T-7 Days! (Tout de Sweet photos!)

After sleeping a total of 16.5 hours last night, I am feeling quite refreshed!  So far, it's been pretty productive.  Met up with some wonderful girls over breakfast-ish things and headed to the Farmers' Market.  I got some fresh corn and am so excited to be making my most favorite corn recipe with my own planted basil!  After doing what feels like a ton of laundry and sending off some prints to WHCC for my intro project, I finally finished working on photos from Tout de Sweet (The Pastry Shop) from last week (link).  And without further ado, here they are!

 I am eye-ing that pistachio cupcake...can't wait till Tuesday when I can finally get my hands on one!

Left to Right:  Romain Cornu, Andrea Sepulveda, Pastry Chef/Owner Jerome Colin, and Owner Sofia Colin.

The green ones are my favorite. I think it's lemon basil.

This was the first time I've ever contacted a store and asked to photograph them, their products, and their staff.  I wasn't sure what the experience would be like except I was really nervous about getting good photos that I could give to them as a thank you for letting me get in their way for a good hour.  What I didn't expect was their wonderful involvement in helping me photograph...they'd ask me if I want them to take cakes out of the refrigerator, what colors of macaroons I wanted, where I thought they should stand, etc.  Somehow I didn't expect it and I should have...of course they care that these photos correctly represent what they've created so beautifully! Besides, they are just such nice people!!!  I got really lucky.  What I also didn't expect (because I've never done this) was how much I enjoyed discussing ideas with them and hearing and working on their suggestions.  It was a lot of fun. 

One of my favorite parts of my hour there was after I was about to finish packing up, Chef Jerome asked me if I could take action shots of him and his wife Sofia eating outside.  I saw him go in the back of the store to grab 2 plates of cakes while telling his wife to make 2 espressos.  I loved it because at that moment, I felt that he was enjoying the process as much as I was...and more importantly, I got a glimpse of their relationship - there is familiarity, humor, and wonderful chemistry.  Such a cute couple, it made me happy to have witnessed that.

Tout de Sweet - thank you again and I wish you guys all the best!

Tout de Sweet

7831 Woodmont Ave.

Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 951-0474

www.toutdesweetshop.com

T-8 Days!

Hello!  I just woke up from a 4 and a 1/2 hour nap!  I woke up this morning at 2:30am to get ready because my crazy friend D graciously offered to go shooting the sunrise with me...location? Somewhere towards Hagerstown, MD.  At some point, we saw a sign for the Greenbrier State Park and drove towards it; but we grew increasingly nervous as we watched the clock tick pass 5:30am (Sunrise scheduled today at 6:08am); so when we passed by a beautiful meadow, we could not pass it up...even if we knew that it might be a private property.  Hmm, perhaps out of wishful thinking, we convinced ourselves that it was a model home...but when I saw a fenced in garden with ripening tomatoes...I thought hmmm...maybe someone does live in that house.  OH CRAP.  Well, to save you the suspense, the lady was not too upset about trespassers and no cops were called but I did get a lecture...EEK. I feel really bad that I invaded their home but you should have seen the sunrise from their meadow!!  I even saw a deer GALLOP across - I was very disappointed that I did not have autofocus on and missed it :(

Well, as you can see, the sun wasn't even up when I got there.  It was awesome watching the sky brighten...a surge of color spreading across the sky as the sun rose higher and higher.  So pretty.  

Watching the sun rise never gets old. 

And also in my book, nothing beats the morning light and its magical glow and ethereal beauty.  (This says a lot because I never describe anything else as 'ethereal.')

After leaving the forbidden meadow, I tried to recuperate from my lack of sleep with additional caffeine and an unhealthy breakfast.  Then friend D and I headed to a Maryland State Park.  I can't remember the name except that it started with a "C."  HA.  It was not a long hike to the water falls but let me tell you, hiking while sleep deprived = no good.  I was dragging my feet 300 yards in.  There was a small waterfall at the end of the hike and it was nice to be near refreshing cool water.  It was too bad that lighting was getting really harsh by that point, so alas, not too many photos from it. 

