I’ve been waiting until everything was up online to post about this one – and I think it’s finally all there and ready for viewing!

I’m so excited about this issue, it was probably one of the more fun assignments I’ve done since starting with the magazine…and also one of the busiest.  I spent a week going to some of Seattle’s most delicious breakfast spots and shooting their standout dishes.  A few are Seattle classics, like Volunteer Park Cafe, and others are new spots, like the just recently opened Cafe Cesura in Bellevue (they have amazing breakfast sandwiches! worth the trip across 520).  At each place, everyone I met and worked with was excited to shoot and really friendly and genuine…I think it’s the breakfast spirit, it’s hard not to be happy when the smell of bacon is in the air :).  Getting to try out most of this food was a nice bonus too – it made for one tasty and very filling week!  Click on the photos below to see the different articles online. (and check out the issue in stores to see my cover photo in person!)

I also got to spend a day at Melrose Market shooting photos for the Dining Out section.  I love this market.  There are so many great places to eat, little retailers, and lots of pretty architectural details to ooh and aahh over.  The highlight of the day was getting to shoot at Lil’ Woody’s, my favorite burger place in Seattle!!  If you haven’t been there yet, you should go.  Enjoy!!

A few months back I had the wonderful experience of shooting at this cozy little Italian restaurant in Tacoma, right next to the PLU campus.  I spent the day at the restaurant shooting all sorts of delicious dishes off their new menu, and the evening photographing the restaurant itself and its many many happy patrons. The shoot was part of a website overhaul that they were working on and everything is finally up and live! Check out my photos nice and big as the backgrounds on each page, courtesy of fellow SCCC grads, designers Andrew and Barry at Camp Doug.

Marzano Italian Restaurant – or click the image below…

Lots of new work out in this month’s Seattle Met magazine!  I got to go to some great places for this issue, including the newest Red Mill location, and shot for a few new features in the Dining Out section of the magazine. (Click on any of the photos below to see the full articles)

Starting out I went down to SeaTac to an unexpected find by the airport, Copperleaf, a local/sustainable-minded restaurant at the Cedarbrook Lodge, an outdoorsy retreat tucked into the woods just beyond the airport.  Though, like the review mentions, the restaurant itself was oddly small and felt a little like a converted lobby area, I was impressed with the caliber of food – everything was beautiful, fresh, and meticulously plated – check it out below…

Then I got to go to Red Mill – hooray!  You would thinking opening another location would mean that the crowds would be a little smaller at each spot, but that definitely wasn’t the case here.  The line started in the rain before the doors even opened, and just kept going for the next hour.  I got to photograph all sorts of delicious food while I was there, though sadly none of those photos made it online, though if you pick up an issue you can see the onion rings on the table of contents larger than life.

Next stop was at The Coterie Room, one of the restaurants from the Top 25.  It was nice to go back and shoot again, this time for a new feature of Dining Out, the “deconstructed dish.”  Though the shot is simple, it’s a cool idea, and I’m excited to see where this feature goes. (Oh, and this dish was really really tasty, if you find yourself over in the area, I suggest a stop at The Coterie Room)

Lastly I got to return to another Top 25 location, though this time it was to the adjacent bar, Artusi, which shares a space with Spinasse on Capitol Hill. Cute little hangout spot that, for a bar, doesn’t skimp on the creative food offerings!  Enjoy!

Nothing says cold-weather comfort food like grilled cheese and tomato soup…and a stack of chocolate truffle cookies

The “Tomato Soup ‘Fondue’ with Gruyere Grilled Cheese” at Seattle’s new RN74, located downtown on the corner of 4th and Pike, is melt in your mouth delicious and will warm you right up after a walk around the downtown holiday sites.  Though the restaurant itself isn’t exactly my cup of tea (click on the image below to read the very accurate review), it’s worth stopping in just for this little treat.  The buttery toasted bites are served with a fondue fork so that you can easily dip them in the rich tomato soup, the perfect one bite combination on a cold day.

