the walking lane in Mostar. But I was informed that it belogned to the University of Mostar, and that it housed a library inside. This Friday's theme is old buildings, and I think that this qualifies as one of them. It shows the classic structures of Austro-Hungarian architecture.

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Vintage Child

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Moody Landscapes [Exploring New Sights]

I would love to be able to start this post with promising words of sunshine filled spring days, but unfortunately the rain clouds that came visiting us a couple of days ago, are still hovering above the land.

But not everything is bleak. The rain does stop occasionally and allows for some interesting landscape photography. The images in this post were taken a couple of miles south from Mostar, where I live. I think the rainy atmosphere gives these images something, that they would otherwise lack. Maybe it's the darkness in the sky, contrasted with the nature that is awakening. 

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Don't you just love that moment in nature right after the rain has stopped? It's that smell of wet grass and scents of the wild that spring up and get very enhanced. The calm in the air. The foreboding atmosphere.

Not minding the weather, this cherry tree is happily blossoming and bringing out big white puffs of flowers that will soon make place for green leaves.

Even though, massive dark clouds are high up in the air, the sun manages to peak out occasionally, giving some back light to the trees in the landscape.

I like to go for a close up whenever I get the chance to. It always provides us with a sight that is not common, but also reveals details that would otherwise go unnoticed. 

A couple of lonely trees standing on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the valley. Morbidly dark clouds push in, bringing with them more rain. While it seems like a burden for us, for nature it's fuel, energy that keeps it going.

As I finish up this post, cold winds from the north are blowing through the lands and even though the weather forecast is promising a nice, sunny, and bright weekend ahead, at this moment, that notion seems very unrealistic.

I'll see you again in 25 years... [A Twin Peaks Anniversary]

And it almost has been 25 years, since these words were uttered. It not only marked an iconic TV moment, but it also launched numerous years of hope for a continuation of Twin Peaks, which is in my opinion, one of the finest TV shows every to air. 

When the series originally premiered in 1990 it was an instant hit, with over 34 million people tuning in to see the first episode. I came fairly late into the game, which was a couple of years ago when the Gold Box DVD Edition came out with all of the episodes. An now the complete series has been announced on Blu-ray for this year.

As much as the show was about the mysteries, it was also about human nature, people from a small town and everyday life. Every detail of the show was palpable, from the dark and moody woods, the winds howling over the mountains to the black lodge. Tomorrow it will be 25 years since the show's mysterious message was supposedly said, and I wanted to make a little tribute. That's why I have played a bit in Photoshop with a montage, which I usually never do.

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It shows a variation on the entrance into the Black Lodge, in a forest filled with Sycamore trees. The famous zig-zag floor leads to the red curtains and the mysteries hidden behind.

WHY MARCH 27, 2014 IS 25 YEARS LATER (taken from welcometotwinpeaks.com):

In the "Miss Twin Peaks" episode (2x21), Doc Hayward welcomes the audience with 'I hope you've had a good weekend', which sets the pageant on a Sunday night. In 1989 and based on earlier dates mentioned in the show, that would've been March 26. The final episode, Beyond Life And Death, continues the same evening and later that night we see Cooper enter the Black Lodge. A new day arrives in Twin Peaks as Audrey Horne pays a visit to the bank. So later on Monday, March 27, Sarah Palmer meets Major Briggs at the Double R Diner right before we go back to the Black Lodge where Laura tells Cooper she'll see him again 'in 25 years'. That night, Sheriff Truman finds Cooper and Annie unconscious at Glastonberry Grove. The next morning, March 28, Cooper wakes up and realizes he didn't brush his teeth for a while...

If you haven't seen Twin Peaks yet, then please do, you will not be disappointed, even though the series ended on a cliffhanger. 

With the announcement of the Blu-ray edition of the Complete Series, also came a promise of deleted scenes from the show, that were hidden away for 25 years, and that fans have wanted to see forever. They should shed some light on the darkness that was left after the series wrapped up, and the movie Twin Peaks never resolved.

Hope you didn't mind me deviating from my usual photography posts. I'll be back with new content in the next post, and until then, don't forget: "The owls are not what they seem..."

France Dhélia in La Garçonne c.1923

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France Dhélia was born on November 9, 1894 in Saint-Lubin-en-Vergonnois, Loir-et-Cher, France as Franceline Berthe Léontine Delia Benoit. She was an actress, known for La sultane de l'amour (1919), Oiseaux de passage (1925) and L'ombre du bonheur (1924). She died on May 6, 1964 in Paris, France.

Going freelance: 12 things I learnt in 12 months - part one

Yesterday marks a year since I took my photography business full time and I honestly, truly can't believe it's gone so quickly. I am overflowing with gratitude right now for each and every one of my clients and for everybody who has helped me along the way, and I am so excited to see how my second year will unfold.

Despite the fact I had been working part-time for a while beforehand, I still had some misconceptions and learnt more in this last 12 months than I ever could have imagined. So here we go: 12 things I have learnt in the last 12 months. This post has ended up being a little bit wordier than I envisioned, so it's going to be a two-parter. Scroll down to the bottom for a link to part two!

