art deco bottle of golden Gran Centenario Reposado Tequila
Gran Centenario Reposado Tequila
Reposado tequila is a type of tequila that has been aged for at least two months in oak barrels. This gives it a mellower flavor than blanco tequila, which is not aged and is a versatile beverage ingredient that can be used in various cocktails.
I chose to photograph this liquor product as I loved the art deco look of the bottle and deep warm brown hues after a bartender suggested it in a margarita (which was also an excellent recommendation!) at a local Mexican restaurant my partner and I frequent near our place in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
For this commercial photography test shoot, I wanted to enhance the warm brown tones of the tequila throughout the entire narrative image scene. When I was shopping to prop style this shoot, I looked for similar brown tones for a cohesive feel throughout the image, from the backdrops to the few added elements such as the cutting board, the paring knife, the tajin spice in the salt rim of the margarita cocktail, and even the gold cocktail picks used thoughtfully in the styling. I also added some edible gold dust to the margarita, which added a slight hint of movement and sheen to the drink. When prop styling a food photograph, for either a commercial or editorial photoshoot, I always look to tell the story of the brand and what will enhance the appeal of the product.
How to make a reposado tequila cocktail:
- Ingredients: The ingredients for a reposado tequila cocktail will vary depending on the specific cocktail you want to make. However, some common ingredients in addition to reposado tequila include citrus juice, agave syrup, spices, and bitters.
- Instructions: The recipe instructions for making a reposado tequila cocktail will also vary depending on the specific cocktail. In general cocktails will involve mixing the ingredients together in a shaker with ice and then straining them into a glass.
- Garnish: Some reposado tequila cocktails are garnished with fruit, herbs, salt, or other ingredients. This is optional, but it can add a touch of flavor and visual appeal to the cocktail especially if being used in a photoshoot.
- Taste: Reposado tequila cocktails typically have a smooth, mellow flavor. The tequila is the star of the show, but the other ingredients help to balance it out and add complexity.
- Tips: Here are a few tips for making reposado tequila cocktails:
- Use high-quality ingredients. The tequila is the star of the show, so it’s important to use a good quality one.
- Experiment with different ingredients. There are endless possibilities when it comes to making reposado tequila cocktails. Experiment with different fruits, herbs, and spices to find flavor combinations that you like and maybe you create a new drink!
- Don’t be afraid to add a little sugar. If you find that your cocktail is too tart, you can always add a little sugar to taste.
- Serve your cocktail in a chilled glass. This will help to bring out the flavors of the tequila.
Reposado tequila cocktails are a delicious and versatile option for any occasion. With a little creativity, you can easily create a variety of cocktails that will please any palate!
Drink product photography
Beautiful dark and moody food photography in natural dramatic lighting
Dark and moody food photography
Dark and moody food photography is a captivating dramatic lighting style, usually on a black or other dark background, that enhances the richness and textures of food. It often uses natural window light to create deep dramatic shadows and depth to an image by highlighting a focal point in the image with graduated shadows with soft natural light draped across it. It is my favorite style to photograph food or drink in, generally in a more editorial food photography style but can be used in commercial food photography as well, usually with natural window light but I have used off camera flash with lighting modifiers to simulate a soft window light as well.
I wanted to share this series of food photography images I have photographed as a professional photographer, along with producing these photoshoots as a prop and food stylist in my Chicago food photography studio to demonstrate how to best achieve this lighting technique. This is a form of tabletop product photography, where I generally like to style the composition of the image in a minimal setting, either with just the food or drink by itself or in a simple lifestyle storytelling scene. Either way the photograph is inspired by the ingredient and how it’s texture and simplicity in isolation is a form of natural art.
Some tips in creating dark and moody food and drink photography:
- Use low lighting: Use dim or low lighting to create a darker and more dramatic atmosphere. This can be achieved by shooting in a dimly lit room, or by using a low shutter speed to let in less light. It all depends on the setup available to you and the desired look and feel of the image.
- Use a shallow depth of field: A shallow depth of field will blur the background and make the food stand out more. This can be achieved by using a wide aperture on your camera, such as f/2.8 or lower but be careful to monitor your focal point to achieve your desired focus as your focus point can quickly become blurry with these settings. I suggest using a tethered shooting method if you can to monitor focus on a more micro level.
- Play with contrast: Use contrasting colors to make the food pop. For example, a dark background can make white or light or bright colored food stand out by making the subject pop and colors become more vibrant.
- Use shadows: Shadows can add depth and drama to an image. Try positioning your food in such a way that it creates interesting shadows.
- Experiment with angles: Try shooting from different angles to create a sense of movement and drama in your image. Understand composition with the rule of thirds, the golden spiral, grid, golden ratio, diagonal, and triangle. Sketching out how you are envisioning the image to look can help narrow down this process.
- Post-processing: You can use editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance the moody feeling by playing with the contrast, shadows, highlights, and colors with adding saturation or vibrance.
