Fifth and Sixth-generation farmers! Ron Holter and his son.

In early August of 2009, I was sent by the Wegmans Advertising Department to Jefferson, Maryland to photograph for a day at Holterholm Farms, a supplier of milk for Organic Valley.  Established in 1889 by the great-great grandfather of Ron Holter, the 207 acre farm has been a producer of organic dairy products since 2005, and is now run by Ron, his wife Kathy, and their two children.  Accompanying me on the trip was Matt Byham, from Wegmans, who was writing the feature article on dairy suppliers for the Summer 2010 issue of Menu Magazine.

Jersey Cow number 139. She's a good milker!

The morning that Matt and I arrived at the farm was absolutely stunning!  There was enough atmospheric haze, that natural light was just perfect for photography, and it stayed that way for most of the day!  It was hot, though, even early on, and it would only get more so as the day progressed.  Matt and I met with Ron and Kathy Holter and got the lay of the land.  The Holters were making preparations for a visiting group from Wegmans, and while we waited for the group to arrive, Matt and I walked the pastures to photograph the land and cows!  A short while later, Ron and his son joined us in the fields and discussed with us the family farm’s history, the move to organic and sustainable farming processes, the great health benefits of organic foods, and of course, how very important it is to have happy cows!  I could tell, during our time afield with the Holters, that Matt was getting some great material for his article!

Part of the pastureland that I loved so much.

In Ron’s words, he and his family are farming as God has intended it to be.  The Jersey cows of Holterholm Farms dine on a nutritious mix of grasses of different types.  They are free to roam the pastures that are open to them on a given day, and each day, they are milked in a comfortable, cool, open-air parlor that creates a very stress-free environment for them.  The result is healthy, happy, grass-fed cows, and delicious, organic milk that is higher in antioxidants, other nutrients, and Omega-3’s than that which is produced at conventional dairy farms.  The cows are not grain fed, they do not receive hormones or antibiotics, and no persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used on the farm.  Managed as a seasonal farm, calves are born in February and March of each year, and the cows are milked from March to December.

Following the cows in for milking at the day's end.

This farm had such a wonderful feel to it.  It just seemed that everything worked in this nice, relaxed harmony, and that things were the way they should be.  The land was just beautiful, the cows were healthy, happy, and well looked after, even the cats seemed extremely content!  The Holter family proved to be very gracious hosts, are amazing people to visit with, and had a tremendous passion for educating others about the great benefits of organic farming.  It was obvious from the beginning that these are folks that truly believe in and love what they do, are fully immersed in it, and are more than willing to share what they’ve learned with others.  All of this benefits the consumer, other dairy farmers, and of course, the cows!

The Holter Family, photographed on their farm, August 5, 2009.

One of the many beautiful faces we would meet that day.

Ron Holter describing sustainable pasture management.

Camera:  Canon EOS 1DS Mark 2.

The July, 2010 North American Whitetail cover. On newsstands NOW!

It was back in early November of 2009 that for me, at least, the groundwork for this project began to form.  It was about that time that my friend, Garret Armstrong, of Elite Archery, shared with me pictures that he had just taken in the field of Chris Kiernan’s 2009 Illinois archery buck.  I’m pretty certain that my jaw dropped, and I laughed out loud in amazement when I first saw how truly incredible this deer was!  Back in November, though, I had no idea that I would have the opportunity to photograph the mounted buck for the July 2010 “kickoff” issue of North American Whitetail Magazine!

Chris Kiernan, of Illinois, is a member of the Elite Archery Pro Staff, and has several big whitetail bucks to his credit.  On November 1, 2009, he killed what was to become the pending Illinois State Record for a non-typical whitetail taken with bow and arrow. I was able to meet Chris at the ATA show in Columbus, Ohio in mid-January, and it was at this point that we started to discuss the possibility of doing some studio photography to accompany the field images that Garret had done in November.  Chris was in the early stages of writing his article, exclusively for North American Whitetail.  It was also at this time that I was able to meet and have a conversation with Gordon Whittington, Editor in Chief of the magazine, and begin to understand what types of images they would need for the upcoming article.

The Kiernan Buck as photographed on April 4, 2010.

