Here is the thing about being addicted to photography, it can be expensive. Really expensive. But, when I get a new toy (in this case a beautiful macro lens) I feel like a little kid on christmas morning. I can not wait. I need to get out and play with it NOW! I just got a new macro lens and I have been LOVING playing with it. Shooting macro makes you look at the world in a completely different way. I thought I would share a few images that I took with my new lens.
I started with a shot of one of the many new buds on my lemon tree. I have yet to get an actual lemon off the tree but she (yes it is a she) is blooming like mad. If all of the buds did eventually turn into lemons I would be up to my neck in citrus. Lemon meringue pie... lemon chicken... lemon bars.... lemon sorbet. Endless possibilities.
The fragrance that the flowers on my little tree provide is wonderful. Intoxicating actually.
Then on to Bruno, our guard spider. He is busy keeping all of the aphid and other parasitic insects off of my beloved lemon tree. And he is doing a pretty darn good job. Thanks Bruno.
Next, a blossom from a succulent plant that I have been trying to kill for the past two years. No success yet. The little plant is determined to withstand my neglect. Poor thing.
And I couldn't shoot around the house without sneaking in a photograph of at least one of the boys. If you haven't met him, this is Linus. Sure, he looks innocent. I can assure you that he is all trouble maker. And I am pretty sure he has a stack of kitty crack hiding in the house somewhere. His newest thing is to out of no where do a backflip off the wall. He is a nutcase.
After shooting a bit around the house I decided to take my adventure out side. I walked along the Bay Trail and found a sweet little feather.
And finally, a little bit of landscape photography with the new lens. San Francisco peeking through the fog and you can see the Bay bridge to the left of the city. Not a bad place to live.
Hello Friend, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
It has been such a long time since I have been anywhere near a show ring. It is crazy to think of it since I was so involved with horses as a kid. If you didn't know me when I was growing up I suppose you wouldn't know that about me. I was crazy about horses. It was all I used to dream about as a girl. I remember begging my parents to let me have a horse. I did eventually get my own horse (though I had to work my tail off to get her) and from then on horses were pretty much my life. I was at the barn before and after school and all day on the weekends. I loved every second of it. There is something so special about having a connection with an animal. Something that would drive a young girl to spend every last minute with a horse and not even think it was strange to have her clothing permanently smell of horse sweat and manure.
Curious, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
So, a while back I was feeling particularly nostalgic and really missing my horsey friends. I emailed a few equestrian centers in the bay area and offered my photography services. These images are from a schooling show at La Jolla Equestrian Center in Pleasanton last Sunday.
Excited, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Dressage, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
La Jolla Equestrian Center is beautiful. The grounds are well kept and the trees and perfectly groomed arenas are what I dreamed of as a kid. It was a sunny day (100 degrees, ouch!) and everyone seemed to enjoy the event.
Taking notes, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
A job well done, photography by Sara Atkins photography.
A big kiss for a job well done. A big smile from mister horse. He is clearly proud of himself.
At the show I had a sign up sheet for people so that they could be emailed when their images were ready to be viewed. When they signed up they were also entered into a drawing for a free personal photo session with their horse. Well, the winner of that drawing is little Bella Hartman! Congratulations Bella, be sure to email me and let me know when you would like to set up your photo session!
Warm up, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Horse and Rider, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Thank you to everyone at the La Jolla schooling show! I had a great time photographing all of you and I hope you enjoy viewing the images as much as I enjoyed taking them! To see all of the images from the show please go to my proofing site. You will have to create and account with a password of you choice. When you have done this you will be able to use the access code, 'la jolla' to view the images. Please let me know if you have any questions!
When I was completing my bachelors degree in South Africa I came to appreciate much of the South African cuisine. One of my favorites was the rusk. A rusk is basically a very hard, dry biscuit. It has been called the South Africa biscotti, I think of it more as just plain comfort food. It can be consumed any time day or night and is best dunked in a hot cup of rooibos tea. Rusks come from the early pioneer days in South Africa as a way of preserving bread, and while it is often made at home, the most loved of all rusks is a mass produced brand called Ouma. Every time I come back from South Africa I am sure to have at least a couple of boxes of Ouma tucked away in my luggage.
Unfortunately, Ouma Rusks are a tad bit expensive if you want to order them in the US. And I have yet to find a store that carries the beloved treat. So, for the past several years I have been on a quest to bake the perfect rusk recipe. It is still not Ouma, but I am getting closer.
This is a recipe that I found online on a blog called Food and Family and it is as close as I have gotten to Ouma.
South African Buttermilk Rusks -The Recipe
2lb 12oz flour (I 2 lbs wholemeal and the rest white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 teaspoons of salt
9oz butter
½ cup raisins (optional or add mixed seeds too)
2 eggs
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup oil
Preheat the oven to 380F
Grease three loaf tins of base measurement 8x4 inches or any combination of deep baking dish that adds up to about the same.
Baking Diptych, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour (I like to do this with my fingers). Add the raisins if you are using them. You can experiment with various nuts and seeds as well, though the rusks are equally good plain.
In another bowl mix together the buttermilk, sugar, eggs and oil and beat until well combined.
Rusk Dough, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Stir liquid into dry ingredients and mix then knead to a firm dough.
Rusk in the Making, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Form the dough into balls about the size of a ping-pong/golf ball and pack them tightly in one layer into the loaf tins.
Dough-lishious, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
I usually get six rows of three into each of my tins. Bake for 45 minutes.
Comfort, photography by Sara Atkins Photography.
Turn out onto a rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes before breaking up into individual rusks along the joins of the balls. Dry in a low oven 100C/200F for 4-5 hours until the center is completely dry. These can be kept for ages in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
I grew up in SA... and live in the Bay Area now as well. Ouma Rusks are AWESOME. I found your blog entry while trying to figure out where I could buy some. haha. Cost Plus World Market stores used to carry them a while back but not anymore. :( I'm hopeless at baking, but I might have to try your recipe. Thanks.
Awesome site btw. Great photos.
(12.21.09)Hey Joseph! We just got back from South Africa yesterday. I promise you I had Ouma rusks EVERYDAY. My rusks aren't as good, but they are close. I promise the recipe is fairly simple. Give it a try!
(01.13.10)Hi there just ran across your blog! Great pictures! My husband is South African (also a photographer) I am trying to find a good rusk recipe for him! I want try this recipe! I do not have a scale so how much flour is 2 lb 12 oz of flour? and also I think 9 oz butter is 1 1/4 pounds of butter. Am I right?
THank you!
(03.24.10)Hello Michelle, it is great to hear from you. Where are you two living at the moment? It is so nice to have something from home and these rusks are pretty close! I am not sure about the conversions of the measurements, but you should be able to goggle 'cooking conversions' and find out. Enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turns out! Happy baking!
(03.24.10)Hi there just ran across your blog! Great pictures! My husband is South African (also a photographer) I am trying to find a good rusk recipe for him! I want try this recipe! I do not have a scale so how much flour is 2 lb 12 oz of flour? and also I think 9 oz butter is 1 1/4 pounds of butter. Am I right?
THank you!
(03.24.10)Hey there! We live in Phoenix, AZ! I tried another rusk recipe last week but he said that it did not taste good. I am hoping I can get these right! He is really missing South African food! Thanks for answering so quickly!
(03.25.10)
I was recently contacted by a wonderful friend of mine, Dana Underwood with regards to an event that he needed covered. I was happy to help him out of a tough spot and was thrilled to be a part of such a great event.
The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority out did themselves with this event. It was the 4th annual Wine, Croquet and Music Charity Fundraising Event and it was a perfect day for it! The event took place at Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton. Which (in case you are looking) would be a great location for a wedding. It is BEAUTIFUL!
The event's purpose (aside from good food, wine and company) was to raise money for several programs. This first of which is District Attorney Kamala Harris' Back on Track Reentry initiative with program is aimed at curbing recidivism and preventing offenders from returning to a life of crime. Also, they are supporting the 2009 Women's Health Conference featuring Maya Angelou taking place on October 17th. Finally, what ever is left will be going to provide scholarships and mentoring to aspiring Bay Area students.
The croquet tournament was a hit. Future Perfect provided the music for the event, they were wonderful. They certainly kept me moving around the event. How can you keep from swinging your hips with them on the stage? I am not sure. If you are looking for a great band I would definitely recommend them!
The line dancing was so much fun, lead by Pam Wilhite. As soon as the music was set everyone rushed to the dance floor to join in. Thank goodness I had my camera in hand, I would have cause havoc on the dance floor.
I can not photograph an event with a dessert table like this one without taking at least one image of it. And this was probably one of the most well stocked dessert tables that I hve come across. The lunch was great, but the dessert was out of this world! I am still dreaming of the amazing lemon bars!
I recently went to Costco and noticed that they already have holiday gear lining the aisles! Crazy right? Well, it got me to thinking that if anyone wants to take advantage of my super cool holiday cards, they better start planing their photo sessions now.
That is right, it is time to start thinking about holiday cards, and I would love to help you to create your perfect card! Take a peek at some sample cards I have this year.
If you want to take advantage of these cards, or have me create something totally different for you let me know! If you act quickly, I still have sessions available so we can create a new memorable portrait for your family.