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The Style Tales

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The Style Tales

FOOD STYLIST | FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER

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@christall.lowe

2 days.
8 restaurants.
16 collaborating chefs.
8 incredible dishes.
1959 photos to sort through and edit for @plateoforigin @cuisinemagazine.
Epic and extremely delicious week!
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And SUCH an honour and a privilege to be backstage with these amazing chefs, and to taste their creations as well. .
This here was image number 1958 (image 1959 is an “I’m finished!” selfie). I’ll share more of the others over the coming weeks and let you know what Plate of Origin is all about, and how you too can get to try all these incredible dishes.
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Here’s the dreamy collaborative dish from @amayjentherestaurant and @pacificarestaurant. It’s a melt in your mouth dream ft. venison and pekepeke kiore (amazing wild mushroom which was also made into a meringue!).
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Also, I’m announcing my first collaboration for the year in a few days....think Amayjen dessert masterclass combined with a food styling and photography workshop....yep it’s a happening thing.
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Happy Friday!
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#thestyletales #plateoforigin

I was nominated ages ago by @sachakannstyling to share 5 things about myself including my worst baking fail! So here goes:
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1. I hate cooked peas. The only time I ever ate them as an adult was when I first met my now husbands Grandmother, and she dished me up a big roast dinner with a huge side of peas. I was definitely not going to leave a single one on my plate!
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2. I don’t like having wet hands. Ergh.
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3. I looooove anything cherry scented or flavoured. Orange comes a very close second.
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4. I’m actually an interior architect by qual, but have been a serial entrepreneur for 20 years now, and I became a food stylist and food photographer because I LOVE food so much and I didn’t want to become a chef (although I did entertain the idea).
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5. Worst baking fail...when I went gluten free for a while. And made my whole family do so as well. And the baking fails were daily 😂😂 Solid brick bread was a speciality and I’ll also never make a chocolate cake with buckwheat flour ever again - the soap flavour still haunts me.
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But this chocolate cake here....yes please.
Onto the second to last #eatcaptureshare challenge with @thelittleplantation - side light. My FAVOURITE.
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#thestyletales #chocolatecake #chiaroscuro #sidelight

I’m a day late (unless it’s still Tuesday somewhere in the world!) for the #eatcaptureshare challenge with @thelittleplantation, but I still wanted to share this image I captured last year for a very special passion project (and hopefully book!) documenting all my family recipes and traditions. Also documenting my Grandparents, parents and whanau members in their environments - just so special.
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This is my Nana’s steamed pudding that she taught me how to make and boy was it good. Not a lot of trickery here to capture that steam - just backlight (important when capturing steam and smoke), and because this was SUPER CRAZY steamy it was pure magic to capture! Must make another one soon 💚💚
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#backlightphotography #thestyletales #steamedpudding

Things I learned from @joshemett:
- That car petrol flaps have handy petrol cap holders inside them. True story! Go check yours!
- How to make the most delicious and super simple blueberry tart. This was a taste sensation! Recipe/how to in his highlights 🙌🏼🙌🏼
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Thought this would also be perfect for today’s #eatcaptureshare challenge with @thelittleplantation “Three’s company”. Captured mid consumption with just the right amount of ice cream melt 💓💓💜💜
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#thestyletales #blueberrypie #blueberrytart #galette

This most divine beer sourdough that I got my hands on today from @thecraftedandco @bakerbossrich just begged to have its photo taken. Just before I sliced it and slathered it in butter to have with my lunch. That was just after I’d eaten the ginger kiss and salted caramel cronut (see my stories 🤤). Absolute epicness all round!
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#thestyletales #chiaroscuro #darkandmoody #sourdoughbread

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt” - Charles M Schulz.
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Also, ice cream and berries 😋🍦🍓
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“Twinning”, the @thelittleplantation #eatcaptureshare theme today. Twice the love? Or double trouble.... 😆😋
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#thestyletales @kohu_road #icecreamlove #chocolatetart

