As well as
Being 4th of July ; day representing our freedom the most American thing to do is eat hot dogs and ice cream so these things top my list!
Just getting back from a much needed vacation in Kitty Hawk, NC with the family. I certainly had my fair share of hots dogs and ice cream.
Honey and Cinnamon ice cream with Reese's Pieces
Like any professional photographer you should never stop creating and making work your passionate about. I always have a list of personal projects and ideas I want to create. Some work out and others may not, that’s why you constantly are practicing. My personal project Transformation that I created earlier this year was definitely one of the more unique projects I did. I’ve seen frozen food photographed before but I wanted to take it to a different level and incorporating my opinion of the frozen food culture we live in. I’m certainly a fresh food eater but sure there are times I just don’t have the time and can depend on some frozen spinach but I feel it shouldn’t be the norm. Amy Wolff, photo editor of PDN saw my project and thought it was really fun and worth sharing on their blog; Photo Of The Day. They have a great article to pair it with that really spoke on the same level.
Hope you had the chance to check it out! You can see more of the project at my Transformation link on my website and archived on PDN Photo of The Day: http://potd.pdnonline.com/2014/06/27425
I’m a huge coffee drinker. Don’t start my day without a cup! When I was asked to photograph Todd Carmichael for Imbibe I was thrilled. Not only is he the CEO of La Colombe but he is a world explorer. He holds the world speed record for crossing the Antarctic on foot in 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes. He is seen on the Travel Channel and a author. Needless to say he was a interesting guy. Photographing him in his element while sipping on the various brews of coffee he has produced and their newly released coffee rum was an experience.
La Colombe cafes can be found in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, D.C., and Seoul.
To top off the trip I got some of his La Colombe roasts, their cold brewed coffee, and their signature chocolate made with Eclat in West Chester!
http://www.lacolombe.com/
Part of running a business is to grow your business and add value to your “product.”
This is a very exciting time in my business where I’ve increased the quality of my photography making me more valuable to the client. I’ve purchased a medium format camera system that creates images you could never get with a simple DSLR camera. The color bit depth is incomparable, and the incredible detail in the image with the increased megapixel captures are just some of the simple differences but huge game changers in being a professional photographer. I know my clients present and future will instantly see the difference in what I can offer them and in the long run create beautiful images.
http://www.phaseone.com/en/Camera-Systems/IQ2-Series/IQ2-Features.aspx
3 medium red skin potatoes(depends how many you want to make)
oil/Pam spray
Seasonings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thinly slice(or use a mandolin slicer) your potatoes, do not use ends.
Lay out the potato slices without overlapping onto your oiled sheet tray.
Sprinkle generously over the potatoes your choice of seasonings.
I used, salt, pepper, oregano, Old Bay seasoning, and Paprika.
Put into the oven and bake for 20 min or until golden brown, flip over a couple times during process.
After they are done lay out on a paper towel to dry any excess oil.
Serve!
Dip
Sour Cream(This is quick and easy if you have left over sour cream from another recipe)
-Cumin
-Paprika
-Pepper/Salt to taste
Mix the sour cream in with paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper until spicy and tasty.
Click title to be directed to You Tube site with video
@heidi_robb
1. How did you get into styling?
Chef Michael Symon is somewhat responsible! While working as recipe tester on his first cookbook, “Live to Cook”, he asked if I would assist the New York stylist traveling with the (now defunct) “Dear Food Network” that was taping some holiday segments out of his home. I worked with stylist Greg Lofts (now senior styling editor at Martha Stewart Living), which was love at first assist. From that moment, I knew styling would be the natural segue for my set of skills.
2. What could you consider your first break through job?
Greg hired me on his crew for the Martha Stewart/Hallmark production, "Mad Hungry” with Lucinda Scala Quinn. Everyone involved was the cream of the crop, which made for rapid initiation. The job was intensely challenging as a newcomer, yet so incredibly rewarding. One show led to another, and opportunities presented themselves. Show styling is vastly different than still work. I’m deeply grateful for the cross training.
