Kitchen Art - Chicago Area Photographer

I like to challenge myself and try different things. (Translation, sometimes it's hard to go anywhere with three little ones 5 and under.) This week I looked around my kitchen to find subjects for photo art. With a little creativity and staging, here is what I came up with:

Can't start my day with out it: COFFEE!

A pot of boiling water.

My subject slowly began to disappear at the hands of little monsters.

The shadow the shades made on the wall.

I liked this shot because of the interesting shadow the light made on the green glass chili pepper. Reminds me of Halloween, my favorite holiday.

The ends of glass chili peppers.

While my husband was in the Army, stationed in Talafar, Iraq, he bought me a lovely tea set. It was a war souvenir to let me know he was thinking of me. It is a symbol of love and war for me.

There is nothing like frijoles de la hoja. Nowadays the pot is just decoration due to lead poisoning, although when I was young this wasn't even a thought. My kids get frijoles in a plain old boring black pot.

This subject disappeared too...

Getting My Groove Back In Long Grove, IL - Chicago Area Photographer

I've had a rough couple of weeks to say the least, so I took these images for me. There are lots of things about photography that I love including how it makes me feel. Photography gives me sight and voice. It makes my mind imagine, create and capture. It makes me look at myself and the world around me asking myself on this day what does my heart "see".

I went to this beautiful little town named Long Grove, IL one morning and opened my eyes to what I normally miss when we go there. My husband's aunt, who lives in FL, loves to visit this town every time she comes to Chicago. We load up all the kids and carivan 3 sometimes 4 cars to the brick paved sidewalks and smell of fresh baked donuts in the air. Leaving with arms full of goody bags; taffy apples, fresh baked apple pies, and we can't leave without the donuts on a stick for the kiddos or someone will have a melt down. Everyone is happy partly because of the sugar high; I'm happy because we spent the morning together.

Not far from my home I returned just me and my camera. This is what I've missed so many times before...

I never even noticed this covered bridge. Maybe we spend too much time in front of the donut shop.

I really loved this door.

A beautiful vase sitting outside one of the shops.

An interesting window

The last shot I took... My husband asked me if I photoshopped the heart into the image. No, I did photoshop the colors, but the hearts are there every time we go. They are carved into all the benches along the sidewalk. I just never noticed them before, and neither did he. I shot through the bench onto the brick paved sidewalk.

Camp Cantigny Wheaton, IL - Chicago Area Photographer

A few weeks ago my family took a trip to the beautiful grounds of Camp Cantigny in Wheaton. The kids had fun running through the gardens, chasing the butterflies, and climbing the tanks. After a beautiful morning of exploration and a nice picnic lunch, my wonderful husband encouraged me to wander the grounds alone for 45 min while he loaded the kids up in the car. I could have gotten lost for days. Here are just some of the amazing sights.