I’m spending more time over at Willowtree these days.

Willowtree is the result of what my sister and I do everyday: manage food sensitivities, while still trying to eat delicious, nutritious foods. We’ve both had food sensitivities our entire lives, and close to 2 years ago we had a conversation while traveling home together about how we wish we could help other people who also can’t eat gluten, or wheat, or dairy, or sugar. “But why can’t we?” we said to each other. So earlier this year we took that conversation and ran with it, and Willowtree was born. Beginning with a Recipe of the Week and Experience posts from both Tina and myself, we’re now finding our groove with this new endeavor, and have plans for many new features and additions coming soon that we’re very excited about. It’s all a little hush-hush as we work out the final details, but we’re very close!

So if you don’t find me here at JCP, please come on over to Willowtree and have a peek.

Seeing my photos in editorial pieces, especially cover shots, gives me pretty much the same feeling as I remember from being a kid at Christmas. Or when I order a book online, get busy doing other things and forget about it, only to jump in joy at the sight of the Canada Post delivery person coming down my walk way.

This Early Spring cover of GardenWise magazine was no different. Photographed last Summer, it was a pleasure to spend time with Terri-Lyn Storey in her East Vancouver community garden and it was so clear how proud she was of it. And check out her adorable red garden shed inside the magazine, which may have been my favourite part; yes, I have serious garden shed envy as mine is far from adorable!

I photographed several more Vancouver and Victoria community gardeners who will be featured in the coming issues of GardenWise throughout Spring and Summer 2011~ also a great resource if you’re wanting to go see some of the amazing things people are growing in these cities.

Pick up your copy of this Early Spring issue on newsstands now!

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I’ve written about this book project here numerous times, but I just can’t help it - I love it!  This time though, you can participate instead of just reading about it here: Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks is hosting a launch of Sugar Snaps and Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden. The author  Andrea Bellamy and I will be there and we’d love for you to join us!

This beautifully photographed guide is an inspiration to those wanting to grow veggie patches on balconies, patios and the tiniest of urban plots. Filled with practical tips, pointers and problem-solving ideas, Sugar Snaps and Strawberries is a great guide for growing edible landscapes in any small space.

See the event listing here and call Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks at 604-688-6755 to RSVP/for tickets.

Andrea and I hope to see you there!

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Here they are, from the one and only Andrea Bellamy of Heavy Petal. She dishes on design secrets, and whether your tastes are for formal design, or informal. I lean towards the haphazard and wildness of informal gardens, but probably because of my Type A personality, I was totally wowed by the organization of this particular garden I photographed (below, and in the article)!

You should also consider this a sneak-peek into her book, Sugar Snaps & Strawberries with photos par moi.

Enjoy!

~ j

Change is something I relish. I always have. I think I adapt through all sorts of change more easily than most people; moving cities, a rigorous spring cleaning, or something unexpected (ie.-”Oh my gosh, we have to do what now?”).  Though admittedly since graduating to an age with a 3 in front of it, adapting is becoming a touch more challenging. But just a touch.

Somewhat scary at first — we are talking about the unknown here — but when the excitement and thrill overcome everything else, it’s the best feeling in the world. Plus, I’m quite an impatient person so when I decide I want to do something, I want to do it right now, and I usually do.

So what’s the change happening at JCP? Let me tell you!

First, in an effort to make it very clear what I photograph and who I photograph it for, book publishing&editorial and imagebanks&stock are my 2 simplified areas of focus. Imagebanks are custom libraries of images (some good info here about this on Heather Morton’s blog). As for stock, I’m continuing with FBFA and have signed on with Toronto-based stock photography agency FirstLight. Food&beverage, food lifestyle and garden photography will remain my subject matters of choice, but expect to see the garden photography ramped up with some projects shot over Summer 2010 being published very soon.

Second, I will no longer be taking on new restaurant clients. JCP is at a fork in the road and I’m hangin’ a left. But existing restaurant clients don’t fret! I will happily continue to work with you whenever you need me ~ your return business and valuable relationships are important to me.