3. Do you tend to work more on still shoots or T.V. shoots?
The brunt of my current work is still with a smattering of video.
4. Have you traveled for your work? If so where’s the farthest you have been?
I travel often for work - guessing 50-50 Cleveland/travel. A repeat Nashville gig logs the most air miles.
5. Any clients you aspire to work for?
Any editorial world travel opportunity would be a dream come true, as would a beautiful cookware client such as Le Creuset or Staub. I have an abiding fondness for braising and pots.
6. Where do you get your inspiration?
Travel is the obvious answer, both for my recipe development and styling work. Creative collaborations with my talented colleagues! For visual print imagery, I frequently look to the UK and Aussie food photographers and stylists. They possess that naturally disheveled-yet-elegant aesthetic I adore and literally drool over.
7. Do you ever do propping for shoots or do you solely style the food?
Yes, I sometimes contribute or collaborate with propping. Dishware, glassware, cutlery, flowers - I’m good. There are a million other things I’d rather mess with than table linens.
8. What is the hardest food or drink you had to style?
Recently, I needed to style one of those “perfect" commercial sandwiches that was not intrinsically tricky, but the client had sent only ten hoagie-style buns to work with. Seven of the tops were damaged beyond redemption in transit while the remaining three were dry and dying. It took a good and meticulous portion of the day to achieve the hero's desired panini-pressing combined with the über-specific set of grill marks. Three was the charm with an extra three cheers going to Corn Husker’s Lotion. I haven’t used that smelly stuff in forever but you just never know.
9. For aspiring food stylists what would you tell them about getting into the business?
Make sure your culinary chops are well-honed. Most of us have logged years of restaurant, catering and personal chef experience, which not only helps with the actual shopping/cooking/styling, but in anticipating what needs to happen ten steps ahead. Next, get out and start assisting stylists whose work you admire. Cookbooks, magazines and food packaging all serve to keep your eye fresh - don't stop looking and stay inspired!
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to photography Eating Well's Healthy In A Hurry section with my food stylist Brian Croney and Prop Stylist Geri Radin. It was an ambitious list but in the end we made great imagery for their section.
The issue hit stands a couple weeks ago and wanted to share some of the tears:
A lot of clients have approached me for certain images that fit the mold for quick turn around projects, as well as agencies in general asking for "sell able art."
My stock photography site with Offset based in New York has been growing and becoming an amazing tool in the creative process to better serve my clients. If your looking for an image that can be applied to a general Ad, promo for one of your food clients I have a constant growing library of food images just for that.
Please do not hesitate to reach out and find more about my services to you or purchase directly at your convenience from Offset.
Chicago Based Food Stylist
Lisa Kuehl
http://lisabenitezkuehl.com/portfolio/
How did you get into styling?
I got started when I came back from living in California with my ex husband, I was in the process of a divorce and trying to figure out what I was going to do since I was a teacher of the culinary arts in California and was not even going to attempt to go back to restaurant life. I have a cousin who is a photographer and was doing free lance work for magazines like time out Chicago, Chicago Magazine and I had not much to do yet in means of a job so she offered to use me as her assistant meaning just keep her company and my mind off my struggling life HA! So she took me to Time Out where I met the editor and she gave us a tour of the set up of the magazine and she explained they also do some food styling! I have known of food styling since I was in culinary school but had no real luck breaking threw to actually work in the industry. She basically said its real simple food styling. I was like well if its just presentation I would love to do it and she agreed to use me and my first shoot for only $150.00 was 2 page spread and making connections. I have been doing it ever since and its been 8 years.
What was your first real break-through job?
I really can't say what was my big break of a job? Maybe when a film studio like Big Deahl hired me at a real assistant position, then I was in and when a food stylist named Karen Robinson took me under her wing and brought me in under her and thats was when I really was now a real food stylist assistant.
