Being a keen viewer of “foodie” tv such as Great British Menu and Masterchef, “deconstructed” food seems to be very fashionable at the moment. During a shoot this week for a local food business in Aylesbury I snapped this whilst the food was being made, my take on a deconstructed egg!
I’ve actually agonised quite a lot as to whether I should write this blog entry because the last thing I want to do is criticise how people make their living (particularly photographers and chefs!). Sponsorship is an accepted reality for anyone in the media spotlight, not just for celebrity chefs. However, some recently launched ad campaigns featuring Marco Pierre White has really got me thinking about how pictures can be taken out of context years later.
In a previous lifetime, I was extremely fortunate enough to meet, and spend a half day, in the studio of photographer Bob Carlos Clarke. Bob was looking for some sponsorship support for an upcoming exhibition. That single day stands out as one of the most amazing of my working life, Bob’s absolute, and I mean absolute, passion to the artistic integrity of what he did was mesmerising. And I can genuinely say, with no intentional pretentiousness, that that meeting, and his work, had a profound effect on what I now do now. During the course of our meeting, the conversation turned to how a household name photographer had “sold out” by endorsing, shall we say less reputable photo technology, (for those of you old enough to remember, there was a big TV campaign at the time) and Bob was so visibly distressed by this concept, that the industry (which was then in it’s very early stages of digital) could sell out in such way. I remember being quite taken aback at the voracity of his response.
Bob’s book “White Heat” about Marco Pierre White is one I frequently cite as being the starting point of my inspiration. Having done a number of photo shoots in working kitchens myself, the gritty intensity, heat, rush, buzz, adrenalin is so wonderfully captured by him, and to my mind spills out of the book. And it’s tandemed by visually capturing the ferocity and intensity of the young Marco Pierre White. I have never personally met Marco, but judging by Bob’s pictures, I’m pretty sure that they were kindred spirits.
As a commercial photographer (and a marketeer), I genuinely believe every commissioned picture should have a purpose, as the opening page of my website says “a picture speaks a thousand words”. For me, I explore artistic interpretation in my personal projects, but when you are shooting for a client the commercial brief always needs to be met. Today I received this sponsored marketing message which tipped me over the edge in favour of writing this blog entry.
I’m pretty sure that these pictures weren’t used without licence for such a high profile marketing campaign, but I can’t help wondering what Bob Carlos Clarke would have thought. For me, seeing one of his most iconic pictures with a commercial logo on it, made me feel very sad.
Great article about us in this weeks Bucks Herald. Click on the picture to read in full!
Imaging Essence in the Bucks Herald 16th Feb 2011
Article by Sally Dorling at Marketing Foods, photograph courtesy of Jay McLaughlin
For those of you following me on Twitter, you may be familiar with the occasional excitement I’ve been tweeting through my discoveries in growing our own vegetables this year. The idea to “grown our own” was first met with severe cynicism from my other half @spurssimon (twitter name, I don’t generally call him that) as he thought it would be another casualty of the infamous Debbie “enthusiasm curve” (go out, buy everything, spend a day going mad gardening then lose interest and leave him to keep everything alive). This “fad” however is a tad different for a number of reasons:
The biggest thing however I really really didn’t reckon on happening was how possessive and proud I would be of the produce, I can honestly now see why competitions can become so fierce at local country shows, I’ve even scared myself by discovering maternal instincts for baby cucumbers and the excitement as the first baby beet pushed it’s way through the earth from seed – really, I need to know, I am certifiable is it just I’ve finally succumbed to the (late) 30ish something way of life???
Anyways, as is my mantra of a picture can speak a thousand words, I thought I’d share some of the latest additions to the imaging essence container garden, and I warn you, the baby cucumbers are seriously cute!!
Enjoy!
So I blink and it’s Easter – seriously where is this year going?!
Anyways we went out to shop at PE Meads Farm shop near Tring yesterday in order to stock up for the Easter weekend, main shopping purpose was for their home reared meat and fantastic chiltern rapeseed oil. Whilst there I picked up some black pudding as a cooked breakfast bank holiday weekend treat, when I came across these monster mushrooms in the veg section – bloomin’ MASSIVE, one of them actually weighed in at 0.25kg, probably not a world record, but certainly biggest ‘shroom that’s seen the inside of my kitchen! So the monster mushroom breakfast plan took hold, picked up some lovely free range and eggs to create a breakfast with the mushroom as the hero, it would have been rude to do anything else!
Me being me just had to capture it on camera – so here’s a few shots of the Monster Mushroom Breakfast – hope you enjoy looking as much as we did eating!!
Monster Mushroom weighing 0.25kg
Not one but two monster mushrooms
You don't get texture on eggs like that from a supermarket!
Okay, so maybe getting overly arty - but I love this job!!
About to cut into the stack, huge mushroom baked with butter and a balsamic & wholegrain mustard dressing, black pudding and poached eggs
If I'm being critical then the egg is slightly over cooked 
and the overall feedback from mr imagingessence was lots of oohs & ahhs (have to confess I thought it tasted rather good as well)
So you’ve made the effort, cooked a delicious valentine’s meal just for two, and want to wow with a great cheese course, you won’t get far wrong with one of these beauties from our friends at the West Country Cheese Co
Perfect valentines cheese course
Valentine cheeses
Who says valentines shouldn't be cheesey....
After I took the pictures I managed to bagsy myself one of these, but don’t tell the other half, it’s supposed to be a surprise!!
Starting out today, new imaging essence blog, all new food photography, published web sites and general foodie banter will be published here
Butternut Squash
So, on Monday this week I was lucky enough to win a box of brownies from @gowercottage on Twitter. Firstly, I was shocked as I never generally win anything, secondly I was delighted as I happen to have the sweetest tooth, thirdly it was a really good reason to fall off the January Weight Watchers band wagon.
Today, my box of Brownies arrived as promised, and I have to say I was altogether so impressed with the packaging of them, that I was prompted to share with the world my chocolate brownie “Out of Box Experience”.
Sooo…here goes my photo account of the steps leading to sticky chocolate heaven – hope you like!
Today's arrival of Gower Cottage Brownies
The front view of the box
Useful info on the back
First glimpse in the box
The Gower Cottage Brownie story
First glimpse insided the wrapping
Beautifully tied package appears
At last, the Brownies themselves
What's in the middle?
On closer inspection...
Who me? Take a bite?
