#thestilllifecollective

There are a few things I can't seem to get enough of - coffee, photos of coffee, flowers, and new hashtags.  (Desserts too, but I'm trying to eat a few less desserts these days.)  Today I'm creating a few of the above, as I'm editing photos of coffee and flowers, and creating a new hashtag - #thestilllifecollective. As artists, I believe it's imperative that we continue to grow and learn, seek new inspiration, and encourage each other along the way.  The idea behind this new hashtag is to create a gallery where all kinds of still life artists can mingle their work together to boost and inspire us all, and give rise to new ideas.  I hope you'll join me!

#thestilllifecollective

 Like so many of us, I'm always on the lookout for inspiration for still life photos.  I find that it's easy to get caught in an endless loop of creating and consuming the same kinds of images, over and over, and while that can be comforting, it can also get a little stale.  I hope that by creating #thestilllifecollective, we can bring together all different kinds of still life to breathe new life into our creations.  While we should each stay true to our own photographic voice, we should also be open to new ideas and trying new things.  I want to create a place for a wide interpretation of "still life" to encourage and inspire all of us to grow and expand our art.     

I am always seeking to find and infuse meaning and connection in my work, and to push myself just a little further, stretching the bounds of my creativity and comfort zone.  This means being both brave and vulnerable, which can be really hard at times. I hope that by continuing to grow our community of passionate and kind-hearted artists, we will all continue to find the courage to try new things and to share our gifts with the world.   

I hope you'll join in with me on this unpredictable, yet wildly rewarding, journey.  Start tagging!  #thestilllifecollective

- KB

Still Life Series - March Botanicals

Still life photography has become a passion of mine.  It has become one of my favorite ways to embrace and enjoy the present season - creating still life images that reflect the light, the mood, the atmosphere, and the natural abundance of any given time of year.  It helps me to slow down and notice what's happening outside in ways that I never used to, to get in sync with the rhythms of nature.  It gives me a feeling of connectedness.  It also requires a ridiculous amount of patience, which has never been one of my virtues, but I'm working on it.  I'm usually rushing ahead to the next season without fully appreciating what's right in front of me.  I can't say that will stop - I look forward to each different season - but I can say that it forces me to be more intentional and appreciate each season as it's unfolding. 

Creating a photo series using the abundance (or lack thereof, in some of the transitional seasons) also allows me to hone my craft and push my creativity by making a series of photos with the same set of materials.  I've been doing this in a less intentional way for a while, but now I'm making an effort to document it here. 

March is a terrible time to start something like this (if you live in a cold climate, that is) but here we are.  I figure starting with a total lack of abundance is a good way to force you to be more creative.  (For the record, that's the kind of advice that makes me want to roll my eyes, but I think there really is something to it.)  I snagged some dried hydrangeas, which I have probably looked at a thousand times with no appreciation for them whatsoever, from my mother-in-law's house, to start with.  Then I added some pussy willows that I spotted on a walk.  Over the course of the last couple weeks, I've put together this little series to document the March botanicals.   

I ended up enjoying photographing the hydrangeas and pussy willows much more than I expected.  I'm trying to be patient for spring flowers, but I'm making no promises.  If you follow my Instagram, you know I've already caved and bought some hyacinths.  :)

Enjoy the season!

-KB

June Flora

The natural beauty of this area continues to surprise and inspire me.  There is a timelessness in it that speaks to my modern sensibilities but also recalls times past, when the area was inhabited by sea captains and tall ships were a regular sight going up and down the river. 

Despite having grown up in rural Maine, the beauty of summer feels all new to me.  Maybe because I didn't really see then the way I do now, and maybe because years of living just outside Boston has given me a new appreciation for country living and the simple pleasure of seeing the roadside filled with wildflowers.  Throughout the month of June, there was lupine everywhere I looked.  It made the mundane, like running errands, that much more palatable because the drive itself was so beautiful.   

Then came the bloom of the peonies.  Though I don't have any of my own, my dear friend let me take some of her abundant and beautiful blooms.  I wish they could last summer, but their short season makes them all the more special.  I intend to plant some this fall in hopes that I might have some of my own next summer. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the flora of the season and look forward to the next wave of seasonal blooms.  I hope early summer has been enjoyable for you, too! 

Enjoy! - KB

Freshly Cut Lilacs

I adore the fresh scent of cut lilacs in the house.  Their smell is light and floral, filling the house with the scent of early summer.  Cut lilacs don't last long but I have found that gently smashing the cut stems will help them to soak up more water, and putting them into cool water immediately after cutting helps maintain their freshness.  I can remember snipping a small bouquet of lilacs to take to my elementary school teachers and wrapping them in damp paper towels so that they would survive the bus ride to school.  I love lilacs so much that for my wedding, my aunt cut lilacs in late May and kept them alive and fresh until mid-June.  She has incredible skill with flowers and I hope to learn as much as I can from her.  For now, I am enjoying some of the last blooms of the season and looking forward to planting more lilac bushes to enjoy in future years. 

Enjoy! - KB

Lilacs in Bloom

I forgot how fresh and uplifting spring and early summer are, here in the great state of Maine.  I forgot how beautiful and bountiful the lilacs can be, how sweet and light the apple blossoms are, how quintessential it is to see lupine in bloom all along the highways.  I've been captivated by the blooming lilacs, their fresh scent in the breeze all over town, and have been photographing them relentlessly for the last week. 

Today I'm sharing a handful of images from my recent lilac photography binge.  I've been admiring them by the old houses and barns that I so adore, especially on the kinds of cloudy days that I love, as well the bunches that I've brought inside to fill the house with their decidedly spring-y fresh scent.  Their peak bloom only lasts about a week so I am soaking it up as much as I can.  I hope you are too! 

Enjoy! - KB

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  I am passionate about all things photography and baking.  Here you can expect to find recipes and images of my latest baking adventures along with some lifestyle and still-life images.  Though this image was taken in the fall, with apples harvested from my family's orchard, berries foraged on a walk in the woods, and my trusty apron, it's a good beginning to my journey here.  I hope to see you back here again soon!