Jenny & Seth

You may be wondering why I've chosen to show a picture of a dandelion seed here. Well, since I have completed the Hunger Games trilogy, that image of a lonely dandelion has remained in my thoughts. It also reminds me of Horton Hears a Who, when " a person is a person, no matter how small". Now, how those apply to the couple you are about to meet? I'll explain. 

In the Hunger Games(for those of you who haven't read it, you should check it out I couldn't put it down!), a dandelion represented hope to it's main character, when she thought all was lost and she got up the courage to fight for life. And in Horton Hears a Who, Horton believes that every creature deserves respect, love and care.   So, when I knew I was going to have a chance to photograph my friend Jenny and her husband Seth, I couldn't think of a better symbol for their love for each other. 

Jenny Coyle is a fellow photographer (http://www.jennycoylephotography.com/), we actually met in photography class. My first impression of her was that she was so laid back and comfortable in herself which was refreshing to see, since I find myself to be somewhat Type A at times.  She is warm and motherly without being insincere.  And her work is incredible. She has a real eye for a more documentary style of photography. She is absolutely able to tell a story with her images.  Her husband, Seth and I have only met briefly one other time before the shoot. But for that short time of getting to know him, he made me laugh so hard, I thought the drink I was having was going to come out of my nose! Just like Jenny, he is laid back and again, just comfortable.  So, I was very excited to work with them and coincidentally enough, their anniversary is just around the corner.

We met at Atkinson Common( http://www.atkinsoncommonnewburyport.org/) in Newburyport. This happens to be where Jenny and Seth got married 2 years ago. So, we started things off in the gazebo.

They were so deep in conversation here, I think about food? The two of them are self-proclaimed foodies. 

Jenny and I have this "thing" for cutting off heads and only shooting the lower portion of the body. So, you will see a few of those in this blog!  

I love the way these two look at each other. 

And here are some feet pics for you...just because! Seth even started playing footsies.

This is a second marriage for Jenny and Seth. They both admittedly claim how nervous they were to get back out there and find the right person, but they took a chance and it paid off in full(see...dandelion!). Just when you think that things might not go the way you want them too, fate steps in to help you out. They now have a beautiful blended family and are so in love.

First the "serious" smiles and then Seth had to goof around to make us all laugh.  I also, just love Jenny's expression down below. I wonder what he was saying to her?

The symbols of commitment and love. Check out how gorgeous her ring is by the way!

Want to see more of this amazing couple? Want to know how else I can really stretch my whole dandelion metaphor? Then stay tuned for part 2 of Jenny and Seth. There will be some posing, some silliness and a whole lot of smooches!

Tavern In The Square: Part 2

Truffle Tater Tots

Picking up where we left off (http://kristinesoares.blogspot.com/2012/04/tavern-in-square.html in case you missed the first part), we were in the middle of our meal. Just got a taste of the eclectic dishes at Tavern in the Square, Salem. Let's dive back into the main dishes. As I mentioned before, Tavern has a little something for everyone. Their entrees continue with that theme. 

Philly Burger: Shaved steak, sauteed mushrooms and onions with cheese sauce top a classic burger

Maui Chicken: Wok tossed tempura breaded chicken breasts served with jasmine rice, Asian slaw and grilled pineapple. Glazed with a spicy pineapple teriyaki sauce

Steak Frittes: Grilled hanger steak on a bed of French fries with a Gorgonzola bacon butter and Worcestershire vinaigrette

Chicken and Waffles: A southern classic. Crispy fried buttermilk chicken on top of a Belgian waffle with mashed potatoes, gravy, whipped butter and maple syrup

Tomato Mozzarella Melt: Vine-ripened tomatoes, grilled eggplant and zucchini smothered in mozzarella cheese. On toasted Ciabatta bread with arugula, basil pesto and balsamic reduction

Bistro Burger: Classic juicy hamburger with Swiss cheese, apple-wood smoked bacon and a fried egg sunny side up with a bistro sauce

Now every good meal should end in dessert. I am a fool, because I never leave enough room for it. If I were eating at Tavern in the Square, I must plan in advance! When the staff brought out these next 3 dishes, I thought I died and went to sweet-tooth Heaven. I even had to put the camera down for a moment and take a sample...sooo worth it. 

