Originally submitted at Adorama

Olympus E-P1 Pen, Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14mm-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED Black Lens, 12.3 Megapixel, 3" Live View LCD, Silver Body

Olympus E-P1 Pen, Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14mm-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED Black Lens, 12.3 Megapixel, 3" Live View LCD, Silver Body

The Pen (E-P1) is Mighty!

Pros: Large Clear LCD, Fast Shutter Speed, Good Image Stabilization, Good Image Quality, LIghtweight

Cons: Lens Noise, Uncomfortable grip, Short Battery Life

Best Uses: Landscape/Scenery, Indoors/Low Light, Travel, Video, Macro Photography

Describe Yourself: Semi-pro Photographer

I mainly got this camera/lens combo for a lightweight, casual camera to use while out and about, and for video. It has not disappointed! I even found the video quality to be more than acceptable. I need to use it further to give it a better, full-use review, but I’m very impressed thus far.

Also, this little baby shrinks back inside itself when not in use for even more compact storage. It packs in a lot of functionality for such a little thing. There’s power in the petite!

My only moderate complaint is the lens noise on video. I should mention that the 14-42 lens in this package is much quieter than using the macro lens with an adapter. When using a four-thirds adapter (the MMF-2) and macro lens, the noise was much, much worse. But for still shots, the 50mm 1:2 macro was outstanding in quality.

Usually, I edit the audio out of most close-up shots, scenery shots anyway, but for a casual shoot (i.e. with family/friends) it may interfere with dialogue. It was tricky to get used to, and the grip isn’t all that comfortable at first (after using nothing but Nikon for years and years!), and I’d say there is definitely a learning curve with this camera. I like that you can switch modes easily in most functions (i.e. using manual focus in the Portrait mode and so on), but you do have to use manual focus for video. Some people may not like that, especially if they’re not used to manual cameras.

The battery life was fair. I used it solid for two days, and took quite a bit of video as well. It does take up to three hours for a full charge of the battery, so it’s not the most efficient for constant use.

Overall, I’m very thrilled with it thus far. If you are looking for something more automated for video, I’d definitely go another route. But, if you like the challenge of a manual-based operation (as I do), you’ll love this camera! Once you get the hang of the menu functionality and the sheer pleasure of the lightweight feel, you’ll grow to love it as much as I have. For the price, you just can’t beat this little gem!

(legalese)

The second item on the list was the interview HL did for the radio program “Echoes” with John Diliberto. They’ve included the entire broadcast for your enjoyment. How lovely! And yes, they have direct permission from Mr. Diliberto himself.

In OPM news, CB shares a very special musical project that she had the absolute pleasure to work on. The duo consisting of Frank Spinath (of Seabound) and Mario Schumacher, a.k.a. the band “Edge of Dawn“, have released their album “Anything That Gets You Through The Night” in Europe, and will release it in the US in June. The track Christa contributed on is “Lucid Dreams”. Another OPM, meaning media, is the film “Whole New Thing“. Definitely a must see for all Independent film lovers.

In closing, CB&W announce the renaming of the podcast and a reformatting as well. With Hungry Lucy being more on the back-burner these days, the duo decide to keep on rambling about new things going on. This is not a “disbanding announcement”, NO! Just a casual mention that HL is in a lull and needs some rest Christa and Warren hope you will continue to listen, as they have much more to say. Maybe some new jingles as well. OH, what fun!!

Stay tuned to see what new things Christa Belle and Warren will have to chat about. New books, films, technology, food, gardening…anything goes!!

Until next time, look to the future. It’s full of Cornhole!

Download/listen to Tea with Hungry Lucy, Episode 133
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As you will see, you can now purchase the hardcover book for $35 US dollars, plus shipping, and you can now enjoy the story I’ve been chatting away about for the past year and a half. There will be an eBook version to follow shortly. That process was surprisingly a little more involved than the print version! But, rest assured. If it’s an electronic version you want, an electronic version you shall have. It will be available soon. I’ll fill you in on that, of course!

