Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

Eat, Write, Retreat, a conference for food bloggers, was held in Washington, DC last weekend. This was my second year of teaching their Food Styling and Photography workshop with my longtime creative partner, stylist Lisa Cherkasky. This intensive full-weekend event draws attendees, speakers and sponsors from all over the US and Canada. In addition to our class, they featured workshops on creativity, business and culinary skills taught by experts such as author Monica Bhide and chef/author/entreprenuer Andy Schloss. It is organized by entrepreneur and “food blogger resource” Casey Benedict and author/nutritionist Robyn Webb. Having worked with Robyn on several satisfying projects, we were happy to be asked to present at her conference again—and we were proud to see one our collaborations, her Comfort Food Cookbook being gifted to conference attendees.

Our hands-on workshop this year had groups of students working together to compose one shot per group, made with ingredients supplied by a bevy of photogenic sponsors. There was an atmosphere of infectious excitement, creative curiousity, energy, and collegiality. Students’ instincts proved to be very good as they tackled their hands-on compositions. Each group’s project featured a single ingredient, such as the sponsor, Jarlsberg USA, the cheese pictured above. In their case, it gave us an opportunity for feedback from their publicist, Ronnie Campbell, of The Burrell Group, Ltd., who was in the class. She offered her insight into how they prefer to show off their product: Being able to highlight the distinctive patterning of Jarlsberg’s holes is important, as is showing the cheese grated.

Students had a chance to select from a variety of props to complement them, some supplied by generous sponsors, the fabulous kitchen equipment companies, OXO and Calphalon. Similar to our set-up last year, I supplied my own basic lighting, as well as my laptop and camera, which were tethered to a projector. That way, we were able to show the shots as they were captured (via Adobe Photoshop Lightroom) on a large screen. Making their choices for food items and props, groups brought them to the stage and assembled them on the set we created on location in the event-hotel ballroom. As the groups gathered around the set (and shot many of their own photos), we discussed their work, offered suggestions and tips, and answered questions. I shot the students’ initial compositions and showed them on the screen; then, Lisa and I critiqued and adjusted them to demonstrate why and how they could improve. Then, we were able to view final shots on the screen, as well as to compare side-by-side, before-and-after shots.

It was a fast-moving, intense class of 2.5 hours. I wish it had been longer so we could have covered more! Here are some of the other final shots.

Mushrooms courtesy of The Mushroom Council. Pans courtesy of Calphalon.

Watermelon courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Cutting board courtesy of OXO.

Olives courtesy of Lindsay Olives.

Iced tea courtesy of Honest Tea.

Cutting board courtesy of OXO.

Thanks to all of our generous sponsors for supplying the heroes for our photos. I also appreciate receiving the gifts they gave all attendees in our amazing swag bags!

Thanks also to all Eat, Write, Retreat blogger/students who worked hard in class and have given us your helpful feedback. So glad I had more time this year to socialize, which gave us the chance for some good one-on-one conversations, so I could learn more about what you all do and address some of your individual questions in the moment. It was a pleasure working with everyone. We hope you enjoyed class, learned new tips and techniques, and will be inspired to use the new insights in your own work!

(EWR attendees: If you would like to use any of these final images for your own post-EWR blog posts, please credit “Renee Comet Photography,” and please link any of my photos to my website, www.cometphoto.com. Thanks!)

“A whimsical, quirky flavor,” is how art agency, GlowArtworks describes my work, which they represent. Their monthly newsletter (above) recently featured me and some of my personal work, in which I assemble sculptures of kitchen implements and other found objects. The sculptures become characters to me—and I take their portraits. GlowArtworks includes these works in their exclusive collection, which they describe as “…a complete source of setting-specific art that engages the eye, imagination and spirit…healing art that encourages the well being of patients, visitors and workers in healthcare and other spaces.”

For this newsletter, GlowArtworks Founder, Thomas Lee interviewed me about my creative process. While they included a short excerpt in their newsletter, I want to share the full interview here, as it gave me a good opportunity to reflect on why and how I do what I love to do…

First, would you please give me a short bio? Where are you from, how did you become a food photographer, what else are you into, what are your passions, etc.?

