Blue Hill at Stone Barns

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On our recent trip to New York

we had the opportunity to visit Stone Barns and dine at Blue Hill. The trip was in celebration of Kelsi and my 2nd Anniversary, and after watching the Chef Table's episode on Chef Dan, we knew we had to make a visit to the non-profit and restaurant. The entirety of Stone Barns is very inspiring - we wandered throughout the center: visiting the greenhouse, gardens, lambs, chickens and turkeys during the day while staff lead tours and short activities for visitors. I shot these images on the iPhone 7 Plus and was super impressed by the flexibility offered through the zoom lens which helped me capture some of the close-ups below.

 
 
 

The day ended with dinner at Blue Hill. Located on the Stone Barns property, Blue Hill purchases around 50% of what's produced at the barns and the two entities work together on various projects. This was a meal I don't think I will ever forget. We had somewhere between 20-30 courses ranging from fresh veggies from the farm to creative "foraging" projects that took us into the kitchen and had us sorting through a pile of hay at our table. The meal and entire experience gave me a deeper appreciation for local produce and farmers, and admiration for extreme quality this center produces. Chef Dan Barber has created an amazing atmosphere at Blue Hill if you ever have the oppurtunity to go, please do!

 
 

Four varieties of mushrooms gathered around Pocantico Hills

We got to take a look behind the curtain. Taken with the new portrait mode.

We got to take a look behind the curtain. Taken with the new portrait mode.

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Thinking Fellows

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The Thinking Fellows Podcast is a group of professors and theologians who gather each week to discuss doctrines and deep things of Christian life. 

It was a thrill working with such well know thinkers. I enjoyed getting to know them better and loved dreaming up this concept with them. Learn more about the show and subscribe to thier podcast here at ThinkingFellows.com

Christina: Advocate of Peace

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As the rain falls lightly outside, Christina pours clean water over her living room floor. Baby Aliome sleeps peacefully on Christine's back as six-year-old, Diome and four-year-old, Burime, circle the room in a never-ending game of tag. (Full Story)

Apple World Gallery

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After Apple launched their newly designed iPhone6 they reached out to photographers around the world to showcase photos they had taken on that iPhone. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of those people. This shot of Kelsi here was posted on billboards around the world. Here are the images I collected from friends and family.

The Pastranas

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VOLUME 5

In the following story, we’re going to tell you Kate and Julian Pastrana are stylish, thoughtful and truly genuine people. You will read about their passion for woodworking, their love of community and their search for life-giving meaning. We will tell you these things about the Pastranas because they are true and inspiring. Coincidentally, we have noticed much about the Pastranas falls into many popular trends in this day and age, for it’s no secret the current Zeitgeist relies heavily on the adjectives “craftsmanship”, “handmade”, and “American-made”.

Story By: Kelsi Klembara 
Full Story: Glass Optical

Chad Bird

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A few weeks ago I did a portrait session with Chad Bird. We did this for the launch of his new site, which you can check out here - ChadBird.com .  Chad is a theologian and his love for people runs deep. His writing lets people know that while we are not perfect, we are all loved. He's become a good friend and I'm excited to see how he continues to use his talents. 

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY & THE IPHONE

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Sports Photography & the iPhone

I took my iPhone to a college football game to test out a theory. I wanted to see if I could shoot, edit and send out photos throughout an A&M game by only using my iPhone. Traditionally, sport photographers have multiple camera bodies and run back  to the press room during half time to upload their photos. While there were some difficulties that accompanied shooting this way, I have to say, it was a very liberating experience overall.

Texas A&M just completely redesigned their stadium. Part of that was working with IBM to implement fiber WIFI for over 100,000 people. When I heard that, I immediately thought of how I could combine the wifi with mobile photography. To capture the photos in this post, I used Moments Lens in addition to the iPhone. They have a great wide angle and 60mm lens. Everything in this post was shot on the iPhone6s Plus.

 
Right off the bat, I knew I was in for a challenge. The entire game happened after the sun went down. I ended up using a camera app called  "Manual" which helped me lock in the shutter speed and the iso I wanted to use. Shooting through the screen was amazing. I was disappointed because I wanted to try the burst mode, but I'll have to wait for a day game for that. 
 
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I was super impressed with the iPhone's ability to stop motion and capture the frame. I did have a hard time focusing mainly because it was raining but also I would need to either time the shot really well or tap and shoot.

Overall, it was a fun experiment. Check out to see the images I shot and edited throughout the game by following #TAMUshotoniphone on twitter and Instagram. Also one of my favorite shots from the game :) 

Hope you enjoyed this post.

What do you think  - will the iPhone eventually replace DSLRs in sports photography? Let me know in the comments below! 

The Apple Book

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The Apple World Gallery Book

Earlier today, I received this book in the mail from Apple. I love the beauty that's captured in these pages. I’m so thrilled to be apart of the Apple World Gallery. It’s provided me with the opportunity to meet photographers from all over the world and view work that is both similar and different from my own. 

This book will be with me the rest of my life. It's something I really look forward to sharing with my kids someday and I don't think I can thank the folks at Apple enough for bringing this unbelievably beautiful collection of work together. They’ve not only done something completely new and different in the marketing world, but they’ve successfully showcased an amazing gallery worldwide in spaces that otherwise might not seem that beautiful.

From the written words in the forward to the striking images throughout its pages, this book leaves me encouraged. I cannot help but think of how beautiful 2016 is going to be. Thank you Apple. 

 

Instax in Rwanda

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We Took an Instax Camera to Rwanda

In the humanitarian visual storytelling world, capturing a photo can be tough thing to do correctly. You have to be thoughtful, emotionally responsible and ultimately have a proper view of yourself as well as the people you are with. I've learned that people must always take priority over an image. Some great photographers that do this well include my friends Austin, Esther and Paul. They've taught me that giving something back in return for an image you may take can mean a lot to an individual as well as set the precedent for your priorities as a photographer.

Following their example, I've started handing instax images to people I meet in the field. Its been amazing to see these new friends see themselves in a printed image they get to keep. This year, we also worked these instax images into the 10Days Campaign for Living Water. We had each person I photographed write "Hello Neighbor" in either English, French or Kinyarwandan on an instax photo we kept, and then also gave them another copy to keep. Today is the last day of this year's 10Days Campaign! To learn more about many of the people below and for more info on providing clean water in Rwanda, visit 10Days campaign. 

Bell & Oak

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VOLUME 4

Clint Wilkinson is a man with enough talent to appear intimidating yet friendly enough to be your best friend. The thoughtful owner of the custom (and highly regarded) leather company, Bell and Oak, understands a thing or two about slowing down and finishing the task at hand. So when you’re ready, we recommend you silence your phone, turn off your laptop, and sit in a peaceful corner in order to fully enjoy his words of wisdom below.

Story By: Kelsi Klembara 
Full Story: Glass Optical

Johnny Stimson

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Johnny is both an insanely talented musician and great friend, I've had the opportunity to create images for Johnny both in studio for a while now and during a trip to Brooklyn. The cover of his breakout single, So. Good, was captured in the WELD Dallas studio.