Food Photography Class

     With Geo's encouragement, I took a food photography class. It certainly surpassed my expectations.

     The instructor was also a chef. He gave us basic photo-shoot tips. Then, while he prepared the food, we began snapping away.  I took about 200 pix with my Panasonic Lumix.

     The number one pointer he gave us was to get the light right, even before considering the food. Then try to take a picture from an angle that would show the food in a way that would not usually be seen.

     Someone asked, "How do you know if you have a good picture?" The instructor said, "If people ask questions about your photo, then you know you have a good one."

    For some reason, the three I've chosen to post are among my favorites. What do you think?

Flexibility

After New Year's, daughter Addie scheduled an evening flight from Burlington to Denver with a stopover in NYC. We packed up her luggage and I dropped her off at the airport well in advance of flight time.

No sooner did I arrive back home than we got a phone call from Addie. She said something about the lights being out on the runway in NY and her flight was CANCELLED. So I jumped back into the car and drove back to the airport to pick her up. Other flights with her connection to CO were pretty well booked. The best they could do for her was a 6AM flight from here the following day.

Sooo, 4AM we were up and ready for the drive back to the airport. Instead of NY, her stopover was to be in Boston with the next available flight from there to Denver after 7PM.

Waiting all day in Boston, I probably would've hunkered down with a gigantic cup of coffee and a good book. Not Addie. She wisely checked her luggage and got transportation into Boston to see the sights. First on her what-I-want-to-see list was the Boston Museum of Science. As opportunity would have it, she happened upon a Snowflake Bentley exhibit. (Vermonters know "Snowflake Bentley," with a local museum in Jericho.) Nice for her to see, especially since she is teaching Snow and Science sessions in Keystone. Addie also paid a visit to the MIT Museum in Cambridge.

A boring day of travel became an extended day of vacation in Boston. I'd repeat the old adage, "when given lemons, make lemonade," but maybe "when it snows, make a snowman" may be more appropriate for this season. (Groan, groan...)

The airline upgraded her to a stretch seat. Another unexpected perk.

Happy to hear she had safe travels.

First Night 2011



It was the 28th annual First Night celebration of the arts in Burlington, Vermont.

I wore black, diamond earrings, and hiking boots. (Okay, this is Vermont...) Weather was really mild. The streets were wet and a little slushy. 

Attending First Night has become a tradition for us. There's a choice of over 70 events, most lasting about 40 minutes, giving time to find one's way to the next venue for the next performance. 

Geo and Adriene arrived on time for the one-and-only performance of The Blue Gardenias. I parked the car and made it there during "Mood Indigo." Then it was on to  the glitz and glam of "Lyric First Night Cabaret" with their, well, powerfully lyric entertainment, singing Broadway showtunes. After this, Geo, Adriene and I split up in different directions.

I headed to the Flynn Space where there was standing room only to hear the hip renditions of The Flynn Jazz Combo, a talented young group led by none other than Tom Cleary. My fav group of the eve, however, was the Ellen Powell Jazz trio. We must remember to catch her at Leunig's Thursday nites when she performs on bass guitar with various accompanying jazz pianists (including Tom Cleary).

Geo met up with me for The Queen City Hot Club where "standing room only" became "grab a seat and sit on the floor." Being there early paid off with front row seats where we could not only hear the music, but we could see every note as fingers of the musicians danced over the strings of the instruments. Their style of music, "gypsy jazz," originated in the '30s and embraces American and European standards. I was happy to recognize the melody of "oh, how we danced on the night we were wed." (I haven't heard that one in a very, very long time.)

As promised, George treated me to Beef Stew at one of the church dinner locations. A hearty break with a lemon bars for dessert. Adriene met us there where she gathered energy to party the rest of the night long.

Before heading home, Geo and I took in one more event: folk singer/songwriter Aya Inoue. Very sweet voice. Still recovering from our Christmas colds, we called it an early evening.

I was sorry to miss Gregory Douglass, especially when I read that he has toured with They Might Be Giants, one of Sean's favorite groups. Also, Sambatucada, an Afro-Brazilian percussion group. Hopefully we'll catch up with them for 2012.

Sean and Jenna, wherever you'll be next year, we hope you'll join us for First Night 2012.