darkness, goodness

image sources: 01. klousch 02. crucifere 03. air in the branches 04. 18yearstolive

daydreams

today was a long day, full of lots of dreaming about:

• 01. farming. this season always gets my mind racing in the direction of another life. i can attribute much of this to the fact that november brings the royal agricultural winter fair to my home city. this fair is one that i have grown up with; from visits with my parents as a little girl, to visits with my ninth grade drawing class to sketch animal portraits, and up to the past few years with my new-found goal of meeting/picking the brains of farmers.
  last winter, i came home with: my name in a draw for a free alpaca baby, about four zillion information pamphlets on fibre farming, information on how to join the ontario alpaca association, and one pretty great farmer friend. sadly, i did not win the alpaca baby. probably for the best, though... (for the time being!)
• 02. albumen printing. my dear friend & pen pal amanda came by today to share with us some of her work in albumen. i've recently been working with cyanotype and van dyke processes and have been more or less infatuated, but seeing amanda's work today confirmed my desire to get my hands dirty in the nasty, stinky, old egg process that is albumen printing.
  i can't seem to get enough of historical processes (as mentioned in previous post), and amanda's process-based mindset for her work keeps inspiring me to keep better notes and keep exploring the exciting historical processes world (see: this book).

they are both now added to my list of goals. or, at least, my mental list of goals.
i guess i'll also add to that, make a list of goals.

these beautiful images are created by and belong to zoe schaeffer

weather

it's raining. i'm waiting for the "weather bomb", half in excitement, even though i know that storms rarely get intense in southern ontario. i'm sitting under the skylight so i can watch the rain intensify, but it's slowing instead. i'm slightly disappointed. but, having the time to sit and wait for rain is something i haven't been able to do for a long time, so i'm going to enjoy it.


also,
i'm really in love with this photograph by noemie goudal.

good day, y'all!

today was successful. my first time printing in the cyanotype process was fantastic. i'm too shy to scan anything yet, but i feel good things about this process. i can't wait to start experimenting with plants & other strange things i can use as a negative. it excites in me feelings that i forgot existed, as i have gotten lost in the 'digital' world lately... which tends to eat up my energy, encourage frustration, and ultimately, end in dissatisfaction. maybe i am meant for something older, more tactile, and process-based.

also! i received a long-awaited package in the mail (long-awaited being an understatement): hasselblad. and let. me. tell. you. i can hardly wait to get out there and start taking pictures! my excitement is exceeding my ability to sit still and read the manual, but i must be smart about this and learn slowly and carefully.

here are a few photographs from my recent trip to brooklyn. i've been meaning to scan all my negatives but uuuuuugg it takes forever. i think i will have to reconsider getting them professionally scanned, because the dust bits and quality are maybe notsogood.

etc.

test shot for current project
more later.

braised brussel sprouts with cream

hey brussel sprout haters, this one's for you.
i know that its going to be hard to convince you to try this. so i'll tell you, i used to be one of you.
my mom would make brussel sprouts for every holiday, and they would remain in their sad little bowl, untouched, other than the few she ate. ninety percent of them would go to the dogs during cleanup. even the dogs weren't fond of them.
but then my good friend erika changed my whole figurative vegetable world with one recipe: braised brussel sprouts with cream. sounds gross, is amazing in actuality (and SO easy).
i couldn't get my hands on erika's recipe so i just sort of figured it out through trial and error.

the first thing is, buy small sprouts. big sprouts are gross. they are bitter, which is probably why you hate them. small sprouts are less bitter, and cuter. a pound is a good amount.


here's what else you'll need:


3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cream (heavy is best, but half and half is fine)
big skillet


then, five easy steps:


01. trim. cut the stem off and remove all nasty, dark, outer leaves. then slice the sprout from top to bottom.

02. butter the pan. three tablespoons unsalted butter, medium heat. add the salt.




03. throw the sprouts in. stir occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they turn a little brown. (this is important: this is what takes away the bitterness. brown is good.)




04. add cream. turn heat to low. stir in, cover, and let sit for 30-35 minutes. you may need to stir occasionally if you use half and half cream, because it bubbles.
(i have purposely omitted the image because you wouldn't like the way it looks. never judge a book by its cover... you'll see what i mean!)


05. serve immediately.


try it. i converted four sprout-haters this thanksgiving.


miammm

animal hybrids

this morning, my friend & coworker ashley alerted me to the HILARIOUS reality that it is (supposedly) possible to breed camel-llaama hybrids. i'm not sure if this is for real or just an internet scam as so many things are, but i've done some quick google-searches and turns out, this "cama" (camel-llaama) is seemingly real...(not to mention the other apparent animal hybrids: zorse, zonkey, zony... and, if you've ever seen napoleon dynamite, turns out the liger's been done!)
so, thanks to artificial insemination, we've got a fusion of two of my favorite animals of all!!!... i'm a bit freaked out. plus, he's got awful teeth. supposedly, he is the only cama in existence as of late.
and no, he does not have a hump (disappointing).

happy canadian thanksgiving!

oh, hi!

i haven't stopped moving in what feels like ages. sleepless nights and jam-packed days full of shoots, driving equipment around, classes, and hours upon hours of reading and writing.
i owe this little blog:

1) new york pictures
2) a special shop feature surprise
3) summer 120 rolls
4) some funny test shots for a current project
5) some love, or something.

once my head is back on straight, i'll get back to you. until then, lots of love, little deers.

(p.s. please listen to some tunes & enjoy reviews written by my p.i.c. simone, right here.)