Photographers Rendezvous 2019 - Baker Morrell Scholarship Winner

A $1,000.00 Scholarship is awarded each year to an emerging photographer, who needs a little financial boost for their work. The requirements are simple: Send a letter with your name, address, a brief personal history and what you’re are currently working on plus a few examples of your work. A personal reference or two would be helpful. The scholarship is awarded each year during the Rendezvous. The recipient is required to attend (as our guest) and give a brief presentation of their work.

This year we are pleased to announce that Sylvia Gardner was the recipient of the Baker-Morrell Scholarship of $1,000. Sylvia will attend Rendezvous and present her work as well as receive the $1,000 Scholarship. Please congratulate Sylvia if you see her and better yet, attend Photographs Rendezvous and congratulate her there. For further details please click on the link http://www.photographersrendevous.com.

©Sylvia Gardner - Wild Look

©Sylva Gardner - Angel

Correction on CPA 8x10 Fund Raiser on Mark Citret's Prints + Gallery Talk

I had a nice email from Mark Citret correcting me on the fact that his prints on the Buy It Now Wall are not platinum/palladium but to quote Mark “good old silver gelatin”. We don’t want to disappoint a collector of Mark’s incredible work with the wrong information. It is worth your time to go and see the exhibit and acquire one of Mark’s images while they last. I missed some other news about Mark.

CPA Gallery Talk: Mark Citret

In the CPA Gallery, Friday, October 11

Artist’s Talk: 5:00 – 6:00pm. Space is limited (free), sign up at eventbrite.

Book Signing and Reception: 6:00 – 7:00pm free and open to the public (no signup required)

Please join us in the CPA gallery for an artist talk and book signing with Mark Citret. Master printer Mark Citret has been a photographer and photo educator for over 50 years, specializing in architectural and landscape photography. His work is represented in prominent galleries such as the Weston Gallery and in the collections of major museums across the US including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, and the Monterey Museum of Art. He has taught photography for UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley Extensions, Santa Fe Workshops, Center for Photography at Woodstock and he continues to teach for the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite.

In 2015 he completed a sixteen year commission from The University of California, San Francisco, documenting their extensive building program over those years, including the creation of their Mission Bay Campus in downtown San Francisco. He has served as “Artist in Residence” in Yosemite National Park (2016), and Zion National Park (2019).

His books include Halcott Center: a Catskill Mountain Valley, with an introduction by Ansel Adams; Along the Way, with an introduction by Ruth Bernhard; and Parallel Landscapes, with an introduction by Al Weber.

Mark Citret is one of our “Buy It Now” artists for our 8×10 Fundraising Exhibition. Thank you, Mark!

Reminder, Pacific Grove Adult School Fall Registration is Open for Fall Classes

Pacific Grove Adult School Fall Class Registration now Opens Sep 9 2019. Please join us for the following classes

New: Getting Started in Social Media (Scroll to the bottom for details)

Class begin on Thursday, September 26th at 5:30 PM in the MacLab, Room 7

Lightroom Classic. Class begins on Thursday, Sep 26th, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is the Basic class that covers Import & Development, modules. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week for students to take home for reference and review. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $175 and does not include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom Classic at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Prerequisite for Photoshop for Lightroom Users in the Winter of 2020.

Intermediate Photography Skills:

Class begin on Tuesday, September 24th at 1PM in the MacLab, Room 7

This course is for the photographer who wants to build on the skills presented in Basic Photography. This course will cover a review of aperture priority, shutter priority, depth of field, focal length and composition and introduce the Histogram, Hyperfocal Distance, Light meters, Raw, Bracketing and HDR concepts as well as the history of landscape photography to the student. Two field trips will be part of this course. This class starts on September 24 2019. The fee is $175 for 10 weeks. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Social Media Icons

Getting Started in Social Media:

