My goodness, the trees seem to be having a raucous ticker-tape parade right now! To celebrate the cheerful new season, I rounded up some of my favorite finds this week. Enjoy and kindly share them...
Delightful & delicious pictures from apple orchard to apple pie: Posie Gets Cozy
And last but not least, my friend Lois wrote a lovely piece about the changing seasons: Preparing for Rest
Learn how to beautifully capture the season wherever YOU are:
FINAL CALL 'til 2018: I'll be shelving my first (and most popular) e-course, How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You, for a couple of years while I concentrate on some new online courses in 2017, so if this nature photography course has been calling your name, sign up for the session that's right around the corner--starting this Monday, 10/17/16! No fancy camera is necessary; you can even use your phone's camera. To treat yourself or a friend, click here for all the details and registration. (If you're on Instagram, check out my profile at @joy_sussman for a discount on the course.)
I think it's a rare and wonderful thing to live for decades on this planet and still come across an entirely new food, one I've never seen before, practically shouting out my name at the local supermarket. In this case, it was a Dragon Fruit. I'd popped in to the market on a quick errand and while passing through the produce section, this little superstar caught my eye:
Immediate thought: "What on earth is THAT?!"
Followed closely by: "How fast can I get it home to photograph?"
And then: "Better buy two!"
The produce sign said the Dragon Fruit is more properly known as a Pitaya, or Pitahaya, but I prefer the more dramatic flair of "Dragon Fruit", don't you?
One of my mantras to my photography students is "When there's nothing to shoot, shoot fruit." But it's a spectacular bonus if the fruit just happens to look like a cross between a tropical fish and a blossoming flower--mixed with just a touch of space alien.
With the golden light of morning, the fruit shoot began.
Soon the kids padded down the stairs in their pajamas, and since they're both budding photographers with cameras of their own, they got right into the act. The three of us circled the plate of fruit and snapped from every angle (including standing on the coffee table for the overhead shots...shhhh, don't tell!). It was like a paparazzi PJ party for the dragon fruit.
FACT: When there's a camera around (never mind three cameras!), our dog is not far behind. Delilah is an unapologetic camera hog, always nuzzling her way in for a close-up.
Okay, back on topic...
Two mysteries surrounded our dragon fruit:
How should we prepare it for eating? (Slice it up? Peel off the skin? What about the "petals"?)
What does the dragon fruit look like on the inside?
Luckily, there's this little thing called YouTube--perhaps you've heard of it? ;) This video answered the first question. (Here's my Cliff Notes' version: 1. Cut off the ends. 2. Slice down the middle, lengthwise. 3. Peel off the thick pink layer of skin. 4. Slice. 5. Eat.)
I almost wish I hadn't been spoiled by the preparation video because it also answered the second question, and truly, I had no idea the inside of the fruit would resemble a silvery white scoop of snow, dotted with tiny black seeds. (I was imagining it would be filled with little berries.) Well, anyway, the kids were surprised. It's not often that a piece of sliced fruit can get a "WOW! COOOOOOL!" reaction.
Finally, after hundreds of photos (yes, literally), we set about tasting it. Or rather, the kids made me taste it first, kind of like a court jester for the royal family. Although the dragon fruit has a taste all its own, I'd say it's similar to a kiwi crossed with a banana. Unlike its dramatic exterior, it's very understated in flavor--almost bland, yet still pleasant enough. (This fruit surprised me from start to finish.)
And so we've started a new tradition at this house: What mysterious, beautiful food can we discover next? (Any suggestions?) Photographically speaking, the dragon fruit will be a tough act to follow!
I'm a firm believer that the best souvenirs of your summer vacation won't be found in the gift shops (a.k.a., tourist traps). If you really want to capture sentimental memories of your travels, look no further than your own camera. After all, you're the one who knows what made your vacation special--the experiences that moved you, the places that made you smile. If you frame your favorite shots when you get home, you'll have the best souvenirs ever!
But how can you capture your vacation memories in pictures that are beautiful and unique enough to frame? I've got you covered with the following quick tips, illustrated with photos that I took last weekend, when good friends from New York City invited us to their "country house"--a summer rental near Rhinebeck, New York, built in the late 1700's, with gorgeous, untamed gardens all over the property.
