We photographed a book last year for Good Bite as well as contributed a few recipes along with some of our dearest friends. Now that the book is almost here I wanted to share a wonderful ‘lil video about the project.Please excuse the fact that my head looks ginormous.

I’m lucky enough to have an early copy (Thanks Justin!) and it’s a very beautiful book. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon. Thanks to Adam and Emily for the amazing food and prop styling as well as agreeing to work with me. I hope you still like me.

Earlier this week I returned home from a few days in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. As a guest of the Four Seasons Costa Rica in Peninsula Papagayo, I joined a small group to experience the resort as well as do a little bit of volunteer work and sight-seeing in one of the planet’s most beautiful locations.

It was my first time in Costa Rica, a country that left me speechless (even what little I saw of it!) Beautiful, safe, warm and loving, I understand why so many of my friends are repeat visitors to this Central American country. There’s an immediate dose of relaxation that hits you the moment you exit your plane in Costa Rica. It’s the kind of vibe that can only be made in a place such as this. It’s as if the natural beauty of the country flows through the veins of its citizens in a way you feel internally. And this city dweller was ready to absorb it, too.

I arrived in Guanacaste to wet heat, neither oppressive nor friendly. With my documents in order I slid through customs in record time and met a driver who graciously met me with a cool towel and a bottle of water before we drove the 40 miles in darkness. And by darkness I mean the thick black patches of night you can’t find in a city. Would the coastline be a few miles behind this dark swatch of night? Rolling pastures? Fields of sugar cane? Mountains in the distance? I guess I’d have to wait until morning to find out.

I assembled the mojito ingredients that were waiting for me in my room: ice, lime juice, Costa Rican Rum, freshly plucked mint leaves and a bamboo muddler and sugar cane swizzle stick. It was exactly what I needed after two flights and 1 delay and man oh man did those mojitos go down smoothly. I was pretty exhausted and climbed into the bed of my villa.

Remember when I said I arrived in the darkness of night? I had no idea what was beyond my deck but I could sense there was a hillside below. It just sounded that way.

Well folks, I woke up to this.

Yea. A crazy unbelievable view of the ocean and lush coastline with a few islands off in the distance. And I spent many moments just staring at the view, listening to the wildlife and realizing how beautiful this place is. And I went swimming.

Speaking of wildlife, I was surrounded by some beautiful creatures.

These little guys snuck into my room looking for food. They’re called Urracas (magpies) and they were loud. Yet beautiful.  And these capuchin monkeys were also outside my window one morning and started screeching after I laughed at something in my usual shrilly tone. Who knew?

The next morning we toured the property, getting to check out all the programs and amenities of the Four Seasons. It’s a gorgeous resort with beautiful rooms set in the hillside. Numerous restaurants, breathtaking views, with one of the best rooms I’ve ever stayed in (outdoor shower, hello!), it’s easy to see why this resort wins accolades and awards. The service? Perfection. And if you go, you must visit the spa. Promise me that. I also loved that it was so family friendly and included tons of activities for children and teens as well as really beautiful spots for the parents to get away. Not that parents need to get away from their children. Or maybe they do. I don’t know. Ask me in a few years.

After touring the resort we headed to the Witch’s Rock Canopy Tour in Guanacaste to go ziplining through the trees. Or to Face Fears And Death While Dangling Above A Waterfall. Friends, you should know that I got no joy out of this activity at all. In fact, I got stuck between two platforms because I was braking too much. And at that moment in time my worst fears came to life and I realized I would rather be in any other situation than where I was, period. I will never do it again. I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t learn from it. It conquered no fears, crossed nothing off a proverbial bucket list. But I’m glad I tried it. There you have it.

Photo provided by the instructors. I only LOOK like I'm enjoying it.

This is much more like it.

Pretty soon my travel mates and I were safely back on ground and ready for much safer activities.

