Just popping in today to share this pretty song from the movie "Her"...it has been the perfect soundtrack to this rainy, gray week. You may have seen Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend) perform this at the Oscars on Sunday since it was up for Best Original Song...sorry "Frozen" fans, but this really should have won! Also, if you haven't already seen "Her" I would highly recommend it - it's an incredibly beautiful film.
I hope all of your weeks are going well - mine has been good, but long and tiring! I'm looking forward to a weekend of sleeping in, a visit with an old friend, and perhaps an outdoor adventure or two :)
Flavored Popcorn: Three Ways
Each of these flavors are pretty simple and easy to make. I went three different directions: One sweet, one salty, and one with a little spice. Each of the recipes for these toppings are enough to flavor about a third cup of popcorn (makes a medium sized bowl). I made the popcorn first by heating up a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil on medium heat (using coconut oil gives the popcorn a slight flavor and makes the house smell amazing). I put in one kernel first and waited until it popped so I knew when the oil was ready. Pour in your kernels, cover the pot, and shake it around over the heat until it stops popping.
Asian Inspired Popcorn: Start by covering your popcorn with a thin layer of melted butter (about a tablespoon). Now, put a bit of soy sauce in a spray bottle (weird, I know, but it's the best way to do this without making the popcorn soggy), and spray the popcorn with a thin layer of soy sauce. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of wasabi powder, a couple sheets of crumbled nori (we used teriyaki flavored), and salt. If you don't have a little spray bottle on hand you could forgo the soy sauce, add a little more melted butter so everything sticks and finish with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
Curried Popcorn: Cover your popcorn in 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder and sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt to taste. That's it!
P. S.Thanks to my roommate Sydney for reteaching me how to properly pop popcorn and helping me come up with the flavors! :)
Photo Friday // More On Lighting
Hello hello friends! Sorry for the slight blogging hiatus this week...things have been busybusy lately...but guess what?! I come bearing good news. Taylor and I both got into grad school this week! He got accepted to the MFA (creative writing) program at the New School and I got into the Social Work program at Columbia! So the possibility of moving to NYC in the fall is becoming more and more real...it's very exciting! Anyway, I just wanted to share that news with you all cause...well, isn't that the point of this bloggy thing?
Onto the real reason for this post: Today I am going to talk more about lighting in general. I talked about shooting in low light a few weeks ago, but I thought it would be helpful to share some of the other lighting related resources I've come across. So here you go!
- One of the first things you should know is that there are a few different kinds of light, and they create very different effects. Direct light creates warmer tones and more contrast, diffused light (such as light softened by clouds) creates lower contrast and cooler colors, and reflected light mostly depends on what the light is being reflected from (I'll talk a little more about reflected light later).
- It's also good to know that light changes though out the day. You've probably heard before that sunrise and sunset are the best times to take photos because you get that pretty, warm light that's not too contrasty. Contrast will be higher the closer you get to noon when the sun is directly above your subject.
- This post on finding the right light says "you're not shooting the subject, you're shooting the way the light falls on the subject." I think this is a really great way of thinking about it! It is important to actually think about where your light is coming from and how you can use it to your advantage. It's easy to just get caught up in how much light there is, and forget about considering where that light is coming from. This post talks about "photography around the clock" the different ways light can fall on your subject, and the differences it makes.
- If you're lucky enough to have windows that let in some good natural light, you've got your own free softbox. This post talks all about window light and how to get the most out of it.You should use the tips from above about where your light is coming from when positioning your subject next to a window. And remember, if you can, it's best to have one kind of light in your photo so turn off any lights (otherwise white balancing will be a real bee-yotch).
- Have you heard of "catchlights?" I learned that when taking portraits it's good to get reflections of your light source in your subject's eyes (or catchlights) to brighten them up.
- I think I mentioned before how if you're shooting outside, it's best to place your subject in shade and not directly in the sun. Even better if you can place your subject in the shade across from a wall that can reflect some (less harsh) light back onto them. This post talks about a few other techniques...I've never really thought a whole lot about how changing the position your subject is facing in the shadow, or moving them around within the shadow could effect your photo.
- What do you do when there is no escape from harsh sunlight? One option is to put the sun behind your subject...it will blow out the background of the photo, but you'll get nice light and the focus will be on your subject...Though it does take some practice to get good backlit photos. You can find some tips for backlit photos here.