Here are a few tips to make your vacation photos the best they can be:
1. Get closer. A LOT closer. Take your shots as close as you can get to the pretty things you see. It helps if you have a macro lens, but as with the flower shot at the top of this post, I didn't have a macro lens with me so I just moved in very near to the flowers and focused on them, not on the background. Creating a shallow depth of field like this will really make your subjects "pop."
2. Use natural light, even indoors. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you already know that I'm practically allergic to flash photography, and that applies to vacation shots, too. Nothing ruins the mood faster than an artificially lit scene. You won't always be able to avoid the flash at nighttime, when low light can make your shots blurry without the flash (although you can compensate for low light if you know how to shoot in manual mode). But in the daytime, shoot during the Golden Hours (about one hour after the sun rises and one hour before it sets) for the softest, prettiest light.
3. Get a view from the doorway. This is one of my favorite ways to remember the places I've visited. Capture the rooms as you saw them the moment you entered them. I don't mean that as soon as you enter the room, you should start clicking away. (Besides, you've probably got luggage to plunk down!) I just mean it's good to go back to the same view you originally saw and capture it, and a great way to do that is to take photos right on the threshold of rooms.
4.Get a view through the window. When I was inside chatting with my friend in the kitchen, I saw her sweet daughter outside, having a chat of her own with her Barbie doll. What did you see when looking outdoors?
5. Capture the quiet moments, not just the big events. While the amusement park trips and birthday bashes definitely should be on your roster of photos, be mindful of the downtime, too--those quiet, little moments in between the action. Often, those are the things we forget the fastest, so pictures will save the day--literally.
6. Get a close-up shot of the most delicious foods you ate while you were there. (And again, turn off the flash!)
7. Take a "solo photo walk." If you like to take a lot of snapshots--as in hundreds of snapshots (I'm with ya!)--set aside some time to do it on your own, when you won't be rushed along by the others in your group and you won't be inconveniencing them by stopping to compose all the shots. You'll be able to find more of those quiet moments (see #5), and I think it's always nice to get a little fresh air and time to yourself to explore.
Here's one more BIG thing to remember: Pack those extra batteries, chargers, and memory cards before you pack anything else. You never know when that little red light will pop up on your camera, telling you that your perfect shot isn't going to happen.
I hope your next vacation is picture-perfect in every way!
Pssssssst!Early Bird enrollment for the next session of my online photography course,The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level,ends on Friday, 7/31/15 (12:00 midnight EST). Save $15 by enrolling earlyand join me in August to create some inspiring pictures of your own!
P.S. Last weekend to sign up! My online photography course starts this Monday, July 6, 2015. It's already a wonderful group of students from around the world--join us and sharpen your photography skills! More details and registration here: How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You.
Finally, a must-read for any parents who routinely trip over their kids' Legos (that definitely includes me): Perspective
Happy weekend, friends!
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P.S. My next online photography course starts on July 6th! It's already a wonderful group of students from around the world--join us and sharpen your photography skills. More details and registration here: How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You
Before I dive into this weekend's round-up, I'd like to say a quick but heartfelt "thank you!" to everybody who already signed up for my July nature photography course. It's my biggest group yet, hailing from four countries, three continents, thirteen states, and still counting! (Feeling grateful and relieved--whenever I open enrollment for an e-course, I can't help feeling a twinge of panic!)
Now, here are just a few of my favorite finds this week--enjoy and kindly share them:
I gave up Nutella because palm oil is destroying rainforests and the animals who live there. But here's some VERY good news from Chocolate Covered Katie: A recipe for homemade Nutella. (P.S. It's dairy-free and vegan!)
Join me in July: My online photography course, How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You begins in less than four weeks! No fancy camera is necessary (you can even use your smart phone). Ready to take better pictures? Let's go!
With Memorial Day in the rear-view mirror, I've already plunged into summer--specifically, an old-fashioned, easy-breezy summer! If you're in the summertime swing already, then you're going to love these yummy summer recipes, fuss-free activities, and one inspiring read to get you out on the beach with confidence:
Hot mulled cider with cinnamon sticks... Hot cocoa with mini marshmallows... Homemade chicken soup, wafting from the stovetop... Herbal tea in a big mug, while reading a good book under the thickest throw blanket in the house...
We all have our favorite little rewards to congratulate ourselves for making it through the chilliest winter days. What are yours?
P.S. Next post: My favorite snaps from picturesque Vermont!
P.P.S. Two recipes to warm you up are included in the "Related Articles" section below--don't they look yummy?!
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