Back to the farm/ Williams Sonoma/ Fall, 2015

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

As in most photo shoots, there are many shots that just can’t fit onto the pages of a catalog or magazine. When Studio Marcus Hay, Inc joined Williams Sonoma in Fishkill Farm for Open Kitchen we shot for 3 days solid and straight days, come rain or shine. We even spent the first day shooting product shots under the only outdoor covered area, which was the verandah leading off the farm store during heavy rain, needless to say we all returned to the hotel that night fulfilled but a little damper.

The great thing about being on an outdoor photo shoot is that it is always an adventure and while you work hard often creating environments in the middle of nowhere, you always have mother nature to help you along as a backdrop, but as we all know mother nature is unpredictable and at times a little wild so you do have to be sensible and at times deal with unruly situations. I can only imagine what it is like working on a farm, dealing with these elements, your day determined by the weather as a start.

Dodging sunburn, ticks and other critters is part and parcel and stylists that turn up in high heals looking for the glam world of photography ain't going to cut it on a farm and let me tell you I have had some of those Assistants in my day but thankfully I had a great robustly enthusiastic team, a big shout out to Quin, Andrea and Jill for being such troopers.

I grew up in the city but I would occasionally visit my second cousin’s farm in rural Australia and I often laugh at the memory of the wispy fringed blond kid in my Blondie T-Shirt being whisked around on the back of a motorbike over acres of muddy property clinging to the back of one my much tougher third cousin’s waist (who indecently were all from a family of girls) for dear life. I was scared to death but I still kind of loved it. For a city fellow, the farm still brings out an inner delight but I have to say a hot shower at the end of the day is what I crave for most of the day.

Thanks again to Fishkill Farm for being so accommodating and Thanks again to Williams Sonoma for the opportunity.

The Fishkill Farm story was photographed by the uber talented Mikkel Vang, Food Stylist Alison Attenborough also wove her magic, Also check out the video for the project we shot and extra pics including all the guests from the farm here at the Williams Sonoma Taste blog. 

Williams Sonoma/ Open Kitchen/ Fishkill Farm

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

Photography: Mikkel Vang, Styling: Studio Marcus Hay, Inc

At the beginning of June, Studio Marcus Hay joined the Williams Sonoma team at Fishkill Farm in Hopewell, Upstate NY to help produce a story for the Fall Catalog, styling an event to be photographed on the farm for the Open Kitchen line available at Williams Sonoma.  

Fishkill Farms is a historic apple orchard that has been in the Morgenthau family for nearly 100 years. With the hard work and dedication of the team, Fishkill Farms has grown from a conventionally farmed apple orchard in need of new trees and new tractors, into a diversified, ecological farm with new orchards and infrastructures. Here are the additions to the farm in the past few years:15 acres of diverse vegetable plantings, pasture-raised hens, many acres of new fruit trees, farmer's markets nearby and in New York City, and a pick-your-own CSA. The mission of the farm has been to marry its historic identity as a family "u-pick" apple orchard, with the Fishkill Farms team's shared goals of diversification and environmental stewardship through sustainable farming methods.

It is a wonderfully inspiring place and the Fishkill Farm folk were a pleasure to work with the team. We spent a number of days there shooting a menu for a dinner that took place in one of the apple orchards.Studio Marcus Hay created a table setting for 

Special thanks to our team members Jill Skoda and Andrea Greco who went above and beyond and stayed very late on the last night to pack up. It was wonderful to work with Photographer Mikkel Vang, It was a long time between drinks and of course Food Stylist Alison Attenborough and Art Director Scot Schy.