Taste.

Taste. Issue 1:

A food photography showcase.

By Bob Gross in Cooking, Food & Wine

Food photography is complicated. It’s more than just taking snapshots. Great food photography is an art; it captures all the subtleties of a dish. It combines texture, form, and color to create tantalizing images that grab a viewers attention. Any great chef will tell you that plating and presentation— the visual aspects of a meal— are a key component to success.

The web is cool. It's fast. It's convenient. Plus, they tell me it's very "hip" with the kids these days. But it's still not the same as print-- real live ink on paper. I love print. I love the colors, the texture of the paper. I love the smell. There's a permanence to print that the web will never have. Print lives on your coffee table, on your night stand, in the basket next to the toilet. It waits with you during a long layover at the airport in Newark, New Jersey. That's why I'm starting to publish some work through MagCloud. This one is mostly for promotional purposes, but keep an eye out for some other more "artsy" offerings in the near future, including a special edition magazine release of my black and white series, {Body}, that was on display at StageNorth last year. Alright, keep it real out there people.

The Daily Press-Day in the Life Project.

On February 17th the Ashland Daily Press did a project called a "Day in the Life". The idea is to have 24 hours of coverage that day. Teams of reporters and photographers canvas the community collecting stories and images from everyday life on that day in history. Eventually, the results are published in several consecutive weekend editions of the paper and then collected in a bound book. They do this every ten years. It's pretty cool to look back at past editions and get a snapshot of life in Ashland in 2001 and 1991. People dressed weird back then, good thing we're all normal now right?

Anyway, the Press hired me out for a 12 hour shift on the 17th. I was on with reporter Daniel Kaeding from midnight until noon shooting photos to go along with Daniel's interviews. And let me tell you there are some characters out in the middle of the night. In all honesty though, we met some really cool people. Long story short, there is way more going on in the middle of the night than I ever realized. I can't tell you much more than that until our section runs in the paper, but make sure to pick up the special editions of the Daily Press on March 19, 26, and April 2. I can promise you there's going to be some cool stuff in there.

As a little teaser, Claire Duquette, editor of the Ashland Daily Press, is letting me a run a couple images here on the blog. This was our first stop of the night after leaving the Daily Press Office. We didn't make it far, just down the hall in fact. This is the night shift team in the newspaper's press room, printing the papers for February 17. They scramble in the middle of the night to get the news off the press and bundled so the delivery guys can have it on your doorstep bright and early. Just a few of the people working through the wee hours of the night to make your morning a little better. Check out more on March 19 when the first special edition hits the racks.

Winter Senior Portraits or "How to be cooler than everyone else in your senior class."

Okay, everyone knows that you get your senior portraits shot during the summer (or maybe the fall, if you put it off all summer and then need to squeeze it in last minute before the photo deadline). But why? Is summer everyone's favorite season? Probably not. There must be a current high school junior out there somewhere who loves winter. Then why not get your senior portrait taken in winter? Are you a skier, a snowboarder, a snowmobiler? Do you just have a totally kick-ass winter wardrobe that makes you look awesome in the snow? Whatever the reason give me a call. I've been eye-balling some great places to shoot portraits in the winter, all I need is a few subjects. Book a shoot before February 28, and get 10% off the package price. This is the perfect way to set yourself apart. Do something different. Isn't that the whole idea anyway?

Winter.

For anyone out there who hasn't been paying attention, it is now winter. Got that reminder from Mother Nature this morning when I got stuck in the ditch. Not in a car though, just walking.

I saw this frosty spool of barbed wire on a fence post by the side of the road this morning and stopped to take a photo. Stepped off the road to get closer and discovered that the ditch was full of snow. And I'm talking full here, waist deep. Do you know hard it is to walk in waist-deep snow? Really hard. I couldn't lift my leg high enough to get above the snow and make a new post hole to keep walking and I could turn around enough to go back up the other side. I was stuck down there for about 5 minutes thrashing and wallowing around. A guy driving past actually stopped his car to ask if I needed help. I wish someone had been filming me, it must have been hilarious. Got a nice photo out of it though. I really like the hint of pink in the sky. I'm glad I stopped.

