The "couch" picture at the Driskill. This is still my favorite picture that Eric has ever taken!

Dan and I getting married at Memory Lane Event Center. Eric really caught the beauty in all of the live oaks that surround the ceremony site.

The big joke that day was that Eric kept trying to get people to make me cry so that he could get it on film! Dan did a good job of doing that anyways as he had someone deliver this card to me in the bridal suite...

Here is a great picture of the Couch Game at our wedding!

The day of our wedding was INCREDIBLY windy, so we went to Laguna Gloria to have some portraits taken a couple of months later.

After we opened Royal Fig, Eric was nothing but supportive.  He has always been around to shoot our food and even took some great shots of our office opening in January.

Royal Fig Catering Westlake Office Grand Opening

Seared Duck Breast with Braised Greens and Pomegranate Sauce

Seared Scallops with Pine Nut Puree and Microgreens

We are thrilled to have Eric as a part of our Royal Fig family!  Be sure to visit his blog and check out his brilliant work.  If you’re in the area, stop by and say hi and see his work all over our office walls too!

Cilantro Masa Cakes with Black Bean Salsa, Photo by Rojo Pictures

Several months ago, Cortney Zieky, the “Z” of BZ Events, called me to ask if their team could hold their monthly staff meeting at our office.  So they called in an etiquette coach to do a seminar for their staff as we cooked up some tasty treats!  On the menu was:

Grilled Flank Steak with Shiner Onions
Tabasco Poached Shrimp Shooters
Cilantro Masa Cakes with Black Bean Salsa
Yucatan Pulled Pork on Arepas
and a selection of Artisan Cheeses from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop

Here are two blog posts about this fun evening that feature photography by Rojo Pictures:

BZ Events Blog CLM Etiquette Blog

Thanks BZ!  We’d love to have you back!

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Unfortunately, not everyone's experience in the bouncy house ended well...

even our 4 legged friends had a blast!

Photo by Scott Stanfield

The benefit of an action station is, well, the action!  At a recent corporate event, coordinated by our friends at Red Velvet Events, Royal Fig created a guacamole bar.  The attendants cut, mashed, and custom-mixed guacamole servings for each guest.  Mix-ins included things like fresh cilantro, roasted garlic cloves, and diced tomatoes.   I snuck over to the guac bar half-way through the night to see how the station was going.  In the name of research, I grabbed a plate full of tortilla chips and tried a bit of the custom guacamole (which by the way was served in perfectly portioned little bowls).  I don’t have to tell you it tasted awesome.  But what you may not know is it was also fun and interactive!  It’s almost like having a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen, and then getting to custom create your idea of the perfect guacamole.

Photo by Scott Stanfield

Photo by Scott Stanfield

But chip and dip stations are only one option, and may not be right for your event if you’re envisioning something a little more chic.  In that case, how about a cheese and fruit display?  Royal Fig has started working with Antonelli’s Cheese Shop to create displays tailored to the host’s or guests’ unique palate.  Recently, Chef Dan and Sous Chef Jason crafted a magnificent display that consumed 3 tiers on an entire 60” round table.

At this event there were six choices of both hard and soft cheeses; various fruits and berries and nuts; bread and crackers; jellies and honey.   No two plates were the same, and every guest walked away with exactly what they wanted.  In fact, the party descended on the cheese table with such zeal that it was replenished within 10 minutes!

Some other fun things we’ve done recently are custom designed stations, specific to the event.  At a recent wedding, we created a late-night snack station with sliders served on a skillet and troughs of Mexican bottled Coke.   On many occasions we’ve also done carving stations, which are a big hit with most crowds.  The meat is seared and cooked to perfection, and brought out to a table to be carved and served directly onto the plate.  This preserves the freshness and juiciness of the meat, and again creates an action station.  Guests are involved with the process rather than just absentmindedly milling about with a plate and fork.
But maybe even these unique options are too humdrum for you.  Sure, you like chips and salsa, you enjoy cheese and crackers, but you need a little something more to convey your message.  In that case, you may want to do something like our lovely couple, Kelly & Sean, did on their special day.  A pig roast!  That’s right, stations of endless pork.  Dan got to go hog-wild, if you’ll pardon the pun, in preparing these pigs.  From a charcuterie plate including Smoked Kielbasa and Country Pate to Boudin Blanc and Pig Ear Salad.  But the real action was at the pig carving station.  The crowd went crazy over this display.  I walked my way through the party on this night in order to hear the conversations surrounding the food.  I heard lots of chuckling, lots of “Oh, wow” and more than a few “Mmm, this is delicious!”

Photo by Ben Godkin

Photo by Ben Godkin

So, the action station.  It’s something fun and different to consider for your event.  And it may event leave then with a lasting impression!

Appetizer
Truffle Popcorn

Dinner
Whole Pig Roast
Pig Ear Salad
Homemade Charcuterie (Pork Tenderloin Terrine, Pate, Smoked Kielbasa, and Head Cheese were the favorites!)
Seared Pork Belly with a Banyuls Vinegar Gastrique
Braised Kale with Tails and Trotters
Dr. Pepper Glazed Ham
Homemade Brats and Boudin Blanc
Green Chili Mac and Cheese
Pineapple Jicama Slaw
Summer Succotash
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tamale with Ancho Paint (for the vegetarians)
Texas Toast

In addition to the unique menu, the couple had a rockin 80′s band, Radio Star, numerous specialty cocktails made by our bartenders such as Bacon Margaritas, and the two guests dressed as the characters from Dumb and Dumber.  We just loved working with this couple and hope our paths cross again soon!  Also, a big kudos to Cortney and her team from BZ Events for their work on the coordination!

Check out the pictures on Ben Godkin’s blog!

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.