Beautiful Black & White | IHF Challenge | Madison WI Photographer

Last weekend I sat entranced as I watched Sue Bryce on CreativeLive. Like many others I have been incredibly inspired to revisit the way I shoot portraits, relate to my clients, and how I want to grow as an artist. Tuesday I set up a test shoot with another area photographer and this was the result. I hope this is the first of many of these kinds of shoots.

 Want to see more beautiful B&W photos? Check out IHF’s other entries this week!

Kisses! | IHF Challenge

Dmitri and my childhood pet, Spirit. Spirit still lives with my parents and we only get to see her 3 or 4 times a year but she and Dmitri have developed a very sweet bond that’s very dear to me.

More sweet hug & kiss photos on:

Snow(less) Days | Madison WI Photographer

The weather this winter has been shockingly mild. No real snow to speak of… although we did have some flurries and colder days in January it was quickly diminished by daytime temperatures that have been steadily in the high 30′s and upper 40′s. February in Madison doesn’t feel quite the same when you can still see the grass. Several friends reported seeing robins and cardinals out already, sure signs of spring in Wisconsin have already started showing up when we’ve barely entered what should be the middle of winter

I for one, can’t really complain. The mild weather has allowed me to get in some client shoots outdoors (If you’ve been thinking about doing a session get in touch! It’s seriously wonderful photography weather and besides you could also get a free 11×14 mounted print!) and daily family excursions to enjoy the outdoors. I’m a “sweater weather” kind of person, 40′s & 50′s are my cup of tea. To me this funny weather feels like a continuation of fall, which is one of my favorite seasons.

There is part of me that misses a traditional winter though. Watching snow fall… sledding & skiing… photographing snowscapes… I hope that we get a little bit of the fluffy white stuff yet this season, it would be a shame to have to do without for a whole ‘nother year.

Photos Taken At: University of Wisconsin Arboretum
Canon 5DMkII, Canon 70-200mm f/4L

Rosemary & Garlic Infused Butter

I started making my own butter a while ago; I really work hard to buy from local vendors and when I can’t do that I at least try to buy products that were made in state, so the fact that I couldn’t walk into my neighborhood grocery store and buy butter that was actually made in Wisconsin(the Dairy State for crying out loud!) just annoyed me. Rather than running myself ragged between stores on grocery day, I opted to cut out the middle man and do it myself. Turns out, churning your own butter is really not that difficult, and the result is WAY better than anything I’ve even bought in a store.

And then, I was photographing this incredible wedding this past summer that had some wonderful flavored butters and it got my gears spinning. Garlic & Rosemary infused butter started coming out of my kitchen shortly there after and I’m really quite pleased with myself about it, simple though it may be.

Fresh Homemade Butter:
Yield Approx. 1 Cup butter and 1 Cup buttermilk.

1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream (from a Wisconsin farm!)
Salt, to taste(optional)

Pour the cream into a food processor and turn it on for about 5 minutes. The cream will go through a few different phases, first turning into whipped cream, then becoming curdled looking, and finally the butter solid will completely separate from the liquids. You’re done when a round ball of butter forms in the processor. Usually around 5 minutes. If you want to add salt, I’d do so around the 3 minute mark, otherwise it may not incorporate smoothly once the solids start to form.

Strain the buttermilk off of the butter with a cheesecloth or clean towel, and pat your butter dry (save the buttermilk for pancakes, you won’t be sorry!). Place butter on waxed paper and roll into a neat package for storage.

Rosemary & Garlic Infused Butter:

1 Cup Butter
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Springs of Rosemary, loosely chopped
Salt, to taste(optional)

Warm the butter slowly in a saucepan over a low burner and throw in the garlic, rosemary, and salt(since I hadn’t salted my butter when I made it, I put a couple of cranks on my salt grinder at this point, had I started with salted butter I wouldn’t have bothered) . Once the butter is completely melted I turn off the heat and let the ingredients sit together until the butter starts to cool. Pour the butter through a fine strainer to extract the bits of garlic and rosemary, and place in the fridge to chill.

Once the butter returns to it’s solid state you can bring it back up to room temperature again and serve with fresh bread, or wrap in waxed paper for later use.

Alternatively you could skip the cooling stage and used the butter in it’s melted state over garlic bread. Yum!

Jacob | Madison WI Headshot Photographer

Last weekend I did a shoot with a young up and coming actor, Jacob. When he first contacted me for headshots we very quickly settled on doing something outside given the unseasonably nice weather. It’s a rare occasion in Wisconsin that you can do an hour shoot outside in February without coats and hats, so I was really excited to shoot jacket-free in the almost “warm” 41 degree weather. Turns out shooting portraits outside in February is a pretty perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Fast forward to yesterday evening and I had a chance to see Jacob (among other talented actors) in the preview performance of “A CENTURY OF PROMISE” in the Mitby Theater at Madison College. For anyone in the Madison area looking for something entertaining to do this weekend(February 10th-12th), it’s a wonderful show with excellent notes of history, humor, and storytelling. Check it out here.

Thank you Jacob for being an excellent subject, break a leg at those auditions!