Fancy Footwork

Or FOOTWEAR as the case may be for this entry...

And my footwear of choice is usually a pair of rubber flip-flops unless the given occasion is something very special... like an agency portfolio review. This, one would think, should make me an unlikely candidate to work on a footwear manufacturer's catalog. But, not so very long ago, that was exactly the assignment... shoes... lifestyle focused on shoes... product shots of shoes...

In pursuit of footwear fotos, a large crew was assembled over the two-day shoot... numerous locations including a luxury private estate, world-class surf spots, dense jungle forests... even a 72' sailing yacht was pirated. Half a dozen beautiful young people, agency & manufacturer reps, producers, caterers, water-safety officers, stylists, assistants were also enlisted for the production.

Days were long, the food incredible and opportunities to swim, cruise around on jet-skiis and otherwise enjoy the scenery at each location were plentiful during the harsh, mid-day hours.

Below... a handfull of my favorites from the effort.

Chef Spotting

After a triumphant stint on the television show America's Top Chef last year, local wunderchef Sheldon Simeon's profile has been elevated to rock star proportions (he made it to third in the finals). I recently was handed proof of Chef's new found celebrity when a niece of mine, visiting from Texas, included on her Must Do On Maui List a trip to the Lahaina dining venue Chef Sheldon helped found and brought him into the spotlight for his innovative take on asian food preparation.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Chef has recently joined forces with another culinary trend-setter, Chef Mark Ellman. Last week, Sheldon announced his newest venture with two evenings of a specially prepared tasting menu at Ellman's two Lahaina restaurants. I had the opportunity to attend the second... a fly (with camera)-on-the-wall, trying my best to stay out of the way, as Chef Sheldon and an assembled team of talented chefs prepared plate after meticulously constructed plate using a diverse and tasty array of ingredients which included popcorn, dragon fruit, watermelon radish, abura-age, pork belly, grilled jumbo shrimp... 

Working under a tent in a make-shift kitchen nestled between Ellman's two Lahaina restaurants, Chef Sheldon & team worked like a well-oiled machine, assembling each plate using long tweezers for the room full of hungry diners waiting to see what Chef would, literally, bring to the table in his new collaboration with Ellman. No one left disappointed!

An intimate section of the dining room at Ellman's Honu venue just before opening. Any closer to the water and you would be wet!