It’s all about the numbers.
Most people say it isn’t but I say it is.
It’s about the important numbers - the ones that quantify your goals!
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This year I made big goals, and they were ALLLL based on numbers.
And income figure $$$.
The number of followers I want on Insta (yep it’s a goal!)
The number of cookbooks I want to publish (okay it’s just 1 but it’s still a very important number!)
The number of new big clients, blog posts per month, shoot days per week, Pinterest monthly views, magazine features, videos per month, Instagram lives and workshop/courses for the year.
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Without numbers, these goals are just sorta floating around with nothing much to measure against. And IMO, goals need to be measurable.
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And one of my goals, as silly as it seems (especially because “Insta etiquette” is that you don’t worry your little head about numbers) is that I’d get over 1000 likes on a post! And I did it! Whoop! Without buying likes or any such tactics. And today I care about numbers and don’t care if I seem silly to be excited about 1000 likes on a post 😂And I know so many out there that have huge followings and garner 1000 likes in a matter of minutes, but for a little fish like me, I’m celebrating my goal win 🎉🎉 Go the white on white pavlova! And thanks SO much for the love.
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How about you? Are you a numbers person?
#thestyletales #sugarcoated #donutsdonutsdonuts

Yesterday I talked about how much I love and need my props.
Today I didn’t even use a single one.
Not even a plate!
Such a paradox.
But also, such a normal day in the life of.
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“Only child” is today’s @thelittleplantation #eatcaptureshare theme. Black Forest pavlova because it’s cherry season 🍒🍒😍😍
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Behind the scenes in my stories... #thestyletales #blackforestpavlova #pavlova #cherryontop

Shout out to my trusty props 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Without whom I’d only ever have half a photo 😆
Speaking of, I’m always on the lookout for more 👀 and in particular...gorgeous textured/speckled stoneware in neutral tones. If you know of any, please feel free to tag! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

Back in 2013 I came across two images that made me want to become a food stylist and photographer - although such a vocation wasn’t even on my radar back then. I was running an online homeware store yet had all these visions of becoming some kind of foodie....but it was a far, far off dream. And one I didn’t even know was possible.
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Anyways. The two images that captured my attention were - a beautifully captured breakfast setting of waffles, maple syrup and a chemex coffee maker, in a white setting....and a flatlay of fresh fruit and veges on a rustic teal blue old wooden table with peeling paint. Both images from different people (and sadly both have disappeared from the World Wide Web).
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But these images stick with me even six years later, and to be honest it’s a lovely reminder that anything is possible. It was a hilarious (delirious) dream I had to become a food stylist and photographer but I never gave up! And finally, six years later, I made the teal blue rustic wooden backdrop that captured me in the first place. Thanks Kimberly for the “blue” #eatcaptureshare theme! And because it’s summer here in NZ, I thought it only apt to capture blueberries in the sunshine. @thelittleplantation 💙💙
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#thestyletales #blueberries #tealblue

White on white on white.
I loved today’s “White” #eatcaptureshare challenge with @thelittleplantation. I actually had another image to share but I wanted to actually try out some white against white (as opposed to white on black), and I couldn’t go past a good pavlova with all its gloss and swirls!
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I love the different tones and shadows you can create with light - even that dark wall is white, it’s just in the shadows. As for this very calm, idyllic, Nordic inspired setting....check out my stories for the actual behind the scenes. It’s not what you think.
PS. It rarely is 😆
#thestyletales #nordicstyle #whiteonwhite #scandi #pavlova

Blueberry season. The obsession is real. And so is the obsession with dusting icing sugar over everything because contrast!
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All the kids are back at school today after a little health blip, so I’m making the most of this home alone situation and tackling admin and prepping for shoots. How’s your Thursday looking?
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#blueberrypancakes #blueberryseason #thestyletales

christall.lowe@gmail.com

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