On a separate note, you know that I LOVE trees and that I'd never do anything to harm it, which means I'll never carve my name on it...but it doesn't mean I don't think it is romantic in a kiddy kind of way when I do see a tree filled with initials of couples who probably carved their names into my poor tree and oxygen provider without thinking about the actual longevity of their romantic relationships.  Wait...that sounds sarcastic.  OK, let me clarify...maybe I only think carving initials and hearts on a tree is romantic when thoughtful considerations were put into whether or not these they are actually going to be together for a while or not. If you're not really sure about that person, then leave the trees alone!!!

Good night again!

T-9 Days!

We are into the single digits!!

This post will be quick.  I was actually lying down in my bed when I thought "I didn't post a photo today!" and I actually got back up!  I am surprised by badly I don't want to fail my self imposed challenge.  HAHA.  Must sleep now because I am leaving my apartment to shoot sunrise in approximately 3 hours!  I hope this is worth it.  ICM, if you are reading, have fun in Panama!!!

T-10 Days!

Since I've failed every single time I've tried the 365 photo project, I thought it might be fun to try a photo a day until ICM returns!  Snapped this when I trekked downtown to grab prints and mat boards for tomorrow's class - we're learning how to do customize matting!  I was taking a bunch of random shots all because I wanted a silhouette shot so badly...which this obviously isn't :( but I kind of like it anyway. 

On another note, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a good sunset watching spot in DC??? 

Week 2 of semi-insomnia, going to give myself an early start. 

T-11 Days!

That's right, ICM returns in 11 days! Yippee!

I got out of class early tonight and wanted to share 2 photos that I really like from the Asian Festival this past weekend.  My friend D lend me his 105mm lens and I got to test it out a bit. 

I love Chinese instruments (my favorite is the erhu) and this little girl was awesome!

Bed time! Must take advantage of early release :)

Tout de Sweet (The Pastry Shop) preview photos!

Two blog posts in a day, that's right!  It is only because I am so excited to post two photos from Tout de Sweet.  Our final project for Intro to Photography is to produce 3 photos that revolves a certain theme.  He told us that the photos should mean something to us, should resemble something that we'd put in our portfolios after we graduate.  I thought a lot about this and when I was done thinking, I knew that I wanted to photograph the lovely little pastry shop that I found after starting at WSP...the place I walked by twice a week where I'd pick up a few macaroons here and there.  Most of all, I go in just to marvel at the lovely colors of the macaroons and the simple but classic decor of the shop.  Oh yeah, it's more than beauty - everything I've had there (from an iced latte to many flavors of macaroons and their cakes) are DELICIOUS.

The owners of the shop, Sofia and Jerome, kindly allowed me the opportunity to photograph them and their store, and that's how I got to spend a great hour at Tout de Sweet!  Thank you so much, Tout de Sweet!  More photos to come :)

HAPPY SUNDAY

It is a hot weekend, guys!  AND as you can see, super bright out.

Despite the heat, my friend V and I dragged ourselves out for a photo walk and by happen chance, went to the Asian festival at GMU.  It was with much regret that we went to to the festival with a full stomach because there was authentic Thai/Chinese/Indian/Phillipino food everywhere!!!  It was a very productive Saturday and I'm so happy!

Bye bye - headed out for another super hot day in DC!

Light Graffiti!

Hello!!!

For my composition class' final project, we need to turn in 10 photos based on 10 different themes.  One of the themes is light graffiti.  Before this, I've heard about it a bunch and thought that it was really cool every time I came across a photo, however, I've never actually attempted it.  Well, today I finally did!!!  I've been wanting to try it the last couple of days but it was actually hard looking for a safe dark place, but today as I turned off all thing that could make my apartment hot (it's a heat wave in DC!), I realized my hallway was pitch dark, so wala!!!!

Here are some of my masterpieces...yeah, not really but I thought they turned out pretty cool :)

My tribute to what makes the world turn

Yeap, I did the newbie thing.  If you've looked at a lot of light graffiti photos, then you'll know what I mean! Half of them says "love" with hearts everywhere, HAHAHA.

Untitled. or 'boy in a small house" - you pick.

Last but not least, the series of photos that made me feel most like a 4 year old trying to draw...I so desperately wanted the ocean waves to be spaced closer together with fishes (and maybe even a whale one day) interspersed...but alas, FAILED...I will try it again when I don't feel so defeated haha.

 All photos shot at ISO 100, F/22, and Shutter Speed of somewhere between 20-30 seconds. 

 Next step, trying it outside!!!!