Duluth - North Shore

More from Duluth! Hope you're enjoying the pics as much as I enjoyed my time there :) This first pic is the view from our hotel room - right through the glass! Not a bad sight to wake up to, eh?



Nicole looking all modelesque in the Rose Garden




I love Lake Superior's North Shore!







The rest of these were taken from the Vista Star - dinner cruise - one of those things you don't really do when you live there... so we were tourists that day ;)




It's Anna!!





G'nite, beautiful Duluth!

Duluth - Summertime

I love it here... My hubby & friends are working today, so I'm bumming around the city watching the bridge, listening to waves, smiling at the sun... It's wonderful!

I'm at a coffee shop downtown right now, refueling, taking a break and emptying my camera so I'm ready for more ;)

















- Kristen in Duluth ;)

(more to come!!)

Summer Lovelies

These last two pics: do you know what this plant is? Well, you probably should ;) It's poison ivy! Poison ivy can take on many different shapes, so watch out for it. It has three leaves in a cluster, and does not have serrated edges like a strawberry plant does. It can, however, have irregular edges, like the ones in my photos. It's all over my walking trail, but luckily, I'm not allergic to it. I run around out there in my sandals with the dogs with no problems. I do rinse my feet & ankles off when I get back inside, just in case ;) If you come into contact with poison ivy, I advise you do the same! Some research says you can use a mild soap, but not warm or hot water. Warmer water spreads the irritant's oil, whereas the cold will wash it away. There. Your biology lesson and friendly Public Service Announcement for the day! For more info, visit www.poison-ivy.org

In the Darkroom

"Window Lily"


I've been taking a Black & White Darkroom class at Kendall College of Art & Design for the past few weeks. While I do very much enjoy the art of black & white photography, the darkroom and I have a love/hate relationship. Being a digital photographer and graphic designer, this has been a huge lesson in patience! (What? You mean I can't plug in my USB and instantly have hundreds of images before me?!) Film and darkroom processing is definitely its own art form, and I have a ton of respect for those who choose to stick with it. While I love learning about the process and trying new techniques, I don't think I'll be hanging up my Digital SLR any time soon ;)

I do, however, truly enjoy shooting with my Canon AE-1 Program. It is the camera that my parents bought shortly after I was born. I lost my dad a few years ago, so using his camera has really meant a lot to me. Not only is it the camera I learned with, but the manual has my mom's handwritten notes in it, and the lenses and cumbersome carrying case are the original ones that my dad picked out and was so proud of. That case also holds the bittersweet memory of childhood... it is stained with smoke from the house fire that took our home and most of our belongings when I was 4 years old. The camera survived, and has taken many photos of us kids growing up, and has been with me since I left home for college. I love shooting with it... regardless of the darkroom being a tedious process. It's true what they say though, there is something special about film photography. There's nothing quite like seeing your image slowly and magically appear in that tray of developer ;)



"Jamie" - alternative process - high contrast filter, laid objects on photographic paper while exposing negative in enlarger



"Vintage Daisies" - alternative process - high contrast filter used with thick fibrous light diffuser, dirty glass over photographic paper while exposing

Around Town

Hooray for all the blossoming trees! I love spring. :)

My friend Danielle and I have been walking everyday at lunchtime around town. We do a loop around the river that's almost two miles. It's been really fun, it's good to get out of the office and move around - we're graphic designers during the week, so we spend a lot of time in front of our computer screens! On Thursday, I took my camera with me. We could have stayed out there for hours! :)

Look at this crazy guy! Yeeps! He was cool, it's hard to tell in the faraway picture, but he's smiling, and his co-worker is giving us the peace sign. Awesome :)




Yesterday, I met with Anthony & Gina to finalize plans for their wedding in October. Their reception is going to be at Meijer Gardens, and it's going to be beautiful! On my way out, I couldn't resist the tulips. Have I mentioned how much I love spring? ;)