Speaking of travel mates, have I introduced them? It was a great group of people, including Kelly Bensimon, Danny Seo, Bradley Irion, Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere and blogger and writer Kristen Chase of Motherhood Uncensored.

And yea, if the name Kelly sounds familiar it’s because you might know her as a Real Housewife Of New York on Bravo.  God I love that woman.

I think the greatest highlight of the trip involved working with the Four Seasons and their program called Creciendo Juntos, or Growing Together. This program began in 2001 as a way of pairing up guests of the Four Seasons Costa Rica with locals in need. In an effort to create a more meaningful travel experience, Four Seasons and Peninsula Papagayo created custom-designed volunteer programs based on a visitor’s goals, budget and time schedule. For example, we headed to a small school outside the resort and painted a fence that surrounded the entire school. We were greeted by students and learned that the kids were bummed out that their modest school looked as if it has seen better days. If there’s anything about Costa Rica you should know it’s that there is almost a 96% literacy rate and education is king. It’s a right for all its citizens and they do not take it lightly. Knowing how important it is to everyone it made sense that the kids deserved a nice new paint job as they all love coming to school. They’re some of the brightest, most beautiful kids I’ve ever seen and it was an honor to participate in the program.

After covering ourselves in paint we spent a few minutes with the kids and I snapped away.

Kelly radiates positivity and as a mom she couldn’t help hugging and loving these beautiful girls.

Bradley, Kelly’s hairdresser as well as NYC stylist to the stars, created an ad hoc salon in the middle of the courtyard and braided one of the student’s gorgeous long locks. It was such a special moment in time and the feeling of love and reciprocity filled me  with overwhelming emotion. I had such a wonderful time!

And then there was food! Let me eat beans and rice everyday and I’m a happy man. And I think I did, actually, including a wonderful casado which consisted of fish and shrimp over cabbage with rice and beans, plantains and a cuajada cheese, a very mild-tasting salty cheese. And then there was the limon mandarina, a green round citrus fruit that resembled a very unripe orange with a yellow-orange flesh and bitter acidic taste. Limon Mandarinas are prized in ceviche making as it’s super acid flavor “cooks” the fish and imparts a flavor like nothing else. Man it was delicious.

I’m also happy to report that I did my share of Costa Rican coffee drinking, all of it excellent. The Four Seasons set up a small coffee tasting with Café Britt and we sampled their various roasts from their different product lines. Thanks to Carlos for the lesson!

Our last dinner before leaving involved a dinner from Chef Michael Brough, the Executive Chef who has been with Four Seasons for many years. Dedicated to procuring and using local ingredients, my mind was blown from the selection of fruits, vegetables and cheeses that we ate during a long leisurely dinner that was interrupted by some pesky moths who wouldn’t take no for an answer. But no matter, we were able to dine both inside and outside that evening – the best of both worlds.

Caracol, one of the resorts many restaurants, sits inside Bella Vista Clubhouse which is a quick shuttle ride from the main lobby. A garden is kept here for the restaurant where many herbs and vegetables are grown. The chef’s fresh flavors were impressive and knowing so much of it came from only a few feet away was splendid.

I didn’t want my stay to end but reality was calling. Even though I only saw the smallest portion of Costa Rica we cannot wait to return to explore more. It truly was an amazing experience and I look forward to returning and participating again with Four Season Costa Rica’s Growing Together program.

Special thanks to Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo and to the people of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Back in January I took a few roadtrips to San Diego in order to photograph a story for the April issue of Coastal Living Magazine. I had to wait a few months until after the story ran to share the outtakes and I’m finally glad I can do so.

First, let me tell you something: I love Coastal Living magazine. Second, I AM CRAZY ABOUT SAN DIEGO. So put those two things together and you’ll see why this was a dream assignment. D-R-E-A-M. Not only did I get to spend a beautiful crisp morning at the Little Italy Farmers’ Market but I was also able to photograph a variety of fantastic restaurants for the story. And meet some amazing folks, too!

