A pan of freshly-roasted peppers, just pulled from the oven, and still sizzling. Whoa!

Lately, I’ve really been enjoying the process of creating imagery to illustrate a series of food-instructional articles for POST, a beautifully crafted, Rochester, NY – based magazine.  Thus far, I’ve spent time photographing for four such articles, three of which have been published in successive issues of POST, with the next coming in the September / October issue, and more planned down the road.

For the July / August issue of POST, I was teamed up again with the wonderful Sue Gardner Smith, who would be writing the article, and found that I’d be photographing executive chef, Jay Speranza, of Tony D’s, a deliciously fantastic, Italian eatery in Rochester’s Corn Hill neighborhood that features a menu of many beautiful things, many of which are prepared in the restaurant’s coal-fired oven.

Step One – drizzling the olive oil on your arrangement of peppers.

In coordinating our schedules, we landed on a Sunday morning photo-shoot, and I arrived at Tony D’s with a truck full of gear at 8:00 am.  I met with Jay shortly thereafter, and he helped me to get oriented with the kitchen and the process of roasting the peppers.  Jay had actually done a good bit of prep-work, and had roasted and prepared peppers already in a couple different ways, as I recall.  We talked for a while about the steps in each process, and, settling on one method, how we might go through those steps to create some visually-interesting and storytelling images that are, for the purposes of instruction, also easily readable at the relatively smaller size in which they’d likely be reproduced.

Transferring the peppers into a bowl, for a bit of a rest.

I had decided upon the kitchen areas that I wished to photograph in, and while I was beginning to set up my lighting, Sue arrived.  We had planned that she would sit with Jay for half-an-hour or so, and interview him, gathering the necessary materials for her article, while I worked on my lighting and got things ready for photography.

The lighting for the entire series thus far had been pretty simple – one main light source (with some modifications,) and I wanted to try and stay consistent with that.  I loved the quality and flexibility of the light setup I’d been working with – it renders the food with some gorgeous, rich texture and natural color, which I feel is so important and necessary to good food photography.   I’ve also realized over the years that there’s also not typically a great deal of empty space in restaurant kitchens for setting up lighting gear – another reason to keep it simple!  Still, I had brought out all the big guns, just in case.  Never know what you might run into!

Re-drizzling the peppers with the juices rendered during their time in the oven.

Once I was ready to go, I touched base with Sue, who was finishing up her interview with Jay.  She had seemed very please with how it all had gone, and handed Jay over to me.  Sue usually likes to stay for the photo-shoots, and I really enjoy her company when we’re able to work together – but on this day, she needed to run off to her responsibilities at Brighton Farmer’s Market instead.

Covering the pepper bowl with a cling-wrap contains steam, and makes peeling easier!

Well, Jay and I dove in and got to work.  For the most part, we stayed with the chronological order of the steps involved with pepper roasting, but one or two steps were rearranged to allow us to work during the time the peppers were roasting in the oven.  During the cooking time, Jay created some finished dishes with the peppers he had roasted already, and I photographed the three different recipes that he had made and plated up.  There was a stunning arrangement of roasted peppers, basil, roasted pine nuts and gorgonzola with a balsamic and olive oil drizzle, (whoa,) a coarsely processed roasted pepper coulis that he used to make some really incredible bruschetta.  Finally, there was a mind-blowingly good sandwich that paired the roasted peppers with prime roast beef and a sharp provolone.  Unbelievable.  One of the very best sandwiches I’ve ever had.  Ever.

Jay, demonstrating seed removal from the just-skinned peppers.

Once the finished dishes were all photographed, we got back on track with capturing the remaining steps of roasting the peppers, and finished up with what we needed to do there.  The final step of the process was to spend some time creating a nice portrait of Jay to accompany the other images in the article.  We had a really nice time visiting during the process, Jay’s father showed up and chatted with us for a while, and once I was satisfied that we’d done all that was needed, we wrapped, and I packed up the lighting and camera gear to head back home.

Jay Speranza, executive chef and culinary mastermind at Tony D’s, Rochester, New York.  Photographed May 3, 2015.

Jay, gracious as he is, sent me home with some of the delicious things he’d made for the day, all packaged up, that were shared and enjoyed with friends that evening!

(Alright, alright.  I need to come clean here, and be perfectly honest with you – I’m sorry!)  See, prior to this shoot, I hadn’t really been much of a “lover of roasted peppers,” at least not most of the time.  I don’t know, you get them in a sandwich somewhere at a nice café or something, and the peppers in the sandwich, well, they’re all cold and slimy – maybe they come from a jar, I have no idea.  Blechhhhhh.  No thank you!  I usually choose to stay away from ’em!  What I can tell you, though, is that during my time with Jay, and having been exposed to the beauty of wonderfully roasted and prepared peppers, I have been won over completely.  I suppose, though, that being selective about where I enjoy my roasted peppers is the key – and I’m pretty certain that means another trip back to Tony D’s for some further exploration and research! Not a bad gig, in my estimation.

