Photo by Studio 563

Something is Blooming at Vista West Ranch!

We couldn’t wait for Spring to come to us, so we’re bringing it to you!

You’re invited to Vista West Ranch for a lovely afternoon. Whether you’ve chosen your venue or still need to find the perfect place, we would love for you to join us for our Open House on Sunday, February 28, 2010 from 2pm to 5pm. This is a great opportunity to meet talented vendors in a casual environment.

Participating Vendors:
Royal Fig Catering
Vista West Ranch
Petal Pushers
Marquee Rental
Amelia Tarbet Photography
BZ events
Lucie’s Events
Studio 563
Billy Garza and the 40 Guns
Simon Lee Bakery
FILO Lighting Design
Titsworth Creative
Austin Hospitality
All About Honeymoons
Delysia Chocolatier
The Cake Plate
Austin Catering

Photo by Rojo Pictures

This is a great place if you have guests coming in from out of town because you can rent the entire property for the weekend which includes the guest house complete with private bedrooms, bathrooms, and the pool house.

The pool house, photo by Rojo Pictures

The pool and hot tub, photo by Rojo Pictures

Inside the pool house, photo by Rojo Pictures

Inside the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

The loft in the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

One of the bedrooms in the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of some possible wedding ceremony sites on the La Paloma property.  Keep in mind that these were taken in February, so once spring brings some good weather, the plants will be in bloom, the grass will be green, and the water features will be bubbling!

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Do you need a great place to hold a reception?  They have a HUGE pavilion that can accommodate over 200 guests.  They really paid attention to the details and made sure there were electrical outlets everywhere, roll down sides, and classy chandeliers.  Included with the space are FREE mahogany CHIVARI chairs, 60″ round tables, 8ft and 6ft tables, floor length white linens, and much more.   The are also adding a great catering kitchen and brand new restrooms that will be done this spring.

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Do you need some ideas for engagement shots or bridal portraits?  They have places for that too!

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Photo by Rojo Pictures

La Paloma is planning on being up and running by the beginning of April.  If you’d like more information about this venue, visit their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Paloma-Events-Center/260576081338?ref=ts. The website will be completed in the next 2 weeks.  This is one of our favorite venues and we hope you’ll like it too!

We all love to have a great meal, right?  But have you ever really thought about the process of dining?  It’s an experience – one that starts before you even enter the dining room.  Your nose wakes up to the smells coming from the kitchen.  As you look around the room, you see the nice tableware, maybe some candles burning, shiny silverware, polished crystal, and placed in front of you is a clean white plate, all ready for food.

Out comes the first course, a single serving, a perfectly proportioned appetizer.  It’s just a tiny little bite, but as you look you can see that there are a bunch of tiny layers all stacked together.  Different textures, complementary colors, and everything combined just right looking fresh and clean.  It’s right from the kitchen and you can even hear a little sizzle coming from somewhere on the plate.

Lets stop for a second, and think about what just happened.  Of your five senses, you have just used more than half – smell, hearing, and sight – and you haven’t even tasted anything yet.

And, Just before it left the kitchen I was ready with my camera, and intercepted the plate as it left the chef’s hand, and began it’s journey to you.  I had to work fast, because if I took too long, the crisp layers would look soggy, it would cool down, and not be nearly as appetizing.

The way I like to photograph food is not the standard way magazines do it.  Most of the pics of food in the magazines are over done – stylized to a point beyond food – no longer edible.  I work fast, and keep it simple, letting the food take center stage, the way it should be.

While the chef was preparing the meal, I spent a few minutes looking around for some good light. Of course most professional kitchens are kind of dark, so I’m looking for a spot just a bit brighter than everywhere else.  It goes without saying that I love the soft natural glow that comes from an outside window, but have use light reflected off of a white wall, or even a flash bounced off a stainless steel refrigerator.

Just after the chef put the final touches on the dish, I detour the waitstaff with the plate, to my pre-determined “location”, and take a quick look for the best angle.  As I’m looking at the plate, I’m looking for a little bit of everything – all the different elements of the food and whatever other decoration that might be there.  That’s the side I’ll point my camera at.

Although I have one, You don’t really need a fancy camera – once you find the light, and the angle, the rest is just pushing a button.  I like to get physically close to the food, instead of zooming in.  It makes a small but noticeable difference in the final camera settings.  You can see some more examples on my wedding photography site, too.

As for the camera I use a professional Nikon body, and my favorite 50mm lens the f1.8 (about $100). I’ve got more expensive lenses, and they do take better pictures, but for most work this is good enough.  Technically, I expose for the shadows, and make sure that my shutter speed is fast enough so there is no camera blur.  I also shoot “wide open”, making sure that the f-stop is set at 1.8.

You can see examples of this very technique here, and here, on this very website.

Now that you are hungry give Royal Fig a call, and treat yourself to a little something special.

http://westlakepicayune.com/2010/02/05/royal-fig-opens-in-west-lake-hills/

http://impactnews.com/lake-travis-westlake/439-impacts/6864-lake-travis-westlake-impacts-february-2010

Photo by Eric Hegwer, Austin Wedding Photographer

Photo by Eric Hegwer, Austin Wedding Photographer

MEMORY LANE OPEN HOUSE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010
5:30-7:30pm
403 KC Memory Lane
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Photo by AHJ Photography, Rentals by Premiere Party Central

Jenni was a great DIY bride!  She really put a personal touch on her wedding by creating much of the decor herself.  Here are some examples of her hard work and creativity.

Photo by AJH Photography

Photo by AJH Photography

Photo by AJH Photography

Another reason this wedding was so fun was because of all of children who were invited.  Jenni and Brant have the most adorable son, Calvin, so we had to make sure to keep everyone happy!

Photo by AHJ Photography

For the adults we did a selection of appetizers, including a Domestic Cheese Display, Braised Short Ribs with Smoked Cheddar Polenta, Seared Duck Breast with Apple Rosemary Chutney,  Butternut Squash Gallettes, and Apple Walnut Salad.  We then set a kids table with chicken fingers and a variety of dips.

Photo by AJH Photography

Photo by AJH Photography

The wedding took place at the Steiner Ranch Lake Club – a great venue with a fantastic view, however, as with many venues we work at, NO KITCHEN!  So we popped up our tent and brought in our equipment and created one in the middle of the adjoining playground!  The kids enjoyed watching Chef Dan hard at work!

Photo by AJH Photography

We had a great time that night!  Congratulations to Jenni and Brant!

Photo by AJH Photography