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“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

― Julia Child

Many of you know, and many of you don’t know, that food photography is a huge passion of mine. It’s not just the food itself, but the community and cultures that humans create around food. When that is tied to my passion for ethereal light, my love of a shallow depth-of-field, capturing moments, and my yearning to eat, experience, and share all the things, the only result is a glorious collision of light hitting film and sensors capturing light as colored pixels.

It’s around a kitchen table where some of my best memories were made, where I learned from my family, and was consistently asked, “What did you do for your country today?” by my father as he took a swig of his wine and a bite of his bread…or popped an olive into his mouth, because we never had a meal without a boat of olives. It’s around a kitchen table where I learned to make tamales at Christmas time while novelas played in the background, try everything at least 1 time, spend hours protesting carne guisada despite my love for it now, and actually stop to reflect on the day and its happenings from a very young age. I was blessed to know that the kitchen table was a place of solace, a place of camaraderie, and a safe place to talk to my family. The kitchen table is a place of sharing, and there is no better way to enjoy a meal than to share it with the people who make you tick.

While it has taken me some time to figure out where my life is headed in terms of a creative career, I’m confident that I now know where I want to be. I want to be in a place that I can share my adventures and the food that shapes them, and all the stories that come along with them. Food is more than nourishment, it is a gift from God, it is an art form, and it is a precious commodity that I am thankful for everyday. To the farmers, the chefs, the families, the non-profits, and the consumers:  you’re the ones who feed the world and that’s a huge job…I’m here to document every part of that.

Our trip to Bonnieux and the South of France was an opportunity to really delve into more personal work. How could you not with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables and all the French cooking? The best food starts with the freshest ingredients, and I’m sure Julia Child and any other chef would agree with me. I believe the best food photography starts with the freshest ingredients and the purest of light. Below are a sample of photos I made that document my trip through my food, some staged, some at markets, some at home, and some at restaurants. I’m thankful that I have a family who understands that all food must be photographed before it is eaten, who knows that me going to the markets is like my brother walking into a music shop, and also who just lets me be me at the kitchen table when I whip out some sort of camera to remember something special from that meal.  Here’s to the next adventure, a load of supporters, a solid quote from Mrs. Child herself, and a fury of passion..finally.

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After gawking over (and naturally, photographing) all the fresh fruits and veggies from the garden at the house where we stayed, we made our way out to Goult which had the most adorable grocery store…smaller than my apartment but still fresher than anything around here. I love how the French, and anywhere in Europe really, opposes the use of preservatives. The food tastes much fresher and I can tell you the body appreciates the organic and local nature of these foods.

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We spent a few nights cooking at home, which allowed for all the photos of all the pretty parts of food including family. Everything so fresh. Everything so natural. And everything just delicious.

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Those fries, though.

These next few photos are from out and about. Food trucks, restaurants, markets, and patisseries. Just lovely, every bit of it.

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And of course, if you’ve been following along, you have seen that kitchen window. That kitchen window let in the most glorious of light onto a beautiful kitchen farm table. When we arrived, we were gifted with three giant heirloom tomatoes just waiting for a photo shoot before becoming a caprese salad.

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For my last food shoot in Bonnieux, I greeted that kitchen table with some pretty macarons from Aix-en-Provence. I mean…when in France, right? I do think, however, I had as much fun shooting them as I did crushing them and then subsequently eating them.

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Thank you for traveling along with me! Again, if you’d like to see how we chronicled our trip in instagram posts, search our hashtag, #bonnieuxmonsieur. I’ll leave you with this fiery quote from someone who never let anything or anyone stop her:

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
― Julia Child

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Oh, Bonnieux, how I miss you so (rhymes with monsieur, if you’re curious how to pronounce it)! Nestled and perched high on the side of a mountain in the Luberon region lies Bonnieux, another Roman-Gothic tiny village that has vibrant life, steep streets (very very steep, which is still an understatement), and a spectacular view onto the land of les paysans (farmers). This little town, home to Les Chapelins (a small neighborhood surrounded by vineyards that climbs the mountainside where we stayed), unlike any other is bustling with life, beyond welcoming, home to delicious restaurants, and had the most casual lifestyle. While we didn’t make it to the bread museum (shucks…just more carbs for next time!), we did make it to the18th-century chapel at the bottom of the village, the market, found a lively little grocery store, and grabbed our daily croissants and baguettes from the local paâtiserie and salon de thé. We antiqued with some locals and met a lovely artist couple, Carole Sebton and Laurent Vauxion, who own Sous les toiles de Provence Atelier-Galerie who make some of the most unique impressionistic and mixed media work I’ve ever seen in person. We stayed in an old Provencal home that had been modernized, but still kept its old world charm in way of its stone sink, worn stairs, thick stone walls, and its lack of windows facing the street (cool fact: the French were taxed for the number of windows on a home that faced the street…so they wouldn’t put windows on the side of that house!).

