Working with Carman Ranch is an opportunity to do what we’re very best at. Cory Carman and her family have such passion for their work–and what John excels at is digging in, exploring with his camera and then finding a way to express that passion in a way that’s beautiful, informative and compelling. We visited the Wallowas in the late Autumn to capture the places and processes that make Carman Ranch so special.
We’ve been having such a great time editing some new photos from Carman Ranch. Stay tuned to see all the gorgeous (and delicious) animals soon.
Portland’s Red Duck foods makes fantastic ketchup. Sauces, too. As they work to grow their brand, they wanted to showcase a broader range of product uses and worked with us on some new food photography. Of course we did the expected shots–burgers, ribs and fries, but they also wanted to show uses with a twist. So, together with food-whisperer, Andrea Slonecker, we made photos of seafoods, breakfast dishes, veggie bowls and even a bloody mary. It was such a pleasure to work with clients who gave us artistic flexibility and creative license to make photos that look so delicious.
And here’s how the burger shot looks on the Red Duck Foods website.
And here’s a few more images from the shoot.
Bandon’s Face Rock Creamery is growing fast. Recently, they added a line of gourmet Macaroni & Cheese and commissioned us to create product photography for their packages. Working from their creative brief and with their package layout, we crafted three unique images to showcase the product line. Kudus here go to brilliant food stylist Ellen Jackson, who managed to walk the tightrope between “too hot” and “simply perfect” to showcase these melty and delicious dishes. Later that same month, we spent the day documenting the cheese production process with head cheesemaker Brad Sinko. 
It’s so sad to hear that Juniper Grove is no longer producing out of Central Oregon. We’re big fans of Pierre, his goats and the great cheese he made.
It is great to see our friend and fellow cycling buddy, Ben Jacobsen featured on Travel Oregon’s Trip Ideas. If you’ve never visited the Travel Oregon website, you should. It’s a great source of not-your-everyday destinations and travel ideas.
The Spring issue of Edible Portland has an article about how farmers, bakers, brewers and distillers are creating new markets for local grains. On a soggy, cold afternoon in January, Lola Millholland and I paid a visit to Colin Barricklow at Kirsop Farm near Tumwater to learn how he’s been growing local grains. Later, we followed his products journey to market, winding up at Tabor Bread. Here’s a few of my favorites from that story.
The Washington Apple Commission brought me along on a press tour that included food writers. The trip was “Apples 101”. In depth, we learned about how much care goes into growing, picking, handling and processing both conventional and organic fruit. These babies get total TLC! Kyle Mathison, the grower show here, is the king of apples in the Wenatchee Valley.
I drove over to the coast to visit Ben Jacobsen at his production facility at Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast. In a converted oyster farm, Ben is making some fantastic artisan sea salt. Justifiably, he and his gourmet finishing salt have become the darlings of the food and restaurant world. Plus he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. More about Ben and his products at Jacobsen Salt.
Fridays when I drive to the the studio I see the Willamette Egg truck double-parked in front of the Cadillac Cafe on Broadway. I know you’ve probably seen it too, it’s the bright yellow semi painted with eggs “rolling” down each side. Before this, I thought a truck load was a lot of eggs. Now I have an appreciation of just how many eggs travel through our regional food system every day.
The Discovery Channel was filming a television program at Willamette Egg Farm. I shot alongside on behalf of the American Egg Board. The show covered topics about the chickens are kept and how eggs are processed. I learned a few things myself: why some eggs are white and some brown, and how cage-free chickens like to stretch their legs when the lighting changes.
