Trained Arbourists (with a 100% job placement for grads!) practise one of those unique trades that always gets my attention,but especially on this rainy morning. I was on my way to a photoshoot where we were featuring a smoked food product.
It’s difficult to show “smokiness” (unless it’s real smoke shown against a black background…which today’s shot wasn’t going to be). I had some mesquite chips to use as props, but they were quite dark in colour and in tiny bits.
So serendipidously, the gents pruning and chipping maple branches were kind enough to give me a bag of the lighter coloured, larger sized wood chips when I pulled over and asked them for some to spare.
This is how I treated the chips in the studio….I torched them with a butane torch, and extinguished the fire and embers with water spritz. The charred wood chips then got patted dry, and made their statement on set as a prop, with the smokey flavoured food.
I’m not sure if the burnt wood chips will get used in the end…we shot it with AND without them, as they do look “strong”…but it did happily make the studio smell like a woodsy bond fire.
Here’s is a shot of a Dancing Beer Can Chicken recipe I styled for Chicken Farmers of Ontario a few years ago, with photographer Michael Waring.I think the burning logs really make the shot…REAL logs, REAL fire, REAL smoke. REAL fun.
