Freshly Baked by Photo Kitchen

5 Reasons You Should Have a Professional Portrait | Columbus Ohio Portrait Photographer

2012-02-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

You may think your job does not require a professional portrait. Here are 5 reasons you're wrong.

1. The Internet
More and more jobs are found online. Employers are finding employees and employees are finding employers. It doesn't matter which position you currently hold, both of you should have professional portraits. As the employer, don't you want to attract the best employees? As the employee, don't you want your employer to see a professional portrait to go along with the well-tailored LinkedIn profile you painstakingly slaved over for days?

Having a professional portrait plays a part in all of these scenarios. One single photo can say friendly, professional, strong, smart, confident, fun or kind. Whatever you want to say, your photo can say it. If they're meeting you online first, tell them who you are through your photo. No matter what, the picture makes the first impression, the words come second. Think of it the same way you would online dating. Really. First impressions are everything, right?

2. Professional Portrait says "Professional"
This rings true with ALL photos. Professional photos tell the viewer you're a professional. Believe me, people can tell the difference between professional, amateur and "I took this with my cell phone." If you don't care about the photos you show the world, it can be assumed you don't care about your brand, your job performance, your customers.... It's not always a conscious thought, but most "buying" decisions are made with a feeling, a gut instinct. A professional portrait might tip the scales just enough to your side without the other person even knowing why they made the decision to choose you.

Look at this set of portraits pulled from a LinkedIn email. Twelve of them were taken by professional photographers who were hired to take a professional portrait. The rest of them are snapshots. Can you pick out the professionals vs. the snapshots? Which one draws your eye first, and why?

3. The Person Behind the Profile
You're meeting a potential employer or client at a coffee shop for the first time. They'd like to have some idea of what you look like before walking in the door, so they look you up on LinkedIn before leaving the office.

Sure, they can get an idea of what you look like through a snapshot, but it won't be the best representation of you. What will they notice first? Is it the boyfriend you cut out of the frame whose arm still remains in the photo? Will they be wondering how recently you went to the beach, and how much vacation time you may be looking to take? Or more likely, they'll simply see an underexposed, on-camera flash photo of you that tells them nothing about how dedicated and hard-working you are at your job. (By the way, if you think a professional portrait won't be able to say this either, you haven't found the right photographer.)

4. An Edge
Whether you're a self-employed baker, the CEO of Bob Evans, or a barista at Starbucks, you need an edge over the competition.

If you're a business owner, making yourself a visible part of your business can set you apart from the rest. Think about how farmer's markets have grown in popularity over the last few years. Customers like to know who they're buying from. Giving them a view into who you are as a business owner is part of what they're looking for in the experience of shopping with a small business. Being transparent is good karma.

If you're part of a big company that doesn't provide head shots as a perk, you may want to have one taken on your own dime. What happens if you get laid off tomorrow? It might be nice to have a portrait ready to introduce you to your new job market. Maybe you work at Wasserstrom Restaurant Supply as a salesman. It's always nice to put a face to the name with personalized business cards that help your clients remember you.

If you're in food service, maybe you'd like to be considered for the manager position at another restaurant. Show them that your aspirations are serious and share your contagious smile with them before you even walk in the door. If you're a chef at a restaurant, making yourself known as the man behind the curtain will give customers more to talk about and make your name (and face) known throughout the community. If customers know who you are, they're more likely to follow you to your next venture.

5. Your Brand
Anymore, everyone is creating a brand for themselves. Few people have just one job and one title. These extra identities require a home base that brings them altogether. This home base could be your professional portrait. Keep your brand in good standing by putting your best face forward. Tell people who you are with one glance.

To hire Photo Kitchen for your next professional portrait, view our portfolio and pricing then contact us to schedule your session.

Columbus Ohio Food Photographer | iPhone Adventures at Loving Hut USA

2012-02-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

I am now a happy resident of the iPhone world. It took me 5 years, but now that I'm here, I'll share my adventures of new-found freedom with you from the eyes of a food photographer. Why freedom? Well, for many years, I carried a point-and-shoot camera with me everywhere. I tried many incarnations of point-and-shoots, and hated them all. Either the battery life sucked, the noise level was too high, it was too bulky, etc, etc. Every time I used one, I'd hate it even more, and would eventually either stop carrying it, or stop using it.

But NOW I have freedom. My phone was always right next to me wherever I went before anyway, so why not have a camera in it? I'm not going to say iPhones replace cameras, especially not my nice, professional grade Canon cameras. No, what an iPhone lacks (and it does lack) in photo-taking, it makes up for in convenience. The convenience of always having it with me, of being able to upload photos no matter where I am, of doing post-editing adjustments on-the-fly, and the convenience of not having people stare at me when I pull a camera out of my bag.

While I've had my iPhone for a few weeks, this is my first play with food photography. Over time I will master food photography on the iPhone, but right now I'm just playing around. And really, when I'm out to lunch with friends, that's all I really want to do anyway.

Onto the food. My friend and I went a little outside our neighborhood to Reynoldsburg, a suburb of Columbus that isn't really known for food. From what my friend read, Loving Hut chooses to put their restaurants in areas that aren't known for vegetarian/vegan friendly food, because they want to create better options for the residents and introduce them to something that might be totally new. What a brilliant idea--every time I go on vacation or travel to an outskirt neighborhood, I'm reminded of how few options there are when it comes to non-chain restaurants and vegetarian-friendly restaurants. While Loving Hut is a chain, it certainly doesn't feel like one.

We decided to order together, so we could try as many things as possible. The prices were super reasonable, so I wasn't worried about over-ordering for the sake of money. I really did enjoy every dish we got, starting with smoothies and appetizers.

To view the whole menu in detail, check out the Reynoldsburg location menu. There weren't many things I DIDN'T want to order, so it was hard to narrow down. I enjoyed both drinks. My Pink Nectar was more of a juice, but with a nice, creamy texture, and my friend's was much thicker, with a really good (but indistinct) flavor. If you're allergic to nuts, it may be hard to eat here, as there are nuts throughout the whole menu and in most of what we ordered.

The Saigon Rolls were fresh and light, but I'll be honest and say I like Nida's rolls better. The soup was really creamy, they use a soy cream cheese base (brilliant!). It tasted like something I'd make at home-in a good way.

The Love Letter salad was a favorite for both of us. I loved the julienned veggies and apples (though a little messy to eat) and the avocado dressing was awesome. The Gyro Wrap had a great sauce on it with lots of dill. The veggie protein in the wrap was really tasty, even by itself. The Thai Curry was my other favorite. A great depth of flavor and textures, very creamy and a really substantial meal I'd love to eat again. I will be making another trip to Loving Hut soon to share the great find with more friends. Vegetarian or not, I think everyone has the potential to enjoy the food. I can imagine my meat-eating friends saying "But it doesn't TASTE vegan!"

Bleu Cheese Chips | Lifestyle Food Photographer

2011-12-29T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've made these chips many times over the years, thanks to my friend Jenna who introduced them to me long ago at Cap City Fine Diner. They are so addictive, I've eaten an entire plate for dinner before.

If you're making them to take to a party, I'd suggest getting the ingredients together, than assembling and baking on-site-if there's an oven available, of course.

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My recipe is as follows:

Bleu Cheese Chips

1 large (approx $3.79) bag of Kettle Style Potato Chips
1/2 jar of store-bought Alfredo Sauce
1/4 lb. crumbled bleu cheese
2 green onions/scallions, chopped (optional)

Pour the chips into a rectangular oven-safe casserole dish (metal or glass). Top the chips with the alfredo sauce (in dollops, try to distribute evenly across the chips.) Sprinkle the bleu cheese (and optional green onions) over the chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the chips are slightly browned on the edges. Serve immediately.

Now, this is not a follow-the-rules kind of recipe. You can adjust and experiment with these 3 simple ingredients until you've found the right mix for you. I've tried homemade bechamel sauce in place of the alfredo sauce. (I felt it was bland and much more labor intensive.) You can buy a really nice bleu cheese and add more or less bleu cheese to suit your tastes.

Want more variations? What about Kettle Chips topped with Barbeque Sauce and Cheddar Cheese? Or Thousand Island Dressing and Swiss Cheese? Try out your own creation, and make sure to tell us how it turns out!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze | Midwest Food Photographer

2011-12-24T01:07:00.000-08:00

You could call this a palette-cleansing cookie. That's Top Chef talk, right there. See, reality t.v. is educational. The reason I was drawn to this cookie is because of Northstar Cafe's Cloud 9 Pancakes. Baking with ricotta is not something I would've considered before trying their incredible pancakes. I can't do sweet without savory for breakfast. Adding cheese to pancakes seems to bridge the gap for me, so I thought, why not try it in a cookie? Besides, I love all things citrus. Lemon is so refreshing and light.

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Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
Cookies:
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 lemon, zested

Directions Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Directions Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container. Yields 2 dozen (or more)

Egg Nog Snickerdoodles | Commercial Food Photographer

2011-12-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Two perfect reasons to make these cookies:
1. You love Egg Nog.
2. You hate Egg Nog but someone left it at your house.