The July / August issue of POST is currently on newsstands in the region, and is also available via subscription.  For more information on how to pick up your own copy, just hit up the POST web site!

Roasted peppers and pine nuts with basil, an incredible gorgonzola, and balsamic / oil drizzle! Gorgeous!

Camera:  Canon 5D Mark 3

The post Roasting the Perfect Pepper appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

Chef Chis Brandt, of Wegmans Food Markets, tasting the vinegar and salt-seasoned water for just the right mix.

One chilly, Friday afternoon in early January, I had the fortunate circumstance of being able to work alongside chef Chris Brandt, of Wegmans Food Markets, in the cozy confines of the Test Kitchen at Next Door Bar and Grill.  I was there to create images that would help to illustrate a magazine article being produced for Post, and was working closely with Sue Gardner Smith, who was gathering up all of the important details, and would be writing the article.

Adding a healthy sprinkle of salt to the water in the pan.

The article was to be of an instructional nature, and in this case, would guide readers through the steps necessary to properly poach an egg.  In the first sentence of the published article, Sue touches upon the fact that chef Chris has likely poached ten thousand eggs during his career.  Ten thousand!  Yikes!  My jaw dropped when he’d told us that during the shoot.  I’d say, though, that undoubtedly makes him a true expert on the subject.

Cracking an egg into the teacup that will help provide a gentle immersion for the egg, into the swirling, simmering water.

Chef Chris talked to us for a little while about all the different steps he’d lead us through, so we knew what to expect.  I messed around for a few minutes, getting my camera and lighting all set up and tweaked, and experimented with a few different camera perspectives and lens options, while Sue continued to interview Chris, collecting all of the particulars for crafting her manuscript.

Just as we were about to get cracking, everything suddenly ground to an abrupt halt.  It turned out that all of the eggs in the restaurant’s coolers were white eggs.  Well, I’d had visions of gorgeous, little, classic brown ones in my mind for the background in the photographs, and so I decided to run across the street to Pittsford Wegmans to buy a couple dozen.  Once I’d returned with them tucked under my wing, we began our work.

Easing the raw egg into the simmering brine.

It all seemed to just come together very simply and smoothly, with chef Chris going through the process of each individual step.  Right away, in the first little group of images, I found the perspective and look that I really liked the feel of, and that set the tone for the rest of the images to come.  I was reviewing images pretty frequently, making sure that I was capturing the right overall look of each step, and that all of the little details were just the way I had wanted.  On more than a few occasions, I had asked chef Chris to repeat the same step a handful of times, so I could capture some variations of the shot, or to get the raw egg running out of the shell just-so.

The format of the magazine is a good deal different from the format of my camera’s sensor – it’s rectangular, but not as long a rectangle as what the camera captures.  Because my instinct is to purposefully compose an image in-camera, and because there’s always a chance that one of the images would be used full-bleed, I needed to keep that different ratio in mind.  During our shoot, there was a great deal of “Alright, let’s move the egg bowl over this way a few inches, Chris, your hands need to be just here, and not any higher, let’s pop this plate up just a little more, and now, let’s move the eggs back over this way some, and put that teacup right there, please.”  Oh, and smile.

From Next Door’s dinner menu – a Poached Wegmans Organic Farm Egg accompanied by all the right stuff.

After I felt that I’d had what we needed for the instructional part of the article, Next Door‘s Chef de Cuisine, Zachery Dick brought in a plated appetizer recipe that he had developed, (found on the restaurant’s Dinner Menu,) that featured a poached egg from Wegmans Organic Farm, potato “risotto,” red beet purée, brown butter bread crumbs, and duck confit.  Accompanied by a sprinkling of beautiful, little Organic Farm micro-greens, the colors and textures on the plate were really just wonderful, and I was imagining that it all tasted just as good as it looked.

I had wanted to make some nice, relaxed, candid photographs of chef Chris to be used in the article, and we worked at that for a short while next.  I began with some straightforward portraits, having him look right into the camera, and then we changed things up slightly by having him carry on a conversation with Sue, who was standing off my left side, closer to my light.  Those were the shots that I really gravitated toward, and were among those submitted for further selection by the Post‘s newly-appointed Photo Editor, Hannah Betts.  One of those was chosen for use on the magazine’s Contents page, just inside the front cover.  This was a really, really fun project to work on, and I’m so looking forward to the next one.  This had been the first “food-instruction” article that Post has published among its nine issues, and it sounds as though the intent is for the piece to be a permanent fixture – featuring food preparation instruction from some of Rochester’s top chefs.

Chef Chris Brandt, visiting with Sue, in the Test Kitchen at Next Door Bar & Grill.

