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.

“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”

— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Apples are in such abundance this time of year. The sweet + tangy sensation that explodes when you bite into a crisp, fresh apple is one that makes you welcome the cooler weather with open arms. Many might argue that apples are the original fruit, stemming from biblical times. It's probably one of the first fruits you remember eating + we all know we lived on apple sauce as kids. And I know I'm not the only one who woke up the day after Thanksgiving to stuff my face with leftover apple pie + vanilla ice cream.

In my quest to shoot seasonal fare + plump up my portfolio, I've also worked to experiment with different light. I worked with both hard and soft light, letting my love of the lighting of Northern Renaissance painters and the autumnal light streaming through our large oak tree + my window influence this shoot. It was difficult juggling the different light + sets throughout the two days, but the visual variety + the taste of that galette was well worth it.

Special thanks to the men in my life who agreed to trek across a mountainous orchard with me to collect my subjects. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to have a true 'hero' apple.