Either way, you'll like these cookies! If you don't, take them to work and make your coworkers eat them. They're really light and the flavors are subtle, a nice contrast to the majority of holiday treats.

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The paper trees in the background have been my favorite part of this holiday season. I've really enjoyed making them, thanks to fellow photographer and blogger Davina Fear, who happily shared the idea. Those of you who are parents, Davina has some of the cutest crafts and activities I have EVER seen.

Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
www.whatkatiesbaking.com

1 ½ c flour
½ stick butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup egg nog (I used soy Silk Egg Nog, and it worked perfectly.)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 cup sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar. (I used the paddle attachment like it says, but I used a regular beater for my next cookie recipe (also to combine butter and sugar) and it worked just fine.
4. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add egg and eggnog, and beat to combine.
6. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Don't overmix.
7. You can chill the dough for an hour or more to make the dough easier to scoop, or go ahead and scoop them a little messier.
8. In a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
9. Use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
10. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
11. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. The cookies will feel a little doughy when you touch them, but trust me, they're finished.
12. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack as soon as they are cool enough to not fall apart. Yields 18-20 cookies.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies | Midwest Food Photographers

2011-12-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

Sugar cookies are the most versatile cookie for decorating. Perfect for any shape, icing, and sprinkle you can imagine. I can't say this is the best sugar cookie recipe in the world, but it might be your favorite. How do you know unless you try it?

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For a little while when we were younger, my brother and I spent a LOT of time icing cookies. His was done at Cheryl's Cookies and mine was at a deli that had a large variety of pastries and sweets. We both got really good at it, and I still find it comforting to take out a tray of cookies and smear the icing on. Maybe he and I will do a How-to video someday.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

Thumbprint Cookies | Food Photography Columbus Ohio

2011-12-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

Thumbprint Cookies are maybe the easiest cookies in the world to make. I don't eat many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I often find an open jar of jam in the fridge that needs to be used up. This is my preferred way to get rid of unwanted jam.

OR, if I feel like splurging, I use Sweet Thing Gourmet's jam. This jam is so good, I can't see myself ever wasting it on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I often eat it on a banana or with cream cheese and crackers, or of course, in these cookies, so I can truly enjoy how fantastic it is without covering it up with other flavors. My favorite (shown here) is the Brandied Apricot Jam. I swear, I don't love it just because it's orange.

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Thumbprint Cookies
from Betty Crocker

¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
Jelly of your choice

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg yolk in medium bowl. Stir in flour and saltuntil dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white. Optional: roll in nuts. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb deeply in center of each.
Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Fill thumbprints with jelly.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie | Professional Food Photographer

2011-12-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

My first experience with sweet treats made spicy was actually in Mexico, in 2002. We were at a resort that served Mexican Coffee after dinner, and it had cinnamon and something some type of pepper in it. It was wonderful. It took a few years before I saw anything similar back home, and that was of course Jeni's Queen City Cayenne ice cream. I always try the most unusual flavor on any menu, and when I saw chocolate and cayenne together, I had to have it. Sometimes I love unusual things just because of their uniqueness factor, but later the novelty will wear off. Many years later, Queen City Cayenne is still my favorite of Jeni's signature flavors.

When I saw Martha's take on a spicy sweet treat, I jumped on it. The only downside to these cookies was the need for a warning label, so kids wouldn't assume they were just chocolate cookies. Oh well, it makes for cuter packaging with the little warning label attached.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie
from Martha Stewart

    * 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    * 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
    * 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
    * 1 3/4 cups sugar
    * 2 large eggs
    * 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    * 1/2 teaspoon chile powder (I used ground cayenne)

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.
   2. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Makes 32. Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Galaxy Cookies | Food Photography and Styling

2011-12-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

These Galaxy Cookies may look humble, but believe me, they're out of this world. (Ha! That was a pun I stole from my sister.) Really, these are one of my all-time favorite cookies. I loved making them as a kid. The best part is you can decorate and fill them with anything you love. Hands down, my favorite is Maraschino Cherry.

It's a simple colored dough wrapped around a candy or nut and topped with sprinkles. You can also cover them in icing. What should you put in them? How about...

Galaxy Cookies

from Betty Crocker

1/2 cup butter or1/2 cup margarine, softened

3/4 cupconfectioners' sugar

1 tablespoonvanilla

food coloring

1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

anything you wantto put in the middle

Icing

1 cupconfectioners' sugar

2 1/2 tablespoonslight cream or 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoonvanilla

Directions

Mix thoroughlybutter, sugar, vanilla, and, if desired, a few drops of food coloring. (Or youcan wait to add the food coloring when the dough is finished in order to splitit into batches and make multiple colors instead of just one.)

Work in salt andflour until dough holds together. If dough is dry, mix in 1 to 2 Tbsp lightcream.

Mold dough bytablespoonfuls around date, nut, candy, cherry, or a few chocolate pieces. Rollinto balls. Here, you can choose to decorate with sprinkles, or wait until they're baked and top with icing.

Preheat over to350°F. Place cookies about 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake12-15 minutes until set but not brown.

Prepare icing bymixing confectioners sugar with light cream or milk and vanilla until smooth. Ifdesired, stir in a few drops of food coloring. For a tasty chocolate icing,increase light cream to 3 tbsp and stir in 1 oz melted unsweetened chocolate.

Let cookies cool,then dip tops of cookies into icing several times to get a good layer. Ifdesired, immediately decorate with coconut, nuts, colored sugar, candies,chocolate pieces or chocolate shot.

Makes 20 to 25cookies.

Homemade Orange Rolls | Columbus Ohio Food Photographer and Stylist

2011-12-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

Pillsbury Orange Rolls have always been an all-time favorite of mine. I'd eat the entire can in a sitting if no one was watching. So, when I had leftover orange icing (recipe included below), what better to make than Homemade Orange Rolls? They would beat the store bought kind, right? Yup, they did. And I had just as hard a time sharing them with others.

Warning: This is one of those recipes you have to let "rest." Which means work, then wait. Work some more, then wait. There's a wait time of an hour and fifteen minutes, then another wait time of 25 minutes, so don't expect to do this in a hurry.

Here's a picture to entice you.

Making the dough was easier than I thought it would be. Historically, I don't have much luck with homemade dough. This one came together just as the recipe said it would.

This recipe has you roll each of the rolls (I couldn't see how to avoid saying that!) individually. Since I'd never made rolls from scratch before, I followed the instructions, but I recently watched someone else make cinnamon rolls, and they laid the dough out in a rectangular sheet then poured the filling over it, and rolled the whole sheet up and cut it into pieces. This seems much faster. The knife might smoosh the rolls as they're being cut and the butter might squish out the ends, but I will try it that way next time anyway.

I might cook them just a little less next time. I like them a little gooey-er and less brown on top, but once I put the icing on and it all melded together, there was little that could be done to make them more perfect. The dough TASTED homemade, in the best way, and the icing was amazing. The rolls grew HUGE, so each roll was equivalent to 2-3 of the store bought kind.

A special recipe to share around the holidays, but consider making them on a normal weekend. Whomever you choose to share them with will be indebted to you.

Homemade Orange Rolls (from myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

   Dough
* 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
* 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
* Cooking spray

   "Filling" For Dough
* 1 stick butter, melted
* 3 tablespoons grated orange rind
* 3 tblsp cinnamon
* 1/2 cup sugar

   Icing (from Wilton.com)
* 1 stick butter, softened
* 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
* 1 tablespoons milk
* 1 tablespoon orange juice
* 1 tablespoon orange zest

* You can prepare icing ahead of time and refrigerate, covered. (Icing directions are listed at the end.)

* To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons softened butter, salt, and egg, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour to yeast mixture; beat until smooth. Add 1 cup flour to yeast mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Cocktail Couture: OYO Vodka White Russian

2011-11-27T23:20:00.001-08:00

White Russian sounds and looks like the perfect drink for a snowy winter day. Since we'll be seeing many of those coming up soon, why not cheers to one right now? For this final drink in our Cocktail Couture series featuring local spirits from around Columbus, Jenna Sais Quois, a super-talented graphic designer and my favorite fashion blogger, lent us her amazing collection of white and silver jewelry. Staring at all the glittering white reminds me of freshly fallen snow, which I absolutely love. Yes, an Ohioan who loves snow. Feel free to hate, I'm used to it. Many times I've been blamed for the very existence of snow.

We've featured Middle West Spirits once before in this series for their whiskey, but their first love was vodka. When touring the distillery, they share that vodka is often described as flavorless and odorless, but they didn't want to rid the drink of all it's naturally occurring flavors and odors. In fact, the International Review of Spirits describes OYO vodka as “Clear, bright aromas of dried pear, custard and buttery honeyed praline with a supple, soft off-dry medium-full body with a long, spicy apple pie crust, cream and mineral finish. Exceptional, flavorful and delicious.”

OYO Vodka White Russian

Filla lowball glass with ice

Add1 oz. of OYO Vodka

1.5oz. Kahlua

1oz. of Cream, or half & half

The recipe calls for 1 oz. of cream, but I pour enough to fill the glass. Otherwise I find it to be too strong. To drink, stir well, but I think it looks prettier with the cream floating ontop and the swirls of brown running through. To create this effect, turn a spoon upside down and pour the cream over it and into the glass. It stops the pour from disturbing the liquor in the bottom of the glass.