It wouldn’t actually be until early April, though, that Chris and his lovely wife, Maria, would drive the mounted trophy from Illinois to our studios at Myers Creative Imaging in Rochester, NY.  We had made arrangements a couple of weeks prior to the shoot, and I had previously done some lighting tests with one of Garret Armstrong’s bigger whitetail mounts.  When the Kiernan buck arrived that Saturday morning, we were all set to go.  Once we had the mount arranged on a solid post in the studio, I spent some time with Chris and Garret just looking at the deer.  The antler structure and mass were just incredible.  There were so many details in the antlers that required close examination!  Lots of “Ooooh’s,” “Wow’s,” and “Holy cow’s!” as I recall.  I was blown away seeing the deer up close like this.

With Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts cups in hand, we spent time walking around the mount, looking at it from different perspectives, trying to decide which camera position would ultimately tell the best story of this buck.  The perspective we kept coming back to is the one you see in the image used on the cover.  After shooting some more refined tests, and working on the lighting until we were happy, we proceeded to make the cover photo, and then turned the pedestal at different increments to capture the buck from all angles.  The shape of the buck’s antlers change dramatically when viewed from the sides!  One of the side views we photographed, shown below, accompanies the article in its opening spread.

A stunning view of the whitetail buck's left side.

Several hours after the buck came through the front doors of the studio, he was gently packed back up in the truck, and before the Kiernan’s headed back to Illinois, we headed over to Dinosaur Barbecue for a little celebratory lunch of pulled pork, brisket, and loads of other good stuff!  The Spring day was warm enough that we could sit outdoors at the Dinosaur and overlook the mighty Genesee River as it rushed North to Lake Ontario.  It was a very satisfying way to end a really great day.

The story of Chris and his buck is one of a lifelong passion for deer hunting, of strategy, restraint, persistence, and success.  It’s a really nice read!  I would encourage you to hit up your local newsstand for a copy of North American Whitetail to check it out!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 with Leaf Aptus 65S Digital back.

Taylor Chace, for Boston Globe Magazine. This is the image that the editor picked to run in the magazine's "Boston Uncommon" article on March 7, 2010.

As I write this post, Taylor Chace is still in Vancouver, British Columbia.  I would guess that he and his teammates are probably still riding the high of having won Olympic Gold.  To me, that realization is both incredibly wonderful and surreal, and it makes me wish I had been there to see all that had transpired in the four weeks since I photographed him for Boston Globe Magazine.

Heather had taken a message for me one day when the main line rang at Myers Creative Imaging.  The editor had called from Boston Globe Magazine to ask if I was available to photograph Taylor Chace, a defenseman and Alternate Captain for the US Men’s Sled Hockey Team.  Taylor and his teammates were here in Rochester, NY for training prior to their trip to Vancouver for the 2010 Paralympics.  The deadline on this project was super-tight, and once I understood the details, things were set in motion pretty quickly.  We had an extremely short window of opportunity, and once I had talked to Taylor on the phone and learned what the team’s training schedule was like, I realized just how tiny that window really was!

Usually, I would prefer to do this type of photography on location.  The team’s ice, for instance, a locker room, a training facility, a frozen pond.  All these ideas were knocking around in my brain.  When I thought of the time crunch, though, I decided that we could pull off an equally strong image within the confines of our Richmond Street studio, and maximize our time taking pictures rather than traveling to a location and lugging lighting gear.

I’d had a few different ideas about how to execute the photography in the studio, and by the time Taylor had showed up that morning, freelance assistant, Amy Millert and I had our lighting setup ready and all tested out.  We went over wardrobe that Taylor had brought with him.  All official USA Hockey Team gear, warm-ups, game jerseys, helmet, pads, sticks, gloves, the works!  We made a plan to start with just the warm-up uniform and progress forward, giving the Boston Globe editor as many options as we could provide.  In the end, I think the best images came from the early stages of the shoot, as well as the final stages.  I went home that night, and spent a couple hours in Adobe Lightroom, editing the job down to my favorite 25 images.  I separated those from the rest of the image files and processed all of the RAW files into JPEGS, all to be uploaded to an FTP site the following morning.  The editor in Boston downloaded them and got back to me with a selection that afternoon.  Then, I spent a little time retouching and color correcting the image, preparing it to go to press.  Final file, FTP upload, deadline met!

Early in the shoot. Warm-ups. Relaxed expressions. Taylor, I'd like one of those sweaters, please, in XL.

