Jessica Riehl Photography Blog » photography

Mass MOCA

Jessica — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:27:18 +0000

Mass MOCA is awesome. Simply awesome. Jamie and I headed over for a jolt of creative adrenaline and lots of inspiration. We had so much fun interacting with the art and playing within the space. My absolute favorite was Sol LeWitt, the colors and lines just excite me, I guess. That is the easiest way to put it. If you have the opportunity and are close enough to visit Mass MOCA, you should definitely go. Here’s their website: http://www.massmoca.org/.

The artists are: Katharina Grosse: One Floor Up More Highly (spray paint), Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective (lines and color), and Natalie Jereminjenko with Tree Logic (upside down trees).

Jaime From VA

Jessica — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:16:36 +0000

My dear friend Jaime came up this past weekend to enjoy the delights of Saratoga County in the summer. As a trained ballerina, coming to Saratoga was like taking a pilgrimage. We went to the National Museum of Dance and two ballets at SPAC by the NYC ballet. I learned all about ballet; the people, the steps, different choreographers, the costumes, and schools. Jaime was a wealth of knowledge and she teaches ballet in Virginia Beach. I have a whole new appreciation for ballet now.

This photo was taken at the City Tavern after our trip to the top for a beer.

The Farmer’s Market | Ballston Spa, NY

Jessica — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:43:07 +0000

Here’s a little happy for today! These are my finds from Saturday’s Farmer’s Market in Ballston Spa, NY. These flowers are from the Adirondack Flower Farm. I could stare at these all day long.

The Farmer’s Market | Saratoga Springs, NY

Jessica — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:43:52 +0000

I simply love the farmer’s market. Big or small, here or there. They are always fun and I love giving my money to the gent or lady who made/produced my product. If you counted the number of years of experience at a farmer’s market, you would be blown away by the collective knowledge such a small space can hold. Farmer’s markets are wonderful because you can talk to your producer, ask questions about how to use the food your are purchasing, and find out exactly how your product was made (family secrets withheld, of course). If you want your children to see, touch and learn about their food, take them to a farmer’s market. Maybe even you can get a tour of the farm!

Here are this weeks finds from the farmer’s market (russian kale, garlic scapes, blueberries and currants):

Saratoga BrewFest | Ballston Spa, NY

Jessica — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:10:33 +0000

My husband and I went to the Saratoga BrewFest this past weekend at Ellms Family Farm here in Ballston Spa. It was awesome! We love craft brews and getting the opportunity to sample so many is right up our alley. My husband managed to get VIP tickets to the event and they were 100% worth their value. We were able to taste Peak Organic Brewing special brews that the general public didn’t get to taste, a beer and cheese tasting and lunch catered by the Charlton Tavern. The owner of Peak Organic also gave us a talk about his brewery and their sustainability (I was quite interested). I think of all the beers we tried, Hop Noir from Peak Organic was my favorite.

Greg Engert, Food and Wines Beer Sommelier of the year, also talked about how cheese is a superior food pairing for tasting over wine. He said that cheese coats your palette not allowing you to taste the finery aspects of the wine. Beer on the other hand, cleanses your palette (unlike wine), so you can taste both the cheese and beer. Jim and I will have to do a comparison sometime!

This was an excellent way to start of Jim’s birthday week!

Triptych

Jessica — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:04:12 +0000

A snapshot of yesterday…

*Sustainable Saratoga is starting to conduct a Green House Gas emissions study of Saratoga Spring, NY. Yesterday we started looking at utility bills.

*Strawberries from the Farmer’s Market. Glorious, luscious, goodness!

*Waiting at the airport. Jim’s plane was late arriving at the Albany International Airport last night and I was completely caught up in the excitement that children waiting for loved ones. “Maybe Mimi is on that one?”, “DAD!!! Did you see that!!!! That airplane just took off right in front of us!!!!”, “You should take a picture of that one, Mom.”

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Jessica — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:31:58 +0000

I know this is a sad post, but I think it is important to spread the word about this service. I am a member photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep and recently helped staff a both at the NY state Perinatal Conference in Albany. We had a wonderful opportunity to chat with the doctors, nurses, social workers and nonprofits who help parents and families through the troubling times of a premie birth. A mother who used the service was able to join us to share her experience. NILMDTS is an important service to know about, because there are babies who don’t make it home from the hospital. In speaking about NILMDTS to parents and families, many mothers wish they had images of their child. Many babies don’t receive birth or death certificates, so this is often the only tangible memory from the birth of their child.

We offer a free service to photograph the babies with their families at the hospital or at home if hospice is an option. Families receive a free CD of images and we have recommended at cost labs who can print images so the uncomfortableness of going to Walmart is eliminated. We are all also on call, so we can be at the hospital in a relatively short time. And, there are 8,000 photographers all over the world who donate their time and services. So, we are everywhere!

If you or a friend you know of is in need of the service, please go to the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep website and click on Find A Photographer. Simply email or call a photographer and tell them your situation. They will help you out.

On a positive note, many babies who were photographed go on to live famous and profound lives. They inspire the creation of playgrounds and scholarships, helping those around them live happier lives.

I was very proud to find out that one of my images was used for the national brochure and exhibit. It just reminds me how important these photographs are. They are literally priceless. If you’d like to read an article on Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, please follow this link. You can also visit their website for more information.

Here is the image that was featured on the exhibit:

Here is the photograph that was used in the brochure:

Holly Mahoney | Saratoga Springs Business Identity

Jessica — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:55:12 +0000

I love helping small businesses craft a visual story to help create a better connection with their customers or clients. I met Holly through a friend and she is just starting her real estate business and aims to help people find the right home. She’s feisty, loving, earthy, brilliant, and completely fun! It was such a pleasure to work with her and we have more to come in the near future. The first step to Holly’s story is an updated head shot which is posted below. A great head shot serves several purposes; provides a way to easily identify you, shows that you care about your image and thus your business, helps you stand above all the visual clutter, and gives a sense of your style. All of these things can help a customer or client decide to work with you. I know we aren’t supposed to judge a book by the cover, but I still do when browsing in the bookstore or library. The question to ask is do your customers?

Sunday Morning Saratoga Springs Stroll

Jessica — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:50:47 +0000

The best way to start Sunday morning off? A stroll through Congress Park and downtown Saratoga Springs with Sara, Jason and Ben. These photographs were a present for Mother’s Day for their grand parents. Sara is a pilates instructor in Saratoga Springs, so if you need to stretch and strengthen give her a ring!

http://www.skpilates.com/

15F

Jessica — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:05:33 +0000

This is what 15F looks like. The view from my office window this morning…