Canon Dream Lens 17mm TILT SHIFT

Occasionally I order loaner lenses from Canon Professional Services (CPS) to try them out. This is the first time I've ordered a loaner lens that is my dream lens. I know that I will never ever purchase this lens. Its gorgeous yes, but I could never drop 3k on a lens that I would only use for very specialized purposes. In the future I'll rent it. Yes, that's what filmmakers and photographers do sometimes. It just doesn't make sense to own it. So, I spent a few days shooting as much footage and pictures with it as I could, before I reluctantly sent it back. This is the video I shot with the Canon 17mm Tilt Shift lens early the other day when I went to feed the horses.  I may rent it when I film my short film She Could Be Anywhere this fall.


 
Canon Tilt Shift Lens Test for Video from Stella Haus Films on Vimeo.

Chandra's Collection Photography

Creating a Photographer’s Showreel for 
Chandra Yarter of Chandra's Collection Photography. 

Earlier this year I met up with photographer Chandra Yarter. She was, and still is, a newlywed. I could tell she is one of those people who is truly in love with love by the way she spoke about her husband and by her passion for wedding photography. She LOVES capturing people starting their journey in those beautiful moments that only happen once in a lifetime. Chandra is a bride’s photographer.  She captures weddings with the eye of someone in love. It was a pleasure to begin the journey of working with her on creating a showreel to showcase her unique talent.

We started shooting at 6 A.M., on a chilly spring morning at Stieler Ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas. She brought up a beautiful three-tiered wedding cake, gowns on loan from David's Bridal, furnishings from Loot Vintage, and flowers from An Empty Vase. That set the perfect romantic mood. Throw in a gorgeous model (Justeen Kansuwan), the best assistants around (Daniel Yarter, and the Del Monicos), and then Chandra, a beauty herself, and I knew it was going to be gorgeous shoot from the start. 

Please check out her website:

Chandra's Collection

as well as these wonderful vendors that helped create the shoot

An Empty Vase

David's Bridal
Loot Vintage Rentals

Defining Delicious

Defining Delicious by Stella Haus 

  

Rarely do you get to work with such wonderful people in the real world; but lately, I have 

been blessed to work with the best of the best. Emily Reynolds of the food, drink, and 

hospitality collaborative, DEFINING DELICIOUS, had an idea.  She wanted to create a fun 

artistic video featuring her favorite food and drink venues in San Antonio.  Something ‘super 

artsy’ she said.  I was definitely on board for that, so I visited Tuk Tuk Taproom, Tim The Girl,

Restaurant Gwendolyn, The Brooklynite, the Quarry Farmers and Ranchers Market, and Bakery 

Lorraine.

My first stop was Chef Dave at Tuk Tuk Taproom.  He made an amazing green papaya salad,

and I was surprised to find out they actually have Kombucha on tap. After filming, Chef 

Dave gave me a tour of the awesome backyard patio. I was pleased to find the artwork of my 

friend, Robert Tatum, all over the place.  Everything from the beer cooler to the lights 

imbedded in the walls has Tatum’s designs.  You can tell Chef Dave really has a passion for

authentic Asian flavors as he chopped Kaffir lime leaves and spoke of his recent month in 

Asia collecting more ideas. Tuk Tuk Taproom also has an amazing array of beer on tap, (along 

with the Kombucha) and I can’t wait to visit again and try their fried peanuts.

  

On Sunday, we went to the Quarry Farmers and Ranchers Market to pick up fresh eggs, coffee, 

and some yummy french fries.  Emily, her assistant Veronica, and her adorable kids spent the

chilly morning tasting bread, juices, and french fries. The Quarry Farmers and Ranchers

Market is what the Pearl farmers market use to be a couple of years ago. So if you are 

looking for something smaller than the Pearl, the Quarry farmers market on Sunday is 

right up your alley. Some of the featured vendors include Bakery Lorraine, Olive Frites, 

Engel Farms, Revolucion Coffee and Juice, Koch Ranches, The Lemonade Company, 

Springfield Farm, and La Panaderia, all featured in the film. 

  

The following week, I went to The Brooklynite with Adam Tutor, a local Jazz musician and 

my assistant for the night. (Thank you, Adam.) We went on a Tuesday, and little did we know, 

that Tuesday at The Brooklynite is Tiki Tuesday! They made the Singapore Sling and the 

beautiful sparkling Kamehameha for the film that was later enjoyed by Adam. The 

Brooklynite quickly got crowded and full of life as Tiki Tuesday is pretty popular. They are 

truly mixologists. For expert drink artisans in San Antonio, the Brooklynite is the way to go.

Thank you so much, Jeret Pena, for the hospitality during filming. 

We then went to meet up with Chef Mike at Restaurant Gwendolyn. Now to say that 

Restaurant Gwendolyn is a jewel amongst restaurants in San Antonio is putting it mildly. 

