Friday, April 11, 2014

Blog Migration Directly to Website

Hello Followers! 


I wanted to let everyone know my current blog posts from this point on will be posted directly on my blog associated with my website.

You can continue to find recipes, interviews, and behind the scene posts at: www.perrettiphotography.com


**Go to the tab Blog


Thank you!
-Felicia :)

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Food Stylist: Lisa Kuehl

Chicago Based Food Stylist
Lisa Kuehl
http://lisabenitezkuehl.com/portfolio/


How did you get into styling?
I got started when I came back from living in California with my ex husband, I was in the process of a divorce and trying to figure out what I was going to do since I was a teacher of the culinary arts in California and was not even going to attempt to go back to restaurant life. I have a cousin who is a photographer and was doing free lance work for magazines like time out Chicago, Chicago Magazine and I had not much to do yet in means of a job so she offered to use me as her assistant meaning just keep her company and my mind off my struggling life HA! So she took me to Time Out where I met the editor and she gave us a tour of the set up of the magazine and she explained they also do some food styling! I have known of food styling since I was in culinary school but had no real luck breaking threw to actually work in the industry. She basically said its real simple food styling. I was like well if its just presentation I would love to do it and she agreed to use me and my first shoot for only $150.00 was 2 page spread and making connections. I have been doing it ever since and its been 8 years.

What was your first real break-through job?

I really can't say what was my big break of a job? Maybe when a film studio like Big Deahl hired me at a real assistant position, then I was in and when a food stylist named Karen Robinson took me under her wing and brought me in under her and thats was when I really was now a real food stylist assistant.

Where are some places you have traveled to for work?

I have not been as international as some long time food stylist. I have been to Detroit, Phoenix, and Madison IL! I am sure that will change.

Who has been your inspiration for styling?

My inspiration I would have to say is Donna Hay, she is a Australian stylist and I have been a huge fan of her work since culinary school. Super clean and modern and not tremendously over styled.

What is the hardest thing you have styled?

Ice Cream!! It is a specialty and very hard to perfect.


Is a lot of your work word of mouth or is marketing yourself a big tool?

Yes! A lot of word of mouth and networking in the sense of keeping in the loop with photographers and chatting up the clients so they remember you. Its a lot of what kind of person you are as well as your work. People like to work with stylist who are not difficult or divas lol...not naming names.


Must have tool on set.

We all who are stylist have there own kit or tools and depending on the kind of job you might need more and then you can charge kit fees. For instance, if a client has no real kitchen or the photographer then you need to bring things that would be necessary to do the job other that the basic tool kit equipment.

Any tips you could share for food stylists starting out?

My advice for those looking to get into food styling, it’s really hard but just try to connect and offer free services to be able to just get in and luck. Stylist usually have there favorites and they know how the stylist like things and they have already made a bond and the stylist trust them with shopping and detail to work and product.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Photo Shoot: Soup Cookbook

The start of 2014 has not been a slow one. The beginning of February I had the chance to photograph a great soup cookbook! The author was a well-known NY based cook/writer and developed a soup book in her many series of food cookbooks. I cannot release the names and such since it's still being designed and won't be released till this Fall. Normal publications can have a 2-3 year turnaround so this is actually going to be quick.

I got to work with my favorite food and prop stylists who worked very hard the 5 days we were shooting.

Below are a couple quick takeouts from the many shots we took for recipes, fillers, and cover options.
























OH! we had some downtime too so here's some army men climbing on soup ladles


Monday, February 17, 2014

Personal Project: Transformation

It's been a few busy months shooting/editing...

Catching up on some much needed blogging! Here's my latest project I've been working on titled Transformation.

