Budget Travel Cover Shoot on Newstands now!

A while ago I posted about our adventure down in New Orleans shooting the October cover with Amy and Amy from Budget Travel. It's on newsstands soon--be sure to grab one so the publishers/advertisers get the message that NOLA tourism sells!

The magazine had the subtitle on its way to the publishers before this year's storms came their way: "You thought a hurricane or two could keep this city down?" Stet!

We worked hard to make the cover authentic enough to be shot by a couple of ex-locals. Our hometown had to look instantly recognizable, but not cliche. A hot red dress helps in that department.

In T: New York Times Style Magazine this weekend!

If you don't get the New York Times, and you want to see our take on the new scene B.E.L.T. "below the elevated train" in the burg, go to the website's interactive map.

If you get the magazine, flip to "hipster replacement" ha!

We each got stylin tee-shirts on this shoot: I'm wearing my Frenchie's tank top right now. Frenchie of Frenchie's Gym on 303 Broadway, a 67-year old Puerto Rican body builder, deserves a story in the Times all his own. You can see the old school, no nonsense, no a/c gym from the B.Q.E. He's been in there coaching and cajoling giant young men from the neighborhood to "Do it with Love!" since 1976.

Maybe you need to spend an afternoon with the "community organizers" down at Frenchie's, Mr. Rudy Giuliani.

Upper Michigan

We missed the August issue of Travel + Leisure on the newsstands because we were shooting for T+L in Greece! But Wendy was kind enough to send it over on her busy last week at the magazine. So here you are, for us a blast from the past, our story on a tiny spit of land, the Keeweenaw Penisula, that juts into Lake Superior.


Our favorite memories from this trip are represented by these two photos. The clouds zip in and out of the sky at a trippy stop-action speed. Lake Superior is so large it creates its own weather. And the five monks who live at the Society of St. John's Poor Rock Abbey Jampot make the most divine wild strawberry jam. They bake breads and hunt for wild strawberries and make jams--even while fasting--even in the snow--and are by far the most joyous subjects I've yet to encounter.

PS: The Jampot has an online shop! Just a taste: here's what you get in Seasonal Selection #1: "Contains twelve jars, one each of Wild Thimbleberry, Wild Blueberry, Blackberry-Cherry, Apricot-Raspberry, Brandied Peach, and Black Cherry Jams; of Wild Apple- Chokecherry, Wild Crabapple, Pear-Cinnamon, Dandelion, and Wild Sugarplum Jellies; and of Grape Butter." $60.00




Tearsheets are bigger on the website!

Pig Roast!

This weekend, Sean Stanton is hosting his fifth Annual Pig Roast in Great Barrington. We met Sean years ago when he let us borrow his dog for a cover shoot, then selflessly invited us (and the model) back to the farm for fresh blueberries, eggs, milk, and tomatoes of all descriptions. The Volvo broke down and he ferried us back to the hotel. Sean farms for Dan Barber of Blue Hill among others, and has a little chef cult following I'm happy to be included in. We attended in 2006:







So if you're going to be near GB next weekend, stop by and say hello for me! 205 North Plain Road, from 4 to 8pm. No piglets will be roasted!

Apple Picking!

Can you believe it's technically fall already? Last year we spent September in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma: places where fall takes time coming.

We photographed Susie Otts and her teens apple picking in Sharon, CT early last October for Everyday with Rachel Ray, and then joined a talented team in the studio in NYC to photograph the recipes.

Here's shots from the orchard:







We went to the Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm twice last fall to stock up on apples and golden raspberries.

Here's the 6 page story in the magazine, on newsstands now. Click through to our tearsheets page on the "official" Morgan & Owens site to see bigger versions. James revamped the tearsheets page last month to make room for all these big stories coming out. Whoo-hoo! Look at how many photos they used! I think this story challenges the record holder, the April 07 Budget Travel Brooklyn feature, for most images per page. Everyday has great, photo-friendly design.

The recipes are pretty good too. Try the chili.

The Sixth Borough?

I've just posted notes from our feature shoot last weekend in Philly at the other blog I write for occasionally A History of New York.

We were in Philadelphia for a few days while shooting a feature for Budget Travel. While we were there we did a little extra-curricular cheering for Obama at a gathering in Independence Park, test-tasted the local iced coffee, and imagined what it would be like if we lived there instead of here. My dear departed friend Peter Ryan used to live there, so it has a little soft spot in my heart. We used to repeat his refrain, "Philly's dope. Everyone just skates and hangs out" whenever he'd mention the name of his hometown. Needless to say, we had a great time shooting this feature, and look forward to seeing the story "25 things we love about Philadelphia" when it comes out April 09.