I suppose this is a double-purpose post. Not only is my book now available, but I’ve started a new venture for the web world. I’m very excited to dig in and see what I can show you that you’ve never seen before. You may love it, or you may not. Either way, I just want to share some new (and old) things with you that mean a lot to me. The christabelle site has become more of a forum for all things blog-worthy, and I fought it at first. Now, I come here to talk about this and that and share the occasional story with you. That won’t change. Black Bread Box is very specific in its purpose. Each section has its own different item to offer. While it is a bit on the scarce side right now, I hope to fill it in quickly. I don’t think that will be a problem. Also, I’ve never gotten the christabelle site to behave as far as a gallery goes. I plan to have a super slick gallery over at Black Bread Box. It should be quite tasty when its up and running!

So, if you’re ready to read an excellent story, written from the heart, go get your hardcover copy of “Days with Indigo” right now! They ship immediately, and I’ll even sign it if ya want. If not, that’s absolutely fine too.

If you have any concerns about paying via Paypal, contact me directly with any questions at: christa@christabelle.com or christa@blackbreadbox.tv. I’ll happily talk with you to come to a different solution.

Much love, and excitement!

Christa Belle

First, we have Warren in the snow.

I shot these with my Yashica-Mat 124G using Fuji Color 120 film. I believe it was 100 ISO, but am truly not sure! Oops. But, if any of you out there shoot Fuji, you know how insanely blue it can be. So, I had to strip out a lot of the blue and cyan “channels” in Aperture.

However, in this shot, I used the cyan to help the mood go to a higher level. It added cyan shadows in the “treeline”, which I found very eerie and lovely. This picture in general speaks to me a lot. I find it haunting. But, that’s what love does. It gets into your soul. This picture embodies Warren to me, mysterious to the very core. In silence… yes. Silence.

I remember the intense cold of that day (last Winter, 2008), followed by warming up at the bookstore with a cuppa coffee (it was actually the field right beside the bookstore. Sneaky, huh?). Our ears were red from the cold, cold wind, fingers numb, faces frozen. It felt good to be cold and miserable and then be so satisfied with the end result. I’ve done that twice now, but this time as the photographer The snow often flew directly at the camera, making for some very blurry snow streaks. I love that! After I started shooting digitally, I missed the anticipation of getting film back. I think it’s made me a better photographer as the years have passed. When I shoot film, it’s a very different experience than when I shoot digital. Less chances for the perfect shot means paying more attention, in my mind. I like that I can do both. Options are always nice.

Then, we have the lovely Maddison, one of my beautiful niece’s, at holiday time, also in 2008, at my parent’s house. We all gathered in the rarely-used basement for a family photo. During that time, we also just hung out, chatted and I played with one camera while Warren played with another. This was also the Yashica-Mat (from above) using T-Max 120 400 B&W film. I love all the hairy bits, scratches and mood that the darkness ads. There was no getting a perfect exposure in that dark basement, so it, again, added to the mood.

Then, as some of the kids played with the pool table balls and cues, I asked Maddi to sling a ball toward the corner as I shot, asking her to avoid the camera if possible! I only shot one like this, and boy was I happy with the result! I absolutely adore the way it stretched out her hand and face. And, the faces on the television. I have no idea what was on. I can’t even tell now.

So, there’s that. I guess I’m just in love with film. I love all of the imperfections that can bring forth such a perfect mood. Why do you think there are “dust-n-scratches” effects in photo-editors these days? Ay? Think about it.

I’m gonna go now and play with film some more. I’m a lucky girl.

Love to all,

cb

Hello out there! Again, it’s been a while since I last posted. I’d like to say I’ve been busy creating new things left and right, but I have not. Instead, I chopped off my hair, got some housework done and have been enjoying some leisure time to an almost annoying degree. There’s only so much relaxation I can take! I need to dig back into projects, so that’s what I’m doing. But, I must say, I have been in waiting mode as well. Waiting to get started on a second draft pending editor notes, and waiting for my lens to come in. But still. I haven’t been as creative as I’d like. There’s no real excuse for that.

So, the day started with a “Dexter Breakfast” of fried-egg, “bacon” and wonderfully rich coffee made in a French Press Pot (my favorite way to make it!). The crema (the thick, luscious foamy layer on top) on this coffee was so beautiful that I just had to take a picture. I loved this shot immediately. Makes me want more coffee now!

Then, I went into the Library (which is also my “office”, I suppose) and spent some time with the boys basking in the morning sunlight. I got this fabulously cute picture of Peanut looking only a little sad. He knew I was leaving for the day. It was my camera bag he was laying on.