It’s important to note that for food photography in general lighting is the key to achieve the mood and feel of the image you intend and to make the dish or beverage look appetizing. You will need to experiment with different lighting setups and angles until you find the right one that creates the lighting style you are looking for.
Here are some examples of stunning dark and moody food photography using natural dramatic lighting I have photographed in the past:
Cut in half radicchio with peeled leaves. I was attracted to photographing this vegetable because of the contrast of the white veins against the deep reddish purple leaf.
Radicchio quarters set in a black cast iron pan.
Purple Moon kale leaves with gardening scissors in natural light on a black stone background.
Retro art deco champagne glass illuminated with natural window light filled with a fine Avinyo Cava champagne.
Fresh red bright red cherries with stems in a silver metal colander photographed from above on a black background.
Single vibrant red cherry with stem placed on a blue plate, photographed with defined dark shadows.
An isolated retro 1920s style champagne glass filled with sparkling champagne on a gold and navy floral background.
Thank you for taking the time to review this information! I am a Chicago based food and drink photographer but am available throughout the Midwest and have worked with clients in Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis. I also help brands bring their creative vision to life with visual Art Direction and Creative Direction.
Dark and Moody Food Photography
Beef Product Photography | Commercial Food Photographer
Beef Product Photography
The Demkota Ranch Beef marketing coordinator reached out to my Minneapolis food and drink photography studio, based in the Minnesota’s Twin Cities, when their advertising team was in need of some updated product content images of their beef products for marketing on their website and social media channels.
Their marketing team asked if I could be the food stylist and prop stylist as well, which included cooking summer themed BBQ recipes and creating lifestyle scenes while photographing some of their beef products. I worked with the coordinator as art director as well to produce and schedule a time frame for the project that worked for both of us. My partner and I photographed a variety of their beef products which included product images of whole meat (then having to butcher the product into various forms), different cuts of steak, and some life-styled BBQ grilled recipes that were familiar to their target audience in the South Dakota region. Some of the recipes, like chislic, I was not very familiar with and had to research in order to find the right ingredients and props for the images. The multi-day shoot went great, and took a lot of preparations, but their products ended up looking terrific in the photos. It was a pleasure to collaborate and work with such a professional and passionate marketing team.
I’m sure Demkota Ranch Beef will continue to wow their customers with their delicious products, as the coordinator was happy with the photo shoot results, and I was glad to help out a local business in South Dakota to promote their brand to their target audience. As a food photographer based in Minneapolis at the time, now I am based in Chicago, Illinois, I was excited to have the opportunity to shoot such delicious-looking products from a local company based in the Midwest.
A lifestyle food product photo image with a BBQ grill rib scene where I was the prop and food stylist putting together the plate and cooking all of the main and side dishes.
The strip loin steaks were gorgeous under the studio lights shining and a bright red with marbling. I chose simple ingredients to compliment the product and to create the feeling of a home cooked meal.
Commercial food photography
Summer Recipe Photography
Summer Recipe Photography
Twin Cities based Mississippi Co-Op Market reached out to my Midwest food and beverage photography studio (at the time I was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota) to produce a couple of summer recipes photography shoots for their upcoming summer 2022 issue of The Medley, the co-op’s quarterly newsletter for member-owners, filled with sustainable agriculture issues, new recipes, news and events. For this client I art directed along with food and prop styling, where I needed to shop for all of each recipes ingredients at local grocery markets, prep all of the ingredients to be cook, prepare each of the recipes, style the studio layout for the lifestyle imagery, plate and photograph and do post-production for each dish. Each recipe shoot took about a week to shop, plan, and photograph.
The first recipe I prepared, food and prop styled, then photographed in my studio was for the Mediterranean Salad recipe, which included dinosaur kale (or Lacinato kale), black lentils, red peppers, feta cheese, olives, and a vinaigrette dressing (see the full recipe here) I photographed a few versions of the recipe but ultimately an over head flat lay of the dish made the cover of the newsletter.
The second recipe I produced, preparing and photographed, in addition to being the food stylist, was the Ugandan rice recipe. This recipe is made with a basmati rice and was a the vegetarian version. When researching to make this recipe I saw it is also traditionally made with meat, most often with beef, and is also called a Pilau African rice recipe. Check out The Medley summer 2022 issue for the full recipe!
Lifestyle image of the Mediterranean salad recipe on the cover of the co-ops summer newsletter issue.
Overhead flat-lay of the Ugandan rice recipe in a seasoned cast iron pan.
A different angle of the Ugandan rice recipe with a closer detail of the dish topped with two bay leaves and some cut ingredients in the background.
Lifestyle scene of Ugandan rice in a seasoned cast iron pan with a cutting board of red peppers and red onion slice.
Recipe Photography
I am a Chicago based food and drink photographer who is also available for Food Styling projects throughout the Midwest but have worked specifically in Milwaukee and Minnesota’s Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St Paul. I also art direction or creative direction for commercial photography projects as a collaborator as I have my MA in Strategic Communications and nearly two decades of experience in the creative industry!