For our other Cocktail Couture posts, visit:
Tessora Lemon Cappuccini
Watershed Gin Pumpkin Drop
OYO Whiskey Hot Apple Toddy
Camelot Cellars Pinot Noir
And visit Jenna Sais Quois for her take on these delicious local spirits.

A Food Photographer's Holiday Gift Guide to Columbus: Top 10

2011-11-25T10:19:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is small business Saturday, and I'm here to suggest some great gifts from 10 of my favorite Columbus small local businesses.

1. To make the most of your local restaurant giving, Dine Originals has gift certificates at discounted prices, While you're at it, buy a few for yourself. This dessert is from Deepwood Restaurant. Yum!

2. For a nice bottle of spirits, check out our Cocktail Couture Series, featuring Watershed Distillery, Middle West Spirits, Camelot Cellars, and Tessora Limone (shown). There's also Brothers Drake Meadery, and local breweries, such as Columbus Brewing Company. Attach a cute recipe card to the bottle for a personal touch.

3. Celebrate Local is a new pop-up shop at Easton, a one-stop-shop for local gifts. Here's a partial list of vendors selling at Celebrate Local. For more information, fan them on Facebook.

4. The Candle Lab might not serve food, but tell me you don't smell toasted marshmallows and cranberry sauce when you walk in. Leave the mixing to the experts or create your own. I made a Campfire, Mulled Cider and Leather mix on a night out with friends. Entertainment and gift shopping in one.

5. For the kitchen dweller in your circle, grab some spices from North Market Spices. They're super friendly and would love to help you find the perfect mixes.

6. Grab some sweet goodies from Sugardaddy's . Now with 3 store locations (Polaris, Downtown and Easton), they're hard to miss.

7. How about a Clintonville Farmer's Market favorite that can be ordered online? Brezel Pretzels are fantastic, and a fun, unexpected gift.

8. For some dishes to eat all that food on, and much more, The Swanky Abode is a stylish, eclectic place to shop. (These cute coasters came from The Swanky Abode.)

9. Cooking classes are a fun activity to do as a couple, with friends, or with the kids. Here's a list of the best cooking class resources in Columbus, all with local businesses.

10. An easy gift that made it onto my list last year as well, is a subscription to Edible Columbus.

11. This is a top 10 guide, but how could I leave out Photo Kitchen, with an online photo library of over 10,000 photos to choose from and 150 products to print them on, you're sure to find the perfect gift. Search by subject or browse the collections, from oceans to skeleton keys, peaches to honey, and a whole lot in between.

Cocktail Couture: Camelot Cellars Pinot Noir

2011-11-21T09:52:00.001-08:00

Just in time for happy hour, take a sip of Camelot Cellars' Chilean Pinot Noir. Jenna Brucoli (of the inspiring blog Jenna Sais Quois) and I have been following the changes at Camelot Cellars for the past year, and knew right away that this wine had a place in our Cocktail Couture series. Having relaunched this past July, new owner Janine Aquino has brought new life to the business. She has a deep-rooted history in the world of wine, and is the perfect fit for this Short North store.

Adding more focus on events, Camelot Cellars has hosted a number of big bashes in the last few months, including their grand reopening, Yelp's Meet-the-Owner, a Cbusr Meetup and Celebrity Bartender Nights. Janine is partnered with Edible Columbus' cooking classes, offering wine specifically paired to the evening's dishes.

Enough with the introductions, now feast your eyes on this dark, rich wine.

I got lucky and was given a leftover bottle of this Chilean Pinot Noir at the end of an Edible Cooking Class. I enjoyed it so much, I went out and bought another bottle. It has a scent similar to strawberry jam, but the flavor is smooth, rich, just slightly fruity, and a little smoky. I won't claim to be a wine expert, but what I love about wine is each person tastes something different, and there are millions to choose from to find your own favorites. This is number one on my list of Pinot Noirs, and probably in my top 10 reds.

Because the wine is so simple, we went simple on the accessories. A few beaded necklaces from my own collection brought out the reds and purples of the wine. The props were picked up locally, at flea markets and garage sales, including the tray from Worthington's flea market Treasure on the Green, and the plates of stained glass came from the Columbus Architectural Salvage. If you've never been to either, you really should. Some of my best props have come from both.

One last note: A group of my friends spent a birthday making wine at Camelot Cellars and had a great time. Now every time I see a bottle of the wine we made, I remember the fun we had. What a great, drinkable souvenir.

Check out our previous cocktails from our Cocktail Couture series here:
Tessora Lemon Cappuccini
Watershed Gin Pumpkin Drop
Oyo Whiskey Hot Toddy

Cocktail Couture: OYO Whiskey Hot Toddy

2011-11-13T11:48:00.001-08:00

Continuing with our Cocktail Couture series with Jenna Sais Quois, we've come up with the perfect fall recipe for Middle West Spirit's OYO Whiskey!

Hot Toddy's are not a new invention, but they're new to me. I've never liked whiskey, until I tried OYO Whiskey. My interest in Middle West Spirits isn't just because they're local, though of course I appreciate that. I love their products because I can taste the care that's put into them. They take nothing for granted, every step of their process has been considered. The depth of flavors is incredible, and while there is so much flavor in every sip, they're still easy mixers, blending well with all sorts of other ingredients.

You can read more about what makes Middle West Spirits special in Edible Columbus' Winter 2010 issue (starting on p.46). I was thrilled to photograph them for this piece, and learned so much while touring their distillery, which, by the way, you can do, too!

Hot Apple Toddy

2 oz. OYO Whiskey
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (or so) apple cider
Cinnamon Stick (garnish)

Start by adding a little Ohio honey to the bottom of your mug. Next add the OYO Whiskey and sugar and then fill the rest of the glass with hot apple cider. Use the cinnamon stick to stir the honey into the drink. The longer the cinnamon stick stays in the drink, the more spiced your drink will become.
This is a great party recipe. Just heat a gallon of apple cider and the sugar on the stove and have the mugs ready with the honey, whiskey and cinnamon stick. Then have your guests ladle the apple cider into their mug when they're ready for a drink!

Apple cider and honey are two Ohio staples, and are super easy to source locally. To see more about the different honey varieties, check out our honey post on Design Sponge.

The locket necklace featured here is from Substance, a great store for accessories in the Short North. But lucky you, this necklace is available online, too! The string of gold beads is from Jenna Brucoli's accessory collection, along with the dangling gold bands, but none of the sparkly jewelry can outshine the golden whiskey. Now go build a fire and heat up the cider for a great evening curled up inside.

Check out our previous cocktails here:
Tessora Lemon Cappuccini
Watershed Gin Pumpkin Drop

Columbus Ohio Food Photographer: Feast Your Eyes on Bleu & Fig

2011-11-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

Come feast your eyes on the beautiful spreads and floral arrangements created by Bleu & Fig! While photographing six events both catered and decorated by the crew at Bleu & Fig, I've gotten to capture their talents AND indulge in a few bites of it myself. My job rocks!

Cocktail Couture: Tessora Lemon Cappuccini

2011-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

The second in our Cocktail Couture series with Jenna Sais Quois is Tessora Limone, a wonderful liqueur I've just recently been introduced to! It's new to the scene, but has already landed in over 100 restaurants and bars around the city and is available in over 30 stores by the bottle!

It's not easy to describe Tessora, as it's a one-of-a-kind drink. You can read a bit about their history, but if I were to describe it, I'd say it's like a lemon creamsicle. Creamy like Bailey's Irish Cream, with a nice lemon flavor-not tart or bitter, just smooth and a little bit sweet. I'd be afraid to sit down with a bottle next to me, it might disappear faster than lemonade!

This recipe is straight off Tessora's website and was created by Craig Loose, the bartender at Black Creek Bistro. (Who, by the way, serves all sorts of local spirits!) Since I knew so little about Tessora, I wanted a trusted recipe source. Well, I lucked out. This drink is my favorite of the series. I love unusual drinks, and this fits the bill. I would never have thought to combine lemon and coffee flavors, but this is just brilliant.

Lemon Cappuccini

Distinctive Cappuccino flavors with hints of lemon and cream. 1 bean for luck, 1 bean for life, and 1 bean for love.

2 oz Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka, chilled
3/4 oz Tessora Liqueur, chilled
Garnish with 3 Espresso Beans

Mix and serve in vintage cocktail glasses. These glasses came from a shop in Sunbury, Ohio, Village Square Antique Mall. There are many vendors inside one building, and one in particular, NouVeau Bohemian, that I love to shop with. She always has something I didn't know I needed, but now can't live without.

In making this a second time, I'd play around with the proportions, maybe adding more Tessora. Once it chilled in the refrigerator for a bit the flavors married nicely, so you could prepare a bunch overnight for a party the next day.

