Food Photography | A Taste of the Danforth

Toronto Food Photography by Fulcrum Imaging Studio

A quick trip to the Krino's Taste of the Danforth street festival for some Chicken Souvlaki and some Greek Poutine along with some photos to capture the atmosphere of the yearly event. "The Taste" shuts down Danforth Ave around Toronto's Greektown allowing visitors to get a taste of Greek and Mediterranean (and more) Cuisine from local restaurants and street vendors. If you don't like crowds this isn't the place for you as thousands come for the food and carnival-like atmosphere. Enjoy the photos.

Greek Poutine Can't say no to Fries and Feta :-)

George from my Favourite Local Butcher. Ella Meats

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All Images Copyright 2015 Robert Greatrix and Fulcrum Imaging. 

Food Photography | A Day With a Chef

As part of a recent trip to France, a stay in Dijon was part of the itinerary. My wife Marie, to my surprise had arranged for us to join chef/eduator/author Alex Miles for a "Day with a Chef" cooking adventure. You can find out all about Alex here http://www.i-food-france.com. I can only say what a great unique experience it was.

It all started when Alex stopped by our apartment we had rented in the morning and we got a great guided tour of Dijon as we walked through historic city. Dijon certainly was a feast for the senses. 

Walking through the historic centre of Dijon. 

After a quick coffee at a cafe on Place Francois Rude we set off to explore the market and gather some fresh meat and produce for our meal we were going to prepare. I  am going to save many of my market photos for another post but the Farmers Market in Dijon was an experience of sight and scent all it's own and Alex knew his way around like a cat stalking a mouse, procuring produce from select vendors that were most local and would compliment our meal.

Just Another Day at the Cafe :-)

Inside the Dijon Farmers Market

Chef Alex at the Dijon Farmers Market.

Here we also picked out our protein for the day, fresh rabbit. We also selected two styles of fresh bacon from one of the vendors for the Rabbit braise. After the market it was on to a wine store we had discovered independently the day before, La Route des Vins, where we picked up a great bottle of Burgundy to compliment our meal. An excellent and expansive selection of wines and very helpful staff, the Route des Vins was the ideal place to get some Burgundies. Website here http://www.la-routedesvins.com.

Boulangerie

Of Course with Alex Being a former Pastry Chef and me a Food Photographer we had to see some of Dijon's best treats in the area too.

Another stop on route to Alex's apartment to get some bread ( a few stops to look at pastries) and we were set to cook. Alex had a beautiful place close to the market and it was such a joy to cook in his home and meet his wife as well. One can't help but marvel at his kitchen and it's bright red professional range (which I neglected to photograph)! After a glass of Kir, a great local drink of white wine and creme de cassis, we got down to making our meal. Of course Alex the great host he was had some of his terrines handy just to whet the appetite. (not that extra food was needed!)

Alex's Home Made Terrines perfect with the fresh bread.

We began by prepping dessert which was beautiful apricot and vanilla custard tart. I won't say much the picture speaks for itself.

May as Well Show Dessert First!

Next on the prep list was our rabbit which we browned with some of the bacon and then slow braised to give a perfect tenderness. Also on the menu was medley of fresh local vegetables and mushrooms, including some very unique field Asparagus which I had never seen before. 

These wild Asparagus had such vibrant color and delicate structure to match a rich taste that was totally unique to us. 

Dishing up a fresh vegetable medley for the first course. Delicious!

First course plated and ready to go topped with some freshly baked puff pastry. 

There did come a point where I decided to forego photography in favour of savouring the experience, but I did manage a shot of our table with rabbit. It was such a pleasure to sit with Alex and his wife for our mid day feast. The conversations were as equally enjoyable as the gourmet food. 

Getting ready to enjoy the rabbit, with some unique to the area, naturally buttery mini potatoes and of course a Dijon mustard sauce for the rabbit. 

The Apricot tart was the perfect finish to the meal but...... if that wasn't enough Alex had a cheese board with about 7 local selections and some dessert samples from a previous day's pastry lesson!

 A complete cheese board after everything else! My love of cheese is second to none and I sampled all, but needless to say a nap was in order after the walk back to our rental. 

The Personal Touch, thanks Chef Alex. I hope our paths cross again.

So if you ever find yourself in Dijon, save a day and book a session with Chef Alex, you won't be disappointed, it was a feast for all the senses and a great adventure exploring a great city.


Robert is a Toronto based photographer specializing in Food, Beverage and Product work. His business is called Fulcrum Imaging and he is available for freelance work both home and abroad. His portfolio is available at www.fulcumimaging.com.


As usual our images are copyrighted . We love to have our work shared with credit but using our content for your own gain or profit is not cool.

Copyright 2015 Fulcrum Imaging and Robert Greatrix Photography.

