Lunch is...

Organic tomatoes and backyard basil with your basic balsamic vinaigrette (balsamic, salt, cracked pepper, mustard powder and evoo). Baby bella mushrooms sauteed with evoo and butter before sprinkled with cracked pepper and sea salt.

Tamara

 

Nice day out in Beacon Hill last Sunday to make head shots for reporter-editor Tamara Starr, with a quick snap of family photo at the end. I haven't really done shoots outdoors in quite a few years but it went very smoothly since a lot of the area was in shade with very even lighting and I had Keiko's assistance.

Hanshin Bourdoir/Portrait

:3

  

 

Hanshin Bourdoir Preview

I'm so pleased with the results of today's boudoir themed shoot with Hanshin that I have to post a couple up now to say it's really happened. Think I'm starting to get the hang of shooting portraits. These are from the first cut with minimal editing- posting more soon.

 

Curves and default setting on Portraiture.

 

Channel Mixer and Curves. I've seen some photogs here and there edit skin tones in b&w lowering the red. Not sure if I'm a fan yet because the skin looked much more aged thus requiring more work to make it look good :/ But it is interesting and we'll see how it goes with a little more retouching.

Tulle Test with Hanshin

 fig.1 just the edges

 fig.2 as a veil

fig.3 covering entire lens

Some tests with Hanshin using tulle as a veil and also wrapping it around the lens, some just the bare edges which seemed to give that vignetted look (fig.1), as a veil (fig.2) and some almost entirely covering the lens except a little bit for focusing (fig.3) which was tricky - I wonder if that's what it's like to focus with a Lensbaby. B&W versions turned out beautiful too but I shouldn't be repetitive. I got the idea to do this from this image I took of her back in 2009 (fig.4). Overall this test turned out well - Aware of the inconsistent edits but it's a step towards the aesthetic I'm looking to achieve and I'm happy for that.

fig.4 2009

For those curious:

Canon 5D Mark II

f/1.2

shutter 1/250

ISO 100

Canon 85mm f/1.2

Flower Hair Band - Forever 21
Dress - Thrift shop
Tulle - Joann's Fabrics (1.5yd)

Ciku

Went on an outing to Lars Andersen park in Brookline for a walk with my dog Ciku. She's been diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer with only a few short weeks to live. She's been a part of our family since we adopted her over 10 years ago at the SPCA. I used to go out for hours with her, just driving around and enjoying different parts of New England, and this may be our last time. It was on a hill and bitterly cold, one of the lasts before the spring thaw. She is already getting weak and could not be out long, but I'm sure she felt refreshed to be out of the house since it has been some time since we were able to go on a little trip. We even went to church and had her surrounded by many cheerful girls that seemed to lift her spirits.

Update:
Ciku passed peacefully Monday March 31, 2014. Thank you girl for being a part of our lives.

Olivia

I love tranquil images like this of girl in repose. And I forgot how beautiful window light can be.