on Making Snapshots and Making Art

In my photography I've primarily been interested in finding the beauty in the mundane. I think it is inherent in the minutiae of day-to-day life, and that noticing it is important to my well-being. Lately, I've become more interested in how to turn those photographs into something more akin to art. I feel like I've been making snapshots for years, but I know my tools now, I know how my favorite film reacts in certain light, so now I can push myself. It's an amazing place to be, that space between knowing a lot, yet knowing how much there is still to explore. At the same time, though, it means that my inner critic is relentless.  Some days I get back a roll of film, and say, "This is exactly what I should be doing, awesome." The next day, I'll look at the same photos, and think that they're utter crap, and that I should be up at sunrise every morning, perched up on a cliff capturing those glorious morning rays. I have to remind myself that all photography has merit, and that photography at its core is capturing moments. It's okay to photograph my dog chewing a stick on the beach on a brightly lit day, even if that means that it'll just be a snapshot instead of a work of art. That's a moment in time with beauty for me, even if no one else sees it, and most importantly, I had fun, and that's why I do this photography thing. 

With that in mind, here's a collection of photos (all shot on film with either a Holga, Hasselblad 500 C/M, or Nikon FM), that are either snapshots, or art, and I think that's up to the viewer: 

A Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Meringue

    A few weeks ago my friend Danielle came over to bake a cake. She is a fellow Hasselblad shooter, and also shares my compulsion for baking. Obviously, a baking date with a ton of photography had to happen. It's only natural. She sent me a list of her bookmarked recipes, which I drooled over fiercely, and we settled on this beauty, a flourless chocolate cake, fitted with a  snug (smug?) cap of hazelnut-meringue. The recipe is originally from the illustrious Martha Stewart, but we followed Tartelette's delicious adaptation. The cake part is a pretty standard flourless chocolate cake. It's rich, and gooey, and will cause a swoon. If no swooning occurs, you should probably check your pulse. The meringue comes in and adds glorious crunch, but the real gem is the chocolate chunks contained within the meringue. When warm they are melty and decadent, and when taken cold from the fridge for lunch the next day, they add fantastic crunchy texture. I preferred the latter, but I'm also the sort of person that prefers my chocolate chip cookies to be totally cooled -- none of that hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookie stuff for me! 

Here are some of my process shots, and the recipe following that:

Chocolate and Hazelnut Meringue Cake from Tartelette

Makes one 9-inch cake


A few notes:
- This is not a food blog, so I have not tested this recipe more than once, but I do think it would be improved by chopping the hazelnuts more finely. Not quite to the point where it's a meal, but no large chunks either. I don't think the texture of the coarsely chopped hazelnuts adds anything, and that the meringue would benefit from having the flavor dispersed throughout instead of biting into one big chunk o' nut.
- Save yourself some trouble and buy hazelnuts that are already roasted and skinned. Unless you like skinning hazelnuts, then be my guest, but it is probably my most hated kitchen task.
- Don't spend an hour photographing the cake between putting the meringue on, and putting it back into the oven. The structure of the cake will thank you. Although, it was really fun, so there's always that. 
- If you have a stand mixer, this cake will come together easily, but it is not a requirement. 


Ingredients:


Cake:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
6 large whole eggs, separated
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tablespoons espresso (or vanilla)
1 1/2 tablespoons rum (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt


Meringue topping:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (1 cup)
1 cup roasted hazelnuts (about 4 ounces), chopped well.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar


First make the cake. Preheat your oven to 350, and butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Line it with parchment, and butter the crap out of it. Mmm butter.


In a bowl beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth at medium speed, ~3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and be sure they are well incorporated.  Add the melted chocolate, espresso (or vanilla), rum, if using, and salt. Mix well, and set aside.


In another bowl, beat the 6 egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, ~2 minutes. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture, and then fold in remaining egg whites and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. 


While the cake bakes, prepare the meringue topping. Mix the chopped chocolate, nuts, and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. Place egg whites in a clean bowl, and beat on high speed until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, ~8 minutes. Fold in hazelnut mixture.


Now it's time to combine the two! Remove the cake from the oven, and gently spread the meringue on top of cake. and return to oven. Bake until meringue is a bit brown, and crisp. About 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. After ten minutes run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan, then remove them. Serve coolish, or cold from the fridge.

On Photographing the Forest

     One of the reasons I moved to Oregon is for its lush, and verdant forests. They are explosive with colors and textures, and are some of the largest ecosystems on our planet. When I step into one, I feel instantly calm yet my heart is on the verge of exploding. It's the best feeling I know, especially when accompanied by my dog and husband. I love to run my hands along the moss (it's quite nice after a fresh rain!), poke at the lichens, and feel the soft new tips of the conifers. 

     I just recently started to photograph it. At times when I go on a hike, I can't even conceive of putting my eye to a viewfinder, so the cameras stay home. I just want to experience it, and have that full feeling in my heart. Not to mention, photography can make an already exhausting trek even more so. But lately, I've decided to change that. I've found that carrying along my Hasselblad can take me to a place within the forest I didn't know I could go to. Gazing into its viewfinder, everything seems more wonderful.  The greens greener, the moss mossy-er! At the same time, it forces you to strip down the forest into basic elements lest you end up with poorly composed photos (of which I have plenty, some of them are probably here). You have to look for symmetry, forms, shapes, textures, and, perhaps, most importantly light. You have to take a dynamic, complex place, and simplify it. For me, it's one of my greatest photographic challenges.  

     So, here is a series of forest photos I shot in black and white. The goal was to explore shape and texture, and, simply, how black and white film responds to light in the forest. The day I shot these I was out with two of my flickr friends, Vanessa and Danielle, who are both dreamy medium format photographers. I'm not entirely in love with any of these, but I'm excited to see where I go with this. Not to mention, the hikes I'll have to take to get wherever this is leading me! 

on Spring Time

     

     When you are a budding plant biologist, you see spring time a bit differently, although with no less appreciation for the inherent beauty in a flower. It's just that, those flowers, they evolved for a purpose: reproduction. And, woo boy, are those angiosperms frisky. Each week, it seems, a new plant sends out its flowers in hopes that a potential pollinator may buzz its way over, and carry some pollen off to meet another flower. Thinking about the fact that the whole purpose of a flower is to reproduce somehow makes it even more astonishing that they can be so beautiful. Here is a selection of my flower images from the past few weeks. Shot on film, with my Hasselblad 500 C/M.