Summer Blockbuster Snack Time....

Unwind With Popcorn

Popcorn is a universal snack choice. Its aroma is unique and unmistakable, in theaters, shops, and at home. It signals a time to relax and enjoy. Certain food is known to help slow you down and relieve stress, and popcorn is one of them.

Specialty popcorn is one of the great products that originate from right here in Chicago. In fact, it's been the official state snack in Illinois since 2003.

A bit of background: Although Native Americans are often credited with first popping corn, there is actually evidence of it in the Far East long before Columbus came in 1492, and archeological speculation that corn was popped in Mexico thousands of years ago.

Then we have the eternal question, why does popcorn pop? The short answer is that pressure builds up inside the kernel, creating an explosion of sorts. Today, specific strains of corn are grown for popping purposes. And we're glad to hear it.

We were privileged to be able to shoot for Garrett Popcorn Shops® and showcase their extraordinary popcorn, flavors and natural ingredients.

Learn more about Garrett Popcorn Shops, a Chicago tradition since 1949.

Scrumptious Snickerdoodles

     Making homemade cookies is always a great idea. Never in history
     has the following conversation been recorded:

     Person 1: "Do you want fresh homemade cookies?

     Person 2: "No, I don't."

Making homemade cookies is both rewarding and very enjoyable. The anticipation, waiting for that timer to ding, is excruciating. As the aroma fills the room, all you can think about is, "How much longer until I can taste that cookie?" This is the reason store-bought cookies were created -- because people couldn't handle the wait. True story, look it up! (Don't actually.)

To light this shot, we used two point-light sources from the back. One light was coming from the left and one from the right. The purpose of these lights was to skim across the surface of the cookies to bring out their texture. A large, soft light source from above filled in the shadows and kept the contrast low. But even with the overhead light, we still needed some light to highlight the main cookie. To do that, we brought in a modeled mirror to reflect the back-lights onto the front of
the cookie. 

Make them now