I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, which can be a really quirky place with a unique cast of characters. I became a food photographer by accident. My first job was shooting a cookbook series for Time Life Books. That was when I realized that shooting food really fits my personality. It is a nice mixture of working alone and working collaboratively with a food stylist, a prop stylist, an art director, etc. Working alone is Zen-like when trying to solve a problem visually. It is a luxury I love. I am interested in food and what it means culturally, how it brings people together. I like being around people who enjoy food and cooking so I can eat well. My favorite pastime is hanging around the table eating and talking. I have a lot of interests, but my passion is my family.

Then take us through your thought process when you are composing a picture. Your pictures in our collection have a unique sense of whimsy that make them extremely fun to look at. How did you come up with some of these concepts? Do you see the image in your mind and then go prepare the ingredients? Do you just start playing around with things and notice a picture forming?

Recently I heard a Maurice Sendak interview by Terry Gross, where he described the creative process so eloquently: “When I thought of it, I was so happy I thought of it. It came to me, which is what the creative act is all about. Things come to you without you necessarily knowing what they mean.” Ideas do just come to me… they might start with a seed, like a newly found wire whisk. Then, a character starts forming in my mind’s eye—a personality, an attitude, a funny look and poof—she is “Bad-Hair-Day Girl.” I add out-of-control thyme from my garden, red habanero for the ruby lips, a pair of earrings and a party dress, and she is ready to go. It is ridiculous, but really, what could be more fun than making photos like this.

This sense of whimsy adds a dimension to your photography that brings it beyond food. It gives the viewer a chance to interpret your work on a personal level that may be different from one individual to the next. Do you think about the viewer when you make these pictures? What do envision them feeling when they see your work?

I am always hoping that the viewer laughs when they see this work. I am using food to create personality and humor. But, no, I am not really thinking of the viewer, it is just a free fall of whatever pops into my mind. I think about the audience all the time for my commercial work, but it never crossed my mind for these pieces.

Many of us have a philosophical outlook on the world at large: things we feel are special, things we feel need to be changed. If you have such views, would you please share them with us? How does your work tie into these ideas?

I do, but I don’t really feel like sharing them—haven’t I blathered on enough?

There’s an obvious mastery of technique evident in your work, yet the pictures are so fun and playful that it’s easy to overlook how difficult they may have been to make. Can you talk about some of the trials and tribulations of some of these compositions?

I think this is true of so many successful photographs—they look as if they just happened. I like to work by building a shot layer by layer with all the parts coming together easily. I am not a big fan of over-thinking a shot. If something is not working, I usually scrap it and start over. The worst thing that has happened is having the whole sculpture collapse before getting the shot. There is a lot of teetering going on.

How do you define art? How does your work fit in with this definition?

I have a pretty broad definition of art—anything that is creative, imaginative or makes you think differently. I guess these pieces fit the definition, although I have been wrestling with the idea of taking them one more step…something…just not sure where that will take me.

Thanks to GlowArtworks for interviewing me and featuring me in the newsletter (excerpt below). I feel like I am in excellent company there with their other distinctive artists, including my old friend, photographer Cameron Davidson, who introduced me to this group. His lyric and technically dazzling aerial photography is a real contrast to my pieces and shows the range of work represented at GlowArtworks. Thanks to you, too, Cameron!

This gives me goosebumps! I’m so excited to see work coming to fruition for this cookbook by Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray. Todd and Ellen’s restaurants include Equinox, Todd Gray’s Watershed and Todd Gray’s Muse at the Corcoran—and, they are avid home cooks. Written with author David Hagedorn, in their upcoming book, the Grays share some of their favorite recipes, which marry traditions of their respective families: Jewish and mid-Atlantic American.

I also shared some of this work along the way in a previous post… Can’t wait to see the final copy of this book!

I am very honored (and excited!) to be sharing a Gold ADDY Award for a “Photography Campaign.” MGH advertising agency and I collaborated on this work for The Classic Catering People. It is used beautifully in Classic’s website, which also garnerd a separate Silver ADDY for MGH in the category of “Interactive Media.” Food stylist Debbie Wahl worked with us on all of these shots.

Three individual photos from this campaign also won Silver ADDYs for “Elements of Advertising: Photography—Color,” including the photo above, of “Pepperonata Bruschetta: roasted red peppers, basil, salt packed capers, sherry vinegar and olive oil on grilled country bread.”

Also recognized with Silver ADDYS were these two photos: “Seafood Stew with shrimp, scallops, cod, squid, mussels, tomato confit and Spanish olive oil-soaked croutons,” above; and, “Mini Chocolate Ganache Donuts with white chocolate gelato root beer float and chocolate-covered bacon,” below.