Class begins Monday, October 26th 1PM in the MacLab Room 7

This class is a prerequisite for Social Media Marketing Class in the Winter Session. Introduction to the basics of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Learn how to create meaningful relationships with friends, clients and colleagues, share content and information with a global audience and communicate your ideas. You will create an account on each platform in this class. Class meets Monday 1-4 PM, 7 weeks, starting October 26 thru Dec 16, 2019. Fee: $125

Center for Photographic Art 8x10 Fund Raising Exhibit August 31-October 27, 2019

We attended the 8x10 Fund Raising Exhibit on Saturday, September 14th just before the Linda Connor event. The place was buzzing with activity and anticipation of the upcoming event. The exhibit is well worth the effort to brave the Carmel traffic and view all of the amazing contributions to this years array of small prints. I was particularly taken with Brigitte Carhochan’s image of Pansies and Mary Aiu’s image of horses. There is something for everybody and I encourage you to make time to see it before it comes down on October 27th. https://photography.org.

Mark Citret has a special offering on the Buy it Now! wall. Mark Citret is one of our guest speakers at the Rendezvous 2019. Please email me for further information or go to the website at https://www.photographersrendezvous.com. Rick Murai will also be giving a presentation on his travels to exotic locations. Please join us.

The idea is to purchase a ticket for $10 and put the ticket in the box below the image you would love to have in your collection. Yes, you can do that as many times as you like!! :-)

Mark Citret has a wonderful selection of platinum for the Buy It Now! wall. He is one of our speakers at Rendezvous this year.

Linda Connor also had a wonderful selection of images on her Buy It Now! wall. She was the guest speaker at an event the same evening.

Pacific Grove Adult School Fall Registration is Open September 9 2019

Pacific Grove Adult School Fall Class Registration now Opens Sep 9 2019. Please join us for the following classes

New: Getting Started in Social Media (Scroll to the bottom for details)

Class begin on Thursday, September 26th at 5:30 PM in the MacLab, Room 7

Lightroom Classic. Class begins on Thursday, Sep 26th, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is the Basic class that covers Import & Development, modules. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week for students to take home for reference and review. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $175 and does not include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom Classic at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Prerequisite for Photoshop for Lightroom Users in the Winter of 2020.

Intermediate Photography Skills:

Class begin on Tuesday, September 24th at 1PM in the MacLab, Room 7

This course is for the photographer who wants to build on the skills presented in Basic Photography. This course will cover a review of aperture priority, shutter priority, depth of field, focal length and composition and introduce the Histogram, Hyperfocal Distance, Light meters, Raw, Bracketing and HDR concepts as well as the history of landscape photography to the student. Two field trips will be part of this course. This class starts on September 24 2019. The fee is $175 for 10 weeks. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Social Media Icons

Getting Started in Social Media:

Class begins Monday, October 26th 1PM in the MacLab Room 7

This class is a prerequisite for Social Media Marketing Class in the Winter Session. Introduction to the basics of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Learn how to create meaningful relationships with friends, clients and colleagues, share content and information with a global audience and communicate your ideas. You will create an account on each platform in this class. Class meets Monday 1-4 PM, 7 weeks, starting October 26 thru Dec 16, 2019. Fee: $125

Labor Day Weekend Sale- 20% Discount on Tutoring

Treat yourself or family member to some Lightroom or Photoshop Tutoring, Camera Basics, Private Field Trip on the Big Sur Coast, Monterey, Moss Landing, Santa Cruz, Mission San Antonio or a place of your choice.

Private Lessons are great way to get your Questions answered. When you book a lesson we will ask you what you would like to learn more about in photography, Lightroom or Photoshop. We can then set up a time that works for you in the field or as a private lesson in our studio or yours. Subjects that might be of interest include Basic Camera (what are all of those buttons), Image critique, Photoshop, Lightroom, Lighting (Portrait or Still Life), Drone Basics, Architecture, etc.

