April Bern Photography Blog

Photo Friday- Downward

2012-05-04T12:49:20Z

Photo Friday- Portraiture

2012-04-27T12:45:41Z

This photo friday topic is a little close to my heart as I'm moving towards a career in portraiture photography. I (along with a very dear friend) have started a photography company called A Different Light Photography. We specialize in family, children, newborn, senior, and engagement photgraphy. Read more about us here.

This photo is of my dear friends little baby and I think this has to be my second most favorite photo I've ever taken. I love the light, I love the fact that she was absorbed in picking dandelions, I love the fading sunlight in her hair, and her little pink outfit... I love everything about this shot! I'll have more photos from this amazing tea party photoshoot up soon!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Possibly the best cupcake ever (Salted Caramel Cupcake)...

2012-04-15T02:35:51Z

I made these cupcakes last week for Easter, and I have to say that they are probably the best cupcakes I've ever made. Everything was made from scratch-- the cake, the caramel (omg! i know how to make caramel now!) even the icing was completely made from scratch. It was a little daunting at first, as I'm not the most adept in the kitchen, but I managed to not screw up by say, accidently broiling them. Remind me to tell you about the time I brilliantly broiled a batch of chocolate chip cookies...

(doesn't that cupcake look amazing?)

Check out the recipe here:

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Photo Friday- Soft Light

2012-04-13T12:40:19Z

Photo Friday- Soft Light

Goodbye, Scooter...

2012-04-09T03:01:17Z

What a sad weekend-- my other bird, Scooter, died. We came home Saturday night and noticed that he was laying on the bottom of the cage, weak, and had trouble breathing. He had been a little out of sorts for the past few days, but this was so much worse! We called around to find a vet that was open (it was really really late!) and that would take exotic pets. Apparently, parakeets are considered exotic... We finally found one in Elmwood Park that was open and that could see him. Thank you, Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital, who were nothing but wonderful and compassionate.

It turned out that Scooter had some sort of mass or tumor (possibly cancer) that was causing his air sacs to fill with a ton of awful brown bloody-ish fluid which was causing the respiratory distress. The vet recommended we put him to sleep. She could have removed all the fluid and sent him home with antibiotics, but the fluid would come back and he would suffer more. So, I agreed to have her put him down. This was such a hard decision. I felt (and still feel) like an awful pet parent. I have never had to make that sort of decision about a pet before. It's so easy to say that animals should be put down so they don't suffer anymore, but it's not that easy to do. I cried. I know he was only a little special parakeet, but I've had them (he and Pegleg) close to 7 years. They were family. How can you give someone consent to end the life of your family member? With Pegleg's passing, it was a little easier. We just found him already dead on the bottom of the cage. He wasn't sick (that we knew of) and we didn't have to make that grave decision.

It's so quiet in the house now. There were no loud squawks this morning, no little cheeps and gibbers to listen to during the day. He was my little love parakeet. He always gave little love nibbles when you put your finger up to his beak. He would eat out of your hand rather than eat your hand like his bloodthirsty brother. He was definately the sweetfheart of the two birds.

Goodbye Scooter. You too, will be missed. I only hope that where you are, both of your legs work and you're with your brother making lots of noise.

Photo Friday- Rain

2012-03-23T13:04:37Z

Photo Friday- Rain

Happy St. Patrick's Day and a touch of nostalgia

2012-03-17T18:48:47Z

Happy St. Patricks Day! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I can't believe how amazing it is in Chicagoland today! Sunny and 80+ degrees! UNREAL! I took an hour walk in my new neighborhood today and I got to thinking and being nostalgic about my trip to Ireland back in March of 1998. It was Spring Break of my senior year in college (yeah, I just totally dated myself...) and I had just started dating this guy and out of the blue he asked me to go to Ireland with him. Sure! What could go wrong?

It was a terrible trip. I had the worst cold of my life & was sick nearly everyday I was there. And, to make matters worse, my boyfriend broke up with me a few days after we arrived (yeah, that was a little awkward for the rest of the trip.) I ended up cutting the trip short and coming home early because I wasn't confident enough to be in a foreign country alone (I totally regret that decision...)

For the short time we were there, we spent a day in Dublin and then we had to find someplace else to go because there was a HUGE Rugby tournament and all the hotels, B&B's and even hostels were booked. (who knew rugby was so popular?) We took a train out west to the Dingle Peninsula where I was sick for the remainder of the trip. We stayed at a wonderful B&B and the owners did a fabulous job of taking care of me complete with chicken soup, and hot tea! The most memorable part of the trip (beside the break up...) was going on the tour of the Dingle Peninsula and hearing about the history of the country. Amazing.

Despite all the drama, I still look back on the whole overall experience as being positive. Ireland was my first real trip-- I had never even been on an airplane before! It was soooo incredibly beautiful. And green (I think there were shades of green that Crayola hadn't even named yet!) I so want to go back. I would definitely go back with the eye (and the camera) to take better photos, and to see the Cliffs of Mohr (which I didn't get to see when I was there.)

Here are a few photos of Ireland that I took back in the day before digital cameras (man, what I would give to go back and take photos with the Canon 5D Mark II...) I scanned these in a few years ago. Perhaps when I find the rest of the pics, I'll scan those in too!

Slán!

Photo Friday- Unwind

2012-03-16T20:19:43Z

Photo Friday-Unwind

Photo Friday- Blaze

2012-03-02T14:51:10Z

Photo Friday- Blaze

This is a shot from my short lived 365 project this year. I tried. I really did. I actually have been taking photos of the sky nearly everyday, but I haven't had a chance to post them. I am now over a month behind in posting those. I think the real reason that I've not done so is that while it sounded like a good idea at the time, I wasn't terribly excited about the theme/project and really only wanted to do a 365 because "all the cool kids are doing it." In retrospect, I think I should have found a theme or project that I was passionate about. (I still haven't found one yet...)

Have a great weekend!

Photo Friday- Eat!

2012-02-17T13:40:41Z

Photo Friday- Eat!

I think the most fun part of living in a new city (honestly, it feels like a new country to me!) is that you get to explore and check out all sorts of new and interesting places. We quickly found a much better alternative to DD-- a mom & pop donut shop called Roll'n Donuts. They have incredibly delicious donuts and exceptional service (now that's something you don't get at DD!) Oh, and their coffee rocks too!!!

I'm heading out to San Antonio tomorrow (tomorrow cannot arrive fast enough!) I'm looking forward to checking out the Alamo (Do you remember the Alamo?) some missions, the Riverwalk and SEAWORLD!!!!

I hope you have a good weekend! Enjoy!