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Female Landscape Photographers

Posted on by Jenna

Every 6 months or so I start looking for new landscape or nature photographers to follow. I do a basic Google search and usually find several “top insert any number here landscape photographers to follow”. I would say almost 100% of the time those lists are all male photographers. Every now and again a list will have a female landscape photographer on it. One. 

During the pandemic, I took several online conferences which featured a variety of teachers and covered topics such as outdoors, travel, wildlife, and landscape. One of them had one female instructor out of eight. The others ranged from two to six. Percentage-wise the range was 12.5% to 31%. We couldn’t even get to 50% female instructors? I don’t want to knock these conferences. They were great and I learned a lot. I respect the instructors and think they are amazing photographers and teachers. I am only using it to demonstrate the imbalance in these genres.

I think many people associate women with wedding and portrait photography. When I first picked my camera back up I tried to do documentary portrait work in addition to landscape. As much as I enjoyed it, it wasn’t for me. My passion for landscape and nature photography is just too great. 

Female landscape, nature, and wildlife photographers are out there, we are not unicorns.

female landscape

During the pandemic, I started thinking about what can I do to help make female photographers in these types of genres more visible. I still haven’t figured out exactly what I’m going to do but if you see a problem and do nothing, you are part of the problem.

I know we’re out there and I know we can create just as amazing images as male photographers. If you search long enough and use the correct terms you can find a few groups of female landscape photographers. But you have to be searching specifically for female photographers of these genres or women landscape photographers. And really, this should not be the case. We shouldn’t have to search pages or enter female or woman fill-in-the-blank photographers. 

I’ve always been an introvert and lone-wolf type. Part of my goals for myself in 2022 has been to get out of my comfort zone and take more risks. Even though I don’t have a plan yet, I am putting this into the world. Because I do want to do something, just not sure what that something will look like yet. I think the easiest way to start is to feature female photographers on my blog. Create my own top insert number here lists. 

On my last search for female photographers in landscape photography, I came across In Focus Women. Their vision/mission is pretty much the same one I have. To support female landscape photographers. I immediately followed their Instagram and joined their Facebook group. I added their podcast to my playlist and started binging.

I want to do more to elevate women in these genres and this year I’m going to try.

Who are your favorite female photographers that are out shooting landscapes, nature, or wildlife? Drop them in the comments! Also, if you have any ideas for me to lift other women up let me know.

Be sure to join my monthly newsletter for updates and other profound thoughts. I don’t share them all on the blog. 😉

Cafe Noir – November 2021

Posted on by Jenna

After a slow September and October, I picked things up for the last two months of the year. I wanted to make sure I reached my goal of 52 books in 2021! These will only be the books I read in November. I will do a separate post for December. 

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

⭐⭐/5

I started this in October. It was a long, slow read. It is the third in the Hannibal Lecter series and honestly the worst. Harris spent far too much time building the story, mostly with unnecessary details. The ending was maddening. If I had been reading an actual book I would have thrown it lacrosse the room. I didn’t want to break my kindle though, so I slowly closed the cover and went WTF. Do not recommend. Read Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs and call it a day.

The Endurance Diet by Matt Fitzgerald

⭐⭐⭐/5

Usually, I love Matt Fitzgerald’s books. This is an exception. It is well written but it just didn’t capture my attention. If you enjoy reading, in detail, what elite athletes eat then this book might be for you. I wouldn’t mind if it was here’s an example and here’s how you can eat similarly but it felt like here’s a general rule and now here are eight pages about what this one cyclist eats. It fell short for me.

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D Richards

⭐⭐⭐/5

Everyone is trying to get home for Christmas but the weather is canceling all flights. Five young adults decide to rent a car and drive. But things aren’t that easy. Someone is up to no good.

This was an easy, fast-paced book. I think it was fairly predictable. I could see the twist coming. If you like thrillers and mysteries this isn’t a bad read.

The Bone Box by Gregg Olsen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The Bone Box is a short story in the Waterman and Stark series. It focuses on an old case in Waterman’s family. Detective Stark wasn’t in this book. I thought this was an excellent short story in the series and wished it was longer. Waterman is one of my favorite characters in the series and I loved this focus on her. This could work as a stand alone but I would recommend it if you enjoyed the other Waterman and Stark books.

Rise & Run by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Yes, I read cookbooks from beginning to end when I first get them. I really liked that they included more than just recipes in this book. They put together a training plan for readers. Plus all of the recipes look delicious! I can’t wait to start making some yummy foods! I would recommend this if you have their other books or are a runner interested in fueling yourself.

