October 5, 2012

Drying herbs

Quick! Let's talk about something, anything, other than weddings. Or flowers. Or my general exhaustion and feelings for both. Herbs? Drying them? Okay.

 I wrote a story for the new volume five of Kinfolk Magazine about gathering and drying herbs in the fall. I dreamt up the idea in early spring and hopped a plane to Oregon to create it with my new but old-feeling friend, Parker Fitzgerald. This project, and I think our friendship in general,  has been quite creatively inspiring. His photos have pushed me to shoot my own work more intentionally (and on manual!) and I think he's caught a bit of flower fever from me. Platonic pals- they are important.








Collaborating can be deceptively hard. There were highs and lows with planning a shoot from the other side of the country. Different visions, different strengths. Once we agreed on location (Parker, can we pleeeease shoot in your garage) and once we got the herbs (Parker, pleeeease pull over the truck so I can steal that lavender), we were good to go. Everything fell into place at the 11th hour and the actual shoot was so ridiculously laid-back I felt like we were cheating. The next day we went on this hike, where my brain short-circuited from insane beauty. What a week.

I'm excited to show you more of the upcoming stories we've made together and I hope we'll be shooting side by side again soon. In the meantime, take a look at his beautiful photos from the Kinfolk dinner in Philly, including some of and some taken by, yours truly.

*All of these photos are Parker's, except 6, 8, 9 & 10.

at 5:25 PM

54 comments:

  1. The photos look gorgeous. Such a great idea!

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  2. such a fan of you and your work.

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  3. I've followed both of you seperatly online for a while now and the pairing seems so natural and brilliant. More of this please!

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  5. So beautiful! I love the feel of the photos. I have a few humble bunches of lavender hanging around the house from this summer's harvest. They just make me happy to look at them, even though the perfume has become a lot subtler now that they have properly dried. I'd love to grow herbs next year. Didn't get started yet this year. Lovely post, as usual :)

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  6. I looked at the photos and I thought of the wonderful smells in that place-photos that smell -great stuff-

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  7. That picture of you with the hair strand in your face makes my heart flutter - it's so beautiful! Also, I am still very much enjoying the hard and diligent elbow grease you put into making that garage beautiful. Come back soon, Amy. Would really love to see you again.

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    1. Thanks Joy! I was really happy when Parker took that photo, and I think it shows :)

      Fingers crossed, I'll be back soon for some new work projects. Will keep you posted!

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  9. ohhhh, these are awesome. i might just have to give in + purchase my first copy of kinfolk...

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  10. How magical and dreamy is your world. It cannot be photos alone. My aunt is a florist and I will have to show her your site and methods.

    Chao
    Poppie
    http://thepoppie.com

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  11. Fantastic photos. Very soulful.

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  12. I am abolutely spellbound. only thinking about this, gives me serious goosebumps. the pictures are amazing. since when do photographs carry aroma?

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  13. what a wonderful idea. The herbs look beautiful srung up together.

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  14. wonderful photos, love your blog. and really love drying herbs too. last week I dried my lavender..the smell still lingers..

    hugs, Lycke

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  15. You look beautiful, Amy. And the shoot turned out so well. Now COME BACK.

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    1. Thank you for emotionally holding my hand throughout that whole week, ms parker ;)

      I will be back, and effing soon!

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  16. I'm seriously considering using drying herbs for decorating. It looks so beautiful and whimsical, all of those herbs hanging from the rafters!

    Speaking of Kinfolk.. I. need. Volume. Five. pronto.

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  17. I actually bought this issue (it's not in my current budget) EXPRESSLY because I saw a peek of this but I had no idea is was either you or Parker both amazing talents!

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  18. Thank you Amy for sharing your lovely vision with us.

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  19. Thank you for the timely visual reminders of how to dry herbs. I just ordered Issue 5 of Kinfolk to learn more. Please return to Oregon (and conduct some workshops here) soon! Fondly, Leslie from Portland

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  20. my grandmother lives in a small village in Transylvania, and she collects herbs from the meadows through the summer and dries them in the attic. when the cold weather comes she cuts them up and makes tea of the mixture. it has St John's wort, mint, bilberry fruits and leaves, and others I don't know. it's my favorite tea ever, smells and tastes divine.

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  21. Regarding the herbs... have you ever watched the "Brother Cadfael" series from BBC? You would love it! (Brother Cadfael runs the herbarium when he's not solving mysteries.)

    Regarding the shoes.... WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU FIND THEM?

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    1. Haha, love cadfael.

      The boots are edwardian, from an antique mall in Connecticut. We call them "the best boots in america."

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  23. It's been two whole days. I still don't know where you got those shoes. Are you trying to kill me?

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  25. Beautiful! This was my favourite piece in the new kinfolk!

    I want to know about that gorgeous jacket you and the model are wearing!!!

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  26. i feel so cheated that tonight is my first time discovering your blog! the bright side: i have five years of archives that should keep me busy.

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  27. great shots, it makes so much sense you are in the kinfolk mag.....a perfect match.
    we dry rosemary in our kitchen for our winter morning and evening tisane. There is something calming about the smell in the air, on your hands after harvesting. when i am feeling especially luxurious i dry our linen sheets over the massive rosemary bush we have in our vineyard, a sleep like you couldn't believe.

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    1. That is the most beautiful idea.

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    2. Agreed, how utterly lovely. take cuttings of my rosemary bush this summer and grow a field of it! And it's spring here in souwest Australia, I'm inspired right now to cut some lavender, rosemary and flowering sage to hang in my kitchen. -from apple farmer Lucinda (at Least one a day!)

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  28. Beautiful! Next year I try to do the same. All my herbs from this year looks brown and sad now. Thanks for the reminder and inspiration!

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  29. Lovely photos! It's a pity that this magazine isn't sell in Italy. F.

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  30. Excellent Idea. We generally keep fresh flowers till they are fresh and than throw them away. After reading this blog i guess people's like me will change there habit of throwing flowers. Thanks for the information.

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  32. Wonderful pictures and wonderful you! What do you use the herbs for? I'm using my dried herbs for incense burning. I collect aromatic resin from spruces in the forest and burn it together with dried herbs and dried rose petals from my garden and spices from my kitchen like cloves, cinnamon, kardamom and so on on charcoal. Cause I have no other place for drying my herbs I've hung them at my grandfather's chandelier. That's a nice view when you look up. Have a very nice weekend.

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  33. so beautiful!
    i have a garden full of herbs, lavender, sage, verbena, lemon grass... i dry them too. stitch pillows or eye masks and stuff them with soothing lavender. or make many cups of hot tea with them.

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  34. These images are so great, beautifuly styled and inspiring. I have mint in the backyard and I am going to do the same today!

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  35. Love the look of the photos. And it reminds me, time to get some sage.

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  36. May I ask what all herbs you used? This work is beautiful and inspiring to me.

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  37. I have been putting off drying my herbs for so long, but after reading this I am absolutely getting on it. Beautiful.

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