I'm also glad I got the last kayaking photos of the year out of the way a couple weeks ago. The last shoot was for a national magazine (can't show it here until it runs in print, but check back for that later this winter). I eeked it in right before the real ice. It's a photo of Gail Green, owner of Living Adventure Inc., a really great guiding service just outside of Bayfield. Ended up floating in a dry suit in the lake before the sun came up to get a photo right around dawn, great images though. Can't wait to see them in print. I hope they run it big (insert crossed fingers here).

Next up, flying to Naples, Florida, for two days at the end of this week. Portraits and an interview for another magazine article. Never been to Florida before. Always an adventure. Stay tuned.

Ashland Yoga Studio.

 A few weeks ago I shot some promotional images for Ashland Yoga Studio. If you're in the Ashland area check them out; lots of great classes for people at all different levels of expereince. They're also teaching pilates and kettlebell classes too. It's a bunch of cool people teaching in a great space. Part of the project I shot for them included a stop-motion movie of one of the yoga classes taught by Charmaine Swan. Check it out:

Food.

And now for something completely different: Food. I spent part of last week down in Eau Claire, Wisconsin shooting food images for a catalogue--a big change of pace from the other things I've been working on lately. It felt good to stretch some different photographic muscles for a few days. Food is all about arrangement and lighting. You spend all kinds of time setting things up, making small adjustments, arranging scenes, tweeking the lighting, and then you take one photo, break it all down, and set up something else. It's way different than making portraits or covering live events--a lot calmer, a lot more calculating. You can really zone in on building the image one element at a time. It's a cool way to work, really focused. The end of this week is going to be something else completely different too. It's already been a pretty crazy fall and things aren't slowing down yet. Stay tuned.

A few more from Yosemite.

Okay, so the photo above is the picture that everyone, literally everyone, who has ever been to Yosemite National Park brings home with them. In fact, I think you're required to show the ranger this photo at the gate before they'll let you leave the park. You, and everyone else, can take this picture from the first big overlook that you hit when you drive into the valley. Call it cliche or call it classic, no one can drive past that overlook and say "Eh, let's skip it." It is debatably the most incredible view in the United States: the largest vista in America's premier national park. So yes, I stopped for a photo. The next couple images below, on the other hand, are views that most visitors to the park don't get. A special thanks to Kelly Martin and the crew of H-551 for giving me an incredible perspective.

A Good Day at Work.

As a photographer, most days are pretty good. I routinely get to go interesting places, meet cool people, and of course get some great images along the way. But let's be honest, in any job, some days are better than others. For example Saturday was well above average. For me anyday that you get to hang out the open door of a moving helicopter to take photos is a good day at work. Now, if that helicopter also happens to be flying over autumn wildfires in Yosemite National Park, well that's pretty dang hard to beat. Here's a couple of my favorites, stay tuned for more:

On the Road.

Everything's packed up and ready to go for a whirl-wind tour of the west coast (even remembered to clean out the office coffee pot this time, see Coffee Vs. Time). I'm on the road until next Wednesday doing shoots in California, Washington and Oregon. I'm pretty excited, this loop should hit some really iconic places and I'm meeting up with some cool people along the way. I don't want to give away too much, but this trip may involve a helicopter ride if I'm lucky (I probably just jinxed it by saying that, but I'm too excited to keep it to myself). Keep an eye out for some rockin' new photos next week. Take it easy out there people.

Okay, I lied. One more senior portrait.