The Lost Soul of the City by Dean Koontz

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The Lost Soul is book one in season two of the Nameless short story series. I read all of season one last year and really enjoyed them. I felt The Lost Soul wasn’t quite to the same level as the stories in season one. The writing felt different, rushed. I will still read the other stories in season two as I like the Nameless character and this could be a fluke. 

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

A light-hearted teen romance book. Bookworm Becca doesn’t believe in love since her parent’s divorce. One day, by sheer accident, football star Brett steps in and says they are dating. They start hanging out to keep up the charade but hijinks ensue. 

I adored this book. It was a cute story. I would recommend if you like young adult romance.

When I Was You by Minka Kent

⭐⭐⭐/5

Brienne survives a brutal attack only to find someone seems to have stolen her identity. The writing was decent and was a fairly easy read. It moved a bit slow for my taste. I also thought the concept seemed a bit farfetched especially with how quickly it wrapped up. I’d have preferred the first half of the book to move faster and take a little more time with the ending.

I previously read Stillwater Girls by the same author. I would tell you to read that one instead. When I was You isn’t bad but Stillwater Girls is so much better. 

I know these reviews were short and sweet. I read a lot of books in November and decided to write shorter reviews so as not to overwhelm you! Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments which one and your thoughts on it!

Did you know I do a slideshow of each month’s books on TikTok? Head over there and be sure to give me a follow!

Fall at Cafe Noir (2021)

Posted on by Jenna

I am trying to catch up on my book reviews since I haven’t posted one since August! This week, I will share my September and October reads since both months were slim for finishing books. Each picture is linked to Amazon and will open in a new window. Amazon links are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you purchase through the link.

Closer than Blood by Gregg Olsen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Closer than Blood is book two in the Waterman and Stark series. I would classify it as a psychological or serial killer thriller. The main theme is the dichotomy between good and evil, past and present.

Detective Stark is planning her class reunion which brings back painful memories of the past and an investigation into her classmates, twins, seemingly opposite in every way. Is one of them a black widow? 

Despite knowing the general plot points, I wanted to keep reading to find out where it would end up. Olsen writes great, multifaceted characters. 

My only complaint is the same one I had for book one in the series – the story jumps around from different perspectives with little to no warning, usually within the same chapter. After the first book, it was a little easier for me to follow but it was still jarring a few times.

I would recommend Closer than Blood if you like the genre. It is definitely not for everyone and can be a bit graphic.

The Last Anniversary by Laine Moriarty

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I would call The Last Anniversary contemporary fiction. The main themes are family drama and a past mystery.

Sophie inherits a house from her ex’s aunt on a small, family-owned island. The island is home to the Munro Baby Mystery, which Sophie has been obsessed with. Everyone has secrets on the island. And for Sophie sometimes finding yourself means finding out those secrets and creating a life different from what you imagined but still full of love. 

This is the first book by Laine Moriarty I have read, despite watching Big Little Lies I have yet to read the book. I found myself enjoying the story and will read more from her in the future. The pacing was a bit slow but the descriptions of the island made me want to move there (even though it’s a fictional place). I think it would be fun to commute by boat.

I think Margie was the best character in the book. She wasn’t the main character but her arc was by far the best. I can’t find a way to discuss my second favorite character without giving away too much!

I would recommend this book to people that like found family stories and maybe cozy mysteries. It’s not really a cozy mystery but it’s also not gory or scary like horror or thrillers might be. 

Psycho by Robert Bloch

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Have you ever read a book that has chilled you even though you know the story? For me, that was Psycho. Robert Block does such a great job presenting the story, you get lost in it. Forgetting you’ve seen every movie and tv show inspired by the novel.

It’s a slow burn. You know what the ending is but you keep reading, on the edge of your seat, hoping it will be different. But it’s not. You know the story, a man lives with his mother while running a roadside motel. A young woman disappears. Did she skip town or did something happen to her?

I would definitely recommend this if you like the Hitchcock movie or if you like a thriller that isn’t in your face. It’s subtle but the terror is there in the pages.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This is very similar to Psycho in that it is a slow, unraveling of a character. It also makes you question what is real.

Several people with psychic abilities are invited to Hill House by a doctor who wishes to study strange events reported at the house. Slowly the house starts to show its secrets. Or does it?

I did enjoy this book but it did get slow in parts, and not a good slow. I haven’t watched the movie or show so I cannot compare. The book is creepy and I would recommend it to those that like to question if things really happened as presented. It’s definitely a haunted house mystery but no real gore. There is mentions of some violence. 

