Even when I had a studio for 20 years, I still shot on location a lot locally, and many times in other states. Some months I shot more on location than in my own studio. It can get very stressful and overwhelming very fast when you have to pack up all your stuff to shoot somewhere you are unfamiliar with. The fear of leaving something behind that you must have - (like power cords for your … [Read more...]
Food Photography Q and A on FB Live Oct 29th 2016
In this first video I cover 30 questions from folks all around the world. I cover equipment, lighting, white balance, restaurant photography, how to get work and what to charge, shooting outside, focus issues, using utensils in our shots, food styling resources, and so much more! In the very beginning the sound was a little choppy. Don't worry, it's only in the beginning :) It's a FB Live … [Read more...]
A Photo Shoot with Mendocino Farms Restaurant and a Beautiful Goat Farm
Did you know that goats can smile? It's true. They totally do. At least on this farm they do. This happy critter chomping on premium, lush, green alfalfa hay (trucked in from Utah at $9800 a truckload!) is just one of 331 goats that farmer and veterinarian Dan Drake takes care of. This is the Drake Family Farm in Ontario, California. How on earth did I end up photographing a goat farm in … [Read more...]
Photographing Restaurants – Part 3 – How to Take Good Pictures of Food in a Restaurant
And now for the final part of my Restaurant Photography Series - Part 3 - How to take good pictures of food in a restaurant. I will finally be talking about photographing the food and chefs for restaurants. The shot above was done for Napa Valley Grille in Westwood, CA. I was hired to shoot from 2-4:30 pm. I ended up shooting from 2 - 5:30 pm. We did a ton of shots in a short time period. This … [Read more...]
Photographing Restaurants – Part 2 – My Food Styling Kit
I am not a food stylist. I am a food photographer. Huge difference. Over the years, I have learned several tricks for styling food, so when I am photographing food in restaurants without a food stylist, I will have to help the Chef style the food a lot of the time. I will show you the little food styling kit that I bring with me on location. It aint pretty, but it's extremely handy. This … [Read more...]
Behind the Scenes of the “Location” Shoot of a Little Fig Tree
Isn't he cute? My little fig tree? Think it was shot outside? See the lens flare? Gotcha! I shot this in the studio actually. OK, so here's what happened. I pulled this whole shoot together in a few hours. It all started Saturday. Now this is going to sound like I'm rambling here, but trust me, it will all make sense. My good friend and food blooger, Erika Kerekes of In Erika's Kitchen, had … [Read more...]
Shooting on Location | Farm Tour California Avocados Direct
Doesn't this look like an enchanted forest? I called it the enchanted avocado forest when I was there. Those are avocado trees - 40 year old ones. I have never seen avocado trees growing like this, until now. My good friend Mimi Holtz is married to an avocado farmer - a 4th generation avocado farmer named Ed. They own and operate this family farm. They sell avocados direct to the … [Read more...]
How to Edit Images Shot on Location – Before and After in Adobe Lightroom
Shooting on a bright sunny day can be very challenging. The light can be very harsh, the shadows can be way too dark, and basically the amount of light going from your shadows to your highlights can go beyond the range of what your camera's sensor can handle. The sensor is the thing that has replaced film and is what is capturing your image. Taking an Image from "yuck" to "perrrty" When I shoot … [Read more...]
Location Shooting – Windrose Farms Spring Tour
I went to this beautiful farm in the beginning of May when I was on the Spring Farm, Food, and Wine Tour with Deb's Kitchen. Windrose is a 50 acre family farm in San Luis Obispo County, owned by Bill and Barbara Spencer. They have vegetables, apples, stone fruit and they also raise sheep. The farm is currently organic and is now transitioning to be a biodynamic farm. I didn't fully know what … [Read more...]
Shooting on Location – Spring Food and Wine Tour
The first weekend in May I went on a farm and wine tour given by Debbi Dubbs of Deb's Kitchen. We went to the Cambria/Paso Robles wine region. We had perfect weather and it was really beautiful. Deb and her crew are great to hang out with. There was about 12 of us in total I think. I arrived in Cambria Friday night. We stayed at the Cambria Pines Lodge. We all met at the home of one of Deb's … [Read more...]
Shooting on Location – Fairfield Farms
I love seeing how our food grows. In southern California we are very lucky to have several farms all within a few hours of Los Angeles. Last week, Erika Kerekes of In Erika's Kitchen invited me to go on a blueberry farm tour near San Diego with other food bloggers. The farm is Fairfield Farms. Blueberries never tasted so good, picked right off the vine, warmed by the sun. The Process - How … [Read more...]
