the 2016 farm to table workshop...in leavenworth!

I've said it before and I'll say it again-- this is, hands down, my favorite workshop to teach. It combines some of my favorite things; telling a story though photographs, good food and great people.

I'm thrilled to annouce that we're changing things up a bit this year, and taking the workshop to Leavenworth, Washington! Students will stay at the amazing Sleeping Lady Resort where, in their off time, they will be free to take advantage of the Sleeping Lady's day spa, dry sauna, fitness room or spend some time outside, renting a bike or strolling through the resort's organic gardens. The group will enjoy all their breakfasts and dinners at the Sleeping Lady's award-winning Kingfisher Restaurant and Wine Bar.

The workshop begins on Thursday, September 15th in the late afternoon. We will spend a little time getting to know one another, and then will have our first lecture/pdf, covering how to tell a story through images, (which we will be doing the next day!) Afterwards, there will be some time to get settled in our rooms and then dinner. PLEASE NOTE THAT ROOMS ARE SHARED.

On Friday, we will visit and document Oh Yeah Farms, a sustainable, organic vegetable and grain farm. We will also visit and photograph a second farm, (still TBD.) Much the day will be spent taking photos, but there will also be free time before we meet again for dinner.

Saturday will be all about food photography! Students will see how the food they documented on the farm the day before gets used in a restaurant setting. I am so happy to be collaborating with Colin Patterson from the former Sutra restaurant in Seattle at his new restaurant in Leavenworth, Mana. Students will practice their food photography on location at Mana, as well as documenting Colin in the kitchen. Afterwards, we will enjoy a delicious lunch together.

Saturday afternoon will be spent working independently on post production, before we gather again for a group critique and dinner.

The workshop ends on Sunday morning at 10am.

To register: go HERE

skyline

More food shots from yet another great event space in Seattle Center: the SkyLine space in the Space Needle. Needless to say, the view is pretty awesome, as well.

chihuly glasshouse

Some shots from the ABSOLUTELY STUNNING event space, the Glasshouse at Chihuly Garden and Glass.

two things you should know about

Well, hello! It appears I took the summer off from blogging. :)

But I am back! And with some cool things to share....

First off, the apple book I spent the past two years shooting is out! And it's pretty darn beautiful, if I do say so myself. In the near future, I will be posting a whole bunch of photos that didn't make it into the book (due to page count), but first I wanted to mention this event. I know it's last minute but, if you can attend, it will be a great opportunity to meet Rowan, learn about rare apples, taste some cider and get your hands on one of these books. You won't be sorry.

Second, my farm to table workshop is coming up in one month, and it's pretty much full. HOWEVER, one of the registrants recently had to back out of her spot and she has generously asked that it be given to a person who would love to attend but doesn't have the funds right now. I am going to call this the "Peggy Scholarship." :)

If you would like to be considered for this free spot, please first make absolute sure you can attend. The class description is here. Second, send me an email (clare at clarebarboza dot com) with "Peggy Scholarship" in the subject line and tell me why you are interested in the class. I will be choosing a winner by September 18th.

More soon...

book signings at spare room

Last night one of my all-time favorite food bloggers and cookbook authors, Heidi Swanson, came to our studio to do a book signing for Super Natural Every Day. My lovely studio mate, Lara, also signed her book, Doughnuts, and shared some of her decadent doughnut truffles.

It was SUCH a fun night, honoring two great women!

A few photos, a cool class and a very special event you should attend

I am not really sure where the time went. All I know is that it's been a very busy few months, and things are not getting any less busy. Believe me, in this economy, I am nothing but grateful.

But it does make blogging a bit more challenging.

So, here I am, back to the blog with a whole slew of topics to cover.

First, have you seen the latest Edible Seattle magazine? I have some photos in there from a story about Trellis Restaurant in Kirkland. Several months ago (when it was warmer and sunnier) I had the pleasure of walking around Chef Brian Scheehser's awesome 5 acre garden, seeing Trellis' farm to table philosophy in action, sampling some of the restaurants pickled vegetables and onion jam, and watching the chefs work in the kitchen. It was a really fun job to shoot and I could not stop taking photos!

Below are some images that aren't in the magazine.

I recently shot another story for Edible Seattle, this time about Dog Mountain Farm in Carnation. Since the issue isn't out yet, I don't want to give anything away, but I did want to share some of the images of this great place.

(By the way, Becky Selengut wrote the Dog Mountain story and is pictured in one of the shots below, chatting with one of the farm owners, Cindy Krepky. Becky also happens to be working on a cookbook about sustainable seafood--which I will be shooting-- AND is one of the cast members of a new reality show called Mission Sustainable , and you are invited to the premiere! Click here for info.)

Okay, on to other things.

Cornish College of the Arts just posted their summer program and I am super excited to announce that I am one of the teachers for a REALLY cool class, called the Art of Food.

I am also incredibly honored to be among such distinguished company. The other teachers include author and forager Langdon Cook, Orangette's Molly Wizenberg, Gluten Free Girl's Shauna James Ahern, Delancey owner, Brandon Petit, Becky Selengut, who I mentioned above, Robin Levinthal, who was recently seen on Top Chef, and Jenifer Ward, the Associate Provost at Cornish and the mastermind behind the whole thing.

Last but definitely not least, I want to tell you about a really cool benefit that I am helping to plan for an amazing person.

"Sharlane is a mother, a photographer, and our friend. This year began like a fairy tale, complete with a magical proposal from the man she loves. Like too many fairy tales, this one turned dark as Sharlane was diagnosed with cancer even before the wedding planning could begin. The diagnosis itself is scary enough, but so are the crushing costs associated. This is our attempt to help our friend, who has helped so many others herself."

Shar is a wonderful mother, the most generous person I know, the founder and brainchild behind Urban Unveiled, a hilarious, strong-willed, passionate, and loyal friend, and basically just an all around kick-ass person.

Here are the details:

•WHAT: fundraising event for Sharlane

•WHERE: SoDo Park, 3200 1st Ave South

•WHEN: February 4th at 7pm

•HOW: a silent auction of art and services

•WHY: because cancer sucks and we hear Sharlane.

More info: http://weheartsharlane.showitsite.com

(Thank you, Me Ra Koh, for the great shot of Shar and Anna!)

this ain't your typical hotel snacks

I have photographed events in a LOT of hotels over the years. As an event photographer, you become familiar with the cuisine from all the venues out there, and some definitely stand out more than others. Hotels in general have a reputation of serving boring fare, and a lot of them live up to their lackluster reputation.

The Sheraton Seattle, however, NEVER ceases to impress me.

Last night, I photographed a party in the Cirrus Ballroom at The Sheraton and, once again, I kept being drawn back to the food. It was just SO pretty!
Since documentary food photography is a huge passion for me, I had to share some of these shots.

Bon appetit!!