Some of you may recognize this guy from Top Chef. It's Chef Brian Malarkey or as I call him the man with the world's biggest smile. His restaurant Searsucker is spacious, comfortable and delicious.

The story, written by Jacquelyne Froeber, was about a few days spent in San Diego and the fun things to see and eat. And eat. And eat more. Because there really are some delicious things happening there.

To my friends and readers in San Diego: you are lucky. Damn lucky. That’s all I’m gonna say.

Here are a bunch of more images that didn’t make the story. Enjoy!

Happy faces from the Little Italy Farmers' Market. Heck, I'd be smiling too if I lived in San Diego!

How much do you love a farmers' market that combines locally grown fruits and veggies along with locally caught nibbles like fresh oysters and uni ceviche? I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!!

Earlier this morning food writer and NY Times columnist Melissa Clark tweeted this:

Now as a photographer and someone who gets paid to photograph recipes and cookbooks you might think that my answer is a solid YES. But it’s not. I believe that great writing like Melissa’s can be enough, photos don’t always have to support a recipe. When they work together it’s magic, and sometimes a photograph can help a written recipe for a myriad of reasons (maybe it’s complicated, an unknown method, foreign title, etc.)  So now I’m curious and would love to know what you think!

(polls)

See that photo above? Can you believe how beautiful it is? That dappled sunlight through the trees is on a road at Jordan Winery in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, a place where I’ve spent a few days last week photographing almost anything and everything I could get my hands on. To say it’s heaven on earth is a putting it mildly; it’s an expansive working winery with view after view after view, delicious wine, olive trees, guesthouses, lakes, and some of the nicest people you could ever meet. And I’m not just whistlin’ dixie here.

While traipsing through vineyards can be quite a bit of fun, it’s also lots of work capturing the moments that make a winery like Jordan so special. There are the people that make the wine, the people that create the food, the people that tend to the garden, and the people that make the guests feel like family. Then there’s editing 40 gigs of images captured over 2 1/2 days — no easy feat!

Thanks to the generosity of Jordan I can share a bit about the past few days, some images, and what it took for us to create those photographic moments.

The Gear

I’ve been bouncing between Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City these past 3 weeks I can tell you that traveling with loads of camera equipment isn’t fun (and I want to thank my friend Misha for holding my hand and providing guidance here). But I knew what I wanted to capture at Jordan and how I wanted it to look; that dictated that I’d travel as light as possible. Lots of emails between Jordan’s Communication Director Lisa Mattson prepared me as much as possible about how much we’d be covering and what I needed to have on hand. I packed two Canon 5D Mark IIs (and a back up!), a tripod, two laptops, four external drives (I’m paranoid!), as well as one 100mmL lens, a 24-70mm L lens and a 16-35mm L lens for those wide moments.  When it came to light modifiers I crammed my suitcase with foamcore, reflectors, scrim material, clamps, plastic bags and my tacklebox of puddy, clips, pins and wooden blocks.

I’m not sure what I did to deserve such amazing weather which translates into amazing light but it was there, allowing us to take advantage of cool blue morning hues in the garden and ending with golden, warm tons of evening sun. During the harshest moments of the day when the light was too strong we moved inside to photograph food and people. Sometimes I shot to card, other times I was connected to my laptop so that I could double check my exposures.

The Extras

There were some moments indoors that required strobes as there just wasn’t enough light to photograph a person with the ambient light without them becoming blurry. But the two most important things to me during this photo shoot were a light meter and color checker. A light meter became invaluable as I figured out just how far I could go handholding my camera without a tripod out in the field, and also just how blurry or sharp I could get when photographing people. Would I have enough light to accomplish what I was trying to do? A light meter would tell me and eliminate the guesswork. The Color Checker Passport, a small folding passport-style card, allows me to have perfect color readings in each frame. I’m a stickler for color accuracy (that doesn’t mean I don’t like to play with color temperature when appropriate) and I never travel or shoot without it. Ever. Ever.

Now how about some shots?