Please reach out if you have a food recipe shoot you would like produced and photographed for your newsletter, blog, or cook book!
European-inspired Delicious Entrees for Restaurants Social Media Content
European-inspired Delicious Entrees for Restaurants Social Media Content
Restaurant photography
I was contacted by the marketing team at Tria restaurant, located in North Oaks, Minnesota about a half an hour outside the Twin Cities downtown Minneapolis, for some social media content creation images in an editorial lifestyle photo style of their European French inspired restaurant. When collaborating with the team on this project I was asked to photograph the staff, a chef’s portrait, the restaurant interior and exterior, menu entrees, with additional lifestyle scenes of some of their essential entrees and specialty bar drinks and cocktails, all for them to use to promote their brand through the restaurant’s website and social media channels. This photoshoot was on location at the restaurant (on a very cold Minnesota early January day!) so some light travel was involved along with bringing some professional lighting for the portraits and to be used as fill lights where needed. Overall this shoot was similar to documentary or storytelling photography or a “day in the life” of the restaurant’s daily operations in order to visually show its brand.
In order to prepare for a restaurant lifestyle shoot there is a lot of pre-production involved with the client. As the professional photographer you will need to know if there will be talent or models hired (and who will be hiring them, you or the client), a hair and makeup artist, a food stylist, the timeline of the the project, and the day of shoot timeline. This process can sometimes take weeks of coordination before the shoot is scheduled so you will need to be very hands on so you are meeting your clients needs and making sure no deadlines are missed.
Restaurants or venues looking to hire a food and drink photographer to document an image library for them should consider a photographer who is also proficient in art direction and has experience scheduling and hiring third party vendors for the production if needed. Now this shoot did not require all of what I previously mentioned but we did discuss some of these things in the initial stages of the project.
I chose to photograph these food and beverage subjects in a natural window light with a fill flash to add an extra crisp pop to the drinks and dishes. It was in the later afternoon on a winter day so the sun was setting earlier and I used that to my advantage. The sun being lower in the horizon allowed for direct sunlight on a sunny day without a harsh contrast in the shadows. But take a look at some of my favorite images below to see for yourself!
Fresh out of the oven warm pot pie dish in a lifestyle table top setting with bread and a buttery Chardonnay glass of white wine.
The restaurants family event dining room set in a warm and cozy Italian theme inspired home with the wooden cabinet and dining room table with chairs.
Steak with mashed potatoes entree topped with fried onions.
Waitress preparing orders in the kitchen during the busy dinner food service
Plate of mussels in a lifestyle food setting on a classic dining room table top
Motion blur of a server passing by while guests eat in the dining room.
Manager and bartender posing with some specialty drink cocktails at the bar.
Restaurant chef seasoning a pot of stew in an industrial kitchen.
Cozy image of a date night surf and turf dinner special a Caymus vineyards bottle of red wine next to a warm fireplace on a cold winter night.
Waiter portrait holding two glasses of wine white and red in the dining room of Tria restaurant.
A delicious looking cocktail in a coupe glass with natural light on a wooden bar corner.
Twin Cities Bloody Mary Festival
Twin Cities Bloody Mary Festival 2021
I was contacted by the Twin Cities Bloody Mary Festival, a nationwide traveling event, to photograph their upcoming event in Saint Paul, Minnesota early October 2021 at Union Depot. There were vendors from all around the Twin Cities and nearby Minnesota suburbs sharing samples of their best Bloody Mary recipes for event attendees to taste and vote on their favorites. Other vendors included a station where they were making fresh hand rolled cigars and the Minnesota made Grey Duck Vodka. It was a fun afternoon of tasting the different drink and food cocktails that had variations of mild to spicy, topped with all variations of different garnishes, one having a small slider BBQ brisket sandwich on top a popular station overall!
A row of some of the top contenders in the bloody mary favorites contest.
Bloody Mary Festival on a Saturday afternoon at the Union Depot in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Event attendees taking selfies with a cartoon face poster.
Bloody Mary cocktail samples lined up on a window sill for some natural light at the Saint Paul, Minnesota Union Depot. Variations included one with green beans and wasabi!
The highlight of the days events was the brisket slider Bloody Mary with beer chaser. The line to this booth was long the whole time I was there!
One of the events vendors hand rolled custom cigars for attendees.
I am a Chicago based food and beverage photographer with almost two decades of experience. I started out my career as a photojournalist and still love being able to photograph events in a storytelling documentary editorial style.
Editorial Food Photography
Minnesota Chef Karyn Tomlinson
Minnesota Chef Karyn Tomlinson
Minneapolis, Minnesota Chef Karyn Tomlinson, whom I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing editorial portraits of in a downtown Minneapolis restaurant for her bio intro for her appearance to compete on the Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay, “Best in Snow” that recently aired in season 27. Check out the full episode through this link to see how she did!
