Launching a New Brand – Part 1

We were recently commissioned to collaborate on the launch of a new brand for a major food corporation headquartered in Toronto, Canada. A project of this size requires dynamite coordination to ensure the production goes flawlessly.

In this three part series, we're going behind the scenes to show you what it takes to prepare for a shoot of this size, what factors are taken into consideration and how decisions are made.

Our first challenge on this new brand launch was to capture still images for a print campaign. The client wanted a dark, rich setting that gave the imagery a dramatic look and feel. This required sourcing a multitude of backgrounds, surfaces, props and accessories. Once everything was pulled together, the client had a wide variety of options to choose from so we could achieve the desired look and feel. 

Next, we fried everything from onion rings to mac & cheese bites, beer battered fries to mozzarella sticks and pickles. It was a fried food lovers heaven! One of the great things about our commercial kitchen is that we have a commercial hood vent over the stove and fryers. If you've ever been a part of a fried food shoot, you know how invaluable this kitchen accessory is. It can take weeks for the "fried smell" to disappear from the studio if you don't have a hood vent. 

Another important factor you must take into consideration when shooting a food product that is distributed to restaurants is serving size. That is why we weigh the product used in every photo. There's a lot of discussion that goes into serving size – is it a shareable appetizer or a small plate? Will it be served at a casual dining restaurant or a gastropub? All of these factors must be considered when plating product. You don't want to visually over-promise the customer; otherwise, they'll be quite disappointed when their order arrives at the table..

With the first three days under our belt, we had a lot of fun and captured the rich imagery our client desired. Check back in a couple weeks for the next installment in this series where we'll take a look at how many people it actually took to pull off this production. 

Until then, enjoy these behind the scene photos!

We're not praying to the fruit god, although it might look like it!

Doing a little last minute refinement to one of the backgrounds.

Props, props and more props!

The Associate Creative Director and his client discussing prop choices for the next shot.

This isn't how you grill your steak?

Fry, baby, fry!

Our food stylist assistant frying up some hot onion scoops.

These beer battered jalapeño bottlecaps are ready for the spotlight in the next shot.

Now those are some nice looking rings!

The hero maxi cut fries are on set.

Everything gets weighed, even the fried pickles.

6 ounces right on the nose!

It's all about natural, beautiful lighting.

Trick of the trade – sometimes we use a sheet of white paper to control the light.

The food styling must go on, even with a bum finger!

This project required the main camera to be locked down in one position. To capture a few different angles,
David hooked up a DSLR to another computer and shot each recipe from multiple viewpoints.

There's nothing like a runny yolk to dip your fries in!

A New Year, A New Look!

The new year holds promises of a clean slate, revitalization, a new outlook. In line with that, we decided to do a little renovation at the studio to freshen it up. Our space lends itself to an urban-industrial feel, so we said, "Hey, why fight it?"

As you enter the studio, you are welcomed by our new chalkboard wall and collection of nicknacks. The chalk art here, and throughout the studio, was commissioned by the talented Lauren Hunt. You could stand here for an hour taking in all of the pieces David has collected over the years. There are antique cameras, eye glasses he made out of camera lenses and family heirlooms, like the bench under the chalkboard. It was built in 1905 and was an original fixture in his grandfather's barber shop.

We did a little redecorating in the kitchen, too. Some new wallpaper and decor give it a fresh look and feel. All of the light fixtures received a facelift as well with new Edison bulbs.

We're really happy with how things turned out. So, stop by and take a peek! We'd love to give you the tour in person and celebrate the year ahead.

Cheers to a great start to 2015!

Our new chalkboard welcomes clients and gives Art Directors here for photo shoots a place to doodle.

We finally found a place to highlight the bench that was in David's grandfather's barber shop. The bench was built in 1905.

Sandblasted and casters added, these flat file cabinets are a great place for our photo collection!

A few more pieces from our collection.

Edison bulbs brighten the new light fixtures above the chalkboard.

Come on by! The chalk and eraser await your next visit.

The coffee table is an old train luggage cart accented with an antique book press.

Client area reading material.

Hand-painted antique safe.

Do you have the time?

Edison bulbs and a coat of paint revitalized the existing light fixtures over the bar.

More chalkboard art commissioned by Lauren Hunt.

The new look in action!

Tell Us A Story

As we mentioned last month, we've been shooting some projects lately that convey different stories. The concept of these projects has been to entice the viewer with mouthwatering food and invite them into the world we've created. 

In part two of our storytelling project, we'd like you to tell us the story instead of us walking you through it. We envisioned a plot that inspired these images. But the story we imagined may not be the story you see. What's your interpretation of these scenes?

Some Storytelling and A Little Southern Cooking

We've been shooting some projects lately that tell more of a visual story than straight-up product shots. The concept of these projects has been to entice the viewer with mouthwatering food and invite them into the world we've created. Let us walk you through a couple of the stories.

I know you can smell warm peanut butter cookies with a hint of coffee from the Java Jam drizzled on top. You can feel the ice cold, creamy milk as it hits the back of your throat, chasing the tasty cookie. You can also imagine yourself in that warm, sun-drenched kitchen listening to the birds chirp through an open window on a lazy weekend afternoon. Can't you?

Fresh local milk and Java Jam topped peanut butter cookies

It's summertime in the South. Someone grabs an old, weathered table and drags it under a huge oak tree for a picnic on a steamy afternoon. On the menu? Spicy Southern fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits smothered with Tupelo honey, pickled tomatoes from the garden, cabbage slaw and fresh squeezed lemonade. Finger-lickin' good!

Summertime Southern fried chicken with pickled tomatoes

Some "behind the scenes" captured while shooting these two images...