Taylor Chace was a great person to hang out with.  He was so easy-going, happy, funny, patient with all of our questions, and very helpful.  Perhaps what struck me most about him, though was his modesty, and dedication to his teammates.  I had, early in the day, voiced my expectations to Taylor regarding the shoot and had told him that we would probably be done after a couple of hours time.  That seemed like a pretty long time to him!  He really just wanted to get back to be with the rest of the team as soon as he could, and was really trying to downplay this whole photography thing.  This was a super-important time in their training program, and while I assured him that I understood the importance, I distracted Taylor, and had Amy hide his truck keys and lock the studio door.  We had a job to do, too!  We were able to convince him later to sit and have a nice, relaxed lunch with us, though, before he headed out.

After the shoot, we walked out to Taylor’s truck with him, Amy lugging a huge hockey bag full of gear.  Taylor was apologetic for the bag’s “locker room smell.”  Part of the game, I guess.  As I watched Taylor’s truck turn on to Main Street and drive away, I knew he was heading off to take part in some really big things.  It would be a few more weeks, though, until I learned just how big those things would be.

Wanting to learn more about Sled Hockey, or Sledge Hockey, as it is called in most places outside the US, I went to Team USA’s Saturday morning practice on the ice at the ESL Center in Henrietta.  I was blown away by what these athletes did, and how very good they were at it.  I mean, heck, I’m watching Olympic athletes, here!  I walked out of the arena after their practice that morning feeling incredibly inspired.  When I finally got home that night, I hopped on my computer, and went to USA Hockey’s website to learn some more.  I was excited to find that I could either watch live coverage of the Sled Hockey tournament at the 2010 Paralympics, or follow a “Live Game Blog” that gave by-the-minute updates during game play.  I tuned in when I could, which was for most of the tournament, and this is a summary of how things went in Vancouver:

March 13:  USA, 5 – South Korea, 0.

March 14:  USA, 3 – Czech Republic, 0.

March 16:  USA, 6 – Japan, 0.

March 18:  USA, 3 – Norway, 0.

March 20:  USA, 2 – Japan, 0.

Team USA claimed the Gold Medal in Men’s Sled Hockey on March 20, 2010.  In the entire tournament, not a single puck crossed the line into the US net.  The last time team USA had won Gold in this event was in the 2002 Paralympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Taylor, all of us at the studio are so proud of you guys!  Congratulations on attaining such an incredible goal!

Taylor Chace. Photographed February 17, 2010 at Myers Creative Imaging in Rochester, NY.

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark 2.

Lauren Tracy, filmmaker, in the Editor's pick. This is the image that ran in Boston Globe Magazine on November 01, 2009.

Every so often, a job will come along that is so very enjoyable, it makes me feel as though I’m getting away with something!  I mean, nobody should get paid to have such a nice time, even if they’re taking their October Sunday afternoon to do the work!  When I got to photograph Lauren Tracy, a film student at RIT, on October 4, 2009, I realized not too far into the process that this would be one of those especially wonderful scenarios.

When the studio phone rang that Friday afternoon, I had actually been halfway to the front door to leave for the weekend.  The week had been pretty crazy, and I was ready to kick back and relax for a little while.  I set my things down and picked up the phone.  On the other end of the line was an editor from Boston Globe Magazine with an immediate need for an environmental portrait of Lauren Tracy, who was being featured in a section of the magazine titled “Boston Uncommon.”  The article showcases Boston area citizens who have risen to do something of significance for their community, or perhaps even on a grander scale.  After getting the details of the job and some pertinent information about Lauren’s background, I hung up from the editor and gave Lauren a call to introduce myself and set up the shoot.  Lauren immediately struck me as someone who was very intelligent, energetic and well spoken.  She also seemed as though she really loves what she does, and is very dedicated to her craft.  We talked over the necessary details, and decided that we would shoot sometime over the weekend, probably on Sunday.  Now, I just needed to find the perfect location!

Lauren in one of my five favorite outtakes. I really loved the simplicity of the green top, and the way it was complemented by the environment.

