​​Dutch Masters Inspired Me to Shoot Oysters

I collaborated with food stylist, Susan Gebhard, on a photoshoot to shoot oysters inspired by classic Dutch paintings. We wanted to create deep and dramatic colors that looked like we took them straight from a canvas painting. This was the first time I’ve worked with Susan, and it was an absolute pleasure. She’s extremely talented and creative, and her eye for detail is astounding.

I’m a big fan of Dutch masters, especially Johannes Vermeer.

He’s one of my favorite painters because his work is so rich and vibrant, but also so intimate and personal. So when my friend Susan Gebhard (a food stylist) asked me to collaborate and create beautiful still lifes, I jumped at the chance.

The first thing we did was research Dutch artists and their techniques.

Our goal was to make our shots to look as realistic as possible, so we had to figure out how they achieved such realistic effects in their paintings. They employed deep reds, blues, and purples as accents in their paintings, so we did too.

We decided to use oysters as our main subject matter because they’re beautiful, have a long history of being used in art (particularly Dutch art), and are also delicious! Shucking them is amusing and difficult—the shell is hard to crack apart, but once you do… wow! It’s a sea of goodness!

As a food photographer in Austin, TX, I know that when you’re trying to get the perfect shot of your food, it can be hard to tell if the lighting is right or the angle is perfect. And when you’re busy trying to get all of that right, how do you make sure that you’re getting the shot on time?

You’ve probably heard people say that they can taste the love in your food. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s true. The way you take care of your customers, from the moment they walk through your door and until they leave, matters. It shows up on their faces and in their words and actions—and more importantly, it shows up in their stories about what it was like to eat at your restaurant or bar.

I promise you this: if you work with me as a food photographer for your restaurant or bar in Austin, TX, I will make sure every photo we take together tells a story about how much love went into creating each dish of yours. Contact me today for a quote.