Hotel Photography New England

I feel like the whole world is poised at the starting line of a race, just waiting for the signal, and when it goes off we’re all going to run as fast as we can to all the places we’ve been dreaming of.  While we’ve been staying home and safe, the hotels have been getting ready for us.  Where will you go when it’s time to travel?

We recently completed a hotel photography project featuring lifestyle photos of ‘guests’ enjoying themselves at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA.  Having used the down time during the pandemic to renovate their lobby, the hotel wanted to feature the warm tones and inviting spaces that would await guests as they returned to travelling.

As a commercial photographer in Boston this was a dream project to work on because there were so few guests at the time that we were able really spread out and make full use of the space. That’s something that would never be possible otherwise with a hotel in the middle of Harvard Square!

Support Your Local

Prior to COVID-19 hitting, I had the pleasure of shooting a piece for Northshore Magazine focusing on The Bancroft, a modern American steakhouse located in Burlington MA. Reflecting upon this niche restaurant, it hit me that we ALL need to support our local businesses and restaurants, while they are struggling to keep afloat. Our restaurants are feeling the impending pressure to try and make it during this challenging time and it is going to take all of us, making a concerted effort of dining out (or take-out) to keep these places that we love in business. So whether it is The Bancroft or local brew pubs or American eateries - enjoy the restaurants, celebrate the chefs and the staff that work hard day in and day out to provide a service and support their efforts!

Unexpected, Fields of Gold

This photo story, done for Yankee Magazine, is a celebration of the sweet corn harvest in the Berkshires and quickly turned into an education about varieties like "sugar & butter" and "Kiss n' Tell."  One in particular, "Fields of Gold" had so much more meaning once Dan Tawczynski told of the day when a limousine pulled up, cooler was loaded with the sweet variety and off it went to JFK, the Concorde and ultimately London, to be served later that evening.  Tawczynski's crops were that special!  Since his farming career started in the early 1960's, he worked to perfect some sugar-enhanced varieties such as Jubilee, 274A and the special favorite, Silver Queen.  It became quite evident that Tawczynski's farm would be producing corn for quite some time, because summer would not be summer without it; whether here locally or even overseas.  

The late season assignment ended up being a bit of a challenge when an early frost came through the Great Barrington, MA farm the evening before I arrived.  We quickly pivoted and focused on an upward angle portrait of Tawcynski in the one field left standing.  Afterward, we worked hard to capture the corn variations & recipes, working in the studio with food stylist, Catrine Kelty.  With Catrine on board we were able to bring to life the beauty of the corn that we weren’t able to capture in the field.

Fast Breakfast

Quick breakfast of Siggi's Yogurt from Roche Brothers before my shoot!

Roche Brothers Muffins

It was a pretty gloomy day in Boston today but it's always a sunny morning in the studio with Roche Brothers Blueberry Muffins!  #bostonfoodphotographer #foodphotography #rochebrothers

The Pickers

For the past several summers I have been working with Red Tomato documenting farms, and in particular farmworkers, along the East Coast.  It is by far my favorite thing that I get to do all year. Something about being out with the sun on my face and my feet in the dirt just really makes me feel good. Along the way I got to know a lot of the men and women that bring food to our table and have been honored to tell their story.  I'm looking forward to getting back out there again this year!

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Harvard GSD: Platform 9

For the past couple of years I've had the honor of photographing for the Harvard Graduate School of Design's annual publication: Platform. As a Boston architecture photographer this project was a complete dream come true. Platform is a compendium of selected student works highlighting novel ideas in architecture. This year, amazing architect and assistant professor Jennifer Bonner took the reins of Platform 9: Still Life and suggested adding color to the whole project.  Jennifer was inspired by the work of Barbara Kasten and asked I could incorporate some of the feeling of Kasten's work into the project.  It was an interesting and welcome challenge to experiment with colored lights on set.  In some instances we used fairly complex color theory to balance while getting colored shadows, at other times we were purely experimenting. What resulted was a beautiful, whacky, colorful arrangement of still lives that ultimately graced both the publication, as well as the gallery space in the Harvard GSD building alongside the models themselves.

Below I've included the colorful Platform 9 images, shots of the show in the Harvard GSD Gallery, as well as some portraits of Harvard GSD faculty and architectural model shots from previous years.