From the ground up, Restaurant Gwendolyn sparkles. Every dish is meticulously hand made 

 using local ingredients sourced within 150 miles, They know from where the food 

comes, and they care about the quality.  They smoke their own bacon and make 

their own marmalades. As I arrived, they were hand grinding peppercorns in a mortar and 

pestle.  That’s some seriously hard work that Chef Michael Sohocki puts into making 

the dishes, and it shows in every dish. I had the opportunity to watch him artfully putting 

together a first course plate. There seems to be no method to the artful arrangement of 

meats and pickled veggies on the plate. It was delicately arranged from the little folds 

in the meat to the spoonful of marmalade placed on top of the pan-fried sausage.  It was 

beautiful.  Each plate is a unique creation.  The coffee was prepared using a German siphon 

coffee maker.  This is the first time I have ever seen this method of coffee preparation.  It’s a  

show in itself.  Lucky me! I got to eat these amazing dishes, and I will definitely be back 

for my birthday dinner.  I can’t wait to see what else Chef Mike does in San Antonio.  When you 

visit, be sure to make reservations.

  

The next day, I went to see a friend, Tim The Girl, at her kitchen as she prepared her 

weekly meal delivery service. She made a butternut pecan soup and an amazing Asian 

rice noodle salad.  It was delicious and amazing. It is the best

home cooking you could possibly buy and pass off as your own. I’m sure some 

people do it. The food is also featured at the local grocery store in Southtown San 

Antonio, Uncommon Fare. Whenever I am down there, I always stop in. They have fresh 

coffee brewing, great snacks and fresh made meals by Tim.  It’s great eating when you are on 

the run.  As a bonus, her staff is so genuine and friendly.  They were a joy to film as they worked 

their magic in the kitchen.  I wish I could eat Tim The Girl’s food every day. 

  

Finally, I went on to Bakery Lorraine, the place with the pastries that never make it home! 

Why? Because the pastries are so good that no matter how much I purchase, they always seem to disappear before I get home. To this day, my husband has never tasted any of their pastries! In my defense, my home is over 60 miles from the bakery, a longer commute home than some may have, with more time for hunger pangs and temptation.

The day I visited was a miraculous one for sure. It was the day I found out the bakery had 

started to make a low-gluten blueberry muffin.  On a scale from 1 to 10 of delicious gluten-free 

pastries (I have only previously eaten a six on the scale) this muffin from Bakery Lorraine is 

a 10!  As I drove home that day, the six “macarons” that were graciously bestowed upon me by 

Chef Jeremy and Chef Anne, disappeared.  I admit it.  I’m addicted to the 

most amazing pastries that are as beautiful as they are delicious. I go there every single time 

I’m in San Antonio. They have great coffee too. 

The music in this short film was commissioned by Emily and created by Edwin J. Stevens.

The talented Adam Tutor added the classy edge with his saxophone to this 

beautiful, well-composed work of art. The Mothmaticians, who consist of Maray Mc 

Chesney and Matt McLaughlin, are old friends, and I use their music at every 

opportunity. Thank you so much, Maray and Matt, for being so generous with your 

talents. 

  

My final thanks go to Emily, the dream client, who let me be as creative as I wanted to be with 

no limits. She gave me her ideas and let run with them. I hope this is the start of many future  

collaborations, dear Emily.

  

Please check out all these amazing places!  They are definitely Defining what Delicious is in San 

Antonio.

Dayna De Hoyos 

Click here to go to the Stella Haus Vimeo webpage

Click here to go to the Defining Delicious webpage

What a wonderful project!!

So happy to have been able to produce this short film for Sarah Brooke Lyons!! Her 1005 faces project features, Tim Duncan, Bill Sinkin, and 1003 other people. She accomplished the photo project in one year and it is amazing. Watch it all unfold before you eyes here:
Click here for the 1005 Faces short film

1005 Faces San Antonio from Stella Haus Films Dayna on Vimeo.

Rachel and Shad Blair Music Video

I filmed the wedding of Rachel and Shad Blair at their home in Austin, Texas this past summer. What was unique about their wedding and them as a couple, is that they are both artists. Both creative souls coming together to live a life with each other and grow into the creative beings together. Rachel made every element of the wedding, planted lots of Cacti, made the bowls the cacti were planted in, printed the table runners, the only thing she didn't do was cook the food.  Shad's music is usually filled with heartache and torment, but for the wedding he wrote a song especially for Rachel filled with hope and love. Shad performed it for some friends before the ceremony and  then sang it for Rachel during   the ceremony. Tears filled her eyes but she held it back. You can see the full performance on my next blog post of the full length Documentary Film. "Move on to Tomorrow" written by Shad and performed by Shad in this video.  Here is a link to his website: Shad Blair He performs throughout Texas and goes on tour from time to time. Congratulations to a beautiful life together.