Perretti Photography

Blog Migration Directly to Website

2014-04-11T08:26:00.001-04:00

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 :)

Food Stylist: Lisa Kuehl

2014-03-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

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.

Photo Shoot: Soup Cookbook

2014-02-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

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

Personal Project: Transformation

2014-02-17T11:03:00.001-05:00

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.

Food Stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell

2014-01-24T15:15:00.001-05:00

www.preston-campbell.com

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.

Recipe: Banana Ice Cream

2014-01-17T09:25:00.001-05:00

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

Signature

2014-01-07T15:55:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2013-12-27T16:51:00.001-05:00

Food Stylist: Jen Beauchesne

2013-12-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

Jen Beauchesne
http://jenbeauchesne.com/

Photo By: Michael Indresano

1.While you were studying photography at RIT did you have a specialty you wanted to pursue?

I actually went into RIT as a freshman thinking I wanted to shoot fashion, but quickly learned I was much happier shooting still life in the studio rather than models. Once we got to start taking electives the first one I choose was Food Photography and I just knew that's exactly what I wanted to do.

2.When did you decide to change over from photography to food styling?

I decided to switch over about a year ago when I realized I was much happier on the other side of the lens and in the kitchen.

3.Who have you worked with/admired to help hone your skills as a stylist?

I work with Sunny Ricks a lot she is an amazing stylist who has taught me so much about this industry and has been the best helping me transition from Boston to NYC.

4.Do you like to cook yourself?

Yes, I love cooking for myself, although I don't always have time, I try to find time on the weekends to try new recipes!

5.Do you prefer to style one type of food over another?

No real preference on what kind of foods, I love them all :)

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

I would love to style for Donna Hay Magazine, I absolutely adore their aesthetic and quality of work.

Photo By: Will Styer

7.What has been the most difficult thing for you to style?

The most difficult thing for me to style was actually a bowl of mayo, the photographer wanted it one way and the client, who was weighing in remotely, wanted it another way, so there was a lot of back and forth and the mayo kept congealing, not fun, but we got thru it!

8.What is your must have tool on set?

I would say my must have tool would be my tweezers, I have about five different pairs, all for different uses.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2013-12-02T11:20:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and busy holiday shopping weekend. Something I always look forward to doing is having the leftover turkey sandwich for lunch the next day. Everyone does it a little different but you can never go wrong.

Here's how I made my turkey sandwich...

Felicia's Next Day Thanksgiving Sandwich:

Le Bus Bakery pumpernickel rye bread
Turkey(dark meat/shredded)
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Swiss Cheese
Homemade cranberry sauce (dipping sandwich)

Preheat oven at 375. Layer all the ingredients on the rye bread and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 min.
Take out and enjoy! I personally like to have this with a Brooklyn Winter beer. Also use the cranberry sauce to dip your sandwich in.

Relaunch- New Website Same Great Taste!

2013-11-21T08:34:00.001-05:00

www.perrettiphotography.com

After months of mulling over the idea of changing my website host I finally made the plunge and transferred my portfolios to a new and exciting service. You will see at the top the same basic portfolios with some reorganizing. My most current contact info and that same quirky photo of me eating. I'm now able to integrate my Blogger into my website instead of having a separate link. Also I no longer have that flashy opening for my site just taking you right to my work.

Hope you like it!

Food Stylist: Claudia Ficca

2013-11-15T12:56:00.000-05:00

Claudia Ficca

Food Styling + Photography

http://www.claudiaficca.com

Davide Luciano from my Iphone

1. Any one in your family come from a food background?
We're Italian! We talk about what we will make for dinner while we are eating lunch! No one comes from a food background but my brothers and I are all work with food. They own an Italian bakery in Montreal called La Cornetteria.

2. How long have you been styling? Shooting?
5 years

3. What are your inspirations for projects, any notable stylists you admire?
It really depends on the project I'm working on, if I am working on something seasonal, I am really inspired by the actual ingredients. I get so inspired at the Farmers Market. I also find a lot of inspiration online and in food magazines. I am very much inspired by Mariana Velasquez, she is an incredibly talented food stylist and he work is always fresh and delicious looking. I also admire Victoria Granof's work, I love how playful and conceptual it is.

