Ready to slip into la la land together and drool at some truly remarkable photography shot in some fantastic spaces and places? I am... There is nothing I like more sometimes than to simply peer into the life of someone else and examine all the little details of a shot to see what went where, why, and also to consider how the colors relate, why they were chosen, etc. Jennifer Davick, who specializes in photographing food, is based in Birmingham, Alabama and she's able to take you by the hand and lead you into some very special places (and moods) because she captures so much emotion through lighting, subject, depth... that it's hard to not feel inspired by her work. See for yourself...

What I love about the images I've selected to share from her portfolio above: the colors! Soft yet vibrant, that peach and green looks so fresh and I love the orchids on the porch along with the sweet"heart" swing. They look like this typical laid back country look that I admire a lot and though living in a city, I still work to achieve a laid back feel in my home because it has an impact on my life -- when I'm at ease everything naturally unfolds for me. I also like laid back living at home because it so closely matches my own personality.

So now I have a more personal question for you... do you think your home is laid back with a little pile here and there? Or would you define your home as being very organized and buttoned up - everything perfectly in place and looking like a magazine home? Or is your home a big chaotic mess that you feel ashamed about? Have you ever tried photographing your own home to see what it really looks like? I know, sounds strange. But I suggest doing it. Clean your rooms, make the bed and such, and then pretend you are a photographer and go through each room with your camera, shooting in natural daylight (no flash). Upload the photos and take a critical look at each nook, each room, and see what can be moved, improved, stored, fixed, etc. This is a fun exercise and worth taking the time to do.

You can even pull together a binder with your photos - store your notes and even your during and after photos there as you complete your rooms. When you photograph something you notice the details. That is why the photos you see of rooms in magazines look so perfect. The photographer takes the photo and they look at the picture on their computer (especially if they are shooting tethered) to see what's what. They mostly are looking at the technical stuff, while the stylist and others involved in the project are looking at the actual shot from a creative perspective - what could be altered, moved, etc. to make the photo look even better.

Maybe those vases on that mantle instead, and that tea towel can be moved over to that table and off of the kitchen counter, etc. Once all of this combing and processing has been accomplished, the end result is the magazine photo that you drool over. And even then, sometimes color editing and other image editing is done to perfect the actual shot - perhaps the color correction is needed. That is called, "magazine perfect" and what we think is just another "normal" home that we don't have. Well, it's not. And then we swing open our door at night to our shaggy apartment thinking What The Heck Is My Problem, feeling insecure about our homes because they don't look like a magazine image.

So remember... one way to help you to achieve a more pulled together home, or perhaps a neater "laid back" home, is to photograph your space as I've mentioned and go in with a critical eye to examine what needs help. Style a fireplace mantle and photograph it. Don't like it? Style it again. And again, and again.... Then once you you really like it - well, it's done and you can move on to another area of your home. Take inspiration from other rooms that you love -- arrange things in a way that you liked from the home of another person -- it's not copying -- your objects and colors will no doubt be very different. But it can be helpful to train your eye in the beginning as you start to take more interest in the details of styling and how it's done. Gosh, I could go on and on about this, I'm passionate about the whole art of making something look beautiful. :) Wow! Looking at the work of Jennifer Davick gave me a lot to talk about, didn't it? :)

(images: jennifer davick photography)