Out of the Area? We can give a lesson on a remote software, Team Viewer (it is a free download). We log onto your computer via Team Viewer and we can see your desktop and begin answering your questions. Really magical when you think about it. 

We are offering a 20% discount.

Contact us by email at barbara.moon@batistamoon.com for fees and any other questions you may have.

Offer Ends Sep 7, 2019

Purchase must be used 12 months from date of purchase.

You are Invited to Photographers Rendezvous 2019 Retreat - Mission San Antonio

​The Rendezvous at Mission San Antonio de Padua ​is scheduled for October 18th through the 20th 2019. Register at: https://www.photographersrendezvous.com

Photographer’s Rendezvous is dedicated to the advancement of photography and the photographic process for all who are interested. The gathering of photographers or “Rendezvous“, is for sharing work, ideas and processes.

A Brief History of Photographers Rendezvous……

The rendezvous concept was first developed by Al Weber and Don Cameron in 1987. The idea was to meet up at a predetermined location like the Mountain Men of 1825.…did, at a “Rendezvous”. To swap tall tales, lies, useful information and have a drink or two with old friends. The first Rendezvous was held in 1988, at a dry camp called "American Flat" (an old mining ruin near Virginia City, Nevada). “The Rendezvous at American Flat” was organized by Al Weber, Don Cameron, Randy Haun and Bruce Carter with 88 of the West‘s best photographers attending. A great time was had by all . It was such a great success that “The Rendezvous” was held yearly, in several different locations, until the last one at Mission San Antonio De Padua, California in October of 2012. In 2013 we started the Photographer's Rendezvous to carry on the traditions that Al had so carefully put together.

It was there that Al Weber announced, like all good things, “The Rendezvous” should come to an end. He suggested, with his blessing, that if some wanted to continue the gathering, it would be up to them to organize their own. Al Weber envision that perhaps there could be several other “Rendezvous” across the country to further his vision and the Photographic Arts.

The Future of Rendezvous

Barbara Moon Batista, Fernando Batista and founding member Bruce Carter visited Al Weber a couple of months after the 2013 Rendezvous at Al’s invitation. Al made it quite clear that if we were to pick up the torch and continue Rendezvous, it would be with his blessing and whatever assistance he could provide.

Photographers Rendezvous 2014 was held at San Lorenzo Park in King City and got a resounding thumbs up. We have continued to gather each October on the 3rd weekend at San Lorenzo Park.

We are returning to Mission San Antonio de Padua in 2019 by popular demand. This year we will have a retreat style gathering complete with a 2 night stay at the mission, 5 meals prepared by renowned Cork & Plough of King City and the entire program + speakers.

Speakers:

This year Rick Murai will open Friday evening after the Social Hour and dinner with a presentation of his travel photography. http://www.richardmurai.com

Ted Orland and Mark Citret will speak on Saturday night after the Social Hour and dinner with an informal talk about their experience as Artists in Residence. You can read about Mark Citret at his website http://www.mcitret.com. Google Ted Orland for more info and video on his illustrious career. My favorite book to refer my students to is Art & Fear By Ted Orland and David Bayles. Priceless.

Baker Morrell Scholarship

Baker Morrell Scholarship was initiated to assist aspiring photographers. A $1,000.00 Scholarship is awarded each year to an emerging photographer, who needs a little financial boost for their work. The requirements are simple: Send a letter with your name, address, a brief personal history and what you’re are currently working on plus a few examples of your work. A personal reference or two would be helpful.

The scholarship is awarded each year during the Rendezvous. The recipient is required to attend (as our guest) and give a brief presentation of their work. The application deadline is August 31st. Extended to September 7, 2019. Please click on the link below and find the scholarship tab.

https://www.photographersrendezvous.com

Presentations

Each participant can show their work to the audience (not a requirement). The rule is 12 images and no more then 10 minutes. You just never know what we are going to see or what process will be shown.

