The Art Of Food!!

Food Photography is fun, creative, challenging, and rewarding!! The Art of Food is amazing and is better left to be created by the professionals, a food stylist or a chef! The beauty of food only comes from experience and can be quite challenging to make it look appetizing in a photo! These photos were all styled by professional chefs for a cookbook that I had the honor of photographing, "Santa Barbara Culinary Art"! 

The photography of the image can be tricky as well. First you want to keep the image and surrounding simple and clean, letting the food be the star. I find using natural, soft lighting gets the best results. Also you have to work fast and be prepared ahead of time for the food arriving to be photographed. Food can change quickly , best to get the shot quickly as it is presented. Playing with depth of field is also fun and creative with food, this can highlight the food or allow a component of the dish to be featured. Also the use of props can be used but should just be subtle and not take away from the star of the photo, the main dish.

And lastly, food photography is rewarding!! Not only do I get to take these fabulous images of food, I usually get to enjoy eating them afterwards as well!!! TASTY!! And as a bonus I get to to have my images in a beautiful cookbook that hopefully will inspire people to try and recreate these amazing dishes!

These photos were all done for cookbooks, but these images would look great on restaurant websites. If you are in need of food photography for a cookbook, restaurant websites, Zagat, Open Table, or just for your social media, give me a call.  I would love to get artistic  with you and help promote you and your business.

Some Tips for Senior Portraits!!

What an exciting time to be a  teenager, your Senior year in High School! So many choices to make: which colleges to apply to, which major to take, "what am I going to do with my life"... and what kind of senior portrait do I want!!! Well I know compared to the other big decisions this one sounds easy but I thought I give you some tips on getting the best senior portrait that really shows who you are. You want to look back at this photo and have it represent all that was good in this time of your life. Here are a few tips for getting the best senior portrait:

I recommend getting your portrait taken at the end of summer of your junior year or the very beginning of your senior year. So many deadlines are ahead of you for your college applications, you don't want to have to worry about photo shoots! Another bonus is at the end of the summer you will have a beautiful tan, a little color in your cheeks, and maybe some sun streaked hair! Also when they start talking about deadlines for yearbook, you will have it done!

So after you call and book your photo session with ME (wink.wink) you need to start thinking about what type of location you would like to have your photo taken at. Do you want to do a beachy  photo, or  rustic countryside , or maybe something kind of urban. You might have a favorite spot in mind or I can also recommend different kinds of settings. I even have a few secret places up my sleeve...

I also recommend two or three different outfits of clothing. Its fun to try different styles and its always nice to have an outfit that is a little dressy, you know, for Mom! But remember to just be you, and show your style, even if it is just a nice t-shirt. Wear your hair like you normally would and make sure it is styled nicely. And girls,  wear makeup,  but don't over do it! Again you want to look like YOU!

Also don't worry if your skin isn't perfect. the magic of photoshop will make your complexion perfect! I  can even whiten your smile!! A word of caution as well, do not come to your photo shoot with a sunburn! There is only so much that can be fixed in photoshop and red skin is not one of them!!! 

So relax and enjoy your photo session and make a memory of a lifetime! I  can't wait to take your portraits this year, it is always a fun time!

Promoting Your Business with Your Headshot!

These smart business owners had their headshot done featuring their business as a backdrop. Why not promote your business in your headshot?! The great thing about having a headshot like these is the many uses for this kind of image. These make very unique and memorable business cards. Also they be can used on any press release or promotional advertising for your business. Taking advantage of a photo shoot like this and photograph not only yourself but details of your business. This a great way to document what is happening currently at your business and these images can be used for all your social media accounts. And lastly you can update and keep your website fresh and current! Choose to promote your business and get a location headshot done, this is whats trending now! Call for your appointment today, I'd love to help you and your business take it to the next level!

Leave The Details Up To Me!

So many details and so little time! I know about all the little details that go into planning a dream wedding. The bridesmaid dresses, the fun shoes, the flowers, the table settings, the cakes, the rings, the venue, the music, and the list goes on and on and its a lot of work and planning. Believe me I have seen so many wedding plans, from the pinterest boards to the actual events. Thats why I love capturing all your details! This is one of the fun parts of my wedding photography, making sure all your attention to the details get beautifully photographed to preserve these precious memories of your day. All your hard work needs to be documented, so your walk down memory lane will bring you right back to your biggest moments. 

Click on right hand side of image to move through the gallery!