ISSUE ONE
SPACE. THE END! Honestly, we've been clinging to the double spaced sentencing in fear that converting to single spacing would put our high school typing teachers into an early grave. But, the time has come to give in to the single space! It's a tough habit to break but we are firm believers that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! So, if you find the entire mag like reading one long sentence, please, point the finger at evolution! Kate and Krystal xx
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// BEHIND THE SCENES Kate - Editor + Co-founder Krystal - Creative Director + Co-founder Ky Webb - Head Photographer {summerlily} // CONTACT kate@embermagazine.com krystal@embermagazine.com // SUBMISSIONS If you are inspiring or inspired, we want to give you a platform. A place to explore and express your passion, creativity, obsessions and talent. Everything from art, design, photography, music, fashion and life - if it’s exceptional then we want to see it and experience it. Email us your stories, images and artwork to: submissions@embermagazine.com
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The small stuff: Ember Magazine Š 2012. No part of this publication may be reproduced in part or in whole without permission. The opinions expressed in this magazine by contributors are not necessarily the opinions of Ember. Ember Magazine cannot be held legally responsible for any breech of copyright arising from supplied materials or images. We have done our best to credit all content. Oh, and don't copy, that sucks!
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pg4 // CONTENT
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Sure Cut Kids
8-11
Illustrator > Wesley Bird
12-17
My Camera, Your Home
18-25
Hotel The Exchange
26-35
Ember Autumn Shoot
36-45
Be Careful What You Wish For
46-51
Makeup Trend Prediction
52-53
Alzheimers - A Symbol Of Solitude
54-57
Meet This Photographer
58-61
The Y Bomb
62-63
Books Books Books
64-67
Film vs Digital
68-71
Dr. Ating
72-74
Instrgram
75
Papergirl Brisbane
76-79
Autumn Tarotscopes
80-81
Joy The Baker
82-93
Creative + Curious + Charming
94-95
8. 12. 18. 26. 46. 52. 54. 58. 68. 72. 76. 82. {5
THANK YOU We have an amazing list of contributors this issue and along with all the interviewee's we would like to give a special thank you to these writers, photographers and creatives...
Ky WEBB
Nicole CURRY
Coralee + ALEX
Polly ARMSTRONG
Kate HOLLEY
Joy THE BAKER
Alana MEVISSEN Anna HAMILTON
Anne-Cecile ESTEVES
.com
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Surecut Kids are a two-man music production/remix/DJ group. Benji (the hat loving, coffee obsessed, perfectionist) and Mikey Likey (the dangerously optimistic one). Together they have been pushing the boundaries of how much time two people can stand to be near each other. Also, they rock a party like their lives depend on it.
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“What can I say? Surecut Kids are the next BIG thing! Style, skills, musical knowledge, and an invaluable sense of humor = all the ingredients of superstars in the making. Surecut Kids are surefire winners. Plus they have the word Kid in their name. Awesome!� - Kid Kenobi (Klub Kids records)
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Did you guys come from a musical upbringing? MIKEY - Not really. I played guitar all through my school years but that's about it. My dad used to play me NWA and Snoop Dog tapes when we would go surfing, I always loved how much swearing was going on in Hip Hop haha! It wasn't until we discovered turntables and scratching that I realized I wanted to be involved in music more heavily. BENJI - I'm the same as Mikey, guitar in primary school but I can't remember any musical theory from that. I don't think I really had a musical up bringing, I think thats why DJ/Production was so daunting to get into.
How did you get involved in the industry? MIKEY - Benji bought a set of decks for us to share and we just threw massive parties at my place every weekend. Eventually that led to us being able to sort of DJ, which led to us putting on gigs in local bars. It all just grew from wanting to play music and party with our friends. BENJI - We just saw some friend doing it one day at a party and we both had the same thoughts that we had to learn how to do that. It was great to learn with someone else. Im not sure if I could of done it by myself. Bouncing off someone really helps with everything we do.
What have been your favourite tracks this year? Not including your own! MIKEY - Well this year is only a few weeks old so i'm gonna answer for last year. My favourite track was Wildfire by SBTRK. In fact we both rate his album as being the best album of 2011. BENJI - Im the same too, SBTRKT was massive for us last year. That thing got thrashed! Maybe something in the Jamie XX and Gill Scott Heron album or something off something off Jay Z and Kanye's Watch the Throne. It felt like a big year for music, it's really hard to narrow it down, thats why I never How did you meet? vote in the hottest 100, it gives me MIKEY - We were in the same surfing a panic attack just thinking about class in high school. We mildly knew making a top ten. each other but once we graduated we started going to the same shows etc and decided to make the jump to BFFs.
Weirdest thing thats ever happened to you? MIKEY - Once, we saw a girl getting fingerbanged in the front row at our show. Technically that's not the weirdest thing that ever happened to ME, since I was not on the receiving end of that finger, but it was surely one of the weirdest things that's happened at our shows. BENJI - Being in this music game is pretty dam weird, we never thought all of this would happen. To think of what we have progressively achieved so far is weird as hell. You can hang out with people you looked up to sooo much just a couple of years ago, now your all bro's with them and they tell you what you do is cool. That shit is a weird feeling. Most looking forward to in the next year? MIKEY - We have so much on the horizon for this year. We are about to release our next single on Klub Kids records. It's called 'Night Games' and features singer Belle Humble. Then we have another single coming out after that, a national tour, and then we plan to release our album at the end of the year. Big things! BENJI - Definitely getting more music out there. Releasing music is so gratifying.
www.surecutkids.com
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Wesley Bird
illustrator/philosopher
Whats up! Tell us a bit about yourself! My name is Wesley Bird. I am the second oldest kid in a big family. Growing up we moved around a lot, so by the time I moved out on my own I already knew I wanted to live in Southern California. I went to San Diego State University, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in painting and printmaking. I currently work as a graphic artist at Hurley in Orange County designing women's t-shirt graphics and textile prints. I do my own personal art on the side along with freelance projects as they come! I have a little yorkie, Saywer, who runs the show around here! When I'm not working, I like weekend trips to Palm Springs, sitting in the art book section in Barnes and Nobel, partying with Sawyer, and cruising with friends on our beach cruisers scoping hot guys with moustaches! Ha!
"you're not going to achieve much by just sitting on your butt all day!" continued >
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You design, paint, draw, photograph - jack of all trades‌ what's your favourite and what kind of artist do you consider yourself to be? My favourite thing to do is draw. I love working with ink pens, that is my favourite medium. I would consider myself to be more of an illustrator than anything else. I prefer to do the majority of my artwork by hand with pens on paper, but I choose to put some of the finishing touches on my pieces in computer programs, like Photoshop and Illustrator.
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Artists you admire? Recently I have been really into typographers and the way they create such amazing art out of letters and words. Some of my favourites in that category are Erik Marinovich, Jon Contino and T.M. Addison. My favourite painter right now is Charmaine Olivia. She has an amazing painting/illustrative style that I gravitate toward, especially in her earlier work. I also obsess over the work Juke Bear did with his "Lyric A Day" project. Any noteworthy projects you are working on that you want people to know about? Right now I am just busy with some awesome freelance things! I am currently designing a piece for Grooveshark that will be made available as a wallpaper for Plus members, which is fun because I have always been a huge fan of Grooveshark and I LOVE music. I also just partnered with DENY Designs, an online company that will be printing my artwork on cool housewares and accessories. Those items will be released on their website next month!
