Friday, July 8, 2011

Music and Mushrooms

Not a Grateful Dead Blog

July 2011 is already looking very good!

If I stay on pace it will be 5x better than last July (last July wasn’t anything to celebrate!). With that, I give you a little expansion news of my business. While my website has touted food photography as part of my offerings, I really haven’t moved in the direction of showing that work. Driven by a couple of catalysts, first my love of cooking and second, well that’s obvious, my love of photography, I’ve decided to see what can happen. I’ve been shooting restaurants for years as a newspaper photographer, however, as most daily photojournalism is smash and grab, this work will be more intense, more specific and higher quality than suburban newspaper photography.

Crimini Mushrooms from River Valley Ranch and Kitchens

I’m looking for small and medium sized businesses who grow or produce food products from organic farmers and cooperatives, artisanal cheeses makers, gourmet products, personal chefs and more that need photography to help improve visuals for their websites and printed marketing materials.

My first installment comes in the form of some locally sourced mushrooms. They are grown in the Lake Geneva area by River Valley Ranch & Kitchens. I came across RVRK last year while driving to a friends place on Delavan Lake just west of Lake Geneva.

River Valley Ranch and Kitchen Pennsylvania Dutch Mushrooms

This place is on Hwy 50, probably 7-8 miles outside of town. It has an abundance of their own produce as well as other tasty edibles from around the region. In the next few weeks, I’ll gradually be adding in more and more produce, products and to help showcase my work for perspective clients, if you have any suggestions of what you want to see, drop me a note with your ideas!

Aside from trying to expand in the new direction, I’m also working on my “normal” shoots, from an occasional Chicago Tribune assignment, to shooting the first of a seven-concert series in Williams Bay, WI for George Williams College and their Summer festival and Music By the Lake. The first night was a tribute to John Williams, a music composer, who if you don’t know his name, you know his music… been to Star Wars, ET, JAWS, or a Harry Potter flick….well, then you’re a fan. It was a great show followed by a fireworks show on the shores Geneva Lake. I’m very much looking forward to spending the next few weekends in Wisconsin where I can enjoy some great music, shooting some more food photos.

Music By the Lake at George Williams College

Music By the Lake at George Williams College

Music By the Lake at George Williams College

Music By the Lake at George Williams College

Another way to keep track of me, my business and any special offers is to subscribe to my upcoming newsletter which you can do via the window in the right rail of the site… look for the green box!

See you online soon!

Shaun