For this food editorial photoshoot, I was contacted by the production company for the show, where I connected with the chef to schedule a date and time to do the shoot. On the day of the shoot, I brought some minimal off-camera lighting for portraits and hero images of her competition dishes. I used it as a soft fill light because I wanted to use as much natural light as possible. Still, as we mainly photographed inside, I needed to overpower the room’s fluorescent lighting and balance the available window light.
I met up with chef on a cold winter day in Minnesota at an industrial kitchen in downtown Minneapolis where I would photograph her preparing some of her competition dishes for the show. We started out by taking some environmental portrait and action images outside around the neighborhood with the snow covered landscape, then moving back inside for some additional chef portraits, and finally action and hero images of her delicious entrees. See the results for yourself below!
Environmental editorial portrait of Chef Karyn Tomlinson in an industrial kitchen where she prepared her competition dishes.
Placing black caviar on a gourmet French omelette
Behind the scenes documentary image of preparing the next dish with chef and sous chef in an industrial kitchen
Detail of a gourmet French omelette with black caviar and cream restaurant quality dish
Broccolini and grapefruit salad with a frothed sauce
Chef Karyn Tomlinson shaving grapefruit rinds in preparation for her next dish.
Leg of Lamb and shaved beat with kimchi dish plated on a rustic plate with a wooden butcher block table top background.
I am an editorial and commercial food photographer based in Chicago, Illinois and am available throughout the Midwest and beyond. Have passport and willing to travel!
Editorial Food Photographer
Minnesota Chef Erick Harsey
Minnesota Chef Erick Harsey
Minnesota Chef Erick Harsey was kind enough to meet up at his restaurant Willards in Cambridge, Minnesota to be photographed as part of his competing on the Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay. I photographed him in some environmental portraits posed and working throughout the restaurants kitchen, along with photographing some of his signature food dishes. Chef Erick and everyone working at the restaurant, along with some of the regular customers, were excited for him to compete on the show, potentially against Bobby Flay himself! While I was there everyone was buzzing about how exciting the opportunity was and they were looking forward for the show to air! See how he did on the shows full episode link “Best in Snow”!
Cambridge, Minnesota is about an hour north from downtown Minneapolis and has a quaint downtown main street shopping area where the restaurant is located. When I arrived on a cold winter Minnesota day it was for the lunchtime rush where I was able to capture some great images at the restaurants lunch counter with a little bit of a vintage diner feel. As the shoot progressed I captured the chef in action in the kitchen helping plate orders for guests and then preparing some of his competition dishes for the show. We also stopped to take some editorial portraits of Chef Harsey in the environment of the restaurants kitchen and out in the dining room area. The same went for the entrees! I took some beautiful food images to highlight the chefs talents in preparation and plating of his signature dishes.
Chef stands in Willards restaurants kitchen for an editorial portrait for his biography introduction before appearing for competition in season 27 of the Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay
Cooked pasta salad being plated by the chef in a restaurants busy kitchen.
Small cast iron pan with smoked salmon, greens, topped with fresh made onion rings.
Chef plating hamburgers and french fries for the lunch rush at the end of the diner like counter for guests to sit and see into the kitchen.
Plating lunch dishes on wooden boards of burgers and fries
Chef editorial portrait in Willards restaurant dining room holding one of his signature dishes.
Minneapolis Editorial Food Photographer
Minneapolis Chef Remy Pettus
Minneapolis Chef Remy Pettus
I had the pleasure of meeting up with and photographing editorial portraits of Minneapolis Chef Remy Pettus of Bardo restaurant for his bio intro for his appearance on the Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay, “You Made Your Bread Now Eat It” that recently aired in season 27. Chef had just returned from competing on the show but of course I like everyone else had to wait to see the episode he competed on to see how he fared against the competition. Check out the full episode through this link!
The photoshoot was scheduled for a beautiful summer day in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota while the restaurant was closed so I could photograph around the quaint restaurant freely. The food photography schedule for the day was based on some of the chefs signature dishes one of which he would use to face off again Bobby Flay if he makes it to the second round of the shows battle.
Chef Remy Pettus stands in the center of his restaurant’s dining room (which he said was a former funeral home!), just outside of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. For this portrait he is holding a ham with shrimp and grits dish he prepared for the photo shoot. See a detailed image of the dish below along with some more of the other delicious dishes he prepared below!
Ham shrimp and grits dish served at Minneapolis, Minnesota Bardo restaurant.
The Minneapolis restaurant had a beautiful copper bar tabletop that I used as a background for most of the dishes I photographed like this ham with shrimp and grits entree.
Chef and restaurant owner Remey Pettus stands in front of his downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota restaurant Bardo on a beautiful sunny summer afternoon.
This dish of lamb ribs photographed beautifully in some natural window light.
Roasted beet and turnip salad with shaved jalapenos pieces photographed on a textured copper table top background.
Cold scallops with beats in a white ceramic restaurant dish, perfect for a light and refreshing summertime meal.
As a professional photographer I always prepare for photo shoots like this in advance, studying the shot list, and packing what gear I think I will need to capture the images in the lighting style and composition that are true to my editorial photography style for an assignment like this. For this project I brought one off camera light to use to photograph the chefs portrait inside but also to use outside as it was a bright sunny day and I did not want to be limited to only finding shade to photograph him in. The off camera light allowed me to photograph the chef in the sun as well but illuminated him to avoid any harsh shadows and helped balance the background light. That said, I did still use some natural available window light as a mix while photographing some of the food entrees to give them a natural editorial feel. Whenever I am hired for photography on location it is good to be a little over prepared because you never know what inspiration will come to you during the shoot or what the venue will offer as far as available lighting options, unless you have time to visit the location beforehand.
I photographed this assignment while living in downtown Minneapolis, but I have since relocated back to my hometown of Chicago, Illinois where I have a small food and beverage photography studio on the cities northside. I still get back to the Twin Cities on occasion for editorial and commercial photography projects and am available to travel throughout the Midwest. Please feel free to contact me so we can collaborate on your next food or drink photography project! I have also been contracted as a food stylist and would love to hear how I can help your next project be a success!
Food and Drink Photographer
Reverie Restaurant and Bar
Reverie Restaurant and Bar
Reverie Restaurant and Bar accepted my collaboration photoshoot offer after I posted in a local small business restaurant social media networking group. I wanted to help other small businesses and offered a branding photography session for local Minneapolis restaurants once Covdi-19 restrictions started to be lifted at the end of the summer of 2020. In this effort I hoped to help local restaurants promote their businesses to let the local community know they were back open for business and what their current operating offering were. As in the case for Reverie, at the time of this photography shoot their main dining room and bar were closed to the public, but they have a large outdoor seating area alongside the restaurants building covered in colorful and vibrant graffiti murals. Below are some of the branding and behind-the-scenes editorial hospitality images I took for them to help market themselves on social media.
A pedestrian walks by the front of the restaurant where they had an order and take out window in place due to the cities indoor dining restrictions during the shutdown.
A man eating cauliflower tacos in their outdoor patio dining area.
Two people walk down the sidewalk past the outdoor dining area in Reverie’s side patio.
Check out the restaurants menu for their latest plant-based vegan dish offerings.
During the cities unrest after the murder of George Floyd nearby many businesses had to board their windows but added impactful statement graffiti messages.
A window attendant waves at a customer waiting for their pickup order.
Customers wait in line outside on a sunny but chilly fall October afternoon.
Lifestyle food photography with a plant-based BBQ sandwich and a glass of Underwood Pinot Noir wine.
Guests sit outside in the restaurants outdoor patio dining area enjoying their meals and conversation on a fall day.
Reverie restaurant offers a variety of plant-based vegan dishes and bowls on their takeout menu.
The restaurant is adorned in colorful custom graffiti.
One of their many handheld sandwich offerings, the KBLT with kimchi, tempura tempeh bacon, garlic aioli, arugula, and tomato.
I am a Chicago based food and beverage photographer but am available throughout the Midwest. I lived in Minnesota’s Twin Cities for almost five years before relocating back to my hometown of Chicago, Illinois and still travel back to Minnesota on occasion. Please feel free to contact me for your next editorial or commercial project, I love collaborating and am also a food stylist as well! Some of my food and beverage styling clients include major brands in the Milwaukee market as well!
Minneapolis Photographer
Storehouse Grocers
Storehouse Grocers
I had the pleasure of meeting up with Carl Johnson owner and manager of Storehouse Grocers a small business in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota to photograph him at the store for a Spicy Green Book listing, a national listing of Black-owned food and beverage businesses throughout the US and Canada. The neighborhood corner grocery store recently had their grand opening and are hoping to help serve the community with staple household needs. Corner stores are an important fabric of urban neighborhoods to allow for easy access to everyday staples and fresh fruit and vegetables, usually within walking distance so residents do not need to travel by public transportation or vehicle to get the basic necessities. Recently, I discovered an exciting update, Storehouse Grocers expanded and added a coffee bar next door. “to be a help in fighting food insecurity in St.Paul. All profits go to ending everyday hunger.”
Carl Johnson stands behind the counter of his recently opened grocery store in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota
Outside view of Store house Grocers, “Dayton’s Bluff first affordable grocery store” in neighborhood located Saint Paul, Minnesota
The grocery store offers staples of food and household items as a small neighborhood market catering to locals for convenience.
For this branding photography photo shoot I scheduled a date and time with the stores owner to photograph the interior of the store, portraits, and the exterior so the business could use the images to promote the store within their community. Inside, the walls were painted in the businesses bright orange signature color and there was a colorful and vibrant mural opposite the wall with the shelving full of grocery staples. I started by taking some portraits of the owner in a couple of different locations around the store to highlight the brands logos and what the interior of the shop looked like in order give prospective customers an idea of what to expect upon visiting the location.
I am a Chicago based commercial product photographer with editorial photography experience and am available to travel throughout the Midwest (Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, and beyond) for your content creation or branding project. Please reach out to talk more about collaborating on your next advertising photo session!
Small Business Branding Photography
Fresh Pomegranate Seeds set on a textured black slate charcuterie board
Pomegranate Seeds set on a textured black slate charcuterie board
Pomegranate Seeds on a black slate charcuterie board background. For this food photography photo shoot I used my large stone age slate cheese board for the background to give the image a dramatic dark feel in addition to adding texture to the background and to making the vivid red fruit and its seeds pop. I absolutely love how the scarlet jewel like seeds pop when the natural window light hits them, leaving a gradient darker shadow to the left of the image. For prop styling I kept it very simple, only using one of the real sterling silver spoons, which adds more texture being slightly tarnished, from the vintage silverware set that was one of my parents wedding gifts. My mother gave me the silverware set when her and my father were retiring from their home in a Chicago northwest suburb of Illinois to northern Wisconsin near Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
When getting ready to produce and style this food photography shoot of pomegranate seeds I wanted to go for a dark moody lighting style. I used natural window lighting rigging my Canon DLSR 5D Mark II camera (a work horse I have used the past ten years almost, though I did recently update my camera body to the mirrorless Canon EOS R) to an overhead flat lay. To get the flat lay I use my backdrop stands and Manfrotto Super Clamp to mount my camera body overhead with a tethering cord so that I could view the composition on my computers monitor, a must for overhead flat lay photography in studio!
Since starting to photograph still life food photography I’ve learned to love to use live view software that Canon offers with their digital cameras especially shooting flat lays. I set my laptop next to the subject where I can compose the frame seeing the live results on screen.
Food Photography Studio
Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts topped with bacon, crushed roasted cashews, and sprinkled brown sugar sitting in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon. Set on a gray wooden table top, overhead flat lay view.
While at the grocery store last week I saw these big beautiful Brussel sprouts and knew I wanted to photograph them. The week started to slip by and late one night I laid them out to photograph them raw with a flat lay view. Long story short it got to dark in my home studio and they looked terrible! When photographing food I prefer to use natural light only. While I do know how to use studio lighting, and have portable lights on my gear list, I am just never am pleased with the outcome of artificial when it comes to food.
The next day I looked up some brussels sprouts recipes to cook these guys before they went bad and found a delicious sounding one with bacon and brown sugar. Another recipe had the crushed cashews and bourbon, I only had the cashews left over from my mango tofu curry recipe so I added them. Luckily my partner had a cast iron skillet I could use for the photos as well to give the image a nice authentic rustic feel.
I am a Chicago food photographer who is also available for commercial photography, product photography, and editorial photography throughout Chicago-land and the Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis and St Paul, aka the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and Midwest! Contact me for more information on availability and pricing for your photography needs.
Recipe Photographer Food Blogger
Mango Tofu Curry
Mango Tofu Curry
Mango tofu curry topped with crushed roasted cashews and cilantro on a bed of white jasmine rice. My partner Steven gave me some fresh mangos he had left over from another recipe he was making at home where he bought a few to many for. I took them and put them in my refrigerator and forgot about them for a bit. When I remembered they were there I had a craving for some mango curry from one of my favorite local Nepalese cuisine restaurants here in Minneapolis. So I searched google for a comparable mango curry recipe and headed to the grocery store to shop for all of the ingredients I needed to make this dish.
When I arrived at the store I started to gather up all of the curries ingredients that I didn’t have at home along with some added roasted candied cashews, that I crushed and topped with a cilantro garnish. The final outcome of the dish was amazing so I decided to photograph it as an overhead flat lay with a dark moody food styling using my drift reactive indigo plate, navy blue linen napkin, and dark blue slate backdrop. All of which made the white jasmine rice and curry really pop!
I am a Chicago, Illinois based food and beverage photographer who specializes in Commercial Food Photography along with editorial and product photography. Please feel free to contact me for more information about your photography project either on location or for a remote photo shoot!
Sprinkled Powdered Sugar
Sprinkled Powdered Sugar
Sprinkled Powdered Sugar over some double chocolate chip muffins from my local Minneapolis grocery store Lunds & Byerlys. While grocery shopping this past Sunday I saw they had all of their store brand muffins on sale so I splurged and bought some. This week I decided to clean up and organize my home photography studio to get motivated to start shooting more and held off on eating these so I could photograph them. It wasn’t easy! I had a busy week working otherwise and didn’t get to photographing them until Thursday.
I have also been meaning to practice shooting more commercial or editorial branding photography with video for my food photography portfolio and made some extra time to make the below video gif of my sprinkling the powdered sugar over the front muffin. I did some regular video as well I will post later but I never made a gif before so I spent last night figuring out how to do so with multiple images in photoshop. Thanks to a youtube video it was surprisingly easy!
and here is the final photo!
I am very happy with this final result as I am going back to a darker and moody lifestyle product photography.
I have been shooting some lighter and airy images recently too but feel I need to practice a little bit more to get the results I am looking for. Those shoots have been tied to cooking and practicing my food photography styling as well, on top of shooting, so I think I just need to plan everything out a little more for the sake of better time management! I digress…..
Please feel free to contact me for pricing and availability to document your project.
I am available to travel through out Chicago | Minneapolis – St Paul, Minnesota’s Twin Cities | Milwaukee or beyond!
Food Videography
Sprinkled Powdered Sugar | Midwest Food and Beverage Photographer
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I saw this New York Times Cooking recipe for chocolate chip banana bread and decided to make it since I had some extra ripe bananas I needed to do something with soon. My maternal grandmother used to make banana bread all the time and I have not really had it since she passed away so definitely some nostalgia with this recipe too. I also dug out some of my families silverware my mother gave me years ago to use to style this image for more of a lifestyle food photography vintage feel.
I used natural window light with a golden reflector to balance light and fill in shadows and styled this food image in a simple and classic lifestyle scene framed from an over head flat lay.
INGREDIENTS
- Nonstick spray, as needed
- 4 very ripe medium bananas, peeled
- 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup/80 milliliters plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup/220 grams light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup/135 grams finely chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips (see Tip)
- ¾ cup/130 grams coarsely chopped toasted nuts, such as almonds, walnuts or pecans (optional)
I am a Chicago food photographer specializing in the best commercial and lifestyle editorial photography. Please feel free to contact me for my food photography pricing information and availability through email or phone. I am available throughout the Midwest in Chicago, Milwaukee, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and beyond, or if applicable remotely for your photography or video project.
Blog Recipe Photographer
Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo! This dish is named after Napoleon’s battle with the Austrian army at Marengo south of Alessandria, Italy if you were interested in the history of this dish. This dish is custom adding in lobster tail over the original recipes crayfish with also the addition of green olives and a spicy tomato sauce. Sides include a fried egg, a toasted yellow squash, and a cup of white or jasmine rice.
Check out the basic recipe below!
Spicy Chicken Marengo Recipe:
- 4 (4 ounces) chicken breast filets (boneless and skinless)
- 2 Lobster tails
- 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 medium onion (peeled and sliced)
- 2 Cans of a spiced tomato sauce
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup olives
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
- Parsley
- Salt to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Eggs (optional)
Start by rinsing all of the vegetables off with water then set aside and preheat oven to 400 F. Start with the grape or cherry tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil in on a baking pan and salt and pepper to taste. Bake the tomatoes at 400 F until they start to become lightly charred. While the tomatoes are charing cut the rest of your vegetables, slice the mushrooms and peppers, then place the garlic in a large skillet with some olive oil and wait till the garlic starts to sizzle, then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper on high heat with the onions and peppers until the mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes but not limp, then add the white wine to deglaze the pan.
Next add the cans of spiced tomato sauce into a dutch oven with the sautéed vegetables and cook on high until the sauce begins to bubble, letting it reduce for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the charred cherry or grape tomatoes and set to a low simmer.
Prepare the chicken by patting it dry. Set out the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chicken, then season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large pan heat oil to a medium-high heat, then add the chicken, turning until brown on both sides which will take about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Clean the lobster tails and season with salt and parsley on a baking pan. Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes until the lobster tails are tender. An alternative method, if you prefer, you can sear with butter in a frying pan.
Once the chicken and lobster are ready add to the dutch oven and cook until both are warmed through, about 4 to 5 minutes, and stir in butter. Plate on a serving platter with sides of white rice and roasted yellow squash and garnish with thyme and black olives. Sunny side up eggs optional.
I am available for editorial and commercial food and beverage photography assignments throughout the Midwest in Illinois, Milwaukee, Minneapolis & St Paul Twin Cities, Minnesota, and Madison or beyond. I also have a home studio based in Chicago centrally located the Andersonville neighborhood where I also do product photography and food styling. I am also available for remote shoot projects if your project allows.
Please feel free to contact me for availability for your project or for image licensing information.
Food Blogger Photography
French Cruller and Boston Cream Donuts
French Cruller and Boston Cream Donuts
French Cruller and Boston Cream Donuts from Cardigan Donuts in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota I ordered on DoorDash for breakfast the other morning. Before we began fully digging in and eating them I decided to start practicing with natural lighting and food styling in my Minneapolis home photography studio since we are still in lockdown from the pandemic.
A yummy Boston Cream donut with a red cherry on top. Here is the full description from the bakery “Malted vanilla cream filling, chocolate icing and a cherry on top.” I love that the cherry is almost clear and glass like in appearance from the chocolate icing it is sitting upon and the back lighting from the window.