Do you think that artistic talent is something your born with or can it be learned? I think it is a little bit of both. I believe that everybody is born with talents, but talents need to be nurtured and challenged to really reach a successful place. I am CONSTANTLY learning new things that I apply to my own art. I think it is very narrow-minded to think that just because you feel you weren't born with a specific talent you cannot pursue a career in that field...or at least make a hobby of it!
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You have 1 week left on earth and only $50 to spend - what you gonna do? Spend some of it on a tank of gas to get me to San Diego where the majority of my friends live and spend the week toasting on the beach with my puppy, Sawyer :) Any type of assignment that you just cannot wait to be asked to participate in? Hmmmm...this is a tough one! I'd love to paint something big on a wall somewhere! So if anybody has a wall they want painted over let me know! Haha! Did you have one of those 'before becoming an artist' jobs..like McDonalds or a Wal Mart Greeter or something really mundane to give aspiring artists some hope? I worked for a few years as a swim instructor and lifeguard at the pool by my house. I literally thought I was going to die from boredom on some days! But honestly, I've been working ever since I was 13 and I am so grateful for the opportunities I was given because it taught me work ethic. And let's be honest, you're not going to achieve much by just sitting on your butt all day! Wesley x
my camera
your home
we don't know about you but we love to peek inside the homes of creative folk.
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the photographer:
interviewees:
Caroline Welsing is a lifestyle photographer from Holland. www.carolinewelsing.com
Casper, Anki, Wolf & Mus. The family behind the blog www.zilverblauw.nl
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Anki & Casper, where do you live and what's your background? We live in Oisterwijk, a small city in the south of the Netherlands. Casper was born here, I was born in a village near. Oisterwijk is a great city to raise children in, it's safe and not too big. There are a lot of woods nearby and more than enough space to play and discover things about nature. What do you love about your city? The nature we're surrounded by. And that it's not too small, I was born in a really small village where everybody knew everything about the people living there. A lot of 'gossip' and unwanted interfering, if you understand what I mean. I really love the privacy of a city. Oisterwijk had the advantages of a city combined with the nature of a village.
Tell us a bit about your family and your home? I live together with Casper, 33, who works a a graphic designer. He's the father of our children Wolf (5) and Mus (9 months). I'm 30 years old and I'm working as a creative entrepreneur and social worker. My work as a social worker is at a school in a big city. I work there for 3 days a week. Casper works at home. Besides my work at school I'm working as a creative entrepreneur at the weekends and some evenings. Wolf is going to primary/elementary school, four days a week. Mus visits the daycare one day a week and Casper's mother takes care of Mus one day a week so we can both work that day. Describe a typical day at the Zilverblauw house? A day with me at home: we get up at 7am or earlier (this depends on Wolf, who doesn't sleep very well and wakes up really early making lots of noise). Wolf prepares for school, I'm at home with Mus. Casper brings Wolf to school and starts working after that. He works at home, so we can have lunch as a family. Mus is still sleeping a lot during the day so I can take photo's and work on my blog if I want to. After school, Wolf often has play dates. He also takes swimming classes. We always have dinner together, Casper loves to cook. After dinner the kids play for a while and go to bed.
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Images on this spread taken by Anki.
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What was the inspiration for the styling of your home? Our home fits our personalities I guess. It's a reflection of who we are. I'd describe the style of our home as light, bright, playful, colourful, with graphic accents. My home is where I’m at home, where I can be myself. I see a house as an extension of your personality. Most adults take life so seriously. As if they think they may no longer use bright colours and cheerful designs. Dare to be yourself, in your life and make your interior. Let go of what others might think about you. The most common reaction of (mostly) women when they enter our house was, “Ohhh, I would also like to, but I’m afraid my husband/partner/children wouldn't agree with it. I think it's a good idea to try to let go once those assumptions and consciously look at what you really like. I think everybody will be happiest in a place that fits who you are. I love good design. I like it when a concept is correct, even if it’s not my concept. People who consciously engaged their style or taste, dare to distinguish, inspire me. What projects are you working on for the future? We're currently working on designing a series of posters. I'm gonna sell them in a webshop connected to my blog. Exciting! The shop will open at the beginning of march (so lots of work to do).
< thank you > for sharing your home with us.
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In an honest and bold testament to the fabric of the city, HOTEL THE EXCHANGE, restaurant STOCK and shop OPTIONS launched in Amsterdam on the 3rd of December 2011. Void of any of the prescriptive conventions of hotel concepts and experiences, Hotel The Exchange - an initiative of Otto Nan and Suzanne Oxenaar - weaves together fashion and architecture. True to the spirit of past projects by the pair (The Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy and The Love Hotel in Tokyo) their perspective on creating a hotel is entirely different. The new hotel concept centres on rooms dressed as models and rests on a partnership forged by Nan and Oxenaar with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI).
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HOTEL THE EXCHANGE // In between a street-level shawarma take out and Frenchfries stand lies the unassuming narrow alleyway entrance to the hotel, an innovative amalgamation of three historic buildings. Hotel The Exchange veers away from being pigeonholed as a “fashion hotel”. It embraces the existing neighbourhood energy of the Damrak, a pedestrian artery running from Amsterdam Central Station to the Dam Square. Under the auspices of an urban rejuvenation project titled ‘The Red Carpet’ in zipcode area 1012 NV Stadsgoed embraced Nan and Oxenaar’s valuable contribution, entrepreneurship and creativity. { 27
THE PROCESS // In collaboration with AMFI, eight students and alumni were selected to drive the vision of the hotel rooms. They created designs using fashion metaphors. Before “dressing up” began, fabric designs took form under the tutelage of Dutch Studio INA MATT in cooperation with the Dutch Textile Museum. Abiding by a largely organic process, students drew inspiration from objects like abandoned mattresses, forgotten cardboard boxes and building facades to create unique fabrics to dress the rooms and waiting areas. INA MATT treated the building as a ‘naked’ hotel and started by giving it a skin treatment of specially designed tiles developed in collaboration with the Dutch firm Royal MOSA BV. >>>
Unaware Reality Room 28 }
Different areas of the hotel were accessorised with luxurious items like a 20-meter-long illuminating necklace, cosy elevator coats, a fancy reception dressed as a bag and endless striped socks throughout the hallways. Architects ONSWERK added a sense of open playfulness by creating transparent panels to allow hotel visitors to peer between floors, retail and restaurant spaces. The firm amalgamated three buildings, from different periods, into one hotel sing the 17th century structure as a focal point. True to its unconventional spirit, Hotel The Exchange offers guests a choice of rooms ranging from one to five stars.
