tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75838372008-09-29T14:04:06.978-07:00Fresh-baked images, globe-trotting news, and thought-provoking articles on photography - served on a silver platter by Emerald Bay Photography.Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-17545337331664202732008-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:002008-09-29T14:04:06.991-07:00

I'm so damn lucky. I have these incredible friends. They are a talented and generous bunch - who also happen to be awesome human beings to boot. One of them is Adam Z. Now - I've never actually *met* Adam. And yet, I count him as a dear friend. Our lives first touched about 9 years ago, when he was running a powerful site about geek stuff out of his native Toronto, Canada, and I was an

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-52305418461342786862008-08-15T11:23:00.000-07:002008-09-15T15:11:17.141-07:00

Earlier this week, I shot this beautiful home in The Highlands development of Bend: The house is up for sale now (did you see the one-page ad in the Bulletin today?), and you can get more info and see more images right here at www.bendhighlands.com.

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-32809582156211825402008-07-22T12:43:00.000-07:002008-07-22T13:18:42.685-07:00

Gleaming metal. Clean lines. Sharp glass. Shadow and light, working together to create unexpected and dynamic patterns. Harmonic colors that enhance eachother, play off eachother, contrast and produce an environment of simplicity and grace. These are the things I live for when doing architectural photography. Yes, I admit, I'm a junkie - my favorite fix being contemporary buildings. So

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-2328188039334092362008-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:002008-07-21T11:34:14.907-07:00

I'm so terribly behind in posting fresh images to my blog - a side effect of being always on the run and working, I guess... But - I recently had the privilege and delight to shoot a portfolio for a company that specializes in concrete floors and countertops, and I thought I'd post some shots here. Not in the least because there's a special - and surprising - beauty to concrete that made me

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-60757341189069821222008-05-02T13:37:00.000-07:002008-05-02T14:00:41.636-07:00

I don't even think I need to elaborate past the headline ... More options on how to delight your palate in the Home Cookbook section of Bend Living, out on newsstands now.

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-80241890493084379202008-04-18T14:20:00.000-07:002008-04-18T14:28:50.674-07:00

In the world of magazine publishing, working a few months ahead of the print deadline is nothing unusual. So the results of the assignment that took me to San Francisco last July only just hit the newsstand last month. You can check out the article "Sushi Quest in the City by the Bay" in the March/April issue of Bend Living Magazine - or, given their rather meager selection of images from that

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-44938929841628787132008-04-17T12:09:00.000-07:002008-04-17T12:30:07.078-07:00

Life is challenging without sugar. Trust me. I know. I'm going through withdrawals as we speak. Such is the sacrifice you make when doing a little Spring cleaning on the ole carcass. But hey. I know, it's temporary only. Luscious chocolate cakes, covered with thick shiny coats of couverture and adorned with ripe sweet raspberries loom in the not-too-distant future... In the meantime, I

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-7401725317850804722008-03-06T11:16:00.000-08:002008-03-06T11:45:18.093-08:00

More so than comfortable living rooms or serene bed rooms, kitchens and bathrooms are the jewels of a home - a place where an architect or designer can make things really sparkle. Maybe with the choice of glimmering tile, some brass inlay in the concrete countertop, an eye-catching sink, or a scintillating light fixture. Lucky for me, my interior architect client Kirsti Wolfe is an unmatched

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-2578133490044758972008-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:002008-03-02T17:47:12.933-08:00

Just as my ticket for Burning Man 2008 is lingering at the local post office, on the very verge of being delivered, I am finally catching up with posting the last images from the 2007 event. A tad late, you might say? Sure. And the good people from the Oregon Fire Conclave will certainly and whole-heartedly agree. But better late than never - no? In any case ... being commissioned to shoot

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-59036613646594271262008-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:002008-02-19T13:42:24.491-08:00

Bend-based travel writer Tim Neville and I have been working for the past 8 months on a 4-part series of articles for Canoe & Kayak Magazine, chronicling his efforts to build a kit kayak in his garage. Arriving at Part 3, he writes: "You start out building a boat with all these grand, romantic visions of Man and His Craft, getting sawdust in your hair, sanding a keel that's fair and true, and

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-15042269380458656892008-02-19T13:06:00.000-08:002008-02-19T13:14:25.734-08:00

Last Tuesday, February 12th, BendFilm and the Tower Theatre premiered the first film in their new Indie Reels series, a celebration of independent film outside of the annual festival. The brainchild of new BendFilm director Sandy Henderson and Tower Theatre chairman Eli Ashley, the series debuted with the film "The Breast Cancer Diaries", and drew a packed house. A sometimes sober,

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-69127930353018082122008-02-12T10:41:00.000-08:002008-02-12T11:34:59.017-08:00

In Bend, the name Blacksmith Restaurant has for years been synonymous with exquisite cuisine, an elegant atmosphere and above-average service. Now they've added something else to their arsenal: a hipper-than-thou bar, artfully lit by a dazzling, alabaster-like counter. A few weeks ago, they hired me to shoot that new space, its fabulous drinks, appetizers and some of their signature dishes.

