Morgan Kennedy, photographed February 26, 2011.

This post has been a long time in the works.  Not the mere writing of it, really, but the getting-in-place of the “necessaries” that all combine to make the post even possible.

For quite a few years, I’ve had several clients (from my previous place of employment) come up to me and ask, “Grant, when are you going to start your own business?  We love what you do.  When are you going to get out there and just do your own thing?”  Well, I’m very proud and excited to announce that time has finally arrived.  It’s here.  I’m doing it.  Now.  I’ve spent the past several months preparing, getting geared up, and learning a great deal.  I went “official” back during the weeks leading up to Christmas, already have some good projects under my belt, and a few others looming on the horizon.  It’s rolling.  Grant Taylor Photography has finally arrived.

Kristen Cammeyer, photographed May 26, 2011.

It’s been a very unusual, crazy year with all of the huge changes that have gone on, the shifts in thinking and routine, the obstacles, the unknown.  I’m feeling really good about it all, though, and am happy to say that this has likely been one of my favorite years ever.  I’ve had some wonderful creative collaborations with very good friends, have met some truly remarkable people, gained some new clients, and I’ve put together several bodies of personal work that contain some of the strongest photography I’ve ever created.  To me, that’s extremely energizing.  Really cool stuff.  The neat thing, too, is that this is only the beginning.  Things are just getting warmed up.

Jinelle Shengulette, photographed March 13, 2011.

One of the most (symbolically) important steps in my process of the past few months has been the development and production of my new business card.   The printing of the cards seemed to really legitimize what I had set out to accomplish.  It affirmed my intentions.  It made this whole thing mine.  I’ve been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by good friends who are talented beyond description, and am thankful to have had their help and involvement along the way.  Tim Winter is one of the people on that list.  Tim is the brilliant mind behind my business card design, and the rest of my identity kit as well.  It was a really neat process to go through with him, to see how he transformed and updated my existing name treatment, applied his own creative sensibility and what he knew of me, then projected it to the card, letterhead, envelopes, labels, website, all that stuff.

Matt Smythe, photographed April 16, 2011

The business card was the first of the stationery pieces to be produced.  Through the course of meeting with Tim and Kathy Prozeller, of XPEDX, we finally arrived on the right paper to use, and Tim’s idea for the use of silver ink not only would look cool, but also speaks to the use of silver in traditional photographic processes.  More importantly, the combination of the two, married with the character of the letterpress method of printing, would really help to convey the look, feel and soul of Grant Taylor Photography.

Rebecca Garlock, photographed September 2, 2011.

We enlisted the expertise of Dock 2 Letterpress in the printing of the business cards, and their partner-company, Weekend Printer for the letterhead, envelopes and labels.  I had met with Tony Zanni at Dock 2 for a couple preliminary tests, Tim finalized the artwork, and Tony placed the order for the plate.  On the day  we went to press with the cards, I was able to join up with letterpress guru, Dave Eckler at Dock 2, and photograph the entire, wonderful process as Dave printed my cards on a 1953 Heidelberg “windmill” press.  From the initial mixing of the ink, through to the finished piece, I was blown away by the beauty of the process and the “stuff” involved.  Gorgeous.  It was fitting that these earthy, traditional-feeling cards be printed on an antique press, using old methods.  My face hurt from smiling that afternoon.  It all just felt perfectly right.

The polymer plate for my cards, and a few other necessary tools. Dock 2 Letterpress, December 9, 2011.

Dave was really incredible to work with, patiently answering all my curious questions, and explaining the hows-and-whys of each step in the printing process.  After running some initial tests, he discovered that the openings in the small type would fill with ink, if the volume of ink on the plate was too great.  After a few rounds of adjustments, he had it all dialed in very sweetly.  Dave had also decided to reduce the amount of pressure that the polymer plate was being hit with.  In the end, two gentle hits of silver ink, with a 24-hour drying period in-between each, followed by a harder, blind-deboss on the third day would get the cards where they needed to be.  Gorgeous and legible, with that wonderful look and feel that only the letterpress process can provide.

Dave, mixing the silver ink with an amber-colored compound that gave the ink more backbone.

