winter grass

photo by Kristen Bach

Rosemary Orange Sugar Cookies

I am a big fan of sugar cookies.  They take some patience and some time to make so I oftentimes make them on holidays when I have the whole day at home.  On Christmas Eve we spent the day in the kitchen making candy, cookies, and cakes.  We deilvered a little package of sweets to neighbors and friends but we are still snacking on some cookies!

I like to use this Alton Brown recipe for my cookies, it makes a great cookie.  I took some fresh rosemary and rolled it into the dough.  

We made this simple little orange glaze that was a yummy pairing to the rosemary cookie.

glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fresh orange juice (or more as needed)

zest from 1 orange

pinch of salt

directions

mix all ingredients and spoon over cooled cookies.  I used the back of the spoon to smooth over each cookie.  The glaze takes a day to harden so we just left them out overnight.

Photos by Kristen Bach

sparks

photograph by rinne allen

rebecc'a son zack: monster maker

also at a world away, rebecca's son zack had a Monster Maker station. you were invited to sit and visit with him and he would then draw a monster for you. the monster was created from each person's "idea" of a monster, which made it really special and fun. and, the kids really got into it too.

(and did we mention that zack studied Manga in japan, so that only adds to the greatness!)

Frost Beauty

photo by Rebecca Wood

winter lights

The sun came up over the frosty fields the other day, creating glinting white light reflected everywhere.  Looks like glory.

photos and words by Rebecca Wood

blue sky and branches

photograph by rinne allen

tin types, with emily hall

our friend emily hall is now officially making tin types. you may recall that emily had a successful kickstarter campaign. she went west this past spring and learned how to pour plates and is now making them in athens. it is a very special experience, watching her work...she was making them at A World Away, and then she came to our backyard last weekend to make more. here are some images, as well as some words that explain her process.

what do you call your process? I call my process as tintype. I make tintypes. The process that I am creating is technically called "aluminotype" which is a category that falls under wet plate collodion process. (Collodion refers to the emulsion process and the "tin", "ferro", "ambro", etc type refers to the medium.) I refer to my process as "tintype" not just because of the physical element but also the historical. Tin was known to be inexpensive in the the nineteenth century (i.e tin penny,etc) and it is a reference to this type of portraiture being cheap and readily available to all people. Tintypes were the first form of mass portraiture and I am inspired by that.. There is something alluring about the historical significance that it played in portrait photography. Although, now it is less available and less inexpensive, I want to acknowledge it as it was in it's original form.

when were you first introduced to the process? At my first/last Civil War reenactment in Perryville, Ky. I was there joining some friends on a documentary shoot for the Battle of Perryville and I came across an artist named Bob Szabo who was making beautiful plates for reenactors. I left wanting to learn how and I think I even wrote him a letter asking if I could watch him work, but never heard back and I put it in the back of my mind.. And then there was Sally Mann and her work with wet plate and I have always thought everything she did was so beautiful. But how do you aspire to be Sally Mann? So it just kinda sat in the back of my head for a while...

what made you want to learn how to do it? While working on an art project two summers ago with a dear friend in Portland, ME, we had an artist, Cole Caswell, make our tintype portraits. And that was the end of that. I hate having my picture made.. I'm the worst in front of a camera but when Cole handed me our portraits, that was it. I had to do it. I needed to make things that were this beautiful and haunting and powerful. I came home and bought a couple books, read blogs and then decided the best way to learn was with someone and there were a couple of people out there offering workshops and I figured out a way to get out there. And for me, "there" was Yosemite with Will Dunniway.

