Food and Photography

I'm a Foodie.

I guess.

I mean, I'm not really sure what a Foodie is, but I do love food. I love to shop for it, prepare it, cook it and eat it, so if those are the criteria, then a Foodie I shall be...

Being a great chef can, in many ways, relate to being a great photographer. One of my favorite episodes of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" was when he visited chefs in the Midwest who, despite the sinking economy, were opening new and unique eateries. The sentiment of these chefs was that if they were to be happy and take the risk of opening a new restaurant, it would have to be with a menu that defined what they were about and what they wanted to serve, no matter what the outcome.

I feel that exact sentiment when it comes to my photography.

I spent a good amount of time shooting weddings. Once the economy started to drop, brides wanted more for less and I truly felt that I would be selling out by offering bulk images versus quality images. Soon after, I made the decision to quit weddings and go back to shooting things I truly love, and that led me to, among other things, food.
 

Food photography is not as easy as it looks. Sure, I can set up artistic studio shots of fruits and vegetables, but when it comes to shooting prepared foods for menus or magazines, it's a completely different story. Professionals use food stylists. An actual job that involves preparing and arranging food for visual effect. Food must always look fresh, which could involve the use of lacquers or oils to keep things from looking wilted or dry. They are also responsible for visually projecting the "aromas" that one may get from the food itself. Not an easy task I'm sure. A stylist is a must-have for professional food photography.

Unfortunately, I do not have the budget for a food stylist, so I do the best I can with food I prepare and style myself.  Lately, due largely in part to my wife's conversion to Vegetarianism, it's been fresh and local food, which also happens to fit into the growing trend of being a "Locavore" (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it's someone who eats only locally-grown food, supporting the community and bringing back the love for the almost forgotten small farmer, which I think is awesome). My goal now is to show the beauty of fresh, organic meats and produce (mostly produce, right honey?), which is great and easy when you really love what you're shooting. I photograph food in it's raw, natural state, and I use lighting to give it an almost romantic appeal. I mean, who doesn't love food right? And don't you want to see what fresh food really looks like, instead of that nasty, over-chilled supermarket crap?

A Change Is Gonna Come...

 ...As Sam Cooke once wrote. Not that he had the earth in mind when he wrote the song back in 1964, but today the title alone could be interpreted in many ways.

     The earth is changing at a cataclysmic rate. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, they've all happened in the last 12 months. In my opinion, you better start thinking long and hard about visiting some of those "dream" places before you lose the chance, because disaster could happen anywhere and anytime. That's a fact! Volcanoes in Iceland? Heatwaves in Russia? Earthquakes in Arkansas? Yep, and there have been a total of 675 earthquakes around the world in the past seven days (according to the US Geological Survey, on a scale of magnitude 2.5 and higher).

     It's a very scary thing for some, to me it's purely nature at it's finest. I'd rather die at  the hands of Mother Nature than a man with a gun. 

     This is a good opportunity to talk about one of my favorite photos. This image brings to me a feeling of peace. Of a time when you could go many places and not hear or see anyone for miles. It was late summer 1997, one of my Sunday drives when I would head deep into the mountains of North Carolina. I used to enjoy this immensely, sometimes just parking along the side of the road and listening to the wind.

     This day I watched as a strong line of thunderstorms was making it's way into the area. I love shooting thunderstorms and thought I would head to higher ground and try to capture some lightning, then I came around the corner and saw this tree. It didn't immediately catch my attention, but I stopped the car and got out to take a closer look. It stood alone on the hill and had so much character, it almost begged to be photographed. My idea was to silhouette, so I blasted off about 10 to 12 frames (no digital screen to check) and headed off. The result was awesome, and by changing the color of the clouds you can completely change the mood of the photo!

     I've mentioned in previous posts that the reason I started photography was to preserve the memory of beautiful landscapes that may disappear in our time, either due to natural disaster or human development. It's funny, when you think about it, that a photograph that takes only a fraction of a second may capture a moment that could last forever. That's why it's our duty to capture history as it happens; war, natural disasters, love, marriage, children, landscapes and whatever else it is that moves you to push that shutter button.

Don't hesitate, just do it



  

Convey the mood...

   What is the hardest thing in photography, or any art for that matter?

The ability to convey a mood, to get the viewer to look past the obvious subjects in the photo and look for a deeper meaning or representation.
  
   A recent visit to the Museum of Fine Arts inspired me to discuss the idea known as "Equivalence". Coined by Alfred Stieglitz in the 1920's and carried over by a few other photographers, Equivalence has no real definition, or in other words, is only defined by the photographer or viewer. It's a sense of place I guess, in my interpretation of the word, and it's a concept that I've unknowingly practiced from day one. When I moved to North Carolina in the early nineties, I found the natural beauty of the area almost hypnotizing. It gave me a sense of peace and happiness, but the only way I could express that was through a simple photograph. Looking back at those photos makes me smile, because I remember the exact moment it was captured, but to another viewer, it's just a landscape, or still-life.

   I told myself that I wanted others to see the beauty the same way I was seeing it, but how could that possibly happen when we are all different and perceive things with different emotion? At times I was almost hurt that others would simply say "Oh, that's a nice photo", because it had a story behind it. And until now, I didn't feel it necessary to provide a deep explanation behind every photo I've taken.

   A recent student of mine told me that she couldn't believe that I'd been teaching photography for 13 years because I didn't look that old, and that maybe it was the photography as a stress-eliminator that kept me that way. I thought about that and would have to agree. Photography, with the intention of forgetting the negativity and pain in this world is a great way to at least reduce stress. And looking for a deeper sense of something positive within the everyday can make you appreciate things that are often taken for granted.

   I was also surprised to see a series of clouds photographed by Stieglitz in the 20's and 30's. I myself have always turned to the skies for artistic inspiration, either waiting for an impending storm or staring into a sunset. My recent cloud series has been making the rounds here in Boston, and even though the clouds have no geographical location, I can tell you where each one was viewed and photographed, and sometimes why.

   As I have recently begun the arduous task of cataloging my negatives and images, I have come across many old photos and would now like to tell the story behind the eye. Thanks to blogging, I can do so with relative ease, and I hope that some of you enjoy the photos that I share.

See you soon...

The End of Kodachrome

Over the holidays I learned that the one and only lab in the world that processed Kodachrome slide film had ended the process, thereby putting an end to one of the most beautiful films in history.

For those of you who don't know the history of the film, it was the first mass-marketed color slide film produced by Eastman Kodak in the late 1930's. Amongst professional photographers it was highly regarded as one of the most accurate color films and was used primarily for magazine publishing and advertising.

When I think back on my career as a photographer, I think of the thousands of rolls of film, both negative and slide, black & white and color, 35mm and medium format, that still clog my desk drawers and negative albums. I was extremely hesitant to enter the digital photography market until the market demanded it, but when I did, I still continued to shoot film and still do today. I often read articles of how many professionals still shoot film for various reasons, mostly for it's characteristics. Yet most of the photography world predict an end to film production in the very near future.

The strangeness of this is that I consider myself a techie. Not one of those geeky types that stand in line to buy the iPod 12 or take out a second mortgage to buy the top-of-the-line Canon DSLR, but someone who truly appreciates the advancements in technology and how they relate to my chosen profession. I have embraced the digital photography world and teach digital photography to many fledgling photographers, yet I strongly oppose the end of film and will argue until my teeth bleed that film will never die.

I hope it never does.

The comforting factor in this can be related to the end of Polaroid film. It took less than a year and the cries of thousands of hobbyist and professional photographers to bring it back, and it is back, along with services to rebuild those old Polaroid cameras and make them useful again. I believe the same will be done for Kodachrome. All it takes is someone with a lab who can first reproduce the chemicals for developing the film, and then dust off the dip and dunk slide-processing machines to develop it. Oh, and someone to actually make the film and distribute it, oh, and we need a store willing to purchase and sell it............

The SHOCKING truth about wedding photography!

I just read an article on Boston.com about the Big Wedding Ripoff. The ripoff being that weddings cost a lot of money, and even in tougher economic times, the costs seem to be rising.

Well, Hello!

Welcome to the world of marriage! Where, like everywhere else, you have so many options it's overwhelming and often confusing. And also like everywhere else, you can choose how much to spend on everything you do. There are no rules when it comes to a wedding so don't be mislead by the leading magazines and reality TV.

The last paragraph of this column was especially disturbing to me: "In the past few months, though, I've been learning to say no – which can lead to some heart-wrenching decisions. No to the photography package. No to the fancy hors d’oeuvres. No to the poufy dress. And no to the DJ (sigh)."

Huh??

Have you ever been to a wedding with no music? Do you want your guests to have fun, or have you and your fiance worked out a skit to keep them entertained? Because, even though they all love and adore you, things will get pretty stale pretty fast. DJ's can be hired anywhere from $500 and up, especially if your wedding is on an "off-day" like a Friday or Sunday, or during the less-than-peak season. Of course I suppose you could always hook up your home stereo....