Where are some places you have traveled to for work?
I have not been as international as some long time food stylist. I have been to Detroit, Phoenix, and Madison IL! I am sure that will change.
Who has been your inspiration for styling?
My inspiration I would have to say is Donna Hay, she is a Australian stylist and I have been a huge fan of her work since culinary school. Super clean and modern and not tremendously over styled.
What is the hardest thing you have styled?
Ice Cream!! It is a specialty and very hard to perfect.
Is a lot of your work word of mouth or is marketing yourself a big tool?
Yes! A lot of word of mouth and networking in the sense of keeping in the loop with photographers and chatting up the clients so they remember you. Its a lot of what kind of person you are as well as your work. People like to work with stylist who are not difficult or divas lol...not naming names.
Must have tool on set.
We all who are stylist have there own kit or tools and depending on the kind of job you might need more and then you can charge kit fees. For instance, if a client has no real kitchen or the photographer then you need to bring things that would be necessary to do the job other that the basic tool kit equipment.
Any tips you could share for food stylists starting out?
My advice for those looking to get into food styling, it’s really hard but just try to connect and offer free services to be able to just get in and luck. Stylist usually have there favorites and they know how the stylist like things and they have already made a bond and the stylist trust them with shopping and detail to work and product.
The start of 2014 has not been a slow one. The beginning of February I had the chance to photograph a great soup cookbook! The author was a well-known NY based cook/writer and developed a soup book in her many series of food cookbooks. I cannot release the names and such since it's still being designed and won't be released till this Fall. Normal publications can have a 2-3 year turnaround so this is actually going to be quick.
I got to work with my favorite food and prop stylists who worked very hard the 5 days we were shooting.
Below are a couple quick takeouts from the many shots we took for recipes, fillers, and cover options.
OH! we had some downtime too so here's some army men climbing on soup ladles
It's been a few busy months shooting/editing...
Catching up on some much needed blogging! Here's my latest project I've been working on titled Transformation.
Brief Overview: A personal project showcasing the transformation of frozen food to the fresh state it takes once defrosted. It shows the contrast of reality and perception in today’s food culture.
NYC
1. How did you get involved in styling?
Around 2000 I was a chef suffering from a natural case of career burn-out. I had cooked in and run the kitchens of several kinds of food service operations, from country clubs to fine dining restaurants to catering companies over the course of 12 year. I reached the point where I no longer wanted to work nights, weekends and holidays and couldn't bear one more special request from an obnoxious customer. It was in food styling that I found my ideal job -- one that changes almost every day, with a very livable schedule, and the best people to work with. It's refreshing to be respected by my clients and to be paid a fair rate for my hard work, something that seems to rarely happen in the restaurant world.
2. Are you originally from New York? Do you travel for work?
I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania. I started my cooking career there but left at the age of 18 to go to the Culinary Institute of America. I moved to New York City the first time in 1993 but took a break to spend some time in Miami in the late 90s. My wife and I moved back to Brooklyn just before 9/11 so it was a rough return initially. Now I have trouble imagining where I would rather live.
Currently I'm trying to position myself in the styling world to do more location work. In the past I've worked in the Bahamas, all over Florida, St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta. I have contacts in L.A. and San Francisco and am currently translating my website into Spanish with the hopes to work in Latin America.
3. Do you have a personal favorite thing to style? Food vs. drinks?
I really enjoy styling cocktails, but lately I've been pushing to do more ice cream. It represents a big challenge for most stylists and I really like working in the medium. It requires speed, organization, technique, and patience to pull off a difficult ice cream shot. Some of those I have, others I'm currently practicing.
4. Hardest thing you have styled.
The most difficult job I've had in styling was a 100 shot cookbook that needed to be photographed in one week. I had two assistants and an intern, we worked 12+ hour days and were really happy with the results when it was all said and done.
