Traditional Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs Recipe

I thought this would be an appropriate post since Easter is this weekend. I wanted to try something out of the ordinary as far as dying Easter eggs. I’ve seen these before and thought they were beautiful. The dark brown color that created these pretty marbled lines over the egg was very unique and would make for great photos! I found a great recipe on Steamy Kitchen.

Once I started the boiling process the kitchen smelled of anise and tea. However the actual taste of the egg was not a favorite of mine. I’ll just stick to photographing them.


BTS: Rex Goliath Wines 2-day photoshoot

It was so amazing to work again with the super cool client Rex Goliath along with agency Partners + Napier. The client was able to fly into NY from Cali. this time to really experience the full shoot and be on set for creative direction.

Over the course of 2 days we photographed some wines they carry in bottle and their grab-go style tetra packs creating the summery/outdoor feel. We used bright lighting and actually brought in grass to make it feel more outdoors. (There was still snow on the ground outside and just starting to creep into comfortable temperatures.) Along with the wine photographs they were introducing recipe pairings and we got to photograph those as well. The food was no-fuss easy "picnic type" food which made for really cute and casual shots. I had my amazing team; food stylist Carrie Purcell, and prop stylist Deb Donahue. Check out the BTS video with pieces from both days and a couple of the final shots at the end of the video. Enjoy!

Photo Shoot: Patron Tequila 7anos Limited Edition

This past year I had an awesome opportunity photographing a "top secret" Patron tequila never released before. Cramer-Krasselt the advertising firm in Chicago/New York reached out to me for their client Patron to photograph the unique tequila and specialty bottle along with some other Patron products to be released this year.

Finally the day has come where it's now available along with the photographs I've taken for the brand. The iconic Patron images are something I always loved and to photograph them myself was something I could not ask for more. The creatives were amazing to work with and created the amazing shots. You can read more about it online and see it at Patron's website. I'll be posting some of my favorite final shots to my site soon!

http://www.lamag.com/liquidlablog/patron-scratches-seven-year-itch-oldest-tequila-ever-made/

http://www.patrontequila.com/7anos

Personal Project: Margins

I recently entered the ASMP LA photo contest that had the theme "Margins" interpret it anyway you want. Whenever I have the opportunity to push the boundaries with subjects (and involve food) I like to jump at the idea. For this series of images I interpreted the word margins as the mouth. We use it everyday and really it has its own boundaries or "margins."

I thought it would be interesting to play with the edges of the mouth while someone was eating. I would photograph their movements of chewing and carefully selecting food that could create a mess or fall outside the edge of the mouth. There are a couple from the series on my conceptual portfolio and more at my APA gallery.


Photo Shoot: Celebrity Chef Jose Garces

When I began my career as a food and beverage photographer the restaurant scene was a huge part of it. I lived for the Food Network and the chefs with their competitions and daily cooking segments. Honestly I kinda still do... These are the people, along with the Food Network and other national food brands that have shaped the food scene we know today. One of the first chefs that I admired and built his roots in Philadelphia was Chef Jose Garces. I followed him in his early stages before he became well known.

The first time I met him was while I was still an assistant and the photographer I was working with had to shoot him. We photographed him at his amazing restaurant Amada in Old City. I was overly joyed and could not wait! Chef Garces was so nice and down to earth and I shamelessly got his autograph on one of his menus which I still have today in my kitchen. This was right before he aired on Iron Chef America which he won and the rest is history for him..

It was very exciting to see me come back to him and he's still the same nice guy, but this time I got to photograph him and his restaurant Distrito in Moorestown, New Jersey. One of his newer adventures in his many restaurants he's opened. The images were photographed for an article that will be running in the March 2015 New Jersey Monthly magazine.

Year In Review...

2014 was the most exciting year so far in my career as a growing commercial photographer. The food and beverage industry in photography is very competitive and I feel very honored to have had the opportunities I've had so young in the field.

I can only grow from where I'm now and continue to set goals for myself and be influenced by others around me. I'm ready for 2015 and what it has to bring!

Published: Vegan Casseroles Cookbook

This year has been so amazing, and this is the perfect way to end it with my 2nd cookbook that just came out! I was able to photograph Vegan Casseroles by Julie Hasson. The cookbook consisted of recipes involving Pasta Bakes, Gratins, and Pot Pies. I was amazed at how flavorful and beautiful these dishes came out. Vegan food is something not everyone is comfortable with. I love food and it would be very hard for me to live a vegan lifestyle but these dishes were really amazing. If you've never tried a vegan dish this is the cookbook you would want to find a recipe.

Link to cookbook

                                        Here's a lasag…

                                        Here's a lasagne dish from the vegan cookbook

BTS Video: Rex Goliath Photo Shoot

I was super pumped when I found out Rex Goliath wanted to hire me for shooting their sangria line. I worked directly with the advertising agency in upstate New York and remotely with the west coast client Rex Goliath. Also creating this B.T.S. video was great way to show the client how my team and I work on a shoot and what it takes to get the shot. The images we created were for P.O.S. advertising nationally that would be released over the course of 2015.

