Recent Work for Ethnosh

Ethnosh is a project that connects the public to immigrant-owned restaurants with photography, storytelling, and tasting events. When I photograph for Ethnosh, I’m always trying to represent each restaurant as distinctly as possible. This can be challenging because many of the restaurants aren’t able to spend a lot of time on the shoot. Many don’t have a lot of space for us to use during the shoot. But, these constraints can push us into interesting results.

On a recent shoot for Ethnosh we were photographing Lao Kitchen, a new Laotian restaurant attached to Alounemay Oriental Market along one of Greensboro’s immigrant business corridors. The restaurant itself is very small and windowless. We didn’t want to take up all their space with lights and gear, so we decided to set up outside and take advantage of the directional light of the late afternoon sun. It was a hot, humid, and bright southern day. The restaurant owner Suny squinted up at the sun and said, “Just like Laos,” and we thought… Perfect

Recent work for Red Clay Gourmet

On a recent shoot for Winston Salem-based pimento cheese producer Red Clay Gourmet, owners Lance and Michele wanted to showcase the versatility of their product by showing it in a variety of situations – in the kitchen, on the porch, and at a picnic. We took this direction and planned each shot to create a unique look, feel, and mood—down to expressing the time of day.

 The challenge for me as a photographer was to create images that were expressive of the brand, contextualize the product in different situations, and use light to suggest a time of day, all the while staying true to my “elegant yet unpretentious” style of work.

Using the substantial library of props and surfaces at my studio , the expertise of stylist Chriscilla Browning from Directions USA, and with  creative direction from Buttermilk Creative—the design studio working with Red Clay Gourmet to refresh their website and marketing materials—we reached Buttermilk’s goal to capture scenes that fit with the brand, practically and conceptually.

The photographs needed to work primarily as hero images on the site, but also work well in other applications like social media, brochures, point of purchase, and other marketing vehicles.

Our overriding goal was to get more mileage and use out of the pictures and start building a fresh, consistent brand image for Red Clay. All images were shot in my studio in Greensboro NC.

Recent Work For AAALiving

For National Pie day we made three pictures of three different pies for three states (MI, MN and IA) made for a studio that smelled wonderfully like Christmas in October. These are the small joys of being a food photographer. Many thanks to Rachel Winstead and PACE Communications for including me on this shoot. Big thanks to food stylist Alex Blake for the marathon baking session.

Appalachian Storytellers' Dinner for The Washington Post

I recently had the pleasure of photographing 6 chefs in action at a benefit event organized by The Blind Pig Supper Club of Asheville, NC. The Appalachian Storytellers Dinner was held at the picturesque Claxton Farms in Weaverville, NC. It was great to be behind the scenes in a kitchen full of very talented chefs who didn't take themselves too seriously and enjoyed cooking together.

Many thanks to Mike Moore, Travis Milton, Edward Lee, Matt Dawes, Elliott Moss, Kyle McKnight and Denny Trantham for giving me free range of their kitchen. Also, thanks to Photo Editor Dudley Brooks of The Washington Post for having me on this shoot and to Jon Eric Johnson for creating the time-lapse video.

And if you'd like to spend a little more time with the images......

Guests at the Appalachian Storytellers' Dinner organized by Blind Pig Supper Club at Claxton Farms, Weaverville, NC

Chef Elliott Moss and his dish Smoked & Cured Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Smoked Cheese, Buxton Sauerkraut, Leather Britches & Pickled Ramps

White Tail Venison with Sumac, Collard Leather Britches, White Tail Sack Sausage, Sweet Potato, Malted Sassafras, Mustard Greens & Black Birch Syrup by Travis Milton

Chef Edward Lee at work. Hickory Nut Gap Farms Pork Schnitzel with Kimchi Puree & Ham Salt Gravy by Edward Lee.

Chef Kyle Lee McNight puts the finishing touches on his Appalachian Root Vegetable dish with Hickory King Corn, Sorghum, Trout Salt, Local Chestnuts, Chard & Pecan oil

Chef Matt Dawes, Hominy porridge with Creasy Greens & Fatback by chef Matt Dawes

Mamaws Blackberry Dumplings with Fresh Cream & Mint by Chef Denny Trantham

Guests at the Appalachian Storytellers' Dinner

Chef Elliott Moss at the Smoker

Smoked and Cured Pork Tenderloin

Hickory Nut Gap Farms Pork

Charcuterie, L-R Fullsteam Carver & Friends Salami, Dusty Foothills Coppa, Peach and Corno Di Toro Lonzina, Old World Beef and Pork Salami, Carolina Hot Lamb Ham, Blueberry and Appalachian Wild Ginger Short Loin, Mole & Pumpkin Seed Salami

Guests at the Appalachian Storytellers Dinner at Claxton Farms, Weaverville, NC

Claxton Farms, Weaverville, NC

4 Restaurants for Sage Restaurant Group

On a recent shoot for Denver-based Sage Restaurant Group, I set out to represent 4 different restaurants through my photographs. My primary intent was for the images to be true the integrity of the restaurant—I wanted to convey the feeling of being there, the light, the mood and the ambiance. The biggest challenge was to make images that express the gestalt of the restaurant, while staying true to my style of photography.

Many thanks to Stephanie Ehrler and Peter Karpinski for making photography an integral part of their marketing and brand identity.

Urban Farmer: Cleveland OH

Sourcing ingredients from local farms and ranches, Urban Farmer Cleveland presents a new take on the traditional steakhouse. Plush couches interplay with weathered wood tables to create a stylish setting for the hearty yet elegant fare served here.

Departure: Portland OR

Captained by the soft spoken Top Chef contestant Gregory Gourdet, Portland’s Departure restaurant tempts guests with its ambitious mix of Asian and coastal cuisines. Think “Asia meets Pacific Northwest” with street food style appetizers and the freshest sushi around. All this served up on the 15th floor atop the landmark Meiers & Frank Building with fantastic views of the beautiful Portland skyline.

Hello Betty Fish House: Oceanside CA

The Hello Betty Fish House in Oceanside, CA, offers a comfortable, eclectic atmosphere filled with beach side charm. The menu features a variety of fish and seafood tacos, alongside a host of other surf-side favorites. Cool breeze from the Pacific wafts in through large open windows at the bar, making it feel like a rustic fish shack on the beach.

Urban Farmer: Portland OR

At the helm of an operation that is very reflective of the sustainable mindset of Portland is a friendly & approachable Executive Chef Matt Christianson. I thought it was pretty neat that Matt keeps bees atop the building, saves the fat that comes off the beef to make candles for the restaurant and makes soap for fun while creating chocolate in various designs on a 3D printer.

Urban Farmer Portland features a mouthwatering array of locally sourced meats, poultry, seafood and produce. This modern-day steakhouse focuses on local and organic ingredients.

Recent work for The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this week, I had the honor of photographing Father Brad Jones and Bishop Chad Jones for the Wall Street Journal. They were the most easy going and fun clergy I have met and it made for a very exciting shoot. Many thanks to Clare Ansberry for the wonderful story about people who change their religions; and to Allison Scott for having me photograph this unusual set of twins.

Brad and Chad grew up as Baptists in Elkin, N.C. Today, Brad is a Roman Catholic priest in Charlotte, N.C., and Chad is an Anglican bishop in Atlanta.

Here is a link to the story online and a few images that didn’t make it into the newspaper.http://www.wsj.com/articles/when-we-leave-one-religion-for-another-1425406126

Fr. Brad Jones and Bishop Chad Jones

Betaversity for Popular Mechanics

I recently photographed BetaBox in Raleigh, NC, for Popular Mechanics Magazine. Beta Box is a custom prototyping lab built inside of a shipping container. Here's a link for more information. https://betaversity.com/betabox/

Riverstead Restaurant & Inn for Washington Post Magazine

Riverstead, located in a small farm house and Inn, nestled in the mountains of Chilhowie, VA.

Two nights a month, one of Food and Wine's 2010 best new chefs, John Shields, along with Karen Urie Shields serve a 12 course menu for gastronomes willing to make the trek to Chilhowie.