Blog

  • Lessons Learned

    Earlier this week, I sat in the waiting area of the music studio anxiously awaiting my first guitar lesson and I instantly felt like a kid again, when it seemed like my schedule was constantly busy with lessons of some sort. I looked back on all of the random things I’ve learned by way of private instruction, and I felt really lucky to have experienced so many different things whether I stuck with it or not. When I was about four or five I think, I took gymnastics lessons and my parents have told me that I “quit” because I was too hot in the gymnasium. As a side note, I remember being fond of gymnastics (and I’m pretty sure I could do a mean somersault on the balance beam), but that’s okay, I’ve moved on. A few years later, I vividly remember taking swimming lessons, and being completely terrified of jumping into the deep end. Who isn’t afraid of getting sucked down that drain at the bottom?! Then there were oil painting classes, tennis lessons, and eventually flute and voice lessons. I’ve probably left quite a few things off the list, because it seems like I was always learning stuff. As an adult, I’ve taken crochet and sewing lessons, jewelry-making and ballroom dance classes, and I’ve even taken swimming lessons again! Most recently I attended a few cooking classes, and now I’ve signed up for recurring guitar lessons with no end date, might I add, because I’m dead set on mastering it. It’s going pretty well so far! I can play an extremely watered-down Ode to Joy, but I absolutely love the process of learning something new (even if I am really tired of Ode to Joy already).

  • Iris

    If you recall from my 101 in 1001 list, I attempted to fulfill #52 – Learn to play the piano or the guitar – by borrowing a friend’s keyboard last year. I taught myself a few songs, but ultimately decided that we just really don’t have room for a keyboard or piano. I also felt like I didn’t really have the time to dedicate to it. Well, out of all the items on my list, that is definitely one of the most deep-rooted wishes, and I’ve had this nagging feeling for a long time that I need to play music again. (For anyone that didn’t know, I played flute for about eight years in middle school/high school and I also took voice lessons for a while.) I miss music so much! It’s definitely something that I need to make time and room for, so when my brother was in town visiting this week, I took advantage of his expertise in picking out a (beginner) guitar! I figure a guitar doesn’t take up much space compared to a piano, so it’s a good fit for me right now. I’m signed up for lessons so that I’ll get into a good routine of learning and practicing. Meet “Iris” – my first guitar ever:


  • Photography vs. Cooking

    When I first picked up an SLR about fifteen years ago, I wasn’t very intimidated by the buttons or the functionality of the camera, and when I started reading books and teaching myself how to make a manual exposure, I wasn’t at all overwhelmed by the terminology or the math/science aspect of photography. When I was practicing, I could usually figure out why an image went wrong, make adjustments, and get it right the next time.

    But for some reason with cooking, I just feel so darn completely lost! I have been spending some time reading recipes, watching the Food Network, and practicing recipes in the kitchen. But I don’t GET it like I get photography. What do certain spices do? Why are some combinations of food good together and others aren’t? Why am I bringing this dish to a boil, and then a simmer? (What does that do to the food, exactly?) And tonight, why did I follow this recipe exactly but it turned out completely liquidy?! Okay, I didn’t follow it completely exactly – I didn’t rinse the canned beans. I did drain them though. Um, okay and I also only had a 10 oz. can of chicken broth instead of 14 oz. so I fudged the other 4 ounces with just plain water. Oh. And I didn’t put the bread in a food processor to make the bread crumbs because I don’t have one, so I just cut the bread into the smallest dice I could without slicing off my fingers. But still! I followed the other parts. And it looked pretty, but underneath the golden brown bread “crumbs” it was all soup. Sigh!

  • More Misheard Lyrics

    I love listening to music while I’m editing photos, and since editing takes up quite a bit of time at the computer, Pandora has been my go-to source for tunes. I even upgraded to Pandora One because I love it so much. The ability to ask it for music similar to something I already know is so fun. I sort of absent-mindedly listen and sing while I edit, and I also have a habit of singing incorrect lyrics if I’m not really paying attention to the song. (Sometimes I also do it on purpose if I just happen to think my lyrics are more entertaining.) So yesterday I was editing, listening to Pandora, and during this one song I realized I was singing, “How far do I have to go to get to you…Minnie the Mooooooouse. Minnie the Mooooooouse.” I thought, that can’t be right. So I looked at the Pandora app to at least see what the title of the song was, which turned out to be the hook that I was singing:

    Minnie the Mouse = Many the Miles. 😀 Come on, you know you’ve done it, too. What lyrics have you sung incorrectly?

  • Beth & Kevin – 09.06.09

    Last weekend I spent a gorgeous Sunday hanging out with Kristen Gardner, helping her to photograph Beth and Kevin’s wedding at Raspberry Plain in Leesburg. The day was perfect in all kinds of ways, and I had a blast second-shooting. Kristen has some amazing images on her blog and I couldn’t seem to pick a favorite, but I really love her ceremony shots. The garden at Raspberry Plain has this beautiful hedge archway, and Kristen managed to sneak around back to capture a really stunning through-the-archway shot of the vows. I was at the end of the aisle, squatting trying to get out of the way, and I was super relieved to see I’m not in the shot because it’s a great photo! So definitely go have a peek, and I’ll show you a handful of my own random favorites:



    Beth and Kevin chose to see each other before the ceremony, so we had tons of time to take portraits of just the two of them. Lots more on Kristen’s blog!

    Love this sweet moment between Beth and her dad, just before the walk down the aisle:

    The ring bearer was too cute – he stole the show for a minute here.

    The reception was so festive with twinkle lights and pretty details:


    And then the party started! This next series cracks me up. Sing it with me now: “Ain’t no mountain high enough…”

    “Ain’t no valley low enough…”

    “Ain’t no river wiiiiiide enough,”

    “To keep me from gettin’ to YOU, babe.”

    Kevin’s grandmother also kept me smiling throughout the whole evening – she had so much spunk on the dance floor!