A Photo-A-Day: "Fireworks"

I see fireworks when I look at this, but also jacks.... but really they are some sort of micro-evergreen growing at Cragside. I got in really close for these. While they look beautiful in color, what amazes me is what happens to the tones when viewed in black and white. The new light green growth turns blazing white when viewed grayscale, it's almost like metal being heated up in fire!

A Photo-A-Day: "Sinister"

Can't remember what this is called, but it was one of my favorite flowers that I saw in England this summer. It is purple and green and has some attitude to it! To my eyes it looked downright sinister. This was taken on the grounds of the Cragside house.

A Photo-A-Day: "English Wildflowers near the Roman Ruins"

When I knew I was going to Northumberland, I remember opening up an atlas and seeing this interesting dotted line crossing through the county. Looking at the fine print next to the line, I read "Hadrian's Wall" and I just couldn't believe it! I remembered studying Hadrian's Wall in art history class! So, I knew then that I just had to visit it, and really, it's hard not to visit Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland (it's seemingly everywhere). These wildflowers were growing within the foundations of the Housesteads Roman fort, a very impressive ruin which flanked the wall. Can anyone identify these beautiful blue flowers?

A Photo-A-Day: "In Passing"

Taken in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in London, England. What a great place to shoot! I was so jetlagged when I took this photograph. After seeing an exhibit or two, I sat in a black leather armchair overlooking this space and took a nap. In public. In a museum. I woke up an hour later with that "where am I? How did I get here? What's going on?" panic and once I realized that yes, my wallet, my phone, my keys and my camera were all accounted for, I took a deep breath, stood up and gracefully exited the museum. This must happen all the time in museums. I remember my first time in Europe on a trip with my aunt. We went to Paris and had the most wonderful trip but that first day, in the Louvre, I remember wanting to curl up on the floor and fall asleep. Got to give credit to the Tate Modern for recognizing this tourist impulse and giving us the most comfortable leather armchairs to give in to it!

A Photo-A-Day: "The Tyne"

This was taken on one of the many bridges that cross the Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle in England. When I took this photo, I was thinking back to when I was standing on top of the Little Red Light House in Manhattan under the George Washington Bridge and looked down at the Hudson to take this photograph. Perhaps this is a start of a new series!

A Photo-A-Day: "English Condiments"

While I was waiting for pork & apple sausages with mashed potatoes, gravy and a side of cabbage, I took this. From left to right we have English mustard, the ubiquitous brown sauce, ketchup and sugar. This was taken early in my trip, before I knew the delights of English mustard and brown sauce, so I'm sorry to say that none of these four options made it to my plate. They sure looked good though!

A Photo-A-Day: "Keep Calm"

It's been an adjustment being back home in the States and I can't say it has been an easy one. I'm still holding on to elements of my routine in England, like hanging my clothes up to dry, making potatoes and a rare cup of tea here and there. They are small things, but just doing them makes me feel a little more connected to my way of life overseas. And speaking of overseas, this is a photograph I took at Cragside, an enormous stately house in Northumberland with impressive grounds, gardens, trees, and not to mention house which you have already seen on Photo-A-Day. I loved walking through the house and grounds, just imagining as if the place was my own.

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Keep Calm."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Keep Calm."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Keep Calm."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Keep Calm."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Keep Calm."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Keep Calm."

A Photo-A-Day: "Swedish Garden"

Most of the houses I saw in the Swedish countryside were this lovely shade of red, the pigment coming as a by-product of their metal mining industry. Just imagine the golden fields of wheat, the green grasses, the blue skies and white fluffy clouds surrounding these red houses - a wonderful visual. All these colors were punctuated by flowers, both wild and in gardens. These thistles were just one of the many striking flowers in the garden, which was filled with unusual colors and species to my American eyes. I was told that the growing season was so short, and the sun was in the sky for so long during the summer, that the flowers literally exploded from the ground and reached for the sun as quickly as they could before the long frost and dark skies of winter took over.

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Swedish Garden."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Swedish Garden."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Swedish Garden."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Swedish Garden."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Swedish Garden."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Swedish Garden."

A Photo-A-Day: "This is Sweden"

Last week was spent riding a bike, jumping into a lake, rowing a boat, picking blueberries in a forest, walking past fields of wheat, oat and barley, sleeping under a tin roof, eating crayfish, laughing and enjoying every second of the day. Who knew paradise was in Sweden?

More photos from Sweden to come this week!

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "This is Sweden."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "This is Sweden."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "This is Sweden."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "This is Sweden."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "This is Sweden."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "This is Sweden."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Buttons"

I was being stared at by an African grandmother while taking this picture. That's all I really have to say about this! Oh I guess there is one more thing to say about this - it reminds me of being a kid and playing with my mom's tin full of extra buttons. What fun!

Hope you enjoyed this week's photos of Ridley Road market in Dalston, where I've been staying this month in London. More photographs from my trip to Europe coming up next week... I think photographs of Sweden are on the horizon! Have a wonderful weekend...

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Buttons."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Buttons."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Buttons."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Buttons."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Buttons."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Buttons."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Eggs"

I've been consistently impressed with the emphasis on and availability of local, farm-fresh, responsibly raised produce in England. In many ways they are light years ahead of us in the states in terms of the real food movement. If you've read the food blog that I co-author, Eat More Butter, you'll know that this is super important to me and a very direct way for a city to win me over. I am really going to miss the ease and pleasure involved in sourcing quality ingredients to cook with here.

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Eggs."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Eggs."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Eggs."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Eggs."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Eggs."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Eggs."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Textiles"

These fabrics are undeniably fabulous, but even more fabulously seen today incorporated into a dress and headscarf worn by a woman waiting for the bus. She was wearing something like the yellow fabric on the right. Do you think you could pull off a pattern like this? I'm not sure I can.... maybe that black and white pattern 3rd from the left?

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Textiles."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Textiles."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Textiles."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Textiles."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Textiles."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Textiles."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Fish"

The fishmongers and butchers along Ridley Road market ranged from "Absolutely no pictures!" to "Sure, because it's you, take as many pictures as you like!" and "You should date my brother in New York!" It was somewhat hilarious and also made me somewhat uncomfortable. I sort of felt like I was in that American girl in Italy photograph. But I sure am happy with this photograph, so the several inappropriate comments were bearable I suppose!

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Fish."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Fish."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Fish."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Fish."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Fish."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Fish."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Fruit"

Ridley Road market in Dalston has some wonderful photo opportunities. I spent a good bit of time here on my second full day in London and this week's photos on Photo-A-Day are entirely from that walk. It's a very colorful market, with the broadest range of items you can imagine wanting to buy plus a mind-boggling assortment of languages being thrown about. My intention is that this week's photographs illustrate the chaos and vibrance of this street market capitalism.

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Fruit."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Fruit."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Fruit."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Fruit."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Fruit."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Fruit."

A Photo-A-Day (from England): "Scrape"

Upon my return from Sweden next weekend, I'll be heading to Bristol and from what I understand there is plenty of rust on display. I'm really looking forward to shooting there! I expect there will be another Rust Week on the horizon for Photo-A-Day. Next week I have set up the photos to go out automatically while I'm taking it easy and taking time off in Sweden. Next week's theme? Market. I hope you enjoy it! Have a great weekend wherever you are!

$112.00 - 8x12" print of "Scrape."$225.00 - 8x12" ready-to-hang "Scrape."$237.00 - 11x17" print of "Scrape."$385.00 - 11x17" ready-to-hang "Scrape."$420.00 - 20x30" print of "Scrape."$655.00 - 20x30" ready-to-hang "Scrape."