photography at Le Pigeon

Carly Diaz August 1, 2016

Le Pigeon is one of those tried and true gems of Portland, which I've had the pleasure of photographing for almost two years now. It is considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in the city and Chef Gabriel Rucker is constantly experimenting with new flavors and ingredients. When the menu undergoes a significant refresh, I'm called in to capture the new dishes and atmosphere of the restaurant.

Each shoot begins right before dinner service starts, when the kitchen is prepped and ready to start cooking. This gives me the best of both worlds. Beautiful food, thoughtfully plated before the rush begins, but also the active atmosphere of an open restaurant. Gabriel and I have a brief rundown of the evening's plan before we're off and running. Each shoot consists of 5-10 new dishes, which are a variety of starters, mains, desserts, and special items from the tasting menu.

Probably because they are one of my favorite things to eat, it's no surprise that I adore photographing desserts. Pastry chef Helen Jo recently stepped in from Little Bird, Le Pigeon's sister restaurant. Helen's desserts are whimsical and complex, deftly integrating a variety of textures and the best flavors of the season. And simply gorgeous!

After I finish setting up in the back for the food photos, I start photographing the action on the line. The chef's counter overlooks the open kitchen situated at the heart of the restaurant and allows me to capture a variety of visuals: the food, team, and guests in the background. Once the first dish is ready for photographs, I whisk it to the back and take a few moments to observe the plate and how best to capture the food. Once I have the 'it' shot, I head back to photograph the kitchen or dining room until the next plate is ready.

Things move fast in restaurants and I have to be on my toes to transition quickly between shooting food, servers moving swiftly around the room, and the kitchen team preparing dishes. While I love the excitement of discovering a new place with my camera, I also appreciate working in a familiar setting. I know the small nooks that I can back into for a few extra inches in the frame and the angles that work best from every corner of the room. And while the shoot location might be the same each time, so many other factors are constantly in flux: the light, the guests, the team, and of course, the food. I always look forward to each photo shoot at Le Pigeon and appreciate the opportunity to work with such a fun, welcoming group of people that create such incredible food.

a weekend in Austin, Texas

Carly Diaz July 11, 2016

In early May I took a trip to Austin to visit my amazing friend Sarah. It was my first time in Texas (outside of airports) and ended up being one of the best weekends I've had in a really long time. Sarah and I go way back to my days in Amsterdam. We met in 2007 at the student center of the University of Amsterdam. I had an extra bicycle and she was in need of one. Done.

Throughout our residencies between Europe and the States, we've stayed in touch and have bonded further over the last year as we negotiate the ins and outs of running full-time photography businesses. The weekend was an opportunity to have an in-person pow wow and eat all the tacos and bbq.

It's pretty widely known that Austin is a great city and I was not disappointed. After arriving in the afternoon and dropping my stuff off at Sarah's super cute house, we headed to Licha's Cantina for tacos and margaritas. Because, you know, Austin. Uber had just stopped service in the city a few days before (what?! so crazy) so we took off on foot, which is one of my favorite ways to explore.

After dinner we wandered around Sixth Street, stopped for drinks at Small Victory and then ice cream at Gelateria Gemelli. I thought we were done for the night, when Sarah decided we should pop into a place a few blocks away from her house. We entered The White Horse (self-described as East Side Honky Tonky) and it fulfilled every dream I've ever had of Texas.

There was a country band playing while people young and old two stepped (lined danced? I don't even know) their hearts out. We got Lone Star beer (yes) and then a man asked Sarah to dance. To my utter amazement, she said yes!

If you've been following her 12 Experiments project, I shouldn't have been surprised, but it was my first time seeing people dance like that and I had no ideas she had the skills. I was asked to dance by several men who seemed in disbelief that I wouldn't not be able to dance like that. I even turned down their offers to teach me, happy enough to watch Sarah twirl away on the dance floor.

The next morning, we went to Lady Bird Lake to take Sarah's dog Kevin for a walk. It was a bustling park, full of people running, kayaking, and watching the wildlife, including a swarm of baby turtles hanging out by some rocks. So cute!

After our walk, we grabbed drinks at Juiceland and, after a quick stop to change clothes, headed to Black's BBQ in Lockhart, Texas. Yes, we drove 45 minutes outside of the city for some amazing BBQ and I was not disappointed. Hello, most delicious ribs ever. And just look at those side dishes. Intense. Our eyes were obviously bigger than our appetite and we ended up packing up the rest for a midnight snack. I definitely couldn't eat like that on a weekly basis, but it was a fun experience and an amazing atmosphere.

We went back to Texas to relax for a bit and, after somehow working up our appetite, we headed to Contigo for dinner. A 'ranch-to-table' restaurant with fresh, seasonal Texas-driven ingredients that I had heard great things about. Loved the drinks, pictured at the top of the post. On the left the Violet Sabbatical with vodka, berries, mint, and lemon. On the right, El Pepino with tequila, cucumber, lime, and mint. The food was also exceptional, and the starters vegetable-driven, which was just what we needed after the BBQ lunch. Pictured here. Rainbow carrots, leek, brown butter, and pistachios. Beet, spring onion, mint, and pickled strawberries. And Texas okra, walnuts, tomatoes, and sherry.

