Relax

January has been a rather stressful month and I've been in constant need of a reminder to take a deep breath and relax. There is something so soothing about clear, blue water.

Photo taken in Miami.

Food: Weekend Breakfast

There's nothing more luxurious than having the time to sit down to a nice big breakfast. My spinach and mushroom omelette this morning at Equinox Diner in Mystic, CT certainly beat my usual piece of toast on the run.

 

Food: Brussel Sprouts

I have never really enjoyed brussel sprouts. But, in recent months, I have seen a lot of recipes pop up for them and I wanted to give them another chance. I sauteed them in olive oil with garlic and pepper and they were absolutely delicious.

Before & After: Aviva

I haven't finished editing the pictures of Aviva yet, but I'm going to share a Before & After of one of the images I edited of her last night.

This Before & After is pretty dramatic - the pool offered great open shade, but the water reflected an unflattering blue colour cast onto her skin. To improve the image, I brightened it up in PhotoShop, corrected the white balance in Camera Raw and added some lightness to her eyes. Additionally, I made the creative decision to crop out her dad, since I wanted to tighten up the focus in the picture and he was already half out of the frame. After cropping, I used the clone stamp to remove his arm in the water. Finally, I dodged and burned to add more light and dark contrast to the image, sharpened to add clarity and played with the tones.

Happy Friday!

This week's 'Happy Friday' was extra deserving of an exclamation point. It was one of those weeks.

Not an intentionally patriotic theme, just a fun snapshot I discovered when finishing up my Miami pictures.

For those who care, the font is Stentiga.

Nature: Garden & Twinkle Lights

 

Travel: Poolside Puzzles

Some people go to Miami to party. Others go to do jigsaw puzzles. Or maybe that's just me and my sister.

Fonts: Faraco Hand and Rockwell.

Food: Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame

Inspired by the frigid temperatures here in New York, last night's dinner was Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame. I made the soup from this recipe posted by Deb at Smitten Kitchen. I'm pretty much obsessed with all the main ingredients in this soup, and all together in one bowl they were delicious. Am I the only one who prefers the flavour of the long, full sized carrots to that of baby carrots?

I can't wait to eat this soup for my next few meals. Please excuse the ugly glare on the soup, I cooked way past sundown last night, am I have still yet to figure out a good light setup in my apartment.

Also, for those who care, the font below is American Typewriter, one of my absolute favourite fonts.

Portrait: Perspective

Sometimes the most interesting photographs are taken from the most unlikely perspectives. I'm loving the angle of this shot and the story that it tells.

Editing the rest of the pictures of Aviva has been sidetracked by some monitor calibration issues, and photos this week have been scarce as my new 50mm is having some focusing issues (and will hopefully be replaced asap).

Happy Friday & Weekend Inspiration

Finally, the weekend is nearly here. Scroll below the picture for some weekend inspiration.

• I love infographics and I love food photography, so this was pretty much designed with me in mind
• Arranging floral bouquets doesn't have to be difficult -- see this easy tutorial by Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere.
• I'm absolutely captivated by this gorgeous, yet simple portrait shoot by Brooke Boling.

Food: Ahi Tuna Salad

One of my absolute favourite meals is a nice big ahi tuna salad. After walking nearly an hour down the boardwalk, my sister and I rewarded ourselves with a gigantic seared tuna salad at Nexxt Cafe on Lincoln Road in South Beach... it was delicious.

And if you're a font nerd too, this is the font used below.

Adventures: Miami Boardwalk

A few more shots from the boardwalk in Miami Beach. Loving the film tones on the sky-blue and lush greens.

 

Instagram: Miami

A few of my favourite Instagram pics from my vacation in Miami.

Travel: Parasailing, Miami

Another shot caught from the boardwalk.

Sneak Peek: Aviva

My baby cousin, Aviva, came to visit us in Miami and I had such a great time capturing her in action. This is a quick sneak peek of the photos I'll be posting of her later this week.

Travel: Miami

The view from the boardwalk.