After the success of our Kew Garden cook book, we have been commissioned to shoot another version, the Salad cook book.
We have been shooting the ingredients as soon as they become available with the main shoot in September.
KEW GARDEN’S SALAD BOOK
After the success of our Kew Garden cook book, we have been commissioned to shoot another version, the Salad cook book.
We have been shooting the ingredients as soon as they become available with the main shoot in September.
We all want to win awards but it is the quality of each award which is so important.
Sadly the Association of Photographers Awards no longer has the clout, partly because they only use one judge/ category which in my opinion is crazy. For example how can a vegetarian judge a raw steak in a food section? You need 4 to 5 judges for a fair balance.
My favourite award is the Fortnums Award for Photographer of the Year (& that’s not just because they have the best party!!). I won in 2020 and am on the Shortlist for 2024, one of 3 photographers selected. It would be a real honour to be the first photographer to win for the second time.
Talking about parties, The Pink Lady Food Photo Awards also have a fantastic evening and I’m delighted to be Shortlisted for that too!!
Congratulations to Oliver James, my old assistant for winning an Oscar. After studying Physics & Maths at Oxford, Ollie worked for me in my Shoreditch Studio for 3 years, a lovely, quiet boy.
He was the creator of the black hole in Interstellar and was really quietly proud of this huge achievement.
He now is the Chief Scientist at DNEG (Double Negative) working on Hollywood blockbusters like Interstellar, several James Bond’s, Openheimer, Batman Begins, Chicken Run etc etc. https://cherwell.org/2024/02/25/visual-effects-oliver-james/
It is so good seeing a pure talent developing into one of the most influential men in Hollywood, a true special effect genius and scientist.
When I was a young assistant there was some wonderful award winning Supermarket work in the press, AMV’s work for Sainsbury’s in the 80’s, Tesco’s in the 90’s followed by M&S mouth watering commercials during the following decade.
The Sainsbury’s 80’s adv’, beautiful photography would capture a simple plum or fennel bulb, so why is Supermarket work now just about cost, surely the public want to know more about what families are putting on their plate?
I shot some nice food shots for Tesco’s / Red Brick Road between 2000-2010; when i open a newspaper now, the ads look just the same, they could be my old photos but are 15+ years on.
Waitrose were great to work for and had a great team of Art Directors from Banks Hoggins O’Shea & RKCR, especially Richard Dennison who really art directed posters and ads. He was a real craftsman, who also commissioned me on beautiful Landrover campaigns with Andy Clough & Rich, Richard Denney & Dave Henderson. He was one of the best creatives a photographer could work alongside, the type of AD that made me really happy I decided to become a ‘smudger’. Thank you
A healthy bagel for Christmas, not only bringing fresh green tones but also the wreath shape.
We dont’ need to walk far to create and photograph nature at it’s best or as a professional photographer ‘re-create it so no one could tell it was faked’!
I don’t like to ruin peoples beliefs but that’s the job of a professional.
I have been passionate about Italy. the Italian people & life style for 30 years, so much so we bought a farm in the foothills of the Garfagnana mountains, north of Lucca.
I met writer Nick Farrell on a project for Waitrose 20 years ago and with his knowledge and literacy skills he was the perfect person to team up with, backed up by my wife Hazel.
Part of the passion was meeting a young Tuscan chef, Aurelio Barattini, his family and their restaurant Antica Locanda di Sesto. Aurelio is a very proud Tuscan and chef & farmers who added a creative spark into writing a book.
In Italy their are several places to dine, from Restaurants, to Trattorias, Osterias & Pizzerias etc. Traditionally, the Trattoria is where the tractor driver took his family out to eat local seasonal produce, although this has become more gentrified over the years.
I actually love working with both, especially as you can never pre-plan too much. You have to be ready for the magical unexpected
I was delighted and honoured to be commissioned to shoot a bit of Italian magic, maybe a table with the most beautiful view, the Ghiselli’s out door dining room.
Listening to the nightingales singing as the sun set behind the rolling hills was really was breath taking as the thousands of fire flies lit up the valley after dark.
Our late friend and poet, the Jamaican James Berry MBE wrote a poem about Gugliano in 1998.