This house was our sanctuary to everything that weighed heavy on our shoulders at home. It was one of the best escapes I can remember and easily one of the most photogenic, too! It was so photogenic, we could not pass up a 30th anniversary and family portrait shoot for Jerry’s parents. With a view fromBonnieux, across the valley all the way toLacoste, one could sit for hours gazing off past the horizon. When I wasn’t daydreaming my life away, I was playing badminton with Jerry and Tess, dipping my toes in the pool while glued to my newKinfolk and sipping sparkling lavender lemonade, I spent my mornings noshing on pastries, butter, and honey, and drinking endless amounts of espresso while sitting in the kitchen window. Tess and I also had a lovely time photographing (and eating) ALL THE FOOD (wait for the next post!), enjoying our time together with family, and occasionally dodging a scorpion. I even raced snails (escargot on the go!) and admired the beauty of spiders and their webs, rather than screaming and running away. This house had so much natural beauty and history with it’s towering trees, terraced garden full of lavender, pears, figs, blackberries, olive trees, and all the pretty flowers that overlooked the vineyards of Les Chapelins. And all the history is tied up with the key to this home… it’s so big, you could never lose it!

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5Go! Go! Go! Escargot!

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24OMG PASTRIES + ESPRESSO!

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I spent probably 30 minutes in awe of this florist as she whipped up the most beautiful bouquets in merely seconds. If there was an olympic racing event for creating stunning fresh-flower bouquets, I’m certain she’d win. 29

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On one of our slugfest days (days where you do nothing but slug around), we went out to Les Agnels Distillerie de Lavande to see how lavender was farmed, harvested, distilled, and turned into the finest essential oil. We learned about the health benefits of lavender, too. I’ll give you a quick description…it heals everything with 1 drop. We even finished up by watching lavender get stuffed by a tractor tire into the still while sipping on lavender water (not to my taste, hence why I took photos instead). This was a very interesting and informational visit. I had no idea there were three different species of lavender that grew at three different altitudes: traditional lavender (high altitudes), spike lavender (low altitudes), and lavandin, a hybrid of the first two where they meet in a middle altitude. Most of what we use in oils, perfumes, lotions, and other aromatherapy forms are lavandin, rather than lavender, because it is easier to genetically reproduce. They all have their own different medicinal qualities too, but it seemed that lavande officianale, true lavender, had the best and most healing qualities. It also yields some of the BEST honey I’ve ever had, besides of course, the local honey from Eastern NC.

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Thanks for stopping by–I hope you enjoyed our photos from Bonnieux of our epic slugfest (massive key below)!

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Some really not-so-awesome-but-can’t-live-without-them instax shots of our tablescape and view from the kitchen window.

And again, our trip was, of course, chronicled in instagram posts. Below are some from this part of our trip. To see them all, and unfortunately see the nsfw spam that made it’s way into our beautiful hashtag, search #bonnieuxmonsieur.

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Up next, FOOD. ALL THE FOOD. Please eat before you view! 🙂

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I think it’s ok to say that good people come to you in the most unexpected places. That would be how I’d sum up a good chunk of our trip to Provence. You might be in a pretty place with breathtaking views and decadent food, but without family and friends, both new and old, your experience will never be as rich as it could be. I don’t mind talking to strangers, in fact, I always make it a point to befriend someone especially if they are going to be in front of my camera. If I learned anything with my photojournalism schooling, it’s that if you don’t speak up you’ll never get the shot you want,  because rapport is such a wonderful thing. I’ve met a lot of lovely people in the past six-ish years who have let me be a part of their story somehow. I’m thankful for the friendships and the photographs they’ve given me, and the contact that still remains. People and their stories open your eyes to a world that you may have never known existed; and it’s with these people and their stories, that your life becomes much richer than it ever was before.