PART ONE

1. It's all about time management..
This is one of the first things I learnt, and one of the things I am still learning how to do more effectively! The pace at which you work defines how many clients you are able to take on, how quickly you are able to deliver work to those clients and ultimately how much free time you have left at the end of the day. It might be tempting to watch Netflix in the middle of the day as your workdays at home are so flexible, but I promise it will feel a whole lot better watching it in the evening having completed everything on your to do list!

2. ..but sometimes you will need to work evenings and weekends to get stuff done.
No matter how well you manage your time, there will always be instances where you will be working over and above normal working hours to get stuff done. For me, working for myself is a constant learning curve and I'm constantly learning how much work I can realistically fit in. I've worked the last two weekends in a row because I took on a bit more than usual, but I made promises to my clients and I will keep them no matter what.

3. Learn to love your admin
Like it or not, unless you are in a position to pay somebody else to do it, admin is a big part of working for yourself. Sending out invoices and writing up expenses might not feel like the most creative use of your time but try and think of it in a different light: every time you send an invoice, it means that somebody is paying you to do what you love!

4. You can't be precious about the work you take on when starting out
If you're busy enough to turn down work then this tip isn't relevant, but when you are starting out you may get asked to do stuff that you don't specialise in, and you may not be in a position to be precious about it. I've photographed jewellery, food, corporate portraiture, retouched others' images, and although I don't specialise in those things, if people think you are right for the job and are asking for your rates, give them! You may just find yourself discovering a new aspect of photography that you love.

5. Learn to say no to commitments
I still struggle with this one a lot - I want to do all the things but at some point you will end up reaching a limit where you can't do the best job at doing the things you want to commit to when busy. I might have a day spare to organise a fashion test in, but realistically can I finish the work in an acceptable timeframe when I have client shoots coming up? People will understand if you explain the position you are in, and will most likely be grateful for your honesty if you explain your time constraints and that you'd want to do the best job possible for them.

6. Value and recognise your worth
It's very easy to constantly feel as if you are not good enough - it's something everybody universally struggles with, regardless of profession. If a client has seen your work and trusts you to work for them, it means you ARE good enough. They have thought about it and made the decision that you have the skills necessary to do what they need. What a great thought!



I'm always a bit self-conscious about writing blog articles that aren't about shoots, but I think it's about time I stepped out of my comfort zone and did something a little different with my blog. Part two of this post is on its way soon and I'll be sure to put a link at the end of this post once it's finished :-)

Do you work for yourself? What has it taught you? Leave a comment below - I am so interested to hear your thoughts!

CLICK TO READ PART TWO
 

Still Life in the Rain

As soon as I have talked about early spring arriving and warm and sunny days, rain returned and messed everything up. But luckily it also provided me with unique photo opportunities.

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I took a couple of close-ups of the green leaves in the garden with small drops of rain that had settled on them.

Hanging out in the rain all day, wasn't that much fun, so I went back inside, and looked around for other still life to photograph. And since I was making a salad, I took some snaps of the ingredients.  

Since this is a mish-mash post, I will include a small tip here for food photography. When you want to have shots like the one above and below, look for a big natural light source. A window will do very good. The light source should come strongly from one side, while the other side can be left alone, or if you want it evenly lit, put up a piece of white paper on the opposite side. The paper will reflect the light source back to the food.

The last image is an example of a darker food shot (actually it's a ingredient, but the effect is the same). No back reflection, only a light source from the left side. For a black balsamic vinegar this is quite effective. 

I hope the weather is better where you are, and I also hope this we here will get rid of the rain soon, and get back to warm spring days. If nothing for having a chance to go out and shoot some new material outside of the house.

Alfred Stieglitz - His niece Flora Stieglitz Straus c. 1915

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Alfred Stieglitz (January 1, 1864 – July 13, 1946) was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form. In addition to his photography, Stieglitz is known for the New York art galleries that he ran in the early part of the 20th century, where he introduced many avant-garde European artists to the U.S. 

Our Cottage in the Mountains

I have taken a lot of images in this place. From our Adventure to the River Spring Series to the recent Cold Mountains post. In this post I wanted to show more of our actual cottage. 

We built it back in 2002 and it was around that time, that I have started to venture out and discover more from this place. It is located in the foot of the mountain Prenj, and the small village is called Sanica. Now, there is a river flowing through this village, that is also called Sanica (the river spring link above shows us actually visiting the spring of that river).

I wanted to share with you some impressions from this place, as well as some recent iPad images that I have taken while visiting again.

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It's tucked away in the greens of the fields and trees. The big green roof goes all the way down to the ground. The cottage was designed by the same architect that also did our house in Mostar.

Our neighbors are good friends (actually relatives) that have the same design of the cottage, only theirs is designed mirrored to ours.

Now for the recent iPad images. My maltese Beni loves to cool of in the creek (no mater the season), and a new addition to these parts is our neighbors dog called Div. He is very playful and still a puppy. Together they have a lot of fun.

Blossoms have been springing up here as well.

Local farmers are tending to the small fields around this aeria. We also have a small garden, since my mom likes to have fresh organic vegetables.

A view of the Cold Mountains in early spring (shot taken from the same place, as the images back in January 2014).

Back to the Canon images. I want to close of this post with two landscapes from Sanica, that I took back in 2009.

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you liked the photographs.

Linking to Skywatch Friday