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Doggies and Kitties!

February 4, 2010 by suzannetenuto

My friend Karine has recently started fostering dogs and cats, so I volunteered to take some photos of them to help with the adoption process! Also, I know how attached Karine becomes to these cute, cuddly, and lovable little animals, so she needs to fill her house with pictures of them after they join their new families. :)

Taking pictures of animals is a whole new challenge for me. I can’t bribe a dog with a lollipop or ask a cat to sing her favorite song for me. So what did we use to keep our models happy? Cheese for Lily (the white Jack Russell Terrier ) and Shadow (the black Terrier), and a bathrobe belt for Jasmine (aka Jazz the kitty).

Karine fosters for Animal Care and Control (ACCT) which is part of the Pennsylvania SPCA. Both ACCT and the SPCA are at capacity right now, which means that they have no space to take in any new animals and they have to euthanize dogs and cats every day, so they desperately need more foster parents and people to adopt doggies and kitties. Visit this link to learn how you can help give these animals a loving home by fostering, adopting, or just helping out at the shelter!

Lily is Karine’s dog, and Shadow has already been adopted, but sweet little Jazz will be available for adoption very soon (it’s impossible to resist those eyes!). If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact me!






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January Recipe: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

January 30, 2010 by suzannetenuto

Maybe one of my 10 in 2010 goals should have been to not procrastinate. Here it is the end of the month, and I was scrambling this week to get my January recipe online! I’ll blame it on the fact that I’ve been away most of January (I know, excuses, excuses).

Part of the reason for doing the monthly recipe is to learn how to make things that I typically order in a restaurant. That’s right, restaurant quality food in the comfort of my own home…by doing the work myself…and having no one serve me…or clean up…why did I decide to do this again?

This month’s recipe is a roasted beet salad. This was my first experience roasting beets, and I quickly learned the following:
a) Beets stain everything. My kitchen looked like a crime scene afterwards.
b) They look like the mandrake plants from the Harry Potter movies.
c) Beets scream when you cut into them (see point b).

This recipe is delish, the freshly roasted beets turned out firm, sweet and oh-so-tasty, and really, adding goat cheese to anything just kicks it up a notch. I would totally make it again, even just beets, cheese and dressing for a quick fix. And beets are super high in antioxidants – bonus! Here is the recipe (courtesy of Epicurean) followed by some photos of my beet masterpiece. YUM!

Ingredients:

(makes 6-8 servings)

1/2 cup walnut halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 medium beets, trimmed and washed
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onions

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
fresh ground black pepper

1/2 lb fresh spinach leaves, de-stemmed and washed
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Combine the walnuts with the olive oil, salt and pepper, mixing well to coat the nuts.
3. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Wrap the beets individually in foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Let cool for 20 minutes, then peel the beets by holding them under cold running water and rubbing off the skins.
8. Cut into 1/2-inch wedges, and place in a large mixing bowl with the walnuts and onion.
9. Combine all the dressing ingredients, taste and adjust the seasonings.
10. Pour over the beets and toss well.
11. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.
12. Just before serving, arrange the spinach leaves in individual bowls or on a large platter.
13. Arrange the beets on top and crumble the goat cheese over.



Posted in Personal | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

Welcome Little Jake!

January 26, 2010 by suzannetenuto

There has been a new addition to the Tenuto family!  My cousins Joey and Dina (and their daughter Victoria) welcomed Jake Joseph into the world on December 31st. Way to go on the tax break! My parents were not so lucky – I am a new year’s baby. :)

Here are some pictures of 1-month-old baby Jake and 2 1/2-year-old Victoria. Victoria looks so grown-up next to Jake, she could pass for a 1st grader. Ah, the chaos of having 2 children under the age of 3, it was quite entertaining to watch Dina juggle it all, but she is handling it like a champ. Joey is lucky. :)  Speaking of chaos, Victoria spent the majority of the time running around, playing, and well, being a toddler…but man, she got right into character when I bribed her with a lollipop! That bag of Dum Dum Pops is the best $2 I’ve ever spent!

I am not just saying this because they are family, but boy are they CUTE! If you want to see a little more of Victoria and Jake (you can catch a glimpse of Dina and my mom too!), take a look at the slideshow here.







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Bagameri Family

January 19, 2010 by suzannetenuto

Last week I blogged from Florida during its coldest winter blast on record…and now I am blogging from southern California where the weather is, well, not so great. Who was it that said it never rains in southern California? Well, they lied.  So much for leaving Philly in January for some tropical weather!

I bring to you another warm weather shoot (yes, I am a bit behind on blogging some of my fall shoots!). You may remember Anna & Bence from our photos back in the spring.  They were just as fun and photogenic this time! I really do love this family, we just hang out, play around and I can capture everyone just being themselves.  Here are some pictures from the shoot, if you want to see more, check out the slideshow here.

In the meantime, I’ll be on the lookout for some California sunshine…







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Fleurish Florist

January 13, 2010 by suzannetenuto

So I’ve been in Florida for the past few days. Florida in January sounds nice, right? Well I guess it would be if it wasn’t Florida’s coldest cold spell on record, if there weren’t iguanas falling from trees, and the threat of sinkholes. I am trying to think warm thoughts and am brought back to a shoot I did a couple of months ago, up north, where the weather was wonderful and fall-like, and I was taking pictures of flowers!

Fleurish Florist is a floral design studio featuring eco-friendly, super creative designs. Owners (and sisters!) Jane and Susan only use sustainable, fair trade, and organic flowers. And they are quite crafty - can you spot the cabbage and acorns used in the arrangements below?  So cool!  If you are looking for a florist for your wedding or any other special event, these are your gals. And they were just featured in Philadelphia Magazine! 

Little side note, Jane and I were introduced through mutual friends, but after talking for a bit we realized we worked for the same architectural firm at the same time a little over a decade ago but never knew each other.  Small world. I am really looking forward to working with her this time around!





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10 in 2010

January 5, 2010 by suzannetenuto

Well folks, it’s 2010. Welcome to the future. How WEIRD does 2010 sound? At the stroke of midnight I was hoping to all of a sudden have the ability to travel through time, or be able to beam myself to South America (a very attractive thought given it’s summer down there right now)…but alas, nothing has changed, except that I will inevitably screw up the date the first time I write it down.

So, at the start of this new decade, I have decided to turn over a new leaf. I have never been one to have new year’s resolutions or write down goals. Typically when I decide to do something I just do it…or not, but really no one knows about the things I want to do and thus I am not held accountable. Not this year! You can call them resolutions, or goals, or objectives, but I am just calling them my 10 in 2010. I’ll keep you updated on my progress throughout the year, and if I don’t accomplish these things, well, 50 lashes with a wet noodle as my friend Jeannette says. So here they are, my 10 in 2010!

1. Run a 5K without stopping to walk. (What good is a list like this without a workout goal?)

2. Shoot a destination wedding.

3. Try a new recipe at least once a month and blog about it.

4. Travel to a country I’ve never visited.

5. Upgrade to a full frame camera. Perhaps this one. Oh Nikon, how you insist on putting me in the poor house.

6. Learn how to accessorize better. Seriously, I don’t even think I own a belt…however I did just buy a sweet pair of boots and a headband with a flower on it.

7. Make my office cozier.

8. Volunteer my photography services to a charitable cause.

9. Further define my branding with stationary, packaging, and other Suzanne Tenuto Photography goodies.

10. Learn more about off-camera lighting/flash.

There you have it, my 10 in 2010. Any help is welcome (a referral for that destination wedding will get a very nice thank you, especially if it’s somewhere tropical). And if you have any goals, resolutions, whatever, to share, let me know below and I will hold you to it!! :)

Can’t end without a photo of course! This one is of a long-running Philadelphia tradition on New Year’s Day – the Mummers Parade!  For those of you not in the Philly area, read up about it here. Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy 2010!

Posted in Personal | Tagged | 1 Comment »

A Snowy Holiday

December 23, 2009 by suzannetenuto

As many of you east coasters know, Philadelphia got hit with a massive snowstorm last weekend – 2 feet of the powdery stuff! Now I know you are probably expecting to see some snow pictures, but this girl didn’t leave the house except to shovel (until of course that night when I got cabin fever and met some neighborhood friends for holiday libations!)…so instead I’ll show you what I did inside the house that day – baked cookies! The photos below are of my peppermint bark, Italian pizzelles, and chocolate chip cookies (some with leftover peppermint from the bark, I am so resourceful!).

As for the holiday libations, I believe there is a photo circulating on Facebook of me making a snow angel on 2nd Street. Good times.

This will most likely be my last post before the new year – I have lots of fun stuff planned and can’t wait to spend time with everyone I didn’t spend enough time with throughout the year. :)

Best wishes to all of you for an amazing holiday, and if you aren’t on my mailing list…well, you SHOULD be…but if not, click here to view my holiday greeting, enjoy!



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Photography Holiday Gift Guide

December 14, 2009 by suzannetenuto

I think it’s very ironic that I am writing this post and I have none of my Christmas shopping done. Guess I better get on that!

Anyway, if any of you are stumped on what to get the photography lover or casual picture-taker on your list, here are some suggestions!  For any photo equipment, my favorite web sites are B&H Photo & Video, Adorama, and Abe’s of Maine, I swear I keep these guys in business. They usually have the best prices, and have free shipping on most products.

Gift: Canon Powershot SD780
Great for:  Anyone who likes to travel light and still take great photos (and HD video!)
Why: I have this camera and broke it in on my recent trip to Europe. It weighs practically nothing, is the same size as my iPod (I even us an iPod sock to protect it instead of a case!), and has way more megapixels than anyone really needs.  Oh yeah, and it comes in RED!
Price: $199 at Abe’s of Maine

Gift: Nikon D5000
Great for: The person ready to make the leap into SLR from point-and-shoot
Why: Ok, I admit, this is quite the splurge for Christmas, but if you have some coin to spend on your loved one they won’t be disappointed with this camera, and the deal on Adorama is fantastic for the camera body and 2 lenses. PLUS it takes HD video!
Price: $796.95 at Adorama, includes 2 lenses (18-55mm and  55-200mm)

Gift: How to Photograph Your Baby by Nick Kelsh
Great for: New parents, or anyone interested in portrait photography
Why:  When I took my first photography class, my instructor told us to get this book. It gives some very basic tips on how to get great photos of your new baby that will look professional! Bonus – you could read the whole thing in like 10 minutes.
Price: $16.47 at Amazon

Gift: Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 and The Photoshop Elements 8 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby & Matt Kloskowski
Great for: The serious amateur or semi-pro photographer.
Why: I used this program for years before finally upgrading to the full version of Photoshop, and I still go back to it from time to time because the full version is so darn complex.  And the book was (still is, actually) my bible for photo retouching! Personally, I think it’s not worth getting the program without the book.
Price: $64.99 after mail-in rebate at B&H for the program; $31.49 for the book at Amazon

Gift: Sony Digital Photo Frame
Great for: The indecisive picture-taker
Why: How many of you can’t wait for your screen saver to come on so you can look at a slideshow of your family photos? ‘Nuff said.
Price: $79.99 at B&H

Gift: A photo session with ME!
Great for: Anyone! But especially those who are always behind the camera capturing memories instead of being a part of them.
Why: Just because.
Price: 2 hour sessions starting at $175

Can’t end without a picture! This one was taken 3 years ago when I was playing around with my Canon G7 that I had gotten that year for Christmas, and that I used for my very first photography class!

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Lincoln Center

December 6, 2009 by suzannetenuto

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to shoot some event space for Lincoln Center…yes, that would be THE Lincoln Center in New York. Um, yeah, so I was just a LITTLE bit excited about it. Although I must admit, as famous as Lincoln Center is for the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera…my first thought as I walked up and saw the beautiful fountain out front was of Bill Murray spinning around in the scene from Ghostbusters. I’m so cultured.

Did you know that if you were hosting a wedding, bar mitzvah, corporate event, etc. you could rent out space at Lincoln Center? It’s not just for opera and ballet anymore folks!  The shots below are of the David Rubenstein Atrium and Alice Tully Hall. Either space would be super cool for an event…but I especially think Alice Tully Hall’s HUGE glass windows really give it a city vibe and make you feel like you are right in the middle of the action!

If you are interested in renting an event space you can visit the web site at www.lincolncenter.org, click on About Us and then Campus Rentals, or you can email them directly at yourevents@lincolncenter.org.





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Dana & Anthony’s Engagement Session

December 2, 2009 by suzannetenuto

I finally had the chance to meet up with my engagement contest winners this weekend for their photo session! We had to reschedule from a couple of weeks ago because of some uncooperative weather and ended up with a nice, crisp fall day. Dana and I actually went to the same high school so it was great to see her after so many years, and to get to know her and Anthony a little better!

I forgot to give them their Nicholas gift card when we met up…perhaps because subconsciously I want to use it for myself…but by admitting it to the world wide web I guess I have to give it to them.

You already know this couple’s super cute story so on to the pictures!! Seriously, how adorable are these two??

P.S. I didn’t want to outshine Dana’s gorgeous engagement ring (note to my future husband if you are reading this: a round diamond with little diamonds on the band that have some kind of gemological technical name that I don’t know, yeah that’s the kind of ring I would love for myself thankyouverymuch!), but YES that is a WORLD SERIES ring on Anthony’s hand!!









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