Print Swap

Sunday morning we have a Print Swap area. Whomever wants to participate brings prints to swap with other photographers. It a great way to build your collection, talk personally to the photographer and get and give feedback all at the same time.

We invite you to join us in October and immerse yourself in the photographic arts, see old friends and make new ones. It is truly a remarkable community. Come and be part of a unique and talented group of photographers. It is a truly unusual experience and we would be honored if you joined us.

Contact us if you have questions:

Barbara Moon Batista: Email barbara.moon@batistamoon.com

Fernando Batista Email: fernando@batistamoon.com

Bruce Carter: Email: moosebme2@gmail.com

Register or further information: https://www.photographersrendezvous.com

Please help. Intermediate Editing Lightroom Class CC JOIN US ON THURSDAY, JUNE 27th

I NEED YOUR HELP WITH REGISTRATION. WE NEED 2 MORE PEOPLE TO REGISTER FOR THE INTERMEDIATE LIGHTROOM CLASSIC CLASS. IT IS A LOT OF FUN TO LEARN

Intermediate Editing in Lightroom Classic CC. Class begins on Thursday, June 27th, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is an advanced class that covers Development, Slideshow and Printing modules. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week students to take home for reference. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $175 and does not include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

REMINDER - Pacific Grove Adult School Summer Registration is Open SUMMER 2019

Pacific Grove Adult School Spring Class Registration now Opens SUMMER 2019. Please join us for the following classes - HAVE A GREAT SUMMER:

Advanced Editing in Lightroom Classic CC. Class begins on Thursday, June 27th, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is an advanced class that covers Development, Slideshow and Printing modules. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week students to take home for reference. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $150 and does not include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Basic Photography Skills. This course is for the person who wants to get off Auto and use more features on their camera or refresh skills that have been gotten a little rusty. We cover Aperture and Shutter Priority, Depth of Field, Focal Length, Composition, Focus, Metering and more. The class meets Tuesday afternoon from 1-4 PM starting June 25 2019 for 10 weeks. The fee is $150. You can register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Advanced Photography Skills

This course is for the photographer who wants to build on the skills presented in Basic and Intermediate Photography. This course will cover a review of aperture priority, shutter priority, depth of field, focal length and composition and introduce the histogram, Hyperfocal Distance, Light meters, Raw, bracketing and HDR concepts as well as the history of landscape photography to the student. One field trip will be part of this course. This class starts on June 24 2019. The fee is $150 for 10 weeks. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

A Problem Lightroom Can Solve - Where did I put that photo I took of _________!

Batista Moon Studio has compiled a lot of photographs they have taken over the years. The early days of file management prompted us to sign up for several different “catalog” style library systems. Most of them didn’t work or suffered from poor software development.

Historically, we used film until about 2008- 2010 when digital cameras became more usable for large format studio photographers. We had 18 file cabinets full of film, all nicely cataloged by client and subject. We then had the challenge of trying to fit the new digital files in to this filing system. We first saved everything to CD’s and then DVD’s as the files became larger and larger. We had special drawers for the hanging CD’s/DVD’s. Film was scanned and preserved as a digital file. All of this added up to a somewhat efficient storage system.

Fast forward to 2007 and Adobe launched Lightroom as a sister software program to Photoshop. I watched and read the reviews to see if this was the solution to a cumbersome filing system we had cobbled together over the years. It was!!

We began using Lightroom in 2008 and never looked back. It was a great tool for organizing our new work as well as integrating our files into Lightroom’s Library module. We could also edit after Importing the files and so what had taken up quite a bit of time began to free up more of our time for photography and other activities.

I began teaching at Pacific Grove Adult School in late 2009 and by 2011 I was offering a course in Lightroom for whomever wanted to learn this amazing new way of organizing and editing your photographs.

The class is still going strong at PG Adult School.

