Looking back at 2015, I sit and stare at the amount I photographed this year + it is so very telling.

This year, I quit teaching, started freelancing, I've branded + networked my butt off, and set many goals for myself, some of which I've met and some that I'm not fretting over not reaching. I've thoroughly developed my style, pushed my lighting techniques, and I've invested more with in-camera photography than post-processing (y'all, the x-rite color checker is life). I've researched + cooked more food this year than ever before and in the process, I've had some life-changing meals (Prune, Buvette, + Lupa were easily some of the best!). My food photography has improved and I still have a long way to go, yet every little hero shot makes me jump up + down with joy.

I've learned more about myself than anything, though. I know that if I dedicate myself to something, I will get somewhere. I also know, that "no" is the worst thing someone can say to you + honestly, almost nobody says that wretched two-letter word. Some days, freelancing is the best thing in the world. Others, I'm terrified about surviving. However, looking back at my body of work, every bit was so worth the stress. I can't wait for the future.

I'm so thankful for everyone who has pushed me, had faith in me, and has inspired me...please don't stop, I will always need your mouse clicks + cheers to give my ego a boost. You all know who you are + I owe the world to you for helping me find my happiness.

But y'all, here's to 2016. Food for now. Travel tomorrow. Culture the next day.

“I wake up some mornings and sit and have my coffee and look out at my beautiful garden, and I go, ‘Remember how good this is. Because you can lose it.’”

— Jim Carrey

Coffee is mankind's fuel. There is something oddly inviting about a complex cup with nutty notes of caramel + dark chocolate on a rainy fall day, an ephemeral morning shot of espresso, or a mid-summer cold brew. There is something ineffable that surrounds the importance of our coffee ritual. Coffee puts us in a state of hygge, Danish for taking pleasure in the presence of simple things. This atmosphere that surrounds your cup is part of what makes coffee such an important ritual among society. It gives us a bit of time to reflect on life, prepare ourselves for what lies ahead while offering us a bit of compassion when we need it most.

Over the last few months, I've been working like a mad person to plump my portfolio + define my brand. Worried that I'd shoot something that didn't define me, or wasn't styled enough, I opted to shoot coffee, as not only an excuse to drink lots of it + stock up on new props, but to also embrace + enjoy the time that freelancing has allowed me.