Archive for July, 2009

melissa | natural beauty

Monday, July 27th, 2009

I had the intense pleasure of meeting and photographing Melissa recently. We met at the Starlite bar in 5 points, shared a beer and some conversation (if you call me watching her drink a beer–”sharing”) before heading off to the location I chose for her shoot.

As we chatted throughout the shoot it became apparent that this was a girl who is comfortable in her own skin–and a complete natural in front of the camera. This was one of my favorite sessions, ever. Melissa, who has never had pictures taken before, slowly changed from one gorgeous “pose” to the other with minimal direction from me.

In 35 minutes, I took nearly 200 photos. Here are just a few:

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Thank you Melissa!

sneak peek | captiva island wedding

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Coming soon, Kelly and Troy’s wedding on Captiva Island!

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christie | rad pregnant belly

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

I just love it when I get the chance to photograph interesting people with unique looks. Christie was just that-I was so excited I could have burst. By the time we finally coordinated schedules, Christie was 3 days from her due date- and she wore high heels! How cool can you get?

By the time we got to our location- I was afraid all the light was gone.. but we arrived just in time for a little golden light.

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Look at that perfect belly!

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Then she takes her shirt off ;)

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Doesn’t she look amazing?

Thank you SO MUCH, Christie.

nachos supreme

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

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Place tortilla chips on a plate and top with canned black beans, rinsed and drained. Add shredded light cheddar cheese. Microwave approximately 1 minute, until cheese melts. Top with salsa and shredded romaine lettuce.

a little bit asian

Monday, July 13th, 2009

thai peanut (whole wheat) noodles with tofu

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tofu fried (brown) rice

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michelle & reed | savannah wedding

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Michelle and I met while taking a course together at the University of North Florida. We made contact again when she showed up as an intern at the health department (the same internship that I had). Michelle and Reed are having a “real” wedding in October with friends and family- but first they wanted a ceremony all their own. Mason and I travelled to Savannah with them to capture their special day and to take “engagement” photos. This was the first time we collaborated on a shoot-and I am so very happy with the results. The pictures on this post are a mix of shots that we both took. You can see more of Mason’s work on his website.

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Left Photo By: Mason

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Right Photo By: Mason

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Top Left & Bottom Left Photos By: Mason

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Presenting Mr. and Mrs. William (Reed) Mason.

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Photo By: Mason

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Top Photos By: Mason

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Then a little goofy time. Our version of the toast ;) . It was HOT HOT HOT, so we stopped in front of Paula Dean’s restaurant to grab a cold one.

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Then a stop on Bull Street.

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Bottom Right Photo By: Mason

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Right Photo By: Mason

OH, I could just fall in love with Savannah and its architecture!

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We ended things at the waterfront-cobblestone streets and old brick.. Some of my favorites from the whole day.

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Both By: Mason

Congrats you two!

sneak peek | savannah wedding

Monday, July 6th, 2009

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whole wheat veggie pizza

Monday, July 6th, 2009

It has been nearly 3 months since I quit eating meat- nearly 2 months since I’ve  had fish. I didn’t think I’d make it a week-let alone months! It hasn’t been as hard as I expected. I’ve found ways to vary my favorite recipes and I’m learning how to cook with tofu and soy products. When I can make those dishes look prettier-I’ll post the pictures ;)

I thought that my not eating meat I’d drop weight pretty quickly, but I haven’t really. I’ve pretty much figured out that it is because I’m compensating by eating more carbohydrates. So in the last month, I’ve really tried to eat more whole and less refined grains. The only exception is pita-whole wheat pita seems to just crumble in my hands!

So, whole wheat has replaced white wheat in most of the dishes at my place. Cookies (yea, healthy right?), bread, pasta and pizza dough are now made with whole grains.

The crust for this pizza is only 1/2 whole grain- but a big improvement over traditional dough. Try the recipe and let me know what you think!

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Whole Wheat Pizza with the Works

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

2/3 cup warm water

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs honey

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup cornmeal

¼ tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup pizza sauce

1 ½ cups shredded Italian blend of mozzarella cheese

pepperoni style veggie protein slices

½ small-medium green bell pepper chopped

¼ cup chopped onion

½ cup lightly steamed broccoli

optional: banana peppers, olives, mushrooms

Directions

In a small bowl combine yeast and water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in honey and olive oil. In a large bowl combine whole wheat flour, cornmeal and salt. Stir in yeast mixture. Stir in as much of the 1 cup of all-purpose flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 45 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly sauté green peppers and onions. Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan; set aside. Punch down dough; let rest for 10 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a prepared pizza pan, building up edges slightly. Prick dough all over with a fork.

Bake crust for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread pizza sauce on partially baked crust. Add toppings.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted and edge of crust is browned