While I can usually be found blogging about my recent travels and culinary trips to the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany and Paris, this time, I wanted to share with you a wonderful day I experienced a couple of weeks ago in my hometown of Montreal. I was very lucky to have an opportunity to do a Food Styling and Photography Workshop with Aran Goyaga of Cannelle et Vanille. She has created a most beautiful blog (James Beard nominated) that I believe my clients will love.
Her talent for photography and food styling are beyond amazing, as you will see on her website, which not only features eye-loving photography, but also delicious gluten-free recipes. A cookbook will be out soon and I will make sure to keep you posted!
This wonderful day was organized by Mayssam and took place at Montreal’s SAT food lab, a workshop and restaurant rolled into one.
Mayssam is a food and travel writer who has a pure love for food in every way. She was the perfect person to organize this exceptional venture, and she chose the perfect venue and the ideal spot for this workshop. I also had the privilege of meeting and spending the day with a group of wonderful, talented women, from Montreal, Ontario, and the USA. They shared the same love for food and photography as I and at the end of the day, we left as friends.
Delicious, authentic food is part of my soul. I enjoy everything that goes into that perfect plate of food. Whether it is shopping for the perfect tomato, cooking my favorite dish, or arranging the perfect plate, everything that goes into a true culinary experience, big or small, is something worth savoring. In recent months, photography is taking a front seat with my culinary finds, and the two entities are becoming tied together. When beautiful food so elegantly and faithfully prepared is set out in front of me, it’s almost impossible to not want to take a photograph of it. To capture all of the colors, warmth, and details of each recipe is something that I’m finding myself doing at every turn.
Throughout my culinary trips to Italy and beyond, I am constantly surrounded by unsurpassed beauty, scenery and food. While the photo taking is easy, I want so much more than just the basic image my camera takes. Finding valued seminars and workshops like the ones I’m sharing here, allows me to dig a little deeper and find the creative juices within technology, and my own vision, to capture each and every detail beautifully. Photography creates wonderful memories, whether it is with clients in spectacular Ravello, Italy, or spending a fun-filled adventurous day with my grandson.
During this workshop, I was provided the opportunity to see another side of photography. Food styling is truly mesmerizing and we watched in awe as Aran prepared the food, plated it, took her pictures, and then magic happened as her photos appeared on her computer screen.
Aran truly is a gifted photo stylist. How she works with light, was truly a gift to watch. With patience, she guided us all through the day with a wealth of information. I couldn’t wait to get home so that I could find the perfect recipe with the best ingredients so that I could do my own plate styling and photography. I know all of the tools I’ve learned will come to fruition during my next culinary journey later this year.
I had great fun taking pictures that day with Aran and know in my heart that photography food styling classes will be on my new list of things to do more often.
If you are interested in joining me for one of my upcoming delectable destinations, please browse through my website and take a peak at some of my past, and upcoming, culinary travel itineraries.
Carol Ketelson is the owner and operator of Delectable Destinations LLC. Dedicated to planning, co-ordinating and curating customized group tours to hand-picked destinations. As an experienced travel planner, Carol’s customized itineraries, specialized tours and off-the-beaten-path experiences create memorable journeys for her small groups of singles, couples, divorced, widowed and solo travelers seeking exceptional trips into the culture and cuisine of destinations around the world. Spring and Fall bookings invite travelers to taste delectable local cuisine, culturally rich traditions and mesmerizing sights. For over 10 years, Carol’s tours have captured the true essence of Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Spain, Ireland and India.
