The Man, the Myth & the Comb

Here's a favorite tale I wrote after a shoot with Clint Eastwood a couple of years ago...

About the shoot: A couple of years ago I received a call from now defunct, Private Air Magazine. Ever hear of it? Probably not since you were not likely to be in their subscriber demographic - white, male, 40-65, annual household income of millions, oh, and you flew your own jet. They asked if I was available to do a shoot in Carmel, CA with Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood for their next cover.

Of course, I told them I'd have to check my calendar. So after shuffling some papers to simulate that act of checking said calendar whilst performing a frenetic, happy dance quietly around my desk, I replied,
"Uh, yeah I have some free time to photograph Clint." (Duh!)

So fast forward through the emails negotiating cost and logistics... The shoot was scheduled to take place in the middle of a golf course Eastwood owned. And I had 20 minutes to get the shot they needed. No pressure, right?

With a car filled with camera gear, I headed down to Carmel. I remember nothing of the drive down except that I was sketching pictures of what the shot could look like. Then, as if I wasn’t worried enough, Clint’s publicist calls to warn me...

“Clint might show up looking like he just woke from a nap. Wrinkled clothes, sheet lines across his face, messy hair… but you make him look nice.” Click.

I become completely unhinged. We’re going to be in the middle of a golf course. What the heck am I supposed to do to make a disheveled Clint Eastwood look nice for a magazine cover photo?!

I did the only sensible thing I could think of – I bought a black plastic hair comb.


And without further adeiu, the tale...

The Man, the Myth & the Comb

It’s far from mythical, yet too voluminous a story for this piece of parchment. Suffice it to say that a simple warning from a publicist, “He may show up looking like he just got up from a nap,” incited a search of biblical proportion for a tool that would save us all.
And save it did… sort of.

Combing the hair of a Legend takes great audacity and cunning. You don’t, after all, want to make said Legend feel badly, that they cannot be trusted to drag a simple instrument of hair positioning across their cranium before leaving the house – especially before a national magazine photo shoot for which they are the cover item. You just don’t want to do that.
Instead, you summon the gods of wind to gust their mightiest so you’ll have a good reason to approach with comb in hand and ask permission to rearrange the Legend’s bristly coiffure. You also resist the urge to moisten one’s thumb by licking or other such method with the intent to then smooth it across those hairs or entire sections of the scalp which are not swayed by the comb’s influence. Instead you pass the buck to your assistant to play stylist and hope for the best.

When all else fails, you simply take the photo anyway, and chalk it up to experience that in the future you’re smart enough to carry some Aqua Net hairspray too.

Next time, Legend… Next time.


The shoot resulted in these published photos:




And a couple of outtakes:






The experience also resulted in the following frame hanging in my office that includes a photo of Clint Eastwood, my little tale and the actual comb that was dragged across his head. It's a great reminder to always be prepared for whatever combs your way. ;-)

New Client Work: Swirl. Sniff. Taste. Spit. Repeat.

I'm proud and pleased to share some photos I made for Cornerstone Communications, a New York-based PR and marketing firm. They recently hosted a seminar and tasting of several wine producers from the Alto Adige wine region.

About the Client: Cornerstone offers a full range of public relations, marketing, and special events services primarily for the wine, food and spirits industries. The event held at the San Francisco Four Seasons sought to provide an introduction (or refresher to those already in the know) to the Alto Adige wine region in Italy. A panel of 5 speakers (3 of whom were named Wolfgang) walked tasters through a flight of 8 wines from the various areas within Alto Adige. Did you know that although it's located in northern Italy bordering Germany, more German is spoken than Italian? Fascinating!!!

About the Shoot: Swirl. Sniff. Taste. Spit. Repeat.

Here are a few of my faves from the shoot...

New client work: Continuum Estate

I'm proud and excited to announce photos I made for Continuum Estate, Napa Valley, CA.

About the Family: Continuum Estate is the luxury cult wine brand by Tim Mondavi and family. It's through Continuum that the Mondavi family legacy in winemaking lives on in Napa and beyond.

Did I mention it's a family affair? In deed it is. Tim and sister Marcia stand at the helm along with Tim's children Carissa, Carlo, Chiara and Dante, and all seem to channel the insight, dedication and passion for winemaking as the legendary Robert Mondavi.

Apparently, there is no shortage of passion or talent in the Mondavi fam. Chiara Mondavi, who works among the vines atop the Continuum vineyards on Pritchard Hill, is the artist responsible for the vine artwork on the label. Her impressive large-format shadow painting (12' x 6') of a cabernet franc vine was made for Continuum, and if you think the label glows on the bottle, you should stand in front of the original. Wow! Check out more of Chiara's artwork.

This week Continuum Estate launched their new website at http://www.continuumestate.com/. It's a slick and beautious site designed and developed by the folks at Fine Design Group in San Francisco. Not all the photos on the site were taken by me. I'm responsible for the bottle shots and many of the outdoor portraits and Chiara's photo.

About the Shoot: Where to start??? Let's see... a lot of wind, shivers and tears went into the on-location portraits made of the family.

We set out to shoot the day after Thanksgiving, high on Pritchard Hill in Napa Valley, but dark, rain-filled clouds jeopardized the mood and forced us to postpone until the following day. That morning, a light breeze swept across the valley... actually that's an understatement! The wind was HOWLING from the moment I woke. The wind would prove to be a nuissance the entire day toppling equipment, messing hair, tearing eyes and giving everyone a wind-blown red hue. Not to mention the hay covering the yet to be planted vineyard whipped around threatening eyes and getting into everything. I'm still finding some in my equipment cases!

We managed to shoot between the 40mph gusts and use the massive boulders on the property as a backgrounds (and shelter!). I'm thankful for Carissa's imense help in scouting our shoot locations a few days prior so we weren't running around day of looking for primo locales. Thanks again, Carissa!

I have to say that throughout the day, the entire Mondavi clan was among the most sincere I've had the pleasure of working with. Truely kind and utterly helpful folks; heck, they even helped carry some equipment! I'm very greatful.

Wanna sip on some Continuum wine? Join their mailing list to hear when the next vintage is released.

Enjoy a few of my faves below and see more from this shoot at http://www.winecountrypictures.com/.

Best,
Jason

New client work: Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine

Next time you're at the newsstand, pick up the November issue of Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine. They're a new client!

Not only did I shoot the cover and insert photos of Judd Finekestein of Judd's Hill Winery, I also had the pleasure of meeting and working with Tina Caputo, editor-in-chief of the mag. It's so refreshing to meet and work with such down to earth, cool wine industry folks. We had a bunch to chat about while things were set up. She has pups and a connection to a mid-west barbershop that I'd love to visit someday.

The shoot was an interesting one... We arrived in the late in the afternoon to photograph Judd and his band, the Maikai Gents, as they put on a mid-summer's evening concert in the vineyard for the Samantha Brown, host of Travel Channel's "Samantha Brown's Great Weekends". The crowd sipped on Judd's Napa Valley wine as the band strummed some Hawaiian tunes. While the film crew took in the sights and the sound, so did I. Except I forgot camera flash and video aren't a good combo. A friendly tap on my shoulder by the producer was a good reminder. Sorry guys :)

Anywho, check out Tina's article on VWM's website: http://vwm-online.com/

Thanks again, Tina!

Client Work: Laura Chenel’s Chevre – Delicious Cheese, Cheese Making

Client Work: Laura Chenel’s Chevre – Delicious Cheese, Cheese Making and Portraits Take Two

About the client: Hand-crafted in Sonoma County since 1979, Laura Chenel’s Chevre is America’s leading brand of artisanal goat cheese. It can be found on the menus of fine restaurants and purchased in grocery stores across the globe.

About the shoot: Back in October of 2008 I was fortunate to work with the great folks at Laura Chenel to create a series of food photos featuring recipes using their products. Once again, chef extraordinaire, Jacquelyn and VP, Marie, worked wonders styling our dishes and sets; their expertise, creativity and patience were invaluable.

This time around, we not only made images of the products, but of the cheese making process as well. It was a blast! I have to admit, I had a great time putting on white scrubs and a hairnet before entering the inner-sanctum of the cheese factory. And don’t even get me started about the sight and smell of all the cheesy goodness being prepared before my eyes. I felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, except I was in a wonderful land of milky-whiteness.

Enjoy the photos!

The Cheesemaking Process: Making Laura Chenel Tome

First, goat milk is pasturized and heated in a vat, where special enzimes are added during agitation. After about an hour, water is added to cool the curd.

The cheese curds and this screen is used to slice the curd and loosen it from the bottom and sides of the tank.



When the curd is ready, the tank water is drained, and the artisans begin to make the forms. Cheese curd is scooped into a bucket and placed into cheesecloth. Workers form the curd into a ball and squeeze out all the excess moisture.

Squeezing the cheese makes these rounds which become wheels after they are compressed more and aged for 6 months

Six month old dry-aged Tome. Got any crackers?

Enjoy!

Client work: Auction Napa Valley 2009 Vintner Portraits

Happy New Year!
Phew…What an end to the year that was…

Hiya. Long time no speak, eh? My bad (obviously). But have I got a recap for you…

Thankfully, the last two months of the year were quite busy with exciting client projects, new stock photography and some fun personal photos too! No, I won’t inundate you in one long blog. Instead, I’ll string it out over the coming weeks, and without babbling too much I’ll give you the updates in chronological order.

As always, I’d love to hear any feedback you have regarding the photos or anything else.

Enjoy,

Jason

Client Work: Auction Napa Valley 2009, Napa Valley Vintners, Winemakers and Wine Industry Notables

About the client: Auction Napa Valley is the Legendary American Charity Wine Auction held on the first weekend each June. Since its inception in 1981, the auction has contributed over $80 million to Napa County charities and organizations that support health, children and family services and educational programs. Many underserved members of the Napa County community are able to receive vital services thanks to the generosity of the members of the Napa Valley Vintners for donating wine and lavish gifts, the attendees of the auction who fork over a bunch of cash bidding on these auction lots, and the tireless effort of nearly 1000 volunteers.

About the Shoot: Each year, a renowned artist is tapped to design the Auction Napa Valley lot catalog, invitation, and other collateral for marketing and promoting the Auction throughout the year. For the past few years, Michael Vanderbyl of Vanderbyl Design Studio in San Francisco has been charged with creating the concepts for Auction Napa Valley. This year’s Auction Napa Valley focus or theme is the people behind the legendary Napa Valley wines.

Enter the photos… Our goal was to create portraits expressing the personalities and camaraderie that makes the Napa Valley special. Set against the simplicity of a white background, the introduction of viewer to vintner and vintner to viewer takes place. Following are a few of my favorites…

Margrit Mondavi photographing me

Wanna see more? View the additional galleries:

http://www.tinacciphoto.com/images/anv2009catalog/index.htm

http://www.tinacciphoto.com/images/anv2009catalog/dec/index.htm

http://www.tinacciphoto.com/images/anv2009catalog/dec2/index.htm

Client work: Laura Chenel's Chevre

Hi y'all!

Recently, I had the great fortune of working with the fine folks at Laura Chenel’s Chevre to produce photos of their revamped product line. While the products themselves are still the same fabulous goat cheese masterpieces, the packaging and marketing are brand-spanking new. Have a look and certainly have a taste next time you’re in the grocery store.

About the client: Laura Chenel's Chevre
Laura Chenel's Chevre was founded in 1979 by you guessed it – Laura Chenel. Chenel became the first American producer of goat cheese, and was put on the culinary map, to some respect, by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA when she listed the brand of goat cheese on her menu. The brand took off and production grew to over two million pounds of cheese per year.

Great lactating goats, Batman - that’s a lot of cheese!

Indeed, Robin. Laura Chenel’s Chevre became THE American goat cheese. It’s sold pretty much everywhere – from larger supermarkets to Whole Foods, Trader Joes and other artisanal food shops.

Fast forward to 2006, Laura sells the production and brand to Rians Group, a French corporation that purchases small artisnal food companies with the promise of unchanging the products or philosophies. While Laura isn't involved in the business anymore, her 500 goats are and still making fantastic chevre!

So the goats don't actually do anything but eat, sleep and shh-uffle around the farm. Oh yeah, and give their milk. It's a pretty good arrangement, I think.

Read more about Laura Chenel's Chevre in the NY Times.

About the shoot: Unintentionally, we decided to shoot on what may have been one of the hottest days of the year. While things outside were cooking, chef extraordinaire, Jacquelyn Buchanan, whose real title is Director of Culinary Development at Laura Chenel’s Chevre, and chef Nick were cooking up a storm inside.

I arrived to the smell of eggplant grilling on a cast iron skillet. With the patience of a Franciscan scribe, Nick tended to the delicate slices, and after seeing the ones that came off the grill, I swore that he was painting on those perfect grill marks. (A later attempt at the same recipe in my own kitchen did not yeild the same results…)

Back to the kitchen and task at hand. Our goal for the day was to shoot three types of pictures: the straight product packaging shots, “ambiance” shots featuring multiple products arranged real purdy like, and recipes featuring the products.

With a large task at hand, we set to work. Jacquelyn and Nick, with their years of professional chefing moved about the kitchen with an efficiency of motion likened to ballet dancers. They cooked and styled dishes while I photographed.

It’s quite something how food is basically another art form, another medium. And as with any creation, the piece takes on a life of its own, showing its true persona only after being massaged, heated, cooled, retooled, poked, prodded, brushed, turned, twisted, and lit.

Add more light here; Less light there. More garnish. No, less garnish. More cheese. Always more cheese! That’s actually my motto – when in doubt, add more cheese. :) We worked in tandem to create photos that portrayed their products in a mouthwatering, creative and beautiful way.

For me, the recipe shots were the most challenging and rewarding to create. It takes very little to make food look unappetizing in photos, yet a great deal of lighting and finesse to make a dish look like something you’d actually want to put in your mouth.

Most of the photos were made shooting into the light, which is against the general rule of thumb that the light (sun) should be behind you when photographing. Though there were several light sources being used at once, having the main light source behind your dish provides a soft, indirect light that wraps around the food. Additional light sources like other strobes and bounce cards are used to add light to specific parts of the plate, to say, add a nice highlight on a drop of oil or the edge of a plate. Next time you’re flipping through Gourmet magazine (particularly page 54 in the October 2008 issue) keep in mind that every spec of light in the food photos is deliberately placed there. Cool, huh?

So after a long day of shooting the dishes below, there was the question of what to do with all the leftovers… heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, and cheese up the wazoo. Lucky me ended up with an amazing doggie bag. Later that evening, I dove into it as if I were a kid with a stuffed trick-or-treat bag from a Halloween bumper crop. Soooo good.

I love my job!

Enjoy the photos…

Client work: Gourmet Magazine, October 2008 / Tosca Café

Client work: Gourmet Magazine, October 2008 / Tosca Café, San Francisco, CA.

I’m extremely excited to post my first publication in Conde Nast’s Gourmet magazine. Pick up the October issue and check out the Drinks section to see it live and smell the ink.

About the client – Duh, it’s Gourmet. The magazine of good living.

With a readership of over one million, it’s the de-facto publication for food, wine, and well… good living.

About the shoot – I was driving down Highway 101 making my way to Tosca Café, the historic prohibition-era bar located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. It was a Tuesday evening, and I had yet to actually receive permission to photograph at the bar. Details. Details. A call to the bar 30 minutes prior resulted in Ernie, the barman, telling me to call back in an hour to speak to Jeanette, the owner. Not knowing if I’d be allowed, I decided to make the hour drive anyway to get there early enough to beat any potential bar-scene crowd. I figured the worst that could happen was they say no and I sit and have a drink.

As soon as an hour was up, I called back. A raspy voice on the other end of the line announced herself as Jeanette. Just hearing the voice made me feel as though this was going to be a tough sell. She was not the least bit phased by the fact that I’d be shooting for Gourmet. I, on the other hand, was near giddy to actually be saying that I was shooting for Gourmet. I got to work.

Using a fine blend of New York attitude laced with Southern gentility, and with promises of being a fly-on-the-wall, she finally agreed to let me shoot.

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…"
Jeanette has owned Tosca for the last 28 years. All preconceptions of the woman on the phone were immediately squashed once I met her in person; she was completely sweet. It was like meeting the Wizard of Oz or like a Tootsie Roll pop – hard crunchy exterior, soft and sweet on the inside. I found her sitting in the office reading and enjoying a smoke and a cocktail, legs propped on a red vinyl chair. We chatted for a few before she let me run loose in the bar.

When one steps into Tosca, you’re instantly transported to another era. Yes, I know that sounds utterly cliché, but it’s true. Only the current-day fashions worn by patrons would provide any clue that it wasn’t 1940. Even Ernie’s white tux jacket is a 6 decade throwback.

The bar is massive and beautiful - deep mahogany with edges worn from resting elbows during bartender confessions and private chats with martinis. Glasses line the bar awaiting the next confidant, celebrity regular, or thirsty tourist.

Evenings bring the place to life; it’s simultaneously a hovel or Hollywood movie set. The jukebox is to thank as it casts a golden glow across the checkered floor and either backlighting customers sitting on the red vinyl stools making them sullen or glamorous if the light falls across their faces.

The jukebox is a dominant feature in here. You won’t find any titles newer than Puccini’s Tosca or Sinatra’s Capitol years recordings from the 50’s and 60’s playing. In my opinion, it’s the soul of the bar, a catalyst for emotion, and depending on the tune, can bring out the conductor, crooner or Gene Kelly/ Ginger Rogers in many whom over indulge in the sauce.

I witnessed all three in one night.

Being a fly-on-the-wall in Tosca was pretty easy. Everyone seemed invested in something other than what was going on around them, like their drinks, Ernie, their mistress (flies can hear a lot- careful!), the juke… I didn’t mind though, because for my mission at hand, it was perfect. There was no waiting for subjects to avert their gaze from the camera this night...

Thanks, Gourmet, for the opportunity. And thank, Jeanette, for letting me be a fly-on-the-wall.

Enjoy the photos!

View the outtakes at: http://tinacciphoto.com/clients/gourmet/index.htm

Or check out some of my faves (click for larger view):