Cool Beans!
Photography has always been a hobby of mine (so much so that in college, it was my secondary concentration, right behind graphic design). It probably started when my now 90-year-old grandfather gave me his old Nikon SLR camera and I needed an art elective. I learned to actually use the camera (no automatic exposure for me) and actually develop the film (granted it was black and white, so the process was easier, but still a time consuming — and a creative — process).
About two years ago, I decided to bite the bullet and buy myself a real digital camera. While I love it, I admittedly miss being in the dark room and waiting for shots to develop. I do not miss manually dodging and burning negatives. Hello, Photoshop.
Anyway, almost weekly I would take myself on walks — sometimes as far as the Arboretum or Eastern Market or as close as Georgetown. I’d have my camera with me for company, and when the mood struck, I’d shoot. Two themes began to develop: flowers (I hope to eventually continue my bugs life series) and food (I love cooking, food, wine, and everything related). On one walk in March of 2009 (probably one of the first warm days that year) I found myself in Georgetown, and in my favorite gourmet store, Dean and Deluca. I remember walking through the aisles being captivated by the displays of cheese, coffee, fruit, and meats and shooting all of it. And, of all the shots I took that day, I chose just one to post on Flickr — a shot of the coffee beans. There was something about the composition and the texture and the little hand written signs that captivated me.
Several months later, I was contacted by a publisher who liked my image and wondered if I’d be willing to provide a high-resolution version for inclusion in a book they were publishing. “Sure,” I said. They asked for a byline and an address and I sent the photo off on its way.
Fast forward several (many) months, and this arrives at my door:
Power Shop 2: New Retail Design Volume 1: Fashion
And, right there on page 10:
Yup that’s my name. And in the upper right hand corner — that’s my shot.
Here’s the full article.
Cool beans.