I need to take a moment and express my great thanks to the handful of people who have been directly involved with the developing of my identity, branding and marketing pieces, for without their passion, talent and commitment, it would have been a real struggle:  Rachel Spence, Tim Winter, Matt Smythe, Tony Zanni and Dave Eckler.  I also need to give a shout-out to my very good friends, Dean Milliman, T.C. Pellett, Katelin Ryan, Mieke Smythe, Sherry Jackson, Kristen Valent, Stephanie Miles and Lisa Jane Roman, for the support, smiles and insight they’ve provided along the way.  Thank you all so very much!  It’s wonderful having you in my corner.

Dave, inspecting the legibility of the small type.

A sample of the cards with one hit of silver ink.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark 2

Fried Calamari with hot peppers and olives!

As I type this post, I’m sitting next to a good fire, while just a few feet away from me, outside the window, sits a foot of fresh-fallen, windblown snow.  Today was one of the wintriest days we’ve had this season!  I was so glad to get out of the city and into the woods where I’m house-sitting for some good friends this weekend.  Their crazy cats, Stella and Buddha, are sleeping near the wood stove, and I’ve got some great chicken soup warming on the oven behind me.  It’s a great start to my little “work-retreat!”  I’ve got some new blog posts to write, a photo-shoot planned for tomorrow, prints to frame, and plenty of firewood to haul in and stack.

This cozy environment of mine has helped me to choose which post to write first!  Cold outside requires delicious, hot and hearty foods!

The new Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich!

Not long ago, I was asked to create some new food photography for The Pub at Wegmans.  You see, the Wegmans stores that are located in Collegeville and Malvern, Pennsylvania have within them, beautiful Pubs where great food, interesting beers and wines can be enjoyed in an inviting environment!

Last summer, the crew from Myers Creative Imaging, (John and myself with Amy Millert and Will Strawser assisting,) had spent time at each of the locations photographing people and food for The Pub’s web site.  We were impressed with the menu, the quality of the food, the staff, and the feel of the space.  What a great place to meet friends for a bite or some drinks!  (The Tuscan Fries are really, really good!)

Fried Haddock Dinner looked really, really good!

This latest photography would be used to illustrate new offerings on The Pub’s menu.  Rather than making the drive to Pennsylvania this time to do the photography, it was decided that we would make the shots happen in the studio at Myers Creative Imaging.  It was important, though, to create an environment in the studio that mimicked that of The Pub.  After some talking and planning, our prop stylist, Kathy found a nice sized piece of black granite countertop that was very similar to the bar top at each of the restaurants, and would be one of the two surfaces we would use during the shoot.  The other surface was a dark, wood table that mimicked the tables in the restaurant’s dining area.  We also needed to think of some environmental light sources that could be reflected in the granite surface to further enhance the look and feel of the actual restaurant.

The Iceberg Wedge Cobb Salad.

Once all the components were in place, Wegmans Chef John Steinhoff came to the studio to prepare and plate the meals in our kitchen.  Art Director, Michael Buckley, from the Wegmans Advertising department was there to style the set, and give creative direction.  We worked at a really nice, energetic pace, and completed five shots quite nicely.  The images you see here are from that afternoon at the studio, and are among my favorite food images that I’ve created in quite some time!

Asian Shrimp Salad!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 with CF 132 digital back.

Roasted Acorn Squash, finished with Wegmans Pumpkin Seed Oil. Great flavors for Autumn!

Back in late April of this year, I was asked to photograph five different vegetable pairings for the Fall 2010 issue of Wegmans Menu Magazine.  The magazine hit store shelves not long ago, and will be available from now until the holiday season. The vegetable serving ideas we illustrated were designed by Wegmans chefs to be easy to prepare, as well as healthy and yummy!  Each pairing recipe features fresh seasonal or packaged produce, paired with a Finishing Butter, or a drizzle of an oil from the deliciously extensive Wegmans line.

When Wegmans art director, Michael Buckley, arrived at Myers Creative Imaging that morning, I was already talking over a hot coffee with food stylist, Joan Keyser, and photography assistant, K. Nicole Murtagh.  Hugs were exchanged among everyone, and once Michael had settled in with his hazelnut latté (one pump, nonfat, please,) we started making a plan for the day.  We pulled produce out of the studio refrigerators to see what we had to work with, and began to decide which serving dishes from our prop shelves would be appropriate for each pairing.  Our prop and wardrobe stylist, Kathy, had also brought in a broad collection of plates, serving platters, and table lines in Fall colors.  We began to pair some of these up with the white plates we had selected for each vegetable dish.