Photoshop for Lightroom Users Workshop Week 1 - Highlights

I am please to tell you that we had a full house for the first class of Photoshop for Lightroom Users on June 12 2019. We talked about how to Jump to Photoshop from Lightroom and the details of the technique. We also setup our preferences for jumping to photoshop.

We learned to customize the workspace area in Photoshop after our first image open successfully; move the panels around and save the favorite ones as a preset. Lots of little aha moments during this section.

We learned about Photoshop’s toolbar and explored how some of the basic tools work. Each Tool has an options bar and some tricky little behaviors. Great teachable moments and good questions.

We then started our basic discussion about Layers. This is an area that confuses beginners and needs to be given great clarity . We talked about and demonstrated how they are actually designed to work; like a stack of items. The background layer, opaque and transparent layers, adjustment layers and what they are for. I am happy to say the group grasped the concept pretty quick.

I am very excited about our 2nd meeting on June 19 where we will begin to put our new knowledge to work with the Type Tool and how to use it as we weave some of the more complex tools into the exercise, like the Transform.

I hope you enjoyed this. Please check out our website at batistamoon.com

Pacific Grove Adult School Summer Registration is Open June 10 2019

Pacific Grove Adult School Spring Class Registration now Opens March 11 2019. Please join us for the following classes:

Advanced Editing in Lightroom Classic CC. Class begins on Thursday, June 27th, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is an advanced class that covers Development, Slideshow and Printing modules. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week students to take home for reference. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $150 and does not include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Basic Photography Skills. This course is for the person who wants to get off Auto and use more features on their camera or refresh skills that have been gotten a little rusty. We cover Aperture and Shutter Priority, Depth of Field, Focal Length, Composition, Focus, Metering and more. The class meets Tuesday afternoon from 1-4 PM starting June 24 2019 for 10 weeks. The fee is $150. You can register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Advanced Photography Skills

This course is for the photographer who wants to build on the skills presented in Basic and Intermediate Photography. This course will cover a review of aperture priority, shutter priority, depth of field, focal length and composition and introduce the histogram, Hyperfocal Distance, Light meters, Raw, bracketing and HDR concepts as well as the history of landscape photography to the student. One field trip will be part of this course. This class starts on June 25 2019. The fee is $150 for 10 weeks. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Copy of Photoshop for Lightroom Users Class

Photoshop for Lightroom users is a course I am developing. I would like to beta test it at a class here at the studio one night a week for eight week. I am sending this out to see how many people would be interested. It would require that you have a laptop with Lightroom and Photoshop on it. We can accommodate 4 or 5 students. The fee will be in the $299 range for 8 classes. Start date June 12, June 19, June 26, July 3rd, July 10, 17, 24, 31. Please respond to this blog post using the email link or email me directly with questions or comments. We will be using the Photoshop for Lightroom Users by Scott Kelby. Thank you for your interest. Barbara Moon Batista

Center for Photographic Art 2019 Members' Juried Exhibition

Fernando and I are pleased to announce that we have both been selected by the jurors, Connie and Jerry Rosenthal of Rfotofolio to be in this year Members’ Juried Exhibition at the Center for Photographic Art is Carmel. Please join us at the Opening Reception, Awards Presentation on April 27th, 5-7PM to see all of the amazing work from these talented photographers. There were 1100 entries and only 45 were chosen for the wall. It must have been a very hard task for the jurors. Thank you to CPA, the staff and jurors for this honor. Hope to see you there. Barbara Moon Batista and Fernando Batista

FYI: We decided to keep the image selection under wraps until the exhibit opens so we don’t spoil the surprise.

Lightroom Classic CC Spring Class still open for registration.

Improve your Editing skills. Learn Import and Editing skills in Lightroom Classic CC at Pacific Grove Adult School. We get together on Thursday night at 6 for a couple of hours and I guide you through the process of Importing and editing in a collegial atmosphere. We provide the computers, instruction, handouts and good company. You can register online at www.pgadult.org or call a human at 831-646-6580. Look forward to seeing you there.