Yesterday (August 12th) was also a great and important day. I met with my novel editor downtown in Cincinnati and he has already given back some fabulous notes on my first two chapters! His words make the story flow better. I really need those professional eyes. More so than I thought! I was overwhelmed at first, but as I read the notes, I realized how much better it could be. I believe the second draft will be far more readable than the first. At least, that’s the hope. I only met him yesterday, but he’s one of those people I felt I’ve known for years. I couldn’t have been happier about that. The similarities between he and Freddie (one of the main characters in the book) are a little too coincidental! Funny that. It only makes this process that much more fun and exciting.

Luckily, War-N works in the very same building as my editor, so we, that is War-N and I, went to lunch and Starbucks together. A nice treat after such a wonderful meeting! I was in such a good mood. That hasn’t happened it a long time. I want more of that, please!

Post-downtown, I went to pick up my new wide-angle lens (10-24mm) from my photo pal Pete at Cord Camera. I also picked up some B&W film (yes, FILM!) to play with. I had mentioned in my last post that there was a 1.5% differentiation from lens-to-camera for the Tamron lens I now have. But, with my N90, there is none. So, I want to get the full 10mm angle on some film. I’ve already had a blast with the lens on my D300 and am excited to shoot more!

First, I went to Spring Grove cemetery post-lens pick-up! I drove straight there and just started shooting. Unfortunately, I was wearing flip-flops. I will NEVER do that again at the cemetery! Not only did I get a gnarly cut from the flip-flop strap on my foot, but the ground felt even softer than usual and unstable in flip-flops. It was a little unsettling. The fact that I felt that way actually surprised me. I have never felt ill at ease at a cemetery in my life. Weird.

So, I shot picture after picture and I came to a little section surrounded by trees. I started shooting a taller monument-type stone and, after two shots, realized the bird on top of the stone was real! It was a large, beautiful Hawk and he was admiring me from afar! Well, perhaps he wasn’t “admiring” me, but he certainly had his keen eyes on me all the time. I spoke to him telling him what a pretty boy he was, and then, I got too close and he flew away silently. Really. I heard NOTHING! I was amazed. He just lifted his wings, jumped and he was gone. No noise. No flutter of wings. Nothing. It was a magickal moment. Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t do it justice. But, I’ll never forget it. That’s what counts. Oh, he was gorgeous!

I drove around, getting lost as I always do in Spring Grove, shooting this and that. I came to the Lady & the Lions again by total accident. It seems the once glorious Lady has fallen even farther into disrepair. More limbs had fallen off. An arm, to be exact. But, her beauty still lives on. For the first time, I got her full lengthy stance in one shot as I stood right in front of her. That was such a treat! As War-N said, “You can really get a sense of the perspective.”. I agree. It’s wonderful!

After a couple of hours, I grew tired, and sore-footed, and decided to head home. The beauty was that I got to be a part of regular rush-hour traffic once again. Oh joy! How I missed the days of “parking lot” traffic on I-75… NOT!!! I took the good old Ronald Regan Highway and made it home pretty quickly. For you locals, you know what I mean. Whenever you can avoid 75 and/or 275, the better off you’ll be! I got home, sat down, and didn’t get up again until dinner prep time. It was a good afternoon out, and I liked being tired from doing something creative. I LOVE that feeling!

Upon War-N’s arrival home, dinner was had (which was yummy veggie-fried brown rice!). Then, War-N and Sebastian (the black blob of fur on War-N’s lap) were settling into the evening nicely at the kitchen table. The room was filled with the light of the setting sun, so I used no flash. I love the feel of this shot. Not only is it wide and spacious, but it really tells an intimate story. It seemed to me, at the time, that my Grandfather’s picture had been deliberately lit to stand out. It was only the sun shining on that one spot on the wall. So cool! And the red of the curtain on the window above the kitchen sink. That just added a certain something to the whole shot. All in all, I just love this one! I guess the subject matter plays a big role in that as well

Lastly, dishes were done, pajamas were put onto tired bodies and America’s Next Top Model was watched happily by two well-fed non-models. It was a glorious day.

So, I decided that I’m going to be more active in the coming weeks. The only projects on my plate are my own projects. I have only myself to disappoint if I don’t do them. Who wants that? Not me! The HL album is gradually coming to an end, the novel is on its way to a second draft and so many pictures are to be taken! Not a bad to-do list. Not bad at all!