You Are Not a Failure

Posted on by Jenna

Failure. It’s not something many of us are comfortable with but we’ve all failed before. Or felt like we have. Failure isn’t a bad thing. It’s how we learn and grow. And we tend to feel like failures if we don’t reach the goals we set for ourselves.

Every year I start off setting goals and in the past, I’ve written all about it. Then I talk about how we should review and update our goals every three months. Acting like I had my ish together. 

Narrator: She did not have her ish together. 

Over the years, I’ve gotten really good at setting goals. It’s still a challenge but I can decide on and set goals. What I can’t seem to do is complete said goals. I try but I either don’t know how to start and spend hours, days, even weeks researching and trying to figure it out. Or I get a flying start and can’t wrap my head around how to finish.

As I mentioned above I often get stuck in an obsessive research loop. I will research a topic to death before I actually start an action step or give up because I’m over it. Or I just can’t figure out the next action step. I really struggle with breaking things down into small steps.

I also think I have more time to complete things than I do (or I think everything takes 15 minutes while in reality, it takes an hour).

I’ve also suffered from too many interest-itis. It’s a real thing, look it up. 😉 I’ve always wanted to do it all. I’ve tried to limit myself but it never seems to work. I get annoyed and upset then give up on things so I can do another. Then I get upset that I’m not reaching any goals because I keep jumping around.

So this year I’m not going to tell you to set goals. Or to follow up every three months. Nope. This year I am going to tell you it’s ok to set or not set goals. It’s ok to set aside one goal and focus on another new, shiny goal.  

You’re not a failure if you don’t accomplish a goal. You’re not a failure if you change it up every month. Or week. Or heck, even if you change it up every day.

This year, I am going to set goals but I’m going to try to look at them differently. Some of them will be fairly easy (read 52 books – I’ve been doing that for a while now and make sure I fit it in). Others I may float in and out of. My focus this year is to create. I have set create as my word of the year and a lot of my goals will revolve around that. But they aren’t strict. I want to create every day. That might be painting. It might be editing a few images. 

I have a general idea of where I want to go and I think I’ll take the scenic route to get there. 

What has been your biggest failure and what did you learn from it? What do you want to accomplish this year?

Book of the Year 2021

Posted on by Jenna

What was my book of the year?

The Happy Runner by David and Megan Roche which I read way back in February.

How did I arrive at this conclusion? I went through the books I read each month and picked my top choice from those that I gave five (5) stars. Then I put those picks in an imperfect bracket and had a faceoff! It was a tough choice for some of the matches but The Happy Runner came out on top!

The Happy Runner was also my most listened-to podcast episode.

Want to grab a copy of The Happy Runner? Click here to get on Amazon (affiliate link – I will receive a small commission if you purchase from my link).

Yes, I haven’t finished up my reviews for the year. I am a bit behind but still plan to get them posted, just a few months late! I have many updates for September to December! For 2022, I plan to stay on top and publish each month for the previous month.

Here is my bracket so you can see all my top picks:

book of the year

Plan Your Year – Planners

Posted on by Jenna

Did you order a planner during all the Black Friday sales? Are you staring at all those blank pages wondering how to get started?

You are not alone. Everyone struggles to put pen to paper in their shiny new planners. There is no wrong way to plan and part of the journey is finding what works for you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t read blogs and watch videos to get ideas on where to start.

So, grab your blank planner, some sticky notes, and get ready to plan!

First step is deciding what you will use your planner for. Some people have one planner for everything and some use multiple planners for different areas. Do you want your planner to be the keeper of everything or do you prefer compartmentalizing your life?

What are some things you can use your planner for?

  • Budget/Bills
  • Fitness
  • Content Planning
  • Work tasks
  • Family events

If you are putting everything in one planner, you could color-code each category. Budget and bills could be green while your kids are purple and your workouts are orange. It makes it easy to see what is going on each day with a quick glance. I color code my Google calendar so I can see what I have going on when I’m out and about.

planning

Once you’ve decided what your planner is for and if you are color-coding, you can start setting up your year. A lot of planners use sticky notes to get started. Most planners have a lot of blank places you can fill. I use The Content Planner and Erin Condren. They both have dashboards for each month and then the monthly spread. EC then goes into the weeks or days, depending on which layout you have. (Links are affiliate links and I may receive a small commission when you purchase through my links).

You can use sticky notes to figure out what you will use those dashboards for. This allows you to move things around or change them before you put them down in a more permanent way. You can search google, Pinterest, and Instagram for inspiration. Or check out how I set up my dashboards in my fitness planner for 2021 here. Once you decide on a plan, start adding stickers, pens, and whatever else you want to make it your own. You can either set up all your monthly dashboards now or do them the month before. Personally, I prefer doing them the month before because I like to try new things.

