A Worldly Food Adventure
Episode 31: I took notes so you didn’t have to….Today we are talking with Chris from the Nomadic Foodist Podcast!
Check out Chris’s Podcast, he has some incredible topics and it’s a great listen! Follow him on Instagram here and you can check out our episode on his podcast here!
Alright let’s dive into this!
Chris said it best, “The adventure for yourself begins when you make the decision for yourself to go on the adventure!” Life doesn’t just happen, you really do need to make it happen and embrace the experiences in your life!
Chris’s Travel Tips…
If you’re looking an inexpensive trip, look around you and find a local town or city near by you that you might have not explored fully. If a domestic flight is in your budget a place like Las Vegas can be actually more budget friendly than some think. Chris loves the Linq Hotel. And if you are looking to do some gambling Chris recommends to play with cash only and keep cashing out those paper tickets verse putting the same ticket back into the slot machines. You can possibly trick the algorithm in the slot machines a little bit and possible walk away with a little bit of a profit or at least just make that $20 last a little longer.
We both love traveling for our tummies! I have been to know to pick the places I HAVE to eat at and then that’s how the destination happens, thanks to people like Anthony Bourdain, Phil Rosenthal and Samin Nosrat. So when looking to eat off the beaten path, check out popular food bloggers, travel bloggers who live in the cities you want to travel in and try to avoid the SUPER touristy popular places. Also ask yourself, “What’s this city/town known for? And where can I get the most authentic version of this?”. Take a little extra time and filter through the spots because nothing is more upsetting than eating something that wasn’t good.
Don’t forget your noise cancelling headphones and things to entertain you on long flights. Chris loves his Nintendo Switch and playing Mario Kart with his wife on the plane. Oh and don’t forget your international plug!
Chris has put a list together of places in the cities he mentioned and where to eat!
Barcelona:
Tickets Bar- https://elbarri.com/en/restaurant/tickets/
L’ Amfora (Paella Place)- https://www.restaurantamfora.com/en/reservation/
Hanoi:
Secret Pho - Pho Hong Trong: https://goo.gl/maps/nBeEuu2FhdwE3AUPA
Bun Cha- Bun Cha Qua Dong: https://goo.gl/maps/hUvBojBW9K9Tk1Lr7
Singapore:
Maxwell Hawker Center: https://goo.gl/maps/53qMx7cu1Pxodu7y6
Denver:
Sassafras: http://www.sassafrasamericaneatery.com/
Guard and Grace: http://www.guardandgrace.com/
Rino District: https://goo.gl/maps/66BR4AH8CSA67udT7
Osaka:
Curry: Yakumido: http://yakumido.com/
Kura Sushi: https://www.kurasushi.co.jp/?utm_source=&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=gmb_access&utm_content=gmb_
Echigen: https://goo.gl/maps/Rx9811CTgfNXDV3b9
Now go forth and cook/eat some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
Life with Crohn’s
Episode 30: I took notes so you didn’t have to….Today we are talking with Erik Rokeach about his journey with Crohn’s.
Erik is an incredible entrepreneur, author, business coach and podcast host! Check everything out here! Erik has been living with Crohn’s for many years and is here to share his experience and what worked for him.
Alright let’s dive into this!
First and foremost, we are not medical professionals and please contact your PCP or medical professional before making any changes in your life or diet. We are only sharing our experiences and what works for us. Everyone is different. But if you’re not feeling good make your health a priority in your life. You are worth it!
Let’s start with Stress Management…
We live in a world that is filled with stress and stress triggers that affect us daily. It’s really something that can eat away at us and there are ways we can manage it. This isn’t a one size fits all type thing but I am happy to list what I do to help reduce my stress and maybe it might help you. One thing that I do recommend is picking one or two things, give it a try for about 3 weeks, every day and see how it fits and works into your life.
Exercising daily, about 30 - 60 mins of any type of exercise daily and then maybe bumping it up a few days a week with a harder more calorie burning type workout.
Meditation, I love meditating. I meditate two or three times a day. Any where from 5 - 10 mins up to an hour. It feels so good and allows me some down time because I am always a “go go go” type gal. There are many types of meditation and see what feels good for you and your practice. Try the Calm App, Headspace or Insight Timer
Do something that makes you happy for a half hour. Like go garden, paint, go for a walk with your pup in the woods, take a bath/shower, go for a walk near water (beach, lake, river), cook something yummy…whatever floats your boat! But do it, even for a short amount of time. It’ll help!
Laugh, try to laugh. Watch something funny, have a conversation that friend who can always make you laugh, allow yourself to be silly.
BREATHE, Take 10 breaths. Focus on feelings of anxiety and stress while inhaling and releasing and letting go while exhaling for 6 seconds.
Erik’s tips and what works for him…
Erik had some beautiful suggestions for what worked for him with his Crohn’s but I also feel like this could be applied to many things in life, not just a debilitating autoimmune disease.
Keep a diary of whatever it is that you are trying to mindful about. Maybe it’s a food journal because you are on a discovery journey with your diet and what works for your body. Maybe it’s a manifestation journal and you trying to manifest more in your life but writing things down really help. But physically writing them down. There is something that happens in your brain when you put pen to paper and it just resonates a little more.
Reframing situations. Reframing is HUGE and it’s something I do DAILY with everything that happens in my life. It does mean I have to slow down a little and be more self aware. A simple reframe can make a MASSIVE difference in how I feel. You are identifying your negative emotion (I like to sit with it for a minute to fully feel and acknowledge what I am feeling so I don’t by pass the emotion) and then I like to ask “What else could come of this?” or “What else is here for me?”. If nothing comes up, that’s fine. If it does then I start reframing the situation. I take ownership of my feelings, allow them and then find the “silver lining” to it and try to reframe it in my head.