Havana Cuba Travel Highlights

Havana Cuba Travel Highlights

By: Toronto Photographer Robert Greatrix

I am a little late in writing this post, but better late than never. With a lot of change happening in my life right now I found myself thinking back to a somewhat recent and very memorable excursion my wife Marie and I made to Havana Cuba. 

As a photographer the experience travelling to Habana and Cuba itself, was exhilierating to say the least. I felt like I couldn't walk more than a dozen paces with stopping to focus my camera on something new and exciting. The old classic automobiles were one of my particular favourites and shooting opportunities abounded. 

Havana Streets

The above shot was one of the first I took upon getting settled in Habana, taken from the balcony of what was our residence for a few days. I can think of no better option than to stay in private accommodations while in the city and is by far my preferred method of travel. 

48

Cruising

Not only were the classic cars in the city abundant to shoot but the locations to capture them were also as unique. Not to say the shots are easy, one has to be patient to get shots of only time period vehicles (which I prefer to get that lost in time feel) and  as a photographer you still want to give a sense of place. There is no substitute for bad composition either. The above shot of the purple convertible was taken along the Malecon, a long seaside boulevard, and I used a slow shutter speed to emphasize the blur and sense of motion. The picture of the green 48 was taken along one the colourful streets of the city.

Fighter

Slice of Life

Waiting

Just as interesting as the cars were the people. I found the daily life in the city fascinating and the people were both friendly and colourful as their surroundings. As one who considers himself a traveller, my choice is to explore a city on my own terms, but the top photo of a gentleman named Damien was taken after a horse and buggy tour he gave us of the city. And when visiting Habana there is nothing like a city tour and cruise down the Malecon at night in a classic convertible to feel like you are stepping back into the 50's.

Habana Nights

The night time in old Havana, Habana Vieja, provides spectacular views, this one from the restaurant atop the Biltmore Hotel.

Capitole

One thing that you are constantly reminded of in Cuba is its history. The overpoweering presence of the Capitol Building is visible from almost everywhere I seemed to go in the city and seems to reinforce that sentiment constantly. I think this last shot is one of my favourites and gives me a personal connection that draws me back to visit Habana and Cuba again.

Robert Greatrix

The travel images in this blog are available for license and more can be seen at www.fulcrumimaging.com . Robert Greatrix is a Toronto based professional photographer who is available for freelance travel, corporate and commercial work.

SS Keewatin Port McNicol Ontario Part 1

I recently had the unique experience of touring the SS Keewatin a veritable floating museum currently docked in the small town of Port McNicol Ontario. The town was once home to a major Canadian Pacific Railway Great Lakes Port and many ships including the Keewatin sailed to and from here. The journey of the Keewatin and its history is fascinating and is best experienced and absorbed in person. To read more about the Keewatin please visit SSKeewatin.com (after looking at my photos of course).

I was greeted on the day by the man instrumental in returning this marvellous vessel to its former home, Eric Conroy. His knowledge of the ship is extensive to say the least , having served as a waiter on the ship as a young man. So here in photos is what I will call Part 1 of my visit to the SS Keewatin as I will be returning again this year to continue my photography of this amazing piece of Canada's sailing history.

Barber Shop

One of my favourite rooms was the retired barbershop. here it is a journey back in history as you can almost experience a shave and haircut in the onboard shop.

Many of the staterooms are decorated with period costumes and items. The photographers suite obviously caught my eye. The Keewatin is a museum in more ways than one as all the items are authentic and are donated by the community and others.

Kitchen
                                                         

       

The galley is as interesting as any place on the ship. The walk back in time is completed with utensils cookware and appliances from the time period the ship was in service.

The grand appearance of the dining room is stunning as one can imagine what it would be like to dine here. My host having worked as a waiter here had some very interesting insights to his experiences and has book based on them, titled "Steak in a Drawer". 

Chopping Block

A well used chopping block resides in the walk-in freezer located just off the Kitchen. One can imagine the activity that used to happen here.

Elegenace

I guess one would call this the main deck. I will try to clarify. One can see the room on the sides of this elegant hall and the beautiful open ceiling letting in light from the upper level. 

An incredible number of the staterooms are decorated in various themes and time periods. This room was occupied by the RCMP when on board and the authentic uniform was donated by them. I was astonished at the level of detail and the staging in each of them

This sign on the door reminds us that the classes were very much segregated in the times of these sailing ships and the paying customers would have little or no contact with those who toiled on the ship. 

As I said in the beginning I plan to return to the Keewatin in the near future and get much more information on this giant of a vessel. It is much larger than I ever imagined so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw her. My next visit I plan to visit more areas of the ship including the engine and mechanical rooms. In the meantime you can also visit my website www.robertgreatrixphotogrpahy.ca and browse under travel where you will find a few more photos of the Keewatin and be sure to visit and check out SSKeewatin.com as well. 

If you are interested in purchasing prints of my images from this blog or would like to license them for commercial purposes please contact me at robertgreatrixphotography@bell.net.