Now, I must admit, I'm a little biased when it comes to photography because, in case you haven't guessed, I'm a wedding photographer. But to say no to photography is one of the BIGGEST mistakes you will ever make. Trust me on that.

Next to a venue and some kind of food item, photography is the most important aspect of your wedding. After all, this is the best day of your life. All that planning, all those guests, the beautiful decorations and even that second-hand wedding gown that fits you so perfectly will be forgotten in a year without photos. Student photographers are literally a dime a dozen and you usually get what you ask for. I was a student once, and I never, even for a second, was arrogant enough to put someone's memories into my inexperienced hands. I assisted on almost 50 weddings before I offered to shoot a friend's, which I messed up due to improper exposures. That was embarrassing for me, but luckily they liked the photos anyway. That was before digital...

Today, even a family member can pick up their DSLR and shoot some decent images for you. I guess that is why many photographers have actually raised their prices. To keep our industry alive, and the professionals that have worked so hard to build it employed.

Which brings me to another sensitive subject; Quantity versus Quality

I am now over 200 weddings into my career. I still shoot with a "film" mentality which keeps my finger off the shutter button until the time is right. I DO NOT use my camera like a machine gun and spend hours in front of my computer looking at ten identical images trying to determine which one looks better. That's a waste of my time and a waste of your money. Realistically, as a bride and/or groom, do you want to spend hours going through 1500 similar images, or would you be happier looking at 400 to 600 great photos, all of which are album-worthy. Most of you would wisely choose the latter.

This is not an advertisement for my services, but a reminder to anyone planning a wedding. Be fun, be creative, use your imagination, and think wisely about what is really important on your wedding day. You'll find yourself saying "No" a lot less.

Time is on my side...

Mick Jagger never spoke truer words than these.

Time curses my brain. I am constantly thinking about time and how fast it slips by. So much so, that I waste a good hour of my day debating how best to manage my time, as I'm sure many people do.

Wouldn't it be nice if time could just slow down, long enough for the brain to catch its breath?

I often blame time for my lack of creativity, especially in the case of Wedding photography. A wedding day is not the kind of day that you can usually ask for more time, as a photographer anyway. I rarely get a chance to hang out with the bride and groom long enough for my creative juices to flow, therefore, I tend to miss even the most obvious "creative" photograph. It's usually not obvious until some guest with a disposable camera pulls the newlyweds over and snaps the shot, at which point I feel like a complete ass.

Most wedding photographers are aware of this and prepared to get that shot no matter what it takes. Even if it slightly disrupts the event. Again, for reasons unknown, I find myself uncomfortable in doing this, but I'm working on it.

Luckily, there are a few occasions in which the bride and groom have provided ample time between ceremony and reception for the photographer to focus on these artistic photos. In doing so, I have been able to tap in to my creative brain and come up with some really nice photos, a few of which you see here.

I want to thank those couples who realized the importance of photography in the course of their special day. No matter how much experience you have, we can all appreciate a little time on our side.

Oh, and I realize they're all kissing, but isn't that what newlyweds do?

Peace of Mind

I was homeless for over two years, close to three cumulatively.

It's a fact, and why doesn't matter any longer.

It was a trying time for me. A time spent looking for direction, answers, and most often companionship. It was a small town, and I would stand in the middle of the street at 3 a.m., looking and listening for something or someone to come my way, but it never did.

There was a bench in town. During the day you could never get a seat there, but at night it was all mine. I sat there looking up and down the street, thinking to myself how deadly silent this usually bustling town had become. At the same time, I could hear the factories buzzing almost a half a mile away, and it made me smile to know that others were going about their lives, unaware of my current predicament.

This is why I moved to the city. At any time of the day, somebody, somewhere, is doing something. This gives me a sense of comfort for some reason, although I can't exactly explain why. I sometimes wake up at night, 3 or 4 a.m., and just stand in my living room listening for sounds from outside.

A train crossing the bridge a few blocks away...

Traffic on the interstate, or a plane taking off from the nearby airport...

And then I go back to bed, content.

The other night I was walking home from downtown. It was a cold, January night, and the streets were unusually quiet. I found myself in this little park in the middle of Boston and I saw this bench. Cold, dark, steel, but inviting. I sat for a moment and listened...

It was silent.

Minutes later a taxi buzzed by, followed by another, and other cars followed. The city was alive again.

And I went home, content.