On Saturday, I spent some time in the morning researching and reading some more about Lauren, and what she is accomplishing.  Lauren has created, along with her father, a fund raising organization, X-Factor Filmmakers, which provides grants and scholarships to help female filmmakers produce their projects and bring their vision to the big screen.  Helping to increase the number of women enrolling in film schools is a major focus of X-Factor as well.  Funds are raised by donations, partnerships, and through sales of some very cool t-shirts that are available on the X-Factor website.

The name, X-Factor, is symbolic of the fact that females possess two X chromosomes in their genetic make-up, while males only have one.  X-Factor celebrates the idea that this “genetic formula” creates a vision that is special, and unique to female filmmakers.  At the time of this writing, X-Factor Filmmakers had just begun a new Short Film Contest, open to both female and male filmmakers.  Entry is open until April 19, 2010, and the winner will pocket $1000 for the production of their next film!  People interested in submitting work are invited to follow this link for the 2010 X-Factor Filmmakers Short Film Contest.

Now, back to our story.

Later in the day, after spending some time away from the city and in the woods, I headed back North to do some location scouting and finish getting the components in place for the next day’s shoot.  As I was driving back into Rochester, my mind was working feverishly to think of just the right place for the photography to happen.  Suddenly, it came to me.  After a couple of calls from the truck, I was all set to shoot in “The Snug” at The Old Toad, an English pub on Alexander Street in Rochester.  The Snug would provide the environment of an old sitting room with a British flavor to it.  Interestingly, I found out later, that one of the films Lauren had directed had been set in just such an environment.

I think this outtake would be my favorite of the day. The wardrobe was a little more sophisticated, but still warm and natural. I love the way Lauren is engaging the viewer here.

We rolled into The Toad just before 1:00 that Sunday afternoon, unloaded the truck and got to work.  I was working without an assistant that day, so while I set up the camera, laptop and ProFoto gear, Lauren was back and forth down the hall to show me the different wardrobe options we had selected from the collection she had brought.

Once everything was squared away with the lighting and wardrobe, we started taking pictures, and things just really fell into place very nicely.  Though the room was pretty small for photo-shoots, it offered several really nice perspectives that fit my vision perfectly.  It was a little bit of a challenge moving around such a small room once I’d brought in power packs, extension cords, strobes and scrims, but we managed just fine.  Actually, Lauren managed just fine because she mostly sat, smiled and ate Shepherd’s Pie.  She had arrived that day with a large Ace Bandage on her leg from a soccer injury, and I had given her explicit instructions to enjoy the sofas and chairs while I hauled the gear around.

I think both of us would have liked to have had more time to explore this environment! It had some really relaxed and playful potential.

I really would have loved to spend more time with Lauren that day.  We each had some additional ideas that we could envision and would like to have explored.  The reality was, though, that I was flying to California with John the following day, and had to go and get everything ready for that trip.  In the short time we had, though, we did some good things!  Lauren had been a dream to work with, the editor was ecstatic, and felt he had a tough job ahead of him because there were so many of the shots that he loved.  I was thrilled to have that kind of feedback!  Any time I can create a difficult edit because of the number of great images, I feel I’ve done things the right way, and done them thoroughly, too!

Lauren Tracy, October 4, 2009. In The Snug at The Old Toad, Rochester, NY.

Camera:  Canon EOS 1DS Mark 3

The "Holly Day Martini" and a few of her sparkling friends!

In early September, our studio took the call from Wegmans to photograph two drink recipes that were developed to help Menu Magazine readers refresh themselves cheerfully throughout the holiday season!  The images would run in the Menu Magazine Holiday Issue, the article beginning on page 58.  I was to work alongside art director and good friend, Michael Buckley, and was fortunate to have the wonderful Jennifer Morse working with us, too!   Together, we would execute the photography in the Tastings Restaurant dining room and lounge areas.  Bartender Extraordinaire, Janet Rudney, of Tastings Restaurant fame, and currently of Next Door Bar and Grill, had created the yummy recipes and would be making the beautiful drinks for us to photograph on the day of the shoot.  Michael came over to the studio and went over the list of necessary props with Kathy, and things began falling into place.  On the morning of the shoot, Jennifer met me at the studio, we loaded the gear into the truck, and headed out to the Pittsford, NY location.