exchangeamsterdam.com >>> I Still Remember Room Urban Craft Room
Eighties Room
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Misunderstood Creatures Room
Wall Flower Room
Live Handdrawing Room
Building A View Room
I Still Remember Room
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SHOP // OPTIONS! is a 230m² contemporary department store where shoppers can find a special mix of products; exciting designs from foreign countries to collaborations with local producers. In a spacious outlet Dutch and international designers alongside AMFI students share pride of place on the biggest Flat Table, designed by architect Jo Nagasaka (a past collaborator on The Love Hotel). Florianne Eshuis was commissioned to source an extensive range of products from Dutch ceramics to Peruvian Alpaca wool garments, hand-printed notebooks from Berlin and products developed uniquely for OPTIONS! A selection of fabrics and small furniture items exclusively designed for the hotel rooms are also on sale. optionsamsterdam.com >>>
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FOOD // STOCK caters to the paradox of fast living and slow food. The restaurant quietly acknowledges the vibrant nightlife of the city with an indulgent all-day breakfast as well as a hit-andrun menu of soups and sandwiches. The restaurant’s mission is locally made and healthy produce. True to the collaborative approach of the hotel, various food producers were especially selected to supply the restaurant. Local foodies crafted STOCK'S offerings including a bespoke Miss Marmalade range titled “prêt a porter”, pear ice tea, Bocca coffee, locally brewed beer, Frozen Dutch ice cream and freshly baked bread by local baker Menno ’t Hoen. The bold and playful graphic identity of INA MATT culminates on the ground floor where they invited all of participants of the project to tattoo their personal fashion bird on the wall. <<< THE END.
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True Auntumn Colours
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YOU CAN'T HI COLOURS AS Y THE AUTUMN 40 }
DE YOUR TRUE YOU APPROACH OF YOUR LIFE { 41
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photography // ky webb {summerlily} makeup & hair // alana mevissen {makeup by alana} model // annie chapman {division models} clothing // sweet alma boutique jewellery // republic of you location // peace to piece {rabbit + cocoon}
EVERY LEAF S P E A K S BLISS TO ME, FLUTTERING FROM THE AUTUMN T R E E
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Polly Armstrong Careful what you wish for…
Imagine all your wildest dreams came true… Imagine for a minute that everything you ever set out to achieve, accomplish, see and experience, came true? Everything, even the ridiculously big stuff… HOLY SHIT!!! Now this is usually where the self sabotage mechanism kicks in. We tell ourselves who are we to live our dreams and do all that big crazy stuff, well who the hell are you not to? Looking back on my life, three key events changed me at my core, and shaped my life drastically... continued >>
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this is polly
this is holly
The first 'key event' happened in 2000. My best mate Holly and I stayed up all night gasbagging. We decided to tell each other what we wanted to be, without judgment or ridicule. Holly said she wanted to sing, I decided I wanted to make documentaries. Doco’s encompassed all my passions. I wanted to tell stories, I wanted to make the world a better place and connect with people, I wanted to reach the masses and be involved in the Music Industry. Fast forward to 2012. Holly is full time musician; she has just recorded her first album, ‘Full circle’. And I make documentaries… In 2009, I shot and directed my first feature film, ‘These are the Days’, a behind the scenes look at the 2 months spent recording the new John Butler Trio album, ‘April Uprising’. The second ‘key event’ was back in 2001. I had dropped out of uni and was partying hard, taking lots of pills and going to Surfers Paradise a lot.
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''fuck off mum!''
! One morning my mum came in and gave me a wake up call in all senses of the word… “You could do anything and be anyone…you are gifted, smart, intelligent, and have the whole world at your feet and your wasting it…you are an embarrassment to me and all I had hoped for you”. I gave her the rudimentary response ‘fuck off mum!”. Then waited for her car to pull away before getting out of bed and making a call that would change my life.
4 months later I found myself in Mogadishu, Somalia. I was greatly affected by the practice of Female Genital Mutilation. I had decided to go to Somalia to make a documentary on the practice. I was the only white woman in the war-ravaged country. I lived there for 3 months, 100 days in total. I was 20 years old, this was my first time overseas and I couldn’t go anywhere with out my 20 armed guards. It was amazing, beautiful, inspiring, heartbreaking and a huge learning experience. I was there when September 11 hit and had 10 minutes to escape the country with what I could, including the footage of a mutilation of a 6 year old girl. I am still the only person in history to film a ‘circumcision’ and get out of the country with it alive. The third moment came in 2003 at the Falls Festival. Michael Franti was headlining that year and we drove my van down to Victoria to party.
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My dear friend Niamh pulled me aside and sat me down. She told me I was special, that I could do anything and be anyone, she told me about the speech Nelson Mandela made when he became President, ‘Our Greatest Fear’. She told me how it was our “light, not our darkness that scares us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” She told me it all rides on whether or not you believe in yourself, and when you believe in yourself, others will too. That is the key. BELIEVE. I got the words believe tattooed on my wrist to constantly remind myself of that. BELIEVE. I had a moment of clarity a few weeks ago. A moment that stopped me in my tracks and made me sit down and acknowledge it. I was in Bali, shooting a film clip for the musician Michael Franti. It hit me. I was living my dream, it was a distinct realisation. I had lived out pretty much every one of my inner childhood dreams. I had successfully created this reality for myself and it was everything I had ever dreamed of. And I had dreamt big! I guess in order for this moment of clarity to have any impact on you, I must go back a bit… I am a music lover and have been all my life. I loooooved John Butler Trio, The Cat Empire, the Beautiful Girls, Blue King Brown, Claire Bowditch, but my all time idol, was Michael Franti. I would go to all his shows, and be right up there the front row. I even made him a pillowcase with his lyrics on it and gave it to him after the gig. I was obsessed (shhh… he doesn’t know any of that). And now, well now life is stranger than fiction. About a year ago Michael asked me to come onboard his small team full time as his photographer and videographer. I am basically his shadow, I live with Michael in San Francisco when I’m needed and tour the world with him. I consider him one of my closest friends. I am there with him, helping him, supporting him, encouraging him through the writing
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and recording process, the tours, the backstage antics, the relationship breakups and meltdowns, the plane rides, the bus rides, the adventures, I get to see the world, I get to listen to music every day and be apart of the creative process.
amazing women I have photographed in the last 8 years. I have a big project in the mix in Haiti as well as being involved with a world wide art project ‘inside out’ which will be screened in Canne and Sundance and maybe even up for an Oscar.
I have worked for every band that I have admired. Well, almost! I work full time as a photographer and videographer as well as a produce many different projects and aid work in countries ranging from Somalia, Kenya and Haiti.
I work in remote aboriginal communities doing music workshops, and on a film on Aboriginal Right, called ‘Our Generation’. I have the love of an amazing man who I feel so blessed to have as my life partner and partner in crime.
I have photographed most of the incredible bands in this country, its an honour to do that. I shoot their press shots and album covers, work with them on their style and presentation. I also mentor and support them behind the scenes.
We are currently living in Christchurch, New Zealand, helping them with the rebuild after a massive quake destroyed the city. All in all, I am blessed. I am living the dream, I am keeping it real, and it feels incredible. << End.
I am currently in the midst of starting a community based radio station on the Gold Coast with some friends, as well as a Youtube channel dedicated to showcasing bands. I am publishing a book of my works next year on all the
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2012 Makeup Trend Prediction By Alana Mevissen
The lips will be HUGE this year, with varieties of reds, pink, oranges and purples. It’s a quick and easy way to include some colour and can really pull your entire look together.
lips rather than using a brush or the lipstick itself. I always use this method; it doesn't give that ‘lipstick’ look.