Like a mate, a place draws you to it.
We touched these undulating valleys:
they embraced and entranced us. Unlike
Shelley – who drowned in the waters of
Cinque Terre – we sank into the arms of these
Yup, another winner, this time in the International Colour Awards - Photo Journalism. A great favourite of mine, “Only Italians”
Delighted to have 4 photos shortlisted in this years awards.
Barry really was a wonderful, charming man, so clever and witty and always referred to me as ‘Hughey, the genial lensman’.
The world has lost a great man.
We worked together on a multi-award winning BT ad campaign with AD Mike Lee,
Carluccio’s and Italians really celebrate Easter with Colomba Cake, Easter Eggs and local towns make special pastries. It’s a time of year when families get together, eating fish on Maunday Thursday and lamb is becoming increasingly popular on Easter Sunday.
Chocolate eggs and Easter pastries being arranged at the breakfast table.
We have shot some bright coloured images to lift clients spirits during these winter months.
Delighted that the Kew Gardens cookbook is being re-printed for the 3rd time, this time in German.
It’s not long now until Christmas and any excuses to visit the Glenmorangie Distillery and photograph their whiskies. With seals alongside over looking the Moray Firth, wonderful mountains and pine forests which surround the distillery, it really is Scotland at its very picturesque best.
One of the shots was shooting a trickle flowing from a rock. This water (along with grain) is the basis of their whisky. The water is so soft because it fell from the skies thousands of years ago onto the rock above the distillery and has seeped through the rock creating this wonderful soft mineral water.
We all snap away taking lovely shots but however ‘nice’ they are, we have to listen to what other people think.
When I flew to Vejle, Denmark, all expenses paid for 5 days as one one of the two British exhibitors I felt I knew my market pretty well and generally liked what I saw on my website. Let’s face it, it’s not everyday I’m collected in a top of the range Porche by a 26 year Danish girl!!
However, during the exhibition & demonstrations, chatting away to photographers & art buyers from around the world, not only did i see and enjoy different styles of food photography but one Dutch art buyer’s comment really stayed with me. She liked one food photographers folio but was also highly critical of his work. She said it was ‘beautiful but isn’t food all about sharing and he didn’t have any human element in any photo?’ I can still remember her bewildered face as we waited for our planes to take us all home.
During my flight home, inspired by brash photos from NY and other wonderful images from around the globe, I thought, ‘I have a beautiful folio with high res post production BUT I need to add the interaction with people’.
Food is about sharing, it can be beautiful but shared with friends and family. My wife isn’t a foodie, although she appreciates a good meal out, she prefers talking to friends.
I have now introduced people in the folio and really enjoyed shooting them, both in sharing the food and also in the preparation.
On the banks of the Serchio river, in the Garfagnana mountains is a small artisan bakery, that has been feeding the local Tuscans since the end of WW11.
Brothers Emmanuelle & Giovanni, great grand children of the original bakers only use chestnut , spelt or potato flour to bake their loaves.
The oven, like many in Tuscan bakeries and trattorias is fired using local chestnut or olive wood. The bread, pastries and Friday night pizzas wouldn’t taste the same without it.
I have done several shoots in the wonderful city of Bologna, the ‘Belly of Italy’, but none better than at the Mirasole, a short train journey from the city centre.
Bologna is famous for Mortadella, Lasagne, Bolognaise and also for snails, plus many other dishes. Parma,is the home of Parmesan & Procuitto is also very close
I love all the plates dishes and wacky ice bucket.
Why do our Christmas shoots happen when the temperatures are in the 35C - 37C?
Today we are shooting a selection of Christmas still lives as we swelter under the burning sun, decorating a 20ft tree.
I remember when I was an assistant we shot a Christmas campaign for a Bank and hired a manor house for the shoot during a hot July. We had a huge log fire for the wintery effect. Presumably the chimney hadn’t been swept because as we were packing up the car after the shoot we could see smoke billowing from the outside of the chimney. We mentioned it to our boss who said ‘ Jump in the car and leave’. He left in his Aston, the other assistant and me drove off in the hired van. Ten minutes away, we met the fire brigade coming the other way!! We felt guilty but our boss didn’t!!