what was it like being out west learning the process? An amazing adventure. It was above all things, the most artistically rewarding thing I have ever done. I studied in Yosemite National Park with Will Dunniway and Bob Szabo (fate! destiny!) and that place with those people, was incredible. A majestic place with rich historical ties to collodion photography and standing in the valley of photo history trying to create a historical process was totally rad. And then being there with a purpose, with the emotional and financial support from my Kickstarter campaign, from loved one's and strangers, gave me a sense of important purpose. It wasn't just a fun photographic vacation.. but a mission. I studied with 8 other students who had traveled near and far to take place in the first ever wet plate workshop Yosemite had ever hosted. We stayed in the park in a rangers cabin. It was a lot like church camp with glacier formations, waterfalls, and wildlife. We spent each day out in the field making wet plates and learning from each other's mistakes and then came home exhausted to eat spaghetti and clean plates for the next day. Will and Bob are incredible teachers and artists. I met some amazing people and more importantly, a support group. If I have questions or need a hand I have people that are excited and willing to help me figure it out.. And I can't say enough about how beautiful Yosemite is. If you have never been.. you should go. And look at Carl E Watkin's work too.

what is the biggest challenge with this type of photographic process? My inexperience. The temperamental nature of the chemistry. Not being able to control the sun, which you need to make plates.

what is your favorite thing about this process? The beauty. Even my mistake plates are more beautiful (to me) than my properly exposed 35mm or 120 mm prints. It is so different from my commerical work. Every plate takes on its own profile that is part design and part mystery. They are magical and haunting and extraordinarily original. No two plates are ever the same. Ever. The only way to reproduce is by taking a photo of the original. Each has it's own fingerprint and in a digital world, where everything is mass produced and multiplied, something that is not only hand crafted, but truly one of a kind, is rare and worthwhile.

thanks, emily, for your time and for the inspiration!

words by emily hall . questions & photographs by rinne allen

Frosty Greens

photo by Rebecca Wood

the big frost

Last week we had a big frost. I headed out to the meadow to look and see.  Mind-blowing subtle beauty!

photos and words by Rebecca Wood

dusk

at nancy's...

photograph by rinne allen

a world away

our friend nancy held a special market on the grounds of her new home. it was nestled in the piney woods at the rear of her property. there were ornaments hanging in the privet; holiday lights tangled in with the vines; and friendly faces everywhere. friends like tin cup, rachel sleppy, leslie snipes, kenneth kase, capman, zack & anna belle wood, and of course, nancy, were there selling their beautiful things. and, catie adams was icing a cake, and emily hall set up her tin type photo booth in the woods too. our friend james & others helped nancy create the space for the market over many months, and part of the proceeds went to her neighbors kat & susan's sweet olive farm. hopefully this will become an annual event. it was not to be missed.

winter sky

photographs & words by rinne allen

silvered leaves

we discovered these dried leaves and displayed them for a recent field trip sale. they look beautiful just taped to the wall with some washi tape from treehouse. at over 20" in length, they would be equally beautiful in a wreath or on a mantel.

photographs & words by rinne allen

the National's Winter Gin & Tonic

One of my favorite local places to grab a drink or bite to eat is the National.  The other day I stopped by for one of their winter cocktails.  They have this wonderful house-made tonic made from Cinchona Bark, Bitter Orange Peel, Rose Petals, Cascara, Lemon-Lime-Orange, Rosemary, Juniper Berry, and Star Anise. 

If you want to make this drink at home the house made tonic is available for purchase.  I think it would make a great gift too. While you are here you can also pick up a bottle of the Georgia Olive Farms- Olive Oil, another sweet gift.

photos and words by Kristen Bach

laughs

photo by Rebecca Wood

Winter Weeds

I don't know the name of these winter weeds, but they are so pretty with their dark leaves and white white seeds flowering out.  A transient beauty fixing to blow away.

photos and words by Rebecca Wood

fire wood

phot by Kristen Bach

Rinne's Studio

I was early for a meeting with rinne the other day, and had extra time to observe and absorb all the wonderful colors and textures in rinne's studio.  Lots of inspiration from nature,travels, flea markets, books, fabrics, etc.  Old blue painted walls add to the charm.  Rinne in her world.  Enjoy!

photos and words by Rebecca Wood