flashes of hope

last week I had the honor of partnering with Flashes of Hope as a volunteer photographer.  

     the mission of this incredible organization is to photograph every child with cancer
        until there is a cure.

their operation is not just about taking pictures, but about using the gift of photography to help change the way children with life threatening illnesses see themselves.
   
   it's about documenting a moment of happiness and celebration, which forever preserves the grace,
         dignity and beauty of each child.

 

To find out more about Flashes of Hope, or to donate to pediatric cancer resarch, please visit their website: www.flashesofhope.org

chicago food photography: karl's craft soup

I recently had the great pleasure of photographing some incredible creations from karl's craft soup.
   there is a new website in the works. stay tuned for sure.

In the mean time, here are my favorites from the day.

    food styling: may boury



kellyallison photography seeks to create inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

open faced radish sandwiches

summer is officially here.
our first box from angelic organics arrived today, and I'm eating radishes in celebration.

   man, oh, man. it's the taste of fresh goodness!

open faced radish sandwich
 makes one serving

   1 slice sandwich bread
   1 small radish or baby turnip (soaked in ice water, greens removed)
      generous serving of high-quality, unsalted butter (plugra is a favorite) 
      small handful young spinach leaves
      green onion
      pinch kosher salt
      fresh ground pepper


remove radish greens & soak radish in ice water for at least 30 minutes. DON'T discard the greens! (they make a lovely pesto . . . recipe to come, one of these days). after soaking, slice radish into paper thin discs (use a mandoline for easier slicing). thinly cross cut about 1" of green onion.

remove crusts from bread & cut into triangles. spread butter liberally on each half, and top with a couple spinach leaves. place several radish discs atop the spinach and sprinkle with green onion, salt & fresh ground pepper.


enjoy yourself some yummy summer flavors!

kellyallison photography seeks to create inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.




 

california, part 1: the beach

spring time in california is never a bad bet.

our weather was rainy and cold, but we loved every minute.
   there were plenty of waves to chase, surfers to admire, and tide pools to explore.

lovely, lovely land.

enjoy!

rainbow butterfly birthday party, sneak peek

and the party goes off without a hitch.

the birthday girl had the best time, and everyone got their fair share of red no. 40.



here's a little sneak peek, with many more photos to come.

enjoy!

summer's first fete, and a recipe for pimm's cup

warm weather is here.


   we took the opportunity of a perfect evening to officially kick-off the season with a simple patio party, featuring lots of yummy food and drink.


speaking of drink. have you tried this yet?

please, rush out and make one now. you'll be so glad you did.

a recipe for pimm's cup.

(adapted liberally from bon apetít)

• 1 part sparkling lemonade (I used French Market lemonade from Trader Joe's)
• 1 part ginger beer
• 1 part Pimm's No. 1
• Ice cubes
• generous handful of garden mint
• sliced lemon
• sliced lime 
• cubed strawberries, sliced persian cucumber, additional mint sprig (for garnish) 

Place lemons, limes and mint in a glass pitcher. Using muddler or handle of wooden spoon, mash well. Add Pimm's, lemonade, and ginger beer. Add ice to Pimm's mixture, stir. Fill glasses with ice and garnishes. Strain Pimm's mixture into glasses.  Enjoy!

hoping your summer kicks off to a perfect start.



kellyallison photography seeks to create inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

 

california, sneak peek

 we just got home from a wonderful vacation.
     sunny southern cal was not so sunny. but we still took loads of photos.

and we had so much fun.

I'll post more some day, but I promise it's going to be a while.
     oh, for more time.

enjoy!

kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns.