You love when I read aloud.

Utah to Minne.

Photographer of the Month (ish.. or so)

Hello, Birch Housers.. It’s that time of the month ish or so again!

Today’s featured photographer is Nicole Hill Gerulat, who currently hails from San Francisco. We at Birch House love her work because it’s fun and playful, technically beautiful, and very creative. She sheds such a positive light on the world and we love that! We asked her to tell us her thoughts on photography, what inspires her, why she creates, etc. She had this to say:

“I’ve always thought photography to be magical and a beautiful way to create.  It’s individual and forever.  My style of photography lets me create beyond the photography by focusing on the styling of the photograph… which i love.  Styling is just as important to me as the direction, composition and technique behind the image.

I’m often inspired by other photographers.  Current favorites include Lisa Cohen, Roland Bello, Con Poulos and Jonny Miller.  I am mostly inspired when I’m prop shopping for dishes, fabrics, papers, etc.  Seeing a beautiful child or person will sometimes trigger ideas for shoots, too.  

It’s exciting to create something from start to finish… it can definitely be challenging to do every step well (styling, casting, directing, lighting, post), but when that occasionally happens, those are the photographs I treasure most.”

(all photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat)

 

To see more of Nicole’s work, check out her website: nicolephoto.com and for her personal blog click here.

I also hear she is an excellent teacher, and she teaches workshops all over the country. For more info on that you can go to her separate class blog, here.

Thanks, Nicole for being an inspiring photographer. And thanks, readers, for stopping in. Get out there and create!

xoxo

Brittany

Flavor of the Week

I usually find a new photographer that I just can’t get enough or about every week or so. The flavor of this week is Ben Lowy. He is a photojournalist and has recently been featured with the infamous group of photographers, VII. He has stunning images from Africa, Afghanistan, India, Haiti, and Iraq. I especially love that he has a whole series of pictures called “storylines” that he uses only his holga camera. Those cameras work miracles.. I think some of my favorite pictures I have ever taken have been from my holga. Here are some of his images:

Anyway, I especially love his Iraq photos, and think about my Dad who is currently out there serving in the Air Force. This is his second time in Iraq since the war began. I’ve never been an advocate of the War, but I do support our troops and I’m proud of my Dad. He really is doing some good out there and I admire his attitude about it all. He has been keeping a blog of his happenings in Iraq which you can see here. 

Sorry for the scatter-brained-ness. Kudos for beautiful photography and for our troops! Keep them in your prayers.

xoxo

Brittany

Honest Abe

Hello, faithful readers! Sorry that Birch House has been somewhat on hiatus this past two weeks. We really have no good excuse. Life gets busy sometimes.. C’est la vie.

Anyway, all I am going to say in this post is that I found a really good quote by Abraham Lincoln the other day that says: “… And in the end, it is not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.”

xoxo

Brittany

Day of Service

Hey everybody! Remember September 11th? The government has officially dubbed it the “Day of Service.” Now, instead of just remembering the souls who were lost on that day, we’re being encouraged to get out and do some good deeds! You can go to 911dayofservice.org and look up events or organizations to volunteer for in your area. 

Also.. the 2nd Annual Utah Green Festival is this weekend in my lovely city of West Jordan. It’s free. And there will be music, food, a rock wall, vendors, and classes. Should be pretty rad. Check out more details here.

What are you going to do this weekend?

African Dinner. Yes Please.

The Kingdom of Swaziland Africa, Umbuso weSwatini, is calling my name. And 14 others names…  I am going with Kaiizen (Non Profit Organization) and Telos (Residential Treatment Center for Teenage Boys) to Swaziland for a service trip to build houses for child-headed families (families where both parents have died of AIDS), and volunteer in a an AIDS clinic.

The boys from Telo’s have been learning a lot in their preparation for this trip. The youth of today seem more focused on themselves and material possessions then on the outside world and its problems. Many go about their lives not understanding the struggles of those outside and inside our borders. We want to change this perspective. The boys understand what they are going to experience and have an increased desire to not only change but share this desire. They are determined to share this in documentry form to their generation as a lasting legacy of how we can be changed through service. I have been lucky enough to be asked to attend as the trip photographer. This will be an incredible trip for all involved. I am sure I will be changed in ways I can’t even imagine.

NOW that you know a little about this amazing trip. You should know RoosterDNB in Provo, Utah (see pictures below by Jonathan Canlas) is hosting a benefit dinner to help raise money. It will all be TRADITIONAL African food. Now that is an adventure in and of itself!

By: Jonathan Canlas Photography

By: Jonathan Canlas Photography

The owners, Andy and Semy.

By: Jonathan Canlas Photography

By: Jonanthan Canlas Photography

Here is the Chef, Gareth.

By: Jonanthan Canlas Photography

25$ per seat. Seats are limited.

Call and reserve at Rooster (801) 375-3138,

or go in and purchase your tickets

163 N University Ave, Provo, UT
If you have any questions- PLEASE comment. I will get back to you.

Loves,

Amy Jo

Critical Mass

(photo by me at critical mass October 2008)

Welcome to another new feature on the blog, the “Admirable Community Member(s) of the Month ish or so.” Birch House will find a person (or people) who is doing their part to spread a little good, positivity, fun, etc. around the ‘hood. This month, we have an exclusive interview with Rob Brill. Rob is currently living in Provo, UT with his lovely new wife, Rachel Win Brill, and has been an advocate for bicycle riding his whole life. Check out his blog here. Rob and his friends/roommates decided to start critical mass bike events in the Provo area about a year and a half ago and have been going strong ever since. Interested in Provo Critical Mass? You can join the facebook group, or just know that they meet at the Provo Courthouse on the first friday of every month in the evening. Tomorrow it’s at 5:30. Now: for those of you who will actually stay on the blog long enough to read the interview with Rob, here you go! 