Third, I’ve stepped down from my Mentorship and Programming positions on the Board of CAPIC Vancouver, our very important, Canada-wide photography and illustration organization. It’s been a blast working with these folks on the Board, these folks as sponsors, and these wonderful folks at events, but after over 2 years it’s time to let someone else have the experience of organizing these two aspects for the chapter. Graham and Linda will be great in their new roles and I look forward to attending events and continuing to support the work they do for copyright and the industry.

And last but not least, JCP’s website is getting a (mini) facelift! Zboya Design Inc. will be working on this website in the coming weeks so it will reflect all of these changes. You’re going to see new galleries on the portfolio page including a ‘New Work’ gallery; a focus on garden images on the rotating home page image set; and of course regular blog posts keeping you up to date on new projects and exciting news.

The key to all of this: simplify, simplify, simplify.

Meet Brooklyn. She is the beautiful child of a dear, dear friend — and let me tell you, she embodies the word ‘adorable’.

These two graciously spent a few hours with a fellow photog and I at Vista D’Oro Farms for some fun in the garden. It was a day of firsts for the little one: first play in the dirt, first feline sighting, first view of a horse. Pretty cool to be witness to those experiences I must say.

Enjoy.

~ j

It’s finally here. I haven’t spoken to the author about it yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’s doing her happy dance in her living room. And so she should be. I know I did!

I’m incredibly proud to have my photography included with her brilliant words in this project, and incredibly amazed at the number of hours she’s put into this book (think LOTS)…she deserves every piece of fan mail and blog commenting and re-tweeting you can send her way.

I hope you pre-order yours today, and learn all about gardening in your small space.

Enjoy,

~ j

This is a general call out to all gardeners who have a particularly photogenic garden and would like to see photos of their garden and it’s creations in the Vancouver-based GardenWise magazine. I’m looking for 2 types of gardens to photograph this Summer:

1. Vancouver Community Gardens ~ this is pretty self-explanatory; looking for a wide variety of people and ages who have plots in Vancouver community gardens. You don’t have to have the best garden in the group, more interested in capturing a variety.
2. A bountiful, spacious home garden either in Vancouver or on Vancouver Island ~ specifically I need a ‘well forested’ area to set up a scene, colourful garden furniture and decor, porch with container gardening (definitely with florals and edibles could be included as well). You may be ok with being photographed in the background, and may have a dog or cat that wouldn’t mind being included as well!

If you have anything listed here, please email me or call me at 1.866.964.8066.

Thank you!

A fellow photographer and I organized a fun Sunday shoot in a friends house last weekend. It involved fresh fruit, jam and cookies, so everyone was happy. I’ll use some of the images in a new section of my website and print portfolio (details to come soon!) and some have been accepted by FirstLight, a Toronto based stock agency I just recently signed on with (link to stock gallery coming soon too!).

And what food photographer doesn’t drool at the chance to shoot in a beautiful, luxurious open-concept kitchen with natural light flowing in from every angle? Well I certainly do.

Here are some of my shots from the morning….have a great weekend!

~ j

The Trout Lake Farmers Market Opens this Saturday in their NEW LOCATION - the North Lot of Trout Lake Park behind 13th Avenue between Lakewood and Templeton. Opening bell rings at 9am and the market will run until 2pm each week until October 23.

There is no parking in the surrounding neighbourhood.  Try cycling, walking or taking transit to the market, or if you must drive, please park at a distance and walk in.  The closest bus is the #7 NanaimoStn/Dunbar - get off at Grandview Highway and walk 2 blocks West.  There is bike valet for secure bike parking while shopping, and a Grocery Pickup Area for heavy purchase pickups. And a doesn’t a walk to the market sound like a great way to start the day?  It certainly does!

For more information about the new location, check out their website.

Fun new feature: How about planning your trip to the market with their Interactive Market Map?  Its a great tool that can help you find your favourite vendor.

Its going to be a great day at the market, see you there!