I love the Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick Collection at the moment. Neutral eyes and bright lips can work The colours are fantastic and the wonderfully but not so good when texture is beautiful. They glide on you go too heavy on the eyes (there wonderfully, the pigment in them is are exceptions). For the makeup lover amazing and they are long lasting who isn’t too confident with applying without being dry like so many others. makeup and for a fresh easy look just Try them for a hot pop of colour stick to bare eyes and colourful lips. for Summer/Autumn and they are amazing to brighten up an all black To give a more naturally stained look outfit. to your lips, try using your ring finger to gently press the lipstick into your 52 }
Along with lips being a makeup feature of 2012, eyeliner will be making a massive come back. Think 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspired liner with an edge. Extreme winged liner using colours such as turquoise, violet and bold two colour combinations as well as, of course, black. M.A.C. Cosmetics have an array of colours and eyeliner forms from pencil to liquid. Try pencil if your not too confident or don't have a steady hand. For a quick and easy way to get a perfect straight line and a fabulous even flick use sticky tape as your guide. Place the tape upward from the edge of your eye being careful not to take the flick down too low; this will only drag your eyes down. Something we NEVER want to do. Makeup is about camouflaging the bits we don't like, enhancing the bits we do and expressing ourselves through colour and design. Have fun and be beautiful. Alana...x
www.makeupbyalana.com.au
Rainbow Lips >> Makeup - Alana Mevissen Photography - Freya Bland Model - Tess Jorgensen-smith Peacock Eyes >> Makeup - Alana Mevissen Photography - Freya Bland Model - Caity Sanderson { 53
Alzheimer's Ă&#x2020; Alzheimer's - A Symbol of Solitude by photographer Anne-Cecile Esteves
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pho�to�jour�nal�ism | foto'jәrnә,lizәm, | noun. journalism in which a news story is presented primarily through photographs with supplementary written copy.
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Yvonne Caseneuve - Anne-Cecile Esteves grandmother. She was 5 foot tall. She was a school teacher who got her husband released from prison during WW2 (in german occupied france). She'd been living for the last few years locked up in her childhood as well as in her house. The house is often a reflection of the past: old furniture, photographs of past times, old wall paper. Time is embedded in everything, nothing relates to the present. To an outsider, such a house is the symbol of solitude. The mind seems to be exactly that. Anne's grandmother wouldn't remember her being there from one moment to the next, but for two days she relentlessly talked about her childhood and early adulthood, as though it were yesterday. 56 }
IN LOVING M E M O RY OF THOSE WE'VE LOST
Anne: “She looked very lonely to me, and at the same time very safe in her house and her memories.” Yvonne died in february 2011, age 94.
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1.
meet this photographer by Kate Samson
C A M I L A V E R D I Y E VA Tell us a little about you... Where is home? My name is Camila Verdiyeva, I’m from Ukhta, Russia, now living in Vladimir. I study Linguistics and PR, I like music and I sleep till noon. I’ve been interested in photography since my childhood. And home… It can be anywhere as long as I’m with the people I love. How would you describe your style? I call my style indie because I can’t think of any other word which would describe it better. It’s a mix of concrete, steel, soviet-like places, geometry and people in the middle of all this. This issue we have featured a story about Film vs digital, which do you prefer? I got into photography with a film camera so film will always be my favourite. I got my digital camera a couple of years ago and it still takes me more time to edit a digital picture and make it look exactly like I want it to. Favourite thing to do on a weekend? I really like when my friends and I go out of town and take pictures. It’s always nice to shoot in new places. I also like to go somewhere for a cup of coffee or just stay at home and watch a good movie or a concert.
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2.
meet this photographer by Anna Hamilton
F I N L A N D Mitch Carlin, tell me your story?
What are your pre shoot essentials?
Well, I'm 25yrs old, from the Gold Coast, Australia and I like to take pictures. I guess my first introduction to photography would have been when I was about 13 or 14. My grandmother bought me a plastic 35mm panoramic point and shoot which I used a couple of times. I actually don't know what it was or how it came about but I fell in love with taking photographs and a passion was born.
Charge the batteries for my camera! That's probably the main thing but it kind of depends on what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be taking photos of. If I'm doing something on location I like to check out the place prior to the shoot. 99% of the time I make grand plans to be prepared and have all these things worked out that I'm going to do but end up blowing it all off and winging it. It always ends up working better then the stuff I plan anyways. I like to keep myself guessing with myself?
Photography is a broad spectrum, what makes your work unique?
Why do you sometimes use the alias "Finland" ?
I think if someone was to look at all the photographs I have taken you would see that I'm not pinned down to one genre. I shoot what ever I feel like or what ever comes to mind. So maybe that makes my work unique? Being a photographic gypsy!
There is a small meaning to it but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just keep that one a secret. It's also a little less obvious as opposed to slapping my real name on something.
How do you know when you've got it right?
Both, nothing beats a photo produced on film, I think film produces what you have actually seen in a truer state but then again nothing beats waiting two seconds to see a photo you just made.
Well, I don't think there is ever a right way to do something, especially with photography. Obviously there are certain situations where you need to use certain lighting or specific equipment but as far as getting creative, experimenting or "breaking the rules" as they say, there is no right way. I Just do whatever comes to mind or feels right at the time. It's either going to look good or it ain't.
Film or Digital?
What's next for you? No major plans really, I've got a couple of exhibitions coming up in the next few months so I will probably focus on them, other than that I'm just going to keep it fun and real. Try to learn more, shoot more and not be lazy!
Favourite photographers? Vivien Maier, Magdelena Wosinka, French Fred, Francesca Woodman, Frank Okenfels. The list goes on.
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www.finlandphoto.blogspot.com www.mjcarlinphotography.com.au
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What & Why
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The Y Bomb by Anna Hamilton
What drives us to ask why? Why are we here and what is waiting for us at the end, a golden gate, a fiery demonic cave, limbo - maybe even just nothing - plain black whole lot of fucking nothing? Why is there more questions and less answers? We know curiosity killed the cat, but who killed curiosity? Why and What? I find myself constantly reiterating those two words over and over, playing on my mind like a two string guitar, did I kill curiosity or did it kill me? I have asked the world why so many times, that now, there is no answer, the answer is about as snowy as my 1980's tv. At this point in our lives, there is no answer - this world is here to give us it's knowledge of everything it has accumulated over the years, like grandma's recipe book most pages are stained from meals before us, some words - spices, crossed out to make way for new ones; it's a cycle, we were never meant to ask why, or what - we are here to just do. Breathe it all in, love it all out- that kind of thing. Things happen, seasons change - people we love turn into no more then a memory - all that cliche shit, but I have come down to one, if only one answer- stop worrying - no one makes it out of this world alive. Your in a moment, right now your in this moment, and soon you will be in another this is life, need not ask why. Your happening this is happening and that has happened before. Just love it, hate it, embellish it, wrap your trembling heart around these moments because one day, when all is lost but not forgotten, you will be given an answer, the answer that you have waited your entire life for- then what will you have to question?
