A few years ago I worked as a barista in a coffee shop. I enjoyed the work, the young people I worked with and the customers. Those customers looked to us for the start of their day or the end of their day, it was a part of their daily ritual. I’m also one of those individuals who patronizes a coffee shop on a regular basis and it can become an expensive habit. So I purchased my own expresso machine about 4 years ago. So now I have a ritual in making the morning latte or cappuccino which includes tamping the ground beans, steaming the milk, pouring the shot and marking it with the foam. And, the best part of the ritual is curling up in the lounge chair or on the couch or your porch and sipping your own warm drink.
I took this image this past Sunday morning on my way to coffee and marked my 60th birthday. Birthdays have not been a big thing for me over the past few years, however, this one had a different feel to me. I don’t feel 60 and in my mind I don’t think of myself as turning 60. A 60th birthday seems like something still in the future, a day yet to come. But it’s here. I admit to mornings when the body lets me know of tired muscles and joints. Burning the midnight oil is a thing of the past. And, I admit to rising from my bed slower and more deliberate than in the past. But, hopefully, I’ve attained more maturity, understanding, and experience that can be passed along to those who are receptive to me. For my birthday I celebrated coffee with a friend then bought myself a Dairy Queen Blizzard: Peanut Butter Oreo. 🙂 I also upgraded to Lightroom 3 which has to make me a better photographer. Anyway I played with Topaz Adjust in this image to bring out some of colors and loved me day.
Okay, so I’m in this coffee shop near the airport in Charleston and I see these bar stools and I love their patten, and I love the color and I love the wood texture. So, my mind starts to work and envision how I want this image to come alive. I try a few frames with just the bar stools but it ain’t happening. I figure a coffee cup on the bar would help but it still ain’t happening. I change the color of the cup but again it ain’t happening. People around me are starting to worry, I can see it in their faces. They’re probably asking questions like, “What the heck is this strange guy trying to do?” or “What hospital did he escape from?” (And, let’s not tell them, okay.) I notice a mother and her daughter are just smiling at me, that feels real uncomfortable. The baristas in the coffee shop are wondering how they can get me to leave, I can see it in their eyes. Things are getting uncomfortable, so I sit back down at my table, put my camera on the table and sheepishly smile at everyone.
And then it happened. A mother and father with three children come in to enjoy a cool drink on this hot day. The children climb up on the stools and now I have the image in front of me. It’s right there! I quietly ask the father permission to take a few shots. The silly man agrees.
After taking the previous images I know what exposure I needed to use. Two frames was all I needed then some adjustments with Lightroom and Topaz Adjust to create this image. I like it. It was fun. I also liked the process of its creation. And, thankfully, no one called the cops or the hospital. Whew!
A couple of days ago it rained throughout the night and continued into the early afternoon. So, who can blame us if we indulge in a favorite latte and a scone at a local coffee shop while it rains outside? I tried to write but words were not to be found. I tried to read but could not stay focused. So I sipped on the latte and nibbled on the scone.
Last week prior to my daughters wedding, I drove up to Estes Park about 4 hours earlier to revisit this small town. The wedding rehearsal would be at 4:00 PM so I grabbed a sandwich and wandered into a coffee a coffee shop called Kind Coffee. I stopped in because they had free WiFi with the purchase of a beverage, yes I know it’s selfish. I was greeted warmly by both baristas which always makes you feel welcomed. When I asked how long they had been around they informed me they have been around for several years, at one time located nearby in Ed’s Cantina. They have two locations in town, one on the east side and one on the west side. they buy their own organic beans form Costa Rica, Peru, Guatemala, Columbia, Sumatra, and Mexico with a roasting facility in Estes Park.
Another image from the archives with some playing around in Lightroom and Topaz Adjust. I played with this one as I sat in a small coffee shop in Loveland, Colorado call Loveland Coffee Company.
Some people start their day with a cup of coffee (or two.) Some need it just to get started, and some make it a morning ritual, and then some do both. I drink the unleaded stuff so a caffeine fix is not needed, leaving me with the ritual. I very seldom drink brewed coffee but prefer the latte/cappuccino style espresso drinks. This tradition had been a part of my life for several years after my youngest daughter introduced them to me. I enjoy making then at home or going out to a local coffee shop. These local shops have a small community of followers and I happen to be part of it. Most of them are accustomed to my antics of grabbing my camera so I can take a photo of their cup or their hands or muffin or their book or their …….