First off, we decided upon our location for the article’s opening image. The Tastings dining room was chosen in this case for its spacious environment, as well as for the windows and lighting fixtures that would provide some out-of-focus interest in the background.  This shot would feature the “Holly Day Martini,” and sparkling wine.  The martini recipe combines the flavors of fresh strawberries, pomegranate and citrus, with a kicker of vodka (optional) to help boost the holiday cheer level up a notch or two!  We did another shot of the same martini recipe, without the accompaniment of sparkling wine, in the lounge area of the restauant.  This was a much tighter composition, and Michael performed his “votive candle magic” to help bring life to the environment.

Strawberries, pomegranate, and citrus make this martini a festive holiday treat!

My favorite shot of the day, though, is the one we did of the “Cozy Coffee” recipe.  Janet can do some amazing things behind the bar, and this creation of hers had Michael and I anxious to do some sampling!  The coffee smelled so good already, but when Janet topped the mugs off with perfectly roasted mini-marshmallows, the visual appeal of the drinks was increased dramatically!  After a little bit of “marshmallow primping,” and some “foam and bubble artistry,” we had our shots done for the day.  All sampling was done after Five O’clock, in case anyone is wondering!

Cozy Coffee! You simply can't go wrong with marshmallows and vodka!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 with Leaf Aptus 65S digital back.

David Smail, of Hamilton, New Zealand, walks the path to the 17th green.

The 17th green at Bethpage Black.

In mid-June, John and I traveled to Farmingdale, NY to photograph Xerox customers who were attending business meetings and lectures in the conference center of our hotel. The sweet part of the deal was that after their meetings, the customers were invited to view US Open action at the Black Course in Bethpage State Park. One customer group also was treated to a New York Mets game on Friday night at Citi Field.

I had flown to Long Island to start the job on Tuesday with Megan Grumley, an account exec with Roberts Communications, photographing the golf course and players during their practice rounds. We really got lucky with the weather, as these first two days were the nicest days of the week. Wednesday night, the rain came, drenched the golf course, and created a real challenge for the maintenance crews and golfers. The final rounds of the tournament were delayed for a day so that the course could dry out.

James Kamte of South Africa makes his second shot on the 4th.

My next couple of days were spent in the hotel, photographing at the meetings, presentations, and receptions while the rain came down outside. John had arrived Wednesday evening, and joined up with Megan to take pictures of the customers during their time at the Xerox hospitality tent at the golf course. They had to slug through the mud each day, and even got the minivan stuck in a soggy parking lot!

All of the pictures we were taking this week would be organized in such a way that Xerox could later present their customers with personalized hardcover books, filled with images from the events that each individual had attended. The books were to be published on a Xerox IGen 4 printing system.

Robert Allenby knocks it out of the bunker on 17.

Of all the photography I did during the week, the most interesting came from the practice rounds of the tournament. I had played a good deal of golf when I was younger, and really love the game. For me, it was really exciting to be out on the golf course with a camera , choosing spots to photograph from that would provide nice backgrounds, lighting, and composition for shots of the approaching players.

Of all the golfers I photographed during the practice rounds, only Vijay Singh had issues with me and my camera! I think he was a little testy from a few “not so hot” shots, but hey, if you don’t get hollered at once in a while, then you’re not living life on the edge!

Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 2.

Spectators along the 18th fairway.

The new Maine Blueberry Pie from Wegmans!

Another segment of the current Menu magazine I had enjoyed photographing for earlier in the year was an article featuring classic pies from the Bakery Department at Wegmans!

New this year to the Wegmans pie line was a gorgeous Maine Blueberry Pie!  This pie, in addition to a traditional, down-home Apple Pie and incredible Triple Berry Pie, offers shoppers an “easy” way to bring hand baked goodness to a family cookout or gathering!

I know that sounds a little like a sales pitch, but the Triple Berry was out of this world!  Loved it!  Now, if I could just get some on the same plate with some good vanilla ice cream!

The Triple Berry Pie was my personal favortie! Super good!

Camera: Hasselblad H2 and Leaf Aptus 65 digital back.

Mixed Berries and Wegmans Premium Vanilla! Classic goodness!

Not long after having photographed the meals for the Summer 2009 Wegmans Menu Magazine, I was assigned to create images for an article featuring ice cream and sorbet pairings! A cold winter day seems an unlikely time to be working with frozen treats, but often times we are photographing for a given project 6 months or even a year prior to the release of the article, advertisement or product.