As you can see I tested what the texture of the donut would look like broken apart in this lighting setup. It had a nice contrast with the dark gray plate I bought for my food photography from Crate and Barrel. Next time I think I would use my macro lens for a more detailed close up of the texture. Here is the donuts description from the bakery as well! “Part donut, part soufflé. The cruller combines the best of all worlds. Light and airy, yet rich and buttery.”
So let’s compare the differences between the two donuts, which is your favorite?
French Crullers:
- Appearance: Long and twisted, with a deep-fried golden brown exterior and a light, airy texture. Some are simply dusted with powdered sugar, while others have a light glaze.
- Flavor: Delicately sweet, with a slightly eggy flavor from the choux pastry dough. They’re not too heavy or greasy, making them perfect for enjoying on their own or with a cup of coffee.
- Origin: Debated, but likely German or Dutch. The name “French cruller” is believed to be a later American invention.
- Variations: Some bakeries fill them with pastry cream or fruit jams, but the classic French cruller is simply enjoyed plain.
Boston Cream Donuts:
- Appearance: Round and cake-like, with a chocolate-glazed top and a dollop of vanilla custard peeking through the center. Often decorated with a maraschino cherry.
- Flavor: Rich and decadent, with a moist cakey dough, creamy vanilla filling, and a sweet chocolate glaze. The contrasting textures and flavors make them a classic favorite.
- Origin: Created in the mid-19th century by a Boston baker, hence the name.
- Variations: Some bakers experiment with different fillings, like chocolate or raspberry, or add toppings like chopped nuts or sprinkles.
Here’s a table summarizing the key differences:
Feature | French Cruller | Boston Cream Donut |
---|---|---|
Shape | Long and twisted | Round |
Dough | Choux pastry | Cake dough |
Texture | Light and airy | Dense and cakey |
Filling | None (usually) | Vanilla custard |
Glaze | Powdered sugar or light glaze | Chocolate glaze |
Flavor | Delicately sweet, eggy | Rich, sweet, chocolatey |
Origin | German/Dutch | Boston, USA |
Ultimately, the choice between a French cruller and a Boston cream donut comes down to personal preference. If you’re looking for something light and airy, go for the cruller. If you’re in the mood for a decadent treat, the Boston cream donut is your best bet.
I hope this comparison helps you find your favorite between the two but ultimately trying each one will only be the deciding factor in your decision!
Bakery Photographer
Japanese Souffle Pancakes with Custard Cream
Japanese Soufflé Pancakes with Custard Cream
The beginning of 2020 I saw a news report about upcoming or current trends for the new year and one of them was the growing popularity of the Japanese Souffle Pancakes, a fluffy small pancake typically served with fruit. I told my partner that I wanted to try and make them to photograph and he was skeptical saying it sounded “hard”. A couple of weekends ago we finally had some down time and I was able to convince him to try making them! He mainly didn’t want to make these because at the time we did not have a mixer, so the batter had to be hand whipped to get the airy texture for the pancakes, which was a workout! We searched Youtube to see how to make them and found a video to make the Japanese souffle pancakes that also included how to make a custard cream, almost like a creme brûlée, and decided to attempt it.
It took some figuring out since the video gave all of the measurements in grams but it ended up being the perfect amount only making a couple of the pancakes for us to test out the recipe and for my food photography shoot. Also a little bit of a side note that the video only gave subtitles and seemed to focus on the ASMR sounds which was a nice touch!
A stylized photo of the pancakes cut with the custard creme and caramel sauce poured over the top.
I love the new low lip plates I found recently, this is the first food photography shoot where I was able to use them. I kept with a white monotone theme with my white granite backdrop and gray wall of my home photography studio. I used a wide coffee mug to pour the custard cream over the top of the pancakes for this image to keep with the color scheme.
I am food and drink photographer and food stylist based in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood just north of downtown Chicago.
Please feel free to contact me for more information about availability and pricing and I look forward to working with you on your next project!
Japanese Souffle Pancakes
Blood Oranges
Blood Oranges
Blood Oranges on a vintage cement background with green leaf accents. I am challenging myself to do a shoot a week in my home studio and am starting with simple things like ingredients or highlighting an item like these raw organic oranges.
When I was doing my weekly grocery shopping I was looking for a bright fruit or vegetable to use for this shoot. I wanted to photograph something that was a more unique food item so when I saw these oranges I loved their vibrant and bright color and decided to give them a try. When started to stylize the shoot I loved the bright ruby red juicy color so I went with a darker background with the rustic cement backdrop to get a dark and moody feel. Using only natural window light I photographed overhead top down for a flat lay image.
The production and food photography food styling of this shoot was fun, though I had a little bit of a hard time slicing the ends of the oranges to get an even cut on them, even with a professionally sharpened kitchen knife!
I am a Chicago food and beverage photographer based just outside of downtown Chicago in the Andersonville neighborhood. Please feel free to contact me for more information on availability and pricing for your commercial or editorial food photography needs. I also have a studio for remote product photography too.
Organic Blood Oranges Still Life