This part of our trip, we traveled to Lacoste, Aix-en-Provence, and L’isle Sur la Sorgue. Each town and city is unique, but united in their laid back, southern-esque lifestyle. We started in Lacoste, another perched village across the valley from Bonnieux. In the village’s recent history, it’s known for its artistic community and is home to a Savannah College of Art and Design campus. Marquis de Sade’s crumbling castle at the top of the town is now an art museum which was started by the fashion designer Pierre Cardin. At night, the castle is brightly lit and is easily seen from across the valley. We jaunted over to this village unknowingly aware of how rich it was in the arts and how steep the roads were. We climbed from the bottom to the top on a sunny late morning in ill-fitting sandals and somehow managed to avoid slipping on the narrow and winding cobblestone streets. We also avoided getting sunburned from the limestone’s reflections of the blistering sun. The entire walk, or hike, was met with beautiful art and sculptural aspects of this tiny village. Once at the top, we stood with our mouths open at the view and the art that surrounded us. Once we were back in the town center, we were surrounded with the locals setting up for the Festival Lacoste. We peeked our head into a humble church, St. Trophime, and breathed in all its simplistic beauty. We stepped out only to find a sparkly little shop that caught our eye. Here we met Ruth, who was running a small pop-up shop selling her jewelry. We managed to walk in on the last day within its last hour. It was fate, as some might call it. Ruth was very sweet and allowed me to photograph her shop and make conversation. We talked about our love of treats, pretty jewelry and textiles, and some of the best brocantes in the region. We’ve kept in touch sharing images and our love for good photography. Her blog, Rubanensque, is a beautiful menagerie of her French lifestyle and a creative outlet of her work, family, and inspirations. My two recent favorite posts are about truffle hunting and a surprise winter snow. Ruth’s presence, hospitality, friendly persona and recommendation of the best crème brûlée made Lacoste that much more dear to my heart. I can’t wait to return this summer for a visit!

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Whoa, y’all, Jerry actually posed for picture without arguing and enjoyed it.4

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How’d you like to be that cat with that view? Just a little jealous.

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Aix-en-Provence, or the Paris of Provence, as some locals call it, always leads to a day of shopping and exploring. Last time, we came upon a quaint little dog shop and searched up and down the streets for the shop again to no avail. We did however, fall back upon the beautiful Cathédrale St. Saveur, which was built upon a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo, and houses a stunning green and gold organ (however, we missed organ practice this time). This cathedral will always take my breath away with it’s soaring ceilings, exquisite frescos and stained glass, and it’s mash-up of Roman, medieval and neo-gothic decorations and architecture. St. Saveur has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, which accounts for its unique qualities. After cooling of in the sanctuary, we made our way to a macaron shop for some sweet cookies for a soon-to-be featured food shoot.

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While staying in Bonnieux, we made a few trips to the old textile town of L’isle Sur la Sorgue, which is now home to some of the best French antique markets, or brocantes, second only to Paris. Some call this the French Venice, but I do enjoy this town better than Venice itself. There are canals of crystal clear emerald green water, brocantes, and hidden gems all over. The algae-laden watermills speckled throughout the chilly canals used to power the silk and paper factories that put this town on the map. Antiquing and tourism are its current industries, the first of which we spent days supporting. After walking around in the Provencal heat, we’d end the day by dipping our toes in the chilly Sorgue River with a gelato in hand. Tucked behind gardens and gates off the main road were shops, galleries, and warehouses of antiques. La Boutique de Francine, was a favorite as it housed hoards of antique linens, silks, and clothing. These brocantes are open only during the weekend and Mondays, with the street flea on Sunday mornings. Each one had its own personality and flare, our favorite of which was where we met Robbie and Nava.

This British couple transplanted themselves in L’Isle Sur la Sorgue because of the antique industry and the calmer way-of-life compared to London. After interrupting their lunch, we bought some prints and a surprise present for Jerry, cracked a few jokes and realized that they were some pretty awesome people. They were an integral part of Mrs. Donna’s antiquing expedition and helped her find an antique stone sink, in addition to letting us know which dealers were solid and which were crooks. We checked out some real estate with Robbie and Nava, then walked around the canals, visited the overly gaudy, but still mind-blowing, Baroque cathedral, Notre-Dame-des-Agnes, and ended our day with Pastis, an anise-flavored apertíf, and sparkling lemonade. I of course, got lost taking photos of a colorful street across from the cathedral with such lovely vintage typography. We arrived the next day to continue our quest for antique tables and sinks, and then grabbed a lunch at Restaurant Le Carre D’Herbes with the lovely couple before we left town. It was one of the tastiest lunches of traditional Provencal fare served with a to-die-for Côte du Rhone. It’s hiding inside one of the galleries surrounded by vines and greenery. We then parted ways as our new friends went to go move their gallery to a new site, called Rives de Bechard. You should go visit at the very least to meet these lovely friends of ours. Just like Ruth, we’ve kept in touch with Robbie and Nava since we’ve left and hope to meet again this summer.

