Sunflowers, sunny days and studios

There's something so cheerful about sunflowers. Their bright yellow colour demands attention in late summer, towering over the rest of the garden and dominating the farmer's markets.

 I'm usually not a fan of brightly coloured flowers, especially yellow, but sunflowers are the exception. I have to have at least one bouquet of them every year.

 We've been enjoying beautiful sunny days and I've been taking advantage of them!  These last days of Summer are a blessing and meant to be enjoyed.  I've spent them working in the garden or reading a book on the porch, anything to stay outdoors as much as possible.  It won't be long before venturing outside is the last thing I want to do!

 I thought I'd show you my new studio set up. It's nothing fancy but it's just what I need. I'm fortunate to have an entire room to use for my photography and any craft/sewing projects that I want to do. Once I'd cleared out half the room, I re-purposed a 30" x 60" folding table that I covered in white contact paper and placed it under a large window.  White muslin curtains act as a diffuser when the light gets too strong.  The table can be pushed back against the wall when I'm not using it and I can hang a back drop there if I choose.  The most difficult part was finding a place for everything I removed from the room!  It took a few days of trying this here and moving that there before I was happy.  I'm looking to purchase some simple lighting for those dark winter days when there isn't much natural light available and I'll also be painting the walls a soft white.

So there you have it!  Well worth a few days work.  It's nice to have everything handy when I'm ready to shoot and not have to re-arrange everything in my living room or reading room to get enough space to take my photos.

Blackberries

I bought these at the market last weekend and photographed them the same day, which proved to be a good decision since they didn't last very long.  I'm not sure if I can describe how delicious these berries are.  There's a burst of flavour as you bite into one ... tart and sweet at the same time.  When I bought them, I was thinking about baking them into muffins, or a cobbler, but cooking them seemed like such a waste.  Like raspberries, I rarely bake with blackberries. They're just too good in their natural state.

I'm finally working on setting up a dedicated space for my photography.  It's taken a lot of rearranging and has proved to be a little more work than I anticipated (isn't that always the way?) but it's going to be worth it!  Hopefully, I'll finish it over the weekend (in between my hubby's softball tournament).

What are your plans for the weekend?  Whatever they are, I hope you have an enjoyable one!  xo

Peaches

Fresh from the farmer's market ... peaches! As I unpacked them I noticed one still had the leaves attached and thought how nice it would look hanging over the bowl.

These were so sweet and juicy! I love this time of year when the markets are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. I have to be careful not to buy more than we can eat in a week but it's so difficult! I want to taste everything at once.

There's an Autumn chill in the air as I write this. September is usually a roller coaster of temperatures - hot and humid one day and cool the next. The apple orchards have begun to hang out their pick-your-own signs and most mornings now require a jacket or sweater. Yes, I'm starting to look forward to Fall ... to heartier meals and freshly baked pies, to putting my Autumn decorations up and buying mums and pumpkins for the garden.  September means heading back indoors and re-focusing on home.  I can't wait.