Summer is almost here and this month's issue of Our State Magazine includes Stacey's image as the cover!
Read Moreour state | january cover
It was a pleasure assisting Stacey with the photoshoot for Our State Magazine’s January cover. It was such a cool experience to meet some of the people that make that magazine happen each month. It always amazes me how much work goes into making a photograph happen.
Read Moreour state | behind the lens
What a honor to be included in the Our State’s feature on Randolph Community College photography graduates in the January issue. It certainly has been a wild ride since I graduated in 2003. I can hardly believe it has been thirteen years! I have had so many wonderful experiences, worked with so many talented people and have shot everything from 5 star hotels to farms, famous authors and ordinary folks, TV stars and fascinating characters. I truly love my job and am thankful to Our State’s wonderful crew for giving me so many opportunities to see North Carolina through the eyes of it’s people, food and landscape.
We have so many RCC interns over the last decade and this semester we had the pleasure of having Caroline Boone. She photographed me for the opener to this story. To be truthful, it always feels sort of funny to be on the other side of the camera but Carol made it fun.
our state | december cover
The Holidays are almost here already and this month’s December issue of Our State Magazine includes Stacey’s image as the cover! Not only did Stacey get the chance to shoot these beautiful and unique vintage ornaments but she also had the opportunity to photograph some pretty delicious coconut cake as well!
For an interesting tale about the Ornament King of Gastonia and to get a wonderful recipe for Coconut Cake, grab the December Issue of Our State Magazine!
Cheers!
Natalie
our state | the table
There are some shoots that are harder than others – being gluten-free is especially difficult at such a lovely place like The Table in Asheboro, NC. Look how beautiful this bread is! I really just wanted to slather butter on it and maybe a bit of honey and cram some on my mouth. It took all my will power not to do it! So instead, I tried to just look at the beautiful textures of the bread and photograph it as still life. And besides, The Table, does offer a full menu with fabulous salads and other yummy dishes so us GF people have lots to pick from.
Dustie Gregson, the owner, is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet and has done a lovely job with all the details of the decor even down to the 1 of a kind chandelier made out of milk bottles. So if you are in Asheboro or visiting the potteries in Seagrove, I would make a little trip to this cute and delicious restaurant!
a chef's life | behind the scenes
So fun to be behind the scenes shooting on the set of A Chef’s Life! Vivian and her crew welcomed us to shoot them filming the confessionals and the Pea Episode shot at the Broadslab Distillery in Benson, NC.
A Chef’s Life is a fabulous award winning show on PBS created by Vivian and Cynthia Hill.
We love the authenticity and charm of Vivian and her guests. If you love food, you’ll enjoy this wonderful exploration of southern ingredients with a Vivian spin!
Hope you enjoy seeing behind the scenes as much as we did!
our state | blessing of the hounds
our state | april cover
“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
It was so lovely to have the April cover of Our State Magazine! One can never have enough peonies in my opinion. They are lacy and feminine and have a delicious perfume. I want oodles and oodles of them in my yard (doesn’t everyone??).
I moved last July to a house that unfortunately didn’t have much landscaping done. With hopes of what my yard could be, I planted 2 peony bushes in last summer and 2 this spring. They probably won’t bloom this year so I will have to vicariously enjoy all the lovely flowers in my neighbourhood until next year.
Two peonies were transplanted from my old yard – I really didn’t think they’d make it since they were moved in the oppressive heat of July in NC. I think I almost cried when I saw them coming up this year! The other two peonies are from the farmer’s market – divided from some old southern peonies. I don’t even know what color they are but that will be the wonderful surprise of next spring!
our state | tiffany hill b&b
How lovely to arrive at Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill after the hustle and bustle of a freelance photographer’s life! Maria and I thankfully drove along the treed country roads and then up the driveway to this peaceful haven near Asheville, NC. Of course, we were there to photograph for Our State magazine, but Selena Einwechter, the gracious innkeeper gives everyone the star treatment!
We were ushered to our beautiful rooms and shown all the wonderful amenities: Keurig coffee maker outside the rooms, lots of yummy snacks, homemade peach tea and anything you could need really. We unpacked our equipment and were able to spend some time planning for our shoot. It is a luxury to have some time before shooting!
Selena is so warm and friendly and her goal is for each guest to have a peaceful and wonderful stay. There are porch rockers, a quaint fenced herb garden and a wooded trail with little nooks to sit and read or just soak in the ambience. The pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality and you’ll find that this bed and breakfast to be a fine example!
We were excited to have the cover of Our State this month! Hope you enjoy seeing a little more of Tiffany Hill . . .
our state | christmas at the biltmore I
Excited to have another cover of Our State magazine & a 20 page story on the Biltmore at Christmas! Maria and I loved every minute of photographing at the Biltmore during the holidays – the trees and the lights were magnificent! Thank you to LeeAnn Donnelly, the senior public relations manager, who hosted us for our Biltmore shoot! Check back this week for more images from this shoot and a feature on an amazing collector of Spode china.
our state | peaches at kalawi farms
Mmmmmmm juicy sweet peaches. . . I shot an amazing story for Our State Magazine at the family owned Kalawi Farms in Eagle Springs, NC. Rows and rows of beautiful peach trees, an ice cream stand with fresh peach ice cream and loads of peaches to buy and take home with you. We were so happy to see this beauty of a peach on the July cover!
our state | behind the scenes at the biltmore
One of the things I love best about working for Our State Magazine is that I get to see and photograph some of the most beautiful places in North Carolina! I have always wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville but somehow in all my years of being a transplanted Canadian, I haven’t made the time to go to the Biltmore. When Art Director Deanne O’Connor called to ask me if I’d like to shoot a story there – I was so excited. Not only is the Biltmore fantastic but the marketing department was so wonderful to help me with getting the best shots. And the cherry on top was getting this month’s cover of Our State Magazine!
Stay tuned for more of my favorite shots from the Biltmore coming this week!