I expected the weather to be sunny, warm, and humid during my trip, but we actually had a substantial does of clouds and rain. At night it cooled off so much that I wished I had brought more sweaters. I was happy to be able to enjoy the city without the heat and humidity that I've heard is to be feared. The patio at Weather Up Bar where we enjoyed more yummy cocktails. The last stop of the night was Justine's Brasserie, a late-night spot that feels like you stepped back into 1920s Paris. More drinks, more food. I don't know how we did it all. And funny enough, the website homepage says "Very late dining. When you think you've gone too far, keep going." Touché.

When we woke up Sunday morning, we were determined to explore a bit more of the city. After brunch at Clark's Oyster Bar, we walked all over, visiting an art gallery, a bookstore, a few shops, including the super cute Take Heart, and eventually settled in at a cafe to get some work done. In between all the eating and drinking, Sarah and I spent a lot of time discussing our photography businesses and sharing experiences on everything from pitching to client experience, social media to pricing. We wanted to start putting some of the things we had talked about into action.

It was such an inspiring weekend, not just for the experience of exploring the incredible food and drink scene in Austin, but for what I took away from those conversations. It's been invaluable for me to be able to dialogue with someone who has similar values and keep me accountable in my business. Prompting growth and development and challenging me to fine-tune the things that work and evaluate areas that may not be working. And to be able to do that with a delicious spread on the table made for one fine weekend indeed.

In the kitchen with The Modern Proper

Carly Diaz June 30, 2016

Portland is home to an incredible community of food bloggers. Over the last few months, I've been photographing a few of my favorites, to capture their passion for creating delicious content and document their process of working. First up was Dana from Minimalist Baker and recently I had the pleasure of joining Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer of The Modern Proper as they prepared a blog post for a mixed berry shortcake recipe.

When Holly and Natalie first met, they were both authors of fledgling blogs. After discovering their shared interests, they decided to unite their talents to create a space that would inspire the modern homemaker with a new vision for gathering and sharing meals. As mothers running their own business, they understand that there is often a clash between desire and time when it comes to cooking.

The Modern Proper is dedicated to making delicious, wholesome food accessible through unintimidating ingredients, beautiful images, and stories about real life and real food. Through their approachable recipes that put quality at the forefront, they aim to inspire a return to the kitchen and the table that accommodates what a busy lifestyle needs most: time with the people we cherish and food that nourishes body and soul.

On this cool Monday morning, we gathered at Holly's house just outside of Portland. When I arrived, she and Natalie were laying out the ingredients for biscuits and unpacking blackberries, cherries, and white peaches from the market. They mixed together the dough first and popped the biscuits into the oven. Then they slipped over to the next room where they have their studio set up and started to take photos of the fruit.

Natalie and Holly are both proficient at the myriad skills required to run a food blog. Recipe development, writing, photography, project management, planning, and all the details of running a business, from client management to bookkeeping. Working as a team means they can share the workload, as well as challenge each other's ideas and creativity. Although they don't make and shoot every recipe together, they have a shared vision and goals that have given them a clear direction in their work.

When the oven timer went off, it was time for the biscuits to be in the spotlight for photographs. Then Natalie and Holly made the final selection of props: bowls, plates, utensils, and a platter for the final dessert. After preparing the fruit, they photographed individual dessert plates before assembling the final photo. One glorious pile of biscuits, cream, and fruit. One of those desserts that does not look too pretty to eat, but rather an abundance of summer goodness that urges you to dive in.

And dive in we did. After Natalie and Holly meticulously arranged the pile of biscuits, with a spring of mint strategically placed here and a splay of peaches tucked in there, they took the final photographs. Then it was time to eat! Natalie dished up three servings, Holly grabbed the forks, and we sat around the table to talk about the joys and challenges of running a small business, juggling work and family, and how much we all love food. Gathered together, sharing food and life. Exactly the kind of moment they hope to inspire with all their work.

Mexican corn salad with lime, pistachios, and cotija

Carly Diaz June 24, 2016

Yesterday we celebrated Elena's second birthday and are preparing for a backyard gathering with friends this weekend. The forecast says the sun will return and we are finalizing the menu, which will include an abundance of summer produce. It's hard to imagine the perfect summer BBQ without corn-on-the-cob. But, truth be told, I've had my struggles with it. Corn-on-the-cob isn't particularly elegant to eat. And don't even get me started on the need for floss afterward. It's delicious, but it's also kind of a hassle.

Corn-off-the-cob is more my jam. All the salty, buttery goodness without the mess. And also much easier to eat while standing around in a backyard or lounging on a picnic blanket.

Corn season is just taking off and I've been seeing photos of elote popping up everywhere. The Mexican street corn is topped with cheese, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and sauce. So delicious and it easily translates into esquites, a Mexican corn salad that integrates all the delicious toppings along with my favorite addition - pistachios! This salad has become a favorite and makes the best leftovers.

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad):

Ingredients:
6 ears of corn
½ cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions
½ cup finely crumbled cotija
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tspn chili powder
½ tspn smoked paprika
Juice from 1 lime
½ cup salted pistachios, chopped and roasted

Preparation:
Cut corn kernels from cobs and place and place in a frying pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until just starting to char. Remove to large bowl. When corn has cooled, cut corn kernels from cobs into a large bowl. Mix in green onions, cilantro, pistachios, and cotija cheese.

In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, chili powder, paprika, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Pour sauce over corn and stir well to combine. Top salad with additional cheese, cilantro, and pistachios.

This post was created in partnership with The Wonderful Company and Williams-Sonoma Portland. Thank you for supporting the businesses who help make my work possible.