The March / April issue of Post, that includes this instructional article, and a wealth of other interesting and beautiful things, just hit newsstands on Monday, and can be found at most local Barnes & Noble locations,  Abundance Co-Op, Hart’s Local Grocers, Lori’s Natural Foods, and area Wegmans locations.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark 3

The post It All Begins With an Egg appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

The blustery scene and biting, below-zero temperatures just now outside stand in stark, nasty contrast to the days last spring, when this body of work was created, and though I’m only separated from those Arctic-legit conditions by mere feet, the confines of my office stand as a warm, sound and cozy outpost in this barren tundra of Caledonia, NY.

Taken during a time-lapse photography session while camping in Idaho, this image was chosen for the opening spread of Camp Sight.

Part of me would like to pretend that the conditions outside require me to hunker down here for days on end, in this remote cabin, waiting for the weather to pass, surviving on the supply of venison we have stocked, and maybe some decent wine, and having to do my work by a good fire, and the light of an banged-up, old, hissing Coleman lantern.  The reality, though, is that I’ve got a quietly-glowing electric heater keeping my office warm, and need to leave shortly to bring my girlfriend’s daughter to her volleyball practice.  So much for wilderness solitude.  I suppose my short-lived daydream is driven by the state of mind that camping can bring, and a part of me is longing for the days when I used to do more of it.

The idea of getting away to enjoy time outdoors, leaving behind the responsibilities and pressures of work and our daily lives, unplugging from our electric umbilicals, and simply allowing ourselves to relax and breathe fresh air, is such an incredibly appealing one.  A bit elusive at the moment, perhaps, but the sentiment is there for me today, and I’m seeing this wintertime inspiration as an opportunity to plan ahead – to put that early-season camping trip on the calendar and just get out there before the lawn-mowing and garden-weeding days of summer take over.  Difficult to imagine today, but those humid, pickle-making summer afternoons will be here before we know it.

As a creative professional, one of the most important things I’ve always tried to do (for the good of my soul and sanity,) has been to carve-out time for personal work, especially when done in collaboration with good friends whose talents complement each other very nicely.  While not what I’d consider strictly “personal work,” the photography assignments I’ve had for Post, a fine, Rochester, New York – based magazine, have allowed me to do some much needed “creative-core therapy” on several different occasions – stuff that’s right in my wheelhouse, and some of what makes me tick.  In this case, the camping-related images were made to help illustrate a beautifully written Post magazine article titled Camp Sight, that was published in the July / August issue of 2014.

Written by Matt Smythe, and with layout and design by Rachel Spence, the article, through it’s storytelling, imagery and design, conveys the wonderful essence of camping and the importance of time spent in nature, of slowing down and recharging the soul, while offering its readers ideas and information sources to help those inspired to get off the couch and hit the great outdoors.

Following the direction of the story Matt had written – part of it inspired by some of our experiences camping together out west, the three of us talked about what we each thought were important points to communicate visually, and how to do that.  I did a little sketching-out of some of my ideas – the pictures I was forming in my mind, and began placing phone calls to a few friends, who would end up being my subjects for the photographs.

The deadlines that were being driven by the magazine’s production schedule were suggesting that I needed to get cracking and start executing the photography in late April – not exactly prime-time for creating imagery that revolves around what would normally be a heart-of-summer type of activity for most.  Trees were only beginning to bud at that point, and part of my creative thought-process was whether the lack of much greenery would detract from the emotional response we were hoping to achieve.  After a short bit, though, those thoughts had to be tossed aside, and the camera simply needed to be picked up and put to work.

We wound up arranging five different photography sessions during a couple of weeks straddling April and May.  The first three focused on the human element – people enjoying the outdoors through camping-related activities sort of thing.  Again, because of deadlines and everyone’s real-life schedules and responsibilities, we didn’t really have the luxury of actually getting out to go camping together on a long weekend.  For the most-part, I needed to get things done in the comforts of our own back yard.

Tents were set up out back on a couple occasions, sleeping bags were hauled-out of their storage totes in the basement, firewood and blankets were arranged just-so, and grocery-store trips for hot dogs and marshmallows were made in preparation for the photo-shoots.  In-between photography sessions, I found myself re-reading Matt’s manuscript to more fully absorb the message and soul of it, and Rachel was letting me know when I wasn’t hitting the nail on the head with the photographs – keeping me visually on-track.  The project turned out to be a great excuse for us to gather up some close friends, spend some time around a few campfires, get the kids all together to roast-up some Zwiegle’s hot dogs outside, and just enjoy being out in the fresh, spring air.  After having been pretty well cooped-up during the winter months, it was just what we needed to cure the cabin fever that we’d been plagued with.

Written by Matt Smythe, the Camp Sight story began with a handwritten journal entry that was inspired by our time spent camping in Idaho.

Today might just offer some of that same relief for me.  The sun is out, the temperature is in the low twenties, and we’ve got at least a short break from the extreme-cold days that were present when I began writing this post.  Looks like a good afternoon to put the snowshoes on and explore the trails for a while, and try to soak up a little bit of winter sun before hitting a busy work week, and the returning cold.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark3

The post On Campfires and Coleman Fuel – Photography for Post appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

One of Seneca Park Zoo’s incredible bald eagles, allowing me to get this image of him, just before swooping just over my head, and letting me know that he was done.

