Matthew R. Hibbard

There are some things technology can't touch, photography is one of them. While the gadgets and software programs have evolved, the technique and expertise hasn't. So far, there isn't a program that can tell you what to shoot and if that photo is worth keeping. (I imagine there'll be a day...eventually.) My ideas are safe for now. It's the gadgets that are changing. 

Recently, I bought myself a grown-up phone (and along with it, a grown-up cell phone bill). I purchased an iPhone 4S which included a 8-megapixel camera and a slew of other goodies. While I was excited about having the Internet on my phone and Twitter with me 24/7, the one thing I was most excited about was that small camera on the back of the phone. 

The images from this phone are crisp and sharp. The colors are vivid and rich. The images are comparable to my DSLR, but not better. From capturing breaking news to holiday events, this phone is definitely a more socially-accpeted item to have. Ever try taking a picture of yourself with a friend using a DSLR? Not easy.

While the camera phone does give me flexibility, it hasn't separated me from my bread and butter camera. Something about tapping a screen just doesn't give me the same satisfaction. The ability to view my light meter, adjust my ISO and work with the focus allows me to be more active in the picture-taking process. The camera allows for my whole body to be part of the action. My hands work the shutter, my eyes zero in on the subject and my feet are postioned just right. With a camera phone, all the action you're getting is with your finger. Where's the love?

I'm wondering where I fit in. Team cell phone or team DSLR? Can I belong to both? Below are some of the photos I took using my cell phone using the popular photo application Instagram. 

I have made it an unofficial goal to hit all the major microbreweries in St. Louis. If you remember in a previous post, I visited the Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. A few weeks ago, I visited yet another well-known microbrewery in town - Schlafly.

When you first arrive at Schlafly you notice right off the bat they've done their real estate homework. The brewery is at a prime location, situated towards the end of historic downtown Maplewood and reachable from any major interstate.

This brewery appears larger than Urban Chestnut. You can make out the large metal cylinders and piping as you head inside. To the left is where the bar is and that's where I met a couple RUF friends for a drink and a quick bite to eat. 

I ordered the Hefewizen, a light, unfiltered wheat beer, served with a lemon to sweeten the flavor. I also ordered a delicious club sandwich, loaded with turkey, bacon and white milky cheese. While Urban Chestnut seemed to stick with the basic food options (meat, bread and pretzels), Schlafly seemed to offer a better selection of food choices giving even the non-beer drinker reason to celebrate.

The brewery offers a list of events to keep its customers in its doors and surrounded by their wide selection of beer concoctions. Schlafly also hosts a few beer festivals allowing amateur beer drinkers (that would be me) to widen their alcoholic experience. In fact, they're hosting a festival called "Belgian Beer and Mussel Mania" on July 22 (talk about an interesting combination).

Both of these St. Louis breweries offer different experiences and different selections of beer. While I can't decide which brewery comes out on top, one this is clear, I'll have to keep coming back for more.

Oh and if you are curious about where the best outdoor drinking spots are in St. Louis. Take a look at this article. The writer features some pretty well-known drinking establishments that are sure to quench your summertime thirst! 

In Seattle it's said there's a Starbucks on every corner. In St. Louis, it's a brewery.

For this Memorial Day weekend my family went downtown to visit one microbrewery in particular, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. Like a lot of microbreweries in town, their beer is created and sold right on location. When I walked into this one, just a few blocks from the St. Louis University campus, I knew I was in for a treat.

Urban Chestnut is bridging the old with the new, calling their philosophy Beer Divergency. According to their website, this means "a new world meets old world' brewing approach. Many of these start-up breweries function the same way, bringing the knowledge of the past with the excitement and thrill of the future.

If you search "St. Louis Microbreweries" in Google you are bound to get a pretty lengthy list. It appears breweries have come full circle and are retreating back to the old ways of selling and enjoying beer. They are embedding themselves in the community and providing customers with a fresh, wholesome alternative.

But could these establishments bring new life to the St. Louis landscape? If California has its wineries, could St. Louis market itself as the beer capital of the US? I think so.

If you are interested in giving St. Louis microbreweries a try here's the list I got from Google to get you started.

If you think about it, there’s a lot to learn around the dinner table. It’s a place where one is taught how to socialize, a place to unwind and a part of growing up. But the dinner table is not a place for everyone. Looking back, I am very fortunate that my family was able to provide those times in my life.

For someone who has lived in a middle-class white family for 22 years, I sometimes take for granted the little things like family dinners. My parents were strong supporters of the three square meal lifestyle and for a while I thought that’s how every American family did it. But when I entered college, I quickly learned my family was in the minority.

When I worked in the factory over the summer I understood why family dinners might not be attainable for everyone. The working class put in long hours everyday and come home tired and exhausted. The last thing they want to think abut is more work. For most families, a microwave dinner in front of the television is the closest thing to a family dinner. But what kind of impact does this have on the future of America?

Stouffer’s, the food company famous for making those microwave dinners, set out to “fix dinner” and in the process highlight some of the important impacts dinner has on a family. According to the Stouffer’s website, kids who eat five or more family meals a week are: more likely to get As and Bs in school, more likely to think their parents are proud of them, more than 50 percent less likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or try marijuana and are less likely to feel depressed or suicidal.

Whether those numbers mean anything to you or not, it’s the context that matters the most. For most families, I would believe they would do anything to provide a time for dinner if it weren’t for their odd hours at work. Let’s face it, if there’s no job, there’s no money for food.

But as difficult as it is for some families, sharing even a small snack could make a difference. A meal brings a sense of solidarity to the home and a routine that becomes not just expected but appreciated.

I went home this weekend for my friends wedding shower, but I think it's fair to say that I also went home for a good home-cooked meal. Below are some pictures that I thought were captured fairly well.

First we started off with a large cow brain and set the burner on a low setting. Just kidding....its a bowl of pasta, cooking a cow brain would be disgusting...what were you thinking? My friend Cynthia found this really delicious mac n' cheese recipe online, so we thought we'd give it a try. The dish turned out nicely, the cheese had a nice creamy consistency and had a bit of a crunch due to the bread crumbs sprinkled on top. I love how I framed this photo. 

I give all the credit for taking this photo to Cynthia Yang. What I like about this picture is the play on focus and how the blurriness of the background gave off interesting warm colors. The wedding shower mixed Mexican flavor and Lutheran traditions. The bride's favorite food is Mexican and she is studying to become a Lutheran pastor. At first, the combination sounded strange, but Lutherans seem to adapt to any event regardless of the theme...doncha know! 

Lastly, my dad made his famous pancake breakfast. He used his new grill which provided interesting colors to photograph. The breakfast included blue berry and chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausage, oranges, bananas and juice. Needless to say, when I come home for the weekend I never leave on an empty stomach.