DNG Converter 11.2.1 beta released for Interim new camera support

This was posted on the Photoshop Family site this morning via email.

DNG Converter is free. Digital Negative (DNG) is a publicly available archival format for raw files which are generated by various digital cameras. This addresses the lack of an open standard for raw files created by individual camera models and ensures that photographers easily access their files.

Since we had some shipping cameras that were currently unsupported in Camera Raw and Lightroom, we posted a beta version of the DNG Converter 11.2.1 today. You can find it here:

You may have to copy and paste the links into your web browser.

Win - https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6641

Mac - https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6639

Support for the following cameras was included:

Canon EOS RP

Panasonic LUMIX DC-FZ1000M2 (DC-FZ10002)

Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1

Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1R

Panasonic LUMIX DC-ZS80 (DC-TZ95, DC-TZ96, DC-TZ97)

Sony A6400 (ILCE-6400)

Instructions for using the DNG Converter can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/adobe-dng-converter.html

Pacific Grove Adult School Spring Registration is Open March 11 2019

Pacific Grove Adult School Spring Class Registration now Opens March 11 2019. Please join us for the following classes:

Editing in Lightroom Classic CC. Class begins on Thursday, March 28, 5:30-8:30 PM for 10 weeks. This course is a basic class that covers Importing and Development module. We use the Lightroom Classic book by Scott Kelby as a guide and reference. There is a handout each week students to take home for reference. The class is conducted in the MacLab but PC laptops are welcome and we give basic instruction in how to use our iMac computers. Once you have Lightroom open the program looks and acts the same. Keyboard commands are given for both platforms. Fee is $150 and does include the textbook. It is recommended that you have recent copy of Lightroom at home or intend to acquire one during the course. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Basic Photography Skills. This course is for the person who wants to get off Auto and use more features on their camera or refresh skills that have been gotten a little rusty. We cover Aperture and Shutter Priority, Depth of Field, Focal Length, Composition, Focus, Metering and more. The class meets Tuesday afternoon from 1-4 PM starting March 26 2019 for 10 weeks. The fee is $150. You can register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Advanced Photography Skills

This course is for the photographer who wants to build on the skills presented in Basic and Intermediate Photography. This course will cover a review of aperture priority, shutter priority, depth of field, focal length and composition and introduce the histogram, Hyperfocal Distance, Light meters, Raw, bracketing and HDR concepts as well as the history of landscape photography to the student. One field trip will be part of this course. This class starts on March 25 2019. The fee is $150 for 10 weeks. Register online at https://www.pgadulted.com or call a human at 831-646-6580.

Photoshop for Lightroom Users Class

Photoshop for Lightroom users is a course I am developing. I would like to beta test it at a class here at the studio one night a week for eight week. I am sending this out to see how many people would be interested. It would require that you have a laptop with Lightroom and Photoshop on it. We can accommodate 4 or 5 students. The fee will be the $299 for 8 classes. Start date June 12, June 19, June 26, July 3rd, July 10, 17, 24, 31. Please respond to this blog post using the email link or email me directly with questions or comments. We will be using the Photoshop for Lightroom Users by Scott Kelby. Thank you for your interest. Barbara Moon Batista

The Rocket Soup Story

This story is inspired by a young man whom we recently worked with on a food photoshoot. Time can drag a bit on a food shoot as you wait for things to come together. I was talking to this young man who was in charge of this particular assignment and we got onto his recent decision to try out being a vegan. We eventually got around to the philosophy of food choice and lifestyle.

“Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A follower of the diet or the philosophy is known as a vegan. Distinctions may be made between several categories of veganism. Dietary vegans refrain from consuming animal products, not only meat but also eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived substances”. Wikipedia. I shall stick with the diet aspect of the philosophy.