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake: Rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate fudge icing. Served with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and vanilla glaze

Butterfinger Creme Brulee: Rich and creamy vanilla custard mixed with crumbled Butterfinger and topped with caramelized sugar

Fried Snickers: Two Snickers bars wrapped in a crispy shell, deep fried and topped with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

That's where all the yumminess ends right? Wrong. The Tavern in the Square also serves breakfast. Breakfast is served until 2:30 on Saturdays and their award winning brunch buffet is served on Sundays until 2:30. I highly recommend stopping by. Their brunch was by far the best I've ever been to.

Eggs Benedict: Three poached eggs and Canadian bacon on English muffins, topped with hollandaise sauce and served with homefries

Pancakes: Old fashioned buttermilk pancakes served with warm maple syrup, butter and powered sugar. Can be topped with glazed strawberries or wild berries and caramel bananas as shown.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at all the goodies I had the pleasure to photograph. If you are ever stumped for where to go to eat, make sure you stop by Tavern in the Square, Salem. It has such a great atmosphere, the people are great and above all the food is worth the trip.

I'd like to thank Steve, Rick, Adam, Eduardo and the rest of the team at Tavern in the Square for making this shoot even more fun than I could've imagined. 

Tavern In The Square

    

Be prepared to get hungry while reading this post! This blog will be all about the amazing options at Tavern in the Square, Salem(http://www.taverninthesquare.com/salem/salem). So grab a beverage of your choice and enjoy!
  
When I got asked to photograph the menu items for Tavern in the Square, I jumped at the chance. This combines two loves of mine, food and photography. I am a Food Network fanatic, pour through magazines staring at the beauty of food and I love to cook. So, naturally, I was excited.


Tavern is located on Washington St. in Salem, not too far from Salem State College and all the busy shops and restaurants. Catering to the crowd, there are a ton of yummy favorites, like nachos, wings and even fried pickles. But there are also some new twists on classics that set them apart from your average pub.

Hummus Two Ways: Roasted red pepper and white bean hummus accompanied by fresh veggies, tortilla and pita chips

Pulled Pork Sliders: Slow roasted pork simmered in their own root beer BBQ sauce, served on mini brioche buns with iceberg lettuce, cole slaw and pickles

Mahi-Mahi Tacos: Seared mahi-mahi, crispy sweet chili slaw and Chipotle aioli served in white corn tortillas with tropical fruit salsa

After just starting your meal with one of those, you're probably thinking how can the entrees top that? Oh...just you wait. If I didn't have a job to do, I would have sampled everything they brought out next! One thing that I really appreciated about Tavern, was that they had options for just about everyone. I on occasion like to have meat-free meals, so it was nice to see some things that were different than your standard vegetarian plate. For the "lighter" side, we'll start with the salads and a nice hearty cup of soup. And I'll throw in a taste of a couple of their flatbreads for good measure. 

Summer Salad: Fresh watermelon and blueberries tossed with arugula, feta and lemon juice. Wrapped in cucumber and topped with vanilla yogurt and wonton strips

Apple & Goat Cheese: Apples, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and Vermont goat cheese are piled on top of a bed of mixed greens and served with a chardonnay vinaigrette.

Sesame Encrusted Tuna: Pan seared sesame encrusted tuna served medium rare over mixed greens with Asian slaw, wasabi peas and wonton strips. Paired with a sesame ginger dressing

French Onion (Cup or Bowl): Caramelized onions simmered in beef broth and topped with provolone cheese

Margherita: Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and shaved parmesan

Fire Roasted Vegetable: A roasted veggie mix of zucchini, bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms with mozzarella and a red pepper pesto

I think I'll leave you with that tonight, don't want to send you to bed with a "too full" stomach. Check back soon for more deliciousness. There will be burgers, breakfast and fried Snickers, Oh My!

 

Inspire

 This blog is not going to be full of pictures, but I can promise you that it will be honest and full of heart. 

I had the incredible opportunity to go to an Inspire Photo Seminar(http://www.inspirephotoseminars.com/) just a couple of weeks ago and I am so glad that I did. This was an opportunity for me to learn, network and overcome some of my biggest fears. 