These ADDYs were awarded by the Baltimore chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), because MGH is headquartered there (as is Classic Catering). Baltimore’s AAF chapter is part of District 2 of the national AAF. Gold ADDYs from local chapters (such as DC and Baltimore) automatically go on to compete regionally, in the District 2 ADDYs, later this Spring. So, our Gold ADDY “Photography Campaign” work will compete in the next level alongside entries from DC, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Should they win there, they will proceed to the national level.

Yes, it was thrilling to win ADDYs last year, too—gold never loses its glow! But, we’re not feeling smug—we’re still keeping our fingers crossed for the next round! Meanwhile, congrats to my collaborators, Debbie Wahl, MHG & The Classic Catering People—as well as to all the other Baltimore (and DC!) ADDY winners!

Food usually stars in my photos. But, props are the strong supporting cast. They add to the drama and help to tell the story. Objects speak to me—especially vintage kitchen gadgets. I collect them. They whisper plaintively to me at flea markets, convincing me to take them home! Sparking my imagination, the dialog that develops between objects and food is an important part of the script for most shots. This fanciful relationship I feel with props inspires a body of my personal work. Kitchen implements combine with food items or other materials until distinct characters emerge—and begin to speak to me. Above, a grouping of characters I created from my collection are auditioning to be featured in a new production, all clamboring, “Pick me, pick me!”

In my work for clients, the language of props is just as important. They create exposition about setting, just as characters in a play often have lines that help the playwright convey place and mood, or even take the place of scenery: “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”. Props in a food image can tell the viewer about the recipe by conveying setting: casual or elegant, rustic or refined, vintage or modern. Color, texture, style and scale are also critical elements helping to create that impression. Objects speak volumes.

I always love the chance to incorporate unique pieces into my shots when they complement the food and the style of the job. For Robert Sugar’s cookbook, Delicious By Design, I was able to feature many of my favorite vintage pieces. They worked well with the intent of his recipes, our personal style and sense of humor. His recipes were all developed at home with his family over many years, and the text of the book is written in a light, warm, casual first-person style. The well-loved look of many of the vintage kitchen props we featured supported that style. And, one of my favorite collaborators, food stylist Lisa Cherkasky knew exactly how to realize this vision with me. Here are four of my favorites from this book:

The up-ended colander, in the role of a salad bowl, supports the “Onglet Salad.”

The vintage meat-grinder is cast in the role of a superhero who can support this “Juiciest Hamburger,” and really take the heat.

This handsome mezza-luna makes a sharp escort, supporting “Mom’s Chopped Liver.”

The grater shines in a supporting role in this steamy ensemble production of “Not-Macaroni and Cheeses.”

Below, this collection of vintage kitchen implements waits in the wings. Some of these tools are familiar, but who even knows what some of them were originally used for? And, what new story will be told when the recipe is presented using one of these unusual items? What/who will these now-anonymous objects become, when transformed by my imagination? When they are ready for their turn in the spotlight, I will be sure to mount their debut on this stage!

Our post-seder glow is setting in! What a joy, having so many friends and family members at our house again this year. We were sorry to not have Mara home for Passover as she is up against a deadline for her year-long senior project. She missed the food, but she was able to say hi to everyone at the seder via Skype!

Several days’ prep went into getting the house and food ready for our 20 guests. I even shared the cooking with Marty: I made the charoset, maror, tsimis and garlic-roasted broccoli. Marty made brisket with a delicious mustard, onion and cumin sauce, as well as marinated grilled chicken. We also had salad and steamed asparagus with vinaigrette.

Our feast was rounded out with contributions from our generous guests: Chuck and Lynn made Matzo ball soup with two kinds of matzo balls—light and fluffy; or, firm with a little tooth. Kathy made gefilte fish from rockfish they caught last summer. Our friend Cathy brought Almond-Lemon Macaroons (made from this recipe in the New York Times). Before they quickly disappeared, I couldn’t resist shooting these tasty cuties and sharing the photo, above. It reminded me of the fun I always have shooting a wide variety of recipes for the California Almond Board!

Also at our seder…speaking of sweet things with nutty goodness on top…Dov and his cousin, Lucas show a distinct family resemblance. Dov uses a little schmear of hair product to coax his coif, while Lucas comes by his look naturally.

I hope everyone else had a great Passover (and Easter), too!

Hunting and gathering for Passover this year, Marty and I are fondly remembering the amazing open-air market, Mahane Yehuda, where we shopped for our seder last year in Jerusalem. Trekking through that market was certainly a lot more exciting than making the rounds of our usual DC stores! But we are looking forward to cooking and enjoying seder with family and friends this weekend. Among the many dishes we are making is Sephardic Charoset. My recipe, below, is included in the book that my friend Rhona Byer compiled: Passover Recipes. I shot some of the ingredients as I started (always more comfortable holding a camera than a paring knife!)…

Sephardic Charoset

12 dried figs
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
12 dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 granny smith apples (peeled)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup almonds
1 cup sweet kosher wine
1 cup walnuts

Chop and pulse in the food processor to the consistency that you like.

I hope everyone will enjoy their gatherings, families (and foods) this Passover (and Easter!). Here are a few of our shots from our wonderful trip to Jerusalem last year.

Mahane Yehuda is a huge, bustling open-air market, just minutes from the city center of Jerusalem. So much  to choose from!

Here are Dov and Rachel in Jerusalem at Hebrew University, on Mount Scopus.

“Nothing says ‘weekend’ like a stack of hot pancakes…”

How true—and, considering that, how appropriate that this photo (and quote) are from USA Weekend Magazine. For many months, I have been shooting, with food styling by Lisa Cherkasky, recipes for this weekly national publication and website. This is one of my favorites. How can you resist these buckwheats, literally dripping and glistening with real maple syrup, and bejeweled with plump fresh blueberries. Where’s my coffee?!

Yeah, yeah—this recipe is actually healthier than most other pancake recipes, too…That’s because nutritionist/author/TV host Ellie Krieger made sure of it. As she says, they’re made “without the unhealthy downsides of most recipes, which are typically loaded with sugar, white flour and butter.” Plus, buckwheat gives them more fiber, blueberries are high in antioxidants. Eating healthy food is important to me—and I am always delighted when it can also be tempting, rich-tasting and delicious!

Dov and Mara are home on Spring break, and we’re all very lucky—Marty will be making these for us!

 Food—I love it. I photograph it. I eat it. I don’t cook it (usually)!

Marty and I were asked to bring dessert to a dinner party. Not just any dinner party, but the regular get-together with our wonderful dining group, the Society of Food Aficianados (SOFA). For 15 years, we’ve been part of this casual group that is serious about food, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. The elegant name is (mostly) tongue-in-cheek. Chuck Bernstein, a SOFA group member, explained in his article on us for The Washington Post in 1998, saying “SOFA” has “…all the right connotations: demanding of good food but not too snooty; comfortable with barbecue or beurre blanc, like dining on favorite sofas, in salons and TV rooms around the world. Plus [it’s] catchy.”

Every dinner takes its theme from the host’s main dish. I described to Marty, the chef in our family, what dessert I thought he could make that would go with Louise’s winter comfort-food dinner: Apple Galette, from the Chez Panisse recipe on epicurious.com. It seemed like the perfect match. In my mind’s eye I could see them clearly: warm and rustic, with cool, winter window light, shot from above.

There, job done… I’d contributed my aesthetic judgement to envision this, so I could move on with my day. But, the time came to make it, and Marty got into a work crunch. What? The chef was too busy to cook? We couldn’t let SOFA down after all these years—I had to step up and represent the family.

Yes, I whined and begged Marty for help…I can cook basic main dishes and simple sides. But baking desserts is so specialized—and seems so exacting and scientific—and people really look forward to them—so, the pressure was on. Feeling tragically out of my element, I found my comfort zone by photographing during the process.

For the apple galette, I used Granny Smiths.

After the annoying manual labor of coring them, I rewarded myself by arranging them in an amusing fashion to shoot.

So many distractions along the way, even the butter wrappers looked nice.

I also had some plums left from that day’s photo shoot for Chef Todd Gray’s cookbook. So, I decided to make a plum galette as well.

I roasted them to bring out their sweetness.

There are only two rules in SOFA: “Pull out all the stops”; and, “Make something you’ve never made before.”

Ha! I totally qualifed! The galettes looked just as I envisioned them—only, I never expected that mine would be the hands that realized that vision. SOFA said they really enjoyed it—and accused me of holding out on them for 15 years by hiding my baking talent!