Negative space is our Monthly Maui Photo Group’s “challenge” this month. It’s one of my favorite design principles within photography and I use it on almost every applicable photo shoot.

Negative space, in art, is the space around the focal point or subject, thus creating a silhouette or a shape within itself. The use of equal negative space in composition is said to be good design. Because I shoot portraits and weddings, I like to incorporate negative space in my shoots. I think it’s a challenge to nail the composition with people. Knowing I had this topic as our monthly challenge for April, I took that into consideration during my last few shoots and tried to have some fun with it. As you can see, I have a wide range of portraits and shoots. Funny because I always thought I was a better landscape photographer and now I don’t think that so much.

Make sure you check out my talented sister in law Wendy Laurel’s interpretation of negative space here.

Repetition.

Definition:

Repeating visual elements such as line, color, shape, texture, value or image tends to unify the total effect of a work of art as well as create rhythm.

Repetition can take the form of an exact duplication (pattern), a near duplication, or duplication with variety.

Check out the very talented Trish Donroe Barker’s interpretation here.

Marion (pronounced Marrrrryyyy-own in my best french accent) is absolutely stunning.  I LOVED doing this shoot because I always knew how beautiful this french darling was.  She is just one of those people that wears pregnancy VERY well.  I think this was literally days before she gave birth to her third precious baby.  (Yep.  Third.)  Marion owns and designs the incredible cool line of beach bags called “Maui Rose.”  You can contact Maui Rose here.

Do you feel my “Out of Africa” vibe here?

I know I’m super behind on this photo project.  Between gymnastics classes, dance, surfing, blown eardrums and tonsilectomies (spelling?) there is barely enough time to eat.  (Okay I’m bs’ing on that one obviously because I cook ALL the time) Seriously though folks….never enough time.  Look at this gem though.  What a cutie.  And when can my iphone replace my clunky Canon 5D Mark II?

I’m not really a scones kinda girl, but this recipe surprised me with it’s goodness.  I liked making it because you have to make it gently and with love.  Otherwise it doesn’t turn out.

The key to this recipe is to be very GENTLE.  You don’t want the strawberries bleeding and making your scones pink.  (Which I suppose could be cute.)  So make sure you fold the chopped berries in softly, and with love.

With a cup of coffee and fresh out of the oven, these are really good and not too sweet.  One last thing….try to use the freshest ingredients as you can.  I use fresh Maui eggs, local strawberries and basil from my garden.  It really does make a difference.  Enjoy!

(Miss Leah, I’m posting this for you.)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into chunks

3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

2 tbsp snipped basil 

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup whole milk (you can use half & half if you feel like it.)

Sugar for dusting (Raw sugar looks good)

Whole milk for basting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl stir together the flour, the 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently toss in fresh and freeze-dried strawberries and basil. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl stir together eggs and the half-and-half. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Using a large spoon, gently stir just until moistened.

 Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it 5 to 7 times, turning dough a quarter turn after each fold. Transfer to a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. (I didn’t have parchment-lined baking sheets so I just heavily floured a cookie sheet.)   Pat or lightly roll dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Cut circle into wedges.  I like to cut them even smaller than I did in the photo.  Also, a larger granule of raw sugar would be more effective for the dusting to give it some texture.

More recipes on their way….

My brilliant sister in law thought it would be fun to do a monthly photo challenge with all the Maui Photographers.  This month the theme is “Water.”  Obviously here on Maui we have probably the prettiest beaches and ocean on the planet.  However, I wanted to represent where I live.  THE JUNGLE.  Haiku is a super rainy place here on the North Shore of Maui.  And right when I decided to do this, it started raining.  Providing me with the perfect water droplets on my roses and other tropical plants.  I don’t have a macro lens which would have been super cool, but not bad for a 24-70 mm lens.  After looking at mine, go check out Alisa Greig’s intrepretation of “Water” right here.

AND last but not least……The Food.

Wow.  Maui Executive Catering did a beautiful and delicious job.

I sort of really enjoy shooting food.  Isn’t their food pretty?

This AWESOME couple from Switzerland (originally hailing from Italy) are traveling the world and decided to stop in Maui for a quick little wedding.  I have never laughed so hard during an event.  They were so in love and just darling.  More to come!  Thank you for viewing my work!

Finally.  I blogged!  It’s been awhile and I apologize!  I’m back in action and am ready to blog away!  Hope 2012 is treating everyone fabulously!  I’m super happy to be blogging this great family from Canada.  Enjoy!

           Every Thanksgiving, my folks come over from the Westside and stay all day and spend the night.  We play a big game of Yahtzee and tell stories.  (Stories that usually involve making fun of me.)

Demi said “I’m going to sneak into bed with Baboo and Grandpa.  (I have no idea how Grandma Robin became “Baboo” after all these years.)

So she did.  She snuck in.  And so did the cat.  I’m pretty sure my Mom is faking it right now.  Nice try Baboo.