The jewelry is from my Cocktail Couture partner, Jenna Brucoli. I got to prop shop in her amazing collection of vintage accessories, and these immediately caught my eye. I love clothing that mimics food, and these strands look like wonderfully colorful hard candy. She's created a beautiful design around the photos and added her own style to the story. Make sure to check out her post!

Don't forget about our previous Cocktail Couture post for Watershed Gin!

Cocktail Couture: Watershed Gin Pumpkin Drop

2011-10-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

We Cbusr's sure do love our hometown booze! Columbus is getting some well-deserved local and national recognition for our distilleries, wineries, and breweries. In honor of these fine establishments, I've partnered with fellow Edible Columbus contributor Jenna Brucoli of the fantastic design and fashion blog, Jenna Sais Quois, to bring you Cocktail Couture.

Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing, usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Well, in relation to these cocktail and accessory pairings, the hand-crafted alcohol is couture. The creators are dedicated to their craft, making award-winning bottles of gin, vodka, whiskey, wine and Tessora (similar to limoncello.)

Our first recipe uses Watershed Gin. Even gin-haters will enjoy this cocktail! (I have proof, I tested the cocktail out on a number of gin-haters.) This makes a fun punch, or if made more concentrated, it's great for shots or mini-cocktails. It's a perfect fall drink, and could be made even more fun with floating spider rings, a sugared rim, or served in hollowed out mini pumpkins.

Pumpkin Drop

1.            1 oz. Watershed Gin
2.            1 oz. pumpkin puree
3.            1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
4.            1 1/2 oz. simple syrup
5.            Ginger Ale

Combine the gin, pumpkin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, and shake briskly until combined. Strain into a shot glass or small highball glass and top off with Ginger Ale. The Ginger Ale can be substituted with champagne, sparkling wine, or cream soda. They're all good!

Here's the link to Jenna's post, with a twist.

In honor of Halloween, I couldn't resist adding a few of my favorite pumpkin photos. Keep an eye out for more Cocktail Couture to come!

Homemade Peach Cobbler Food Photographer | Columbus Ohio

2011-10-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Although peaches are no longer in season in Ohio, I just couldn't wait to post this until next year! So the next time you find yourself with a whole bunch of wonderful peaches, MAKE THIS RECIPE.

It is possible that I will never be satisfied with another peach now that I've found Branstool Orchards. I'd heard the hype, but I didn't believe it until I broke down and tried one of their peaches. I now know why they sell an entire TRUCK of peaches within an hour at the Farmer's Market. It's like you remember what a peach is supposed to taste like! I could photograph these peaches all day long, they deserve the limelight.

Of course, they are perfect on their own, so why make cobbler out of them? Well, because they perish quickly and I'd hate to see a peach like this go to waste! Even eating 3-4 a day, I couldn't get through all of them fast enough, hence the cobbler.

The recipe is below, just keep scrolling!

Here's the recipe, borrowed from MyRecipes.com and adapted a little:

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups sugar, divided
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* Pinch of salt
* 3/4 cup milk
* 4 cups fresh peach slices
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* Handful of fresh sage leaves
* Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Preparation
* Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
* Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
* Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Take the sage leaves and sprinkle over the top.
* Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Now, for more pictures! This is a photography blog, after all.

The sage leaves were an addition of mine. I LOVE sage, and didn't want to see mine going to waste in my garden, so I figured it couldn't be a horrible idea, and added them at the last second. Put in as much or as little sage as you'd like. I only did about 8 leaves, but had I known it would be my favorite element, I would've added 15-20. Because they were on top, they caramelized and were super tasty!

Now, for the finished product! (Oh sorry, not the cobbler, just the pictures of the cobbler. Don't cry, it's ok.) I splurged the day I was making this and had bought some flowers from the Farmer's Market, which I never do. (I'm afraid my cats will eat them, that's all.) They drew me in, they were maybe the prettiest flowers I've ever seen, and they unknowingly would compliment my peach cobbler perfectly!

This is a really easy dish, I encourage even the least confident home cooks to try it! Just make sure you use really great peaches. :)

The Library Dish: Reasons This Food Photographer Loves Libraries

2011-10-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Who uses libraries anymore, you ask?
I do. And here's why!

1. Librarians are like your mother. They know everything.
.

Well, even if they DON'T know it, they know how to research to find it! Librarians are super smart, they're even required to have a Master's Degree in Library Sciences. Did you know that?

2. If you don't have electricity, the library might.

The library is just far enough away that if my electricity is out, the library's might not be. This is super important if I have a deadline looming with no working internet/computer. The library will let me use theirs FOR FREE.

3. Who doesn't want free entertainment?

Editing and retouching thousands of photos can get tedious and lonely. The library fills the gap with many an audio book, t.v. show and song. If it weren't for the library, all my profits would've ended up at Netflix and Half-Priced Books.

4. The legal mumbo-jumbo.

How did I learn everything I know about copyright laws? The library. Not only is it nice I don't have to buy the boring books, but the library encourages me to actually READ them. When I buy a book, I set it on my nightstand and promptly forget about it. But if it's a library book, I know it has an expiration date. Having that expiration date hovering over my head is what gets me to actually READ the book. It's like my conscience nagging at me.

5. Martha Stewart, Bon Appetit, and Paula Dean

I love me a food magazine and cookbook! Instead of having a million magazines cluttering up my house, I get them all from the library, stare at the pretty pictures for a while, then return them. I get my food porn fix then I move on. It's the perfect paper relationship.

Why do YOU love the library?

Support the Westerville Public Library by voting YES on Issue 19 on November 8th!

Emeril Lagasse's Cookbook Sneak Peak: English Cottage Pie with Root Vegetables

2011-09-22T10:49:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of partnering with Shawnie Kelley, the talented woman behind the Insiders' Guide To Columbus and the fun food blog Manges! Mangi! You should check out the event she's organized for tomorrow night, Fete Blanc--a pop-up picnic for 350 people all dressed in white!

Shawnie introduced me to this Emeril cookbook, so we decided to partner up--she did all the cooking and I did all the photography, then we both ate all the food. :)

We started out with this English Cottage Pie. As she was busy cooking, I said "This looks a lot like a Shepard's Pie" and she responded that a Shepard's Pie is made with lamb, hence the shepard, and that all other pies of the sort can be called Cottage Pie. So most of you who had thought they made a Shepard's Pie but used ground beef, you were wrong! It's a Cottage Pie. I am also guilty of this, but who cares: Americans aren't exactly known for keeping to tradition.

Shawnie has this brilliant little device for getting the skin off of garlic. (It's that tube looking thing above.) You just roll this Garlic Peeler around with the garlic inside and voila! No more peel. I love gadgets like this that are small but immensely helpful at doing tasks I hate.

She also has that potato ricer (with handles, above) that I thought could really come in handy. But I'm sure I'd be lazy and use a spoon to mash them instead.

You might notice that Shawnie also likes the color orange--there was orange food, orange dishes, orange towels, I was in orange heaven. It's my favorite color (notice the orange cake banner image?)

So, even though I didn't eat this cottage pie, the spices smelled incredible coming out of the oven, and Shawnie could hardly wait until it cooled down to take a bite. She was very happy with the result. I think this is a crowd-pleaser recipe. There's nothing scary or adventurous about it, it's just good, hearty food, perfect for a cold winter day.

The finished result is below. It looks nice plated, more like a lasagna than a big soupy mess, which is what mine usually look like.

I can't be in a pet household without taking pictures of the pets. It would be rude, right? See, kitty loved the cottage pie, too!

You can find more recipe tests from Emeril's cookbook Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders in the 2 previous posts (quiche and soup), on Shawnie's blog, and on The Secret Ingredient's Facebook Page.

Emeril Lagasse's Cookbook Sneak Peak: Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tagine

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

For our second recipe, Shawnie and I chose the Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tagine. (To view the full story, check out this previous post.)

If it weren't for Shawnie, I wouldn't know what a tagine is! Or how to pronounce it, for that matter. I didn't end up shooting any full shots of the tagine, but luckily, Shawnie did in a previous post. It's a ceramic cone on top of a dish (in my words, of course.) I am told it's great for thickening up sauces, as it has a steam hole. Sometimes when making meals like this, everything comes out a little soupy because the steam doesn't dissipate. The tagine takes care of that!

Because it was later in the afternoon on a cloudy, somewhat dreary day, all of the shots have a tinge of blue in them. It makes this dish feel more like fall than summer, but I think it'd still be a nice summer dish. The lemon keeps it nice and light. But it's a great fall dish since most of the ingredients are either grown in the fall or easy to find on the shelf.

I love all thing chick pea, so this was a great recipe for me. I'm not usually a butternut squash fan, but this one was hardly even noticeable. All of the ingredients melded well together. The raisins and onion really helped add a punch of flavor along with the lemon. The couscous made it into a meal instead of a side dish.

One of the things I love about shooting at someone else's house is they have all new stuff! I get to play with new napkins, dishes, glasses, forks, and locations. Shawnie's sunroom was great for shooting in. Simple surfaces and big windows for perfectly even lighting.

