Last week I had the pleasure of working with Cleo’s Fine Oils & Vinegars in Annapolis to create some food images for their new packaging brochures. It was only the second time I had shot food for a specific client. Usually I purchase and prepare food myself, style the shot and finally take the photographs to add to my stock portfolio. It was so wonderful to work with someone else and have their help and creative input. Not to mention how many more images came out of a four hour shoot!
Linda, the co-owner of Cleo’s and her marketing director, Dee created eight different dishes for me to photograph, ranging from the smoked gouda and tomato hors d’oeuvres seen above, to salsa, salads, sides and yummy desserts. All the dishes incorporated one or more of Cleo’s flavored oils, vinegars and salts to create more complex flavors. The addition of Cleo’s ingredients definitely took the foods from ordinary to gourmet with little additional effort. Many of the recipes I photographed can be found on their website, such as this one for Chocolate Orange Mini cupcakes:
Part of the beauty of adding flavored vinegars, oils and spices to your dishes is that it adds so much flavor without adding tons of calories or unhealthy ingredients. I have been a fan of quinoa for a few years now, but it definitely needs a little something to add flavor. On it’s own quinoa is rather bland. With the addition of a few veggies and some lemon white balsamic, quinoa goes from meh… to Mmmm!
Vegetables become so much more interesting with the addition of a few extra flavors. A little olive oil is a heathy addition and flavored oils add that much more flavor. I have become a big fan of Cleo’s Agrumato Lime Olive Oil – I’ve always loved citrus flavors! Here are some roasted carrots with olive oil and thyme finished with Black Hawaiian Sea Salt we did for the shoot:
And here is a beautiful Japanese Carrot and Diakon Salad dressed with Cleo’s Pacific Spice Vinegar and Toasted Sesame Oil:
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Cleo’s and love their products! If you are in the Annapolis area, you can find them in the Annapolis Towne Centre, or you can purchase from them over the phone and have it shipped directly to you. I look forward to working with them in the future, discovering more uses for their quality products and adding more of their tasty dishes to my food photography portfolio.
If you would like to add any of these images to your blog, magazine or other publication, you may license them at iStock.com by clicking on any of the images above.
Happy Friday! Eat well and enjoy today!
1MoreCreative 
Nice photos and interesting post.