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Books Books Books The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos. by Heidi Adnum
It's a jargon-free photography techniques book aimed firmly at creative people and crafters who use their blogs, websites, and online forums such as Etsy and Flickr to sell and promote their work. Packed full of non-technical, back-to-basics style information, this book shows the reader how to take beautiful photos of their work without a corporatestyle product photo in sight! Simple, practical advice is presented with the “home photographer” in mind. The emphasis is on using what is to hand, and on making the most of what you have. The book is full of practical tips such as how to use a lightbox, avoid camera shake if you don’t have a tripod, make the most of natural lighting, and how to capture detail in tiny, intricate work. Examples all come from blogs and craftspeople, so the resulting style of the book epitomizes the handmade aesthetic. The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos is the ultimate reference for the thousands of crafters out there wanting to get the best photos of their work, making this eminently backlistable book a musthave for anyone that ever needs to take photos for blogs or websites. Crafter and professional photographer Heidi Adnum sells her range of handmade crafts on popular wesbite Etsy, for which she has also authored a series of howto photography tips. She also runs the photography and inspirational blog, La Isla Blogita. More info on where to buy here > www.murdochbooks.com.au
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Tips For Taking Better Photos When it comes to photography, there’s no right or wrong way, but there is better and worse. Here are some quick tips excerpted from Heidi Adnum’s new book, The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos. Know Your Camera The first and the most important thing you can do to help your product photography is to read the camera manual. Boring, I know, but it’s worth it, as you need to know what your camera will and won’t do. There are lots of settings and terms, which can be confusing, but your manual will help with this. Visit the website of the manufacturer and also YouTube, as many manufacturers and photographers offer free online tutorials. How to Use Light Finding the right amount of light for photography is one of the biggest challenges crafters face. Often it is a perceived lack of light in a photograph that is most troublesome. However, there are tips and tricks that will make balancing light much easier. 1. 2.
3.
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Go outside. Even on a dull and cloudy day there will be more available light than you think. Position your craft near a large window and shoot there. Windows are perfect as a directional light source and, depending on the position of your product and the intensity of the light, you have a large, soft light that falls on your product from a flattering angle. If you don’t have a large window, you can construct a light tent or light box for similar effect (instructions in the book).
Direction and Viewpoint There are no formal rules for the composition and viewpoint of photographs, but if you select an unusual crop or a particular detail and use this as you headline image, people will be more intrigued. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Grouping your projects together can make them more eye-catching. This is especially true for small items. Framing your photograph in the camera first is a good habit to get into and will save you time and hassle cropping later on. Shoot from above to show your craft in its entirety, especially if it is large in size or an awkward shape. Use a stepladder if necessary. This is a good way to fit a product and props into one frame. Shoot from below to add drama to your photograph, enhance its sense of humor or make it look bigger. Shoot straight-on to make your creation look bold and impressive, connecting it to the viewer by putting it at eye-level: It’s like making eye-contact.
Backgrounds If you’re in any doubt as to which background will best suit your photo, always go for a neutral background. You’re best to stick to softened white or an “almost” black background like charcoal or dark gray. Once you’ve found the right background, stick with it - this is a great way to create consistency and alternating between different backgrounds can be distracting.
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Film vs digital Seems like everybody these days are trying to make their photos have that old vintage film feel through the likes of countless phone apps and editing programs. We talked to a couple of our favourite photographers, Coralee & Alex, to hear their thoughts about film vs digital.
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When Coralee and I began to photograph weddings professionally for a living I made a pact with myself. We were literally making thousands of digital images each week. Storing them away in dusty closets on mountains of 1TB hard drives. I vowed to always try my best to shoot analogue film in a nonprofessional capacity for the times when I was just out and about photographing recreationally.
that can develop my films and scan them to disc for a reasonable price! I buy my films in bulk from eBay. It works out to be almost a third of the cost of buying locally.
Because there's two of us (Coralee & Alex), we've had the luxury of experimenting with film in a professional context while photographing weddings and engagements. Film is sort of a secret menu item in our wedding packages. So now, in the cupboard next to rows We don't advertise the fact we can shoot film but when you ask, we'll upon rows of external hard drives, jump for joy! there's also piles and piles of boxes, organized by month - containing I have utmost respect for our peers negatives - all of our analogue that have made the decision to solely memories. shoot film at weddings. Helena Sophia "There's a certain romance Photography, Feather & Stone, Jose Villa (OK, Jose is most definitely associated with film and it's not our peer - more of a big-time definitely not lost in me. " superstar celebrity - but you get the point!) to name a few. Digital allows us to burn through Part of our candid, storytelling style thousands of frames for no reason. comes from the fact that there are At weddings, we'll shoot a dozen two of us hanging with our couples or so digital images just to make on their wedding day. It allows us to sure we've got our exposure right be in two places at once and ensures and then proceed to make the if one of us is taking lead, the other photograph which will inevitably can be keeping an eye out for those feature in the album or on the blog. in between moments. The sneaky When we shoot film we love that we laughs, the impromptu dances, that fleeting glance between a new are forced to really think about the husband and wife. simple things like composition and exposure before we press the shutter So that's how we've been working button. We love the anticipation of not knowing how the shot came out - lately. If Coralee's taking the lead especially in difficult lighting situations. shooting digitally, Alex will be hanging in the shadows waiting for candid It's a challenge! moments to document on film. If Alex is shooting film portraits, Coralee I don't think film's dead but it will have her digital camera pointed certainly has become a heck of a lot behind the scenes, capturing the more expensive! Lucky for me I still have a good old local Kodak 1hr Lab unexpected. So that's kind of
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the story behind these photographs. A couple of weddings we've shot recently using both digital and analogue cameras. I think the images show how the two mediums can compliment each other. We'll spend hours editing our digital files to perfection. Meanwhile, the film comes back and it's pretty much what you see is what you get. We embrace its flaws - crappy scans, out of focus subjects, erratic exposures. It makes a pleasant change from our digital files which we feel obliged to make as crisp and as sharp and as technically correct as possible. It's hard to compare 35mm film to the crisp look of the ridiculously high resolution images we can get from digital SLRs these days. But personally, I'm still madly in love. It reminds us to slow down and think about what we're shooting. Every frame we shoot is costing a couple of bucks! I'm shooting my first wedding entirely on film in October (a good friends) - so I'll let you know how that goes. Coralee will be a bridesmaid so I won't even have her digital shots to fall back on. It seems we're all trying to edit our digital shots to look vintage and filmy these days anyway. Plus, I'm gonna make the most of it while I can. I guess we're lucky to even live in a city that still has places to process the stuff. You never know when my little 1hr Kodak Lab is going to go belly up and disappear altogether!
Film
digi
www.coraleeandalex.com
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Doctor Ating
Meet Dr. Ating; resident physician at Green School on the island of Bali. When he's not patching up skinned knees this mild mannered superhero is saving the world one species at a time through the Dr. Ating Foundation. Okay, so when I interviewed him he wasn't wearing a cape or tights, just glasses and a great big smile. But, he is on a mission to save the endangered species in Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia. If someone doesn't step in and find a way to save these species there will be irreversible loss to our planet. Listen up, heed the warning and help out!
