Trying to acheive SNL photography

Week after week I admire the work of Mary Ellen Matthews, the photographer responsible for still bumps you see during Saturday Night Live. 

Tonight I decided to take some of the pictures I snapped over the weekend and played around in Photoshop to try and achieve a similar style.

This is the one that turned out the most SNL-ish.  I think it looks pretty cool! 

These aren't a true before and after, because I used an already-edited version that had been uploaded to Facebook, which downgrades the quality quite a bit.  The original large unedited images are in the other room and... well...

Once again, ladies and gentlemen, Before and After.

I would like to thank my models who immediately jumped in front of the camera and shamelessly posed for several minutes... even after I'd left the room.

{Engagements} Session Re-dos

I figured out some new Photoshop tricks so I decided to go back through and re-process some of the pictures I've taken...like this one!

{Families} 19 People and Counting

 

Some childhood friends of mine asked me to come over to their parents' house the day before Christmas Eve and capture their growing family... and it worked out! 

I was so excited to see Maria and Olga and the rest of the gang.  It had been about seven or eight years since we'd been together, and the family has basically doubled in size since then.  And, in addition to us doing something meaningful with the money from the session fee, they also paid me in homemade tamales.  Who can beat that?!

 

 

On the surface, I can see about 100 woulda-shoulda-couldas in these photos, but if you just look past them all you'll see is a lot of love in a family which is also loved by me!

Andes Mint Cookies - Take 35

I made another batch of my award winning Andes Mint Cookies today and am very pleased with how they turned out!  Not like last time.

I got two spontaneous requests for this recipe this week, in addition to the fact that I was attempting them again, so I figured I'd rehash the how-to on the ol' bliggity blog.  Next time I can just send a link instead of texting a photo of my dirty, poorly abbreviated recipe card.  There are so many dos and don'ts with this thing that it's good to read through before attempting.

So, here goes.

---

3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 T. water
12 oz. chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/4 T. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 boxes Andes Mints

Melt the first four ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.  Don't let the chocolate get too hot.  Once it's smooth (it won't be glassy smooth because of the granulated sugar, but you'll be able to tell when the chips are fully melted), remove it from the heat and let it cool for a while.  Add the eggs.

Combine the remaining dry ingredients and then pour in the chocolate mixture.  Stir well.  Dough will be pasty but thick.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls (don't go bigger -- you'll be sorry!) and place at least 2-3 inches apart on a well-greased cookie sheet.  I like to use Pam.  The only time I used butter was the time they turned out terrible.  I don't know if the two are related, but better safe than sorry.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  The cookies will be puffy in the oven until the 11-12 minute mark.  After they flatten, that's your cue.

While they're in the oven, take this time to unwrap your Andes Mints.  After the cookies come out, leave them on the cookie sheet and drop one mint onto each.  After a couple of minutes the mint will be melted enough to spread around like icing.  Note -- these are meant to be thin, crispy cookies.  Don't hate if you were expecting something else.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!  You can also freeze them.  I haven't done that before, but this is my grandma's recipe and I know she always made them well before Christmas and kept them in the freezer.

And now, for those of you who think I'm way too wordy, here's a version you can select and print:

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Melt together:

• 3/4 c butter
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 T. water
• 12 oz. chocolate chips

Chill for a while, then add:

• 2 eggs
  

Sift together:

• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/4 T. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pour chocolate mix into dry ingredients, mix well and refrigerate one hour.  Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-3 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  Top with one Andes Mint while cookies are still hot.  Swirl with knife after the mint melts.  Transfer to wire rack.

Yields about 4.5 dozen cookies... exactly enough for 2 boxes of Andes Mints.

No business like snow business!

Fun with Photoshop

I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to redecorate a stranger's home.  I looked online for a listed house that was unfurnished (easier to edit) and found this 1980 Texas split-level with amazing Mexican hex tile.  The same tile was used throughout the ground floor of my dad's hotel when I was growing up, and I always thought it was so cool.

Here are the original pics of the listing followed by my magic!

This would be such an inexpensive update!  Paint the walls a warm white, paint the built-ins (I had to just grab some image online because I couldn't figure out how to change the color of the wood), remove the mirrored wall and replace with some accent wall paper that mimics the geometric floor, replace the two ceiling fans with Mediterranean-style lighting and keep the stained molding.  I actually would totally keep the molding around the window too but it was too difficult to keep it in the edit.  I love the nailhead trim on the club chairs but the leather ottoman is weird in the light of day.  Maybe a big barn wood coffee table would be great.

 

Can't tell what you're seeing up there?  That weird wrought iron thing next to the stairs actually looks through to the floor of the kitchen.  I wonder if that was original to the house?  It's so strange.  Cover it up with a big ol' vintage map of Texas and maybe some wainscoting on the other side in the kitchen.

How great is the existing woodwork and the tiling on the wet bar?  I added the same geo wall paper to the inside of the bar and replaced the mirrored back with more decorative tile.  It's a little much but I had fun playing with it.  Maybe some colorful glass tiles with some metallics mixed in to mirror the aluminum bull skull on the opposite wall... I keep forgetting this isn't real life! :)

I just did this to pass time but it turned out so pretty that I had to share it!  Of course it's completely wonky and the later the night went on the more sloppy I got with the editing, but I'm so into this style that I just invented!  Does it have a name?

Somebody got married...

I blogged a lot about this wedding craft so I might as well post the results, huh?  I didn't get a good shot of the ring bearer's accessories, but if you look closely you can see the bow tie and his mom holding the ring pillow.  I also whipped up a headband for Kate using the first bow tie I attempted that came out too small.

I seem to remember snapping a photo of the guy who caught the garter sporting my hard work as a sweatband (I'm not making any sarcastic implications here; I was really excited when he displayed my handiwork!) but that photo does not exist on my camera.  I'm not surprised.  My friend, Mr. Cabernet, may have told me to delete it or it's possible he accidentally handed me someone else's camera.

It was such a beautiful, fun and unique wedding and I was happy to be a part of it!  Enjoy some more of the photos..