Next up is your monthly view. Grab those sticky notes and add anything important like paydays, birthdays, and appointments. Before 2022 starts I like to go through and put sticky notes for any birthdays and appointments I know of for the entire year. Then as things come up, I add it with a sticky until I get to the month. Things change and I’d rather be able to toss a sticky note than deal with white out. You could also use pencil.

Finally, the weekly or daily spreads. This is where we get down and dirty. What do you need to do each week/day? What are your top priorities for each week/day? Put your sticky notes down first. It is really helpful to see what your obligations are each day. If your day is packed with taking your kids to appointments will you really have time to clean the entire house, meal plan, and take Fido to the vet? Probably not.

Planning is like the rocks, pebbles, and sand in a jar analogy. You start with the rocks (dashboard/monthly) then fill in the pebbles (weekly) and finally the sand (daily).

Also, there are many sticker shops that do dashboard, monthly, and weekly kits. You can go all out or stick with only pen. You can add a few decorative stickers or use only functional stickers. You can highlight when a task is important or highlight to mark a task complete. Planners are so personal. You really need to play around and find what works for you. And it can change from planner to planner! Don’t be afraid to play! If you think you’ve messed up, you get another day, week, or month to try again. Planning should be fun and a stress reliever.

How do you plan your year? Let us know in the comments, maybe you will give someone a great idea! Then head over and subscribe to my YouTube channel to see my 2022 set up video!

running

Plan Your Year – Running

Posted on by Jenna

We are headed quickly into 2022. It’s hard to believe but January will be here before you know it. Have you started putting together your health and fitness plan for 2022? If not, it’s time to get started!

What do you want to accomplish next year with your running?

This may or may not be a goal. This could be a certain race or distance you want to do. It could be a challenge you want to take on. Or even making little changes each month to become a better runner. But looking at the entire year at once can be a bit overwhelming.

Maybe grab a piece of paper to write things down as we go.

running

Let’s start with the big picture. As asked above, what is the big thing you want to accomplish in 2022? For me, I want to run my first ultramarathon. That is my top goal. Some smaller things I want to do are continue to strength train, add in yoga more consistently, and add more fruit/vegetables to my day. The first thing I would do is put that ultra on my calendar. Everything else will be filled in around the ultra and should support that goal.

Here are a few things to think about when planning your race calendar:

  • What type of event do you want to do?
    • Road, trail, obstacle, mud
  • What distance?
    • Have you done that distance before?
    • Trainging for a 5k is different from training for a marathon
  • Where is the race? Do you need to travel to it?
    • Traveling can be tricky with racing. You don’t want to do much site seeing beforehand.
    • You want a hotel that’s convenient and easy to get to the start/finish.
  • How much time can you put into training?
    • The longer the distance, the more running you need to do.
    • Are you going to do other activities? Cross train?
    • Do you have other priorities that may take time from training?

There are a few other things to think about. Sometimes races are expensive. Shoes and other gear can add up. Everyone says running is a cheap sport. It can be but like anything the more you get into it, the more it costs. Local, small road races can be less expensive than the big Rock n Roll type ones. And they can be more fun. You may not get the cool medal but they usually have a t-shirt to remember the race. You can find good deals at Old Navy or Target for gear. Shoes can be pricey but if you are doing shorter runs and races, you can make shoes last.

Another area to consider is are you injury-prone or have any health issues that may impact training? This may hinder or alter your training. If you know you tend to have issues with your IT band, maybe work with a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist for exercises you can do. Make a plan. If you have health issues, again, work with your doctor. They know better than some random blogger.

Do you have a support system? If your partner/family/friends don’t understand your need to go out Sunday mornings for 20 mile long runs and expect you to party until 3 am with them, you will struggle to get through a marathon training cycle. Having a partner that supports your goals is extremely helpful. They will understand why you napped after that 20-miler instead of cleaning the bathroom.

What are your other training goals? Do you want to drop body fat? Get stronger? Do more mindful meditation? All of these are great goals but may not always align with running. You may have to juggle a bit to fit it all in. Or take a break from one while in the middle of your race training.

So how do you go about fitting everything in?

Start looking at the year overall. Put that goal race or A race on your calendar and work around it. If your race is in the fall, you are looking at a big summer of training. Maybe that means you focus on your other goals at the start of 2022.

Once you figure out the overall picture, you can bring it down to quarterly, monthly, and weekly.