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Hundreds of lovely little ducks speckled the canals.

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Quirky entrances graced most of the shops and brocantes throughout the town.

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And of course, a daily gelato stop and toe-dip.

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One of the coolest things were the gentlemen who boated their way along the canal. Unlike Venice, all the bridges were very low, so they definitely had to limbo their way through.

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The colors and patterns that surrounded L’Isle Sur la Sorgue got my heart good. I would cage all my windows if cages looked like this.

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Robbie and Nava were so full of life and hospitable. After interrupting their lunch, she could only offer fresh apricots to us while Robbie cracked jokes about us crazy ambitious antiquing Americans. I love these portraits as they really capture their dynamic and caring personalities. Below are some shots of the trip to the stone mason’s gallery, and his dog, who searched for toy rocks in the sinks.

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Look at the size of that office chair. Whoa.
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Vintage french typography. Be still, my heart.

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And Jerry’s new favorite photos of us.

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51Don’t fix it if it’s not baroque! Also, don’t let people see you taking photos!

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Some really not-so-awesome-but-can’t-live-without-them instax shots.

And again, our trip was, of course, chronicled in instagram posts. Below are some from this part of our trip. To see them all, and unfortunately see the nsfw spam that made it’s way into our beautiful hashtag, search #bonnieuxmonsieur.

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Bonniuex & a lavender distillery are up next! À bientôt!

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Finally, after months of working, being caught up in life, and editing my heart out, I bring you the first installment of our summer trip to Provence. I have been dying (quite literally, Jerry might think) to publish these photos for your pleasure and to start working them into my own portfolio (more on that in a future blog post if it doesn’t kill me first). For the last few years, I’ve been blessed to travel with my husband’s family abroad for a few weeks every summer. Two and a half years ago, they fell in love with Provence (but really, how could you not?) and decided to travel back this year to explore the Luberon region, a bit further East than our last trip. This region is full of rolling mountains, lavender, golden-stoned architecture, and spectacular views through a crystal-clear sky. So clear that you can see the village from one mountaintop all the way across the valley to another mountaintop. We stayed in the lively village of Bonnieux and mainly focused on exploring smaller villages, making friends with locals, and just enjoying life…and food. Always food…and Côtes du Rhône wine. These small communities are full of artisans and antique dealers which made for delightful conversations throughout markets and brocantes. I now understand why artists love this region so much; the sky and light are so pure and the culture so warm, refreshing, and hospitable. It makes sense why Vincent Van Gogh explored this region of Provence in search of the purest of light resulting in his Starry Night. I could spend hours dazing out across the valley watching life happen below and clouds wisp around above me or days noshing on pain au chocolat while drinking an espresso at the patisserie and salon de thé while locals come in for their daily baguettes.

In this first post, I will show you some explorations in Goult and Gordes, two small villages with stunning sites, astounding food, and such a humble unspoken beauty about them. Goult is a very quiet, and arguably one of the least-known towns in the Luberon region. It is a romanesque town with a quaint square, a few shops, and a few cafés for drinking an dining. We didn’t venture all the way up to the top to see the town’s well-known windmill, however, we found the most peculiar, out of Alice in Wonderland cemetery. One of the prettiest cemeteries I’ve ever seen and we have a knack for finding beautiful ones (check out this one in Ireland, and this one, this one in Texas). After exploring the shrines and altars of deceased loved ones, we stopped at La Carillon, a restaurant for a delicious du Jour lunch of brandade de cabillaud en tartlette, vinaigrette aux fleurs de jasmin séchées, et mousse line de brocoli de parmesan…basically a delicious and highly photogenic fish and potato tart with creamed broccoli. This was then followed by a tartelette crème citron et mangue fraîche, râpé de citron combava…or a really delectable and tangy citrus cream and mango tart with syrup and lime zest. Oh, I’m drooling just remembering this meal. You can see a preview of these below in my instagram compilation.