We did a Cinco De Mayo, Spring/Summer, and Fall/holiday scenario. The Cinco De Mayo and Summer setup would be utilizing the same lighting as well as using the duratrans I had made to simulate an outdoor feel. Working on location is not always possible especially this time of year so being creative in the studio can really set you apart. The Fall theme images would have a moodier lighting setup and warmer tones and we did that by gelling and flagging some lights. Choosing a food and prop stylist was very important for such a large brand and going through Big Leo to find those people I were familiar with really made a difference. In the end the client loved all the images and bought usage for some additional selects which was a very good sign :)

Check out this BTS video and see some of the final shots on my site!

Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell

Prop Stylist: Beth Flatley

Photo Shoot: Long Island Pulse

I love getting magazine work because the creative direction can really be left up to the photographer. The staff had a general direction they wanted to go but otherwise I was the creative director. This was for a story on side dishes for the holidays. The staff had pulled recipes from their own backgrounds and had us cook them and photograph them. My chef for this job had everything organized and flew right through them. It gave me more flexibility to find interesting angles and textiles to incorporate into the shots. I think my favorite recipe from the list was the Spinach Gratin. It was this cheesy, hot spinach mixture that smelled amazing!

Below are a couple shots from the shoot. Happy Holidays!


Photo Shoot: Culture Cheese Magazine

I had the opportunity to photograph Culture Cheese Magazine's upcoming Winter issue on Crème Fraîche. This cream can be applied to many dishes sweet or savory. The article I photographed and styled by Lisa Russell contained sweet and savory dishes such as twice baked sweet potatoes and Sticky Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Crème Fraîche. Below is just a couple shots that will be featured in the upcoming issue. Enjoy!


Recipe: Leftover Pumpkin Puree

The holidays are coming up and I thought I should share this easy, tasty recipe that will help you use leftover pumpkin puree from your soup and pie recipes you've made for the family.

Ingredients:

-1 cup pumpkin puree

-3 cups rolled oats

-3 tbs brown sugar (dark or light)

-1 tbs cinnamon

-1 tbs pumpkin pie spice

-1 egg white

-1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

-1 tsp vanilla

-Any additional nuts or dried berries can be added, I had almonds on hand so I used them.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-Mix 3 cups rolled oats and 1 cup almonds with 3 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs cinnamon, and 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice and set aside.
-Separately mix one egg white with 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup honey, and 1 tsp of vanilla.
-Combine dry ingredients and pumpkin mixture; mix till coated.
-Spread on baking pan and bake for 45-50 minutes mixing between every 15min. Let rest for 20min then serve.

Felicia is now on Behance

Networking and getting your work out there to the creative public is an ongoing process. I'm excited to announce I have a live portfolio on the Behance network. You can find my recent work and projects in the works.

SITE: https://www.behance.net/perrettiphoto


Chef Chris Koch: Ice Cream Shoot

I've known Chef Chris for awhile now but have not had the opportunity to work together! We found time to collaborate on a fun project anyone could enjoy; ice cream :)

We discussed prior to the shoot date on what we wanted to accomplish. The type of ice cream, using real and fake ice cream, as well as the look and feel of each shot. Chris's amazing talent of making fake ice cream made for some great shots.

Food Stylist: Chris Koch

Photo Shoot Recap: Maglio Fresh Foods

Maglio Fresh Foods; a Philadelphia based company in south philadelphia that makes their own sausage and meatballs. Really a quality product! I actually met the Maglio brothers when I was in high school. It was at one of my first part time jobs working for a local marketing firm trying to figure out what type of photography I want to pursue... It was a small project for the firm but a huge opportunity for me to show them what I could do. Long story short it went great, and they used the photos.

Today as a food photographer I will never forget my first introduction to food photography and how that one instance really shaped my life and the idea of being a commercial food photographer. Everything comes around and I just happen to be thinking of those guys and thought I should reach out! They were actually getting ready to re-brand themselves with some new products and needed new photography. It was perfect timing, and once again they loved the photos!

Food styling by Adam Fergurson

Garrett Oliver Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery + HOPS Magazine

I was approached by international magazine HOPS for their New York issue where they were covering the culture of the bustling city and the beer scene. They chose to interview, dine, and drink with brew master Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery.

It was an amazing opportunity for such a unique personal sit down dinner with Garrett at the prestigious NoMad restaurant. (While we were there Robin Roberts and Barbara Walters walked in). He brought several brews of his that are still in early testing stages so it was really interesting to order the food and try different pairings with his new beers. The variety and flavors were unmatched by other beers. There was strong flavors paired well with the stronger, meatier dishes. We started out with lighter dishes that paired nicely with the crispy beers. It was a dining experience I will never forget and I have the photos to remember it by.

Behind The Scenes: Kellogg's Photo Shoot

Here’s a behind the scenes look at a recent shoot in New York for Kellogg’s packaging for some of their international brands. We were re-creating the look and feel of some packaging with more of a natural “foodie” look that’s trending in the market right now. Working with Deb Donahue my prop stylist and Dyne Benner a food stylist we had great options for bowls and surfaces. Also re-creating a milk pour with modern motion was fun. Having enough cereal for these type of images is a must. My assistant took some iPhone grabs of me working as well as cereal prepping.