Fruits and vegetables from Jordan's garden take center stage as I balance up above. Hipstamatic Photo by Teri Lyn Fisher.

Color Checker Passport in Action. It allows me to get an accurate color reading and maintain the proper color balance.

Todd Knoll, Executive Chef at Jordan Winery, prepares some food in the makeshift hallway "studio". I was loving the light and proximity to the kitchen.

A dining room also became a studio as we photographed wine and flowers. I kind of fell in love with the oversized doors. A scrim and reflector were my main tools. Photo on right by Lisa Mattson.

A test shot for exposure and color. The wine barrels were beautiful.

Getting to know Barney & Clyde, Jordan's show goats.

A collage of Jordan Winery images from the vineyards and garden

You can find Jordan Winery here. Make sure to add them on Twitter and Facebook, and check out their blog, too.

Well hot damn if I’m not excited over this post! Penny De Los Santos is a photographer based in Austin, Texas who has photographed subjects all over the world. I first met her on Twitter after falling in love with her work on her professional photo site as well as her personal blog but I’ve loved her work for years.

Penny’s food and travel work is truly like no other. Having began documenting events for National Geographic and creating meaningful series like her Tejano Project before moving into food photography, her work stands apart from so much out there currently. It evokes a documentary-like emotion, visceral and meaningful yet gorgeously beautiful.  As an award-winning photographer with clients like Martha Stewart, Texas Monthly, National Geographic, Newsweek and Time, I’m thrilled to have gotten to know Penny and was even more thrilled that she agreed to an interview on Mattbites.

Tell me a bit about your background. Where did you grow up and how did it frame your aesthetic and desire to move into photography?

My father was career military so I was born in Germany and moved around some until his final post in Fort Hood, Texas about an hour outside of Austin. Both my parents are born and raised in the border town of Laredo, Texas where I spend the bulk of my summers and Holidays. My parents wanted to make sure I understood what it meant to be Latina and from a town where Latinos were the majority.

My first photograph was of a little homeless girl on the streets of Nuevo Laredo, taken with my dad’s old Yashika. I was 13 and whether I realized it at the time, that photograph planted a seed. Little did I know I would later dedicate years and the bulk of my personal work to defining and visually documenting this culture.

What exactly prompted you to explore photography?

What most drew me into photography was the camera’s ability to communicate an emotion. That first photograph I made, how I felt when I made it, why I made the image at that moment and what exactly I was trying to say with it, all seemed so empowering. It was as if I was finally being heard. The power of a good photograph can transport you, make you feel lost, happy sad, hopeful. It’s magical.

The camera also became an amazing opportunity to enter people’s lives. It gave me a reason to explore the lives of people I was drawn to. It made me not afraid or intimidated to approach strangers with the camera, while teaching me to be a good listener and negotiator.

When looking at your travel photos and scenes from around the world I feel as if you are in the moment, a part of the experience and not a bystander with a camera.  To me this is nothing short of a miracle. What do you do to accomplish that?

I listen and I watch intently. I zone everything out except for the person or situation that I am photographing. And I wait. Sometimes I have to wait a long time, relying heavily on patience and trusting my instincts. You have to constantly search for the right moment, for the picture. It’s a dance of getting uncomfortably close and pulling back, looking for every possible vantage point. I have to be a fly on the wall and blend into the scene to the point that people forget I am actually there. That is when it all starts to happen.

The hardest thing about being a photographer?

Photography is a career and a way to make a living. This means you don’t always get your dream assignment and not every picture is one you would spend your personal time making. You also find yourself at the whim of editors, the economy and what is publishable, which can affect your work and personal vision. To counter this I always work on personal projects, and self assign great projects that keep me inspired.

The easiest thing?

Knowing may camera inside and out, I know every possible option it can give me technically, I can rest in that confidence and when I’m shooting I only have to worry about the other elements of a good photograph: light, composition and color, timing.

