Last week I  photographed a non-profit in NYC that provides education programs for children with Autism and other developmental disabilities. While I specialize in food photography I do enjoy getting jobs that are outside of that box. I cannot describe how lucky I have been with my career over the years. I photograph food for a living, I’ve met and photographed some really inspirational people, and even hung out on farms with cows and pigs. Sometimes, I think it just can’t get much better…and then a job like this comes my way and it does. Maybe its the fact that kids with Autism hits close to home for me or maybe it is because as soon as I walked into the classroom and took out my camera, these kids, even the shyest one in the classroom, held nothing back and let their personalities shine. And that in itself is inspirational.

New Year, New Work, New York Food Photography

2015. Can you believe it? I can’t.

2014 was an unbelievable year for me. Do you remember when I just moved to the city and wrote the blog, How to become a New York Food Photographer? Since then a lot has changed, except the crying. I still do that. NYC just triggers my tear ducts. Let’s blame it on allergies.

A year in and I can say it hasn’t been easy. However, the learning curves of being a young freelancer in a large city has been exceptional. It seems like any opportunity I get, I achieve another great portfolio piece. Constantly growing, constantly learning, constantly falling in love with new aspects of my career.

Recently, I started working as a retoucher for a commercial studio in Manhattan. Let me say this:

Dear Photoshop,

I didn’t know you could do that!!!

Love,

Me

As I wrap up 2014, (and by wrapping up, I really mean I start to organize my photos, business papers, invoices, and all that boring stuff, I put off until the very LAST minute), I find photos that need to be shared with the world. Working with magazines and clients, I typically have to wait to share images until they are published and by that time, I forget I have them. So, if you don’t already follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you should get on it.

Photograph of Sweet Potato Fries at Batata- Brooklyn, NY

Photograph of Pretzel Carmel Cupcake at Rudy’s Bakery- Queens, NY

Shot for Edible Queens.

Gibson drink at The Happiest Hour- New York, NY

Shot for Time Out NewYork

New York City Restaurant Photographer visits Pittsburgh!

Ever since I moved to New York City to expand my restaurant photography, my love for Pittsburgh has increased greatly. I find any excuse to throw my Pittsburgh pride into every conversation. When asked where I am from, I proudly say “Pittsburgh!” even if technically that isn’t true.  So anytime I get a call to photograph a restaurant in Pittsburgh, I snatch it up in a heartbeat!

Back in September, I was asked to photograph 2 french restaurants, one is a bakery in Shadyside and the second is a small bistro in East Liberty.  As a restaurant photographer for magazines and cookbooks, I am used to shooting a lot in a day. At Paris 66, I pushed my dish limit to the test with 19 dishes and 7 cocktails in one day! Now I won’t show every last one, because that is a lot of photos for one blog. However, I will show off some of my favorites from the shoot!

New York City restaurant photographer travels to Pittsburgh to photograph Paris 66

Paris 66 dish of Pan Seared Scallops, tomato Provençal, & Linguini.

Photograph of Escargot Bourguinon at Paris 66.

Dessert at Paris 66

La Jardinière – Field Greens, Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant, Bell Peppers, & House Dressing

Cocktail at Paris 66

Restaurant photography shoot in New York City.

Here is a couple photographs from a recent restaurant photography job. The shoot was for a french restaurant, Millisime, located in the heart of the Flatiron. Millisime is known for its seafood brasserie and exceptional oyster bar.

Raw Oysters

I have photographed oysters on numerous occasions. And I must admit, they seem to be oddly difficult for me. But walking into the restaurant and seeing their beautiful white granite tables, I was really feeling the environment. It was perfect for these oysters and made for great photographs! Now, I can’t get enough and try to photograph oysters any chance I get!

Striped Sea Bass-  Eggplant Terrine, Cous Cous, Apricots & Cilantro Chermoula

Millisime Chef Scott preparing Seafood “Bouillabaisse”

A small fun fact from this shoot. This was the last shot of the day at the restaurant and I made the chef pour it at a very very slow pace. I waited all day for it and it was worth it!

Nicoise Style Tuna- Chick pea Socca, Olives, Haricot Verts, & Lemon-Rosemary Viaigrette

Farm photography at Farm On! & Northern Chef’s Alliance “Play With Fire” Event.

As I had mentioned in my last post, Hudson Valley food and farm photography project is on going for me. As of recently, I went out to Farm On! & Northern Chef’s Alliance special event called Play With Fire. 10 chef’s from U.S and Canada gathered on August 17, 2014 to cook a feast of foods, along with local mixologists preparing special cocktails. To learn more about the upcoming events that Farm On! has going on, check out their website here.

Chef portrait of Jeremy Charles in Hudson Valley, NY.

Ember & Fire roasted Hudson Valley vegetables.

Corned Brined Smoked Pig taco photographed at Fish & Game farm in Hudson Valley.

 Portrait of Chef Derek Dammann.

Lucky Pierre cocktail photograph at Play With Fire Event.

New York food photographer, Cayla Zahoran photographs Rotisserie chicken at Play With Fire Event

Chef portrait of Jamie Bissonnette in Hudson Valley, NY.

Cocktail Photography at Farm On! & Northern Chef’s Alliance event.

Food Photography of Rotisserie chicken dish at Farm On!

Food & Farm Photography in Hudson Valley, NY

I can honestly say that ever since I started photographing food, I haven’t found shooting anything else that makes me as happy as a pretty dish in front of me. Well, that was until recently. A few months ago I agreed to take on a project for a friend who is writing a book about New York’s Hudson Valley food and farming scene. So last week I packed up my little Kia Spectra and drove 2 hours north of New York City. Driving from farm to farm, I spent two days photographing animals and produce. I was in complete bliss. No traffic, no loud noises, and best of all, no cellphone reception.

One of the biggest concepts my friend kept talking about is how important it is to know and develop a relationship with your local farmers. I mean they are the ones feeding us, aren’t they? The experience was incredible. I picked the cherries I wanted to eat right off the tree. I hung out (and got trampled by) the cows I could potentially photograph as a dish at a New York City restaurant.

The Hudson Valley Farms is an on-going project for me. However, I wanted to take the time and show some of the images because I am very excited about them. And one fun fact to share is that once cows get over their shyness, they LOVE the spotlight!

Photograph of cows at McEnroe Organic Farm- Millerton, NY

Tomato Greenhouse at McEnroe Organic Farm – Millerton, NY

Chickens photographed at Pigasso Farm – Copake, NY

Live stock at Sir William – Copake, NY

Cocktail Drink Photography in NYC & Pittsburgh:

Lately I have been asked to photograph quite a bit of cocktails. And trust me, I have no objections to this, especially if you follow my Instagram, you will notice I partake in my fair share of Sunday brunches. And all New Yorkers know that is code for day drinking on outdoor patios and rooftop bars. Let’s be honest, I wouldn’t be able to do food/drink photography in NYC without photographing the abundance of cocktail specials all the local restaurants offer. But, beverage photography is all over. It’s just as important to make something seem appetizing to drink as it is to eat, and just saying you tossed a shot of whiskey in the drink doesn’t make it desirable, even for me.

Beverage Photography in NYC of Amaretto Marmallata Cocktail at Stella 34 Trattoria

Shot for Edible Manhattan. Bartender from Rouge Tomate making cocktails in New York City.

Cocktail photography shot for Edible Manhattan. Spring Pea Mojito from Rouge Tomate, NYC

Beverage photography of a smokey cocktail from Walnut Grill, Pittsburgh, PA

**Cover image of water was shot for Edible Allegheny’s March 2014 issue**

Reunited! Food Photographer & Food Stylist in NYC!

Around this time last year, I was a food photographer in Pittsburgh, PA. Not only did I have the opportunity to work for a magazine that drove my food interests and creativity, an amazing experience, but also, I was completely surrounded by creative individuals that helped fuel that passion. One, in particular, was our art director/ food stylist, Allie Wist. She had left the magazine to fulfill her passion in food culture by attending NYU for their Food Studies program. Now that I am officially a New York food photographer, we have been reunited and are back to making beautiful photographs together once again.