As far as the one single thing that I find difficult to style, I would have to say it is pizza. It's hard to keep looking fresh and is prone to developing orange pools of grease that congeal quickly. The relationship between the crust, sauce, cheese and toppings can be a difficult balance when the pressure is on.
5. Any dream clients you would like to work with?
I'd love to work for SodaStream -- I use mine every day! Also, In 2009 I published a book with 50 recipes of flavored water called Cool Waters, and I would love to collaborate with a company that shares my vision that everyone should drink more water.
6. What was it like to work on the Good Spirits book that you won a award from?
Working on Good Spirits was a lot of fun. Melissa Punch, the photographer, and I spent a week in her studio making drinks and playing around with props and garnishes. On a commercial cocktail shoot, by comparison, it is usually a very controlled and orchestrated production. The book shoot was the complete opposite, with a lot of creative freedom on our part, which I believe had everything to do with the results we achieved.
7. What is your must have tool on set?
I always have paint brushes on set. Some are kept clean and dry for removing dust or crumbs and others are used for brushing oil, water, glycerin, browning agents, Windex, or anything else I happen to need at the moment. It would be impossible to keep things from drying out and dying without the use of a good set of brushes.
8. Where do you get your inspiration for styling.
I'm really only one part of the creative team that makes the images I work on, so a lot of the time it's someone else's vision that I am responsible for creating. But to that end, I am inspired by challenging jobs that require me to figure out how I can make the food on set look the best. Occasionally I'm called to do a conceptual piece or something outside the usual realm of putting food on a plate and making it look edible. These are the kinds of jobs that excite me -- one of my former assistants used to call me the McGyver of food styling, which I take to be a compliment.
Jen Beauchesne
http://jenbeauchesne.com/
Photo By: Michael Indresano
1.While you were studying photography at RIT did you have a specialty you wanted to pursue?
I actually went into RIT as a freshman thinking I wanted to shoot fashion, but quickly learned I was much happier shooting still life in the studio rather than models. Once we got to start taking electives the first one I choose was Food Photography and I just knew that's exactly what I wanted to do.
2.When did you decide to change over from photography to food styling?
I decided to switch over about a year ago when I realized I was much happier on the other side of the lens and in the kitchen.
3.Who have you worked with/admired to help hone your skills as a stylist?
I work with Sunny Ricks a lot she is an amazing stylist who has taught me so much about this industry and has been the best helping me transition from Boston to NYC.
4.Do you like to cook yourself?
Yes, I love cooking for myself, although I don't always have time, I try to find time on the weekends to try new recipes!
5.Do you prefer to style one type of food over another?
No real preference on what kind of foods, I love them all :)
6.Any dream clients you would like to work with?
I would love to style for Donna Hay Magazine, I absolutely adore their aesthetic and quality of work.
Photo By: Will Styer
7.What has been the most difficult thing for you to style?
The most difficult thing for me to style was actually a bowl of mayo, the photographer wanted it one way and the client, who was weighing in remotely, wanted it another way, so there was a lot of back and forth and the mayo kept congealing, not fun, but we got thru it!
8.What is your must have tool on set?
I would say my must have tool would be my tweezers, I have about five different pairs, all for different uses.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and busy holiday shopping weekend. Something I always look forward to doing is having the leftover turkey sandwich for lunch the next day. Everyone does it a little different but you can never go wrong.
Here's how I made my turkey sandwich...
Felicia's Next Day Thanksgiving Sandwich:
Le Bus Bakery pumpernickel rye bread
Turkey(dark meat/shredded)
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Swiss Cheese
Homemade cranberry sauce (dipping sandwich)
Preheat oven at 375. Layer all the ingredients on the rye bread and top with 2 slices of Swiss cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 min.
Take out and enjoy! I personally like to have this with a Brooklyn Winter beer. Also use the cranberry sauce to dip your sandwich in.
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| Photo By: John Kernick |
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| Photo By: Christina Holmes |
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| Left and lower right photos: Iain Bagwell for Sunset Magazine Upper right photo: Rory Earnshaw |