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-4241759623278277152007-11-13T12:47:00.000-08:002007-11-13T13:24:24.967-08:00

Fresh herbs and vegetables are oftentimes what truly makes or breaks a dish. Choice tomatoes, tender basil, aromatic thyme, earthy sage - they all are essential ingredients in many fine recipes. For a chef to grow his own garden is practical, omits a trip to the store, guarantees freshness and quality, and can ultimately save the restaurant or catering company quite a bit of money. If you're

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-90143193934914878472007-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:002007-11-13T14:25:39.213-08:00

Rolling right along with my recent food photography obsession ... crostini [kroh-STEE-nee] 1. Meaning "little toasts" in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil. 2. The word also describes canapes consisting of small slices of toast with a savory topping such as cheese, shrimp, pate or anchovies. 3. Sometimes crostini refers to the

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-11559490090250233282007-11-05T09:42:00.000-08:002007-11-13T14:32:17.622-08:00

One of the finest, most highly-priced ingredients in cooking: the Black Truffle. A member of the fungi family, the truffle reveals its subtle nutty flavor best when thinly sliced. On a recent photo shoot for Chef Adair, I had the pleasure of shooting the fabulous truffle and letting a piece melt on my tongue. Yum. More information about the truffle and its legendary qualities right here on

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-46343085605780242422007-11-04T17:15:00.000-08:002007-11-04T17:21:35.680-08:00

Sighted at the BendFilm 2007 Sunriver Realty party: A chocolate-covered strawberry, dusted with edible gold ... how novel! More goodies from Cafe 3456...

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-24237489615206437112007-10-02T16:06:00.000-07:002007-10-02T17:35:32.029-07:00

Sometimes, in my line of work, it happens that I have to wrestle beasts, brutes and monsters. And I'm not just talking about a particularly finicky photo editor or client... And so it was then last week, that I got to work with a special kind of monster. It had a purple tongue. And scaly skin. And claws. In short - it was the newest addition to the wildlife area of the Bend High Desert Museum:

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-26821027689784369802007-09-14T15:10:00.000-07:002007-09-25T21:20:43.262-07:00

Don't blame me if you suddenly have an irresistible craving for scallops and fava beans ... I'm just the messenger. This delicious dish (and many more to come), brought to you by Chef Garrett Adair. And yes. I got to eat it too.

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-30290871616664075562007-07-05T11:47:00.001-07:002007-07-05T12:12:13.804-07:00

Freshly back from my trip to chocolate-infused Switzerland, I got the opportunity to shoot some really yummy sweet treats during an event at Balay in downtown Bend. They were tiny delicate cups of chocolate, filled with silky mousse. And lush, juicy strawberries, dipped in dark chocolate and decorated to look like tuxedos. And did I mention the heart-shaped truffles? And yes - after I

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-9279658994338230422007-05-23T15:45:00.000-07:002007-05-23T15:49:34.035-07:00

Just a note that I'll be out of the country (and hanging around Europe) for the next 3 weeks. But I will be checking email, so if something really urgent comes up, you - the alert reader and/or valued customer - can get a hold of me via email. Cheers!

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-13699686428789200762007-05-10T11:26:00.000-07:002007-05-10T11:27:12.894-07:00

This just in ... Oregon's premier photo stock agency, Obsidian Stock, has partnered up with Absolut Vodka's Lomo campaign to bring you one of the coolest, hippest tools of the photo trade: the Holga camera. We are raffling off 10 of these hot little gadgets in an effort to inspire, mobilize and spark creativity among Oregon photographers. The contest is FREE to enter and anyone can take part

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-51046863115528785032007-03-27T09:16:00.000-07:002007-03-27T12:22:19.728-07:00

For the past two years, I have been co-organizing the Bend Slideluck Potshow with Oregonian writer Matt Preusch. He brought the concept with him when he moved to Bend from Seattle, where his friend Casey Kelbaugh had casually started the gatherings in 2000. Over those years, the Slideluck Potshow concept took off like wildfire - culminating with a piece in the New York Times today. Slideluck

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-7323917615022370452007-03-26T12:06:00.000-07:002007-03-26T12:41:15.190-07:00

Last Saturday night, the annual Drake Awards were held at the Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon. The event is put on by the Advertising Federation of Central Oregon and honors the best of last year's creative efforts in the advertising arena. While I had entered the Obsidian Stock website for my own company (props for the kickass design go to my biz partner and designer Lance Hardy), another one of

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-3716600164317629052007-03-23T10:36:00.000-07:002007-03-23T14:14:18.702-07:00

Anybody who remembers Mt. Bachelor's West Village Lodge two years ago, and for some unknown reason hasn't been back since (uhmmm - me? because I don't ski?) - get ready for a pleasant surprise: That's right - the interior of the lodge (which previously had a bit of a strong nolstalgic 70s feel to it ...) has been completely updated. Large, modern steel beams now rule the spaces, rugged

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583837.post-3656253009645171672007-03-09T12:39:00.000-08:002007-03-09T13:15:58.692-08:00

As our world grows more visual every day, some of my clients are starting to look for new and innovative ways to incorporate my photography into their marketing. One such client, Pilates Center of Bend, has just set foot into the brave new world of the web's latest darling - podcasting. By producing a series of podcasts, showcasing specific pilates exercises, and posting them for free on iTunes,

Simonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12271762524361047998noreply@blogger.com