Recent Portraits, Late Summer and Fall

Portraits on medium format film of my close friends and family. As the season turns again I can't help but reflect on this year. It's felt harder and easier than 2020 in a lot of ways. But two things that have been hugely exciting to me is adopting my sweet little dog, Darlene, and getting back into film. 

Making portraits on film feels exactly like what I've been looking for the last few years. It has slowed me down in a very sincere way. I don't take most photos twice. Just once. Which is such a huge shift for me from digital! I take my time framing the shot, double check the light meter, and am careful to hold my hands steady as I hit the shutter release. All of this intentionality has felt so freeing to me in my photography, and has informed my digital shooting in new and exciting ways. 

I think we all deserve intentionality when having our portrait made. 

I look forward to many more photos on many more rolls. It's exciting to feel excited. 

Eugene outside of Jiffy Treat West

Katelyn in my backyard during her visit

Callen & Xander on the porch

Alison in her back yard

Snapshots from August

Went home to visit my family in late August. Just a few snaps on 35mm film of the garden. This is my second roll through my Fuji Klasse S and I am so thrilled! I think it helps to produce really beautuful photos with such ease. I love using a point and shoot 35mm, but almost always feel let down by the quality. But the sharpness, color rendering, auto exposure, and auto focus are so reliable on my Klasse S that I can just shoot away without a thought!

Darlene

A corny, but sweet photo of my dog, Darlene! I snapped this for the Pets Alive pet contest last month! Sadly she did not win, but it was easy enough to mend her broken heart, haha. It can be hard to get a lot of dogs to behave for photos, but for the most part Darlene is a pretty good listener, so it was fun to pose her up in Chris's truck with a little bandana on to get her portrait. 

Pets Alive is a nonprofit Spay & Neuter clinic here in Bloomington and I think that's wonderful! 

Spring Flowers

A small collection of some of my favorite film photos featuring spring flowers from 2021.

View from my porch, mid April just 24 hours apart. 

Lyndsey's Graduation Portraits

Some very simple graduation portraits for Lyndsey who graduated here in Bloomington at Indiana University recently! She wanted them to be able to share with her family since they couldn't be together at the moment. 

I think a lot of commercial graduation portraits can feel stiff, but I think going outside can really help loosen things up a little. And celebrating your graduation here in southern Indiana in the spring, does lend itself to some lovely blooms.

I brought my small studio set up outside onto my porch and really enjoyed being able to use the natural light with this 'bone' colored backdrop! Really love getting to do some very traditional portraiture like this for a special occasion, and someone as sweet as Lyndsey. 

 

Justine, PJ, & Chichi

Digital and film snaps of my good friends in front of their home in February. 

Still Life

I've recently been trying to develop all the odd 35mm film rolls I have laying around that I didn't send away for whatever reason years ago. These are both photos I recently got back that I really love. These feel like my life did five years ago. There's a lot I love about my life now, but I often miss the chaos of this time. I think these are from something close to 2016. I think they were taken on a little point and shoot. 

Willow & Josephine

A real treat to take these quick photos of Willow and Josephine in the summer of 2019. Very sweet! And I adore Willow's straw hat, and the way golden hour really lit up their faces. Doing lgbtq+ portraiture in Bloomington, Indiana is so meaningful to me! I was so glad to be able to do this quick casual shoot. 

Resurrection Lilies

One of my favorite flowers to photograph every year. I love spotting them all over town and waiting for the blooms to open up. These were just right across the alley in our neighbors yard last summer. 

Today it's warm out! Chris was working in the backyard and I made lemonade. It is amazing how much lighter everything feels as spring starts to show it's face. 

 

Tulip Trestle in Green County

There are so many special little spots here in Southern Indiana. At the beginning of quarantine last year my friend Chris and I were trying to keep busy and I'd never been out to Tulip Trestle so we went! It was really beautiful in the late spring. 

This first photo is one of my favorites I snapped last year.

Yashica Mat-124G

I picked up this Yashica twin-lens reflex camera a few years ago at an antique store at the end of a tour with my friend, Frances. I was so impressed by its perfect condition that I went for it! I think I paid ~$175 for it.  

A few months ago I started thinking about how I'd never run a roll through it, and how I've never even shot medium format at all. I loved shooting film for years and years, but always bargain bin 35mm stuff. I used cameras I bought at the thrift store, and film I got for 10¢ a roll at a flea market. I think I always felt intimidated by medium format cameras, which is why this one probably sat unused for so long after I got it.

Anyway, when I did some googling I was really excited to find out this is a highly suggested beginner medium format camera. I bought the much beloved Portra 400 for the first time ever and a Sekonic L-358 Flash Master Light Meter.

I found the camera pretty easy to use overall. Looking at the mirrored image was a bigger adjustment for me than I'd thought it'd be! But the camera feels good in my hands, and I love seeing the image so big on the viewfinder. I'm excited to get more comfortable with it.

The first photo is of the camera, film, & light meter before I used it. The following photos are my favorites from my first roll through it! No editing, just a little cropping on a couple.

Mom's Christmas Cookies

It is so meaningful to me to spend time putting together photos documenting the little things. It's certainly something I've been interested in since I was young, but it's fun doing it in this more intentional way. My sister, Alison, was there to give plenty of input too! 

My mom, Brenda, is an exceptional baker!! Honestly! I'm sure everyone says that about their mom but mine really is! This year she baked us so many special treats for Christmas and I'm so happy we were able to figure out getting together for a few days. 

Pecan Pie
Thumbprint Cookies
Buckeyes
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Brownie Candy Cups
Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Turtle Caramels 

Whelmed, Lung, & Ghastly

Show at The Bishop Bar way back in September 2019! Really missing seeing people play around town.

Whelmed

Lung

Ghastly

Fried Apple & Goat Cheese Toast

Toasted farm bread with Capriole fresh goat cheese, arugula, fried apples with cinnamon, and garlic honey. 

Being at home through Covid-19 the way we have been has certainly lead to being more creative with snacks. I love taking the time to photograph food as a whole scene, rather than just the dish alone.

Schlumbergera, Holiday Cactus Blooms

I've been growing Holiday Cactus for several years in my home. I always get a few blooms, but this year they really took off!

I had moved them outside for the summer and then left them out into the late fall. I think the cold nights are what got them going. The bright colors and flowers feel like a real treat in what's been a rough year. 

Both of these are commonly referred to as Thanksgiving Cactus specifically. The one on the left I got at Rural King last year (or maybe two years ago...), and the one on the right I picked up at May's Greenhouse several years ago.

Veronica

In this moment while we're all stuck at home I've been really enjoying photographing people on their porches. Veronica and I work together at the Community Kitchen just down the street from her apartment. She was drinking margarita's and hanging out with her friends on facetime when I popped over near sunset. I love the shade of yellow she has on! I think it always shows up so beautifully on camera. 

I find this kind of easy informal portraiture to be the best. It feels comfortable in the moment and it shows in the photos later.

Recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Well, not really a very useful recipe, haha. Just some snaps of Callen with Xander on his lap writing down his recipe a week or so after Halloween.