We had to laugh when we finished the 2 recipes, because these were the dishes (not including the 2 final pots!) that were used to create them. While it might all end up in one pot, it takes a lot to get it there! At least for the English Cottage Pie. The Tagine was a little less dish-heavy. Oh well, a few dishes never hurt anybody! I'm willing to make the sacrifice in order to have a warm, home cooked meal-by Shawnie. :)

Emeril Lagasse's Cookbook Sneak Peak: Leek and Bacon Quiche in a Potato Crust

2011-09-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Check out some of the great food making its way onto my plate from Emeril's new cookbook coming out on September 27th, 2011! It's called Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com .

Note: The recipe is not listed, as I am not allowed to spill the beans before the cookbook is up for sale! You can look at the pretty pictures, then go buy the book. Sorry, wish I could share!
You can find more recipes from the book on Shawnie Kelley's blog, Manges! Mangi! including Tagine of Chicken with Lemon and Olives, Portuguese Pork and Clams and Emeril's Cajun Shrimp Stew.

I often make quiche, but it's kind of the same way I make soup: whatever is in my fridge that I need to use up goes in, and out comes something reasonably edible. I prefer my quiche with heavy cream vs. soy milk or 2% milk, but I find all of the variations to be acceptable. What I never much care for is the crust. It's fine, it holds the thing together, but I don't really ENJOY it.

Well, Emeril has found a solution! Potato Crust! Potatoes last forever in the fridge, so I can have them on hand. The rest of the ingredients were familiar and things I often have in my house. Except the bacon, I left that out. I'm sure it'd be delicious with bacon; bacon and leeks go well together.

I really enjoyed the oniony flavor with the green onions and the leeks. I like savory breakfasts, or egg dinners, so this is a great recipe for me to make and munch on for a few days.

The leeks smelled AMAZING when they were cooking in the butter! The only thing I'd change is the quality of the cheese I chose: I used a standard packaged sharp cheddar. A stronger, high quality cheese would have been noticeably better. I don't say that about every recipe, I'm definitely not a cheese snob. I love all cheeses--okay, except American. Is it even really cheese? But Velveeta works for me, so who am I to judge?

As you can probably see, I overcooked the crust just a bit. I would've gone 5-10 minutes less on the crust baking. I was afraid the potatoes wouldn't be cooked and overcompensated a bit.

This makes a big quiche, so it's great for a group offering at a party or a big family breakfast. It warms up better than any quiche I've had, so you can be like me and make it for yourself, then eat it for 4 days straight. :)

Check out the finished product below!

Emeril Lagasse's Cookbook Sneak Peak: Gigante Bean Soup with Arugula Pesto

2011-09-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

For all you Emeril fans out there, he's got a new cookbook coming out on September 27th, 2011! It's called Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com.

In the past, the Emeril recipes I've tried have come from foodnetwork.com searches, one of which is a now a favorite of mine: Gingerbread with Spiced Creme Anglaise. So it was exciting to have a real cookbook in my hands again! After thoroughly perusing the cookbook, I would categorize it as advanced for 3 reasons.
1. Most of the recipes call for many steps, like soaking, refrigerating overnight, and baking one part while whisking another.
2. The recipes are ingredient-heavy. Things like white peppercorns and grapeseed oil aren't items I have in my house regularly and some of the ingredients would need to be found at a specialty store.
3. Many of the recipes call for cookware I don't own. I have a small kitchen, so I don't buy a lot of cooking accessories. (Not that I don't pine for ALL of them!) In the recipes I read through, there were mentions of Tagines, Woks, and Springform Pans.

That said, if you love to cook, and you love to take the time to cook some amazing food, this is the book for you!

The first recipe I made was Gigante Bean Soup with Arugula Pesto. I'm not able to share the recipe, as it is super secret and must be purchased. Yes, it is worth purchasing! Read more after viewing some pretty photos of this yummy soup in the making!

Emeril says you can use any number of large beans in this recipe, which is good, since I have no idea what a Gigante Bean is. My favorite large beans are Fava Beans. They have a thick skin and a creamy inside. I let them soak for something like 14 hours, because I hate having hard beans. It worked fine. You can also use large Lima Beans.
Most of the ingredients for this were accessible, except for the white peppercorns which I skipped and just used ground pepper. No harm done. I even got to use some ingredients from my CSA and from my own garden, which is always exciting! I skipped the pancetta, since I don't eat meat. If I did add it, I'd probably have cut down on the salt in the recipe, since that would add more salt.

I've made a lot of soups in my time, but it's mostly the kind where I have a bunch of stuff that's about to go bad so I put it in a pot and boil for 10 minutes and voila! Soup. This time, I followed the recipe closely and didn't take the shortcuts I normally would, and I'm happy that the extra work paid off! This is filling and wonderfully substantial, even when made vegetarian, and would be great for all seasons. The fresh vegetables meld well together and the herbs shine through. I didn't think I'd care for the peppers, but they really did add flavor and color.

I garnished with a little extra Parmesan cheese and ate it as soon as I was done shooting. Even lukewarm it was still super tasty!

I think my favorite part of the recipe was the "garnish". Emeril added an Arugula Pesto recipe that is fantastic! I would never have thought of adding pesto as a garnish to a soup, but it was perfect. I will now make it all the time, as I love arugula. I'd put it on a sandwich (ooh, a breakfast sandwich!) or crackers and cheese, or as a veggie dip....It's nice because it doesn't have any garlic in it, so there isn't the huge bite pesto usually has. It does have lemon juice which adds it's own zing without overpowering everything else. Yum. Take a look at the photos below!

If I'm granted permission, I'll post the recipes once the book is released, but better yet, go order it now! While they aren't the easiest recipes in the world, they are wonderfully complex in flavor and you'll be glad you took the time to put such a great meal together. Better yet, freeze a bunch of it and have them for multiple meals! Both of these recipes probably had closer to 7-8 servings vs. the normal 4-6.

Stay tuned for more recipes from Emeril's new book coming this week!

Food Photographer in Central Ohio: Design*Sponge Post!

2011-07-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to be featured on Design*Sponge this week! It's a site I've admired for a long time, and it's a great fit with Photo Kitchen. Here are the photos that were featured, and a few extras that were left out! If you haven't seen the full article, with the delicious local honey recipes including Ohio Honey Oat Bars (like granola bars, but better) and Homemade Ricotta and Honey Over Biscotti, click here!

Pet Photographer | Columbus Ohio

2011-07-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yup, Boxer puppies really are this fun! They're sweet, playful (uh, yes, understatement!) and completely adorable! In a tiara or on the beach, this Boxer was a blast to shoot! Dogs come with shooting challenges, but that's half the fun. With over 1,000 frames shot, it was so hard to narrow down, but I managed to do it so I could share them with you.

Westerville Farmer's Market | Food Photographer Columbus Ohio

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

Took my weekly trip to the Westerville Farmer's Market yesterday!

I was delighted to see my good friends there too, shopping away, enjoying the chocolate covered strawberries from Sugar Inc: Artisan Tea and Bakery!

It's great seeing all those familiar faces, the vendors I love talking to, but may love their food just a bit more. :) One of my favorites being Sweet Thing Gourmet, a jam company that has put all other jams to shame. Mark, one of the owners, kindly ignored my camera and let me take a few photos of him, below.

Commercial Food Photography Studio

2011-06-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

Recipe of the Month:
Blueberry Boy Bait

This recipe came to me by request, from a certain someone who loves blueberries. He found the recipe on SmittenKitchen, and I figured, why not? Trader Joe's had blueberries that looked too good to pass up, and I was on a baking spree anyway, so I figured I'd throw this one in the mix. It was very simple to make, and will be perfect for breakfast (like a mix between a muffin and coffee cake), and a snack, and dinner....Don't worry, it's healthy; there's fruit in it!

Here are a few photos of the batter. I always scrape the bowl clean, no batter will go to waste at my house!

And here are a few hurried shots of the final product. Every food photo shoot is a process. I start with what I like most, but then move onto different angles, and points of focus. Then I begin to add in elements and deconstruct the subject. You can't go backwards with food, so I always start with the least destructive option.
1. The first image was shot from the back of the piece of cake I cut. I say the back, because it was the side that was falling apart, but I liked how it looked anyway.
2. The second shot is of the clean side, the front. While it looks okay, I think it's too straight, and doesn't look as bite-worthy as the other side.
3. The third one is shot from higher up so the focus goes further in the background and you get to see the fork cutting into the cake. I like this one best, because it shows the product well, but is also interactive. I feel like I'm about to eat it.
4. The fourth one I shot to get closer up into the cake with the fork, but the piece in the front doesn't look all that appealing, so I'd stick with #3.

Which one do you like best?

Professional Portraits Photographer | Columbus, Ohio

2011-05-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

Barry Chandler is the founder of Interactive Hospitality, a social Media and marketing company dedicated to helping restaurants, bars, and hotels reach their target market and increase revenue. With simple and innovative tricks, he's helped hundreds of businesses navigate the complicated world of marketing.

Not only is Barry super talented, but he's also a really nice guy, and very easy to work with. You should check him out at The Bar Blogger which is full of great (and free) ideas, and his main site, Interactive Hospitality.

