Nicole Mlakar Blog » Editorial

Austin craft beer scene for Austin Monthly December 2012

nicolemlakar — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:30:01 +0000

I photographed the cover and feature for the December issue of Austin Monthly. The feature focuses on the Austin craft beer scene. So we shot some great local breweries, bars and brewpubs around town. We had a lot of ground to cover for this feature and the final layout looks incredible. Special thanks to our featured friends at Live Oak, 512 Brewing Company, Thirsty Planet, Jester King, Hopfields, Draught House, NXNW and Black Star Co-Op.

Tear sheets below along with my favorite outtakes from the assignment and a little story about our cover guy Drew Durish!

Here’s a little side story about our absolutely amazing cover guy. I originally photographed Drew Durish at Live Oak when we were shooting for the feature. As our deadline came near we knew we needed a really striking and fun guy to pull off the cover concept and I immediately thought of Drew. I just remembered that great smile, those sparkly eyes and that sweet, sweet beard. Luckily, Drew is the nicest guy ever and agreed to let us photograph him for the cover. Thanks Drew for making one hell of a great cover!

Homegrown Revival Thanksgiving dinner at Springdale Farm

nicolemlakar — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:48:34 +0000

Paula Foore, of Springdale Farm, told me that they would be hosting a Homegrown Revival Thanksgiving dinner this year. She thought it might be a really great event to add to my documentary series on Springdale Farm. Paula couldn’t have been more right and I was thrilled to bear witness to this amazing event. Homegrown Revival produces dinners, utilizing “locally sourced produce and proteins,” that bring together the community in a “festive atmosphere.” Chef Sona Coté and Outfitter Tink Pinkard were at the helm of this dinner and it was absolutely amazing to watch all of the collaborative efforts among the Homegrown Revival crew. There was such thoughtfulness surrounding not only the food preparation and cooking but the ambiance, mood and festivities. Add to that a perfectly cool Texas November evening and you have the recipe for a Thanksgiving dinner unlike any other.

New series: Springdale Farm

nicolemlakar — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:23:37 +0000

I have started a new series of work on the lovely Springdale Farm in Austin, TX. If you’ve never had a chance to stop by this farm haven I highly suggest you put it on your list of places to visit. They have a wonderful farm stand that operates Wed and Sat mornings from 9am-1pm where you can load up on fresh produce. Owners, Glenn and Paula Foore, have graciously opened up their farm to me and I am excited to have the opportunity to document the farm through the changing seasons and capture exciting moments along the way. Here’s the first in a series of many images to come…

Austin Monthly Home – Fall 2012

nicolemlakar — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:52:28 +0000

I had the pleasure of photographing the home of Kimber Cavendish, owner of Kimber Modern, for the Austin Monthly Home Fall issue. I loved Kimber’s home and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear her daughter Kenna and her friend Finley play the piano and sing during the shoot. There’s a really interesting story about this house and some serious mold remediation that was done after Kenna suffered from years of debilitating illness. This family has really been through it all and has come out on the other side for a happy ending!

I also photographed two homes for a feature on landscape design. The first was with Big Red Sun who created a really inviting play space anchored by rust colored planter boxes with a wide variety of plants and succulents. The second home was with David Wilson Garden Design who created a private oasis complete with a gorgeous pool and large entertainment area.

Here are a couple of outtakes from the shoots that I really loved.

Austin Monthly Home – Summer 2012

nicolemlakar — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:15:08 +0000

I photographed the homes of Clayton Christopher and Lora Reynolds for the Austin Monthly Home Summer Edition. Clayton Christopher owns Deep Eddy Vodka and he recently had a very lovely Mexican hacienda style home built that seemed to suit him perfectly. Lora Reynolds is an art gallery owner in Austin and she had really vibrant and interesting touches throughout her contemporary style home. Both shoots were great and I enjoyed getting to photograph both of these beautiful homes.

Austin Monthly – July: Cover and Feature

nicolemlakar — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:00:39 +0000

Really excited to share the tear sheets from my cover and feature story shoot for Austin Monthly‘s July issue. The issue feature is on Austin’s “15 Most Popular Neighborhoods.” The cover shoot featured Springdale Farm owners Paula and Glenn Foore. It was such a pleasure to photograph these two and they really made us all feel welcome and at home. The Austin Monthly team helped to re-create the American Gothic inspired cover and I love the way it turned out. Six neighborhoods were featured in the interior and I had a great time getting to know everyone that I photographed.

Austin Monthly – May: Chicken Coop

nicolemlakar — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:59:13 +0000

I have a love for chickens. I photographed my friend Levi’s chickens not too long ago and it sparked this love affair. So I was of course totally on board when Austin Monthly asked me to photograph a really adorable family with their baby chicks and sweet little homemade coop. I honestly could have photographed these little girls and their baby chicks all day long. We had a fun time for sure. Below are the tear sheets from the May issue and a few of my favorite outtakes from the shoot.

Family and Friends Series – Haircuts

nicolemlakar — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:46:20 +0000

Levi was a hair cutting machine at Grindaddy’s house. Three haircuts in one evening! Watching him cut Grindaddy’s hair though was the best of all.

Published! } Reader’s Digest

nicolemlakar — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:05:02 +0000

The May issue of Reader’s Digest is out now and this issue has a focus on pets! The feature article for the issue is entitled “50 Things Your Veterinarian Won’t Tell You.” Reader’s Digest licensed three of my favorite photos to be published with this article and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I think they really compliment the story quite well. Of course my clients were really excited to find out their images and pups will be seen world wide! Yay!!

Here are the tears with my images featured. Thank you Reader’s Digest!!

Austin Monthly Home – Spring Issue

nicolemlakar — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:10:37 +0000

Spring is here and while it’s a bit warmer than I usually like my Texas Spring to be, I will happily take it over the 100+ degree days ahead. Speaking of Spring, I photographed Elaine White and her gorgeous bonsai trees for the Spring issue of Austin Monthly Home. I’ve never seen so many different varieties of bonsai trees and they were all lovingly taken care of by Elaine, the former president of Austin Bonsai Society. I didn’t even know we had a bonsai society! It was a real treat to get to listen to Elaine talk about her bonsais, the stories behind them and their unique characteristics. She has a gift and she truly does make each bonsai into a work of art.