This & That: Summer Horses, France Inspiration, & Still Life Fun

June 7, 2019

My “this and that” posts bring together three disparate things. In this one, I’m capturing some whimsical things that have been on my mind recently. Summertime horses, my upcoming trip to France, and fiddling with flat lay photography.

summer show jumping

Every chance I get I either work on horse shows or attend them as a spectator. Once you start noticing the horse industry, you begin to see it everywhere. There is no such thing as an average American horse owner. Horse owners come from all economic backgrounds, own all types of horses for various purposes and live in a variety of places from tiny towns to large cities. In fact, the American Horse Council Federation just came out with a study that might expand your conception of the scope and breadth and economic impact of the horse industry in America. It’s not just for the elite, as many people think.

my burgundy, france inspiration

In just a few days I jet off to Paris, France. I notice that so many of my friends are there right this moment, something I find so interesting. I make my way down to Burgundy for this workshop that makes me so happy to think about. If you are on instagram, make sure you watch @the.flo.show, primarily her instagram stories. The workshop will be at her family home.

Creatives involved in the workshop: Abbie Melle, Australian Photographer @abbie_melle / Laurence Revol, French Fashion Portrait Photographer @laurence.revol / Xanthe Berkeley, British Photographer and Filmmaker @xantheb/ Sarah Diligent, Florist @floribundaroseflorists/ Sophie Bellard, Head Cook and Stylist @sistersjunction/Lucia Braham, Stylist @lucia.b.creative. Organized by filmmaker Flore Vallery-Radot @the.flo.show. Watch the video in Flore’s post below. Just wonderful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLCMmhhA2Q/

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{PHOTOGRAPHY & FILMMAKING WORKSHOP} A few days at my parents' place and I'm already fully in a workshop mood. I'm beyond excited to soon welcome participants and team (see below) in the technicolor backdrop of Burgundy in Spring. . My goodness… it's going to be beautiful. I can't wait to see what you will capture this year!! It's so different from the previous editions which took place in late Summer, copper colours and yellow grass. Now it's fluro green and the roses are ready to explode in magical fireworks. Refreshing pockets of rain give photos a spectacular and mysterious look. . Thank you to the many lovely people who are following my daily stories and requesting a special tour (simply DM me with what you'd like me to show you). I've had a lot of fun answering your questions and vicariously guiding you through the house and garden. Thank you for the Round-up replacement suggestions, we'll try them all. . The two friends who had decided to grab the last spots after the recent cancellations cannot make it after all, so **THERE ARE TWO SPOTS LEFT** if anyone is keen to join us. In any case you are welcome to follow our adventures through my stories. . If you know of someone who'd love to be part of such a special creative adventure in a private French home, please share this post, it'd be very helpful 🙂 . Time to go to bed. I'll see you for my little morning tour! (in my stories) . . . Music by Beethoven – Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 – III. Rondo Allegro – Interpreted by the US Marine Chamber Orchestra. Public Domain Mark 1.0. . . Teaching this year at the workshop: @laurence.revol @abbie_melle @floribundaroseflorists @xantheb – Making everything beautiful and delicious @sistersjunction @juliar73 @calinek.n @floral_collective_ @lucia.b.creative @marie_s_garden

A post shared by Flore Vallery-Radot (@the.flo.show) on May 26, 2019 at 2:13pm PDT

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A dream dinner setting in a old barn, candles flickering under a cloud of hanging bracken and the evening slowly fading outside the giant doors. This is a scene I’ll be part of in June this year, at @the.flo.show’s photography workshop held at her childhood home in Burgundy France … and there’s only a few tickets left to join in also! I cannot wait to teach editorial photography alongside 3 other talented teachers who will share photography, videography & floristry lessons, and spend 5 days connecting, creating and exploring in the most idyllic French county-side. Would love to have you join us! More info via Flo’s profile, in my stories or send me a message. ✨ _ Stunning photo by @the.flo.show at last year’s workshop.

A post shared by abbie mellé (@abbie_melle) on Mar 31, 2019 at 3:18am PDT

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spring vibes. s. . . . #amsterdam #spring #tulips #flowerpicking #feelfreefeed #thatauthenticfeeling #seekthesimplicity #inspiremyinstagram #theartofslowliving #aquietstyle #postitfortheaesthetic #momentslikethese #pursuepretty #livecolorfully #momentsofmine #livethelittlethings #simplepleasures #todays_simplicity #thehappynow #livesimple #slowliving #dayslikethese #theeverydayproject #flashesofdelight #thenetherlands

A post shared by m., s. & a. (@sistersjunction) on May 26, 2019 at 9:44am PDT

fiddling with flat lay photography

Honestly, I got carried away with some indoor-rainy-weather-photography one day recently and and found myself pulling out my camera, the tripod and fun items. I had some images in mind, wanted to thank some people who have truly done something nice for me. What better way to show my gratitude than in photographs?

DREAM BIG, as the card above says! Each fantastic bound journal was handmade by an artisan in Canada, @prairiepeasant. I have been buying these for years now. She makes them just for me. She lets me select the map I like and voila…a pocket sized journal is ready to go on my travels. It’s just perfect for a business card, taped in with Japanese washi tape …. and the travel journaling I do. I even have some journals for trips that I have not yet taken, Iceland and India.

My friend Dana Macy kindly sent me this bible of all bibles….The Beekeeper’s Bible. It’s 400 pages … heavy with advice, recipes, and photographs. I love when friends think of you out of the clear blue sky. She knows I love bees. Thank you!

One day I will attend a workshop with photographer and farmer Annabelle Hickson @annabellehickson. In the past she taught at Flore’s Burgundy workshop and has some wonderful photographs inside the book from that experience. I hear so many great things about her and just had to buy the gorgeous book, *A Tree in the House*.

Ok, this was a whimsical item. I had to have these from Etsy. I loved the thought of giving heart-shaped crates of eggs (from the farms of course) to friends. So many of my friends have chickens. It’s a big thing in Connecticut.

I wanted pom poms for my jeans, I just did. So I bought my own from Etsy and sewed them on myself. I smile when I see these. The spools of thread are from my grandmother Millicent’s sewing kit. I want to photograph memorable items from time to time. Otherwise they sit in my cabinet collecting dust.

If you like this or any of my other blog posts, feel free to follow me and sign up here. I create something every few weeks and you will receive an email when it comes out. I’m using my Canon 5D Mark lll and the Leica Q for some of these photos….and always have my iPhone X handy.