Some of you reading this may know, that I often experience anxiety and panic attacks. I sometimes have a very hard time with change and the unknown. According to the ADAA(Anxiety Disorders Association of America), anxiety affects about 40 million of adults in the U.S. age eighteen and older. That's 18% of the US population (http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics).

So, you can imagine my fear, when I knew I was going to be leaving my family; driving to a place I hadn't been before and being in a crowd of people that I had never met before. The old me(aka before Inspire), would have just kept to myself and sat in the classes and gone back to my room. I decided, it was time for a change.

The first day, it was the drive down. I made a playlist on my Ipod, full of songs that would get me psyched for what I was about to do for myself and my growing business. So far, so good, until I hit a little snag (nearly got into an accident at one of the tolls). My arms went numb, my whole body got hot and I started to shake a little. But I just kept going. I turned up the volume and started singing along to keep focused. Got to the hotel in great time, checked into my room and decided to push myself a little farther. I walked out to the lobby, sat down and introduced myself to a few fellow photographers. Things were going to be okay.

First order of business, was to get a few headshots by the amazing Leah Haydock(http://www.leahhaydock.com/). Leah was my wedding photographer 3 years ago. She is also the one who informed me about Inspire and advised that it would be crucial for me to go. So, thanks Leah! 

Met up with the couple of friends I did know, the lovely Brooke Whicher(http://www.brookewhicherphotography.com/About_Me.html) and very sweet Jenny Coyle (http://www.jennycoylephotography.com/). And we decided to kick things off with a little toast before the welcome dinner. 

The following day started our classes. I was so happy that I had the chance to hear Leah Haydock speak. She gave a presentation on Profitable Weddings. Being a former bride of hers, I look back at what she really put into our wedding. She doesn't just shoot a wedding and then she's done. She really invests herself in the couple. She makes them feel like friends, not just clients. I think that is a major part to her success. Plus the fact that she has the best British accent and is super sweet!

Next was Eric Foley's(http://www.ericfoleyphotography.com) class, Going Full Time. This class was perfect for me. Informative, relaxed and touched on everything that I had hoped it would. Not only that, but I felt like I could relate to Eric. And for the first time, I actually started feeling like, "I really can do this". That was the turning point for me and my career. I even mustered up enough courage to go and thank him after the class. And he didn't brush me off, like he could have, because I'm sure he was super busy. He gave me some advice and encouragement. And I will be forever thankful. 

Next was Nicki Pardo's( http://www.pardophotography.com/) class on getting people to feel comfortable in front of the camera. This is something that I feel pretty good at, because I like to get to know people and their true personalities. I like to become a part of their family and make them feel at ease. I walked away from the class with some great tips and assurance that I am doing a good job. 

So, the first day of classes was over and now for the next challenge. Heading to the bar and singing karaoke in front of my peers(you know, the very successful photographers that I had just met!). Didn't know if I could do it. I love to sing, I'd sing all day if I could, but this was different. If I failed, I would be doing this in front of potential connections/friends. My stomach was turning, my hands were going clammy. But, I grabbed the bull by the horns and sang not just once, but twice. And no failure! Oh and I happened to meet my doppelganger, Jessica Pegg(http://www.jpeggphotography.com/). We are both starting out, both are Portuguese, love music, wear similar glasses and somehow her mother is close friends with my aunt. Small world!

The next day was more classes, including a very vital, Laws and Ethics class, an albums class and later a sales class. I could feel my brain beginning to swell with knowledge. I kept thinking, how am I going to handle this all? And then I thought back to Enna Grazier (one of the forces behind Inspire) and one of her speeches. She talked about how lucky we are to have such an amazing community. And as I looked around at my new friends, I can see that she is right. I now have an amazing group of people to turn to if needed and some that may turn out to be mentors along the road.

So, Inspire for me was not just about learning more about photography and the business. It was a chance to see what I am made of and my potential to get even better. It was my opportunity to face fears that have held me back for so many years. When I came home, I felt more confidence in myself and my ability than I ever have before. 

I would like to thank those who took the time to get to know me and listen to me. Thank you to those who shared your knowledge and stories. Thank you to the Inspire team for planning this amazing event. And most of all, thank you to those who continue to believe in me. I promise not to let you or myself down.

I'd like to leave you with a picture taken by Leah Haydock. I think this really reflects the new me and how I want to be from now on.

Courtesy of Leah Haydock Photography 2012