Abalone Farming
One summer during college, I worked with my home state’s Conservation Department on an experimental program raising oysters. It was pretty fascinating and we were all able to bring home lots of fresh oysters. It’s hard to beat a fresh oyster rolled up in a slice of bacon and quickly fried. It was a great … Read more
Trash to Cash
Sometimes it’s a privilege to cover an editorial subject and a recent job for Disney’s Family Fun Magazine was one of those subjects. Dr. Gordon Myers and his family started a recycling program to help save their children’s elementary school art and music programs from budget cuts. Student’s bring in redeemable bottles and cans from … Read more
Arch Rock Fish
Arch Rock Fish Restaurant Growing up in the coastal Northeast, I spent the summers during my college years digging clams commercially. Wading around at low tide in chest deep water with a clam rake, I would keep moving until it felt like I was stepping up onto a slight mounding of the bottom, which was … Read more
Cheap Eats, Great Food
It’s always a pleasure to find that the quality of cooking and the price of food at a restaurant don’t always correlate with each other. A recent assignment for Westways Magazine proved the point. The Savoy Cafe and Deli, an institution in Santa Barbara, recently reopened after being closed for remodeling. It’s warm and inviting … Read more
The Barbecue Nazi
This environmental portrait of chef Gary Nielsen of The Barbecue Company, in Carpinteria, California, was inspired by a Sienfeld episode on the Soup Nazi. I felt Gary and his restaurant would work well as The Barbecue Nazi. I had actually photographed Gary and his wife Jackie for a Westways Magazine assignment on The Barbecue Company … Read more
Dessert Days
Some days I can’t help but reflect that I am in a strange profession. I spent this afternoon eating what was essentially multiple desserts. That wasn’t the original plan, of course, but that’s the way it worked out. I’m in the midst of finishing up some last minute requests for a book on local cuisine … Read more
Intoxicating C’est Cheese
When I first walked through the door of C’est Cheese, the aromas of dozens of aged cheeses blended to create a nearly intoxicating mix. If I closed my eyes, I could pick out a robust blue cheese or an edgy romano, but many scents were completely new to me. When I photograph a restaurant or … Read more
Love Me, Hate Me
Photographing environmental portraits is always challenging. Photographing psychological researchers adds another layer of complexity to the process because the actual research must be illustrated in the same image. I had the pleasure of working for Grad Psych Magazine recently, photographing Lisa Jaremka and her research on the impact of rejection on relationships. We decided … Read more
Olio Pizzeria–Upscale Pizza and Wine Bar
Recently I was fortunate to photograph Olio Pizzeria Enoteca and Bar, located here in Santa Barbara, California. Westways Magazine’s food aficionado, Nancy Ransohoff, had written an article about the new trend of popular chefs opening pizzerias named after their main restaurant. In this case, Olio e Limone Restaurant, one of Santa Barbara’s premier dining spots … Read more
Gana Walska Lotusland Estate
Editorial photography has got to be the most fascinating job in the world. That’s rather a sweeping statement, I know, but when I look back on all the diverse subjects we have photographed this last year and the talented people with which we have worked, it’s hard not to feel fortunate. We have covered … Read more
