Coffee is my cup of Tea

Recipes for Impact is a coffee table book featuring Blk&Bold's barista tried-and-tested recipes. Envisioned and produced by Canteen, a brand of Compass USA. The book features over 30 handcrafted specialty beverage recipes, and caffeinated lovers can rejoice with tea and coffee concoctions that are delicious and community-conscious. 100% of the proceeds go to nonprofit organizations that dedicate their resources to American children in need. The company mantra is "Coffee for you. Impact for our youth."

I love the brand BLK&Bold and its charity efforts in general, but to know that the profits from the sale of this book go to charity made this an extra special project! When Compass USA reached out to see if I’d be interested in shooting the book, I had to keep my excitement in check! From setting up the sets and incorporating the ingredients that infuse to make the drink to perfecting the lighting and adding the chocolate swirl finishing touch, some incredible work goes into crafting the perfect image. Thanks to a brilliant multi-tasking Creative Director/Stylist Mark Kaminski and two stellar assistants, Amber Hogan and Alina Kosmala, we got through 30 shots in two days. Check out our behind-the-scenes videos: I love sharing my creative process...

So what's a Sonker, you ask?

The Sonker is a uniquely North Carolinian dessert reminiscent of the traditional Southern cobbler. While food historians debate its origins, the Sonker solidified its fame in Western North Carolina, resulting in an entire trail dedicated to the bakeries and restaurants serving it.

With Our State magazine, I traveled part of the trail to capture these sweet treats and the faces behind them. We made three Mt. Airy pit stops for this photoshoot, first at Anchored Sweet Treats and Eats, then at Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies before finishing the day off at Harvest Grill Shelton Vineyards. From savory to spirit inclusions, each owner puts their spin on the Sonker, making the trail a must-see in NC.

I want summer to stay

Road trips, beach days, chilled rosé, bright food spreads, long lazy naps, cool dips in the water... the freedom to laze around and indulge, guilt-free. So perfect and delightful! What’s not to like about summer… if only summer could stay.

Recent Work for Ultrasuede®

I recently had the opportunity to shoot for Toray industries brand Ultrasuede® to showcase their luxurious, highly functional material. The focus of the shoot was to showcase the extensive assortment of colors and textures of the material and emphasize the material's durability.

We opted to shoot in a studio instead of a location for the interiors part of the shoot. This made the production a breeze, with endless light, scenery, and customization options.

Agency: Work The Brand

Design/Styling: Vivid Interiors

Stylist: Bianca Pagliai

In the spirit of perfection

The brand's fascinating history inspired my approach to their impressive product line of whiskeys and liqueurs with a vintage, Prohibition-era motif. I challenged myself to connect their moonshine past to the present by crafting a luxurious ambiance while incorporating a hint of shadiness. With this study-like setting, I imagined a conscientious distiller nursing a glass of "The Reverend" while mulling over their craft.

I resolved to capture the brand's essence by highlighting each bottle's uniqueness while maintaining continuity across the product line. Continuing the balance of old-world nostalgia with sophistication, I contextualized my subject in the space and lit the scene to mimic a late evening golden hue to complement each spirit's distinct coloring.

It was satisfying to shoot the individual products, as well as consider the entire product line.

I appreciate revisiting a brand, as it allows me to strengthen my relationship with clients and continue to fulfill their vision.

The devil's in the details…

I enjoy working with chefs who are just as committed to telling their stories through the details of their craft as I am. Chef Drew Ausley is one of these chefs.

Ausley, the owner of Boone Doggies, started his career with a hot dog cart and worked his way up to his successful restaurant with original, well-crafted recipes. I admire his attention to detail. When I shoot restaurant foods, especially burgers, I usually find imperfections such as smushed buns. However, Ausley carefully thinks through every element of his food, mitigating flaws in his presentation. For instance, his burger buns are delivered in crates ensuring they are not stacked on top of each other -- making them picture perfect.

I approach my work similarly, with meticulous planning and attention to detail to ensure every aspect of my photography gets the attention it deserves.

Both the journey and the destination matter

One way to realize an idea is to go ahead and shoot it rather than wait for a commission. I often get ideas around specific events/times of the year, and taking it from concept to photograph is irresistible. Every time I begin work on an idea, I tell myself to start and see where it goes. Akin to the saying, "it is the journey and not the destination that matters."

I'd be lying if I said, "it is the journey, not the destination." The journey is a problem-solving, learning experience that helps add to my vocabulary--visually and technically. Over time and with experience, one recognizes when an idea has arrived or reached its destination. And, in whatever shape or form the journey reveals it to be, the destination is always delightful. Even if for only a few days until you start on another one of those journeys.

A very special bourbon banoffee pecan cinnamon roll.

Recently, I collaborated with Our State Magazine to tell the story of Greensboro baker Veneé Pawlowski. Her cinnamon roll won the $5000 General Mills' 2020 Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest and local fame. Although no stranger to the professional baking scene, Pawlowski maximized her time at home during a pandemic to open Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie, a micro-bakery in her very own kitchen. 

I had the opportunity to photograph her and her famous bourbon "banoffee" pecan cinnamon rolls at the Historic Double Oakes bed and Breakfast, where she has a store. I included vignettes of the building's Colonial Revival style architecture as much as possible in all the shots, especially the portraits.