4. When did you start your blog?
I don't really have a blog. I have one that's attached to my website, It's just a place I use to showcase some recent projects in depth and this reminds me that it needs to be updated!!

5. Where is the farthest you have traveled for a styling job?
I've styled in NYC, Boston and Montreal.

7. Do you have a preference over what type of work you style/photograph? (restaurants, editorial...)
I love change, so having different projects all the time is what I love most. Each project brings new challenges from which I learn and that keeps things interesting for me.

8. Favorite thing to cook.
Lately, I've been really into making soups at home. It's the perfect time of year for it and I am loving all the gorgeous produce at the farmer's market.

9. Favorite thing to photograph?
Anything with gorgeous color and texture like fresh fruits & veggies. I also enjoy photographing food stories that evoke emotion.

Food Stylist: Vivian Lui

2013-11-09T18:08:00.002-05:00

Vivian Lui
http://www.vivianlui.com/

Photo By: John Kernick

1. Any one in your family come from a food background?
No but my mom is a really wonderful cook.

2. How did you start your career in food styling?
It's career number two for me and a complete departure from the first (which involved too many excel spread sheets). I moved to New York to go to culinary school. Afterwards, I met some very talented food stylists who cooked beautiful food and was very fortunate to have worked with them.

3. What are your inspirations for projects? Travel, farmers markets, movies, art, restaurant
Any notable stylists you admire? The stylists I assisted

4. Have you ever done film or commercial styling? Is that of interest to you?
Commercial yes but not film. Always interesting to mix it up so definitely would be interested.

5. Was there something you styled that was harder than you imagined?
I can't think of one specific thing but it's always a little challenging when recipes aren't tested or don't work. You definitely need good knowledge of cooking to be able to foresee any issues beforehand or to fix the problem.

6. Is a lot of your work word of mouth or do you constantly market yourself?
In NY it was mainly word of mouth. Now that I'm in LA, it's a bit different. Still trying to work it out.

7. Have you traveled for jobs?
If so where is the farthest you’ve been?
Yes, a little bit around the US. Exploring the food culture of a new city is always a good way to get a feel for it. Years ago, my fiance worked in Asia for a short period and I took some time to explore food styling over there. The industry was still emerging and it was an interesting experience. The markets were fantastic and developing recipes with new ingredients was a fun challenge.

Photo By: Christina Holmes

8. Must have tool on set.
An apron and a kitchen towel to keep me from wiping my hands on my jeans. A small paint brush. Patience.

Q & A With Food Stylist: Randy Mon

2013-10-28T19:07:00.003-04:00

Randy Mon

415.518.5460

http://www.randymon.com

NOW BLOGGING AT:

www.lookingatfood.com

1. Any one in your family come from a food background?

Both my mother and German grandmother were good cooks and entertainers, and would on occasion help a family-friend who was a caterer. I was definitely influenced by them. I learned, already in high school, that my composed fruit platter, when brought to a potluck, would receive more positive attention than even the best-tasting casserole.

2. How did you start your career in food styling? Did you have friends in a similar field or photography friends?

I didn’t have any friends doing anything like what I would eventually do. After only two years of college, I worked in a multitude of restaurants in San Francisco, Aspen, Colorado and NYC, usually as a waiter, and I did my own catering on the side, out of whatever home I was living in (even though I always had 4 and 5 roommates, they put up with me because I would feed them.). I liked food presentation, but I was clear I didn’t want to “grow up” to be a caterer nor a waiter, and for a long time, I had terrible career-crisis-blues, not realizing I was preparing perfectly for my dream job all along.

When I started out, food styling was not a commonly known obvious profession. My epiphany came when a friend suggested, “there must be someone making that McDonald’s hamburger for the advertisements who is getting paid well to do it”. At the time we didn’t even know the term, “food stylist”. I continued to work in restaurants, familiarizing myself with a variety of different ethnic cuisines and their ingredients, and eventually I began noticing credits for food stylists under images in the Sunday newspaper. Since the internet still didn’t exist, I had to look those people up in the phone book to call them, and eventually I began assisting.

