Bolles Culture of Philanthropy 2025 Harvest Dinner
Chef's Garden Catering & Events invited me to capture their catering and some candid photography at The Bolles School for their "Culture of Philanthropy" 2025 Harvest Dinner.
This was only my second time on the Bolles campus, the first time being in 2018 when I was just starting back at my agency job and was tasked with capturing hometown Olympian swimmer, Ryan Murphy, as he taught swimming lessons during a camp. Let me tell you, it is beautiful – and only a mile from my house! I'd kill for that river view on the daily.
Chef's Garden did a beautiful job with the setting and the team were so extraordinarily nice – I'd just seen half of them the night before at the PRI event – we almost felt like coworkers! And continuing the theme of top-notch, the food was divine. This was my first event where I budged and took up the offer to have a bite. WOW! I've only ever had quail eggs before while living in South Korea, but never the fowl – it was so delicate and delicious. I hovered over to my corner and finished it clean. They kept feeding me the courses and appetizers and I eventually had to relent and skip dessert and cocktails – I was here to work after all.
The sunset was beautiful, and then the lights came on. Black bands running through my shots due to a frequency offset that just did not want to cooperate with my Nikon Z8. I still love this camera, but not as much as I love Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop, and DaVinci Resolve for coming in clutch with denoising and de-banding features.
Shots were feeling a little bit repetitive after awhile and there was already a "people" photographer on the scene taking staged shots with on-camera flash, so I took a more food-focused and voyeuristic approach when I did photograph people. I decided to switch over to video once I felt I captured a good amount of shots of each act of the dinner.
The Venue & Atmosphere
The Bolles School campus itself is stunning – Spanish-inspired architecture with 1930's charm that just can't be replicated. The event was held on the grounds overlooking the St. Johns River, which provided a beautiful backdrop as the sun set. Chef's Garden's design team did an exceptional job transforming the space with floating candles, warm lighting, and harvest-themed centerpieces featuring gourds and seasonal vegetables.
Food & Beverages
Chef's Garden went all out with the menu. The evening started with elegant hors d'oeuvres – deviled eggs with okra (which were flying off the trays!), crab cakes to die for, and signature cocktails. The first course featured quail with beautiful plating, followed by fried green tomatoes with balsamic. The main event was a brilliant steak with microgreens and fingerling potatoes. Everything was executed with precision and flavor.
Lighting & Technical Challenges
One of the biggest challenges of the night was managing the LED lighting inside the tent combined with the frequency offset issues on my camera. Once I identified a workaround – using an unused white-draped cocktail table as a makeshift softbox by placing my Godox AD100 underneath it facing upward – the food photography improved dramatically. It acted like a giant pillowy lantern, creating beautiful, soft, even illumination on the dishes. I also used the stucco wall on the back patio as a bounce surface for fill light on some of the plated dishes.
The Photographer's Take
What made this event special wasn't just the beautiful setting or the excellent food – it was the people. Chef's Garden's team was genuinely wonderful to work with, and you could feel the care they put into every detail. From the plating to the service to the atmosphere, everything was intentional and refined.
Events like this remind me why I love catering photography. There's something special about capturing the intersection of great food, beautiful design, and genuine hospitality. It's not just about the food – it's about telling the story of an experience.