How would you describe this project in one word? “Creamy,” smiles Christina. “I grew up in Austria where the hills are dotted with dairy farms, vending machines offer cups of milk, and there’s a famous street lined with creameries near my hometown.”

Turns out, there’s a little bit of Austria in Northern California. Christina started with great animal portraits shot in Marin and Sonoma Counties and paired them with delicious fall dishes that had dairy as a central ingredient.

“Julie Smith, the food stylist, started with a roulade to rival my most vivid childhood memories,” reminisces Christina. “Then, she fed our creativity and appetites with warm bread smothered in Panna Cotta garnished with pomegranates and ripe figs.”

Jody Kennedy, the photo stylist, had a blast pairing the “talent” with appropriate props. And Christina’s associate, Jeff Johnson, played a large part in bringing this dairy tale to life. The entire crew enjoyed seamless energy on the set that shows itself in the final compositions.

Foods that grow together go together. The complete simplicity of a locally made cheese only needs a slice of locally baked bread as a companion to make a soulful meal. It seems the same goes for artists. Christina was able to create a true collaboration with the entire crew.

“The hand model put on another crew member’s sweater for warmth,” recalls Christina, “and that inspired Julie to create a warm breakfast of oatmeal, wheat berries, wilted Swiss chard and a slice of Cypress Grove Humbolt Fog which melted to make a creamy sauce.”

If you want your next project to float to the top, have a look at the rest of Photographer Christina Schmidhofer’s work here. It’s just as creamy.

What does the digital economy look like from the outside? Photographer Brian Smale set out on a three-week odyssey to document the lands that technology forgot. The trip took him from the Columbia River Gorge to Juarez, Mexico in search of hope.

“Microsoft provides tech education to schools in rural communities and their “Airband” technology utilizes unused ‘white spaces’ in TV broadcast signals to bring internet service to homes and small businesses,” explains Brian. “To me, it’s some kind of magic.”

Microsoft launched the Techspark initiative for the underserved places in the world. This shoot took Brian and his assistant, Lucien Knuteson, from eastern Washington, to the birthplaces of the Burrito and Margarita in Juarez, MX, to southern Virginia and back to Cheyenne, WY.

The most striking thing about these locations was their stark emptiness. “Most of these places were very sparsely populated, so it’s not surprising no one had invested in broadband access,” recalls Brian. “But in Juarez, we met the grandson of the inventor of the Burrito in the shop his grandfather owned.”

“We had no required ‘shot list’ and fairly limited time to cover some pretty large areas,” Brian recalls. “We didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the best light or cooperative weather, so we just plowed ahead and shot whatever seemed interesting that crossed our path.”

After years of doing portraiture for this client, the freedom to shoot landscapes made this a dream job. Originally, he planned on using his regular photo gear for the shoot but brought along a drone at the last minute.

“A lot of the places we went were best seen from the air, and in many cases, only accessible by drone,” smiles Brian. “I don’t think I’ll ever do another landscape shoot without one. Besides, drones are really, really fun.”

If your next project could benefit from a different perspective, download the project book and explore the rest of Brian Smale’s work here. You’re going to like the view.

Photographer Nader Khouri is on a mission to show people the good life and healthy choices are something they can achieve. His passions for food, photography, and holistic living are evident in every shot he takes.

“My life changed by complete chance two decades ago,” Nader recalls. “In college, I read ‘Spontaneous Healing’ by Dr. Andrew Weil and became passionate about living as natural a life as possible. That meant no fast food, no hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, and more colorful vegetables in my diet.”

“I’ve spent the years since learning what it takes to live the most optimally healthy and fulfilling life,” reflects Nader. “I talk a lot about the 80/20 rule—eat a clean diet 80% of the time and then allow yourself some indulgences the other 20%.

Okay, so tell me about the Good Life part? Nader realizes it’s not just about what you eat that’s part of living your best life. His philosophy around his work also includes exercise, having fun, and striving to improve your quality of life.

“I have learned in my own life that part of feeling fulfilled includes getting out there and enjoying exercise and leisure. Staying home all the time and isolating yourself because you are on a strict diet isn’t good either.”

This year, Nader has been able to serve his clients’ needs and advance his message of health and wellness for companies like Hestan Cue Smart Cooking, Mixt, and several esteemed hotels, restaurants and wineries.

Balance. Depth. Detail. Color. It sounds like a life well lived and a photograph well taken. Is that art imitating life or life imitating art? “I can’t imagine separating them,” chuckles Nader, “so I’m not sure it matters.”

If your next project could benefit from Nader’s perspectives on health, get a taste of the rest of his work here. You’ll feel better for it.

What gets your attention when you’re trying to shoot still photography and direct film during the same shoot? Avalanches. When one of your elite athletes gets buried in snow while driving to the shoot, well, survival makes its way to the top of the list.

“Photography and film require two different skill sets,” explains Andrew. “Yes, both mediums work with cameras, lighting, and composition, but storytelling through motion is a different process, you need to think beyond the still frame.”

In addition to the challenges of simultaneously running film and photography shoots, the already tight three-day schedule landed in the middle of a record-breaking snowstorm that blanketed the Colorado High Country with 50+ inches of snow in 48 hours. Time to break out the ski snorkels.

“In three days, we experienced everything the Rockies could throw at us,” exclaims Andrew. “Highway and road closures, whiteout conditions, avalanches, rain, and more than four feet of snow. I mean, that’s taller than some of the kids we were shooting!”

Andrew doesn’t like to work with a script for this type of shoot, but a storyboard and creative brief is vital. He knew this campaign was built around the sense of place. What sets Vail apart from other iconic mountains is the surroundings.

“This was an exciting project,” smiles Andrew. “Not only to work for one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but to face whatever Mother Nature threw at us while pushing beyond my previous boundaries.”

No doubt about it, this was a double-black-diamond shoot. But despite the demands, Andrew never got out over his skis. And in the end, Vail came out looking “Like Nothing On Earth.”

If you’re looking to elevate your brand, take a run at the rest of Director/Photographer Andrew Maguire’s work here. The bar has been raised.

What does it feel like when a movie franchise that’s grossed $1.6B worldwide picks you to illustrate their latest tie-in book? It feels like you can fly.

“They asked that I submit sample art for Hiccup, Toothless and Astrid,” recalls Shane. “Character designs hadn’t been released yet, so I created samples using the characters as they appeared in the previous film, but rendered in a new line-art style developed by the studio.”

Shane proved he was world class, and that he could keep secrets. Specific plot points and new characters are often kept under wraps because of the very real danger of leaks. New characters can still be in development while the tie-in products are being produced.

Researching a project is nothing new to Shane, but this didn’t feel like work. “In addition to studying reference material from the studio, I watched the first two movies for background,” he explains. “Many key scenes in the books were also in the movies, so I had that available to me as well.”

Turns out, drawing dragons is as hard as riding them. “One of my biggest challenges was Toothless,” Shane confirms. “There was a lot of trial and error on my part to use just the right amount of black so the details of his body and face would be readable. The studio’s blueprints of Hiccup’s flying harness were also very precise.”

Every frame, every character, every detail is meticulously reviewed by the studio’s art department. Revisions are indicated by a sketch overlay of the submitted frames until Shane delivers the final art.

“This project was a deep dive into the Dragons series, of which I’m now a real fan,” reflects Shane. “It is always fun to work with characters beloved by so many – myself included.”

If you need your next project to take flight, check out the rest of Shane’s work here. You’ll start to believe that anything is possible.