Simply Jessie Photography - San Francisco | Chicago Photography » flowers

Valentines Day in 70 degrees!

Jessie — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:20:36 +0000

Eric and I decided to head to the Garfield Park Conservatory for a day spent together in 70 degree greenhouses filled with ferns, spring flowers and the like. I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning, excited, smiley and all twitchy for the fun to begin…. Eric was sleeping peacefully while I was starting at his face intently willing him to wake and immediately asked … ” Can we get up so we can go?? “. Eric gracefully smiled and said ” Yes. Let’s go.” We had our usual morning coffee, exchanged our cute cards which by the way did not involve big red hearts or over used words, but words of affirmation and celebration of what we have together.

My favorite space there is the Fern Room. It has plantings of mosses, ferns and cycads and an indoor lagoon. It was created to evoke what the landscape would have looked like in pre-historic times. They had plants in there over 300 years old. This was my favorite room. I was in heaven….

We then headed off into the Show Room for their Spring Flower show. The greenhouse was FULL of blooming azaleas in bright pinks, fushias, whites and purples along with perfect white camelias and sweet smelling hyacinths. Towering overhead were big Southern Magnolias and a few crabapple trees. Now this room felt like home, sweet home Alabama will soon be full of all of these blooming beauties. ISpring is my favorite time of the year in the south.

Told you I loved them….

We continued on to the Desert House full of cacti and succulents. This is a favorite for Eric. Doesn’t this look like a little village?

We even found one that looks like Eric!

We headed back to the Fern Room to soak in the last rays of sunshine and enjoy the 70 degrees!

Where did you go with your Valentine??

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Quieting my soul….

Jessie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:15:38 +0000

My newest venture is teaching a Photography Portfolio Workshop at Chicago Botanic Gardens for eight weeks. Last Monday was the first class where I met a variety of talented aspiring nature photographers. I designed this class to help these individuals develop their own nature portfolio to show off. Each student has a theme or focus . They vary from, water, lines and textures, leaves ,fall flowers etc. They turned in their first assignment last night and I have already been blown away by the glory of nature and the talent of these students. They are each on their unique journey to express what they see to a camera lens. I feel humbled and privileged to help them in their next steps of this journey. My class is broken into two parts. First part, is technical instruction and critique, and the second hour is shooting time in the garden to develop their portfolio and complete their next assignment.

WhatI learned in the hour, was not mind blowing fine art, but was about myself……that my soul has not been quiet for quite some time and apparently does not know how. That morning started off with over preparation and plenty of time,but turned into traffic to the MAX, wrong turns,hurrying to my classroom, organizing my things and having 5 min before meeting the class. When the second hour of our time came to go out with our cameras and be inspired …. I found this hour WAY harder than the rest of my morning even compared to the stopped traffic on I-94. My iphone kept ringing, and buzzing with new emails. I just found my self listless, wandering and uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable to be silent, to be still, to let down and to just be.

My life for the last few months has been NUTS. Moving into this new space, painting, designing, advertising, efficiency, new sights, new everything!! Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT complaining. It has been more than I could have dreamed up for myself, yet…. in that only one brief hour at the garden, I panicked in the presence of quiet.

I am looking forward to the next seven weeks of this class, to stretch me, inspire me and to quiet me. I am looking forward to Monday where I am once again uncomfortable in the quiet where I know is home for me, to get reacquainted with nature and with myself. Funny how for me they are so intertwined….

A few from my wandering….

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Stroll around the block…

Jessie — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:30 +0000

On Friday afternoon, it was lovely and in the 70′s, which around here seems to be a rare treat! I rented a Canon 5d Mark ii for a wedding I had on Saturday , so Eric and I ran outside to test what this baby could do! I have been going back and forth on whether or not I am going to purchase this camera now or in a few months. It was hard to see it go this morning. It really is an amazing camera.

We live right next to the lake, so there was the buzz of people and families on the beach, sunshine and a nice breeze …. and we strolled around looking for some pretty things to photograph. We found these…. enjoy.

Oh. and of course…. My favorite subject of all…. eric. i LOVE these pics of eric. love love love.

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