Food has always been a part of my life ever since I can remember. From an early age I grew up with my mother having a whisk in one hand and a pan in the other. Her cooking and baking was my first taste into the wonders of food. The tastes, aromas and textures have always made me crave more knowledge about cuisine – where it comes from, how it is prepared, and the good, the bad and the ugly about it.
No matter how many hours I spent cooking up a storm in the kitchen and experimenting with recipes it didn’t compare to the experience that would change my life, my passion, my photography.
In early 2015, one of my favorite restaurants held a recipe competition. The prize was a trip to Ireland to study food and cooking with Chef Kevin Dundon at his bed and breakfast, Dunbrody House in County Wexford. I have always loved Irish culture - the music, the food, the BEER – and even though my ancestry is Dutch, I'm sure I have a little Irish in me. I entered the competition with a Deviled Scotch Egg appetizer, a Bangers and Smash stew entree and a Caramelized Pear Tart with a Whiskey Creme Sauce for dessert.
I won.
Our first night in Dublin we visited the Guinness factory. To say it was intense would be an understatement. From the attention to detail to the precision of pouring a glass of the famous brew, it inspired me to bring that same level of intensity to my photography. At Guinness it is about telling a story, to entice the taste buds of the customer, to make them crave not only what is in front of them but the feeling of how it feels while consuming it. It’s the feeling of wanting something, right there and now.
(And yes, the Guinness does taste better in Ireland!)
After waking up too early from a night touring, Iet’s not forget about the jet lag, I found myself in front of a lovely Irish breakfast. Scones, sausages, eggs, bacon and tea. If I could have that breakfast every day for the rest of my life, I would die a happy man!
It was our first day in the Dunbrody Cookery School kitchen. We were each assigned a dish, and then were instructed by Chef Kevin on how we would prepare our course. It was awe-inspiring to watch him work and with such passion, technicality and care. We spent the next few days perfecting on our dishes, in taste and presentation, learning about food, touring his vendors, mastering techniques in the kitchen, and realizing that food and cooking are passions that come from the heart not from a cookbook or recipe card. If you bring love to a dish, people will love it in return.
My tour of the Emerald Isle was a journey that would change my life. Being a photographer, my camera was by my side the entire time I was in Ireland and when I got home to the United States it was full of images of food.
I was in love.
I knew what my next photography pursuit was going to be. My passion for food and beverage – eating, drinking and photography – was what I wanted to create as a life-long career. I thank Ireland, Raglan Road, Chef Kevin Dundon, and the Irish for igniting this part of my life and inspiring me every single day.
I look forward to bringing all the detail, inspiration and authentic love of food to the images I will create for my clients in the years to come.