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When we landed in Marseille at the beginning of our trip, it was lavender harvesting season (literally, the day the French start harvesting this stunning, and scorpion-friendly flower). We quickly set off to find a field after we got some food in our hungry traveling tummies. Alas, we couldn’t find many accessible fields, but we did make our way to Gordes to see the lavender at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque. We greeted Gordes with howling winds, known as Le Mistral, and survived taking a poorly focused selfie. These winds and bad selfies, however, did not stop us from exploring the food at the market and the local chapel, St. Eloi, which was a nice sanctuary from Le Mistral.

The next day, I begged Jerry to wake up before dawn and go with me to the Abbaye, which is just outside Gordes in the Vacluse region, down a series of very steep and tightly wound roads (that are so thin and windy you might plummet to your death if you drive like I do). I couldn’t resist the morning light that graced the sacred Cistercian abbey and illuminated its lavender fields. The monks who live here farm lavender and raise honeybees as their source of income. While we stood in awe, I came across a lovely Spanish woman who was filming a self-portrait and a painter who also, loved the morning light. It was so quiet and peaceful, until of course, my shutter would click, and virtually echo off the walls of this tranquil hidden ravine. Later that evening, I returned with all of Jerry’s family…proof of this in the goofy, and probably looked-down upon group selfie below. I couldn’t resist getting some snaps of Mrs. Donna as she was overjoyed with the sight these rolling hills of lavender. We managed to escape the blooms free of scorpion stings or snakebites, however, we did meet a very friendly fox (François, if you fancy his name) who just wanted a piece of baguette and to wish us a safe trip back to Bonnieux.

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Our trip was, of course, chronicled in instagram posts. Below are some from this first leg of our trip. To see them all, and unfortunately see the nsfw spam that made it’s way into our beautiful hashtag, search #bonnieuxmonsieur. 30

Stay tuned for my next post on Lacoste and L’Isle Sur La Sorgue! À bientôt!

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Meet Ashlyn. Your extraordinary 6-foot-4.5-inches high school senior. Nothing is average about this girl. She’s outgoing, spontaneous, adventurous, creative, and successful. As an outspoken and budding photographer (she has taken my class since her sophomore year of high school and soon heading to Savannah College of Art and Design), she’s told me from the beginning I’d be shooting her senior portraits. I’ve watched her grow and become her own person throughout her high school years, so I had an idea about how to make her senior portraits represent her free-spirit and goofy demeanor. We explored everything that makes the Dirty Durham the best city ever: climbing through a deserted castle, having deep conversations with Geoffrey the Giraffe (Northern High School’s unofficial school mascot that Ashlyn based her AP Art portfolio on), hanging out on Ninth Street, and the best local coffee shop, Cocoa Cinnamon, and shooting some awesome portraits in stunning light. I also shot some film and I believe her face was more excited when I developed her film then her face the first time she ever saw her first roll of developed film. I got some memorable photos with her Mom and Dad, then she flipped through some records in hopes of finding Jack White, and drank enough hot cocoa to make her forget how chilly it was outside. It’s been quite a journey with this girl and she’s got quite a journey ahead of her! Ashlyn, don’t be afraid to be yourself and let your spirit run free as you conquer this big world in front of you! (with your sidekick, Geoffrey, of course!)

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This summer marks the 30th anniversary of Jerry’s parents. These two have been through so much together, that I don’t even know where to start. But besides that, Mr. Jerry and Mrs. Donna have loved each other through every bit of their journey as husband and wife. While getting excited about all that awaited us in France this summer, Mrs. Donna asked if I would take portraits of them, since some of the most recent portraits of them are from their wedding day. So in went the tripod and all the photo gear to prep for a beautiful Provençal sunrise photo shoot of my in-laws and then some of the family together (gotta love a tripod and built-in intervalometer!). I even shot a little bit of film, although, I will admit I do need some more practice with that new-fangled color stuff! It was an experience photographing family in a way I photograph clients, as most family shots are truly just on the fly documentary-style and not posed portraiture. However, these shots are something to cherish. Not only do they serve as a reminder of love and of the beauty that this Earth surrounds us with, but they are also a new family heirloom that can be hung in a special place for future generations to see. It was an honor to photograph this love and an honor to be part of this family, so thank you for letting my camera win the race to be in your face before your daily croissant and espresso, and letting “Screech Owl” make an appearance to make someone wake up, haha!