For example, in December I will start thinking about January through March. What will that quarter look like for me? My ultra will be the first weekend of March so my focus will be building up to a 50k. I will also look at January. I know I will have a trail race that month. My main focus will be completing that without injury and getting my trail legs back. Then on the Sunday before each week, I will look at my week and what my running coach has assigned, and what else I have going on and work to fit in strength training and maybe yoga. I really want to get yoga back into my routine. I will do this each Sunday.

Lastly, make sure to be flexible. Life happens, things come up so you won’t always be able to stick exactly to your plan. The biggest thing is to have the plan laid out so when those inevitable things come up, you can move around your runs or strength sessions as needed. Or take an extra rest day if you need it.

Planning helps to be consistent and consistency is the main ingredient to achieving your goals.

What do you want to accomplish in 2022? Drop it in the comments then head to Instagram to follow me as I train for my first ultra! I’d love to follow you on your journey too.

South Rim – Grand Canyon

Posted on by Jenna

Let’s take a trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Grab a camping spot and settled in because you are sure to see some elk wandering around.

You can hike down the South Kaibab trail and enjoy a snack with a view of the Colorado river.

south rim

And don’t forget to catch a sunset.

south rim

Don’t forget to look for interesting rock formations or shadows!

south rim

And if it’s open, head over to the Watchtower. Otherwise, grab a photo from a distance.

south rim

Want more of the South Rim? Head over to my shop and grab a 2022 wall calendar!

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Posted on by Jenna

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon isn’t the popular side. It’s the road less traveled. The “it’s another four hours to get there” side. Everyone has seen the South Rim but only a fraction head to the “other side”.

But you’re missing out if you don’t take the trip.

The North Rim is beautiful and peaceful. It is the same canyon but it’s different from the South Rim. And there are fewer people, which is always a plus.

You can hike down north Kaibab.

north rim - north kaibab trail
north rim - north kaibab trail

Not a hiker? Maybe you prefer off-roading!

north rim
north rim

You can see an arch.

north rim - angels window

Or head to a white pocket.

north rim - white pocket
north rim - white pocket

Maybe see some bison!

north rim - bison

Cross off hike the Arizona trail from your bucket list.

north rim - arizona trail marker

And see the Colorado

north rim - colorado river

If you haven’t been, start planning your trip! There is a lot to see and do when you go further north. You can get little cabins at the Grand Canyon or be a little more adventurous and set up camp at one of several campgrounds.

Some areas were affected by a wildfire a few years ago. We were there about a month after the fire. It is always a sad sight to see fire ripped through such a beautiful area.

When you are out and about, please be careful. Be sure your campfire is completely out or don’t have a fire when not allowed. Be careful where you park your car, avoid spots where vegetation is high.

We weren’t able to go to a lot of spots because of the damage. Below are a few photos of the devastation that we were able to see. It breaks my heart.

Want to see the Grand Canyon every day of 2022? Grab a wall calendar in my shop!

Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Posted on by Jenna

Most holidays involve food. But Thanksgiving? It is basically celebrating stuffing yourself silly. Being gluten free on Thanksgiving can be tough.

If you get together with family, it can be difficult to navigate your food options. You don’t know how someone else prepared the food. Maybe they forgot they used the wooden spoon to stir the casserole but they normally use that same spoon for gluten filled pasta.

Maybe watching everyone else eat apple (or pumpkin) pie while you have no pie is torture. Because it is.

How can you make it easier for yourself this year? Here are my top tips:

  1. Talk to the host ahead of time. Find out their menu and help them navigate gluten free cooking. Remember, you do this every day. They don’t. Tell them how to keep you safe.
  2. If there is something you don’t want to miss out on, make it (or grab it from the store). You want to make sure you can have stuffing? Or maybe you want a delicious dessert after the main meal. If you make or bring it, you can enjoy AND share with others. Maybe they’ll see gluten free doesn’t eaqual flavorless.
  3. If you think, or know, there won’t be much for you to eat at your gathering be sure to eat beforehand. There’s nothing wrong with having a little snack before you leave if you know you can only eat the chips and salsa at the party.
  4. Heading to a restaurant? Check their website and menu beforehand. Call and speak with the manager to make sure there’s something you are comfortable eating. If not, see number three. Eat ahead and grab drinks with your friends and family. You don’t have to stay the entire time!
  5. If all else fails and you have the means to do so, be the host! Invite over your friends and family and show them what a gluten free feast can be! If they ask to bring items, see tip one and remind them of how to make things safely or ask them to bring a bottle of wine, extra napkins, or flowers for the centerpiece.

How do you stay safe during the holidays? Drop your tips in the comments!