Where does inspiration come from?

Third blog in a row! Let’s keep it going.

So far I’ve got about 40 minutes of footage which probably isn’t enough for what I want to do. But I’m also struggling with the idea of how to put this video together. I keep hoping that what I shoot will inspire a storyline and it hasn’t so far. I probably have more than 40 minutes but that’s referring to horizontal. I don’t know why I hesitate to include vertical shots. I’m just not sure how to do that in an aesthetically pleasing way. Any thoughts?

What do you do when inspiration/motivation is lacking?

With a creative wall that I’ve hit right now, I need to remind myself that one idea can spark another. And just to keep going and make the thing even if it’s not good. KEEP CREATING! Who knows what that can lead to. I’m going to keep shooting and keep up with the editing. Hoping to share something next week. Stay tuned!

Some unexpected places I’m finding inspiration this week:

Coloring! We love to color in our house so we’ve been drawing/coloring everything from Sesame Street characters to tracing Hooper’s hand. Baking is another way I like to be creative. I made this Sunken Berry Almond Cake from King Arthur; definitely recommend. And flowers. Hooper picked out these white and blue flowers at the grocery store.

What are you watching?

We just finished watching the third season of The Bear on Hulu! I can never get enough of The Bear. Fantastic cast, acting, directing, everything. Favorite episodes of this season include: 1) Napkins - Tina’s backstory of how she came to work at The Beef/Bear. 2) Ice Chips: Jamie Lee Curtis and Abby Elliott’s acting in this is so intense and real - it reminded me so much of being in labor and what a scary, but exciting time that was. The acting on this show is just amazing.

Up next: there’s a new season of Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix!

Thank you!

As always, I appreciate anyone that takes the time to read this. I don’t know what I am doing, but maybe doing it anyway will help me figure it out.

ATOMIC x iHeartRadio Music Festival 2019

Please click the link to read the article I wrote for ATOMIC on their involvement in the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2019.

ATOMIC x GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends Article →

Please click the link to read the piece I wrote for ATOMIC on the GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends.

Whipped Cream Swirls!

Hey everyone!

When you’re photographing a dessert, have you ever wanted to add that perfect swirl of whipped cream but didn’t know how to do that AND get it to stay in place for a long time?

I’ll let you in on a little secret…shaving cream. 

Shaving cream will be your best friend next time you need to photograph that perfect dessert. All you have to do is grab some Barbasol or whichever brand you prefer and squirt a large amount into a piping bag. Then add your star tip. Get a firm hold on that bag and squeeze in a circular motion around the top of the dessert. To get the nice tip at the top, you just need to press down lightly and come back up. Here are some examples of my swirled whipped cream!

Items being sold: glassware

Look at how the light hits the swirls so perfectly and shows dimension. These desserts stayed looking fresh for quite a while!

Images belong to webstaurant store, taken by me.

Photographing the "Perfect Pour"

It’s freezing motion in time. There’s something so soothing about seeing the perfect pour of a beer or a cocktail into a glass. Somehow it’s even more satisfying when you capture that moment yourself. Conveying a sense of motion can really help to elevate not only your photography, but your brand as well. 

Getting that perfect shot can be difficult, because it requires so many variables to come together at once; someone to pour your liquid, as well as someone behind the camera. With your lighting set and the camera focused, getting that perfect shot doesn’t always happen the first time. Having backup glasses and enough liquid to pour more than one drink goes a long way towards capturing that shot. 

Once you’re setup, count to three and shoot away while the model pours the drink. With the bitters bottle below, it took two or three tries to capture the pour correctly

Using the pour motion displayed below, the products functions were highlighted in order to help the products sell themselves. No matter what is being sold in an image, adding motion can greatly help to elevate your photography. 

Item being sold: measuring cup. Showed pour in motion to convey easy functionality. 

Item being sold: bitters bottle. Showed pour in motion to convey easy functionality.

Images belong to webstaurant store, taken by me.

Stop Motion Exercise

In the new year, I am trying to push myself to expand my filmmaking skills and try new things. One thing I did recently, was to attempt a stop motion video. Turns out, stop motion takes a really long time to shoot so I did a small few second short just to test it out. Here is that video!

Elk Lake 2016

Every summer, my family goes to stay at our lake house in Northeastern Pennsylvania. My mother grew up close by so we have been making trips up there since before I was born. This past summer, we decided to walk the property of my Grandparents' house and the link below will show some pictures taken on my Grandparents' property as well as the lake property. Enjoy!

Elk Lake