Food Photographer | Columbus Ohio

2011-04-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Blog Crossover Series
with Hounds in the Kitchen

In this series, we're visiting with local food bloggers to share experiences, snap photos and hang out with the wonderful individuals creating food-related stories we just can't help but read!

Most recently, we visited Rachel Tayse of Hounds in the Kitchen! Rachel shares a variety of stories on her popular blog; everything from urban gardening, book reviews, week-long meal plans, local events, recipes, and her fam. She's a constant source of information! Rachel teaches cooking classes in kitchens around the city, most often at the Fra nklin Park Conservatory. Check out her events schedule here.

I spent the afternoon with Rachel, her daughter, and her intern, Keara. There were many activities, including, coloring eggs with all-natural dyes, feeding the chickens, playing with the pups and baking a "Dutch Baby." Rachel will be posting some each day during her egg-themed week, including recipes, at the links below!

http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2011/04/18/blow-out-eggs-photo-kitchen/
http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2011/04/19/making-and-using-natural-egg-dyes/

Want to learn more? Check out www.houndsinthekitchen.com for the rest of the Blog Crossover, and to read her latest posts! You can also follow her on Facebook.

Edible Columbus | Photographer

2011-03-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots from the Spring Issue of Edible Columbus, and a few extras that didn't make it in the magazine! Check out their website.

Central Ohio Yoga Model Photographer

2011-03-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

This is the first time a photo of mine has been turned into a real sketch! Jeremy Gau is quite talented! Not to mention Natalie Kristine of L-Yoga Flow, the model in the photo!

Food Photographers | Central Ohio

2011-03-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Blog Crossover Series
with Karma in the Kitchen

With this new series, we're visiting the homes of local food bloggers to share experiences, compare photos and hang out with the wonderful individuals creating food-related stories we just can't help but read!

Our first outing was with Tracy from Karma in the Kitchen. Tracy and her husband are facing an interesting challenge for the next few weeks. They are adopting a restricted diet in the hopes of diagnosing some of her husband's food allergens. Tracy talks more about their Elimination Diet on her blog.

I was curious to find out what she'd decided to make in light of all of their food restrictions and was excited to see some familiar foods put together in new and inventive ways!

The main dish she chose was Chard Rolls Filled with Winter Vegetables. The fragrant and spicy smell of the veggies as they were cooking was intoxicating. The dish made for great comfort food: not too heavy, perfectly juicy, flavorful and healthy to boot!

Food bloggers are experts at juggling boiling pots and inventing creative substitutions in a pinch. But it is certainly challenging to make a meal while trying to photograph it at the same time! The appetizers start to gets cold, your family starts to grow hungry and the dessert starts to burn, all while you try to set up "the perfect shot" to showcase your hard work!

As a photographer and soux chef, I had the luxury of setting up the "perfect" shot without sacrificing the meal. I also had the opportunity to get action shots that most bloggers can't, since they usually work alone!

I ended up taking over 100 photos, as compared to Tracy's 10. Some might see this as cheating, because the odds of me getting the perfect shot were greater. But Tracy herself said, "If I took 100 photos, they'd all look exactly the same." As a photographer, I'm compelled to keep shooting in hopes of capturing a spontaneous moment or a unique angle. I could take 10 pictures, but if I did, I might miss the most important photographic element: the ability to catch the moment and not just the ingredients.

Take a look at the photo comparisons below. What do you think are the biggest differences between my shots and Tracy's?

Here is a side-by-side photo comparison of the Swiss Chard.
(Tracy's photo is on the left. Photo Kitchen's on the right.)

Here is the veggie mix simmering on the stove.
(Tracy's photo on top. Photo Kitchen's 2 photos below hers.)

The finished dish was perfectly shiny and juicy.
(Tracy's photo on top. Photo Kitchen's photo below hers.)

The final plated dish.
(Tracy's on the left. Photo Kitchen's on the right.)

As I was busy snapping pics of their two adorable dogs and happily washing dishes, Tracy whipped up these Maple Butter Bars in less than 10 minutes! I'm not a huge fan of maple-flavored things, but I loved the chewy texture of these bars. The maple wasn't overwhelming and eating them warm was a comforting treat.

Maple Butter Bars, freshly cut.
(Tracy's photo above.)

Bars in the making: pre-oven, just out of the oven and just before eating.
(Photo Kitchen's pictures, above.)

My guy & Tracy's neighbor, John, stopped by to try out the veggie fare. As a meat-lover, the fact that he didn't try to feed his share to the dogs means it was a winner!

(Sophia didn't seem to mind the idea of a veggie meal either; she was right up in John's face begging for him to share!)

I always enjoy watching Tracy cook. Her food is unique, adventurous and vegetarian friendly. She cooks mostly from scratch, she has a compost pile and she values locally-grown food, as evidenced by her CSA share with Sippel Family Farm. My favorite part of her blog is that it isn't always about the food, but often about her love for her family and friends.

You can find the recipes, more photos, and Tracy's take of the day in her post, The Diet: Day 2.

Bottom line, I'd be thrilled to cook along side Tracy again. She's easy going and engaging, a pet lover like me and a food enthusiast. What more do I need out of a kitchen mate? (I can't help adding this last photo of Tracy, who said "Hm, you didn't say anything about taking pictures of me!" Yet she was kind enough to let me.)

P.S. Check in for the next in our Blog Crossover series with Lynn from But You Can Call Me Crazy!

Commercial Food Photographer | Columbus, Ohio

2011-02-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

Bleu & Fig | Food and Flowers

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Bleu & Fig a few weeks back! They are a full service catering company here in Columbus, but before you jump to conclusions, they are not the stereotypical catering company! They DON'T have one menu you HAVE to order from, they DO care about how their food tastes, and they AREN'T above doing small soirees.

Mini Crab Cakes | Pear Tart | Butternut Squash Bisque

Candied Bacon | Shortbread Lemon Bar

Veggie Wrap Boxed Lunch | Rosemary Garlic Chicken Pot Pie

In fact, they love the small jobs. Oscar Night, Valentine's Day for two, St. Patrick's Day gathering; whatever kind of party you want to throw, Bleu & Fig would be more than happy to help you come up with a unique menu to fit. And to make party-planning even easier, they also have 20 years experience in florals, and provide those services, as well.

Take the time to meet Regina and Brooke of Bleu & Fig, these ladies are kind, professional, creative and talented!

Photography Matters, No Matter Your Business

2011-02-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

Why hire a professional photographer? This is a question I here a lot, especially since the rise of digital photography. I recently found two articles (not written by photographers!) that explain how the use of quality photography is integral to your business.

This first excerpt is about hiring a professional photographer for a political campaign, though it could apply to any business's advertising and marketing endeavors.

Photography can be the key to a successful direct mail campaign. When it comes to direct mail, you get approximately five seconds of a voter's time between the mailbox and the trash can so you need to make those five seconds as eye catching and powerful as possible. In a misguided attempt to save resources, many campaigns skimp on one of the most crucial aspects of direct mail--photography. It's akin to building your dream house on a dirt foundation. All of the work you put into your mail program--the research, writing and strategy--won't be as effective if the piece is dragged down by low resolution, amateurish, overtly political photos taken by a well-meaning volunteer.

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in political mail. A compelling and unusual photo can leap out of the rest of the clutter in the mailbox and get you those precious seconds of voter attention. A few tips on getting the right image to make your point:

Hire a professional photographer, not your neighbor who has a new digital camera (unless he or she is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer in which case I hope they have better equipment). Spend the money on a real shoot with a real photographer....

Chadderdon, Liz. "Don't Skimp on the Visual - It Seals the Deal." Politics (Campaigns and Elections). May 2010.

This second excerpt is about using photos that best illustrate your brand.

The right picture truly is worth a thousand words. It can tell your story, showcase your products, and intrigue, interest or excite your audience. But the wrong picture--well, there's a whole other phrase that describes that: Not worth the paper it's printed on. Problem is, how do you tell the difference?

A good photo or illustration communicates more quickly and leaves a longer lasting impression than words alone. It's the old left brain/right brain thing. There is an emotional and a rational aspect to every communication, and you want to enhance both. The right picture can make people read the words. The right words can make people internalize the message. The visuals you use will create a perception of your (company) in the minds of the people who see them. Make sure it's the perception you want.

There's no way to tell you exactly how much you should pay for professional photography, since so much is dependent on the specifics of your job: How many pictures? Of what? Where? When? Even where you are located geographically makes a huge difference in photo costs. The best advice is to check around. Look at photographers' portfolios, find a few whose work you like, and get several quotes. Often photographers negotiate based on use.

Before you send any image off to a publication, ask yourself if that image would stop you, engage you, interest you. Then answer yourself truthfully.

The bottom line is, the better your photos, the better you'll look. It's worth the time and trouble to get it right.

Muhleman, Janet. "Picture Your Brand." Franchising World, February 2005.

An Evening At Val's | Food Photography | Columbus, Ohio

2011-01-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

Val Jorgensen, of Jorgensen Farms, graciously invited me to her home for an amazing culinary event, a sausage tasting, before we ever met. (You see, I was scheduled to photograph her for Edible Columbus magazine, but hadn't yet made it out to the farm.)

After I broke the news that I am, in fact, a vegetarian, she still insisted that I come to enjoy the veggie-friendly food and the company.

I'm so glad I did! Jorgensen Farms is located in Westerville, Ohio. They currently supply local restaurants with herbs, honey, eggs and vegetables. They're also venturing into doing weekly CSA dinners and event hosting.

This group all went to The Terre Madre Conference in Italy last fall for the Slow Foods movement.

Insider's Tip: If you get a chance to try their lemon honey, it is to die for!

Professional Food Photographer and Photo Retoucher | Columbus, Ohio

2011-01-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

People are always asking me, "Do you shoot fake food?"

These days, there isn't as much of a need to use artificial elements to make food look more appealing. This is partially because the style of food photography has changed, because of flash photography and because of the wonderful invention of DIGITAL. Food photography styling is heading more towards relaxed, sometimes purposefully messy. I think it's because people like to imagine eating what they see, and eating the PERFECT bowl of pudding is unlikely. Also, food used to be shot with hotlights and a 4x5 camera. It was hard to get food to stay looking good for the painstaking process, so fake food sometimes had to be substituted just to get the shot. And of course, there's digital. It used to be everything had to be perfect before the photo was taken, because little could be done after the fact. Now, so many things can be made perfect through multiple exposures, digital compositing, and the wonderful clone tool.

You may ask, "Why retouch it when you can fix it in camera?" Well, in this case, a few reasons. One, I was in a hurry. I had one hour before I HAD to leave the studio. I'd made the pudding the night before, and I knew how I wanted to shoot it, but I had little time to put it all together and produce the perfect shot. Two, I am not a food stylist. I get by just fine, but it's not my area of expertise. So I shot the lumpy pudding and fixed the imperfections in Photoshop, vs. painstakingly straining the pudding and picking out lumps. I don't own a strainer.

So here's what I did in Photoshop. I adjusted the color, combined the depth of field shots, darkened the pudding, removed the lumps, made the swirls more even, used a lighter exposure for the bowls, switched the whisk with a better shot, removed some of the blue cast on the bowls, and straightened the fabric in the back and warped the front corner to look straight. (I did iron the fabric, but didn't have time to wash the crease out of it.)

To see the photos flip back and forth, go to this link:
http://www.photokitchen.net/Photogalleries/Pudding.gif

Then I ate the pudding. All of it. All by myself.

Professional Retoucher | Columbus Ohio

2011-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick example of a recent image I retouched. To save time while shooting, the client and I decided to add the fire in the fireplace after the fact. This way, we could also control how the fire looked and how bright and out of focus it would be. See if you can catch all the other things that changed! Click below to watch the animation!

http://www.photokitchen.net/Photogalleries/fireplace.gif

Food Photographer | Columbus, Ohio

2011-01-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Food photography is so much fun, especially when you get to use food wordplay to create a new business card design. Taking a bite out of my business cards was easier to swallow than I thought. I bought a $10 contraption at JoAnn Fabrics to punch out the bites manually. Totally worth it.

Catherine Murray
All-Around Photo Chef
Columbus, Ohio
Photo Kitchen

Columbus Ohio Food Photographer

2011-01-03T14:20:00.001-08:00

Dear Google,

I would really love it if you could take a moment to read my blog. Here at Photo Kitchen, we work really hard to share relevant information with our readers, yet you rarely comment, you don't share our information with others, and you often ignore us altogether.

We understand you get a lot of requests, and that you can't possibly take the time to check out every site personally, but if you could roll over us, notice that we are here to help, open for business, and genuinely excited to photograph anything that comes our way, including but not exclusively, food, people, portrait, pet, commercial, product, business, executive, model portfolios, headshots, babies, stock, real estate, agriculture, fashion. You name it, we'll shoot it!

We'd so appreciate it if you could spread the word about Photo Kitchen to your gazillion users.

Thanks so much,
Catherine Murray

All-Around Photo Chef
Photo Kitchen, a photography company
www.photokitchen.net
www.facebook.com/photokitchen
http://twitter.com/photokitchen
contact@photokitchen.net
614.309.3515

A Cookie Kind of Holiday

2010-12-27T15:48:00.001-08:00

The best thing about cookies is they come in so many shapes and sizes, colors and designs, flavors and textures. You can dress them up however you like, you can make them in a hurry or take all day. The variety is endless and the eating is divine!

Local Foods Holiday Gift Ideas!

2010-12-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Buying local for Christmas is easy! Even more perfect for out-of-town friends and family who may miss their Ohio favorites. Don't see YOUR favorite on the list? Please add your own, this is just a small, small segment of what Columbus has to offer!

1. For some seriously ingenious sweets, check out Sassafras Bakery's gift packages menu.

http://sassafrasbakery.com/seasonal.html

2. Taste of Belgium sells waffles by the bagful. They're even good to eat plain!

http://authenticwaffle.com/

3. Honey makes a sweet gift--and it never expires! At least not at my house.... Honeyrun Farms just started selling on Etsy, prefect timing!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/honeyrunfarm?ga_search_query=honeyrun+farm&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

4. Middle West Spirits makes some kick-ass vodka. Easy way to cross off the men on your list!

http://www.middlewestspirits.com/index.php/products/

5. For an obsessive cheese lover (like me), Oakvale Gouda is really worth the splurge. You may not believe me, but you should.

http://www.oakvalecheese.com/html/product_list___ordering.html

6. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Jeni's Ice Cream makes a great gift, and it's pretty cool to receive a package that requires dry ice.

http://www.jenisicecreams.com/

7. Pattycake Bakery isn't just for vegans. Check out their Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pie, yum!

http://www.pattycakeveganbakery.bigcartel.com/

8. The Olive Orchard makes olive oil and other items perfect for gifting. Everyone needs olive oil, how can you go wrong?

http://theoliveorchard.com/

9. Though I don't think they have an online store, you could stop into Crazy Goat Coffee in Gahanna and pick up some beans, a mug, or a gift card for your loved one!

http://www.crazygoatcoffee.com/menu.html

10. Camelot Cellars makes a great variety of wines, and you can design your own label! I did this for a friend's birthday, and really enjoyed the experience.

http://www.camelotcellars.com/

11. Even though Cheryl's has gone big, they're cookies are still locally produced!

http://www.cheryls.com/

12. Sweet Thing Gourmet has my favorite jams. I like them because I don't even think about putting them on bread, they're just too good for bread. I like their brandied apricot on bananas and their hot raspberry jam with cream cheese on Nut Thins crackers.

http://www.sweetthinggourmet.com/gifts.html

13. Last but not least, it's not a local food but it's certainly local-food themed, you could always get them a subscription to Edible Columbus magazine.

http://www.ediblecommunities.com/columbus/subscribe/subscribe.htm

Edible Columbus Outtakes

2010-12-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some extras from the December issue of Edible Columbus!
I really enjoyed working on this issue, I met so many hard working people in the Columbus food scene who are really dedicated to their craft. And the take-home goodies didn't hurt either!

Are All Burgers Created Equal?

2010-11-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

No!
Just like burger's aren't all created equal, neither are pictures of burgers!
Why is food photography so important? Why would you want to hire someone to do it vs. buying a point-and-shoot and saving some $?
BECAUSE
You can't hear, touch, taste, or smell a photo of a burger.
The photo has to do all the work when you only have one sense at your disposal, and seeing is believing. If that burger doesn't look juicy, hot, sizzling, and downright mouthwatering, then who's going to believe that it is?
Let your photos reflect the deliciousness of your food. Hire a professional!

7 Reasons to be Thankful for the Recession

2010-11-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Whether you call it a recession, an economic downturn, or hard times, everyone has been effected, and rarely in a good way. While it's easy to look at the downside, I want to take a minute to look at the bright side. Here are 7 reasons I'm thankful for the recession.

1. Professional Wake-Up Call
Business has slowed down enough for me really look at what I've been doing, take stock of what I like and don't like, and the excuse I needed to change it.

2. More Food, More Fun
While business was rolling right along, I didn't have the time to cook, or even think about what I was eating. Now I'm eating healthier and better foods, reigniting my passion for cooking, and enjoying all of it a whole lot more!

3. Whole World View
I've always been passionate about the environment, that hasn't changed. But now that it's not just about the environment, but also about saving money, I've become more strict about my environmental choices, which makes me happy and proud. I buy props from garage sales and used stores, avoid buying new whenever possible. Not to mention saving on gas means saving money, too. Also, I've had the time to call up all those catalog companies and request to be taken off their mailing list.

4. Materialism Isn't Happiness
I've never considered myself a shop-o-holic, or anywhere close, but I've often found myself wondering if buying something would solve my problem before I'd consider a buying-free option. For example: organization. Instead of looking at my current organizational system and seeing what needed to be changed, I'd think "If I buy this shelving unit, would that help me be more organized?" The answer is often No. Instead, I started looking at it backwards--"Here are these 4 piles of things that need to be organized. What is the best way to do that? Do I currently own something that would help me? Do I need these things at all? Could I turn them digital instead of keeping the originals?" Then, if when I was done organizing, I decided a shelving unit would help, then I could go from there. Mostly, I found I didn't need it.