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Phew! This is the last installment of our summer travels to England & Ireland. The last few days have been full of great feedback & I wish I was able to take all of you with me! Unfortunately, I could only fit 50 lbs. in my luggage and my camera equipment is about half of that weight and Cadbury Chocolate  was definitely the other half of that. If you missed the earlier parts to this, you can see part 1, 2, 3, and 4 by clicking on their link! Once again, going through these pictures, I just sit and thank God that I’m so blessed to make all these expeditions. I really do hope to be able to do this for some sort of good one day, so if you know a way I can impact the world through photography or a story that needs to be told, hit a girl up.  

 

For my photographers, these photos are all from my D800 or my Nikon FM with Fuji Pro 400h film (side note: how coincidental the light leak on the opening image!). These are from 3 different day trips to the towns of Dingle & Cork and the Cliffs of Moher. Each such a different place, but each with a gorgeous, jaw-dropping drives through the Irish countryside. Never in my life have I seen such beautiful light just pick and choose what it wants to illuminate and actually be able to capture it in a single frame. Never have I seen such thick fog become a luscious gray backdrop for some of the most colorful buildings & street life I’ve seen. Never have I been able to stand over 700 ft. above sea level & look down to not only see the sight of where Harry Potter & Dumbledore’s quest to destroy horcruxes began, but to also just inhale such a fresh sea breeze, that I realized that everything I’m doing in my life now has some sort of purpose and not have my fears overcome me. And never have I been able to meet such wonderful people, who despite terrible economic conditions, continue to strive to make their lives and their country beautiful by just caring and being thankful for what they do have in life. 

We set out one day to explore the Dingle Peninsula & then the town of Dingle, home to the famous Murphy’s Ice Cream! The countryside was amazing, and the peninsula unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. There were even surf lessons happening in that 55-degree weather! More power to you, Irishmen, you couldn’t pay me to get in that water.

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Meet Frank, one of our drivers! He was such a sweet and hilarious guy! He also knew the best spots for photos & stew!

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So many Irish wildflowers were picked for pressing!

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ICE CREAM & STEW!

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The next day we headed out to the city of Cork. We did some shopping, some exploring, and found some utterly delicious food at the Idaho Cafe! I even found a sweet shop that had my favorite Haribo eggs & gummy dolphins, which reminded me of my years in England as a kid. Although, when I thought the gummy dolphins were sharks, the clerk was quick to correct me that they were “dolphins, not sharks, because the Irish are nice and the English are sharky people.” After we left Cork, we stopped in Blarney to visit the castle & kiss the Blarney Stone. While I decided to overcome my fear of spiral staircases and heights, I leaned back head first and kissed the stone for luck. Then wiped hand sanitizer all over my lips, haha. May favorite part though were the poison gardens, which made me feel like I was in Professor Sprout’s class at Hogwarts!

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Our last day, we headed out to the Cliffs of Moher. Such a beautiful place. We stopped along the way to grab some photos of some very, very old (I’m talking Middle Ages era), graveyards that just hang out in old castle ruins or along the beach. Once we got to the Cliffs, the view was just spectacular. No photo, I think, could ever do it justice. It really just makes you stop and take a breath of fresh air. I wish we could’ve been there during sunset or sunrise, but it was just too far away for a day trip to try and get there at a certain time, but nevertheless, the Cliffs are stunning anytime of day!

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What I would give to be a cow who lives at the Cliffs!

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We stopped in Adare, on our way back to Springfield Castle and stopped in to this quaint little Abbey Church. Adare was a beautiful little town with thatched cottages, but was really overrun with senior citizen tourists. Must be the golfing!

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And here are some of the Instagram’s from the last leg of our trip! Enjoy!

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Thank you again for following along with these adventures! I’m always up for shooting, so let me know if you’re in!

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After our couple days in Dublin, we caught a train and headed out to West Ireland in County Limerick. We hopped in a van, drove through some tiny villages and ended up at Springfield Castle in Dromcolliher. A. Castle. Sleeping. In. A. Castle. How awesome! We stayed in the tower house of the castle, which had been in the gatekeepers’ family under the name of Lord Muskerry since 1281! The castle’s decor and knickknacks are even family heirlooms that date back throughout the 19th and 18th century. That, my friends, is an old castle! The grounds were stunning. The woods surrounding Springfield were enchanting, the farm land was beautiful, and you could literally just walk around the property for days. At night the temperature in July is just absolutely pleasant, and you can sit to watch the sparrows fly around the grounds feeding on bugs in the air. Such busy little birds. Springfield is just such a peaceful and relaxing place. On the grounds, Jonathan & Betty have horses, raise deer, raise trees, grow shitake mushrooms & other organic produce, and brew their own beer. Betty is an avid gardener and her rock garden in the front of the tower house is amazing, even Pete the Peacock thinks so, too. Jonathan is an all around handyman and they are currently working on restoring the 2nd tower of the castle. And their dog, Fitzy, just follows along behind them during their day. Jonathan & his wife, Betty, have such a beautiful piece of history in their hands & were such gracious hosts!

