We’re nearing the next 2 workshops, and there’s only a few spots left if you’re wanting to improve your food photography skills!

• SOLD OUT! Food Photography+Food Styling 101: A Workshop for Food Bloggers & Other Creative Types
Taught by myself and my food stylist Angie Martin, we’ll show you how to not only photograph your dishes, but techniques on how to cook for the camera. We’ll debunk myths about using glue, paint & other toxic materials in food photography (hint hint: we prefer the natural way of doing things, though a touch of glue can do wonders!)
Saturday March 27th, 1pm
• 1 SPOT LEFT! (c’mon…you know you want it) Food Photography 101: A Workshop for Food Bloggers & Other Creative Types
The focus here will be of course on the technical side of food photography as we’ve done in the past, but also because of all the feedback and questions I’ve received on this topic I’ll spend a large part of the workshop on composition (where does that darn fork go?!).
Saturday April 3rd, 1pm
Venue: The Refinery
$45 (gst included)

~~~

I continually get asked by those learning food photography how to shoot better in restaurants with low lighting, or at home in natural light, and without spending wads of cash on equipment. That is exactly what these workshop are all about: simple and affordable solutions that will improve your photographs. We’ll be doing a bit of talking but mostly shooting, so be sure to bring your gear. Not a food blogger, but love shooting your kitchen creations and want to learn new techniques? You’re more than welcome too!

The Details:

• • Guaranteed 1-on-1 time for every student
• • I will teach you step-by-step how to set-up your shots using some specific food & beverage examples, focussing on using your camera’s manual settings
• • I will be sending out some refresher notes before-hand, and some workshop notes for you to take away from the session
• • All you are required to bring is your camera, it’s manual and a tripod
• • I don’t accept more than 10 people to a workshop to ensure that I can give each of you dedicated 1-on-1 time.
• • The last 2 workshops filled up & sold out quite quickly, and payment is required to hold your spot. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!
• • Click here to read info/see pics from previous workshops
• • To register for a workshop, please email Jackie and I will send you the PayPal details

Shooting meat can be tough - especially when it’s a giant rack of ribs slathered in an extremely thick, dark sauce. Usually shooting brown food is something that can easily turn out unappetizing, but when a client requests their half rack of ribs to be included on the shotlist, you’d better make it look good.

So, here’s the half rack of ribs I photographed last week along with my Food Stylist Angie and photo assistant Naz for Rockford Wok/Bar/Grill, Northland Properties‘ newest restaurant in the Nelsen Lodge at the base of Revelstoke Mountain Resort in Revelstoke, B.C.

Issue #1: dark sauce. I mean look at that - it’s nearly black.

Issue #2: we’re shooting in front of a window for the beautiful back-lit effect that I almost always strive for and most clients love, but because the ribs are so dark & glossy, the sheen that the entire right side of the ribs has is way too high contrast for my liking. We want the sheen, but not that strong.

Issue #3: that is one large plate of meat.

high contrast Ribs

Issue #1: the rich, dark sauce is what makes these ribs a signature item on the menu, so there was certainly no changing that. However Angie and Chef Harley did a great job of using it just enough to make the ribs, well, look like ribs, but not enough that we would have to shoot a saucy, soupy plate of ribs. Success!

Issue #2: Placing a diffusing panel between the food and the natural light coming through the window solved the problem of all those sharp edged shiny reflections. I carry a 5 in 1 reflector made by Interfit and I use it daily…it’s one of my ‘don’t leave home without it’ items.

Issue #3: Again, when you’re shooting a menu item for a client it’s extremely important to stay true to form - there’s not going to be much deviating from how a guest would receive the item when ordered off the menu, so shooting this rack of ribs, at this portion size, was a must. The key here was composition; keeping a focus on the ribs while using the french fries & coleslaw to balance it all.

Better Ribs!

Atlas lunch menu: Fish Tacos

Avenue Bistro & Atlas Cafe, both in the Comox Valley and owned by the lovely Sandra & Trent, are return clients of mine for which I’m incredibly grateful. I’m not even exaggerating for the purpose of this blog post - they are talented and generous and collaborative and I could eat nothing else but Atlas Cafe’s falafel for the rest of my life and be happy. Ok, and maybe bartender Christina’s smoothie to balance it out.

Initially I photographed Avenue when it first opened (2 years ago? 3?! Wow time flies!) and recently went back to take some updated shots, followed by a day at Atlas shooting food, staff, and the restaurant interior for an update of their website. I occasionally need to dust off my headshot shooting skills for some of my restaurant clients (there are actual people full of talent & creativity behind all of the delicious food that I shoot) and they need to be in the spotlight sometimes too, as much as they resist every waking second of it. The interesting part about this here though, was that we shot customers: real restaurant guests that we often ambushed prior to their lunch. Thankfully they were all wonderful sports! Here’s a few of my favourites, plus some tasty food shots too.

Christina @ Atlas garnishing a Mojito

Atlas dinner menu: steak, potatoes + seasonal veg

Avenue Bistro

Find Avenue Bistro: website •  @avenuebistro • Facebook Fan Page

Find Atlas Cafe: website

Seriously, go for the falafel! Go now!

~ j

Here’s something from The Fish House in Stanley Park photographed by yours truly to inspire your leisurely lunching activities. (c’mon, what, you mean you don’t go lunching?!)

So this was a dose (ha ha) of something different into my food and beverage shooting routine: prescription medication! However, Jane & Greg at Living Room Pharmacy were a breath of fresh air. They were recommended to me by a dear and long time client of mine, Sandra of Atlas Cafe & sister restaurant Avenue Bistro, all of which are in the Comox Valley (that’s on Vancouver Island, about mid way up, for all you city dwelling folk).

The main focus of the day was to get some shallow depth of field still-life shots of what happens behind the pharmacy counter, as well as a few lifestyle photos in and around the store. The behind the scenes shots was the fun part, because us creatives on set got to pick out the most colourful, crazy, psychedelic looking pills for the shots…like kids in a candy store (and then we got the explanation of what each one was for!).

Also on this project, and driving Living Room Pharmacy’s re-branding from their previous identity, was Perry & Mandy at Spring Advertising. I’ve been to Spring’s office, and it’s busy, let me tell you. I don’t know exactly what they’re doing, but they’re doing something right because they’ve got some great clients and neat projects on the go. Maybe it’s because they offer to go out and grab a coffee for all those waiting in their lounge chairs like they did for me (or else that kind man thought I was someone much more important than I actually am). Either way, I just hope Perry’s fancy new wheels didn’t get him a speeding ticket on the way home from our shoot that day. Perry: I, too, have new wheels now, so ha.

Find Spring: @SpringAd •  Facebook Fan Page •  website

Find Living Room Pharmacy: website

Find Atlas Cafe and Avenue Bistro: Atlas website • Avenue website • @avenue • Avenue Facebook Fan Page

~ j

photo: © 2009 Danno

I continually get asked by those learning food photography how to shoot better in restaurants with low lighting, or at home in natural light, and without spending wads of cash on equipment. That is exactly what these workshop are all about: simple and affordable solutions that will improve your photographs. We’ll be doing a bit of talking but mostly shooting, so be sure to bring your gear. Not a food blogger, but love shooting your kitchen creations and want to learn new techniques? You’re more than welcome too!

The Details:

• • Guaranteed 1-on-1 time for every student
• • I will teach you step-by-step how to set-up your shots using some specific food & beverage examples, focussing on using your camera’s manual settings
• • I will be sending out some refresher notes before-hand, and some workshop notes for you to take away from the session
• • All you are required to bring is your camera, it’s manual and a tripod
• • I don’t accept more than 10 people to a workshop to ensure that I can give each of you dedicated 1-on-1 time.
• • The last 2 workshops filled up & sold out quite quickly, and payment is required to hold your spot. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!
• • Click here to read info/see pics from previous workshops
• • To register for either/both workshops, please email Jackie and I will send you the PayPal details

The Workshops:

• Food Photography+Food Styling 101: A Workshop for Food Bloggers & Other Creative Types
Taught by myself and my food stylist Angie Martin, we’ll show you how to not only photograph your dishes, but techniques on how to cook for the camera. We’ll debunk myths about using glue, paint & other toxic materials in food photography (hint hint: we prefer the natural way of doing things, though a touch of glue can do wonders!)
Saturday March 27th, 1pm
Venue: Jackie’s studio - 336 East 1st Ave Vancouver
$65 (gst included)
• Food Photography 101: A Workshop for Food Bloggers & Other Creative Types
The focus here will be of course on the technical side of food photography as we’ve done in the past, but also because of all the feedback and questions I’ve received on this topic I’ll spend a large part of the workshop on composition (where does that darn fork go?!).
Saturday April 3rd, 1pm
Venue: The Refinery
$45 (gst included)

MARKET by Jean-Georges has been a great place to shoot. Twice now, and last time I got black truffle pizza AND a nifty banner, so really I can’t complain. Seriously though, Chef David and Communications guru Jill are always so welcoming and professional, and with Jean-Georges’ dishes it’s hard not to have everything turn out delicious looking.

Here’s the shots for MARKET’s ‘certain sporting event’ themed menu…you’ve still got a few days to head over and try them out!

Happy Friday and last weekend of the Olympics!

~ j

The 2010 Olympics are in Vancouver right now. The city is full of international visitors and bustling. It’s quite awesome when I stop and think about it.

What’s also been happening is that I’ve been refining things; clarifying where I’m going with JCP. Usually over the Christmas holidays is when I do this, and 2009 was no exception, but something was nagging at me that I just couldn’t put my finger on. So, I powered through a busy January but now it’s time to revisit this.

This is what I’ve come down to:

• • Post on this blog twice per week, on Tuesdays and Fridays; don’t stress if I have to miss one here and there. And stop writing in my uber-professional voice all the time! Blech.
• • Get out from behind my computer. Get back in front of my sketchbook.
• • Dig into 2 new exciting markets with my food photography. Pun intended.
• • Launch an information providing online food related venture. More info on that soon.
• • And the personal, lifestyle changes - well there’s a few there too, but they’re, well, personal.

Cheerio for now,

~ j

A team of very creative and collaborative people I’ve had the pleasure of working with on a number of projects has officially launched their new website. Moeski Consulting Inc. is a full service design, concept and consulting firm that specializes in creating marketable and profitable projects within the hospitality industry, lead by two passionate directors: Brett Turner, Restaurant Consultant, and Karin Bohne, Interior Designer.

The website features some of my food photography and interior shots from Amanda (both above as seen on their home page), a talented and dear friend who is embarking on her own architecture & interior photography venture.

Should you require Brett & Karin’s services, here’s how to get in touch with them:

t.  604.629.3400
f.  604.629.3401
e. info@moeski.ca

And congrats on the website Brett & Karin, it showcases your talents beautifully!