When you’re done at RN74, take a stroll over to Dahlia Bakery and pick up another great bite-size winter treat – chocolate truffle cookies. Make sure to look for the box of mini cookies that come dusted in powdered sugar (the larger version of the cookie is offered without the powdered sugar and is a bit too rich for my taste).  These would be a great addition to a holiday get together, or as a last minute gift – their size makes them perfect for sharing!  Check out these cookies and other local holiday treats by clicking on the cookie photo below.

Enjoy!

I’m a little late on this one – it’s been a busy month! – but check out photos of Ba Bar on the south end of Capitol Hill on 12th near Seattle U.  They’re all about street-style Vietnamese food, good drinks, and people-watching out the big windows.  It’s definitely a great place to hang out if you’re in the area!

Click on the photo to see the article…

The August issue of Seattle Met Magazine is out!  Check out the Dining Out review and the Tom Douglas feature to read about some delicious food and Douglas’ new SOLU restaurants…and of course to see my photos

I had a great time getting to tour all 5 new locations, and sample a little food along the way.  Everyone I met was incredibly nice, friendly, and you can tell they really love doing what they do.  Some of my favorites were the pretzels at Brave Horse, and the pan seared halibut at Cuoco – you should try these places and find your favorites too!

Click on the images below to see the full articles…

My first assignment with Seattle Met Mag is up on the website! It’s been so fun working with them, and I’ve been able to meet great people at wonderful new restaurants…and try some pretty fantastic food while I’m at it. Check for the issue, out now, and look for even more photos in the next!

Sunshine at last! With the weather finally starting to get better I thought I would do a bit of shooting outside and this cute little jar of honey was the perfect subject. I wanted to get that lounging-on-the-porch-with-tea-and-a-biscuit kind of feel. With my trusty distressed white tabletop, and a good friend’s porch as a setting, I went to work. I didn’t shoot any food with this one (I need more product shots for my portfolio), but this is a tasty honey to try if you want something a little different – it has cinnamon infused in it – so it’s got a nice spicy twist that you wouldn’t expect!

Hope you enjoy!

One of the shoots that I didn’t get to in Port Townsend was of this lovely white wine bottle. I liked the simplicity of the label and thought given the name of the winery it ought to be photographed outside. I found an oak grove (just in case I wanted to include the trees!) in the Arboretum and waited for a sunny day to go and try my hand at shooting wine with natural light. I had never tried this before so I was a little nervous, but utilizing the organic drop (natural shadows) that the branches and leaves of the trees provided I was able to find the right angle to shoot at to get the best light.

Later when I got home I decided to uncork the bottle and shoot a few images with wine in the glasses just to get a well-rounded look…and to taste  Now if only we can get this kind of sunshine to stick around…

I finally have images ready to show from my trip to Port Townsend…it’s about time I know!

I spent a wonderful week at the Chevy Chase Beach Cabins (a great little spot hidden just south of Port Townsend with adorable cabins) battling the weather to get a few final shots for my portfolio. When the sun was out, which was usually only in the mornings, I tried as much as possible to shoot outside. When the clouds rolled in I took advantage of the wonderful window light that came through the cute white framed pane-glass windows.

It was a nice change of pace to be on location and outside, but boy did it take a lot of preproduction planning…and some careful packing…to get all of the right gear, props, food, etc. out to Port Townsend. After having developed a good workflow when shooting at home, it was definitely strange to be “unplugged” and shooting with only natural light, fill cards, and a camera. But I enjoyed the challenge! Even though I didn’t get to shoot everything that I had hoped to, I’m happy with the photos that I got. Here’s a little taste of what I did: a white and blue themed still life, blueberry peach cobbler (yum!), summer berries, and a visit to Solstice Farmstay…enjoy!   (you can check my main website for the final food and still life photos that I’ll use in my portfolio www.oliviabrentphotography.com)

White and Blue Still Life

Utensils with String

Flower Detail

Blueberries

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Summer Berries on Chair

Solstice Farmstay

Lamb at Solstice Farmstay