Food Photography

This past Saturday evening I was able to help some friends with their food truck. The Hungry Turtle is owned by my good friends Tony and Mai and they have great Asian food, with a Vietnamese influence. A mix of traditional favorites along with modern takes on the classics. I had never done that much food photography or styling, but I think it worked out pretty good!

A delicious Banh Mi Sandwich

A behind the scenes look at the sandwich prep.

Prepping the Pho Dog, for its moment.

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos

Zoo Trip!

I haven't been to the Smithsonian Zoo in probably 25 years. While visiting some friends in DC we decided to go buy and check it out on a whim. I'm so glad we did!

It's pretty cool that we have such a great collection of animals in such a short distance from our home in Richmond. While there are a ton of people, mostly kids running rampant, the zoo is big enough that you never have to wait very long to catch a glimpse of the exhibits.

The highlight for us was definitely the big cats, and believe me they are big!

Bao Bao doing what he does best.

Taking a sip.

This Lemur was fired up.

Someone's cranky.

Getting ready for an afternoon nap.

This is not the scene you want to see if there isn't a gigantic wall between the two of you.

Everyone enjoys a dip on a hot day.

Storming The James

The last few weeks I've been hunting for a pretty sunset with nice clouds. We've had a few, but I've been unable to get out and take some snaps! Well last night I didn't get the pretty sunset but there were plenty of clouds!  

The second violent storm of the week rolled through and I was able to get a few shots before all hell broke loose. I actually drove around for about 20 minutes trying to figure out the best vantage point. Finally I decided on Belle Isle, but before I made it to the island I noticed that the pedestrian bridge provided a great point of view. On one side a clear view of the skyline, and on the other side, a straight down view of the river; in between the island and Hollywood Cemetery. 

While the views are sweet, there are a couple of drawbacks. You have to contend with the bridge supports, the shadow that the bridge casts, and not to mention a constant stream of people going to and from the island. You probably know that Belle Isle has a reputation as a party spot. If you are unsure just watch the people leaving around 9 p.m.  

Here's one of the better shots that I posted on Instagram.  

As the storm clouds started forming I was able to get some great cloud pics. 

You can be certain the something is brewing.  

This is one of the Dominion properties below Hollywood Cemetery. You can tell from the clouds that it's about to get crazy! 

Once I felt like I had enough I hit the road with just enough time to head up to Oregon Hill.

I'm toying with the idea of starting a new project that profiles some of my favorite restaurants in the city. Im into this because there's a lot of places in RVA that are special for me, but I also want to try out the new night settings in VSCO 07! 

As many of you might know, one of the most iconic restaurants in town is in Oregon Hill. So the first entry in the series is: Mamma Zu's" 

One of the best restaurants in the entire city. You'd never know from the exterior, which adds to the appeal.  

Manchester Wall

On Saturday evening the clouds were looking big and fluffy, just the way that I like them, so I decided to head to a familiar spot down in Manchester. For those that don't know where the Manchester Wall is don't worry, it's very easy to get to. It's basically right next to the Manchester Bridge, which is also where you can find a scenic overlook as well as one entrance to the floodwall walk.

This evening I decided to take the trail, by the wall, down to the river to capture skyline views along with the wonderful clouds. Well, by the time I made it there the clouds were gone, and quickly being replaced with grey storm cells. That's okay right? Yes. I was able to get some good black and grey clouds along with a few shots of the sun peaking through them.

Even though I brought an umbrella, by the time the rain came it didn't do any good. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in Richmond that got drenched, but when you've been knee deep in The James River and covered in sweat it doesn't really matter.

Pumphouse Park

Tonight I thought I would finally check out Pumphouse Park. It's odd that I've never been there considering it's so close to my house. Just a quick trip across the Nickel Bridge, park on the street, and in about 5 minutes you are on the water.  

I stayed for almost two hours, exploring the area while waiting for the sun to set. I also enjoyed the company of another group of people that were cooling off with their dogs.

Overall, I'd say it was a successful trip and very relaxing. I'll probably return soon to try and capture a train going by at either sunrise or sunset.  

Everyone loves the river.  

Under the bridge.  

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