Marisa Matluck Photo Blog

This past weekend, I went with a bunch of friends to an awesome place called North Captiva Island to celebrate the marriage between two very amazing people. For the first time in a while, I had the opportunity to break out the camera during the full moon and use the moonlight to my advantage. Here is what ensued…

On a recent trip to the NE part of the USA, I went apple picking. In lieu of the approaching holiday of Rosh Hashana, I thought to myself; what better time to post about apples then on the holiday when apples and honey are so popular!

Well, if I learned anything from my apple picking, its that when one of your best friends is a chef, and she picks apples with you, those apples go a loooooooonnngggggg way!

Once we got back to her superb kitchen in NYC, I watched (and ate) as she made me my very own German Apple Pancake which was TDF (to die for – for those who don’t speak acronym). My little Shortbread NYC chef also made Apple Crumble, Apple Bread, Apple Juice and Apple Sauce. By the end of the intense apple cooking session, there was nothing left of the apples but the tiny little stem that comes from the core!

If what you see makes you hungry, or you just plain old like it, you can check out the recipe by clicking here.

Shana Tova xx

Last week I took myself on a much needed vacation to a little state called Maine. My dad is from there so I went to stay with my Aunt in Cape Elizabeth.

It was perfect, there was apple picking (saved for a later blog post) sporadic picnics (also for a later post), my friend Jenna, and lots of green green pasture. I also got me some lobster and an allergic reaction. I think it was worth it though.

It was also quite fantastic that my Aunt lives in a house overlooking the ocean so sitting out in the backyard was not daunting at all. ::sigh::

A bit over a year ago, I was up in Montreal for a wedding and had the honor of spending a day with my  Great-Great-Aunt Rachel. The sister of my late Great Grandmother Helen, she lived in Canada so I only got to see her on occasion.

I just have to say what a wonderful woman she was. And how lucky I feel to have been able to enjoy her company on numerous occasions. She was always so cheery and proud of her family. She was a true Matriarch in every sense of the word and her accomplishments and benevolence throughout the community will never be forgotten.

These photos are from the last time I saw her on our outing for some tea.

Here is what is written about her in the Montreal Obits.

Yesterday I went to the beach for a photo shoot. Those are usually hit or miss. Actually, no, they are always hit! I had the pleasure of working with a woman and her 3 beautiful children. Earlier in the day, while anticipating the shoot, a storm started rolling in. You can imagine how bummed I get when I have outdoor shoots planned and it rains.

Luckily, by the end of the day it had cleared up but there was definite overcast. Not a problem… shoot was still on!

I was beyond blown away by the breathtaking calmness of the ocean and everyone in it. It was just what I needed at the end of yesterday!

One thing about Miami’s tropical weather that I love – STORMS. They produce the most magnificent clouds, the most beautiful rainbows, the coziest days. I can watch a storm roll in and enjoy every second of it. I enjoy it even more when I have my camera nearby.

Despite the title of this blog post, these photos were not completely random. On the contrary. I had an inspirational urge to photograph my rock collection (yes, I collect rocks). My collection is from all over the world. When I travel, I tend to look for rocks/stones with unique patterns and vibrant colors.

So as I sat doing work today, I just kept thinking about what I would shoot for my blog since it has really been a couple of weeks since I updated. Then I remembered my rocks. I have been wanting to photograph them for a while. I had this really awesome idea to head to Ace Hardware and buy me some sort of spray that would make my rocks look shiny and wet. I forgot though, that if I were to light these shiny rocks, they would be, well… Shiny! (and oh so un-photogenic). As I was having issues photographing them, I figured, hey, I have all these lights set up, I might as well play with objects around the APT. What came of it are the photos that follow (composed mostly of my Grandmothers artwork and little trinkets she likes to give me).

::side note:: the few rocks pictured here are from The Dead Sea in Israel, Petra in Jordan, Machu Piccu Peru and the Dart River in New Zealand.

There is something incredibly beautiful about the piano. Maybe because I was taught to play at a very young age, or maybe just because. I miss playing the piano! Its next on my list of things to buy… If I can figure out where to put it in my apartment. A little over a month ago, Steinway and Sons held a beautiful event at their Coral Gables location and played host to a beautiful John Lennon piano. All white, with beautiful inscriptions and sayings. I used the opportunity of photographing the event to also take some piano pics.

I spent Sunday night on a boat with my friend who was visiting from out of town. Fishing. Yes, me… fishing! It was my first time and man was it fun! At first, it was gross but then I sucked it up and hooked that squid right onto the line, dropped it, and before I knew It, I had a snapper! (and several grunt fish).

Anyway, it was fun, I purchased it on Groupon but would definitely do it again! Anyone want to take me fishing ?

So as I sit at my desk, editing, replying to emails, putting together mailers, working on my website… my to do list just keeps getting bigger… I am daydreaming of the next time I get to take a real vacation. Somewhere with culture, inspiration, colors… ooops there I go daydreaming again

I was reminiscing of my trips to the other side of the world and remembered that I had some unvisited images from Vietnam. So I took a trip down memory lane and put together a little compilation of photos I like to call ‘Bridges’