One of the hardest things as a photographer is trying to find personal projects to keep you shooting and making portfolio pieces. Luckily, having Allie on my team, we are both able to sit down and brainstorm where to take our portfolio’s and talents next. After a crazy week of shooting Pittsburgh hotel brunches, including dishes such as Egg’s Benedict, Steak and Eggs, and Fruit Platters, all I was craving was pancakes; and Allie was craving a new challenge herself, creating her very own recipe.

Allie Wist, New York Food Stylist, cleaning up the dish on set.

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Raspberry Chai Seed Pancakes Recipe:

• 1 ten ounce bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
• 2 ½ tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ pint fresh raspberries

1. In a small bowl, combine the defrosted raspberries, chia seeds, and honey. Mix until blended. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
3. Stir in all but ½ cup of the raspberry mixture into the pancake batter. Mix until combined. The batter should turn slightly pink.
4. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Scoop the batter onto the griddle, using an approximately ¼ cup for each pancake. If the batter is particularly thick, sake pan from side to side to settle the batter into a circle. Brown on both sides.
5. Add about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup (or to taste) and the fresh raspberries to the remaining raspberry mixture.
6. Serve pancakes with raspberry topping. (Whipped cream is another great topping for this recipe.)

Raspberry Chai Seed Pancakes

How to become a New York Food Photographer: 

How to become a New York food photographer? The question.

The Answer? Cry. A lot. 

 

Alright, maybe there is more to it. And maybe everyone’s experience is different. But this isn’t “everyone’s” blog.

 

What you will need: 

-Tissues

-Ice-cream (or wine)

-A whole lot of determination.

-Thick skin

 

 

  About 4 weeks ago, I went from being a staff photographer for a local Pittsburgh magazine to an evening server at an NYC Irish pub. I spent 3 years in Pittsburgh working for a local magazine, building not only a portfolio but also, relationships and a client base. Everything was lined up perfectly for my business. But at the age of 22, I wasn’t ready for a settled business. I needed more. So I chose to leave. Move away to the Big Apple. Go big or go home is the saying, correct? 

 

  Everyone told me it would be hard. I knew it would be hard. Then I got here and realized it was more than hard. It’s heartbreaking; self-esteem lowering and bank draining. You spend the first few weeks drowning your sorrows in gallons of ice-cream.  But then the ice-cream is gone, you run out of leftover food in your fridge to binge eat and your head is spinning with an overload of information: names, emails, and subway lines. What now? Give up and go home? Too easy. 

 

Step 1: Cry.   –  Check

 

Now…

Step 2: Do everything you have tried, again. And again. Oh, and once or twice more. What is it that you tried doing? ——->Networking.

 

 Everyone talks about. Everyone does it. You have to do it if you ever want to work again in your life. But it sucks. I mean the soul crushing suck. And impossible. New Yorkers (no offense) are very territorial. 

 

WARNING: Sitting by your computer for 24 hours straight staring at your email DOES NOT speed the process in which someone may or may not return your email. And they most likely won’t. 

 

Step 3: Step away from staring at incoming emails and getting distracted by the Amazon Daily Deal and GET OUT THERE. 

 

  So I did. I left my cozy apartment in Queens and traveled into Manhattan. This month has officially been the month of first’s for me.

1. Moved to NYC.
2.  Drove through Manhattan on Superbowl weekend with a Uhaul. Yes, I am impressed with myself too.
3. Learning the subway system on my own with a rolling Pelican case and light stands strapped to my back. I wish someone was around to photograph that one.
4. Photographing the menu for a New York restaurant.
5. Having to photograph food straight from the oven, in front of my camera for 2 seconds, and then right to the customers’ table.  When they say New York doesn’t stop, they mean it. No time to fidget with lights.

Okay, so maybe I am not the one to be giving advice for how to become a NYC food photographer. I mean, I am new to the neighborhood. And since writing doesn’t fall under even my basic competency list, I’ll show off some photos now and stop embarrassing myself. 

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Client: Triple Crown Ale House

Camera: Nikon d600

Lens: 105 mm f2.8 micro

ISO 800, 1/160^h second, f3 

Lighting Equipment: Nikon Speedlights, white foam core, 40″ Reflective Umbrella Softbox