Simit + Smith
As a food photographer with all the equipment I'll ever need, plus an extensive prop collection, I'd say roughly 90% of my photo shoots happen in my home. The rest of the time is either spent in restaurants — which, sadly, can't come to me — or I rent a studio when we'll need to accommodate more people than my shooting area can comfortably hold.
I've returned to Foundry 8 Budd studio in Morristown, NJ several times for my own projects or to lend a helping hand on those for Smith Design. My most recent "helping hand" shoot was for client Simit + Smith, which makes globally-inspired breads and pastries. Their website redesign necessitated a heavy shot count and was more than Smith's in-house photographer could handle in the time allotted, so I came in to help out as the lead photographer, since I have broader experience with food shoots.
My primary focus was the hand model photos, so we got to work on those first thing, creating an earthy, rustic look for the photos, showing just a hint of brick wall and complementing the product with linen props to add to the handmade feel.
Once the model photos were approved and the art director and I had styled an absolute mountain of bread...
we continued with more traditional still life photos to round out the site.
It was such a fun experience, and the aroma of freshly baked bread that permeated the studio was just dizzying! A few months later, I learned that the entire team had won two awards from Creativity International Awards for the Simit + Smith website and catalog redesigns, in part for the "breathtaking photography." What a thrill!
