Nikas Culinaria

I am so excited to say that the details for the International Conference on Food Styling and Photography, June 1 - 4, 2007 at Boston University, have been finalized and are available at the Boston University Culinary Arts Program site.

This should be an absolutely fantastic opportunity to network with food photographers and food stylists of all sorts.

There are several special sessions, including:

The Science behind the Style—What’s Going on in the World of Chefs and the Photo Kitchen

Presenters: Harold McGee and Shirley Corriher

Harold McGee and Shirley Corriher, two highly regarded food chemistry experts, will explore new trends in the ways food is being transformed in restaurant kitchens—which eventually trickles down to home cooks and photographs of food in magazines, cookbooks, and new food product advertising. How can current trends translate to what stylists and photographers are doing in the studio when shooting food? And what food chemistry principles and techniques could help make stylists’ jobs easier?

Master Class - Chocolate: History, Politics, and Practical Techniques for Photography

Presenter: Melanie Dubberley

So you’ve landed that big chocolate shoot! Now what? Melanie Dubberley, food stylist known for her chocolate work, will share the fundamentals of successfully handling this challenging ingredient. Learn where chocolate comes from and explore the origins of the new organics trend and its significance for working with chocolate products. Discover the ins and outs of chocolate tempering—and when it isn’t necessary. Delve into an in-depth demonstration of essential chocolate styling techniques from bars to sauces. Take home helpful tips for photographers, stylists, and art directors—and the right questions to ask when hired to shoot this most indulgent food. Limited enrollment - requires registration.

Master Class - More Than One Way to Roast a Chicken or Make a Burger

Presenter: Dan Macey

You’ve heard all the so-called tricks. Many have become the lore of food styling and perpetuated by Internet blogs—motor oil on turkeys, Vaseline on steaks, and hair spray on pot roasts! Here you will see the real results of days of tests experimenting with the best ways to style meat and poultry for the camera. Dan will demonstrate the results of his testing on poultry, pork, and beef using browning agents, hydrating methods and styling techniques. Multiple ways to achieve the “grilled” look will also be tackled as well as techniques for handling raw meat shots and creating meat sandwiches. The class will show that there are multiple ways to achieve great results depending on the available resources and desired results of the shoot. Limited enrollment - requires registration.

Master Class- Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Presenters: Judy Peck Prindle and Jim Scherer

For so many of us, the thought of shooting ice cream sends chills, then real worry about the logistics. Watch studio pros Judy Peck Prindle and Jim Scherer as they demonstrate the tight collaboration necessary to work with frozen desserts, from the loose editorial “scoop ‘n shoot” to the ultra-controlled advertising or packaging shot. Better understand pre-production planning, prep in the studio kitchen, and working under the camera with a photographer—reducing the stress of shooting real ice cream.

The roster of presenters includes quite a few very impressive photographers, stylists, and editors, such as:

Michael Athanasiou (Athens, Greece)
Ilise Benun (HobokenNew Jersey)
Jay Bruns (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Linda Brushfield (Melbourne, Australia)
Teri Campbell (Cincinnati, Ohio)
John F. Carafol (NY/Boston, Massachusetts)
Shirley Corriher (Atlanta, Georgia)
Susan Linnet Cox (San Diego, California)
Ruth Cousineau (New York, New York)
Delores Custer (New York, New York)
Melanie Dubberley (Rahway, New Jersey)
Rick Ellis (New York, New York)
Beth Galton (New York, New York)
Michelle Glander (Golden, Colorado)
Darra Goldstein (Williamstown, Massachusetts)
Paul Grimes (New York, New York)
Katherine Hennessy (Marlboro, Massachusetts)
Julie Hettiger (Houston, Texas)
Deborah Jones (San Francisco, California)
Cindy Lund (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Dan Macey (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Neil Martin (Boston, Massachusetts)
Eugene Mopsik (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Harold McGee (Santa Clara, California)
Carol Peterson (Glendale, California)
Judy Peck Prindle (Los Angeles, California)
Betsy Robinson (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Maggie Ruggiero (New York, New York)
Jim Scherer (Boston, Massachusetts)
James Scherzi (Syracuse, New York)
Lisa Golden Schroeder (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Debbie Wahl (Baltimore, Maryland)
Caroline Westmore (Melbourne, Australia)
Ignacio Urquiza (Mexico City, Mexico)
Romulo A. Yanes (New York, New York)
Francine Zaslow (Boston, Massachusetts)

So now I am wondering how to be best prepared for this conference. Should I bring my moo cards? New spiffier cards? Portfolio DVDs? I dont want to be pushy but I am also wondering how best to leverage this opportunity to network.

All ideas are appreciated!

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