Nathan brought home studio lights so I finally got a good composite image of my elephant.

Last minute Megabus trip to Minneapolis - Winter 2011

So last year James Liu and myself decided to take an overnight trip to Minneapolis in the middle of winter via the Megabus. We literally arrived at 3pm one day and left at 11am the following. Super fun trip. So this year Nathan L. Black and I did the trip again. Big thanks to Chris and Ellen for hosting and Dogwood Coffee for just being so very cool.

Dogwood Coffee cupping lab.
Photographers hate being photographed.

Large spittoon.
(photo courtesy Nathan L. Black)

Sample roaster. Dogwood Coffee Co.

Dogwood had literally just received there new Mirage Triplette Idrocompresso when we came to visit. We were one of the first to have a crack and figuring out how to use Mr. van der Westen's crazy levers.

Crazy cute hand made demitasse and one of the first decent shots off the lever group heads.
(photo courtesy Nathan L. Black)

They've got an Uber Boiler at the new Dogwood Cafe in Uptown. Very cool gadget. Chris made us a Chemex with it but in a new and very interesting way. He places the Chemex filter as you would normally but then also put the kone coffee filter ontop before adding ground coffee. The stainless mesh filter acts more similarly to a press pot for the actual extraction and the chemex filter acts as a strainer to clean up some excess fines that would normally make there way into your final cup. I think I'm getting that right. Gotta play around myself. But I must say I really did enjoy the Rwanda, Kopakama we had using this method.
(left overs)

The Dresden Dolls @ The Vic 11.17.10

The Dresden Dolls @ The Vic 11.17.10
More photos from the show available on my flickr

Mucca Pazza @ The Vic 11.17.10

Mucca Pazza @ The Vic 11.17.10
More photos are available here.

Kickstand's Fugly Sweater latte art throw-down

Some photos from the Fugly Sweater latte art throw-down.

Kickstand Espresso Bar, Chicago IL
12.16.10

Many more photos are available on my flickr and facebook.

[my new tattoo]

Wormhole Coffee Promotional Shots

I took some photos at the shop after doing a promo shot of the new fall signature drink. "The Flannel" is delicious if I don't say so my self. Lots more photos from this set on my flickr page!
UPDATE: The Tasting Table used my photo for the article on my signature drink!

Wormhole Coffee
1462 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

the flannel.

dome.

siphon.

chemex.

my rosetta.

Seattle to Portland - August '10

Collection of images from my trip to the West Coast. Nathan L. Black and myself drove and biked from Chicago to Seattle, then over to Cannon Beach, and back in to Portland, OR. No beds for 13 days and many campfires. Nathan is a wonderful photographer so we just shared my camera. Images that I did not take but did edit are noted and are shown in cronological order.
Many more photos are available on my flickr page.

photo courtesy Nathan L. Black

photo courtesy Nathan L. Black

photo courtesy Nathan L. Black

photo courtesy Nathan L. Black

Cupping w/ Nathan 9.8.10

So I'm supposed to be editing photos from my recent trip to the West Coast; however, these were a quick edit and dinner was just too much fun. We cupped a ton of coffees brought back from Seattle/Portland including: Heart, Coava, Seattle Coffee Works, Victrola, Water Ave. and threw in some Bull Run reserve coffees I just got in at the Wormhole. Then of course were starving so we cooked dinner: Salmon grilled in banana leaves with a garlic lemon pepper basil pesto from my garden. We were spoiled on seafood the last few weeks off the Oregon coast.
There are a few more on my flickr page.

(Photo courtesy Nathan L. Black)