You can see even more of my work for Platform over the years here

(Shots of works in the physical gallery copyright: Justin Knight & Harvard University Graduate School of Design)

Cover of Platform 9: Still Life

Inside page of Platform 9: Still Life

Pictures in the Harvard GSD Gallery.  Copyright Harvard GSD/Justin Knight

Inside page of Platform 9: Still Life

Edible Boston: New City Microcreamery

For my most recent article in Edible Boston I got a chance to check out the New City Microcreamery in Hudson, MA.  Opened in May 2015 by the same people who brought the Rail Trail Flatbread Co. to Hudson (located across the street), the microcreamery brings a new spin to an old practice.  Each batch of ice-cream is cooled with liquid nitrogen, resulting in a very cool (literally) cloud that is a wonder to watch.  

It's such a neat and interesting thing to see the ice cream being made, so I brought my trusty black background to isolate the process from it's surroundings. 

Boston Harbor Hotel: Beyond Compare

I'm honored and excited to be working with the Boston Harbor Hotel, making architectural images of their newly renovated rooms and revamped room service menu.  As a Boston hotel photographer, there really isn’t a better property I can think of to work on. The hotel sits right on Boston Harbor at beautiful Rowes Wharf, offering sweeping views of both the harbor and city, it really is beyond compare.  

Working with food stylist, Catrine Kelty, we took an editorial approach to shooting the food on the room service menu and got some great results.  Robin Reilly styled the guest room shots and boy was I glad to have her there!

Catrine taking a break on the balcony overlooking the harbor.

Sometimes you've gotta jump on the bed to get the shot.

You can see more of my hotel and spa photography here.

Improper Bostonian: SHOES!

For a recent issue of the Improper Bostonian, I got to work with the very talented stylist, Jessica Young to create these colorful and playful shots of fashion sneakers.

Misha & Puff

I had the opportunity to work with Anna Wallack over at Misha & Puff to create these super cute laydowns of kids knitwear.  So much personality in those clothes!

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DownEast & Improper: THANKSGIVING

There are some times that being a food photographer really pays off.  One of those times is leading up to Thanksgiving.  This year I got to bring home the leftovers from not one, not two, but THREE Thanksgiving dinners!  Below are the pictures from the first two with DownEast Magazine and the Improper Bostonian.  

Edible Boston: Dancing Goats Dairy

One of my favorite assignments from Edible Boston's Summer 2015 issue was the story on Dancing Goats Dairy in Newbury MA.  I had the opportunity to go up to the farm, tucked away on a beautiful corner of Tendercrop Farm, and spend the day with owner Erin Bligh.  I rarely encounter people that so clearly love what they do.  As writer Deb Kaneb so eloquently puts it, "Pure joy radiates from Erin Bligh when she talks about her treasured goats and the journey that led her to build a goat dairy on the North Shore of Massachusetts last year."  

While we walked around the farm the baby goats followed Erin with bounding excitement wherever she went.  As I got to meet more of them it became clear that they each have their own personalities.  Some were curious, others boisterous, and some had a clear interest in being photographers!

After shooting the story at the farm I decided it would be a perfect place to start my first short film.  With a few days of filming I've collected a mountain of footage to sift through. Stay tuned in the coming months for the Dancing Goats movie!

Boston Magazine: Best Of Boston

Every year Boston Magazine does a Best of Boston issue to highlight the shining stars of Boston.  I got to cover some of the best new restaurants and food stuffs around town (and got to try a few samples as well!).

I started by heading over to Menton to photograph Chef Scott Jones' latest creation, hot dogs!  You might think you heard that wrong, yes Menton is serving hot dogs.  These are no ordinary hot dogs though.  With such choices as the foie-gras frankfurter and the lobster roll dog, these are definitely gourmet.  

What started as a birthday tradition for Chef Jones, hot dogs and champagne, has become a welcome new addition to Menton's menu.

Even Creative Director, Eric Mongeon, got in on the food styling!

Next up I went over to Matt Jenning's new restaurant, Townsman.  Located where Chinatown meets the Financial district, Townsman fills a void in dining options in the area.  The roasted lamb ribs with maple-rhubarb barbecue sauce is a can't miss, and the brown bread with maple-honey whipped butter served atop the bottom side of a maple syrup can is as fun as it is delicious.  

Lastly I headed to back to my studio with the one and only Catrine Kelty to shoot some summer barbecue.  Want to have a barbecue but hate to cook?  Check out places like Fort Hill Jerk Chicken in Roxbury or Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar for some great takeout options.