Happy weekend!
want // need // wear // read
"something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read."
want: peony season and a house full of flowers//need: a haircut//wear: brainstorming ways to create my own jewel collar shirt on the cheap//read: "on such a full sea" is next on my list.
post inspired by james of bleubird blog
The Liebster Award!
Here are the rules:
Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Answer the 10 questions given to you by the nominator.
Nominate other bloggers (who have less than 200 followers).
Create 10 (or so) questions for your nominees to answer.
Let your nominees know that you nominated them!
Here are my answers to Sam's questions!
When did you start blogging and why?
I started blogging a couple of years ago when I was about to leave to study abroad in the Dominican Republic (I ended up rarely posting since I didn't have great internet access). When I came home I would occasionally post craft projects, but never really posted regularly. In September 2013 I created Paper Umbrella and decided to get a little more serious about blogging...I wanted a place to share my creative endeavors, travels, adventures in cooking, and all the little bits and pieces of my life that I want to remember down the road.
If there was one book you believe everyone should read, what would it be?
I'm going to have to pick two (sorry!)...The first is The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz because it is beautifully written, and the second is Quiet by Susan Cain because I think us introverts are a bit misunderstood :)
How do you relax at the end of a busy day? My favorite thing to do is make a quick dinner, open a bottle of wine, and cuddle up in bed with Taylor and some Netflix.
What is something that you are super good at? Some might tell you I make a mean g+t ;)
If you could eat only one meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be? Probably a burrito from the little Mexican restaurant down the street from my house (is an indestructible digestive system part of this deal?)
Where do you see yourself five years from now? Hopefully I will have completed my Masters of Social Work (I'm applying to programs right now!), and be working at a non profit or social service organization that I love....Other than that, who knows!
If you could travel anywhere right now, money is no object, where would you go and why? I would go to India in a heartbeat. India has been at the top of my list for a while now... It is seems like such a fascinating and beautiful place to me. My parents just went there and came back saying they thought of me and how much I would love it everyday.
What's in your handbag? I'm a little scared to look...my bag is never organized and often full of garbage. But other than that I almost always carry a little notebook for ideas and lists, a book, a couple of lip stains, lotion, and my wallet.
When was the last time you learned something new? What do you want to learn this year? Well, I feel like I'm constantly learning new things at my job. Working with kids with special needs is never dull, to say the least! I'm challenged everyday to learn and develop new strategies so I can support my students to the best of my ability. Outside of my job, I have been trying to challenge myself creatively by teaching myself bits and pieces about photography and, lately, a bit of graphic design. I really want to try to make time to explore those things more in the future.
I nominate:
Jenni of Tales from Bottomley Cottage
Jessica of Foreign Room
Caroline of A Batonnet a Day
Jenny of Coffee and Honeycomb
My questions:
1) Tell me the story of your blog name!
2) If you could travel anywhere in the world right now where would you go?
3) Coffee or tea? And why?
4) If you could go back five years and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
5) Where would you live if money/jobs/distance from family and friends didn't matter?
6) If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
7) What's your favorite quote?
8) What's your spirit animal?
9) Favorite kind of flower?
10) What's your favorite thing to blog about?
That's it! You should definitely go check out what these ladies have to say and take a look at their blogs if you haven't already.
PS: I've decided to forgo my biweekly Photo Friday post today...but fear not, it will be back next week! :)
Citrus Kale Salad
I love kale, but I really haven't been able to get with the whole raw kale salad craze. I will eat steamed kale or baked kale chips all day and night, but raw kale is just too chewy for me! I decided to do a little research to see if I could come up with something I liked...I came up with this simple salad recipe, and it turned out so well I just had to share. The citrus breaks down the kale a bit, so it's not as tough, and the feta adds a little creaminess. Yum!
Here's what you will need:
-Around half a bag/bunch of kale
-1 Grapefruit
-1 Lemon
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-Salt & Pepper
-Sliced almonds
-Feta Cheese
Start by tearing up your kale. Get rid of any thicker stalks. Put your kale in a large bowl and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the kale (watch out for seeds!). Next, add your olive oil. Cut open the grapefruit and use a spoon to take out the meat and add it to the salad (do it over the salad so all the juice goes in). Once you've removed all of the meat, squeeze the rest of the grapefruit juice over the kale. Season the salad to taste with a bit of salt and pepper and mix well. Let the salad sit for a bit. The longer you let it sit, the softer the kale will get. When you're ready to serve the salad, sprinkle on some almond slices and feta. Enjoy!
Do you have any favorite kale recipes? Please do share!
Guest Post on Coffee + Honeycomb // Valentine's Day Nails
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