Natalie and I had the fortune to visit Michigan this summer and run around all over Muskegon.  Summer flowers were blooming everywhere.  Beautiful buds sprang forth on every hillside, driveway, and even on the side of the road.  Large, abundant flowers, heavily laden stalks of corn, and produce of all types were visible in fields simply by driving down a country road on the way to the next town or a trip down to the cool shores of Lake Michigan.  This time of year, Michigan was alive and thriving with vegetation of all sorts.

During our stay, Natalie’s mom and sister Sarah took us to the Farmer’s Market in Muskegon.  It was the middle of the week, so only half of the market was occupied, but we were simply floored at the variety and quality of the products available.  Corn was especially good.  I purchased a variety called “Peaches and Cream” which was an almost candy-sweet, juicy bi-color ear of buttery goodness.  We bought and ate plenty of goods during our stay.  The vendors and shoppers alike were friendly, smiling people.  Everyone seemed to be having a good time at the Farmer’s Market.  Not to mention, the best blueberries in the world were in season.

While there, the vendors were kind enough to allow me to snap picture after picture.  I tend to go a little nuts when we have the camera with us.  I took shot after shot of everything from crisp, brightly colored radishes to deeply hued and unusually shaped eggplants.  It was a culinarian’s dream come true.

The Muskegon Farmer’s Market can be found at 700 Yuba St., Muskegon, MI 49442. (Map and Directions)

The market is open May through December Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Make sure to visit the official site for information,  the special events calendar, and even a video about the market.

According to the market’s official site, “The Muskegon Farmer’s Market is a division of the City of Muskegon and is dedicated to showcasing the best in locally-grown foods, flowers, nursery stock, handicrafts and baked goods. The Market also hosts a giant Flea Market where everything imaginable is sold.”

If you ever find yourself anywhere near Muskegon, it is most certainly worth a drive.  A sea of flowers, piles and piles of the best produce Michigan has to offer, and dedicated vendors make this a must-visit for any cook or anyone that just happens to like to eat.

Natalie’s latest painting of the goddess Nyx has just been completed.  Its fifth in the series so far, and probably my favorite one to date.  It is hypnotic and has a certain pleasing symmetry.  But that’s just me, and I am admittedly biased.

The painting is the result of what Natalie had called the “Fairy Photo shoot” which took place in May.  We had a few friends over and had an absolute blast.

The actual photo shoot planning started months before.  Natalie placed a casting call to models on Model Mayhem, a social networking site “Where professional models meet model photographers.” Natalie’s plan was to do a Fairy shoot and take images of models in whimsical dress  she will then use as a reference when creating the pastel itself.

Through Model Mayhem we electronically met model Jessika Napua Akana.  She and Nat exchanged a few emails and we decided to meet at Sacred Grounds coffee shop to discuss the shoot.  Jessika proved to be very professional and contributed plenty of great ideas and was a joy to work with.  We also met with our good friend Georgette Khaziran who is an absolutely exceptional hair and makeup artist.  After a few rounds of meeting and brainstorming, we chose a date and made it happen.  We had three models that day.  Natalie would also act as a model with Jessika and another one of our dear friends.  It was really a great collaborative effort.  Everyone was creative, inspired, and focused on making the shoot a success.

I pulled double duty.  I was photographer as well as chef. The day was going to be a long one, so I wanted to make sure we had all sorts of drinks and edibles.  I think I shot a few thousand shots that day, while Mikey and George, and another pal acted as grips.  In the following weeks we spent some time each night removing the blurries, the unfocused, and the somehow unusable pictures, we still were left with many hundreds of excellent photographs.

Sorting them, going through them, rating them, was a process that took time.  Natalie wanted to find the right shots and do something incredible.  After completing long and difficult task of sorting, she finally had a few chosen that she could use for pastel work.

Nyx is the first picture to come out of photoshoot.

Georgette Khaziran is available for appointments at Verdecia Salon in Citrus Park,

call 813-852-1509 to schedule an appointment.

Georgette did the hair and makeup for the three models.  She also did it twice for each model since we had a costume change.  She was amazing.  When she wasn’t in the changing room working on models, she was out on set with me touching up and arranging hair dynamically as the shoot wore on.  Absolutely incredible.  She ran about the set with a curling iron and makeup palette making sure the models were always presented in the best light possible.  And also, to drop a shameless plug, she is currently a stylist at Verdecia Salon which is next to Citrus Park Mall.  Call her for a cut or color, she does phenomenal  work. She has a wide range of services to make you look drop-dead gorgeous.

Special thanks to Michael, George, and all of our other friends that were a part of this shoot.  Can’t wait for the next one.

The following is a slideshow showing with a few sample images from that day.

If you’d like, you can also check out the full image gallery.