3. What are your inspirations for projects, any notable stylists you admire?

Eating out at innovative places is helpful.
Donna Hay, the famous Australian food stylist, is amazing. Food stylists aren’t generally chefs, and chefs rarely are food stylists; she is both. She is so good, I hate her ;-)

4. Do you have a preference over editorial or advertising work?

Each are gratifying in their own ways. Editorial work allows me to cook naturally and more freely, which I sincerely enjoy. While advertising can be quite controlled, it does appeal to my meticulous nature. There are great opportunities for problem solving and I do love realizing an art director’s tight layout.
With both, collaboration is essential, and can often be quite exhilarating!

Left and lower right photos: Iain Bagwell for Sunset Magazine Upper right photo: Rory Earnshaw

5. Was there something you styled that was harder than you imagined?

There is a beer pour that I did for a T.V. commercial once that comes to mind.
My job was to prepare the beer glass with fake frost and condensation and pour the beer in an exact 2 seconds while simultaneously producing the perfect head. Once the crew was done lighting the glass of beer, they had made it literally, physically impossible to get near the glass. The huge motion picture camera was butted right up to the set, and they had built a plexiglass corral, about 3 feet high, which surrounded the set. I had to screw a plastic pitcher to a wooden broom handle to pour the beer from. I was given a camera stand to use as a bridge to steady my broom handle. In the end it worked out really well. To see it, please check out the advertising section of my website.

6. Any dream clients you want to work with? Already worked with?

Over the summer, I had an incredible job in NYC, arranging vegetables around bottles of V-8 juice. Being there for a week was really fun, and still-life arrangement is a specialty of mine. Last spring I worked with an amazing crew on a really cool T.V. cookie commercial that can be seen on my blog,
http://lookingatfood.com/ (it is a handful or so of posts back)
The production company from St. Louis was great to work with and hang out with, and they made my styling look so good. Recently, I had an inquiry from a local producer to work for a resort in the Yucatan. Sadly, it went away as quickly as it came, and I’m hoping it comes back. Traveling for work is wonderful.

7. How hard was it to get the vegetables to stay on the mannequin in the advertising image on your site?

That dress form was lying flat on the ground and shot from directly above, so I didn’t have to fight gravity too much. The salad ingredients were literally pinned to the padded form.

8. Must have tool on set.

Chopsticks; I can’t imagine styling food without them.

New Holiday Packaging Work...

2013-10-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

Here's some of my most recent packaging work for my client Alouette. These were just released for the holiday season coming up.

I've tried both recommended recipes on package and they are to die for!

Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany

2013-10-10T15:46:00.000-04:00

This was a small part of our Europe trip, but most memorable for me to have experienced. Oktoberfest was an amazing time as you can see from the photos and video (which there is still more to come.)

The passion for this tradition the Bavarians do once a year is nothing comparable to any other drinking fest I've experienced. Germany is the beer capital of the world and they certainly live up to it. After experiencing their beer and food I still have to say Philadelphia has the best soft pretzel.

**Also wearing lederhosen is normal for this event, not an obnoxious American thing.

1 of 9 beer tents each holding approx. 2,500 people

Hofbrauhaus

Joe and I with our liter of beer!

B.T.S. Double week wrap-up... Food Shoots/Europe

2013-09-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have put off posting updates on my work, stylists, recipies etc... but it has gotten BUSY (which I can be grateful for)

Here's a quick video my assistant took at this past week's food shoot for my awesome cheese client.

After I post this I will finish prepping for my Mon-Tues. food shoot
PACK for my 9-day trip to Europe
Analyze my awesome promo tote bags made for New York
Think about my shoots when I get back to the states

It's a crazy end of the year and will keep ya'll in the loop best as possible.

Any questions on my techniques, inspirations? Feel free to email me

I will be off the grid from Sept 25th-Oct 3rd

-Felicia

BTS: Sunoco Photo Shoot...

2013-09-08T11:34:00.000-04:00

As many East Coast goers know, Sunoco is a staple gas station that is only expanding and getting better. It's always a great time working with the marketing team and creatives to improve on their outreach and imagery.

Currently I'm working on a project with them for a new store location outside of Philadelphia. First of 3 weeks of shooting has come and gone and the excitment for the launch is just growing.

Here's a behind the scene's look on set at Sunoco Headquarters


Styling By: Lisa Russell

B.T.S.

Recipe: Summer Squash

2013-08-26T17:48:00.002-04:00

I know summer is coming to an end and this is a late recipe to post but just save it for next year!

Summer squash is hard to keep for more than a week so having a super quick recipe on hand is good.

This recipe calls for onions, and brown sugar.

First wash and dice the summer squash into 1in or so pieces.

Thinly slice the onions and saute them first until translucent.

Once cooked add the squash and stir for 3 min than cover and let simmer for about 18 min.
Once the squash becomes salt finish with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
Stir those seasonings in and cook covered for another 5 min and enjoy!

Jar With A Twist

2013-08-09T11:53:00.001-04:00

This is by far the best invention I've ever seen. I eat peanut butter on a regular basis and I've been waiting for something like this is come out. These four guys got it!

Watch It Here: http://youtu.be/k9y_gGRhpKg

1. Jar with a twist; was it a “a-ha” moment that came true?

After thoroughly examining our lives, we determined the single greatest
pain that we suffered on a daily basis-- Peanut Butter Knuckles (rough
life, I know). After multiple different solutions, we settled on what we
know call Jar~with~a~Twist. We realized that the kitchen is already full
of over-priced, under-utilized utensils, so we wanted to make this as easy
for the consumer as possible-- by removing the need to buy more specialty
utensils.

2. How did the four of you come together for this? Were you previous
friends growing up?

We came together through our Senior Design course at North Carolina State
University. We have become incredibly close-knit, and are in constant
contact with one another throughout the day.

3. Are there a lot of interests in food companies wanting this design?

Yes! We've had incredible amounts of interest, and are in the process of
meeting with several companies.

4. How many trial and errors were there before you got it right?

We have close to 20 separate, and quantifiable different prototypes. We
have striven to continually improve our product through the development
process to make it easily manufactured, material use low, and retain the
utmost in functionality.

5. Beside food items has there been discussion other non-food items to be
incorporated into this design?

Certainly. One of the major areas of non-food interest has been in
cosmetics-- makeup, lotions, etc.

6. Have you done demos at supermarkets of food events with the product?

Our patent was only recently filed, so we were unable to demo
Jar~with~a~Twist up until then. Once things slow down a bit, we plan on
extensively demonstrating our product.

7. What is your end goal with this product?

There are two possible scenarios. Manufacture and sell Jar~with~a~Twist
ourselves, or license the ability to do so to another entity. We are
currently keeping both options open.

Foundfolios New + Hot for July 2013

2013-08-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

It was a honor to be one of the 12 picked for Foundfolio's July Hot + New Picks!

They featured my smores photo from my Playing With Food Series

Sweet Neighbors

2013-07-26T10:00:00.002-04:00

It's only been a few months since they moved in but Sweetbox cupcakes are my new best friend. Gretchen the owner is so nice and really loves what she does. You might recognize her pretty cupcake food truck around University City or Love Park.

She just opened her first retail storefront in my neighborhood! Super pumped and I had the opportunity to come by her opening day and take some photos.

If you haven't already I recommend trying her Yard's Brawler Toffee Crunch, Maple Bacon Pancake!

https://www.facebook.com/Iheartsweetphilly

Photo By: Perretti Photography LLC

Behind The Scene- Meatball Photo Shoot

2013-07-19T14:46:00.001-04:00

I got a call just a week ago from a local marketing company that had a client that needed a meatball packaging shot done this week. I could not turn down the opportunity and just in that one day of shooting I met the entire family! There was a true passion for their product and you could taste the home made quality in it as well.

Screen capture from the day shoot

Tearsheet: Fitness Magazine

2013-07-12T10:17:00.001-04:00

It was a fun opportunity to shoot a small piece for Fitness Magazine. They needed a beer photo with a foaming top and bubbles rising. We were going back and forth with a couple shots until we got the right one. They were able to stretch it along the bottom of the page and make for a neat graphic. Below is the original shot

Tearsheet: Triathlete Magazine...

2013-06-28T10:57:00.001-04:00

It was so fun to with with Kevin Couch the executive chef of Cuba Libre at the Old City location. He put together his Fuel dish which consisted of whole wheat quinoa pancakes and blueberries.