I hope everyone out there is enjoying life to the fullest. You never know what day will be your last. Enjoy every moment! Do something fun! Live and love fiercely!

Much Love,

Christa Belle

I have been struggling with finishing the first edit, only because I keep getting sucked back into the story! War-N keeps reminding me that this isn’t a bad thing. But, I find I’m still not truly letting go of the story and letting it manifest into its own entity. It still very much feels like a part of me, inside my head, heart and soul. It’s hard to just smack a “done” label on it and send it on its merry little way. This edit is only to provide “crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s” for the next fellow to see it in a not-so-sloppy manner. He may still find it to be a complete and utter mess! Who knows? But, I’m willing to give over a little control and see what he thinks. For some strange reason, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. Am I scared? Absolutely! But, it’s a fear I want to have. If I live my life without putting anything of my own out there, what good is that? I know… I’ve done music for over ten years now, but that was a co-effort. I do work hard at the music, and I adore it! But, this writing thing is entirely my own. I’ve never had something that I wanted to put out there, as an actual “something”, that I’ve done entirely on my own. I find just the mere thought exhilarating and terrifying all at once. I can’t wait!!

So, this first draft wound up being roughly 110,000 words, or about 250+ printed book pages. Honestly, I thought it was going to be bigger than that. But, it reads well and you get a good sense of the characters and the story. But, that’s what a professional editor will tell me. Is it too long? Too short? Not enough details? Too many details? I’m very anxious to get notes back and see what a person in the book world actually thinks.

Then, there’s the publishing aspect. Do I self-publish? Do I hope for a book deal? What do I really want to do once this book is ready to find a home in the public eye? My music background says “Self-publish, you fool!” and the other side of me says “Let someone else help you make good decisions, help fund the pressing of the book and distribute in more places”. These two voices get along right now, as they don’t really see each other that much, but I will eventually have to decide. Either way, the plan is this. I’ll finish a great draft, write an awesome Query Letter (which is basically like a One Sheet in the music world.), send it off to a few book folks and then, depending on that, go from there. If nothing else, I’ll just self-publish on a smaller scale. Books are not cheap to print yourself!!!! At least, not the quality that I want to put out there. And, of course, I’d want to offer a non-paper edition as well. But, as a book reader myself, I just have to have an actual book or I don’t feel like I’m reading! So many options to think about. Oh my!

So, you see, I have a lot more work to do and a lot of decisions to make. But, the main story is enjoying its first incarnation as I mark it up with blue ink. My hope is to have a completed first edit to hand off by Friday! Here’s hoping

Well, that feels better. Now, maybe I can fall asleep. Yes. It’s one of “those” nights. My mind is so busy. But, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have something to worry about. My idea of absolute calm usually only lasts for a day at the most. I don’t like sitting still for too long. The beauty is, I don’t have to.

If you have something you want to give to the world, find a way to give it! It’s worth every second of hard work!!

Take care,

Christa Belle

I’m now on chapter 31 in the final part. Part 4. This is where all the mysteries need to resolve, or get so deep that you just know it’s not going to be figured out. It’s a hard thing, writing. I know plays, movies and such are usually in three acts, but I felt this book needed to tell me what it had planned and I needed to not hold the reins too much. History be damned! In doing that, I have really become attached to my beloved cast of characters. I don’t just love them. I am in love with them. I think part of me isn’t finishing quickly because I don’t want it to end. Once I finish this book, that’s their entire world. It will go no further. Kinda depressing, huh? I had toyed with making Indigo have a sequel, but after having a chat with War-N, I realized that would be an easy way out. I’d get bored upon writing another book with the same base characters. So, I will not be making a sequel. I’d rather long for a character and re-read a book than to think “Oh. It’s them again.” Plus, I have so many other new characters to invent after this book. I love writing in this way, and I think this won’t be my only novel attempt. I may not jump into it immediately after Indigo is finished, but I certainly feel that writing is high on my list for things I want to continue doing.

I’ve learned a lot, and will likely learn even more in this part, while writing this book. It’s very odd that your mind can make decisions that you didn’t think you’d make for a character. You sit and ponder scenarios and it’s funny the ones you choose. At least, it was weird for me. I thought things like “Oh my goodness! I didn’t know they were going to do THAT!?!” and I was so happy when I’d feel that way. The characters have truly become real in my mind. Should I be scared?