We both grew up in Texas, my family had lived in the Valley (near the Texas-Mexico border) off and on for years and I see that’s where you grew up.  How do you feel that part of the world prepared you for your travels around the world?

The Texas borderlands are a great training ground for understanding diversity within a culture.  It is a place where cultures clash and are constantly being redefined. In Laredo there is an extremely poor population, a healthy growing middle class and a smaller but strong affluent population. Amidst those variations are Mexican-Americans, Mexican Nationals and undocumented people. That’s a pretty diverse group in a small geographical area and each one identifies with being Latino, Texan, Tejano and American in very different ways.

Having exposure to that at a young age taught me about being open to people that were different than me. It taught me acceptance and understanding and gave me a real desire to learn from those differences. Whether I’m in Lebanon or Jerusalem, being open to different cultures, beliefs and traditions makes my transition into multiple cultures easier.

You have a series called “The Tejano Project”.  I almost get weepy when I view the images because it captures a part of the world not many see.  Through your eyes we quinceañeras, backyard parties,  some hip hop, some old-world charm, some ranchero, some urban — todo. To me it’s particularly moving because it’s part of the world I grew up in. What has the reaction been to this series?

From the moment I walked in the doors of National Geographic Magazine in DC as an intern early in my career, I was encouraged to find a project to pour my heart and soul into. The Tejano Project was a documentary essay I proposed. I was awarded a grant which allowed me to photograph the Texas Borderlands for four years. The culmination of that project was published in the Magazine in the Winter of 2006.

People’s reactions have been really positive. People are moved by the work, can identify with it. This is touching for me being that part of the reason I became a photographer is to document Tejano culture.

Maybe I’m still trying to understand where I fit in, in that culture. That project is my life’s work, to date I have spent 10 years photographing different parts of South Texas and Tejanos. My goal is to turn that body of work into a book. The reaction to the work has been very good.

Do you have a favorite image?  How did you gain access to so many special moments?

Saveur Magazine sent me to Lebanon on assignment last year for a food feature on Iraqi refugees living and practicing their food traditions in Beirut. The situation was pretty intense for a photographer, let alone a western woman working in a Hezbollah-run neighborhood where journalists, especially foreign ones, were prohibited and detained. My access was made possible through the writer who had spent several months developing a relationship with these men. Our access was limited as we didn’t want to draw attention to the men, which could have been dangerous for them.

The few nights I spent photographing these gentlemen were amazing. Photographically it was terrible, no electricity, not able to use flash (draws too much attention through the windows, raising suspicion with watchmen patrolling the neighborhood). But when they lit candles for their evening meal signifying the end of their Ramadan Fast it couldn’t have been better. The orange glow from the candles lit their faces just enough to give it the right amount of detail and emotion and capture the essence of the moment. The customs and cultural traditions of these Arab Iraqi men don’t allow me to socialize with them , not as a woman, nor as a photographer. It was my camera that allowed me access to their world.

Developing a relationship with your subjects is the best way to get access. Gaining people’s trust is the only way to be allowed a glimpse into their lives.
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Can you tell us a little bit about the image titled “Lunch Break” in Moche, Peru? What were they eating? And how did that shot come to happen?

That image is from a story I did for Saveur Magazine on pre-Inca civilizations and the food they eat and how those same foods are still eaten. The image is of security guards at the famous Moche Ruins near Trujillo on their lunch break. I was so drawn to the light in this little eating area and I was following this woman who feeds all the workers at this ancient ruin. When she brought food to these men it was like a gift from the Incan Gods.

Can you share with me one of your most memorable travel experiences?

One of my most memorable experiences was my first international food assignment. It was in Chile traveling with writer/restauranteur Maricel Presilla. Keep in mind this was my first full feature food assignment, and my background up to this point was in documentary and photojournalism. Those first few days in Chile I was completely blown away. I had stumbled upon the missing link in my life. It’s like I found the lover I had been looking for. The idea of making pictures about food culture and food was a true awakening for me. I had never married the two ideas together in an assignment. The writer was great too, she completely fueled me, guiding me through markets telling me about the history of foods, about how they are used, encouraging me to taste this and smell that. It was this very clear idea of cultural anthropology around food and using the camera to show it. It completely turned my world upside down.

