Australian Almonds

Client: Australian Almonds

Stylist: Pen and Palate

Taking my food photos to darker tones with lots of texture. This shoot was fun, incorporating photography and video (check a snippet out below).

Australian Pork

Slide, baby, slide…

I love travelling and telling stories of the places I visit. But there’s something else I like doing - making you salivate!

Client: Australian Pork

Styling and recipe development: Pen and Palate

Foodland's Mighty recipe shoot - Autumn

This past year has seen me spending more time having laughs, oops working, with Chris and Jo from Pen and Palate. We have been working with Foodland on their recipes for the Mighty magazine - a handy free pickup from your local store.

Chris develops the recipes, and on shoot day, Jo is the whizz in the kitchen while Chris and I make gorgeous photos of them. It's always a fun day, jumping on the table or using the tripod in front (something my physio wants me to do more of). Dancing, singing, laughing, eating... it all creates better photos. Surely?

I love to have fun on a shoot - getting great pics while everyone has fun. Win, win.

CLIENT: FRED Eatery

Really, no words needed. Just look at these pics. This place is very, very, very awesome. An easy drive through the beautiful Adelaide Hills.

FRED Eatery

Leonards Mill with Fleurieu Living Magazine

That one time when on a shoot, I got adventurous. And ate pigs head. (It’s the crumbed balls and actually tasted ok).

A great place to eat while on a day trip down at the Fleurieu Peninsula. Just make sure you book first. I went down with Fleurieu Living Magazine and photographed staff, food and venue. Here are some of the pics…

www.leonardsmill.com

Shimmer Festival 2018: Instagram Dinner

Come join me for a night of fun, photos and food. Plus a bit of wine. :) 

Eating and drinking my way around Fremantle...

When in Rome... or, as it is for me, when in Fremantle...

After visiting art studios, walking, cycling and swimming the waterfront and hanging out at Fremantle Arts Centre, it's time to refuel. The choices are plenty. And the yumminess factor high.

Here are some of my faves. 

Lapa Brazilian restaurant

Don't eat before you go - be hungry. Very hungry. The food is good, and I have trouble saying no. I prepare myself to roll out the door. Even though on arrival it seems all a bit haphazard, this restaurant has the service down.

All my faves like cheese bread and black beans are being served along with a constant offering of 16 different kinds of meat.

Drink coasters serve as signals to the waiters if I want more meat or not. Green 'yes please' or red 'no thank you'. I should have gone red long before I did, but what does one do when they are enjoying? 

 

Little creatures and Creatures Next Door

The place to chill, watching boats cruise in and out of the harbour as the sun sets. In fact, I feel like I am on a ship, especially while sitting on the front deck. The architecture mimics a ship very well. Live music and ultra friendly staff complete the setting.

It attracts a laid-back crowd of varying ages. We enjoy a game of Connect 4 and Guess Who while sipping wine. Yes, it’s not all about the beer. 

Raw Kitchen

This food is seriously delicious. I’d eat here every day if I could. We top our lunch off with yummy raw cake… think carrot cake and lime avocado slice that's like cheesecake. Yum. And not so guilty after my bean sprouts, quinoa, tofu and pickles bowl. 

It's housed in a big 1920's warehouse with lofty ceilings and retro furniture. Think old event chairs that can click together, bus seats, shipping container booths and long communal tables. It keeps me well entertained looking at everything, discovering new things. 

Bread in Common

Let's talk about bread. It's all about the bread. Well not really, but the bread is very good. I'm not meant to eat gluten but decide to suffer after one heavenly morsel. 

Bread in Common is a restaurant and bakery within an 1898 heritage listed building. The kitchen is open, and you can see the chefs working hard at your food while you sit with wine. The food is designed to be shared, and you sit at long communal tables. 

And did I mention the bread... delicious. With salted butter, olio or white bean dip - it goes down too well. 

Moore and Moore

A recurring theme - this place is located in an old building. The heritage-listed Moores building to be precise. Once I'm done (and it takes a while) looking around at all the gadgets and art stuff in the various rooms, I look at the menu. Biodynamic pancakes, vegan paleo bowl, halloumi burger all sound yummy... but I eventually decide on Mexican Florentine. A plate full of poached eggs, jalapeno & lime hollandaise, Moore’s baked beans (the best!), avocado, rocket and turkish toast.

Washed down with a seriously good strong coffee. Good morning! 

I think Fremantle suits me. I should come back more often. I know there are more places just like these to discover.

Any faves you visited? 
 

Recharging at South Beach, WA

The streets of Fremantle.

Where?

A little area between Coogee and Fremantle in Western Australia. Next door to Fremantle with better beaches and quieter pace, but still easy access to all the cafes, drinking holes and shops.

The crowd?

A mix of snobby upper class through to happy hippies. The upper crust walks past with their little pooches while hippies play congas in the parkland and backpackers munch on picnic style tea in the back of their station wagons. Of course, I love it.

Why?

A relaxed vibe of coastal living. Close to Fremantle but far enough away to escape the crowds. Cafes, cove beaches, fitness scene, cycling, and a great walking path along the coast. Not to forget the people watching either. 

What am I doing here?

I am spending the first week of 2018 here. Swimming, relaxing, reading, eating and drinking. It is the perfect excuse for me to step away from work and enjoy a guilt-free recharge. For anyone that knows me, you know how hard this is for me. I didn't even bring my laptop. Big deal, for me. 

How am I going with it?

Surprisingly well. I have loved my time not 'needing' to do something. I've relaxed into reading and finished two magazines and started on two books. I've wandered on the beach and splashed in the water just because. I've sat and done nothing. We've laughed hard playing Cards of Humanity. And I've eaten and drank way too much. 