I have an actual journal that I started when I began writing. I’d write out what I planned to do, then I’d write why I didn’t do it that way, and finally I’d write about my great surprise that a character did something in the book. It’s very funny to go back and read it now. NONE of my original ideas have stuck! They’ve all transformed into something else entirely. I love that! My heart is so invested in these people! I know them all so well now. It’s a fabulous thing, this writing business. I’m glad I have the opportunity to do it.

So, the end of 2009 will indeed be a busy, busy year for me, and for Hungry Lucy. Things are definitely churning and getting to a good place in music land as well as finishing the book. What a lovely productive year here in Hamilton! But, I still have test first drafts to do and then all the formatting, editing, printing and such before the book would come out. I don’t see the HL album and the book coming out at the same time. It would be lovely, but I don’t think it will happen.

To my delight and surprise, another musical friend has written a book. Andy Deane of Bella Morte has published his first novel titled, “The Sticks”. Apparently, he’s got many more to publish, too! Great news, Andy!! Isn’t writing great?!? Congrats on your writing. I need to pick up a copy of “The Sticks” for myself! If you don’t know of Andy or Bella Morte, get acquainted! Andy is such a lovely person and whenever we’d play with them, I’d always feel better just seeing them. He, and all of Bella Morte, had the power to lift the mood to lovely pretty quickly.

In family writing news, War-N’s niece Siobhan has written her first novel as well. I’m not exactly sure on the details of that yet, but the book is called “The Darling Rebels” and will be out later this year! I was so happily surprised to hear about her writing and publishing a novel. I can’t express how proud I am of her!!

So, there’s that. I’m well on the way to the finish line of the first draft. I can see it. It’s a little blurry, but it’s there! I had a deadline of July 1st for my first draft. I really don’t know if I’m gonna make it? But, I am trying my damndest!

So, this summer, find a good book to sink your teeth into. There’s nothing like an indulgent day of reading, sipping iced tea and falling into a world created by someone else. When it’s done right, you never forget how it feels. I guess there are a lot of things like that, yes? Enjoy the summer!

Much Love,

Christa Belle

Between tasks, I have taken a few pictures here and there. Below I have discussed a few of my favorite shots, and why they are my favorite shots. Honestly, I thought I’d have more than this. I was surprised at how few were actually my favorites! So, does this mean I’ve been lazy? Or, am I just ultra-picky when it comes to my own photography? I think, for my sanity’s sake, I will choose the latter.

This first shot is of my beautiful boy, War-N. I had seen these pictures in my head for months. A dark subject, light in the eyes and a slight feel of something not quite right. Kind of like an immigrant being shipped away for no particular reason other than him being foreign. Despite him being wronged, in this fictitious story in my head, he still has the glimmer of hope in his eyes and nothing will defeat him. I think this translates very well to War-N as a person right now. No matter what he goes through, nothing defeats him. And, he has the light of the entire universe in those eyes. I think he’s magick.

Technically, in these photos, I used something I’ve never used in this way before. We have a large projection screen for our live shows (when we do actually play live!) to display our videos. This screen is set up in the basement from where I played movies at Halloween. It dawned on me “huh… it’s a good light spreader, so why not use it as a backdrop?” It worked so well! Even lighting from behind with my cheap and cheerful hood lights makes for a smooth backdrop. You can use a small spot for a lovely vignette, or use a bright light for a soft, dreamy white. Amazing! Why had I never done this before?? I dunno. But, I’ll certainly do it again!

Back in March, I did a pretty massive photo shoot with/for my newest nephew, Micah. Shara, Chris and Micah all came up and we had a lovely day of shooting inside our house. Then, we took a trip up to Oxford where I got many favorite shots outside. Oh, and we all partook of some Starbucks. Hee hee! It was a great day with the three of them, and War-N, and I look back on it very fondly. We walked around the Oxford streets enjoying the unusually mild March weather together. I love the big, old trees up there, so I thought it may work for a good background for Micah. It most certainly did.

So, I had a lot going on at the time and I had to put off doing the printing and such until after another task was done. So, it built up on my shoulders as a heavy task (in my mind), but then, as I was doing it, I fell in love with these pictures all over again. When it came time to actually choose a favorite, it was very difficult. I loved them all. Mr. Micah is such a beautiful baby! All of my nieces and nephews are incredibly beautiful. It’s almost unnatural!

As I sat back to really look at the pictures, I got a true “picture” of what I had been doing. So often we get engulfed in tasks and lose sight of the outcome. I found it a huge help to take pictures of my progress, and that truly made me see that I had done a good job. The photographs were different, but went very well together when viewed in mass. I had taken a fair amount of color out of most of them, so to get them looking like a “set” or a certain “mood’ felt very good to me. Plus, Shara (my sister, Micah’s Mom) loved them. That was the most important thing. I think Chris (Micah’s Dad) did, too. I hope so!

So, this was my pick for favorite picture from his photo shoot. I had trouble with the shadows on his face in this set on a few, as I was shooting manually and forgot to adjust the shutter once or twice. Oops! But, I got most of the details to a good point. I chose sepia for a select few that gave me problems. Sepia seemed to smooth out some noise and really made the skin tone glow. Plus, I like the dark branches, old with age and wisdom, against the newness of Micah and all he was experiencing. He’s a bit of a silly boy and I had a hard time keeping his tongue out of most of the pics! This one was like a nod to the tongue. It’s there, but not enough to overshadow the rest of his personality. He’s so cute I can hardly stand it!

Then, we come to my favorite pet shot (you had to know a cat picture was coming!). I hate to say I have a favorite of our three boys, but I do. Don’t worry. Pullo and Sebastian all get plenty of love, too. We’re all a big, squishy family here! But, ever since we took in Peanut and Sebastian a couple of years ago, Peanut and I developed a special bond. As reluctant as I was to love another kitty so soon after my dear Chloe’s death, I eventually let Peanut in, and he’s definitely my favorite now. He kept on pushing to be loved by me. He sat at my side, even as I cried cursing the fact that he wasn’t Chloe, and he just wanted me to love him in return. Not long after, he was victorious. I love them all tremendously. But, I do have a special soft spot for my big, furry, fearsome kitty. The biggest baby in the house. My Peanut.

This shot was on a very sunny day. I tried to sneak up on them as the three were lying in the sun. I got down to their level and just started shooting. Peanut, and Pullo, got up and started posing for me. Sebastian couldn’t have cared less. He was sunning himself and wasn’t going to be bothered to move at all! I got this one of Peanut and it just does something interesting if you look for a little while. His eyes are so focused, yet not. You feel you could just climb into his fur and go to sleep. I often wish I could. I find the picture so hazy and so dreamy. I just love it. I didn’t adjust anything. I love it exactly the way it is. Blue cast and all. I rarely ever do that. I like it!

Then, we end with a cake shot. After the Harrison 40th Anniversary Party, I still had left-over ganache so I thought I’d make a cute little “Bird’s Nest” cake. I made it while Peter & Carol (the aforementioned Harrison’s) were here for a CND day (that stands for cuppa, natter, dinner, if you didn’t know. I highly recommend having one with close family and friends!). I had made the actual cakes before they got here, but hadn’t glazed it yet. I think part of why I remember this so fondly is because we all gathered around the cake as I glazed it and them we proceeded to take some cake scraps and dip it in the ganache and top it with a bit of left-over coconut and ate it up real nice. Part treat, part naughtiness. It was just fun to be messy together and enjoy a stolen treat! In all honesty, I think the scrap feast tasted better than the assembled cake. Funny that.

So, I have so many undiscovered favorite things to look forward to this year. I hope you find some favorite things in your daily life. Nothing beats a stolen treat, a hazy picture that takes you right back to a moment, or the way your special someone looks in a photograph. Though nothing beats the real thing, it’s nice to be able to look back at a moment in time.

Much Love and Fond Memories,

Christa Belle

So, one of the things we did was an impromptu photo shoot. I was the subject and War-N the photog. He shot many, many photos, but I found this one said a lot to me when I kept going back to it as a favorite. I don’t usually even like photos of myself, but I think there’s something to be said about the person who can see inside you the most getting a good picture of you. War-N does seem to capture a certain something about me that no one else can. I think that speaks volumes. Plus, I actually like it!

Cb Shadows

The only adjustments I did (in Aperture 2, of course!!) was that I brought the red channel down and boosted the luminance of the red channel to even out the skin tone. The original was a bit orange, so lowering the red helped. I brought the mid-tone shadow levels down a bit to make richer blacks and I think the adjustments gave it more of a “glowing” mood without adding my usual “diffuse glow” to smooth out the skin. I didn’t want too much glow. Just the suggestion. I love that you can still see my dark hair against the dark wall, but the mood is still very much a shadowed picture. Great job, War-N!!

