2011 International Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.4

I can't believe it's taken me so long to post these. I actually kinda forgot about them.... :(These are the only film photos I took the whole time. And I really love film. :)
These photos are from when I ventured out of my sad dorm room and did a little site seeing.

If you want to see more photos from the conference and maybe even some actual FOOD photos see:
Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.1
Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.2
Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.3

2011 International Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.3

I was going to post these by day..... but honestly it was so stinkin' long ago I can't even remember when everything happened. Let's call this day three. I don't think I took my camera on day two.

Who would go to a food styling and photography conference planning on not eating....? Yours truly!
Because I spent all the money I had just getting to the conference, I had originally planned on not spending any money on food while in Boston. I had decided that I was going to find the closest grocery store and stock up on fruit and granola bars. It was apparent the first night how silly and foolish of an idea that was.  Instead I ate my little heart out and loved every minute of it!

The conference held a super expensive dinner the third night and, honestly, it sounded kinda snarky. So I didn't sign up for the fancy 5 course dinner where, as advertised, I would get to rub elbows with the best photographers and stylists in the industry. Instead a few of us had our own fancy dinners at Dick's Last Resort, and Legal Sea Foods. Here we are enjoying our better-than-five-course dinner at Legal Sea Foods.

I have to give a shout out to Noah Whitenoff of NuStyling, a food stylist in Montreal, and Elizabeth Tichenor of Elizabeth Tichenor Photography, based in California. I loved hanging out with these insanely talented people.

The best part of going to a food styling and photography conference is being able to take pictures of my food and every other thing in sight without the dirty looks and annoyed comments. They love and accept me the way I am... sniff sniff. tear.

2011 International Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.2

Part 2 of Day 1
More photos from day one (workshop with superstar stylists and photographers). They had to in some way include cheese in the shoot.

 

  

 You'd think after photographing cheese all day the idea of eating it would make you sick....

Nope! We wined and dined. Well everyone else wined and dined. I just ate cheese. Lots of glorious cheese!

2011 International Conference on Food Styling and Photography 1.1

I'm finally posting photos from my trip to Boston. hehe

Last June I went to the International Conference on Food Styling and Photography in Boston. I absolutely love photographing food and really wanted to learn how to break into the business of food photography. I can't say I learned how to break into the business here in Utah but I did learn a lot about food photography and styling and I met a lot of amazing photographers and stylists. I am so glad I went and would love to go again. And when I talk about food photography I'm talking beyond food blogs.... I think it would be pretty rad to do it as a profession. I still don't know how to do that with my current circumstances, but I'm going to keep photographing food when I can and stay open to that possibility. :)

Okay on with the conference!

The first day I had signed up for a workshop, where we got to meet, talk to and watch the greats in food photography and food styling. There was so much going on and so many beautiful foods and dishes and styling tools. It felt like Christmas in June, but for nerds who like photographing food.... hahahha! Man! I might be willing to kill someone for some of this stuff to shoot food with. Just sayin.... ;)

  

 

FIND 4

A list of reasons why this was my favorite couple to photograph at the workshop:

1. She made her wedding dress and it was so cute. Can you tell, his boutonniere is handmade as well?
2. It felt like they were the first couple that I "had" to direct solo....  It was like, "here they are. Go at it...." And I was terrified having other attendees watching, so I was elated to see that it actually worked and I didn't totally mess up.
3. He adored her and it showed (and not in a gushy, cheesy way). It's always easier and more fun to photograph people who actually love each other, have fun together and show up with their hearts wide open. Now that's my kind of client!
4. I kind of had an ah ha moment after photographing that day. (I'm gonna get personal....) I never considered myself a romantic, yet I will always deny that I am a total cynic. Granted, I might appear to be a little jaded when it comes to some things regarding the idea of a fairy tale ending, I really do think I still am a romantic at heart, deep down, buried very deep within the depths of my Grinch-sized, black heart.... hahahah! j/k.But I do feel like there is a romantic inside of me. I always joke about my second, third and fourth marriages or weddings. But I did realize that day, after photographing this couple, that the next time I get married it will feel like this. If the experience of photographing these two people who love each other reminds me that it is possible then there has to be some romantic left in me. That is all.


