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I'm always a big fan of tuna. David's take on this classic dish was nothing but extrodinary. It's not hard to see why this dish is one of the best selling on the menu.
Photographically speaking, how can you beat the texture and color here? What a fantastic dish to shoot!
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When you live in Maine, you eat a lot of lobster. It just happens. However, I can assure you that the lobster preppared by Chef David Turin was some of the finest shellfish I've ever had.
David is a man obsessed with details, even down to sourcing speciality butter for this dish. The presentation, as you can see, is amazing. I'm a firm believer that a meal should look as good as it tastes. I am a photographer after all.
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A few weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of working with David Turin of David's Restaurant. Located smack dab in the middle of Monument Square in downtown Portland, David's is an institution.
One of the most creative chef's I've seen in the kitchen, David was kind enough to plate dishes for us for several hours. I just couldn't stop shooting his food. When I got a chance to finally taste it...well that is an entirely different story.
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A few last frames from my impromptu shoot with Ben Row. I have to give mad props to Ben, it's not easy to bring any level of intensity to a photo shoot in sub-zero temperatures. Not only did he bring it, he brought it for nearly 3 hours. That my friends is commitment!
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One of our last stops on our tour of Maine's best "Cheap Eats" was the El Rayo taqueria. Now, some could argue that Portland, Maine is not your first choice of places to visit for great Mexican food. However, one stop at this colorful eatery and you may change your mind.
With a killer outside seating area, an insane drink list, and the freshest local ingredients around you truly can't find a better place to enjoy a warm Summer afternoon. Or, in our case, a friggid February night.
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When shooting an article called "Cheap Eats" you really don't expect to see a fine dining restaurant pop up on the list. However, if you find yourself in the mood for a gourmet burger and only a 20 spot in your wallet, head over to Caiolas in Portland's West End.
Their burger, which was seasoned and grilled to perfection was accompanied by four house made tater tots. Now, these aren't your lunch lady's tater tots. These puppies were melt in your mouth delicious!
As you can see, I had a photographic field day in their kitchen. So much color and texture in this place. Not to mention a good 3 foot flame leaping out of a frying pan. Who said photographing food was boring?
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Bringing back my man Chris Ramos one more time for another feature here on the blog.
One of the founding reasons behind why Chris and I becamse friends was my interest in his sneakers. Lets face it, it's pretty hard to notice when a guy wears a different pair of kicks damn near every day. Being the inquisitive type, I started asking about them. Eventually, my curiousity led to what we now call the 'sneaker story' of the day.
By far the coolest story was about the pair you see above. Designed to pay homage to the horror movie classic Friday the 13th, these shoes have been distressed to look like they had been worn by the kids in the movie. Including blood stains and wet grass. Now, for some this may not sound all that cool. But, for a horror nut like me, this 'sneaker story' definitely takes the cake.
Does the location make a bit more sense now?
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Personal work is the photographer's equivalent to practice. Just like an athlete, keeping your skills sharp is the key to success. Getting out and pushing the button when nothing is on the line is a great time to test out new techniques, different lighting styles, or just push your own creative limits outside your comfort zone.
Finding quality people to work with for personal work can be difficult. Finding someone who can hold a pose and look natural in a 20 degree windchill is damn near impossible. So, when I say that Mr. Row is one of the best subjects I've had the pleasure of working with, you'll understand why.
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Another set of fresh kicks from my man Chris Ramos.
Playing with a lot of color in these images, my goal was to try and accentuate the radical color set on these Nike's. It was great to work with Chris's collection, product work isn't something I do very often, but I really enjoyed working the angles on these sneakers.
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Another stop on my trek across Maine documenting 'Cheap Eats' was the Bow Street Market in Freeport. They have just rolled out one of the best looking stir fry bars I've ever seen.
Fresh produce, unique ingredients, and a talented team who is ready to pan fry it while you watch. Now that's my version of fast food!
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