Joan Keyser, a food stylist with whom we love to work, showed up with an arsenal of ice cream scoops that would make Ben and Jerry envious! I never would have imagined that such a large variety of scoop sizes existed! One of Joan’s specialties, though, is working with real ice cream, and it wasn’t long before she had narrowed down her scoops to find the right sizes to use for what we were doing.

Red Raspberries and Wegmans Green Apple Sorbet. Stunningly refreshing!

My lighting schematic that day was very similar to what I had used in the burger photography shown in the previous post. Bright, energetic, natural looking light that would be cohesive with the existing images, convey the feeling of Summer, and perhaps suggest an outdoor or sunporch type environment.

Wegmans art director, Michael Buckley, had worked with Kathy in targeting a specific look for the props, tabletops, and dishes. Once all these things were laid out in the studio, the decision process began as to which combinations of things would be appropriate for each dessert. Michael then set out to work his magic creating the look of each set.

Once photography was complete at the end of the day, we set out to sample some product! My favorite flavor was the Wegmans Brand Premium, Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate Brownie. You gotta try this stuff! It’s really great! Hurry out and get some while it’s still summertime!

Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate Brownie! Heaven in a pint!

Camera: Hasselblad H2 and Leaf Aptus 65 digital back.

Salsa Burger with Avocado!

I found myself craving a good burger since I hit the floor this morning. I might have to get a fix later on today! It was this craving that brought to mind the images you see here.

On a steamy August day like today, the farthest thing from my mind is cold, blowing snow. It was a snowy day here in Rochester, though, when John and I were both photographing food in the studio for the Summer 2009 issue of Wegmans Menu Magazine. I had shoveled snow all week long, and this day was no exception. Another several inches had fallen overnight, and had to be cleared so we could get in the front door at the studio. We also needed to clear some sidewalk space for our food stylist, Joan Keyser, to work with the gas grill.

Cheddar Burger with Applewood Smoked Bacon! Wow!

Within the walls of the studio at Myers Creative Imaging, we set out to create some beautiful environments in which to place the food. Bright, airy, and “Summery,” were some descriptives we were tossing around that morning during the planning session, and during the week of photography, we created quite a large body of work that would convey these essences and scrumptious flavors of Summer!

Of all the images I worked on, the ones you see here are my absolute favorites! I’m trying, though, not to let my hamburger craving sway my opinion. The Summer issue of Menu is on store shelves now!

Camera: Hasselblad H2 and CF 132 digital back.

One of my chillier shoots over the winter came in January when photographing for Wegmans Food Markets.  It was around 17 windy degrees and falling when freelance assistant Amy Millert and I left the studio in Rochester and headed to Canandaigua, NY to create this evening image of the barn at Wegmans Organic Research Farm.  We had been waiting for a few weeks to get a little fresh snow and get a clear sky for the photograph.  The right kind of night was finally going to happen!

Once we had chosen our perspective and scrutinized a few test images on the laptop, we hauled some 2000 watt tungsten lights upstairs in the barn to brighten the cupolas and upper windows.  While we waited for the sun to go down, we had a really nice visit with Mary Ann, who had stayed late that evening to keep the place open for us.

I had met Mary Ann back earlier in the Fall when photographing during a two-day project surrounding a Harvest Party at the Organic Farm.  She was a gracious host on this chilly evening, and let Amy and I each take home some of the wonderful honey that Vince, the beekeeper at the farm, had harvested from their hives.  As I type this, I’m also realizing that the honey level is really low in the jar, and I need to replenish my stock.  Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the Wegmans store in Canandaigua this weekend to get some more!

As the sun passed the horizon and the sky began to dim, I finally was able to start taking pictures.  It was really a beautiful, clear evening.  The wind bit through our gloves, though, and fingers began to hurt.  I was loving it!  It wasn’t too long before I wasn’t even able to feel the camera buttons.

After several series of exposures during the changing light, we reached a point when I knew we had captured what I had hoped to.  After loading the last group of images into the laptop and packing all the gear back into the truck, Amy and I made the trip back to Rochester and stopped into  Magnolia’s for some of their amazing chicken and vegetable soup.  This stuff is among my top three favorite Rochester soups.  It’s just that good!  Paired with a couple pints of some really good beer, it was the perfect end to a really super afternoon and evening.

Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 2.