I have just a handful of photos of Springfield here today, because believe me, I couldn’t quit taking photos of how beautiful it was. I have a solid mix of digital, black & white film, and colored film for you guys! Enjoy! 

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Pete the Peacock was our dear friend while we stayed at Springfield. He ate homemade french fries, steak, lots of lettuce, and would surprise us in the most peculiar places. Such as a second story window sill, the back kitchen door, or even on top of our car.

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The wall behind the bronze dogs was probably my favorite that included receipts, papers, and posters from Lord Muskerry and his family. So amazing to be able to have all these antique documents from your family!

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If you ventured far enough out on the trails around the property you came upon a little cemetery. Some tombstones were new, while others were hundreds and hundreds years old. Tess & I found the “Kneel & Pray” tombstone to be our favorite. 
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You know, gotta take a selfie in a castle, right?

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The outstanding sunset our last night in Ireland. This shot is from the top of the tower and you can see the sparrows flitting around. I shot this on digital, film, and my iphone and got different colors with each. This was the most accurate, although throw in a little more magenta, just a tad, and that’s the true color. Beautiful, nonetheless, and definitely makes me thankful for the traveling opportunities I had this summer.

And what would be a blog post without some instagram’s!

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Up tomorrow-our excursions in Cork, Dingle, & the Cliffs of Moher!

 

 

 

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After a couple of days in London & finally meeting up with Big Jerry & Tess after their eventful mission trip to Belize, we ended up in Dublin, Ireland. First of all, the flight from Heathrow to Dublin is the easiest thing ever. Hop on, sit, drink some hot tea, hop off, catch a taxi, and bam!…Dublin. By the way, it’s SO GREEN. And there is free wi-fi everywhere you go. #winning

We were only in Dublin for 2 days, so we researched some things you cannot leave Dublin without seeing & pretty much did the touristy thing. Although, it wasn’t too bad considering Dublin is a hoppin’ city, but it’s small & very easy to navigate (at least compared to London!). We stopped by St. Stephen’s Green, Trinity College & its Old Library, Grafton Street, Guinness Storehouse, 3fe Coffee, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Murphy’s Ice Cream, and Temple Bar. All in 1 day. It was awesome!

I only shot black & white film and with my iPhone in Dublin. I love capturing city life in black & white, however Dublin is such a colorful city so I’m glad I at least shot on my iPhone to capture it all! To see all the details on the instagram shots below, go check out my page!

 

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I love quiet little moments like this girl feeding the geese. It reminds me of my childhood when we would take all our old bread to the parks in England and get swarmed by the ducks and geese.


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We stopped by the Old Library at Trinity College early in the morning on our second day in Dublin. This was such a beautiful place. A library that you dream about…of course, I dreamed I was Belle in the Beast’s library. We went to go see the Book of Kells, which was stunning. The exhibit before the Book discusses the details of creating books and illuminated manuscripts, something incredible to see after my art history class of medieval monsters in religious books! While there are no pictures from there, here are some beautiful shots from the Library upstairs!

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The Dublin Dental Hospital & School for Jerry!

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Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Such a colorful place inside, but quite a hefty fee to go in. Since when do churches charge to go to church? Although, considering the economic hit Ireland took in the last 5 years, I don’t blame them.

After St. Patrick’s Cathedral, we trekked across the city to the Guinness Storehouse…that’s a good walk by the way so be ready, or take a taxi. This was a neat museum on Guinness and the company as a whole. It was all inside of “the world’s largest pint glass,” which decided to be clever and add a “foamy head” to their ceiling in their top-floor pub. It’s amazing the impact Guinness has on Dublin and Ireland. They were one of the first companies in the world to offer paid vacation, so I’ll drink a Guinness to that!