How did the Dr. Ating foundation come to be? It started with a dream and the generous help of a Swedish family spending a year in Bali. I told them stories of the 10 years I spent living and working in the jungles of Papua inspired by the action of Rainforest Action Network and how one day I hoped to create a conservation program in Sulawesi that would benefit not only the plants and wildlife but the villagers living around the Lore Lindu National Park. The Gelin family saw the potential for our planet in this vision and helped
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Interview by Nicole Curry
me establish the foundation. We are currently looking for funding. What are the goals of the Dr. Ating Foundation? The first goal is to create trust with the local people of Lore Lindu by establishing the first ever Healthcarefor-Nature swap. No one can protect the habitat of wildlife better than the native peoples living in the forests. Unfortunately, they are very poor; their livelihood depends on the extraction of forest products, including endangered wildlife. For the forest dwellers traditional conservation programs are suspect, they fear that conservation will cut off their access to the current sources of their livelihood. By addressing both health care and financial benefits of local people the wildlife in the forest will receive increased protection by local residents who see long term advantages to helping preserve the Park. We hope to pilot a successful model of local community engagement that could be replicated in other protected areas around Indonesia and the world.
Check out these cute little Pygmy Tarsiers found no where else in the world! They were thought to be extinct since the 1920's but, 3 of these tiny fuzz balls we're found to be alive and well kicking it in Lore Lindu in 2008. Nearly 60 villages in the 2000 sq km park are encroaching on the pint size primates mountain habitat, leaving their future uncertain. What are the biggest obstacles the foundation will face with Lore Lindu people? The anticipated major obstacle will be too many people coming for the health service when the financial and personnel resources are still limited; the other issue will be helping the people understand that they have an obligation to "swap" the health services we offer with preserving the rainforests and stop poaching wildlife. Why Sulawesi? Sulawesi has evolved a strange mix of plants and animals displaying staggering levels of endemism (found no where else on earth, don't feel bad I didn't know what it meant either!) Some of the largest unbroken tracts of forest on all of Sulawesi are found in the Lore Lindu National Park, which provides a vital biodiversity corridor linking all of the remaining forest areas on the island. The Park is recognized as an international centre of plant diversity and endemic bird area. Nearly 40% of the 300 species of birds living in the park are only found here. Lore Lindu was declared a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO in 1977. Your focus is people, plants, wildlife. How are the three related? Human activities are the main cause of modern day extinction of plants and wildlife. It's poverty of the majority and human greed of the minority that are destroying our rainforests and wildlife. The indigenous people often turn to illegal activities such as poaching and logging in the Parks for fast cash. I have no political power to control the greed, so instead I focus on addressing poverty by providing quality and affordable health care. If we help them reduce their economic burden of health costs, the pressure on the forests will be less. Once mutual trust is established we can start a conversation about conservation and over time develop sustainable forest activities such as eco-tourism. I do believe it has great potential to succeed.
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www.dratingfoundation.com We hear a lot of talk about deforestation but how does it really effect the rest of us? While only occupying one tenth of the world's land mass tropical rainforests are home to half of the worlds species of plants and animals. These areas are teeming with potential life saving medicines. Some 120 prescription drugs are derived directly from rainforest plants and according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, more than two-thirds of all medicines found to have cancer-fighting properties have been found in the flora and fauna of the earths threatened rain-forests.
How can we help the Dr. ating foundation? First and foremost we need funding to get off the ground. You can go to our website to learn more about the foundation and how to make a donation. Another way people can contribute is by spreading the project news to potential donors or writing articles on the project on your blogs and in magazines.
Lastly, people can contribute their time and energy by becoming volunteers at the project site. They can help provide health service or set up facilities for ecotourism A now-extinct periwinkle plant found only in Madagascar and eco-education. To make sure the funds are being used properly, an independent auditing will be carried (until deforestation wiped it out) increased the chances out every year. The donors will be sent the audit reports. of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent and Sulawasi is 2nd only to Madagascar So there you have it. Make a difference, make a donation, in endemic plant and animal species! So the better question is how won't deforestation of our planet effect make a change so our children's children have a home and so do the plants and animals. the rest of us and the answer is.... Every single human being from the local people who lose their ecosystem and traditional medicines to the child with leukemia, or the parent dying of cancer, even the woman who wants to reduce her wrinkles will be effected! Rainforest loss and the mass extinction of plants and animals is irreversible. Once they're gone so are the hopes for a cure with them. 74 }
EMBER
#newaddiction We have recently joined a craze. One that I think is going to stick around. One that gives us the urge to check our phones at least 20 times a day. Ok, maybe 50. We've jumped on the Instagram bandwagon. Here's some folk we have mini Instagram crushes on: #bentrovatoblog #eddiezammit #minienvy #decor8 #kitandnancy #pia_sadie1 #shontonline #spell_byronbay #becwinnel #sybilsteele #daydreamlily #tylererose #beciorpin #cyotespiritchild #vonvintage
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PAPER GIRL BRISB ANE An interview with Marc Close.
Break it down for us - I've heard PaperGirl described as 'the art of giving art' - What exactly is PaperGirl? Papergirl is a community street art project originating in Berlin in 2006, which is now produced in cities worldwide. The project was started in response to it being a criminal offense to post art in public places within Berlin. As placarding is an integral part of urban art, local artist Aisha Ronniger conceived an alternative way of sharing art in public spaces, without focusing on any particular target demographic. So she created Papergirl whereby works of art are handed directly to the general public at random, similar to how newspapers were distributed in decades past. We see Papergirl Brisbane as a cultural initiative which works to bridge the gap between the wider public of Brisbane, and the local artists and writers who live here. Anyone who wishes to be involved is invited to participate, regardless of age, education, profession, gender, or location. Artworks accepted include drawings, photographs, text, pictures, stickers, posters - basically anything ‘creative’ and considered that can be rolled and distributed by bicycle. Writers, poets, and lyricists are also invited to get involved in the project. Submissions aren’t curated for Papergirl, we use everything that is submitted, so the artists and writers decide what will be given away in distribution.
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How much preparation is involved in planning an event like PaperGirl Brisbane? Like any exhibition, there is a lot of work that goes in behind the scenes. For us we had to get the word out so we decided to interview some local Brisbane artists about their practice and what they thought of the concept. It was really interesting to see how awareness of the project spread like wildfire - before we knew it we were receiving phone calls from many people interested in getting involved, as well as keen journalists and writers looking to feature the project in their respective publications. How many people were involved in the process and the actual event? We received over 1000 submissions from artists and writers all over the world, we had close to 20 people riding the morning we handed out the work, and I counted that over 500 people visited the exhibition. When you consider those numbers, there were a lot of people involved in the project in some way or another, which is fantastic given this is the first year Papergirl has been produced in Australia. Now most of the creative people in Brisbane know about it, and those that missed out say they will definitely get involved next year. Soâ&#x20AC;Ś.Why do artists give their art away for this project? Do you get many people that say no? Do you have a hard time convincing people? Most people are open to the idea of giving their art away for free, which makes sense when you think about the possible impact it could have on an unsuspecting member of the public. Artists have a unique opportunity with Papergirl to connect with someone who they regularly wouldn't engage with. But having said that, there are quarters of the art community who are very precious about their work and don't see value in taking their work to a sphere outside of their own controlled networks.
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for more info go to: www.papergirlbne.com PaperGirl is global right? Have you attended another PaperGirl or know what goes on at other events? How did Brisbane differ? Papergirl is global, running in over 20 cities worldwide. Trav and I haven't been to any other Papergirl events. They all basically follow the same format but with Brisbane we took it a step further and accepted digital submissions for the first time, as well as included writers. I think we must be one of the biggest Papergirls globally, in terms of submissions, because of that. Did it go as planned? Any stand out weirdness that went on from passers by? Any reactions that have made an impact? Surprisingly everything came together in the end. There was a point in time when we thought we wouldn't have enough submissions, but they poured in during the last two weeks leading up to the exhibition. When the work was being given out, it was interesting seeing people's reactions. Some people struggled to understand why a
random person was giving them artwork, with some expecting to hear a 'catch'. Those that did understand it were really appreciative though, which was great to see. How often do PaperGirl organise an event? It is typically an annual thing, so we are looking to have it in the first week of February each year. This will become a permanent tradition in the Brisbane (and Australian) art calendar. I also believe a Papergirl Perth and Toowoomba are in the works. I really hope it catches on throughout Australia in the coming years.
papergirl brisbane was produced by:
www.forusbyus.com.au { 79
Autumn Ta
Kate Holley is a Sydney based intuitive tarot reader. She loves hula hooping, animals and has a passion for music. After many years as a stress head, she now cultivates calm. She hopes to help others do the same and get in touch with their intuition. For personal readings please visit her website: www.kateholley.com.au 80 }
arotscopes Aries – (21 March – 20 April) Electronic communications will bring big opportunities that require swift action. Changes that seem out of your control may cause uncertainty, but know that they are necessary. Go with them. Nurturing your green thumb will bring healing and relaxation.
Libra (23 September – 23 October) If progress has stalled, consider changing direction. Try not to lose momentum. Look at what you have control over and work that to your advantage. Brainstorm other angles. Don't resort to dirty tricks, even if others do. Take the high road.
Taurus (21 April – 21 May) Look at new ways to save and invest. If a situation has you feeling trapped, focus on what you need to do for you. It will become clearer. Key support comes from someone older and wiser. Show off your skills. It's likely important people will be watching.
Scorpio (24 October – 22 November) Support comes in magical forms with surprise meetings just when needed.. In tense relationships, try to see the other persons point of view. If that's not possible, agree to disagree. Don't engage in arguments for the sake of arguing, or bring work concerns home.
Gemini (22 May – 22 June) With your hard work starting to pay off, humility is key. Home will be a source of joy for you, and will inspire strong urges to redecorate or renovate. Consider Feng Shui. Be cautious of being unintentionally harsh with those who are a little more sensitive.
Sagittarius (23 November – 21 December) New ideas hold special importance and will benefit you in the long run. You are more capable than you think. A house move, or a desire to do so, are likely to feature for many. Overseas trips hold strong appeal, and some may make it a permanent move.
Cancer (23 June – 22 July) Time alone is essential to resolve creative blocks and bring clarity. Big choices may weigh heavily, but the timing is not right to make a final decision. There is more you need to know. Don't engage in gossip and be cautious of those who gossip to you.
Capricorn (22 December – 20 January) Stay the course you have chosen. Teachers will appear just as you need them. The success you desire can be yours. It's all about timing. Be guided by your goals, but listen to your heart too. Pay close attention to maintaining your own personal boundaries.
Leo (23 July – 23 August) Success lies in a non-traditional approach. Find what works for you personally. You are making more progress than you think. Consider a new pillow or mattress to ease back or neck pain and keep a close eye on your finances as it will be easy to overspend.
Aquarius (21 January – 18 February) Believe in yourself and what you deserve. Holding onto something that no longer serves you will only cause you stress. New adventures begin, though their true potential may not be evident yet. Look for unexpected cash injections or offers from unusual sources.
Virgo (24 August – 22 September) Something special may be on offer in a place where you least expect it. Look for what you aren't seeing. Pay attention to prophetic dreams and trust your intuitive hunches. They hold important messages. Learning about history and tradition will also hold appeal.
Pisces (19 February – 20 March) Life begins to free flow again. This is a great time to make new plans and, for potential entrepreneurs, start your own business. Follow your passion. You will find your energy lifted and your creativity will be at it's peak. You will be extra lucky too. { 81
LETS HOST PA RT I E S by ‘joy’ {www.joythebaker.com}
Let’s be people that host parties. Let’s not just have people over… let’s host parties. Let’s be people that look effortlessly elegant all night… even if this just means wearing the perfect pair of flattering jeans. Let’s be people who always have perfect lipstick. Let’s be people who wear comfortable and stylish heels all night. Let’s be people who rock the most appropriate obscure playlist. Let’s be people who start the game of Pictionary. Let’s be people who send guests home with full bellies and warm cookies. It all starts with a perfect cheese plate! And it’s totally not even hard! Come on… play along!
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Text by ‘joy’ {www.joythebaker.com}
CHEESE PLATE Try a a creamy goat cheese like (mmmm!) Truffle Goat Cheese. Let the truffle take centre stage. Simple crackers and a sprinkling of black pepper are totally major. You’ll need a clean board, a piece of parchment paper, or This is a popular cheese. It will be gone in a flash. Be warned! a large brown paper bag, cut open and crinkled. These are just suggestions. It’s totally a create-your-own adventure situation:
4 to five cheeses. Try an aged cheddar like Hook’s 12 year cheddar. Pair cheddar cheeses with sweet cherry or blackberry jam. The sweet fruit and sharp cheddar combination is stellar.
Try a stinky and bold blue cheese. This cheese is made from raw cows milk… Making it even more crazy tangy… It’s also aged in grape leaves. This strong, blue-veined cheese pairs really well raw honey. The sweetness eases the aggressive nature of the cheese.
Try a French cheese like Abondance. Semi-hard, raw cow’s milk, almost Swiss like cheese with salty pickles and crisp crackers. Straight classy!
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SPINACH FETA BLOOD ORANGE SALAD Blood oranges are here and I couldn’t be happier. Every orange is different. The red tinting can be subtle or totally bonkers. Beauty fruit. I’m so into it! I combined sweet blood oranges with creamy avocado, salty feta cheese, and crunchy sunflower seeds. Spinach too. Fully of flavour and health. On the real. This is the sort of salad that you can eat and feel like you’re indulging in a good life. Not like you’re on a diet. Not like you’re depriving yourself of peanut butter cups. This salad is a treat in itself… This recipe is in paragraph form… that means take it easy and enjoy the process. Just go with it. Don’t have feta cheese? Try goat cheese crumbles. No sunflower seeds? Toasted walnuts would be lovely. No blood oranges? Grapefruit is the way to go! For each person, portion about two handfuls of clean, baby spinach. Peel and thickly slice a blood orange, or whatever citrus you have on hand. Catch as much of the juice as you can and pour it back over the salad with a good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper. Toss the spinach with oranges, sliced avocado, a hearty portion of feta cheese crumbles and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy.
