Yesterday I had a new challenge. Adam needed to take the camera to work with him. I figured I’d just wait for him to get home and then spend some time in the evening taking shots. However, I walked outside my apartment at around 5:30pm to go grocery shopping and I stumbled upon this scene. My first thought was “Crap!! I so need my camera for this!” Then I remembered my new Droid cell phone (I finally upgraded from my little dinky flip phone). So I snapped a few shots with my phone cam. This is one of them! I am so happy with it I can’t believe how pretty it looks for a cell phone photo – check out that lens flare! It just goes to show… you don’t necessarily need fancy, expensive equipment to make pretty pictures. (I did use Adobe Lightroom to edit a bit after the fact – I sharpened the photo a little and increased the contrast to emphasize that bright glow of the sun & the water spray.) Adam had to take the camera again today – so I’m armed with my cell for photo ops until he gets home.
Last night I made a nice simple dinner – another recipe from my new favorite… Ina Garten (AKA “Barefoot Contessa”). This time I made parmesan chicken over a bed of arugula with lemon vinaigrette and shaved parmesan. It was SUPER fast and easy – from prep to serving I’d say it took about 35 minutes. I loved the arugula with the lemon vinaigrette. Making salad dressings is one of my favorite things. Once I started making my own instead of buying, I’ve never gone back. It’s so easy – all you need is some olive oil, some seasonings and some acid or vinegar – then you can totally improvise. Salad dressings are one of the things I feel comfortable experimenting with at this point. I still consider myself to be somewhat of a novice when it comes to cooking (or whatever comes next after novice… intermediate?) – so I depend heavily on recipes for the most part – but with salad dressings I let loose and have a little fun.
nell's dish du'jour 
Wow, that picture came out amazing. Who’s more responsible, Droid or Nell? I’m gonna go with Nell. Good job!
Great shot! It’s funny, I just published a post about the need to capture a spontaneous scene. Like you, it’s difficult to pass by when you know you should capture it! Great job!
omg… totally. when I leave the house without my camera now (which doesn’t happen often), I ALWAYS see moments I want to capture. It’s frustrating. That’s why I’m thankful for my new Rebel T2i… it’s really light and I don’t mind schlepping it w/me everywhere I go!!!
This is a GREAT moment to capture! Shot looks excellent.
http://www.denwrites.com
Thanks so much Dennis! Just checked out denwrites… i love the “5 more minutes” post.
Love this photo! Great shot!
xoxoxox
Neller, I am so proud of you!!! I love your blog! Great picture! Can you please teach me how to take photos and I’ll teach you how to cook. I love Ina Garten’s recipes. You can leave out the breadcrumbs if you want to make it totally low carb. And I’m with you, I stopped buying bottled dressing last year. Making your own is so easy even Allie can do it! I love you, honey! Your happiness shines through. Hope to meet your darling Adam one day soon.
Thanks Jules – can’t believe you’re reading… so sweet!! Sure – we can do a photography/cooking trade off… besides Ina… who else do you follow recipe wise??
Good for you! Try making Ina’s turkey “meat” loaf. I made it last night. It’s great for sandwiches, too.
oooh – I’ll have to try it. I have some ground turkey from the farmer’s market in my freezer. Meatloaf this weekend?
The flare is great. As is the water spray. Great shot.