Red Land Cotton — From Field to Fabric

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Red Land Cotton, I was invited to photograph something rare — not just the product, but the entire journey behind it.

Field. Gin. Mill. Cut and sew. Family.

I drove to Moulton, Alabama the day before the shoot. We walked the cotton field at sunset, toured the mill, and stepped carefully through the cut and sew floor. The conversation wasn’t just about lighting or lenses — it was about intention. About how to visually tell a story that began in soil and ended in sheets.

At 4:30am the next morning, we carried a fully dressed bed into the middle of a cotton field.

Under a dark Alabama sky — helped by coffee and a shared sense of purpose — the team positioned the bed between rows of white cotton ready for harvest. As the sun rose, the field slowly revealed itself. The texture. The air. The quiet.

It was one of those moments where everything feels aligned.

I shot the morning on my Mamiya RB67 Pro SD loaded with Kodak Portra 160, Portra 400, and Ektar 100. Film forces patience. The RB67 is deliberate and heavy. You focus through the glass. You slow down. You commit to each frame. It felt right for a project rooted in legacy and craft.

Alongside it, the Nikon Z9 handled the movement and the shifting light. Film for intention. Digital for agility.

From the field, we moved to the cotton gin — where raw fiber separates and begins its transformation. Finally, onto the cut and sew floor, where the material takes its final shape.

What struck me most was the continuity.

The same family.

The same land.

The same belief in making something the right way.

Later that evening, we returned to the field for harvest at sunset. Machines moved through rows that had looked still and untouched at dawn. In a single day, I watched the entire lifecycle unfold.

I’ve always wanted to photograph a cotton field at harvest. But this was more than that. It was the privilege of documenting a vertically integrated American company — from soil to finished product.

There’s something powerful about seeing the origin of what we use every day.

It makes the final product mean more.

Hotel Food Photography for Evelyn's Nashville

Evelyns Hutton Hotel Food and Beverage Program

Since 2016 I have wanted to photograph the food and beverage program for a hotel. I had put out a ton of bids, but it just never happened. So when Evelyn’s at the Hutton Hotel reached out to me early this year I was stoked to say the least, but also had a nagging feeling it might not happen. This time was different. My friend Carly who I had previously worked with at another restaurant was the new GM. Since we had worked together before it made the process simple. The hotel industry is difficult to break into. I am thankful for this opportunity and I think we came up with some excellent imagery. This meant that I was going to bring the A team with me.

Evelyns needed a few photos for their updated menu featuring some seasonal items. They had a rock start chef and they also wanted to add a food stylist to the shoot to make sure the presentation of each dish was top notch. In fine dining it is essential to not just plate the dish, but ensure that it meets the chef’s vision. We enlisted Callie Blount as our food stylist. Callie is the perfect fit because of her willingness to work hard and to learn. Not to mention her amazing food styling skills and her eye for details.

For this shoot we wanted to use the space and also have a bit moodier lighting. So we had a Daniel Williams as the photo assistant on set to help out with lighting and moving gear. We used a large light, on a rolling stand to make set changes efficient.

For hotel industry photography I want to make sure that we capture the right vibe. We don’t just need amazing looking food we need a sense of place. I wanted to make sure we know that this amazing food was also in a really great environment. From a photographic standpoint that meant photographing the scene from a bit further away and using a bit of a wider lens. This lens choice gave us a more natural view of the food and the restaurant. It helped to capture the sense of place that we were looking for.

Since this was an active restaurant space we needed to keep a light foot print, and also move relatively quickly. We did a half day shoot starting just after the breakfast rush and finished just before the true lunch rush. Having a food stylist helps us move faster for this type of shoot. The chef can plate each dish, but allow the food stylist to add the elements of the dish that will fall with gravity and time. The food stylist adds things like the micro greens, sauces, and stacks things that will fall down over time. This allows the chef to be in the kitchen and come back to help when needed.

One of the most common questions I get is how many dishes can we capture in a half day or a full day. In this instance we were able to capture 11 unique dishes. We did this in 4 unique settings. We had a total of 40 unique deliverable final images and we took close to 400 images during the shoot.

I was so glad that we had a successful shoot for Evelyn’s. We brought a great team and came away with some excellent photos for marketing and advertising the restaurant. I walked away more confident than I went into the shoot. My team and I proved that not only can we photograph fine dining for the hospitality industry we can do it well and with a high degree of excellence. If you have a hotel food and beverage program that is in need of fresh content please reach out.

Style To Set Episode #3 Featuring Nick Bumgardner

I was recently featured on my good friend and stylist’s Callie Blount’s podcast. It was a fantastic episode. I loved being able to be on the podcast and share about food photography and life.

Here is the show description.

Just do it, y’all. I know as people we can let fear of criticism stop us in our tracks (anyone else raising their hand in the air?!) In this episode, Nick Bumgardner- crazy good photographer, professor, and co-founder of Reactor Media, a large-scale food and photography business- shares how his impetus to just go for it and take risks put him in a position to create amazing things and excel. He teaches us to actually ask for criticism and welcome the response and act on it. Whether it was finding a mentor, landing big clients from Saks to O'Charley's to Reba McEntire, or taking criticism and using it to become better, Nick blazed a trail with grit and background research. 

We can all learn from Nick- he became a photographer before the internet was a thing. Instead of going to prom, he bought a camera. He’s shot literally thousands of food photos. He always wanted to get better, and you feel that quiet confidence when you are around him. He teaches with excellence and consistency. Aannnd- Mic-drop moment when Nick said “Art (only) shines when it’s shared with people.”

You can check it out at this link. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/style-to-set/id1826659910?i=1000719683496

Peg Leg Porker Bourbon and Sauces Shoot

Peg Leg Porker recently reached out for some fresh photographs of their new bourbons as well as a brand new sauce line and seasonings. I hopped at the opportunity to work with the Peg Leg Porker crew again. We always have a great time on set together talking about good bbq, good whiskey, and the state of the Nashville food industry. 

We started out with the hardest photos first the bourbon. These required a bit more tricky of a lighting set up to achieve. We wanted the dark background, but also needed so see some bottle glow. The key to good bourbon and beverage photography is to manage highlights and reflections. We don’t want to eliminate them completely because it will look fake and boring. They need to be reigned in to make a compelling photo. 

Consistency is the key to working with brands like this. Each bottle needs to look similar so that they look good grouped togeather

We then moved to some sauces. The magic sauce here was to keep a similar setup to the bourbon, but eliminate the backlight. The sauces are much more opaque so they don’t need a glow. The Peg Leg Porker white sauce is the best in the biz right now. I keep a bottle in my fridge all the time. We added in a few photos to so the color and consistency of the sauces.

We finished up with some photographs of the new seasoning line. We kept things simple here too. But we added some detail images.

This was a fast and furious half day of shooting. When we have a good team, that knows what they want to achieve we can get a lot of work done in just a half day of shooting. 

Nick is a commercial photographer based in Nashville, TN. He loves photographing BBQ, Food, Whiskey and Products. This shoot combined all the things. If you have a shoot coming up please reach out using the contact form.

Vibrant Baseball Product Photography: Capturing the Energy Behind Every Swing

When it comes to sports equipment, especially something as iconic as baseball gear, product photography is more than just showcasing the item—it’s about bringing the energy, passion, and vibrancy of the game to life. Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Absolutely Ridiculous, a company that epitomizes creativity and fun in the sports equipment industry.

Their request was simple at first—crisp, clean e-commerce images of their colorful, playful products on white backgrounds. But as with any great collaboration, there was room to evolve. That’s where the magic happened.

Hitting a Home Run with E-Commerce Photography

Four years ago, when Absolutely Ridiculous first approached me, their main goal was to stand out in a crowded e-commerce space. They needed clean, high-resolution images of their unique baseball gloves—products like their famous ice cream-themed glove, which is as fun and creative as it sounds. By using bright white backgrounds, we ensured their products were front and center, free from distractions.

This approach is essential for any e-commerce business. Crisp, high-quality imagery not only increases trust but also boosts conversion rates. Shoppers want to see the details—every stitch, color pop, and design element—so they can imagine themselves owning the product. That’s exactly what we delivered. To see those images step back in time to this blog post featuring some of our prior work for the company.

Elevating Sports Equipment Photography for Advertising Campaigns

Fast forward to today, and I recently revisited those original images. While they served their purpose for e-commerce, I knew there was untapped potential, especially when thinking about how these images could perform in advertising campaigns.

For creatives at advertising agencies, striking, attention-grabbing visuals are key to building memorable campaigns. By placing these vibrant baseball gloves on equally energetic backgrounds—think bold, contrasting colors that make the gloves seem as if they’re leaping off the screen—the photos transformed from functional e-commerce shots into scroll-stopping imagery perfect for ads.

These aren’t just photos of gloves anymore; they’re statements. They capture the spirit of the game, the excitement of play, and the uniqueness of the brand—all in one image. And that’s exactly what creatives need to inspire their audiences.

Bringing Products to Life for E-Commerce Businesses

For e-commerce businesses, especially in the sports industry, the challenge is twofold: you need to make your products look great while also creating a connection with your audience. Sports equipment isn’t just about function—it’s about lifestyle. A baseball glove represents hours of practice, the thrill of a catch, or a child’s first game.

That’s why I breathed new life into the images for Absolutely Ridiculous. By moving beyond the plain white background and incorporating dynamic colors and complementary themes, we were able to showcase their baseball gloves in a way that tells a story. And in e-commerce, storytelling is essential to standing out and connecting with your customers.

The Power of Scroll-Stopping Imagery

In today’s fast-paced, digital shopping landscape, you only have a few seconds to capture attention. Whether your products are listed on an e-commerce site, promoted in an ad, or featured in a social media campaign, scroll-stopping imagery is critical to making a lasting impression.

For Absolutely Ridiculous, the transformation of their product photos was a game-changer. The gloves now shine against vibrant backgrounds, grabbing the attention of not just potential buyers but also creative directors, advertisers, and social media influencers. This is the kind of photography that gets people talking and sharing, boosting brand awareness in a natural, organic way.

Conclusion: Winning with Vibrant Product Photography

Whether you’re in sports equipment, an advertising agency, or running an e-commerce business, the right photography can make all the difference. It’s not just about capturing the product—it’s about capturing its essence, its energy, and its story.