Seeing the calendar reminder for tomorrow’s scouting mission at Seneca Park Zoo, in Rochester, NY, was the little kick that I needed this afternoon to begin sharing some of the past year’s work in a series of blog posts that have been stacking up for quite some time, now.  So, let’s begin.

At some point last year, I was approached and asked if I’d be interested in doing some pro-bono work for Seneca Park Zoo Society’s annual fundraising event, Zoobilation.  I was excited for the opportunity to do some potentially very cool work with some great people, and eagerly accepted the invitation to join the team.  The images we were going to create would be used in a number of ways to support and promote the event, ranging from direct-mail pieces, large-format banners, greeting cards, posters, wine bottle labels, and signs.  This was to be the 25th Anniversary of the Zoobilation event, so the pressure was on to do something really special!

Sleek and super-fast, the sea lions were nearly impossible to focus on in the dark!

I’d be working closely with a team of creatives from Roberts Communications – Rachel Spence and Brian Rapp, and the timeline for the production of the first mailers was such that we needed to move pretty quickly.  Rachel had been fleshing-out the final concept for the project, and she, along with Brian, had come up with the theme, and some fitting copy that would set the tone for the entire campaign.  The imagery would feature a handful of Seneca Park Zoo’s resident animals, and, following Rachel’s vision, would celebrate the elegance, power, and character of each animal.  Furthermore, in connecting with the theme, “A Night to Shine,” and also with the 25th Anniversary milestone, a monochromatic approach would be taken in the treatment of the photography, and in the end, the pieces would each be printed in black ink, on a metallic silver paper.

Othello, a barred owl, stretching out, and probably thinking of mice.

Our photography sessions, for the most part, needed to take place outdoors, in the damp cold, and inky darkness of the November and December evenings for which Rochester is famous.  Each animal, and their enclosures, presented a different set of problems that needed to be solved in order for us to accomplish things the way we needed.  Some instances allowed for me to be inside the animal’s enclosure, without the nuisance of some type of physical barrier between lens and beast.  Those instances were probably the easier ones to deal with.  I had some freedom of movement, and fewer limitations in the setting-up of my lighting equipment.  There were, though, among the group, a handful of animals that might be prone to bite, slash, gore, or stomp me into the ground, if they decided they didn’t like what I was up to.  In those cases, we had fences and barriers between us, and everybody was going to remain relatively intact.  I’d like to try and paint a picture here, of my having survived several very dangerous situations for the sake of this project, and while I was subject to a charging rhino, a territorial sea lion, and the threat of piercing eagle talons, in reality,  probably the worst I actually suffered was having to lie in icy mud that was laced with hyena pee.

The snow leopard seemed to be just waiting for the right moment to reach through the gap in the gate to get me.

We certainly couldn’t have accomplished things the way we hoped to without the dedication and passion of the phenomenal zoo staff, particularly the zookeepers that stayed late to work with us, and helped to figure out ways to get me where I needed to be, and the animals where they needed to be.  One thing I learned is that there’s nothing like the allure of strategically placed, fresh venison chunks to a hungry snow leopard.

The awesome presence of the rhinoceros was incredibly apparent. And that was before he charged!

Months later, after seasons had changed and the weather had warmed, it was really nice to have attended the huge Zoobilation event on a gorgeous summer evening, seeing all of our finished artwork in place, having some great food, checking out all of the animal exhibits, listening to some good music and visiting with folks.  Near the end of the evening, the conversation shifted a bit, and we were asked if we’d be willing to work on the project again for 2015!  We’re all-in, and the scouting and problem-solving begins again tomorrow afternoon.  I’m really looking forward to seeing which animals we’ll be able to work with this year, and on this cold night, I’m looking forward even more attending the big event this summer!

Camera:  Canon 5D Mark 3

Lenses:  Canon 50mm f1.2L, 90mm f2.8 T/S, 80-200 f2.8L, and 100-400 f4.5-5.6L

The post Photography for Zoobilation 2014 appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

Now on area newsstands, the May/June issue of Post, featuring one of my images of a very brave little girl, Julia, on the cover.

I honestly don’t know where the months go.  I’m almost in disbelief that it’s been a year since my last post here, and with a new web site looming on the horizon, it’s high-time to get back in the habit of generating some fresh content.  Today seemed like a great opportunity to get back on that path, because a couple of the really cool and fulfilling projects I’ve been involved with recently, hit local newsstands just this morning.

Frank Deblase, photographed at Java’s coffee house, Rochester, NY, March 6, 2014

Post is the gorgeously-produced creation of Michael Calabrese and Amy Metcalfe, and features the work of a slew of talented creative professionals and contributors from the Rochester, NY community who are putting their hearts and souls into creating the content that fills the magazine’s pages.  Post, now nearly a year in existence, is driven by the desire to share meaningful, important, compelling, relevant stories in such a way that connects with its readers, and connects with the greater community.

Post is a wonderfully substantial magazine that is abundant with beautiful imagery, solid writing, and intelligent design.  It’s beautifully printed on luxurious paper stock, and generously sized.  The magazine has weight to it.  It feels good.  Post has guts.

Julia, photographed at home snuggling with her Dad, March 5, 2014.

When I first picked up an issue of Post back in the fall, it didn’t take me long to make up my mind that I wanted to be involved.  After making the right connections, and meeting with the magazine’s creators, I was able to contribute photography to Issue 4, for an article featuring two of Rochester’s new, boutique advertising agencies, Brandtatorship and Truth Collective.  (More on that later.)

Love and Fate. Tattooed manifestation of Frank’s more positive outlook on living and being.

During the following weeks, I was asked to become one of the handful of Staff Photographers for the publication, and for Issue 5, was assigned two different articles to create imagery for.  One, an interview with music writer / musician / photographer, Frank DeBlase, and also, a feature article, sharing the touching and controversial story of a vibrant little girl named Julia, whose battle with a severe form of epilepsy has led her family to fight for legalization of medical marijuana in New York State.

Julia’s Mom, Christine, photographed in their home, March 6, 2014.

Creating photography for Post has really become something that I find myself looking forward to as a part of my evolving routine.  Aside from work done for my other clients, it allows me to learn, interact, and explore where I may not have roamed otherwise, spend time with some truly incredible, inspiring people, and hopefully, to create images that beautifully accompany the written word, and help bring to life these important stories that, often, are much closer to home than we realize.

Julia, photographed at home, March 20, 2014.

Post is currently available for purchase at Abundance Co-Op, twelve different Wegmans Food Markets locations, and three Rochester-area Barnes & Noble stores as well.  For a complete, up-to-date list of retail locations that carry Post, simply click right here.  It’s also possible, through the same link, to subscribe to Post, and have it delivered right to your mailbox every two months.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark 3

The post Editorial Work for Post – Issue 5 (May / June) appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

A pair of beautiful Jersey girls from Grassland Dairy.

I’m pretty certain this will be my shortest-ever blog post, but that’s alright.  I felt compelled, proud, and excited enough to take a few minutes and get it out before beginning to pack for a “work” trip to St. Lucia.  The sun-block and flip-flops can wait for a little bit.

The Holstien darlings of Har-Go Farms.

A series of four images from a large body of work I had created last summer had been one of my entries in the 2013 RAF Addy Awards competition right here in Rochester, NY.  The project, one of my favorites ever, was photographed for Wegmans Food Markets, and illustrates the workings of five western New York organic dairy farms that are suppliers of milk for products sold under the Wegmans Organic Dairy brand.

The Jerseys of Good News Farm bringing it on in for the evening milking.

On March 14, the night of the big RAF Addy Awards ceremony, my cows happily came home with a Gold Addy clutched tightly in their little hooves, and I was just thrilled for them.  Furthermore, (that one’s for you, Matt,) I had received an e-mail the other day stating that the same series of photographs had also won a Silver Addy at the AAF District 2 competition!  This, being my first District 2 award ever, was an especially proud moment.  So, now, the cows mosey off to the pastures of the AAF National Addy Awards for perusal by the judges there.  We’ll see how it goes on May 3.  I’m sure I’ll make an update here, if anything else comes up.  For now, people, please just drink more organic milk.  The cows thank you for your support.

A lone Jersey, reluctant to leave her clover patch and follow the herd to the evening milking at Grassland Dairy.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark 3

The post The Faces Behind the Milk appeared first on Grant Taylor Photography, Inc..

A near-full moon rising over The Owyhee, while Rebecca and Matt get after some rising browns.

September has long passed.  The seven-degree air and new-fallen snow on the boughs of the backyard fir trees seems so far removed from the dry heat of the desert canyons we camped in just a few months ago.  Those canyon-river days are just below the surface, though, and if I close my eyes against the winter scene outside, I can be back there in just a few short moments.

Colby at home on the South Fork one evening, with a moose in the shadows of the riverbank downstream.  This is Idaho.

It has been incredibly interesting and inspiring to witness the evolution of this film project that began taking shape on great trout waters in southeast Oregon in September of 2011.  Not long after our return back home from that first trip out west, came the realization that there was an important story to be told, and after a couple of phone calls between here and Kansas, a few Friday lunch meetings over bacon cheeseburgers and cold beer, Matt Smythe and I suddenly found ourselves flying out to Kansas to get the ball rolling.    We had made the trip to connect and work with the lads from Rockhouse Motion (Matt White and Dustin Lutt.)  In doing so, the heartbeat of A Deliberate Life had begun to thump.

Matt and Dustin, of Rockhouse Motion, conferring while framing up a scene on The Owyhee

The intent of this initial excursion to Kansas was twofold, really.  While a collaboration of this sort had been the topic of discussion for a short while, the four of us were still just getting to know each other, learning how to work together for the first time.  We also needed to create a promotional video that would serve as a statement of intent for the larger film project, and that could aid us in drawing some support and sponsorship to move forward with.  The resulting video was a four-minute piece that was filmed with a RED Epic and Canon DSLR’s, edited and finalized in a little over two days.  Click here to watch the video.  (It was during this trip, also, that Silo4 was formed – the name we’ve given to the collaboration of creative minds responsible for A Deliberate Life, but also one that will continue to live, and be a platform through which Matt and I can tell great stories and create cool stuff with other similarly-minded people.)

Rebecca on the Henry’s Fork during a morning session.

September 2012 found us heading back to those same waters we had been on twelve months prior.  This time, though we had new friends along, and had a greater purpose – beginning to capture the story and imagery that would eventually become the final film and its trailers.  Matt and I had flown across the country to Boise, Idaho, and were met at the airport by Matt White, Dustin Lutt, and Bryan Keeler, who had made the trip from Kansas and South Dakota, arriving just ahead of us.  From there, we headed into town and connected with our friends, Rebecca Garlock and Robert Nelson, with whom we’d begin our journey.  After gathering up our gear and taking on a few days worth of supplies, we headed west into Oregon.

The Coleman 8-Person Instant Tents we were provided with really did set up in one minute, and proved to be perfect shelters for our expedition!.

Robert exhibited great prowess in keeping us all well nourished with his camp-cooking talents.  I think we were all wishing he’d be along for the whole trip.  We had been really nicely outfitted by Coleman Camping Gear, with tents, sleeping bags, folding chairs, headlamps, flashlights, lanterns – enough stuff to very comfortably allow nine people to stay on the rivers and film for ten days time.  I really can’t say enough about what that kind of support meant to our project.  A handful of other important backers had come on board very early on, too.  Kast Gear, Thomas & Thomas, Howler Bros., SmithFly, Rio, Loon Outdoors, Fly Fusion, Brower Moffitt – all pitched-in to a lend a hand in a tremendous show of support for what we were doing.  For all of that, we are so very grateful.

Settled in around a good fire on a chilly night along the Henry’s Fork.  (Each tent is lit with a single pod from a Coleman Quad LED Lantern.)

After a few days of filming in southeast Oregon, on the Owyhee River, we traveled eastward back to Boise for a brief re-charge, and then onward to the Idaho Falls area to continue filming on the South Fork and Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.  Colby Hackbarth and Brent Griffeth, of Kast Gear, were our hosts on the South Fork, and their families greeted our arrival with bear-hugs and a beautiful, Mexican dinner one evening.  As with Rebecca and Ross, Matt and I had fished with Colby during our 2011 trip and had formed a friendship very quickly.  During our few days with Colby and Brent on the South Fork, we set up camp at a site in Caribou National Forest.  Our days on the river each began at one of the boat launches in Swan Valley, Idaho, that were within a short drive and would end around the campfire in the evening.  (Due to a ban on fires during our time in Oregon, we hadn’t been able to enjoy any good campfires until now, and now, in the chilly evenings, we felt fortunate to have them.)

Ross changing flies during a morning on the Henry’s Fork.

The final leg of our trip saw us meeting up with Ross Slayton for a few days on the Henry’s Fork.  Ross was fired up to be back out on his favorite waters with us in tow, and was, once again, a great host to all of us during our time with him.  During our final day together, we took a trip into Yellowstone National Park to check out some of the wildlife and geological wonders before rounding out the day with some fishing on the Firehole and Nez Perce.  It was heartbreaking to only be in a place like that for a day, but I’ve got it marked high on my list of places that need a return trip.

Matt Smythe on the Nez Perce.

The following month, Matt and I made our way back to Kansas to check out the three-minute trailer that Dusty and Whitey had created, spent a couple days laying out the structure of the 18-minute trailer, recording voice-overs and sifting through a mound of audio clips to pull out the key components for the greater story.  Whitey had also connected with a very talented musical artist in Kansas named Tim Coons, who had graciously provided some of his gorgeous pieces for use in the film’s soundtrack.  All of it just fit together so very nicely.

Ross Slayton on the Firehole.  Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Before we knew it, the film had been invited to be part of the 2013 International Fly Fishing Film Festival, a.k.a IF4, and is now making its way around the U.S. and Canada, with future stops in South America.  The “touring version” of A Deliberate Life is an eighteen-minute, extended length trailer that sits among some very fine company on the festival tour.  The three-minute version of the film trailer can be seen on the Silo4 Vimeo page, here.  Matt Smythe and I had the pleasure of representing Silo4 and attending the film tour kick-off in Denver, Colorado in early January.  We’ve just recently made arrangements to schedule a stop in our “hometown” of Rochester, New York.  The films of the IF4 will hit the screens of Little Theater on May 17.  Tickets for all of the shows along the film tour may be purchased here.

Aileen Nishimura enjoying an early evening on the Owyhee River.

I really need to give a huge holler and thank-you to a small handful of core-group friends who have given of their talents and their time to help Silo4 piece together some missing parts of our thousand-piece puzzle – logos, promotional and press-kits, web sites, movie posters, DVD packaging, so many things that have been made possible because of folks like Tim Winter, T.C. Pellett, and Rebecca Garlock.  Another loud shout needs to be hollered at Luke and Michael Bantam of Dreamcast Idaho, Aileen Nishimura, Rachel Jean Morgan and Brian Forsmann for bringing their wonderful energy to our time together on the Owyhee.  See you all again soon, hopefully!

Luke, a good fishin’ pup, from Dreamcast Idaho, cooling off in the Owyhee.

I feel a bit compelled, too, as I sometimes do, to apologize for the sparse nature of this post.  I could share so much more, and hate to sometimes have to condense things into just the basics.  I think that to really tell the whole story of how this whole thing came to be, the energy and emotion that went into creating it, the friendships forged and the territory explored, so much more needs to be said.  For now, though, I think it’s wise to simply let the film trailers and photographs express some of those things on their own.

Find Silo4 on Facebook, and give us a holler!  To download the official, 33-minute version of A Deliberate Life, from Vimeo On Demand, please click right here!  If you’d prefer to own a stunning, Blu-Ray Disc version of A Deliberate Life, please visit the Silo4 site!

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark3

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Chard, ready for harvest, at the Wegmans Organic Research Farm.

It was a really nice little surprise to walk into Wegmans a couple weeks ago and see one of my images on the cover of the Edible Finger Lakes summer issue.  The image of a bed of chard, (taken from woodchuck eye-level,) supports a feature article about the Wegmans Organic Research Farm in Canandaigua, New York.

During the past several years of creating photography for Wegmans Food Markets, the days I’ve spent working at the Organic Research Farm are among my favorite work-days ever.  Quite a few really enjoyable days have been spent, belly in the dirt, photographing gorgeous, organically-grown produce, and it feels really good to see the spirit of the farm represented so nicely in a quality magazine.

Seen just this evening, standing among some fine company in the racks at Barnes & Noble.

I apologize for keeping this post so very short, but am tying up several loose ends before heading to Idaho this week.  I’ll try to add a little more interesting information as soon as I can!

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark 2

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Matt Smythe, gathering tailgate thoughts.

When I think of what the past two years has brought, I’m simply fascinated by the fashion in which paths and lives intersect.  The way dots connect, lines form and then branch off at different angles, each leading to new connections, collaborations, opportunities, and friendships.  Energies collect, combine and build.  All of it seems to just propel you forward.

Matt White, visualizing the opening scenes for the promo video from the bed of his pickup.

When I first began publishing posts in this blog section of my web site, my intent was to tell stories about projects I had photographed, show new work, to use each piece as a vehicle for prospective clients to get to know a little more about me, and what it’s like to work with me.  This was a place for me to talk about my work and myself, and what I’d been up to lately.  I’ve enjoyed that part of the creative process, and that type of outlet.  It just seems like a fairly natural extension of what I do and who I am.  In some ways, this post isn’t much different from the others.  My gut, though, tells me that this one, or at least the reason for it, is maybe more significant.  Deeper.  More meaningful.  For a wealth of reasons.

Dustin Lutt, doing his thing with the Red Epic.

I have sat at this computer to write this post on four separate occasions.  Each previous time, I wasn’t satisfied with the direction I’d headed in.  Now, I just need to get this thing out.  It’s probably not going to be the profound outpouring I had hoped for, but I’m going to be away from the “internet umbilical cord” for a few days and need to gather up a few of these scattered thoughts and jot them down.

The still images you see embedded in this post are from the production of the promo video we had created this past April, in central Kansas, to gain sponsors and supporters for the project, and to help describe our intent for the greater project, and the flavor in which it would be produced.  Captured afield using a RED Epic and Canon 5D Mark 3 in the hands of cinematographers Matt White and Dustin Lutt, the promo video came together in just two days time.

Danny Williams, fresh-out of rotator-cuff surgery, still had enough sand to help lug gear afield.

In a handful of days, I’ll find myself standing on some stunning ground in Idaho, and in the company of some very, very wonderful people – Rebecca Garlock, Ross Slayton, Colby Hackbarth, Dustin Lutt, Matt White, Matt Smythe, Robert Nelson, Aileen Nishimura, and a sprinkling of others. We are converging on a handful of Idaho’s great trout waters to begin and complete the filming of A Deliberate Life, our short-film project. (Click in the film title to view the promo video.)

Matt and Dustin filming in a gorgeous, spring-green field of Kansas wheat.

At a time when I’m struggling to find my own explanation for this project, I think it may be best to offer a statement that Matt Smythe had written a short while back for the Vimeo page that had been created to house the promo video.  He writes:

“There comes a time in all of our lives when we let ourselves dream about living life on our own terms. When we wrestle with the decision to take a step into traffic, follow our passions and live deliberately – or simply let another day, and daydream, pass.

This promo video is the initial statement of intent for a much larger film project that will be set against the diverse, rugged and breathtaking Idaho landscape and three of its most celebrated rivers. A Deliberate Life will explore the stories of five unlikely friends who share the same love of fly fishing and their choice to lead a life according to their passions.”

Danny, keeping an eye on the baby.

It’s difficult for me, also, to truly define when this project really began for me.  If I trace back all of the different lines and connections and events that had to occur in order for this thing to happen, the trail seems to go back for quite some time.  This is likely a conversation best had around a good campfire.   It’s pretty cool, when you think about it.  All of us involved are excited about this thing.  There’s a really great energy about the whole collaboration, and it’s only beginning.  The promo video has received some really nice feedback since we started making it visible.  Last week, Matt shared the following e-mail he had received from someone who had come across the video through a blog network that he follows.

I’m still trying to understand how a South Dakota guy comes to wear a Boston Red Sox ballcap.

That e-mail reads:  “This morning one of the shops I follow posted the link to your A Deliberate Life trailer. The video was inspiring and hit close to home, because after 7 years in the Army, a couple of front line deployments, and 3 corporate years in and out of airports running the suit and tie gauntlet, I decided three weeks ago to no longer be that guy. The time has come to pursue my own passion for the outdoors and fly-fishing, versus “the expected.” The decision, completely outside my box and against the safe approach, finally just came easy, as also mentioned in the video. Freaked out and trying to figure out how it’s all playing out, I’m just running with it and seeing what the adventure brings.   Anyway, the only reason for writing is to voice encouragement and to thank you. The video strengthened the confidence in my own personal decision and I look forward to the final video.”

Soaking up the quiet of a fine, spring morning in-between takes.

I suppose this collaboration means something different to each of us involved.  Though hearts and minds are aligned in this mutual vision, Each person has found their way to it by their own path.  We’ve been thrust together into it somehow, though, because our passions in life have led each of us to this very point.  Next week, the path leads us to Oregon and Idaho, and for a couple of us, Wyoming after that.  (But that’s another project.)

Set up in the midst of a tiny riffle on the slider, Matt captured the one rainbow trout in Kansas getting hooked. Whew!

You’ll have to check back now and then, please, for further posts, because surely they will come as this thing unfolds and evolves.

For now, please take four minutes to see what this is all about, and watch our A Deliberate Life promo video here.

There will be much, much more to share a bit farther down the road.

Fishingpoet, zonked out in the brain-cave at Rockhouse Motion. Hell of a journey.

Camera:  Canon 5D Mark 2

Promo video:  RED Epic and Canon 5D Mark 3

For further exploration:  rockhousemotion.com,  dustyimages.com,  fishingpoet.com

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Morning curiosity in the lush pastures of Grassland Dairy.

I’ve just recently completed what is likely one of my all-time favorite projects ever.  During the past few weeks, I have visited five different dairy farms in western New York that supply organic milk to Wegmans Food Markets, for use in various products sold under the Wegmans Organic brand.  Popular products such as Wegmans Organic Milk, Half and Half, and Super Yogurt head the list.

Lovers of grass and mud in front of the sky-line at Har-Go Farms.

The days began early for my assistant, Amy, and I, but as early as we arrived in the morning to each farm, we still couldn’t stay ahead of the farmers and their families, who were wide-awake and into their hard work long before we were.  We’d usually get to photograph the end of the morning milking, and then spend the rest of the day out to pasture with the cows, photographing them doing their work, and also capturing images of the farmers attending to their long list of chores on those hot summer days.

A lone Jersey watches as the rest of the herd moves out of the pasture for the evening milking at Grassland Dairy.

There aren’t too many ways that I’d rather spend a work day.  Being outdoors in such pretty country, among good people and animals can be very soothing – even therapeutic.  I know that Amy was feeling the same way.  I think she’s got a special place in her heart for cows, and it seemed that every time I turned around, she was talking to one of them.  One morning, she told me (in confidence,) that she secretly wished to hug each one of them as they left the barn in single file after the morning milking.  I’m not sure the cows would have put up with that, but I suppose it was a nice thought, anyhow.

Amy, visiting with one of the ladies at Good News Farms.

The handful of images you see here come from a large body of work created during five days of shooting, some of which will be selected for use in an upcoming article in Menu Magazine.

Amy, dodging the double-wire electric fence at Maverick Farm.

The Jerseys of Good News Farm heading in for the evening milking.

Eggs for sale. Organic. Fresh, daily.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark-3

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