Birch House: What do you think it is that gets people out the door every month to gather together and ride bikes?

Rob: I think the noncommittal nature of CM gets people out (besides the
obvious- Bikes!). People want to feel welcome and like they are a part
of something bigger, which is why people are religious, y’know? Not
that CM is a religion, but I think it appeals to the same part of
human nature- gathering with like-minded individuals to do something
that you are all interested in. There’s no roll, no real “
leadership,”  and no annoying pitches and mailing lists.
Unfortunately, I think,  people try to monetize everything these days;
some yogurt shop was having a “critical mass promotion” last month
that nearly made me physically ill. If there’s one thing that I
believe CM should not be about, it’s buy one get one free yogurt.

Birch House: Why do you love bikes?

Rob: Bikes are a great equalizer in a lot of ways. I’ve read some
interesting articles about the bicycle as a tool of feminism, giving
nearly free transportation to disenfrachised groups that normally
would have to rely on someone in power to arrive at work. Getting on a
bike is, for me, a good way to forget about problems, get some
dopamine flowing through the veins, and enjoying nature. I have a car
again, but last summer I went without one for a few months, and it was
not nearly as difficult as you might think- reminded me of
vegetarianism. There’s a bit of frontloaded effort, but once you
commit to using your body to transport yourself, your groceries, etc.
you can fairly quickly learn how to do it with just a bit more effort. short answer: freedom.

Birch House: do you think it’s important to spread awareness around the community for living a more sustainable lifestyle? And how do you do your part to lessen your carbon footprint?

Rob: I try to shy away from the whole “my life is sustainable” thing,
because mine certainly is not. I try to do the little things, recycle,
don’t eat meat, drive as little as possible, but it’s overwhelming
sometimes to think about what it would truly mean to live sustainably
in the united states. Does that mean we shouldn’t try? Of course not.
But I’ve found that the best way to help other people- especially
those that are not like-minded [read-interested in our rapidly
decaying planet] is by being unobtrusive with my habits, but vocal
about my happiness with them. That might seem a contradiction, but I
think that it’s quite possible to be happy and healthy as a vegetarian
without saying “I’m a vegetarian” when I refuse meat from people that
don’t know me. I think preventing alienation as a radical or activist
helps other people to believe that they too might be happier if they
were living in a more earth-friendly way. I do think that some people
need a wake up call, but hearing about the effects of cattle produced
methane and water costs of beef isn’t going to make vegetarians of
Utah Valley Republicans. Seeing someone who looks and feels healthy
and is a vegetarian and having a balanced conversation about the
benefits of a mostly(or totally) plant based diet might help someone
buy tofu instead of ground beef. Veggieness is really just an example
though, for almost any “green” activity, smugness is the way to get as
many people as possible to ignore you.

Birch House: Anything else you would like say or thoughts in your heart that you would like to share?

Rob: come ride bikes!

 

There you have it people. Get off your butt and ride bikes with critical mass tomorrow.

xoxo, brittany m.

This Is Tonight!!

Hey everybody! Come support. A few Birch Housers are raffling off some work, and this is a great cause. Get a free boba. Mingle with people. Feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Great Business Opportunity

We are all familiar with Dicken’s classic, A Christmas Carol.  While many great lessons can be pulled from these pages I want to refer to one line that is stated in one of the many film versions.  While Scrooge is sitting by his fireplace he is visited by his old business partner Jacob Marley.  Scrooge casually states that Marley was a good businessman in life and Marley passionately responds, “Business! Mankind was my Business!  Their common welfare was my business!”

How many of us can stand up now and state that we have been in the business of mankind?  I for one can not.  While I have dipped my toes into this business path numerous times and have been able to successfully delved in more than once; I can not in good conscience state that I have ever been employed.  How sad that is considering that the business of Mankind presents an amazing opportunity.  For you see it will never go under (even in trying economic circumstances), never treat you poorly, write you up, refuse to hire you, fire you when you are late, and best of all there will always be job opportunities. Mankind is in need of great minds, giving hearts, and steady hands.  It understands that with out us, failure will be eminent. So, what’s stopping you?

–Brittany H

The Power of Words

A while ago, Birch House asked our wonderful friend, Claire Bagley to help write a little bit about us. She is a very talented writer and we couldn’t be more grateful for what she shared. 

“Tell me the truth.
Look me in the eyes and tell me something real.
Reach out with palms to the sky and know that you are alive.
Blow the hair out of your face and take in the colors and light that floods and forms your world.

There is a place where truths can be revealed in every instant, every moment, every blink of the eye that becomes a single simple photograph.  There is a place where a small collection of beautiful things can shout out loud and be heard by the world.  There is a place that art and honesty dwell together, to strengthen the world around them.  This place is called Birch House.

Birch House celebrates the wonderment of a creative community. There is light to be shed and progress to be made from an artistic collaboration. We, as the collective heart and soul behind the artistry of Birch House, believe in the infinite “Yes” that comes along with the pursuit of something bigger than ourselves.  We aim to be an encouragement, a foundation, and a hope to those who also desire a better world, those whose earnest arms reach towards truth and light.

Through our photojournalistic style we emphasis in non-profit organizations, thus finding a path of artistic integrity and truth to secure our feet upon.  We want to be a part of a cure, not as an audience, but walk alongside it, to sustain it and help it flourish.”

Thanks, Claire!