Here’s a good example…Erik mentioned an experience at a restaurant. He could have looked at this situation as being hard to go out to eat and looking at ‘what I can’t eat’ but instead he viewed going out to eat as a way to savory the moment of being out with friends and family. Being out in the world and enjoying the conversations and the moments he was having with the people verse what he couldn’t eat. To me that is such a more enjoyable way to live in that moment.
Find a specialist that can help you. Maybe it’s a nutritionist, a therapist, a spiritual advisor, trainer, whomever it is. The investment is so worth it.
When traveling, if you have Crohn’s or something else. Sometimes a little planning with meals goes along way. If you can do a little extra research about where you could eat and what they have at the restaurants that you can have. And if you are at a restaurant and run into the issue that they might have accidentally given you a dish that you can’t eat or something in the dish that you can’t eat just let them know you have a medical condition or allergy and they will always remake the dish for you.
Surround yourself with people who understand your needs and who love you. Sometimes you need to be pushed outside of your comfort zone a little with anything you find challenging. When you know you are in a good place, that’s a great time to dip your toe into something new. Try even something small because you never know if it will work for you unless you try.
Now go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
Food Photography with Joanie Simon
Episode 29: I took notes so you didn’t have to….Today we are talking all about Food Photography with Joanie Simon from The Bite Shot!
Joanie Simon is such an inspiration to all of us in the industry! Her website, The Bite Shot has all of her contact information and her courses! She has a brand new course, Profitable Pricing, coming out all about proposals and pricing! It launches today, July 16th! And of course there is her INCREDIBLE Youtube Channel, The Bite Shot which is chalked up of some of the great food photography content out there. She’s a great educator and someone I could listen to chat for hours! And make sure you pick up her latest book, Picture Perfect Food. It’s a great resource and something I have read through many times and was a great refresher!
Alright let’s dive into this!
When it comes to getting in front of new clients Joanie has some great advice!
When doing personal work make sure you tag all of the companies in the photo and also follow up with a direct message. A tag isn’t enough, you need to follow up with more. Maybe it’s on LinkedIn, Instagram or on the company website but keep follow up and follow through and be intentional.
What are your unique offerings? We know you do more than just picking up a camera so drill down a little more on what your special offerings are! “Here’s what I do and here’s what I can offer”.
Super small companies, like those you may find at your local farmers market are great for pro bono work and building your portfolio.
Finding local companies to you might be a great way to get your foot in the door and then go for larger companies a little further down the road.
Tips for shooting…
Lighting, lighting and more lighting! Start with lighting. Mastering lighting will change your life! Joanie has many videos on it and you check them all out here or if you are ready try taking her course on lighting. It’s wonderful!
When shooting white on white on white, think textures! Lighting and layers are key. What kind of textures can you incorporate into it and don’t be afraid of the shadows.
What’s in Joanie’s Kit and Her Styling Tips?
Before we get into it, it’s important to ask yourself…What is the purpose of this image? What is the place where this image is happening? Also what media is this being image being used on? Is it editorial? Is it suppose to look like it’s at home?
Evian Facial Mist, Joanie LOVES the perfect spray that this does to help bring food back to life on set while shooting.
Sous Vide Machine is great for getting that perfect look with a steak
Joanie loves this flatware from Crate and Barrel
These little bowls from Target
Do you love Joanie’s favorite speckled plates? You can get there right here!
When it comes to Proposals and Pricing
She has a brand new course, Profitable Pricing, coming out all about proposals and pricing! It launches today, July 16th! When it comes to proposals with clients in our industry, one size doesn’t usually fit all. First and foremost have in depth conversations with your clients. Get a good feel for them. Some larger agencies are going to want to see everything line itemed out and those smaller businesses would most likely would like to see more of a package price.
Also when it comes to negotiations in the proposal process, before you send the proposal, figure out what your bottom line is and when there is some back and forth with a client think about what you can realistically give up. Maybe it’s not as much time invested in the shoot, maybe it’s the shot list and paring it down.
Lastly don’t take it personally when the contract doesn’t go forward. It might have nothing to do you with your work or talent. It’s as simple as this just isn’t the right fit for you and the client and there’s a better client out there for you. And as the wise, Andrew Scrivani says, “You don’t want to win every proposal as it means there’s something wrong with your pricing”
Being on a shoot…
Are you on the struggle bus with a shoot? Feeling like you can’t get “the shot”, well…Get up and move around. Maybe you need to tear down the set and rebuild it! And realize that it happens to EVERYONE on EVERY SHOOT at one point or another. It’s TOTALLY NORMAL! Just breathe and reboot!
If you are on the road with a photo shoot Joanie loves to bring bounce cards (white and black), roll up backdrops and surfaces (they are so much more portable), her styling kit, light modifiers and diffusers.
When it comes to buying for a shoot try your best to set a budget and stick with it. Sometimes more is more when it comes to making sure you have everything you need for the shoot in terms of props, food, etc…but that’s money out of your pocket. We get it, you do need that extra bunch of flowers for the shoot but try to stick the budget. Your bank account will thank you. If you do find yourself in a place where you have TONS of extra food that is unopened, try to see if you can donate it to a local food bank or even your friends and family!
Don’t forget to head over to Wine Access to grab your wine and get $20 off your first purchase of $50 or more!
Now go forth and cook some amazing food!!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth