Recipe: Grapefruit Rosemary Scones

What is a scone recipe doing on a photography blog you ask? Who cares. These are fucking delicious.

Just kidding! Well, kinda. They are delicious. But actually, they're here because I like to take photos of more than just people, and if you know me in real life, you know I love to bake for people too! So it seemed apropos.

Grapefruit and rosemary sounds like it might be a bit of a strange combination, and maybe it is, but it's a combination worth putting in your mouth. I thought of the flavour combination randomly, because as usual, I decided that I wanted to bake on a whim, and so I found myself looking around my kitchen and garden to see what I had. Can you guess what I found? Haha

I pulled out my phone and opened Pinterest - because where else do you even find recipes?? - and was only a little surprised to see that there were a variety of grapefruit rosemary scone recipes to choose from! Of course I went with the recipe with the most beautiful photographs. Twigg Studios has found a new follower in me and I highly recommend you check out her blog that is full of some of the most gorgeous food photography I have seen. I'm definitely fangirling and feeling inspired over her images.

The Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 450g (1 lb) all purpose flour

• 2 rounded teaspoons baking powder

• 75g (3 oz) butter, at room temperature

• 50g (2 oz) brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• about 225 ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk - I used table cream

• zest of one ruby grapefruit and 3 tbsp juice

• 1tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

Lightly grease two baking trays or use parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. add the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the butter and and cut together until a crumble forms, then add the sugar, zest and rosemary. Beat the eggs together until blended. Gradually add the egg/buttermilk mixture and juice to the dry ingredients until you have a soft dough. Its better that for scone mixture to be on the wet side, as the scones will rise better.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it out with your hand, or use a rolling pin, to a thickness of 1-2 cm, (I used a rolling pin but will use my hand next time) Use a 5 cm (2 inch) cutter to stamp out the dough by pushing the cutter straight down into the dough (as opposed to twisting the cutter) then lift it straight out. This ensures that the scones will rise evenly and keep their shape. Gently push the remaining dough together, knead very lightly then re-roll and cut more scones out as before. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

I didn't glaze mine with a buttermilk/egg mixture. I do wish the grapefruit flavour was a bit stronger so next time I'm going to try them with grapefruit icing ;)

And now I'm hungry.

xo Sandy

#scones #grapefruit #baking #icing #tasty #lifestyle

Taking the Best Portraits: How To Act in Front of The Camera

Don't.

You have an outfit picked out and you're so excited for your photos. But you're really nervous. I hear you. There's a reason I'm behind the camera instead of in front of it *wink*. For real though, I want you to be yourself. And this is why I prefer to shoot lifestyle sessions - unposed, interactions with the people that you love. For me, photos aren't about everyone smiling and looking at the camera. The photos I want to capture tell real life, and sometimes that's happy and sometimes that's silly and sometimes that's sad. Because that's life.

I often tell my clients that they're going to feel really awkward, but I also make sure they know that I'm going to guide them through that, and if that means telling #dadjokes, or asking you to whisper your grocery list in a sexy voice, then I'm game. Because what comes from that awkward laughter are photos of genuine emotion, real human connection and a sense of who you are. If it means that you're moved to tears and we get a little bit of that, then that's OK! How many times have you convinced yourself you're an ugly crier? Let's change that story.

Get to know your photographer. That's why it's so important to me that we meet before your session for a coffee or a beer or tacos. Or if burritos are your thing, that's fine. The worst thing you can do is put pressure on yourself to make photos that aren't authentic. And the most powerful photos never came from everyone sitting pretty and smiling for the camera. There is always a time and place for posed photos, but they shouldn't take up the majority of our session. So come prepared to have fun with the people you love, and let me capture THAT.

Trust me when I say that we all have the same goals when shooting your session.

If you're too worried about that other guy in the photo looking at the camera, you're missing the point. And you're probably missing the photo too. Allowing someone to see you from their perspective is the ultimate trust. You're letting them see you as you are. Do you. This is paramount. You're beautiful; we all are. But you are uniquely you, and bring this magic to the session that no other client before you has brought to the camera. (We're getting deep, y'all.) You want someone to show you that. Because at the end of the day when you glance up and see that amazing photo on your wall, you want to remember what a great day you had. You want to re-ignite how amazing you felt. You want to feel connected to where you were at that point in your life. And you want to remember your life as you lived it, not by everyone looking at the camera and smiling their camera smiles.

So. Now you've got your outfit ideas, you have your session booked, and you're ready to take action. And maybe you still feel a little nervous. But if you've made it this far, and any of this has hit home, I'm willing to bet you're on the way to making some seriously sweet photo magic with your photographer. Get out there and be your weird self!

And if you wake up tomorrow and still feel nervous and wanna hop on a skype call and work through your worries, I'm down.

xox Sandy

#tips #corevalues #love

St. Catharines Morningstar Mill Maternity Session | Rachel + Andrew

Locations: Morningstar MIll, St. Catharines, Ontario | Baby made by Rachel and Andrew

This is Rachel and Andrew. These are my people. They are kind and creative and caring and cool. And they made a baby.

I met Rachel by chance. I was meeting my old work friends for dinner, probably sushi, and Rachel joined us because she had started working there since I left. Rachel and Andrew were going to get married this September but as usual, life had other plans. And now we have two amazing things to celebrate this year instead of one <3

#celebration #nature #love #morningstarmill #stcatharines #babybump