I constantly ask myself this question when shooting food photography: “How on earth can food be so darn gorgeous?” Here’s how — so much of it has to do with the chef behind it, and Tara of Dandelion Catering is an absolute magician when it comes to her food’s beauty and taste. Both are divine! We had such a great time during Dandelion Catering’s spring food photography in Missoula Montana, and we even got to create some business branding imagery, too.

Dandelion Catering’s space is cozy, light, and bright, and immediately inviting. And for good reason — you will 100% want to hang out a while and let the delicious aromas waft over you as you grab some of Tara’s seriously incredible soups (I’ve tasted them…they are so, SO good), or treat yourself to a grazing box (hello YUM!). (Speaking of grazing boxes, you can check out more of that imagery and Tara’s catering spread, from our shoot this past summer.)

As we were making these springtime images, it was so fun to laugh over the little “soup party” we were creating. The blessing (and curse) of being a food photographer is that it all smells so mouth-wateringly good, it can be difficult to resist sneaking a spoonful. (Tara was wonderfully kind and sent me home with delicious samples — thank you!) I love how she served her soups in mugs, which she told me was inspired by her grandma. (Soup in a mug, yes please!) Another standout detail about Dandelion Catering is that Tara works with locally sourced ingredients, and they’re healthy and flavorful.

But. Here I am, chatting away, when really we should let Dandelion Catering’s creations speak for themselves. Onwards to the photos! Thank you again, Tara, for a fantastic session! It’s always a pleasure getting to work with you. :)

On the docket:

Portraits, editorial work, and weddings! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

It’s no secret that I absolutely love food photography, and getting to document beautiful baked goods for a Whitefish Montana food photography branding shoot was every bit as delightful as I expected it would be.

The sweet treats I photographed were “bite-sized sweets to celebrate with,” and feature lavish, spirit-infused sweets. In fact, the cupcakes are inspired by cocktails! (And I can attest to the fact that they are absolutely delicious!)

The goal was to convey more of a moody, intimate look in the images we created for the brand. Lots of greens and jewel tones emphasized the standout quality of the baked goods created for the shoot, and highlighted the richness of the colors in the confections.

We had such a great time during our shoot, and I had a blast styling the food with all the amazing props and servingware that were on hand!

I also photographed the shop’s presence at The Market Beautiful in Whitefish. It was a hot, hot day, but thankfully we found a spot of shade, and the huckleberry macarons were the perfect remedy for the heat! The cake cups (a reversed cupcake!) were also super popular during the day’s events.

On the docket:

More branding sessions, portraits, and elopements! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

I was so excited to hear from Tara of The Dandelion Catering that she needed some Missoula food photography for her new business venture, for a couple reasons: 1) Because she is just about the most awesome person ever and 2) I knew her food would be incredible and so much fun to photograph.

Our shoot day rolled around, and thankfully we were set to shoot in the morning, because Missoula was in the process of being plagued by a ridiculously long stretch of 90+ degree temps. And, if you’ve ever cooked in hot weather before, you’ll understand why we were hoping beyond hope that Tara and her team would be treated to a day that wasn’t roasting hot.

We lucked out and had such a great morning to make our images (and the food starring in them, of course!). Tara and her team are superheroes, and I was blown away by the spread they put together. If only I could incorporate the incredibly tantalizing aromas emanating from each of these dishes (my stomach legit started rumbling as I wrote those last words).

Let’s just say, run, don’t walk, to purchase anything and everything The Dandelion Catering offers. The team was so kind to treat me to a delicious sampling after the shoot, and every single morsel I tasted was packed with flavor, completely unique, truly delightful, and had me wanting more. Seriously. SO GOOD. (Understatement!)

Tara, thank you again for such a wonderful shoot, and for sharing your talents with me! I absolutely loved getting to make these images for you, and I’m so excited for your business to bloom! Cheers to you all!

On the docket:

Personal branding photography, elopements, and portraits! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

-Kristine

Here’s a little tidbit about me you may not know…I love food. Like lo-o-OOOVE it. I love making it. I love devouring it. I love sharing it with others. (In fact, I have my own food blog, albeit a sorely neglected one because I seriously need something like 89 hours in the day to do everything I’d like to do.) BUT. Something I may love just as much as all these things put together and maybe even MORE (did I just admit to that?!), is photographing it. Food is pretty, folks. Hella pretty. So when Paul, the manager at The Tupelo Grille called me up to talk to me about doing some restaurant food photography in Whitefish Montana for their brand new website, you can bet I was super stoked.

I zipped on up there on an early morning at the end of March and we (and all the great folks at Tupelo) immediately got cracking. I began photographing the space (which is cozy and full of interesting, fun art, by the way), and soon cocktails were being mixed and getting all spiffed up for their starring moment in front of the camera. We had such a great time making these images – excitement was in the air as beautiful drink upon beautiful drink came out from the bar. (Speaking of the bar/lounge, holy moly is that little nook a work of art – you’ve got to check this place out if you haven’t!)

Appetizers were next, and in between shots of each, Paul and I would sneak a few bites here and there. Those bites were amazing. And I don’t just say that lightly. There is serious talent and flavor at The Tupelo Grille. (The cocktails are incredible, too, and have won awards.)

After the cocktails had enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame, entrees began to fly our way and Paul and I had a great time styling the food for the shots, high-fiving and getting even more giddy about which images might be the main show-stopper on their new website. Not long after, desserts began to head our direction and I had a great time composing the images to showcase the artful plating of each.

I hung out for a bit to go through images, and was treated to a delicious cocktail, tasty appetizers and bread (so goooood!), and one truly flavorful meal (their signature shrimp dish is beyond divine). Paul and I began to pick our selects from the day (getting even more amped in the process), and soon diners filled up the place, local talent crooned into all reaches of the lounge, and things buzzed as the evening’s meal service got under way.

I finished my meal (so full, so good!) and stuck around to capture the energy and ambiance of the restaurant and lounge, and even got to poke around the back to watch the chefs at work, making each dish perfection.

It was a long 15-hour day, but what a fun, fun shoot! Everyone I met was so great to work with and it’s abundantly clear the folks at The Tupelo Grille really put their all into what they do and deeply care about their restaurant. But more importantly, they care about the people with whom they get to share their talents. Next time you’re in Whitefish, snag a table or a bar stool and treat yourself! You’ll certainly be glad you did!

And now…prepare to get hungry…enjoy!

On the docket:

Portraits, elopements and weddings! Don’t miss out!

Cheers,

-Kristine