And I've had time to think. I can get lost, and scared when I have time inside my head. But I know it's important. I don't allow myself this time too often, but its something I have realised and is improving. Working out what I need, what I want and what I need to do. Important personally and in business. 

So what else to do here, apart from being involved with your thoughts? 

Cycle the coastal path.
We ride from South Beach down to Woodman Point passing derelict old buildings, new Coogee development, family-friendly man-made beach, scrub, country style beaches and many parks. 20 km return. And of course, the path also heads north. We also ride this, heading towards Perth along the river. It's a very scenic and entertaining way of burning off some excess calories. 

Coastal path south of South Beach.

Bathers Beach House
As the sun sets, this is the place to be. Sun loungers line the small cove, with drink service. One of the very few places in Australia that offer service on the beach. Pretty sure I read it's the only place to legally be served an alcoholic drink in Perth. Tourists and locals alike line the waterfront for sunset photos but tonights isn't very spectacular. We enjoy our cider while laughing with our French waiter and again, people watching.

Sunsets and cocktails at Bathers Beach House, Fremantle.

Linger on the beach
I meet, and see, all sorts on the beach. Friendly locals are walking their pooches, random lounge chairs complete with a lamp sit on the beach, kitesurfers scream along the waves and families laugh and splash about in the water. Clear turquoise water, soft sand and warm sun complete the picture. 

The random things you find on the beach at South Beach. I was told it had been there for two weeks. The next day it was gone. 

Fremantle arts centre
A great place to see a variety of different art but also live music. The New Years Day concert attracts a well-rounded mix of people from chilled hipsters to the 60 plus-year-olds that love to kick off their heels and boogie. Soukouss Internacionale is my fave with their afro rhythms and got me up dancing while the other bands had me chilled and relaxed. Every Sunday afternoon the centre has live music. 

Soukouss Internacionale at Fremantle Arts Centre. 

Restaurants and drinking holes
There are many options in the Fremantle area. I eat in The Raw Kitchen, Bread in Common, Lapa, and Moore and Moore. We have drinks at Bathers Beach House and Creatures NextDoor too. All great. 

Start the day right with Mexican Florentine at Moore and Moore.

Of course, there is much more to discover in Fremantle, but that would require too much time off my sun lounger. I am, after all, meant to be relaxing. Discovering new things is exciting and quite possibly, lead me to work. Can't have that now...

Workshop: Marden Senior College

Last week I gave a workshop to the students of Marden Senior College. Focusing on how I photograph food, but we also touched on location portraits. 

The day was split into a studio food shoot, shoot in a kitchen, on location food shoot and portrait shoot. 

I started off my intro by saying 'I am not a technical photographer, I go with a feeling. I care more about the story than the camera model or tech specs (although I am fully aware of how I'm shooting and why). Not everything I do is correct, but it's the way I do it.' I don't know if there is a dead set right or wrong way to do things in photography? Or life really.

We also spoke about Contra work, charity jobs, social media and how to get clients. There can be confusion and misunderstanding that there is a prescribed way of how you have to do things.

There isn't. 

I accept or decline things on a case by case basis. Some things I do for love, practice, exposure or desire to help. Other things are purely business decisions. 

But something I did want to 'bang on' about is the relationship building. It's so important. I have been in business since 2004 and put emphasis on networking, being friendly, doing a good job... people will talk. You know the old saying... 'It's not what you know, it's who you know.' 

Studio - playing with angles, light, reflections in glass, working without a lightmeter and reading the histogram.

Kitchen - telling a story. Detail, medium and wide shots. Looking for interest. Keeping out of the way.

Food on location - light, direction, props, backgrounds, creating stories (including one here done by a student on healthy/indulgent), playing around.

People - Looking at interesting backgrounds, graphic, space, reflector or speedlight, working with your subject to make them comfortable. 

I put a call out on Facebook for anyone willing to lend us some food...  Kayla from Natural Naughties came to our party with some delicious, healthy food. Check out her food, recipes books and more here. http://www.naturalnaughties.com/

The difference in retouching...

So, what does a basic retouch mean?

What about an editorial retouch?

And what do I mean when I say 'extensive' retouch?

I've had many Clients ask this, and I the answer is always hard. So, I have decided to show it visually. That's the best way with photography anyway. So I think.

Above is a food photo, let me explain the differences you can see.

No retouch

This image is straight out of the camera.

I shoot in RAW. This allows for maximum information caught, and kept, in the capture. You will find most professionals photograph in this setting. 

Why throw away information without even considering it? The more information I have, the better the image can be.

It does also mean that there is always going to be a need for some amount of retouch. This can range from a click of 'auto' in software which has varied, and sometimes unexpected, results or manipulated by the photographer individually. I typically start with an Auto Correct then adjust each file individually from there. 

RAW = better quality

After all, that is why you are paying a photographer. To get the best images possible.

Editorial Retouch

This image has had a basic Auto Correct, then individually retouched via Lightroom. 
I will lighten shadows, adjust contrast/colour/tone/crop, remove any large blemishes/distractions and adjust local areas within the image. I also sharpen/noise reduce and perhaps add some saturation/clarity/vibrancy. 

Generally, an editorial image is not taken into Photoshop for more intensive retouching.

Extensive Retouch

This image is looked at in detail. It gets the Editorial Retouch then it's taken into Photoshop for individual and precise alterations. 

I have fixed perspective, removed some of the reflections from the glasses, removed blemishes on the surface, lightened darker areas of the food and cropped slightly. 

So, what retouch do you choose?

What retouch you choose depends on the final use of your image. We can chat about it when you book your next shoot. Or, if you have any questions, leave them here for me to answer.