Nothing says “I love you” like bacon. Well, at least that’s the love language around here. So, here’s my love to you…February’s desktop calendar download. (download here)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

– Kyle

Directions:
1. Download Here.
2. (on Mac) go to  > System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver
3. Click the ” + ” button
4. Find the downloaded image on your computer and “Choose”
5. Close Preferences by clicking on the red dot in the upper left corner.

I’m a little behind in updating my blog with tearsheets from our recent shoots…that being said, here are samples from a not-so-recent food photography session for Diabetes Forecast with food styling by Nashville based food stylist Whitney Kemp. This particular theme featured gluten-free recipes for pizza and carrot muffins.

Being someone that tries to eat gluten-free I can tell you these recipes were pretty good as far as gluten-free goes, but it’s hard to beat the real thing…I’m still a glutton for gluten.

-Kyle

Diabetes Forecast Recipes:
Gluten-Free Baking
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
Gluten-Free Carrot Muffins

December was full of fun with lots of time to enjoy my family, my friends and even myself—I may have enjoyed a few too many sweets though. Here are a few of the highlights.

December Highs
How about baking to my heart’s content? Yes sir! From cinnamon rolls to peppernuts. Peppernuts? They are these fun little crunchy gingersnap-like cookies that are as addictive as movie popcorn. In German we call them Pfeffernüsse. I employed the boys to help in making them as it can be quite a chore rolling them out, cutting and putting 30-40 on a small baking sheet.

Also December is when we make Apfelkuchen—a long time Molzen/Dreier tradition. It’s a small round doughnut-like pastry made in a specialized cast iron pan. Family lore is that when our family came to America the matriarch hid her pan under her dress because she didn’t have money to pay the customs. Knowing my family I think she likely just didn’t want to pay.

Other highs? Fun times in the studio with clients and crew—see also silly antler on heads. Catching up on some reading. Window shopping with Amy. Fun Christmas socks. Testing photo techniques with grapefruit. Launching rockets with our nephew. Christmas concert with my folks. Candle light service with in-laws. Impromptu dinner outings with friends…a rare luxury.

December’s Low
It was on a Friday afternoon and I was casually checking in via Twitter and learned of the shootings in Newtown, CT. My heart sank. The unimaginable. Even at this moment it’s sobering. I am changed in how I relate with my boys because of it. We all sat down and talked about it a bit and their questions was “why?” All I could say is that’s the same question everyone is asking. My heart goes to everyone in Newtown.

December was a month of much gratitude, appreciation and reflection. It can be an emotional month, and it was for me. I’m thankful for the people in my life…my wife and kids, my extended family, friends, co-workers, clients…it’s all good.

– Kyle

Happy New Year!

Here’s a free desktop calendar image (AKA shameless Kyle Dreier self-promotion).

Directions:
1. Download Here.
2. (on Mac) go to  > System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver
3. Click the ” + ” button
4. Find the downloaded image on your computer and “Choose”
5. Close Preferences by clicking on the red dot in the upper left corner.

I hope you enjoy, and have a great beginning to 2013!

-Kyle

Last year right around this time we were shooting a Christmas themed story featuring Nashville baker Mary Carter and her chocolate chip peppermint cookies for Relish Magazine. Needless to say, they were planning ahead…a full year ahead. Now, this Christmas the story just published in the inaugural launch of their new Relish Magazine iPad app. BTW, the app is a fun way to look at the magazine—very nice layout.

This was a fun shoot. Food stylist Teresa Blackburn and I always have fun working together. Add art director Tom Davis and editor Jill Melton and it’s a party! …so nice to have a successful and enjoyable collaborative effort. Thanks, too, to Liz and Rory for all their assistance.

– Kyle

ps. I get a lot of questions about my surfaces. That blue surface in the background…it’s an old door I picked up back in 1995 on a little adventure. Some people have skeletons in their closet…I have doors.

Apparently I missed the memo about November having come and gone. How does a month go by so fast? November kept us busy for sure with our regular clients and some new projects mixed in. Oh, and I think Thanksgiving was in November, too. Here are a few highs and lows.

Highs:
After weeks of planning we spent a very productive day in the studio working on a new personal series I’m calling “Marionettes” …until I come up with something more clever to title it. I’ll have more to share in a future post, but you’ll see some behind the scenes (BTS) shots below.

Aside from work, one of my highs was blocking out a couple of days to bake pies. I’m selfish that way. I need my baking time. I rarely get to (or make time to) just spend uninterupted time in the kitchen baking. And, if you know me, I like pies. Well, I like cakes, too. Pies, cakes and brownies. Oh, and don’t forget cookies. But pies have always been somewhat of a passion of mine…thanks to my Grandma Dreier’s inspiration and instruction.

Side note: I actually attempted (with some success) a four-layer cake…complete with buttercream frosting and eggnog cream filling…to celebrate my parents’ 52nd wedding anniversary.

Other personal highs…
Going with Amy and the boys to the Franklin Theatre–a restored historic theater here in Franklin–to see the movie Brave. I liked it. Another high, having family in town for Thanksgiving–all seated at a sixteen foot long table.

Lows:
Well, the only thing that comes to mind as a low this month was having my long anticipated hang-time with my bud J.Mac interupted. He and I were on our way to grab some coffee and were in a car accident. Thankfully no one was seriously injured but it did mean sitting in an ambulance to get checked out instead of sitting in the coffee shop catching up with each other. I guess we made a memory. We did manage to eventually get some hangtime over coffee. I’m so thankful everyone was OK. The experience reminds me to pause and appreciate my wife and boys with a kiss or hug each time I leave the house.

What will December bring? We’ll, since December is already almost half over I can tell you it has been filled with many highs so far. I’ll share more come January.

-Kyle