More photos of Adam and Tessa at the FIND workshop.

FIND 3

At the workshop I made so many great friends. This sweet wonderful photographer, Jenna let me borrow her lens and taught me how fun a wide angle lens can be.

FIND 2

It was the first day of the FIND workshop and I had just spent the first half of the day taking in all that Jon had to teach us and I was eager to put everything into practice. As I look at these photos I am reminded of how perfect the weather was. The clouds created a giant soft box and as the day went on the wind really started to pick up, just before the rain hit. I just wish I wasn't such a pansy that first day and would have taken full advantage of the perfect setting and conditions.

I heart windblown hair. (I don't even know if that's a real thing but I do love it) Sigh..... My favorite thing in the whole world is windblown hair! Well maybe I exaggerate.... Okay wind blown anything is my favorite! :)

yummy FIND food

Food does look better on film....

Okay I'm not completely sure about that.... The chef was pretty amazing.... And the lighting was pretty perfect....

I will have to conduct a few more tests....

But until I do, here is one of many yummy breakfasts from the Film Is Not Dead Workshop. Jonathan's wife was the amazing chef for the entire week. It was divine. :)

I heart food....

FIND (Film Is Not Dead Workshop)

So is it bad that I've been totally selfish and have been hording these photos for so long?

Wednesday morning, March 16th to be exact, I got the message in my gmail account, saying that my photos were ready for download. So why is it that here it is Monday, March 21, and I am finally posting photos from the Film Is Not Dead Workshop I attended last October....  I was so anxious for the two weeks it took to get them developed and scanned. And I couldn't stop looking at each and everyone image as they downloaded. I swear it felt like Christmas. So why is it taking me so long to share them?

Maybe I don't want to share.... Maybe I just want to keep them to myself just a bit longer... And at the same time, as I was downloading the files I wanted to announce it to the whole world "I LOVE film." I love it so much my heart aches....
be still my heart....

I studied film photography in college and fell in love. In love with the process. In love with the grain. In love with black and white photos. In love with the rich tone. In love with the smell of the chemicals, the sound of the shutter, and in love with the image as it unfolds in front of me like magic.

So..... The question is, why did I stop shooting film? Well, it's simple really, but not so convincing, I didn't have access to a darkroom. Everyone was shooting digital and it seemed like the cheaper and more convenient way to go. And here I am.... Finding myself falling in love with film all over again.

I sent in 20 rolls of film, a few that are as old as 5 years, and a ton from the workshop. I'm just going to post a few right now. And maybe I'll think about sharing the rest.... or not..... I'm undecided. I still need my special "alone time" with them....

More photos of Adam and Tessa here.

Food Photography Workshop

I have so much to blog about, which also means I have so much going on right now that I don't even have time to blog about all of it. But for today I am so excited to share some photos from a food photography workshop that I attended last Saturday, taught by Quinn Curtis, owner of Limelight Food Photography.

To see other attendee's work click on this link.

When I first started getting interested in food photography, naturally I sought out other food photographers, and especially any that lived in and were successful in Utah. I found Quinn online and started reading her blog. I heart her style and fresh approach. I started harassing her, via email, a few months ago about assisting her. I'm sure she gets that a lot and just hoped she would put me on her "to call for an assistant" list. When she posted that she would be teaching a series of food photography workshops I signed up for every single one that I could.

Last week she taught an awesome workshop, Natural Lighting Food Photography. I loved this workshop! It was such a nice and intimate setting at her house and the class size was perfect for us all to get some good shooting time and discussion. She had 5 breakfast/brunch items set up in different parts of her house, which allowed us to try different lighting situations. Breakfast just so happens to be my favorite meal and I didn't have to prepare any of the food. What more could I ask for? I learned so much at this workshop and am so excited for next week's Food Photography Color Theory and Food Styling Workshop.

Right after I left the workshop, I headed over to photograph my dear friend, Jared's baby, Lenna. She is so stinkin cute! I'll try to post pictures after I get back from Girl's Camp.