One secret that I’ve used the last few years is parchment paper on a plain old aluminum hood clip-on lamp (like the ones you use on fish tanks and such). The parchment paper (unbleached) really softens the light, and the paper is meant to withstand high heat, so it’s a perfect match. Cheap and cheerful! To that lamp, I add a dimmer and used two lamps on either side of the body. One on the lower body, one on the face. It’s a bit tricky for exposure at times, finding the right angles and light strength, but enough play will get what you want. I keep the ISO low so as not to get too much noise in such a dark setting. Even with my beloved Nikon D300, I still get the ever-annoying noise in some situations with a high ISO. Blargh!! So, this was just on 250. Also, a tripod is always a good suggestion when using low light. War-N managed to hand-hold this one, but you can still see a slight blur in the eyes. Luckily, it actually adds a certain something to this shot. A few more from this series may come to light, as it were, because there are still quite a few I liked. We both had a ball just hanging out, drinking chocolate martini’s, listening to Goldfrapp and taking photos. It was a grand end to a wonderful vacation. We were together. We were home.

In all my years of taking photos, and being in them, I just find I get the results I want when the mood is darker. I like the mystery. I like the shadows. I like that it brings out beauty that usually stays hidden, or it hides things that are unflattering and brings forth the true beauty of the subject. We aren’t all models, and we shouldn’t be. We need to find our true beauty, accept it and embrace it. Find the best angle. Find the best light. There are so many extraordinary pictures still waiting to be taken. We should all just go for it!

As we get back into the mode of War-N working and me being here, doing what I do, we come to terms with the fact that it has to be that way… for now. No matter what life throws at us, we have each other. When things get dark, we meet in the shadows and find the light together. Sometimes, all we need is a tiny glow to find our way back home.

Find your darkness. Find your light.

Much Love,

cb

The cake plan definitely took a lot more out of me than the music does. I’m used to planning for shows. But, the cake. Well, that was much different. It all started when I offered to make it back in late 2008 when Peter and Carol first started talking about it. The plan went through many changes and looked as if it wasn’t even happening a couple of times. But, it did indeed happen, and I think they both had a loverly time.

So, I did a “cake trial” back in January and the decision was so easy for them. I made two options. One was a chocolate butter cake with a raspberry white chocolate buttercream icing. Carol loves the combination of raspberry and chocolate, so I was attempting to find a good marriage, if you will, of those two flavors. It didn’t quite work, and it was ugly! The taste was great, but something about it said “little girl’s birthday cake” and it just put me off to look at it. Then, the second option was one I just thought of as I browsed through my cake cookbooks and magazines. I wanted something classic, but rich and elegant at the same time. A “Yin and Yang” kind of thing. I know how well yellow butter cake and chocolate icing went together, so I just came up with a version of that. The end result was the classic yellow butter cake with a chocolate-sour cream icing. Then, on top of that, was a medium chocolate ganache coating. It sounds as if there would be way too much chocolate, but believe me. It worked a treat! I did such a thin layer of the chocolate-sour cream icing that the total of the icing and ganache was the perfect thickness to accompany the cake. P&C loved it, so that was the main concern. The extra compliments from guests were truly, and literally, the icing on the cake!

What was interesting was that when the four of us (Peter, Carol, War-N and myself) did the cake trial, we all agreed unanimously that the yellow and chocolate was the clear winner. I totally thought we’d go through a few trials to get the perfect combo. But, no. And, we’re all chocolate lovers, so the choice for yellow cake was a bit of a surprise for all of us! That said, I think the chocolate butter cake is still fabulous. Just not with the raspberry concoction I put it with.

I know I must be a true foodie because I was so incredibly turned on by the texture of this yellow butter cake batter! It looked, and felt, like yellow velvet. So smooth and so luxurious when I poured it into the pans. Oh my! It’s because of the “butter cake method” that the texture was so different. I know have that under my belt no problem after making a total of 7 individual cakes! It’s just that one extra step in the beginning that makes all the difference in the world in the texture of the cake. Instead of a creaming method with the butter and sugar first and then adding the eggs and vanilla etc., you treat the flour, salt, baking soda/powder as the sugar and cream the softened butter with that first with a bit of the liquid (in this case, it was milk). You actually beat it on medium speed for about a minute before adding the remainder of the egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Usually, you don’t want to over beat a cake mixture or you develop too much of the gluten in the flour. But, since you’re using a cake flour here, there’s not as much gluten in soft wheat anyway. SO, this actually helps develop texture. Bizarre, ay? Big thanks to my kitchen book of choice when baking cakes, “The Cake Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It is truly a book to treasure and learn from! No matter what baking query I search for, there’s always a solution in this book. Even with all of my other “professional teaching books”, I learn more from the lovely Rose than anyone else.

So, weeks went by with no activity, as the party was planned so much in advance. I had the design in my head and tried to relax about it until I needed to get started. Then, the party was a couple of weeks away. I went out and got my new large cake pans, an awesome heavy duty cooling rack and all the things I needed for this massive cake. Then, it was the week of the party. I began shopping for my ingredients three days before the party. I can’t tell you how many times I went back for yet more chocolate! I melted over ten pounds, and used about seven total! Butter was a huge ingredient, too. Many pounds of that were used. Despite all of that melting and working with the chocolate, I still want more! Isn’t it beautiful?

The baking begins.

I started baking cakes on Thursday, then again on Friday. By the end of Friday I had everything assembled and crumb-coated and then the cakes were all safe and sound in the fridge (after we re-organized everything to clear off the shelves!). This was the first time I had done a cake with simple syrup on each layer. It really does help to keep a large cake moist! And the crumb coat made the ganache really stick to the outside of the cake. I still need a lot of practice with smoothing it out, but all in all, I was quite pleased with how it turned out. I chose not to do piping, as I’m not that great at it yet. I coated the cakes in the ganache Saturday and then added the final touches to the cake later on Saturday at the location. I decorated the cake with these tiny little chocolate drops (by Leone Torino, an impossible link to find in working order!) and candied violet petals. The combination of purple and chocolate brown were quite lovely together. It looked so sinful all assembled and sitting pretty. It sat high and mighty on a white marble slab, as it was the only thing big enough to hold it! The lower level was 12 by 12 inches. No cake plate I had would do the job. I needed a marble slab anyway, so that was a bonus for me It was admired briefly before being cut into pieces and devoured by the guests. I did a pretty good job cutting it, too. I surprised myself! The main trick is not to go too big with the pieces.

I loved how the candied violet petals sparkled in the dim light. The flash made the finish on the cake look rather strange, but that’s the price you pay with semi-shiny chocolate and a straight-on flash! My bounce flash was dead. Silly me.

The party came and went, but part of the cake is still present at Peter & Carol’s! They had a whole lower level left, plus a bit of the second tier. I don’t think they were complaining that they had extra cake.

I learned a lot from this experience. I learned I could totally get into doing this as a career choice, if I had a staff and a place to do it. I learned that over-estimation is bound to happen and you will have left-over cake (but better too much than not enough, right?). I learned that things always take longer than expected and, thanks to War-N, I stayed on schedule!! And, I learned that nothing is perfect. It doesn’t have to be. It is going to be eaten after all!

As a musical performer as well, I had a ball playing with War-N, and David (we did a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” as all three of us, and it were lovely!!). I didn’t use my in-ear monitors, and it felt so much nicer. I was nervous, but I let it feed me rather than bring me down. It was a wonderful night, even when my feet were on fire with pain! I didn’t sit down until near the end of the party. What was I thinking??

We as Hungry Lucy performed 5 songs on our own. It was nice to perform even a tiny set like this for friends and family. It was just enough to make me want to play more! Obviously, Peter and Carol took this shot (not sure which??).

With all the ganache I made, extra for safety, I had a ton left and decided to make truffles on a day-to-day basis. It went well with extra remnants of the plain, pretty cake dusted with a cinnamon/cocoa concoction. With a cup of tea, of course. No complaints here!

Now, I move on to my gardening project, finishing my book, finishing the Hungry Lucy album and a few other projects in between. 2009 is an ambitious year. I’m up for the challenge!!

This was my favorite shot that I took. Its of War-N, of course, and I just love how he looks so damned happy playing music. Suitably donned in his “Hacker” shirt. Oh, my beautiful boy. You sure do know who you are!

Now, if only I had a slice of cake…

Much love and peace,

Christa Belle