No Photoshop filters were harmed in the construction of this photo. It really did look like this.
I’ve been feeling just a tad overwhelmed over the last week or so – moving eleventy million tons of STUFF back into the remodeled kitchen and bathroom; shooting some pics for a friend’s cookbook (yay!); holding the fort while the Husband was in China and generally rushing about like a crazy person.
So when the lovely Clare Barboza told me there were still places left on her 2013 Farm to Table Photography Workshop this weekend on glorious Whidbey Island (just across the water from Seattle), I was wondering whether it might be a bridge (or indeed a ferry ride) too far.
But with the aid of some dear friends taking the Minx for a sleepover, a wonderful Husband babysitting through his jetlag and some frantic late night packing I managed to make it work. And I was SO very glad I did.
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I met some mindblowingly talented and just plain delightful women, ate fabulous food (thanks to the amazing Sean, Joe and Christine), drank too much wine; enjoyed gorgeous weather, sunsets, rainbows and scenery; and generally spent some quality time with my camera, which I always find to be incredibly soothing for my soul. We stayed at at the exceptionally comfortable Willow Pond Lake House; visited two farms – Willowood, where they grow organic vegetables and Little Brown Farm where they keep goats and make the most delicious cheese and butter; shopped at the very cute Bayview Farmer’s Market and then got to style and shoot the farm produce.
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As with the Gulf Shores workshop I have MUCH to think about and process (and I will be blogging both at much more length), but in the meantime here are a few photos of the gardens at the house and from a pond nearby.
Can you see now why I loved it so much?
Many thanks to Melissa (seen squatting above), who taught me how to ‘paint’ beautiful abstracts like this.
Stay tuned for the full story of the baby vegetables and the baby goats.
Paola,
These photos are absolutely stunning!
Whidbey Island is wonderful and it is obvious that you made the most of it. I’m looking forward to your further thoughts on both photo workshops.
Absolutely stunning!! How do you do the painting, I am so intrigued! Lovely, lovely shots Paola!
Thanks ladies! Though it was so crazy beautiful it was difficult NOT to take lovely photos.
For Danielle, and anyone else. All you need to do for the ‘painting’ is set the camera on a slow shutter speed, hold the camera as steady as possible and then pan slowly over the scene and see what you end up with…
Paola, your pictures are so great! I am so impressed how you could capture the beauty of WI and translate it in such a sensitive way.