 I thought the portrait season was all over, but I ended up having one more senior portrait session Monday evening with Brooke. Again we got really lucky with weather. We started with a few shots in Prentice Park and then went down to the lake front right before sunset and got some great shots with a little bit of color in the sky. It was a beautiful evening; warm with just a whisper of breeze. Honestly, I think this was the last senior portrait of the season. It looks like I'll be on the road for most of the rest of the month, one round of shoots in California and another in the Pacific Northwest. Should be a fun, stay tuned. (If there's anyone else out there who still needs portraits, give me a call. If we're really sneaky we might still be able to fit you in.)

Winding Down the Portrait Season.

It's been a great year for senior portraits, and with the photo deadline in the local schools fast approaching, I suspect my fall is starting to wind down a little bit. Although, for all you procrastinator's out there, I still have some slots open before the cutoff. Give me a call to set somthing up if your still thinking about it. That blatant sales pitch aside, I had another great portrait session yesterday afternoon with Taylor. We did a few studio shots on white and then headed outside for some photos by the lake and another little spot downtown. I watched the weather all weekend and called Taylor monday night to talk about possibly cancelling our Tuesday shoot because it was supposed to rain. We decided to play it by ear, but mentally I was clearing time later in the week, expecting a rainy afternoon. Despite some gloomy weather in the morning, yesterday afternoon turned out to be beautiful: clear skys and 70. There was a bit of a breeze, but even that worked in our favor a little bit. Hell, some studios spend hundreds of dollars on wind machines to get that "tossled" look, and we got it for free. Not bad. If no one else books senior portraits this season, this was a great shoot to wind down the season with. Now I'm ramping up for more commercial work during the fall, a completely different kind of shooting. Should be fun. Watch for some of that coming down the pipe in the next few weeks.

Bagpiper.

Caught this image of a bagpiper warming up before an event I was covering last week in Ashland. I love the backlight; it makes the lines so crisp. There was no special setup, no controlled lighting, no stage direction. Just the afternoon sun and a brief moment in time captured by the camera. A very differnt kind of photography than the senior portrait sessions I've been doing lately. I don't even think he saw me making this photo. He was absorbed in tuning his pipes, focused on the sound. These are the kind of images that photojournalism is all about.

More Portraits and Even More Mosquitoes.

Here are a few of my favorites from Tatiana's senior portrait shoot on Sunday. We started out inside for some shots on white seamless, and then moved outside as the afternoon light got nicer. Another day with great weather, but the mosquitoes were absolutley epic. Seriously, I need to get an industrial fogger for these shoots or something. Tatiana got eaten alive. In a couple of the photos you can actually see mosquitoes hovering around her. It was ridiculous, but she managed to keep smiling through all of it.

Day Two.

A few more photos from day two of the senior portrait shoot with Andrea and Allison. This time we hit some locations in Ashland, and then headed up to a section of the Souix River near Washburn. It was another beautiful afternoon for photos and not nearly as buggy. These two were supposed to be my guinea pigs for the underwater portrait experiment, but we had to bail out on that plan because the bay is too full of silt from all the rain we've been getting. Not to mention, really freakin' cold. Such is life. We may give it a shot on another warm afternoon in early fall if mother nature cooperates. Plan B was using the local pool, but I just found out that it's closed until mid-October for repairs. That leaves us with Plan C...and once I figure out what Plan C actually is, I'll let you know...In the mean time, more shoots this weekend. Busy busy.

Bright Sunshiny Day.

We had beautiful weather yesterday evening for a senior portrait shoot with Allison and Andrea. Instead of booking each of their sessions separately, these two decided to do their shoots together split over two days, so we have more photos tonight too. Yesterday, we drove down to Mason, Wisconsin, to find some locations out in the country. It was a bit of a haul, but we found some great spots and the sunlight was perfect. Aside from a new hatch of mosquitoes it was a great shoot. Keep your eyes peeled for more in the next few days.

Home...for a minute.

Well, I'm back from my trip out to the East Coast. Above you'll see my toes enjoying the Atlantic Ocean just outside of Portland, Maine. Great trip. Met some cool people, got some good photos. I could spend a lot more time exploring that area someday. I'm back in Washburn for a few days before I'm off to Michigan next week for more photos and interviews. I'm not even going to unpack most of my stuff, just leave it all in the cases ready to go. After the week in Michigan I'll be back home for a little while. Travelling is fun, but it'll also be nice to be home for a while.

Senior Portraits and Travel.

Had a great senior portrait shoot this weekend with Amy. Above are two of my favorites from the afternoon. Haven't had much of a chance to process the other images yet and I probably won't until the end of the week. I'm in Vermont today for a photo shoot, another in Maine tonight, and then flying out of New Hampshire tomorrow afternoon. Kind of cool to check out the East Coast a little, never really been here before. Everything is so close together. Watch for more photos in the next couple days.

Camera + Airplane = Awesome-tacular.

Ring, Ring. Hello?... What's that you say?... You'd like a few aerial photographs? I'd love to but I don't have an airplane...Oh. Well, if you have a private, luxury airplane and an excellent pilot I can borrow, that should work fine. I suppose I could make a little time in my busy schedule to do that. Let me see when I'm available to do something like that...How about... any second of any day..Ever.

Let me sum up of the rest of the experience this way: TOTALLY FRICKIN' AWESOME. Special thanks to Pilot Dave Mauer for giving me some great angles over the City of Ashland and the Apostles Islands.

The Underwater Senior Portrait Challenge.

I had some time this weekend to experiment more with an underwater camera housing I got a while back. The photo above is one of many lovely self portraits that I made while playing with it. Obviously, the subject leaves a lot to be desired, but all in all I think the picture is pretty cool: interesting background, good color, nice light, and most importantly, a rockin' perspective that you don't get to see every day. That of course got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing), how can I use this to do something cooler than just taking pictures of me holding my breath. So here it is folks, Hired Lens Photography announces the The Underwater Senior Portrait Challenge.

You think I'm kidding. I'm not. I'm looking for some brave high school student (or two) in the Chequamegon Bay Area that wants to take their senior portrait underwater. I'm offering a 15% discount to anyone that will use one of the poses from their portrait package to do an underwater shoot. The rest of the session can be normal terrestrial-based photography. Why do I want to do this so bad? Because its different, because it's a fun challenge for me as a photographer, and because I think it will look really cool when it's all done. And  that's always the goal: great photographs. So who's with me? Worst-case scenario, you choose one of the other, more standard photos from our shoot for the year book and you still have a good story to tell. Think about it, and contact me if you're the bold aquatic subject I'm looking for. This is the chance to do something really different.

Remember Film?

About a year ago, maybe a little bit more, my friends Merm and Tara gave me a really amazing old Kodak range-finder camera that they found while cleaning out a family member's basement. Without going all camera-dork on you and getting way to far into the details, I'll just say that it totally rocks. It rocks for two reasons: because it's a really great classic camera, but also because it got me shooting film again. Remember film, that thin plasticky stuff that came in rolls? It's how we took photos before digital. Anyone, remember that...anyone? Well anyway, not only did I start shooting film with that camera, it also got me to haul out my box of old cameras (yep, you heard that right I literally have a box of cameras) and start playing around. For the last year on and off, I've been shooting certain things with film, processing the rolls and scanning the negatives to capture all the texture and dynamic range it has. Despite all the amazing advantages of digital, there's still something really special about film, something amazing about the process and the product. Especially now that film as a medium seems to be dying (try finding you favorite film, it's tricky and pricey when you do). But here's the real kicker: much as I hate to admit it, I realized that I still approach shooting film with a little more caution, a little more thought, than digital. I pause more to think before releasing the shutter and I think that's a great thing to do. With digital I usually start shooting and then start worrying about the details, make adjustments, change angles. In the end I get the same shots, but the process is very differnt. So maybe that's the best lesson from the old Kodak: to bring that level of focus--that thought process--back to my digital work. Definitely something to think about. Thanks Merm and Tara, some prints are on their way. In the mean time here are a few my favorites: