San Francisco-based food and beverage photographer Judy Doherty was commissioned to photograph menu items for The Olive Grove — a Mediterranean restaurant located at the CIA at Copia in Napa, California. In the heart of the Oxbow District of Napa, The CIA at Copia invites you to “Feed Your Joy,” while supporting future chefs as you dine. The restaurant needed a vast library of images for digital marketing and their website. As a two-time graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Judy saw this as a perfect opportunity to show appreciation for the school that made her who she is: an award-winning photographer, chef, and food stylist.
I was working with the Olive Grove restaurant team and the Media and Marketing team at the CIA Campus in Hyde Park, New York. We planned everything virtually. The first meeting outlined the challenge — to serve Mediterranean food authentically with the CIA brand, for a top culinary experience.
As a chef herself, Judy knew it would be beneficial to reference the Michelin Guide when creating a mood board. She drew inspiration from top restaurant dishes in the Mediterranean, specifically Barcelona, the culinary capital of the world. Since Middle Eastern/Mediterranean menus are typically set up for ordering a feast of smaller dishes to share at a table, Judy set out to capture imagery that would accurately depict a Tapas menu, with a balance of a vegetable, protein, and starch.
The goal was to create an art direction that would best fit the project. Like any other assignment, it was important to consider brand elements as well as the styles and expectations of the teams – from media and marketing teams in New York to the president of the school, and of course, the chefs.
The chefs in Napa are known for an ala minute style, as The CIA Copia campus is mainly an event venue. The chefs in New York have more of a European approach, styling dishes carefully with the use of tweezers. Judy had to find common ground.
She also knew that all restaurants like to use their own dishes in photo shoots, so diners know what to expect when ordering from an establishment.
They want the food to look exactly like they do it. They never want it styled – no matter the culture or cuisine; they want it authentic.
Having Judy’s knowledge of the trends in top restaurant dishes impressed the team, as it helped create an art direction that was appropriate for the project. As they narrowed down color, look, and feel, discussions focused on warm wood backgrounds, types of light, and dishes. The media team then formed a shot list based on the ones they felt worked best.
On the day of the photo shoot, Judy set up a production station with a shooting table and a prop area. Her goal was to capture different dining experiences, from brunch to dinner, using a variety of surfaces and props. The chef, marketing manager, general manager, and social media team were all on-site.
Judy also had a tethering station connected with Caption One; the photos were exported to DropBox so the media team in Hyde Park could watch and respond in real-time. It was their idea to see hands interacting with the food in certain shots. They also suggested the use of stop-motion.
We would collaborate and build, then wait for feedback to fine-tune.
The restaurant was closed to the public for the duration of the photo shoot, which gave Judy free rein. This also allowed for one chef to step away from the kitchen to offer his hand in a few images. Judy stood on a ladder to capture the image from above, which wouldn’t have been feasible with a full house.
Since the assignment took place at the height of COVID-19, Judy wasn’t able to bring an assistant. Instead, she enlisted the help of students and interns who were already on campus, with the offer of free wine.
Judy set up a big station to photograph the food as it came out of the kitchen, using her Nikon camera. As they waited for more dishes to be prepped, the interns took her “run and gun” Sony to photograph the food in various spots of the restaurant.
I also used a portable studio that fits into one pelican so I have a way to light the food in the restaurant that always works.
She tried different camera angles, focal lengths, and more, to get an idea of what the teams would prefer.
To have a conversation on what we don’t want is just as important as what we do want.
As the dishes came out of the kitchen, Judy made sure they were picture-ready. She checked each plate for any chips or marks, such as extra dabs of food. Some details would be harder to fix with retouching in post-production.
The chefs are used to pumping out 300 dishes on a Friday night, so priorities are much different than from a photoshoot. Everyone moves rapidly at restaurant whereas a food stylist needs to take their time.
Judy was very familiar with the teams she was working with, as she had worked on assignments for them numerous times, including photographing classes at the CIA at Copia.
Not long after photographing The Olive Grove menu, Judy worked The Napa Valley Film Festival, which was also held at the CIA at Copia. They featured a one-hour premiere of the Netflix Iron Chef movie, a discussion panel, and a dinner which was prepared by the same kitchen staff. It took place at the William and Sonoma Museum, with Judy as the house photographer and videographer — solo.
My perspective as a chef and understanding of how the CIA works were really instrumental to being able to come in as one person and shoot that whole production.
Judy’s culinary expertise always comes in handy during these photoshoots, making it an overall exciting experience. Her expertise as a photographer, a chef, and a stylist has won her awards such as APA Top 100, ACF Gold Medal, and more. Judy is also a CPG photographer who specializes in stop-motion and video.
Napa Valley Film Festival 2022 from Judy Doherty on Vimeo.
I don’t mind having to hustle, because I’ve had to hustle in the kitchen.
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