This young man had been on his new vegan diet for about 8 months and his wife actually inspired him to join her on this adventure. He was a former meat eater and in particular loves cheese. We talked at length about the health benefits of a plant based diet and the impact of consuming animal products on the planet ecosystem. I came to realize that this was not the first time I had encountered this conscious decision to alter lifestyle. It is no longer one that you can make if you are affluent. There is a growing concern among several generations about the impact of how we live on the planet. Our choices are shaping the future.

I have begun to consciously choose more plant based items to consume and add that to my list of singular efforts to combat climate change. Just as I was thinking about this issue each day and learning a bit more about blending the vegan lifestyle choices into my animal by product lifestyle, Food & Wine Magazine arrived. The cover photograph was one of Rocket Soup. I checked it out and there were no animal by products in it with the exception of Greek Yogurt as a finishing touch.

I celebrate my new appreciation of the vegan lifestyle with the recipe and my own photograph of the Rocket Soup. Excerpted from Food & Wine , January 2019

Rocket Soup (Shorbat Jarjir)

The Palestinian soup is all about the greens and stock. Seek out spicier, mature arugula at the store or farm stand, and break out a homemade batch of broth from the freezer (or use your favorite store-bought brand). A final dollop of Greek yogurt adds just the right amount of richness. (Optional).

2 Tbsp. light olive oil

1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. grated fresh nutmeg

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 medium russet potato, chopped

4 cups homemade or low sodium vegetable stock

7 oz. arugula

5 1/4 oz. fresh spinach

1 oz. cilantro springs (about 1/2 cup packed)

Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt for serving (optional)

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil for serving

1. Heat light olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, just until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in numeric, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice: cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add potato and stock, and bring to a simmer (medium heat). Cook until potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Reserve a handful of arugula for garnish. Add spinach, cilantro, and remaining arugula to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium, and cook 10 minutes. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece of lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Divide among 4 bowls.

3. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of Greek yogurt (optional), some of the reserved arugula, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Note: Arugula has been enjoyed by the Italians and French for centuries. It has become popular in the US somewhat more recently. Other names - rucola, roquette or rocket. Rocket is a derivative of the French “roquette”.

Arugula is very versatile and nutritious. It is high in Vitamins A and C, good source of calcium and Vitamin K. It has a delightful peppery flavor. Too with olive oil and a splash of lemon and top with shaved Parmesan cheese (non-vegans).

Idea: Arugula Pesto

A VERY PESTO CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve I was feeling a bit creative. There was this pesto plant left over from a project in the fall just hanging on. The poor little thing was perched in among all of the Christmas plants looking quite out of place. The thought of Christmas Eve pesto with pasta was suddenly quite clear in my minds eye.. A noble end for a plant that saw us through so many various dishes of Heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, garnish for summer soups and appetizers.

I assembled my tools: A very senior food processor, basil plant, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and Romano cheese, and my Silver Palette Cookbook (favorite go to book).

Here is the recipe:

2-3 cups of fresh basil leaves, thoroughly washed and patted dry

4 good size garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 cup pine nuts (pignolas) or shelled walnuts

1 cup best quality olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (imported if you can find)

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (imported if you can find)

Salt and Pepper to taste (Optional for special diets).

1. Combine the basil, garlic and nuts into the bowl of a food processor-or halve the recipe into a blender-and chop.

2. Leave the motor running and add the olive oil in a slow, steady, stream.

3. Shut off the motor, add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper (optional). Process briefly to combine, then scrape out into a bowl and cover until ready to use.

4. 2 cups, enough to sauce 2 pounds of pasta.

I served it over Beef Bolognese Ravioli from Trader Joe’s with a salad and bread. It was good if I do say so myself. You will have to imagine the photograph of the final meal as I was so excited to have made pesto I forgot to document the result.

I put the balance into small canning jars as a gift to a special friend. You can keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze in ice cube trays for use later on in the winter and spring.

Dedicated to out of season Basil plants.