Steamed Asparagus with Béarnaise Finishing Butter.

Once we had figured out the props we’d use for the first shot, Joanie scooted off to the kitchen to get to work on the veggies!  While the pairings themselves were relatively easy to prepare, a great deal of care is taken during a photo-shoot in the arrangement of the food on the plate, and with sauces drizzled just-so!  Typically, the food is plated up in the kitchen at the studio, carried over and placed in the set, and then the final tweaks are made with attention to every detail.  Sometimes, it comes down to the addition of a few grains of pepper or herbs in a strategic spot.  Tiny things can make a very nice difference!

The Vegetable Medley, with the Garlic Cheese Finishing Butter.

Three of the vegetable pairings would feature one of the several Finishing Butters that Wegmans produces.  Two of these would use produce from the “Cleaned and Cut” line.  Neatly packaged, fresh, and ready to eat or cook, these pairings came together in a short amount of time and were scrumptious.  These recipes, especially, are designed to acommodate the busy schedules that we all seem to have nowadays!  Cleaned and Cut Broccoli, Cauliflower and Vegetable Medley were combined, cooked, and then topped with the Garlic Cheese Finishing Butter.  Cleaned and Cut Asparagus went with the Béarnaise Finishing Butter, and the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes were accompanied by the Lemon Dill Butter.

The article, titled “Take Your Veggies to Another Level,” begins on page 58 of the Menu Magazine Fall Issue, on store shelves now!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon Dill Finishing Butter. Cozy!

The remaining two pairings were my favorites, and were approached a little differently from the rest.  Rather than being graced with one of the prepared butters, the Beet Greens received a very simple and delicious drizzle of Organic Olive Oil, and some sea salt.  The Winter Squash was brushed with Basting Oil, roasted, and then finished with a drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Oil.  Talk about Autumn flavors!  As I recall, I took home all of the remaining squash.  It was really, really good!

Blanched Beet Greens with Organic Olive Oil and sea salt. Simple and delicious!

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

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.

Mixed Olives and Parmigiano Reggiano Salami Bites.

One of the rewarding parts of being a professional photographer are the “testing days!” When the schedule allows, John and I will try to expand our horizons a little, and make a plan to try out some new lighting ideas we have, or do some preliminary tests for an upcoming client project. In some cases, it’s a necessary part of our problem solving process. Sometimes, though, it can be just plain fun! Testing gives us a chance to learn new ways of working, explore new photographic styles, and flesh-out concepts we have in our minds.

In this particular case, I was able to take a couple of days to create some new food images! Photographing food is one of my favorite things to do, and I was excited for the opportunity! After a little time spent making sketches, thinking of food types, textures and colors, I headed off to the Pittsford Wegmans with my shopping list. I was planning a hearty steak meal, a chicken soup shot, one with olives, another of grilled beef and vegetable skewers, and a fifth with sockeye salmon. I really enjoy having an excuse to roll the gas grill outside to cook, so I had planned three of the meals with that in mind.

Grilled Sockeye Salmon, Mixed Greens and Roasted Potatoes.

I was in the process of developing a studio flash lighting setup that would mimic natural daylight coming through windows. Now, much of our food photography had accomplished this before, but there were some subtle differences that I was trying to tweak. The primary difference in this setup was that the main light source would originate from the rear of the set rather than from the side. I was also deciding to make the light source more indirect, and to diffuse it differently from our previous working method. In some ways, it’s actually a simpler setup to use, and contains fewer components.

The images here are my favorites from the session.

Camera: Hasselblad H2 and Lead Aptus 65 digital back.

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.

I would also like to thank my good friends and co-workers at Myers Creative Imaging for their continued love and support. John, Linda, Heather, Kathy and Eric – You guys rock!

The eve of a New Year is traditionally a time for establishing resolutions and setting goals for future achievement. One of my biggest goals for 2009, which this website will help to attain, is to gain new clients who have a need for great photography of people, food and products.

Another, more focused goal, is to create great images for new clients whose companies manufacture outdoor clothing and equipment, especially that which is related to hunting.

Having the opportunity to set such goals is something that I’m very thankful for, and I’m looking forward to all the possibilities that are ahead.

My intent is to use this blog to help viewers see a little further inside the workings of my photography, and to try and keep the whole website package fresh and interesting! Thanks for checking it out!