This isn’t just a dog. This is my best friend of the last seven years, Chunk. The fattest puppy of the litter (and the stumpiest), I knew the second I saw him I wasn’t letting him go. We are basically inseparable and he’s definitely more human than doggo. How? He’s incredibly aware, prefers to work smarter, not harder and genuinely listens. You can see it in his eyes when he looks at you; he just knows.
I have never encountered a dog who's eyes held such depth. In colour, they're like copper aflame and sometimes they burn as bright as golden-hour. They tell stories. Stories of emotions like love and excitement, or tales of past lives and lessons learned. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Chunk’s eyes are priceless. Here's a glimpse into the stories they told my camera in August, 2020.
Cool Photos of Cool People: NIKO
Shooting. It’s pretty much all I’ve ever wanted to do. Be it for short films, TV pilots or on a disposable camera for that element of surprise, being around the camera has been my greatest joy. The last few months I’ve acquired an incredibly deep admiration for my immediate surroundings and the intricacies that define their beauty. The cracks in the paint on my dad’s old shed, the dying Pine trees that look like they are rusting, the way the light pours onto the concrete turning it gold in the afternoon… so many things I all of a sudden wanted to capture forever. Luckily, I know some amazing people who are always willing to help bring these visions of mine to life.
Queue: Niko. An incredibly talented (and tall!) photographer, philosophical mind and Vine appreciator. In Italian, Niko would be described as ‘simpatico.’ He radiates a calming energy and bright light, which is a rare combination. He is also a brilliant model to work with, often posing how I wanted without instruction. It helps we both assisted in an incredibly fast-paced photography studio, so posing and movement are forever ingrained into our minds! Whether I wanted to shoot in the autumn crusted trees, on my dad’s semi-trailer, in the middle of a construction site or atop a tin roof, Niko was up for it. We shot for about four hours from the front to the back of my family’s property, but it felt more like 5 minutes. What can I say? Time flies when you’re having fun!
This time I wanted to bring something more personal into play, so I interviewed Niko and paired his words with my favourite images below. I shot both Digital and Film and have pulled the entire gallery together HERE. That’s right - HERE.
Can’t wait to take more cool photos of cool people.
Enjoy!
x
Adrianne
Let’s start with the basics. Where were you born and raised?
Born in Tarquinia, Italy, lived there a few years but I grew up most of my life in Australia.
One part of Italy I have yet to see! Where in the world feels most like home to you?
I don't think I could say with certainty a singular place, but if I had to choose it would be anywhere in the world with a kitchen and friends to cook for.
A pretty perfect answer. I have to ask - what’s your signature dish?
Carbonara!
I think the next shoot we do is going to have to involve food! Now tell me, what are you most passionate about?
Photography, rock climbing and travel.
Photography I may have had an inkling about…Where would you say your love for photography began?
Being mentored by photo journalist Viki Ospina in Colombia.
That sounds absolutely incredible! What was your first ever camera?
It was a Nikon FM2.
What do you absolutely love to shoot?
I’d have to say protests and street photography.
I’ve seen your work and i have to say I really admire they way you dive right into the midst of protests. What inspires you the most both as an artist and a person?
The works of war photographers and journalists like James Natchez, Chris Hondros, Lynsey Addario…
What’s one thing people wouldn’t know about you?
Nothing particularly remarkable.
I have to disagree - you do a stellar Christopher Walken impression! Okay, name the three coolest places you’ve ever been:
They would have to be El Choco, Colombia, Havana, Cuba and Paris (specifically during a yellow vest protest)!
What is one film you’re obsessed with and why:
The Raid Redemption (1 and 2), for the fantastic fight choreography in conjunction with set pieces, budget, camera angles and practical effects.
Adding them to my list! Okay, so you’re hosting a dinner and you can invite any three figures throughout history:
Carl Sagan, Carl Jung and Dante Alighieri.
I might have to steal Dante the next time I get asked that question! Moving into modern territory, what is something from the internet you quote way too much?
"Hey Demons, it's me… ya boi."
Honestly, a brilliant choice. And finally, if you could go back in time and give your 13 year old self advice, what would it be?
I would say ‘take care of yourself… and invest in bitcoin.’
Images shot on my Canon 5D Mark IV and Pentax K1000 using Portra 800.
Baked Jam Donuts
She’a back at it again! This time it’s oven-baked jam donuts and my goodness, they are the absolute bomb! I have to give a special thank you to my friend Michaela for inviting me on a virtual baking date/competition with this easy recipe from So Vegan. I’ve put one or two twists on this recipe and yes, you can make it both vegan and non-vegan, depending on your preference. These are still a naughty treat because they are extremely sugary, but at least they aren’t deep fried. ;) I also have a beautiful recipe for a homemade sugar-free strawberry jam which can be used for these donuts (or just in general!) that I’ll post eventually.
My main tip for this recipe is to leave your dough to rise for a minimum of two hours. You can even leave it longer if you have errands to run, but the more time you can give it the better. I also highly recommend using dry yeast as after making these multiple times I find it works a treat!
This is a pretty easy recipe to start with and perfect, but just remember: have fun! Also, be patient with yourself - especially if you’ve not worked with dough before. I find making mistakes in baking equal parts infuriating and awesome, because messing up is the best b!tch of a teacher and often leads to serendipitous discoveries.
Without further adieu, here’s how to make baked jam donuts!
x
Adrianne
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp chia seeds (or two eggs if preferred)
350g plain flour, plus extra for kneading
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp caster sugar
150ml milk of choice (I love coconut)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
50g butter of choice
oil for greasing (any is fine)
To coat:
caster sugar
1 tub of strawberry jam (or your preferred filling)
1/3 cup butter (melted)
Chia “eggs”!
Butter, coconut milk and apple cider vinegar.
INSTRUCTIONS
Put chia seeds into a small bowl and add 6 tbsp water. Stir to combine, then set aside. Alternatively, you can whisk two eggs together.
Combine the flour, yeast, 4 tbsp caster sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine milk, apple cider vinegar and butter until melted and blended. Pour into the dry ingredients and then add chia mixture. Mix with a wooden/plastic spoon until it forms into dough.
Remove dough from the bowl, flour your surface and knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour as you go if the dough is too sticky. You’ll know it’s ready when its not so gooey that its sticking to your skin, but bounces off.
Line the mixing bowl with any oil and place the dough inside. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 2 hours in a warm place. It should double in size when you check on it.
Line 2 trays with baking paper.
Remove the tea towel from the bowl and gently press into the dough to remove the air. Dust surface with flour again and roll dough out until it is approximately 2cm thick. Use a cutter (any shape you like, 5-7cm wide) and lay the pieces onto baking trays (this recipe should make 12-15 doughnuts). Spread evenly along trays and cover with tea towels for 20 minutes to rise further.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Bake the doughnuts for 10-12 minutes. You can flip them over if you like but you don’t have to. I wait until they have a slight browning to them to know they’re ready and not overcooked.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Place about 1/2cup of caster sugar to a bowl and melt butter in a small bowl.
Brush the doughnuts with the melted butter, then coat them with sugar. Using a knife, make an incision into the side of each doughnut approximately 2/3 of the way in.
Add jam to a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe the jam into the doughnuts.
Blueberry + Strawberry Galettes
Anyone that knows me won’t be surprised at my love for baking. Limoncello Tiramisu, Sticky Date Pudding and Peanut Butter Blossoms are some of my signatures and I am constantly on a mission to find my next ones. I love everything about baking - the prep, the taste-testing, the mess, the artwork and patience…It’s incredibly therapeutic.
What I love most about the baking process however, is seeing others enjoy what I’ve made. What can I say - it’s the Italian in me! Thanks to Isolation, Bake-drianne is back in full swing and my family have been loving it.
This is a recipe I found through Minimalist Baker and have now made a handful of times to the point where the measurements are in my head. I’ve tweaked it slightly and thrown my own twist on these Galettes, making them with blueberries, apples, blackberries and strawberries (my FAV).
Galettes were my first time working with pastry from scratch and I have to say this one is delectable. It’s thin and perfectly buttery to the point the crumble melts in your mouth. If you’ve never made pastry before this is the perfect starter for you.
You can easily keep this recipe vegan and use a plant-based butter, but I prefer to use real, creamy butter to get that full pastry effect. It tastes wonderful both ways, but depends on what taste/texture you are going for. I always, always use Devondale when I bake - I have used every butter you can think of and without fail it always brings a full-bodied flavour to every dessert, especially dessert sauces!
If your pastry breaks apart in the oven and juices from the fruit leak out, DO NOT FEAR - that juice will simmer into a Jam because of the corn flour and will not make your pastry go soggy, so if this happens on your first go it will still be amazing!
Enjoy!
x
Adrianne
I used a piece of string to divide my dough ball, but a thin, sharp knife will do the trick!
What you’ll Need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
12 Tbsp cold butter (I always use Devondale)
4-6 Tbsp ice cold water
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (Blueberries/Strawberries/Blackberries or Apple if you like instead)
1 Tbsp caster sugar (plus more for topping)
1 tsp cornstarch
Chia seeds (if you would like to add them to your berry mixture)
1 whole orange
Topping
Whipped cream
Ice Cream
Coconut Cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°C and line two large trays with baking paper.
Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. You can cut the butter into the flour until well blended using a pastry cutter or fork, but I prefer to use my hands.
Add water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time and stir until the dough peels off of the bowl. Typically this requires around 4-5 Tbsp. If you add too much water, add more flour to balance it out.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Divide into four pieces if making small galettes, or six for mini ones. I used a piece of string to divide them easily (and leave less mess by using one less knife!).
One at a time and adding flour as needed, use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough out into a rough circle. Use the rolling pin to pick up the dough (wrap it around the rolling pin) and transfer to the baking sheets. Then fold the dough off of the rolling pin onto the baking sheet.
Add blueberries to bowl you just used for the dough and toss with sugar, cornstarch and chia seeds (if you want chia!). Place your preferred amount of berries in the center of the dough.
Next, carefully fold the crust edges up, overlapping them as you go. It will probably look a bit ugly the first time you make it and that is A-OK. If it’s ugly, it’ll have extra character! You’ll see mine aren’t perfect by any means. Try to ensure no cracks remain or the fruit will seep out. Not to worry though! If it does seep out it will form a jam-like substance that is DELICIOUS and will just be like a self-saucing element to the galette!
Brush over the pies with a touch of water (or melted butter) and sprinkle with caster or raw sugar to ensure a golden, crisp crust. Here is where the orange comes in - I like to squeeze fresh orange juice over the top of the pastry either on top of the butter or on it’s own. It just adds this extra element of surprise that complements these galettes beautifully!
Bake for 20-28 minutes for mini galettes or 28-35 minutes for small galettes, or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream or whatever you desire.
You’ll know it’s ready when the dough rolls cleanly off the edges of the bowl.
I liked it, so I shot it #3
There’s this tiny half-brick house built in the 60’s I spent four years growing up in. It’s still standing in front of my current home, unoccupied. The hallways are so small that, as a child my arms could touch both walls simultaneously. The stairway that leads to the back door is made of aged wood, probably from trees much older than me that used to stand at the back of our property. I shared a room with my little sister, both the best and the worst. I used to sleep with a portable Sony radio under my pillow to block out the noise of cars and people too awake for midnight.
Walking in for the first time in too long, it was almost exactly as it was when 9-year-old me walked in for the first time. The walls are a noticeable white; the kitchen still stuck in 1979. Hexagonal bathroom tiles still a faded pastel blue and the same mirror still propped up on the wall - an attempt at making it feel bigger than it really is. There’s nothing like walking through a childhood memory vault to remind of the essence of time.
I had wanted to shoot in there for months and I knew exactly what I wanted. Then all of a sudden Covid-19 hit and I knew if I didn’t act fast it would be many more months until I’d be able to make it happen. I called one of my best friends Selena although I wouldn’t have to ask and we got to work on this vision right away.
The funny thing is this shoot mirrors the current state we are in, but I had this idea months ago. The feeling I wanted to evoke, the aesthetic I wanted to create was all centered around the fact this house is empty; isolated. It’s always looked the same, as if it were frozen in time but despite it’s hollowness there is still life within it. What life you may ask? Memories. In my head I could see the shots of blinding white walls with whatever natural light was available, colours from the 70’s and a girl. Maybe she lived there many moons ago; maybe she is there still - stuck, but unaware of time.
Did I inadvertently predict this period of isolation? Was this idea a premonition back in February? Who knows. What I do know, is I liked it, so I shot it.
You can view the full gallery here.
Stay safe,
Adrianne
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