Brief Overview: A personal project showcasing the transformation of frozen food to the fresh state it takes once defrosted. It shows the contrast of reality and perception in today’s food culture.

www.perrettiphotography.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

Food Stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell

NYC

1. How did you get involved in styling?

Around 2000 I was a chef suffering from a natural case of career burn-out. I had cooked in and run the kitchens of several kinds of food service operations, from country clubs to fine dining restaurants to catering companies over the course of 12 year. I reached the point where I no longer wanted to work nights, weekends and holidays and couldn't bear one more special request from an obnoxious customer. It was in food styling that I found my ideal job -- one that changes almost every day, with a very livable schedule, and the best people to work with. It's refreshing to be respected by my clients and to be paid a fair rate for my hard work, something that seems to rarely happen in the restaurant world.

2. Are you originally from New York? Do you travel for work?


I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania. I started my cooking career there but left at the age of 18 to go to the Culinary Institute of America. I moved to New York City the first time in 1993 but took a break to spend some time in Miami in the late 90s. My wife and I moved back to Brooklyn just before 9/11 so it was a rough return initially. Now I have trouble imagining where I would rather live.

Currently I'm trying to position myself in the styling world to do more location work. In the past I've worked in the Bahamas, all over Florida, St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta. I have contacts in L.A. and San Francisco and am currently translating my website into Spanish with the hopes to work in Latin America.

3. Do you have a personal favorite thing to style? Food vs. drinks?


I really enjoy styling cocktails, but lately I've been pushing to do more ice cream. It represents a big challenge for most stylists and I really like working in the medium. It requires speed, organization, technique, and patience to pull off a difficult ice cream shot. Some of those I have, others I'm currently practicing.

4. Hardest thing you have styled.


The most difficult job I've had in styling was a 100 shot cookbook that needed to be photographed in one week. I had two assistants and an intern, we worked 12+ hour days and were really happy with the results when it was all said and done.

As far as the one single thing that I find difficult to style, I would have to say it is pizza. It's hard to keep looking fresh and is prone to developing orange pools of grease that congeal quickly. The relationship between the crust, sauce, cheese and toppings can be a difficult balance when the pressure is on.

5. Any dream clients you would like to work with?


I'd love to work for SodaStream -- I use mine every day! Also, In 2009 I published a book with 50 recipes of flavored water called Cool Waters, and I would love to collaborate with a company that shares my vision that everyone should drink more water.


6. What was it like to work on the Good Spirits book that you won a award from?

Working on Good Spirits was a lot of fun. Melissa Punch, the photographer, and I spent a week in her studio making drinks and playing around with props and garnishes. On a commercial cocktail shoot, by comparison, it is usually a very controlled and orchestrated production. The book shoot was the complete opposite, with a lot of creative freedom on our part, which I believe had everything to do with the results we achieved.

7. What is your must have tool on set?

I always have paint brushes on set. Some are kept clean and dry for removing dust or crumbs and others are used for brushing oil, water, glycerin, browning agents, Windex, or anything else I happen to need at the moment. It would be impossible to keep things from drying out and dying without the use of a good set of brushes.

8. Where do you get your inspiration for styling.


I'm really only one part of the creative team that makes the images I work on, so a lot of the time it's someone else's vision that I am responsible for creating. But to that end, I am inspired by challenging jobs that require me to figure out how I can make the food on set look the best. Occasionally I'm called to do a conceptual piece or something outside the usual realm of putting food on a plate and making it look edible. These are the kinds of jobs that excite me -- one of my former assistants used to call me the McGyver of food styling, which I take to be a compliment.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Recipe: Banana Ice Cream

OK! Super easy and tasty recipe for anyone to make.
What you will need: Ripened bananas (5-6)
1 cup Heavy Cream
*Chocolate Chips (optional)


Remove bananas from peel and freeze the bananas overnight.
Once frozen take them out of freezer and cut up 1-2in pieces.
Using a food processor/blender/hand mixer blend bananas with heavy cream until smooth.
Add chocolate chips.
Pour mixture out in a pan. I used a 9x12 pyrex pan.
Freeze for another 6 hours then serve!

Taste so good just like ice cream