Having a moment with pastels! This was the perfect inspiration for a studio shoot with one of my favorite guilty pleasures: mortadella. I had a day in the studio styling, lighting and photographing by myself. I love to work with a team of collaborators and I also love to work by myself sometimes working out some of my own food styling, composition and lighting ideas.
Some recent work for Plate Magazine for an article on the mother sauce: Sambal. This is the Masak Kicap, beef cheek with sambal at Azalinas which is a 4-course tasting menu restaurant here in SF.
So much hustle goes in to photographing one item! For a simple editorial shoot where I’m photographing a dish or two, restaurants usually have an hour or less for me to set up, photograph, break down, and get out of the way before they need to set up for service. Even with only a simple one-light set-up, I’m working fast the whole time.
There were many details here that were on my side, the table and plate ware were a nice matte finish so I didn’t have to spend time problem solving reflections. The elements of food on the plate are a variety of shapes, textures and colors, which look appetizing and interesting in a photograph. Also Azalina and her staff were gracious and able to take the time away from their prep to help with the food styling.
Even with all the hustle I love editorial work, it’s so much fun! I love discovering new spots and meeting people who are doing work worthy of being recognized. And so I get sent home with food. I didn’t get to eat this dish, but Azalina sent me home with a little container of sweet crispy lotus root to snack on while I drove home.
The second image is the final layout of the dish. I am always amazed how the version in a magazine’s layout is like an alternate interpretation of the image I took. I love seeing this dish up close and in a double spread!
Sharing images from a recent branding shoot I did with yoga instructor Marissa Mika. Marissa is also a writer and Cal Alum who describes herself as a “nerdy urban academic lady who likes a sun salutation, writing, and a cup of coffee.” Marissa has a strong and meaningful relationship to UC Berkeley, so we decided to do her yoga branding photoshoot on the campus.
After doing some scouting we decided on a few key spots that Marissa felt connected to, and the day of the shoot we followed the light during the span of the afternoon, capturing her in some of her favorite locations and also a few spur of the moment gems where the light was doing something gorgeous.
I love working with clients in a collaborative effort to tease out what feels true to them. Marissa and I also did a scouting session in downtown San Francisco at some POPOS (privately owned public spaces) and ultimately Marissa decided that didn’t feel aligned with her brand. Sometimes you have to see what isn’t working to land on what IS.
Working with Marissa was such a treat. I feel thankful to get to work with clients whose values align with mine, specifically to uplift our health and well-being.
New work for Just Date! I’m so excited to share work we created for their latest lifestyle advertising campaign. It’s an honor to collaborate with a food company whose values and ethos align with mine. I’m always aiming to work with brands who are intentional in their efforts to uplift our health and well-being and act with kindness towards our planet.
“Just Date is on a mission to help folks enjoy real sugar and natural sweetness that nourish your body. Creating a healthier sweet that’s great for you and great for our Earth. We are not a company that celebrates cut-out culture, diet culture, or subtraction. We believe a healthy life is rooted in abundance: overflowing with joy, energy, nutrients, flavor and community”
It was a delight to work with this caring, creative, supportive, competent and talented all-woman team. As is says right on their packaging, their products are MADE BY WOMEN. I literally let out a little squeal as I was doing the retouching on the packaging and noticed this detail.
