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At the start of the Summer I was hired to shoot food photography for a pretty great book. You may recall that I’m from Vancouver Island, and if you’ve read any of my blog posts before, you know that I love making food look delicious on camera, to say the least.

So, when the chance came to shoot the food for a Comox Valley based book that promotes local chefs, local food, and the people who live on the Island that grow and produce this food..’Sign me up’ I said!

Here’s the cover and some shots from the book…I hope you enjoy them.

The book is available for purchase on the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association website.

I’m partially reprinting this post from Burns Auto Parts Creative Marketing Consultants because I think it really is that awesome. It speaks about believing in yourself as an artist and in your creative abilities, a total necessity for us creative business types.

” Do you believe you are a creative; that is, a person with a gift, a talent, a set of abilities like no other person? Believing that is an act of faith and, rather surprisingly, it’s damn hard for some creatives to do.

Are you one of those creatives who honors that gift or one of those who acts almost embarrassed or ashamed of it?

Do you put down your abilities, your gift? Ever catch yourself saying things like “Oh, it wasn’t anything special” or “I just kinda shot it–got lucky with the light?”

Do you refer to yourself and your path as “the guy who liked to draw as a kid and ended up in art school” or “the adult version of the kid who liked taking pictures for the yearbook but couldn’t do anything else?”

Do you feel, on some level, like apologizing every time you get a check for your creative work?

Are you waiting for the day when someone finally tells you you’re a no-talent hack who has only managed to fake it this far?”

The author coins the term Cognitive Reduction of Art Pathology…or CRAP, as the diagnosis if you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions. Nice little shot of humour here I think.

My favorite of her prognosis? Ok, all of them.

• • Call yourself an artist and what you make art. Do it out loud, every single day.
• • Remind yourself that if an ad costs $300K just for its space (placement), the art for that ad is worth a hell of a lot more than $2K.
• • Most people will not like your art, after all, most people like Wal*Mart and lawn ornaments; but the ones that will like it are the only ones that count and they’re the ones to market to.
• • You have every right to get paid and paid well for your abilities, just like a doctor or a plumber or any other pro; your skills are just as rare and valuable.
• • And, most importantly, you deserve to be happy–you are doing what you love, what you should be doing in this life–don’t crap on it.

Well said.

You can read the full original article here.

I have come to the conclusion that the saying “be careful what you wish for” really is true. In the Spring, I told myself (and the Universe apparently) that I should spend more time on Vancouver Island. My family still living in the Comox Valley is certainly one reason for this, but I also have been working with some new clients in my hometown (I promise to write more about that soon) and want to become more involved there. Funny to me how these things end up materializing, but in this case it was all a good thing.

So I put it out there, and as I look back over June I’ve spent over 10 hours either on or waiting for a BC Ferry to get to Vancouver Island. But it has been worth every minute.

Taking full advantage of the sun this month, we organized family BBQ’s that included seasonal fruits, rhubarb cake and a to-die-for locally made salsa; my sister and I tested a new veggie burger recipe (full post with recipe to follow) as part of a larger project; and a few of us went boating to Tribune Bay. All in all my June travels turned out to be a healthy mix of work and play.

Why does everything taste better barbequed?

This was the only shot of the rhubarb cake...it went that fast.

Chrome Island Lighthouse Station

Tribune Bay, off of Hornby Island

July has some great things in the works: a cookbook local to Vancouver Island, a vegetable gardening book with a fabulous local gardener and blogger, food photography for a new Vancouver restaurant, a trip to Calgary, and a birthday. Looks pretty darn good to me.

Mid week last week (yes, I will admit my blog postings are not quite keeping up with my real life occurrences) was a solid day of participating in the local food scene, and further opening my eyes to even more of the issues that face our food security, our health, and our agriculture. It was truly inspiring in every sense of the word.

First, a fellow food blogger and I visited the season opener of the Main Street Farmers Market. A seriously central location (Main and Terminal, in front of the Greyhound station), and certainly no lack of vendors with local produce and crafts; I was impressed. We both intended to simply check it out, but that all ended as soon as we saw cake; fluffy, delicious cake. We ate cake, bought produce and Mammoth Sunflower plants, and had to drop everything off at our respective houses before heading to the next spot. Oh, and we went reusable bag-less. Dumb. Thank you Vancity for helping us out with this, made carrying all that produce home much easier.

Next we stopped in at Chill Winston for a quick bite of Ahi Tuna Salad, Ginger Tofu Rice bowl, and a glass of Joie Noble Blend. Yum! We had hoped for a seat on the patio, but apparently on a sunny mid-week at 5.30pm everyone else had the same idea.

The final stop of the evening was at the UBC Robson Square Campus to see a film screening of the documentary FRESH. Literally straight out of Michael Pollan’s talk about his book In Defense of Food this past weekend at UBC Farm (photos from that coming tomorrow), we heard from Pollan along with others including farmers/promoters of local, non-antibiotic/hormone/pesticide farming Will Allen, Joel Salatin, George Naylor and Diana Endicott in this documentary by ana Sofia joanes. Sending a message about our food system, it’s production methods it’s premise drove home the important that we have to, and can make a difference by, voting with our forks for local food and the farmers who grow it. A great line from the film that has stuck with me since seeing it is “Food is at the foundation, but it’s really about life.”  Well said Mr. Allen.

My two favorite things about Summer, besides the sun itself: barbecued anything and strawberries. Without a doubt. No question. End of discussion. There is something pleasant about my childhood that comes screaming back to me like that scene in Ratatouille when the evil food critic Anton Ego tries Remy/Linguini’s ratatouille for the first time; in a split second any stresses, all time constraints and my adult responsibilities just fly right out the window. I’m a kid again. I love it.

(more…)

Protein + folate + fibre + deliciousness = chick peas!!!?

Apparently so.

© 2009 Jackie Connelly Photography

I have recently fallen in love with chick peas. I don’t know what it is about them - their plump texture, insane flexibility to work so well in so many different dishes, or the fact that I’ve finally found a food that I love and is good for me - but I can’t get enough of them.

If you happen to share my recent obsession, I’ve collected some recipes from friends on Twitter, food magazines and a local restaurant I thought you might enjoy:

• • Persian Split Pea Soup ~ From PCC Natural Markets in Seattle  (you can follow them on Twitter here); peas, tomatoes, onions and spices, yum!
• • Recent interviewee Fig&Cherry recommends her Roasted Cauliflower and Chick Pea Salad.
• • Canadian Living magazine’s ‘Cheers to Chick Peas’ has 15 recipes here that all make use of the ingredient.
• • From the pages of Real Simple Magazine, and what my other half cooked us for dinner last night (pictured above): crispy breaded shrimp with garlicky beans. *he just added chick peas to the bean mix, it was delicious!
• • And if you ever have a chance to get your hands on some octopus, this recipe for Octopus Confit with chickpeas and roasted red peppers from the Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook (order here) by Frank Pabst sounds amazing:

INGREDIENTS

Octopus confit
1 bulb garlic, halved through the equator
1 onion, quartered
1 red jalapeño pepper
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 sprig dried oregano
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
2 lbs octopus, thoroughly washed and rinsed
4 cups olive oil

Chickpeas and peppers
4 red bell peppers
7 Tbsp olive oil
1⁄2 cup oil from the octopus confit
2 shallots, thinly sliced
9 cloves garlic, 6 thinly sliced on a mandolin and 3 cut in half
7 oz cooked chickpeas (about 1 cup)
12 slices baguette, each 1⁄4 inch thick
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of red wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 cup Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

METHOD

Octopus confit
In a pot just large enough to hold the octopus snugly, combine garlic, onion, fennel seeds and bay leaves, then place the octopus on top and add olive oil until the octopus is covered. Cook on medium heat for about 1.5 hours, or until a paring knife easily pierces the shoulder between the head and the tentacles.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the octopus to cool in the oil. Once cool, remove the octopus from the oil and place it on a clean cutting board. Reserve the oil. Using a sharp knife, cut the tentacles—with skin and suction cups still attached—into bite-size pieces. Cut off and discard the octopus beak, then slice the remainder of the head into thin strips about 2 inches long. Set aside.

Chickpeas and peppers

Preheat the oven to 400F. Brush bell peppers with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and set them on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are lightly charred. Transfer to a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Peel the bell peppers, then cut them open and remove and discard the seeds. Cut the pepper flesh into wide strips about 2 inches long.

Heat the octopus confit oil in a medium pot on low heat. Add shallots and the thinly sliced garlic and sweat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and roasted peppers and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat 6 Tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add baguette slices and pan-fry on both sides until golden brown and crunchy, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture, then rub croutons with garlic halves.

To serve: In a large bowl, combine octopus pieces, chickpeas and roasted peppers. Add salt, lemon juice and vinegar, then mix in basil and parsley. Divide the mixture among four bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter of the croutons.

Suggested wine: Go for something off the beaten path—Greco di Tufo shows lemon and clove with good fruit and a lively finish.

* Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook by Frank Pabst © 2009. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Douglas & McIntyre: a division of D&M Publishers.

Do you have a favorite chick pea recipe? Let us know in the comments section!

Enjoy!

A while back I did some research into food related books and posted what I found over several posts. Clearly this is something that people are interested in because the posts got some much appreciated responses and some great traffic. I took up reading one of the books, The Omnivore’s Dilemma by the award winning author Michael Pollan and I must say that book is making me think; I love it. I mean, it’s always nice to to have spare time entertainment, whether it be books or movies, that are somewhat spoon-fed and allow you to turn off your brain for a little while, but I love a book that makes me really question things; and especially question things about what I eat. Pollan has written another book called In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (love the cover photo), and if you are familiar with Pollan or his books you may want to check out this upcoming Vancouver event:

In partnership with Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, the UBC Farm is pleased to announce a Saturday afternoon presentation and book signing with award-winning author, Michael Pollan. Vancouver will be Michael’s only Canadian city on his book tour for the paperback version of In Defense of Food.

This unique opportunity to meet Michael takes place at UBC Farm on Saturday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. At this fundraiser for UBC Farm, Michael will share his manifesto of: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” He will also be available to sign copies of In Defense of Food.

This exciting afternoon includes a signed copy of In Defense of Food , guided tours of UBC Farm and live music and entertainment. All are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and a blanket to sit on.

Tickets to this rain or shine event are $45 (includes GST) and are sold exclusively through Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks. The ticket price includes a paperback version of In Defense of Food, and all proceeds from the event will go to support the UBC Farm.

For more information about this and other events, visit Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks website and please call 604-688-6755 to purchase tickets to hear Michael Pollan speak.

This is the most you’ll ever read of me writing about the recession, the economy, or these challenging times we are currently facing; my feelings are that it’s better to focus on the positive and continue to move ahead.  But, on the other hand, as an entrepreneur I can’t ignore it; if it’s something my clients are concerned about then that means it’s something I need to know about it.

I think that focusing on one’s customers and, as creative professionals, communicating the value in our work and the benefits to those who hire us is possibly our biggest responsibility.  Companies are watching where they spend their dollars now, and of course they want to know they are getting the best value in exchange for our creative work. However, easier said than done, communicating value is probably one of the most difficult things for a creative professional to do, and I know lots of artist who struggle with this.

Some good tips on on this topic I’ve been reading include John Jantsch’s blog post; Mark Hayward’s 5 Simple Words… which sums up everything here quite nicely whether you’re a business owner, creative professional or blogger; and Burns Auto Parts Consultants’ Think Service post can’t be ignored.

I pose this question to you:

• As a creative professional how do you impress the value of your art to your current and potential clients?

• As a company who looks to hire creative professionals what makes you take note of those who market themselves to you?

This is the first post in a a regular occurring blog series that is based on common questions I get from my clients. The idea is that if one person is asking this question, there are probably others out there that want to know the answer too. The current question is one that comes from many clients often in the pre-production meetings when we are throwing around ideas as to the style, colours, overall feel…”but what about the props?” they ask.

The cheese shot here is a perfect example to use to answer this question regarding props; specifically how do you choose props, how do you know what props to add and how many, and placement.

In my experience choosing props can’t be done unless you know what style/theme/visual feel you are trying to create with your photo. In this shot you can see the props used were simple but kept in line with the rustic, country-like style of the main star of the shot: the cheese. First, we have grapes. I used some grapes in both the mid and background; I picked through two piles of grapes at the market and carried them to the check-out like they were my most prized possession (this is key; and ask the cashier to be careful! If you don’t, before you know it your carefully selected prop, food or otherwise, will be squashed in the bottom of a shopping bag). *Styling tip: freeze your grapes ahead of time so they appear dark, crisp and round. Saggy, wrinkly grapes don’t look good.

The next prop is the cutting board – it’s nothing special, but it’s simple and light colored. I didn’t want to use a dark board,  I wanted the overall feel of the shot to be visually light and didn’t want the surface to take your eye away from that front piece of cheese.

Finally, the cheese knife. I will admit this cheese knife inspired this shot; I love the checkered pattern down the side of the blade and the wooden handles are perfectly worn in. What can be tricky about falling in love with a prop though, is sometimes you have to just get over it and remove it from a shot if it’s simply not working; don’t sacrifice the shot just because of a prop you love – make that shot work without it and find another shot to use that prop in later. This knife was also tricky in terms of placement – I had it every which way before deciding this looked best. The best thing to do in this case is just play around with it and review each shot (ideally on a computer screen, not just on your camera’s LCD) before deciding on the final placement.

Overall, you must remember that props are just that: supporting pieces that visually add to the main focus without being distracting. Visual trends today definitely lean towards the less is more mantra, but I encourage you to explore, try different options and set-ups and find what is visually appealing to you.