5. Expenses, Expenses, Expenses
I find that life is often a balance between time and money. If you don't have the time, you have the money. If you don't have the money, you have the time. So, now that I've had the time, I've carefully gone through my expenses and found small and large ways to save money. I lowered my cable bill by $20/month without losing any services. I return things I purchase if they don't fit/work instead of setting it in a corner until the receipt expires. I've fixed things that are broken instead of replacing them. I've canceled services I forgot I had, sold things I no longer use, spent hours lowering my health insurance by $100/month by switching companies, and so on. Now, when business picks up and I don't have the time for these things anymore, they'll already be done and I'll still be saving money!

6. Learning Isn't Just For Kids
I've been reading up on all kinds of things, like business practices, self help books, how to use Twitter to your advantage, cell phone manuals, all kinds of less-than-exciting stuff, but hey, I'm learning! It feels good to be empowered by knowledge. Now I can go forward in a more purposeful way.

7. Loved Ones
Instead of being caught up in work 24/7, I can take a few hours and hang out at my sister's house, go on a walk with my mom, go camping for the weekend, drive a friend to the airport...and do so without thinking how I should be at my computer retouching more images!

Now it's your turn, what are your reasons?

written by Catherine Murray

LYogaFlow--Yoga for Peace of Mind

2010-10-04T23:14:00.001-07:00

You might look at these photos and say, "What do these pictures have to do with yoga?" Well, Natalie here is a new brand of yoga--she's all about mind, body and soul. I believe the slogan she was using during our photo shoot was "Sexy is the new Healthy", and she's right! Healthy is becoming sexy, and she is the perfect example. Through good nutrition, yoga and a healthy outlook on life, she's a stunning portrait of what every woman wants to be--healthy, happy and sexy! Check out her blog at www.LYogaFlow.com to find out about her Wednesday yoga classes in Columbus!

Issue 4, for Libraries!

2010-09-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Libraries are a huge help for me and my business: I borrow photo books, business books, hold meetings there, use their internet when mine goes out, I've even taken a few portraits at the library! Please vote yes for Issue 4, it's important!
http://nateriggs.com/2010/09/19/columbus-metropolitan-libraries-issue-4/

Not Just Another Wedding

2010-09-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Congrats, J&W!

Edible Columbus Fall Issue, available now!

2010-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Edible Columbus came out this week! We're so excited to get our second cover image published on Edible! There are some terrific recipes in here, the squash lasagna is fantastic, and the pumpkin soup is the best I've ever had!
Looking for a copy of your very own? Check out this link of locations!
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/columbus/blog/the-fall-issue.htm
Other locations: Tasi Cafe, The Refectory, Surly Girl Saloon, Due Amici, Barrio, Basil, Barcelona, Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Cotters at the Arena.

New Site Design, Coming Soon!

2010-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

We'll be rolling out a whole new site within the next month, and we're really excited about it! There will be more information, more features, a newsletter option, testimonials, links, new portfolio images, and other great stuff! Check back in a few weeks to see all the changes!

Rising High

2010-09-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the fun at the Grove City Balloon Festival!

Food for Fun

2010-07-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

An interesting blend of local healthy fresh food and the most processed food there is!

Fourth of July Skywriting

2010-07-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

The Chef's Garden--An Adventure in Veggies

2010-06-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of touring possibly the most amazing farm in the U.S., The Chef's Garden. In Huron, Ohio, these farmers grow amazing vegetables for chefs around the world! They are dedicated to their craft and possibly the most knowledgeable farmers I'll ever meet. I also enjoyed dinner at The Culinary Vegetable Institute, which was just as exciting! (See Snapdragon Salad with fresh raspberry vinaigrette below :) )

The Missing Pages

2010-06-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

Edible expanded it's pages just to fit in more photos, but they still had to leave some out!
Here's what you missed!

Edible Columbus, available now!

2010-06-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy how this cover turned out, it's perfect!
June 2010 is officially the best month of this year!

Kitties Galore

2010-06-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Who could turn away these adorable kittens???

Mockups of possible cover designs for Edible Columbus

2010-05-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Trying to choose a font color can be fun, though it's hard to choose!

Just a Smidge

2010-05-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

I can't share it all just yet, but here's a little sneak peak at the upcoming issue of Edible Columbus Magazine, June 2010 issue. Check it out online at www.ediblecolumbus.com or drop by the North Market or Whole Foods and pick up a copy!

Hallmark Halloween Contest

2010-04-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my Hallmark entry for their Halloween-themed cards. We'll see if I win in May!

A Little Bit of Product Goes a Long Way

2010-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'm adding some product shots to my portfolio. Food themed items seemed appropriate, and this wonderful soap from Whole Foods that I got for Christmas made a great subject.

The Four Musketeers

2010-03-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Antique Skeleton Keys

2010-03-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley's Headshots 2010Ashley's Headshots 2010

2010-01-12T19:14:00.001-08:00

New Kitten, Dwight!

2010-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to your new family, Dwight!
Everyone should have photos of that precious kitten/puppy era with their family pet!

Lake Hope, Hocking County Ohio

2010-01-12T18:49:00.001-08:00

Animal Clinic of Westerville Welcomes Their Newest Employee!

2010-01-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

Baby Photographer | Columbus, Ohio

2009-12-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

Family Portrait Photography | Columbus, OH

2009-12-23T14:13:00.001-08:00

All families gather together in December, so what better time to get your family portrait taken?

Glorious Holiday Food!

2009-12-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

C & J's Fall Fun

2009-11-15T14:39:00.001-08:00

W & J's Engagement Session

2009-11-15T14:35:00.001-08:00

The Best of Fall

2009-11-03T19:40:00.001-08:00

Woody in the Woods

2009-11-03T17:03:00.001-08:00

A Little Bit of Charity Goes a Long Way

2009-11-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

National Kidney Foundation of Ohio is dedicated to helping those with kidney disease. Check out their latest, super successful event!

Little Ones

2009-10-20T00:28:00.001-07:00

The Ultimate Mother-Son Duo

2009-10-13T22:52:00.001-07:00

Europe Adventures

2009-10-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

A whirlwind trip to Europe left me with a million happy memories and a whole lot of pictures to edit! Here are some of the highlights.

Cake Balls Speak For Themselves

2009-07-14T23:48:00.001-07:00

Beekeepers on the Run

2009-07-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the great shots from Honeyrun Farm! Check out their site and visit them at the next Farmer's Market around town! www.honeyrunfarm.com

Sibling...what's the opposite of rivalry?

2009-06-28T22:40:00.001-07:00

Home is Where the Mop is

2009-06-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

I spent a week cleaning my house so I could throw a party--luckily it paid off in more ways than one! I had a great party without shame of a dirty house AND I had an excuse to take pictures of it!

The Perfect Pair

2009-05-26T22:34:00.001-07:00

The Glass Ladies

2009-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

A new business venture leads to new photos!
The Glass Ladies take beautiful glassware and ceramic pieces and turn them into wonderful garden sculptures, birdbaths and other lawn ornaments. What a great way to turn something old into something new!

T-shirts, anyone?

2009-04-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Buy your favorite Photo Kitchen image on a t-shirt! Special requests are welcome!

Check out my Skreened shop for more information.

Kitties, Fisheye and a Messy Bedroom

2009-03-16T23:51:00.001-07:00

Once In A Lifetime....

2009-03-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is probably the one and only time my friend here will let me take her picture...

Summer Leftovers (get it?)

2009-02-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

I finally finished up some of the files from my Summer Dinner Party photo shoot, so here is some food for thought.

Night at the Conservatory

2009-02-13T04:03:00.001-08:00

Who knew the conservatory was even open at night???
Well, now I do, and I'll probably go more often. Turns out flowers are just as beautiful in the dark.

Spaghetti Form

2009-02-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

This spaghetti may be my sad, sad dinner leftovers, but it makes for a cool shot. Spaghetti a la much refrigeration.

Pretending to be a Graphic Designer

2009-01-30T00:13:00.001-08:00

I've gotten some requests to do things like logos and fliers lately, which I'm not naturally adept at. But I've put in the effort and come up with some things I'm not too embarrassed to call my work :).

This is Tam's new etsy logo www.nothingasitseams.etsy.com

And some more HDSA info!

Columbus Ohio | Wedding Photographer

2009-01-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

My Seven Random Things requested by Tamara

1. All I want to do is take pix of food all day.

2. I'm looking for a guy that will look at me like this.3. I hate to dance, always have. But I'm going to have to learn how soon: social obligation.

4. Flowers are SO not my thing. They're pretty and that's it. Plus they can kill cats--Boo!5. I talk on the phone--A LOT.

6. I'm really afraid of public speaking. Even in groups of 5-10.

7. I've only ever looked good in one hat. But I didn't buy it, cuz it was $28.

Photos from Jan and Jeremy's wedding, January 2009.

I WANT MORE SNOW!

2009-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait

2009-01-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

It's a great time to take pictures when it snows. Everything is white, which makes for soft, even, flattering lighting, and rosy cheeks don't hurt either!