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IT'S ONION RING TIME Were you the little girl that would put a small onion ring on her ring finger and pretend that she was married? Yea… me neither. That’s weird. … And I definitely didn’t do that today, as a grown-ass lady. That would be even more odd. Except I totally did. Yea. So what. Onion rings can be baked. Onion rings can be fried. Onion rings are always delicious. Especially when eaten off your finger. I love to smash barbecue flavour into my homemade onion rings. Smash! With chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce, we can totally simulate barbecue flavour. Fried up or baked crisp, onion rings just work. They make you prettier and more popular. Totally true. I dipped the baked rings in a mixture of sour cream and barbecue sauce. I now want to dip everything in sour cream and barbecue sauce. Whatever. Fried Barbecue Buttermilk Onion Rings will make you a hero! You’ll need a fry thermometer and a good amount of oil. They’re hot and crisp and totally worth the frying effort. Baked onion rings are infused with flavour and coated in panko. They’re crisp and crunchy, and strangely reminiscent of coconut baked shrimp. I dunno. They really are delicious, and don’t require a ton of oil. Super easy, simple, and yumtown!
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Method Place a rack in the centre and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and hot sauce. In a separate bowl, place bread crumbs. Ingredients serves 3 or 4 people 2 medium yellow onions, sliced into rings 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 large egg 1/4 cup buttermilk dash of hot sauce 2 cups panko bread crumbs 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
Slice onion into rings, and separate into separate rings. Using one hand, and leaving one hand clean, dip onion rings into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then coat in panko crumbs. Place in a single layer across the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, carefully flip the onion rings, and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until rings are browned and crisp. While the onion rings bake, stir together sour cream and barbecue sauce. Remove onion rings from the oven and serve immediately with sauce.
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CREME FRAICHE QUICHE Um… I should warn you about this quiche. It’s not good. It’s so crazy great you might hurt yourself! Truly. Between the puff pastry, bacon, creme fraiche and Gruyere, this quiche just about made me cry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Ingredients 3/4 pound bacon (12 slices) cut crosswise into 3/4-inch wide pieces. 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed. 6 large eggs. 2 (10-ounce) containers creme fraiche (2 1/4 cups). 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg. 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere (about 4 ounces).
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Method Put a baking sheet on a middle rack and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch square. Because pastry sheets are in a squares, it is easier to roll it into a larger square and then trim it into a round. Fit pastry into pie pan and trim the pastry so that just about 1/4-inch of puff pastry hangs over the sides. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until well combined, then whisk in creme fraiche, salt and nutmeg until just smooth. Pour filling through a fine-mesh strainer into pastry shell. Sprinkle bacon evenly over filling and top with Gruyere. Bake quiche on heated baking sheet until centre is set (it should not jiggle when shaken), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Quiche will puff up while in he oven and sink a bit once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out and cooled. Transfer to rack to cool to warm or room temperature.
don't say I didn't warn you!
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BAKED CURRY SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH YOGURT DIPPING SAUCE Crispy, baked fries are spiced with curry and red pepper flakes. Spicy. Salty. Yummy. I used egg white as a binder because I like the way it makes the spices stick to the potato. If you want to make these more of a vegan treat, you an simply toss the potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle the spice on top. You know? For the dipping sauce, I combined thick Greek yogurt with cumin, olive oil and salt. Simple and delicious. Healthy too.. thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just crazy.
Ingredients Makes 1 potatoes worth of fries. This recipe is easily multiplied 1 plump sweet potato/yam/orange-fleshed potato, peeled. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 large egg white. 1/2 teaspoon curry powder. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Yogurt Sauce Ingredients 1/3 cup Greet yogurt. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. 1 teaspoon olive oil. salt to taste.
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Method Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Peel sweet potato and slice off the top and bottom points of the potato. With potato positioned north to south, use a large knife to slice potato into 1/3-inch potato planks. Stack planks in two piles, and slice, north to south, into 1/3-inch sticks. Fries! Place potato sticks onto prepared baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until foamy and frothy. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes and whisk to incorporate. Pour the egg white mixture over the potato sticks and gentle toss to coat the potatoes. Place in the oven and bake to desired doneness and crispiness, my fries took about 40 minutes. While the fries bake, stir together yogurt, cumin, olive oil and salt. Place in a small serving dish. Remove fries from the oven and serve immediately with dipping sauce.
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CUCUMBER RASPBERRY VODKA SPARKLERS. Ingredients 2 English cucumbers. Small ice cubes. 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves. 12 fresh raspberries, rinsed. 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes). 4 ounces (1/2 cup) vodka. 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Cointreau. 1 large bottled sparkling water (this recipe is not terribly sweet, so you can use lemon lime soda if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like more sweetness). Method Makes 4 cocktails. Do share. Cut 4 thin spears from 1 cucumber, and reserve for garnish. Peel remaining cucumbers, and quarter them lengthwise. Scrape out seeds with a spoon, and discard. Coarsely chop cucumbers, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add mint, sugar, raspberries and lime juice, and shake. Add 3/4 cup cucumber juice, the vodka, and Cointreau, and shake. Strain into 4 glasses filled with ice. Finish with a splash of sparkling water in each glass and stir. Garnish each cocktail with a cucumber spear.
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THE PERFECT SHARE PLATE PARTY!
WAIT... DESERT? check out Joys selection of super yummy sweet treats... www.joythebaker.com
thanks joy! { 93
e v i t a cre us + o i r u + c ming r a h c
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MT JAPANESE MASKING TAPE
These unique rolls of masking tape are available in a range of original patterns and prints, washi paper tape can be used for gift wrapping, bookmarking, sealing envelopes, art and craft or attaching bills to the fridgeâ&#x20AC;Ś Once you start, you'll find it hard to stop. www.notemaker.com.au
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3 2 Glass Terrarium How great are Terrariums right! 10" x 9.5" x 9". Icosidode - $250 www.scoreandsolder.com
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3 Hyperactivitypography A simple and fun, how-to that celebrates typography in all its complexity. www.publishedart.com.au
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4 Billy Buttons Hard to find but we're totally obsessed with Billy Buttons! Found this amazing image thanks to Yvestown Photostream. www.flickr.com/photos/yvestown/ page2/ 5
5 John Lewis Geometric Cushion Futuristic, fun and brimming with shards of vibrant colour. http://www.johnlewis.com
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6 Japanese Enamel Kettle A kettle to last a lifetime. This beautiful enameled cast iron kettle has echoes of classic Mid Century design, combined with sturdy Japanese construction techniques. www.poketo.com 7 Fine Art Print By Luke Flynt, this amazing abstract fine art print available on Society 6. www.society6.com
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8 Slow Wood Table Gorgeous wood/iron tables, why do they have to be so far away! www.slowwood.nl
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Republic of You HISTORY. FASHION. neckART. www.republicofyou.com.au 96 }
unique & stylish. handmade leather bags, shoes & accessories.
www.balielf.com { 97
Thank you... A huge thank you to all of our amazing contributors this issue. Ember has been so well received and supported and we couldn't be happier. We look forward to starting the next issue and pumping out another great mag, but for now we hope you enjoyed Issue One! Kate & Krystal xx
PS. If your interested in advertising please email us so we can send you a media kit. advertising@embermagazine.com 98 }