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And what’s better than Ice Cream after a day of miles of walking? Murphy’s Ice Cream is what Ireland is clearly the best. Ireland is very proud of everything Irish. And they should be proud! Locally grown, locally produced, locally consumed & mostly always organic! They have figured out the system and it’s quite a delicious one. Murphy’s Ice Cream is handmade in Dingle, a small little coastal town (post coming soon!) and their signature flavor is Sea Salt. SO GOOD! They also have crunchy peanut butter, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Guinness, & Brown Bread just to name a few flavors!

Also, the best treat of all to me (& thank you for walking 1.5 miles for a great cup of coffee), was to find the best coffee-house in Dublin. 3fe Coffee had tons of people talking online, especially about their latte & home-roasted beans. So we walked…and walked…and walked just so I could get a cup. It was so worth it though. Just as smooth and creamy and absolutely beautiful (love their latte art!) as I expected it to be! And as a plus, we got to see a cool little school multicultural parade while we were sipping away!

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Thanks for following along! My plan is to have some photos of our Castle Tower house in Limerick up tomorrow!

 

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I hope y’all enjoyed my first post on our Summer trip to England & Ireland. London is such a magical place with incredible history. I hate that we only just stopped by to say hello! This post, I’m showing you photos from my day with Uncle Dana & Aunt Lin. I haven’t been out to their place, Nottler’s Lodge, since I was 7 or 8 and haven’t seen Uncle Dana & Aunt Lin in forever!  They live just outside of London in a small village called Bricketwood, about a 20 minute train ride outside of London. When I was a kid, I would camp in their back yard, go visit Aunt Lin’s dad, Reg, ride their tractors, talk with their foxes, fly across their land on my little bike, and once I even buried a baby bird that fell from its nest! I was a pretty decent kid, I think. Anyway, they picked us up from the train station and we traveled around the countryside with them visiting where I romped around as a kid, a beautiful cathedral, & a 900-year-old Royal pub. And even better, Jerry and his mom, Donna, had never met the legendary Uncle Dana, so this day was just amazing! Needless to say, family, traveling, & Pimm’s make for one awesome day!

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Our first stop was to St. Alban’s Cathedral, a beautiful medieval Abbey church who had a great take on its art & architecture. Being the art history nerd that I am, I have absolutely loved visiting churches across Europe & actually knowing what the art means, and the style of architecture, and just…well, being an overall nerd. St. Alban was a martyr for the Church. He was converted to Christianity by the priest of Alban, and when the Roman soldiers came to execute the priest, St. Alban impersonated the priest & died in his place. He was beheaded on the site of the Abbey & legend has it that his body rolled down the hill after his death. Gross, huh? But such a stunning church. The stained glass above is was done in memory of Princess Diana, and the colorful modern-day saints had me in love. I mean, who lets a local group of students create modern-day saints of John Lennon & Martin Luther King, Jr. to stand at the altar? St. Alban’s does.

After we traversed around St. Alban’s Abbey, we hopped in the car and took some beautiful back highways (and of course avoided all the highwaymen) to The Royal Standard. This pub claims to be the oldest pub in England, and while all pubs claim that, this is the only royal pub in England. This pub has some amazing history, so click this link if you want to know because it’s a lot. A lot happens in 900 years, people. Definitely too much to blog about. But the coolest part I will talk about. In this lovely pub that smells of wood, beer, and fish & chips (just the tip of the aroma-iceberg), lies a hidden room that housed King Charles I when England was in a civil war. The pub was also an inn, and the hidden priest’s hole housed the King when he disguised as a servant to escape his enemies. The priest hole, or hidden room, is seen labeled in the picture below, saved His Majesty’s life. Pretty awesome, huh?
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Somehow, just somehow, that awesome beer glass & it’s mate will forever be with us. I had to get rid of some coffee mugs, but it was well worth it.

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This was our table guest. Such a loving cat who just wanted the “fries with eyes,” which were little fried Whitebait fish. And I love the old glass windows where the glass has warped over the years. Such a beautiful thing to look through & hard to get anything in focus with a camera.

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This is the priest’s hole where King Charles I hid during war! I hate we can’t get in but it’s royal & historical, which basically means you can’t touch it in England.
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Oh, and you have to love good ol’ Uncle Dana! He can’t stop talking for one second to take a picture! Here he is with his lovely wife, Aunt Lin, & Mrs. Donna! Such a great day with y’all! Thank you for being such lovely tour guides!

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Tomorrow-be ready for some photos of Dublin. And beer. And books. And ice cream. 🙂