Tag Archives: photo

catch of the day: elephantine

Being more of a wordsmith myself, I always am impressed with blogs that effortlessly tell stories through images. I discovered Elephantine through the author’s kitchen shop, Mignon Kitchen Co, and was instantly attracted to her foodie (and seemingly francophile) style.

What I like best about Elephantine is its not-entirely-posed aesthetic. Dishes are shot in preparation; mouthfuls, just moments before being consumed.

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Rachel’s training in design and appreciation of simple, grey days (influenced, I’m sure, by her Seattle stomping-grounds) pervades her motley assortment of posts – which feature far more than food. The vibe is more calm “staycation” than ravenous world traveler – a visual (re)treat in the truest sense.

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catch of the day: gentl & hyers

In New York, you encounter quite a few self-promoting artists – many to the point of cockiness, despite the overwhelming competition. But when you meet people who are truly talented, so comfortable in their own skin and creativity that they humbly approach you as “just another normal human being”, that is a truly exceptional experience.

Such was the case with Martin Hyers. My photographer sister and I were attending the Kinfolk social in Brooklyn, and struck up a conversation with a friendly neighbor in line for drinks. When he mentioned he was a photographer, my sister enthusiastically noted his name. It wasn’t until later that we discovered he was not only a lovely person, but one half of the exquisitely talented Gentl & Hyers.

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Photo credit: Gentl & Hyers Blog: Hungry Ghost (http://www.hungryghostfoodandtravel.com)

The couple’s work goes far beyond food, from travel to portraits to interiors. Their elusive aesthetic – captured moments that perch briefly before assuredly slipping away – renders all subjects equally beautiful.

Yet it is knowing that this remarkable art springs from graceful hearts and hands that makes it all the more gorgeous.

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catch of the day: cinemagraphs

Graphic designer by day, photographer by freelance – it goes without saying that my sister knows a thing or two about aesthetics.  But she’s really outdone herself with this new find.

Cinemagraphs, the creation of graphic artist Kevin Berg and artist Jamie Beck, crank up the quirk and the romance of a photo’s “moment in time”.  Still images come to life with a surreal quality that echoes the magical realism of cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Amélie).  The art thus becomes two-fold: not only framing a gorgeous initial photograph, but also selecting the details that are highlighted in motion.

The results are truly awe-inspiring – as breathtaking as they are innovative.  So don’t be surprised if flatscreen cinemagraphs become the picture frames of the future.

To see more cinemagraphs, click here.

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catch of the day: the trail of crumbs

Once upon a time, when I was living in Paris, a friend came to visit who told me that “food was not important” to her.  This, dear reader, caused something of a conundrum (see: panic attack).  For I was (a) in Paris to study food culture, (b) Paris is one of the most important food cities in the world, (c) a good number of the things I like to do in Paris involve observing/smelling/tasting food and (d) even when not directly interacting with food, I literally cannot walk down the street in Paris without thinking about the best food-related activities in the neighborhood.

In fact, when someone asks me for things to do in any city, my suggestions (if not directly food related) will always be followed by – “and if you should happen to be hungry, there is this great [ fill-in-the-foodie-blank ] right around the corner…”.

It was soothing to me, at that time, to have all my fellow ex-pat and native French friends react to this story with “Quoi? She does not care about food?” – just as it is rather delightful for me to have discovered the like-minded Trail of Crumbs, a self-pronounced “gastro-travelogue”.

As California ex-pats living in Paris, Adrian and Danielle’s passion for travel is only matched by their passion for food.  After years of helping friends plan exciting food-friendly vacations, they launched this website as a way to chronicle their favorite bites along the way, and they will even go so far as to provide you with individualized gastro-travel plans.  I’m looking forward to checking out their Paris Guide myself.

To date, I’m most impressed with their window-box gardening, and I’m excited to see what comes next!

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