When I look at your portrait work I’m blown away. You photograph such beautiful real people. What do you like best about photographing people?

What I love about photographing people is the challenge of taking all the elements of who they are and then being creative and putting those elements together, considering light, composition and color all hopefully coming together in one single frame to make a nice portrait of that person.

You now have a blog called Appetite, giving us even more glimpses of your work. I love your trip to Vietnam and your images from “A Day In The Life Of Rick Bayless’ Topolobampo”.  You captured a beautiful elegant energy there. That assignment must have been so much fun!  So tell me, what drew you to blogging?

I realized after everyone I met asked me the same questions over and over about my job, different countries, different travels…maybe, just maybe I could talk about what I do and perhaps it would be interesting, educational, humorous and on a good day inspirational. I am still learning a lot about blogging but more than anything I have met some amazing people and discovered an entirely new community. The biggest surprise is how encouraging it has been.

Now the nitty gritty: what do you like to shoot with? Do you have any favorite gear in your bag when you travel? As a travel and documentary photographer I imagine you must always be prepared for any and every moment.

I like to keep it simple Matt, Canon 5D, upgrading to the MarkII next month. I only keep a couple of lenses in my bag but usually only use one, Canon’s 24-105 ultrasonic with the image stabilizer. That lens is beautiful. When I’m in the field I don’t want to draw any attention to myself, I want people to forget about me, so I usually just carry one body and one lens and maybe a flash. My best tools are my instincts and just watching, anticipating and always being ready.

You make my heart sing at various times of the time with your tweets about having stumbling upon the “perfect light” when you are out shooting.  I feel like we’re kindred spirits that way! Do you have a particular favorite time of day to photograph?

I’m a sucker for beautiful light. On assignment I’m up just before dawn wandering the streets as light breaks and in the evening between 6-8pm I’m looking for that golden light or long shadows.

What do you think of current editorial food photography? Is there anything that stands out to you particularly?

I think it’s an exciting time for food photography. People are really interested in food and the culture around it more than ever right now. I’m inspired by magazines like Gourmet, Donna Hay and Saveur that present food in such a natural and mouth-watering way.

I must tell you, I was completely in love with your cover of Saveur. This was right before I met you, actually. I think you’ve managed to capture exactly what Saveur does best — almost a reporting style coverage of real people with real food. Can you tell me a little bit more about that cover?

I shot a ton of images for that cover, but the one they ran was ironically one of the first ones I made. It was shot at the Saveur Test Kitchen in New York City. That issue just received a big award nationally from the Society Of American Magazines. That cover was my first cover ever on a national magazine. Best part on that shoot, we had breakfast all day!

You’ve recently done some work for Martha Stewart. When can we see that on the newstands?

The Martha Stewart feature is running in the June issue. It’s a feature on San Antonio’s Tex-Mex culture and food. I also shot a lot for Saveur’s June issue which is dedicated to our home state of Texas.

Thank you so much Penny! One last question: What advice would you give to up-and-coming photographers or those seeking to explore a career in photography?

My advice to anyone wanting to pursue photography as a career or at the beginning of their photography career is to shoot as much as possible. Look at as many photographs in books and magazine and galleries as you can take. Have some form of a camera with you always and consciously make pictures of your life. Exercise your eyes in some form everyday.

And finally, words that I live by and am constantly inspired by, and remind me of why I do what I do (in fact I’m about to paint this on a wall in my house):

“If you are going to photograph people you require a camera,
If you are going to photograph people well, you must understand them well,
If you are going to photograph humanity, you must always understand your own heart and soul”
-Eve Arnold

All copyrighted photos on this post courtesy Penny De Los Santos