Showshaa - The Modern Taproom

A couple months ago I had the chance to photograph a new Indian restaurant, Showshaa - The Modern Taproom located in South Surrey, BC. From the moment I stepped foot into the restaurant I knew that it was unique and one of a kind. The restaurant is designed very well and it's evident that a lot of thought was put into every little detail. The interior design is truly incredible with some great choices in decor. 

The first photo I took was an exterior shot looking into the restaurant. Ideally I was hoping to take this photo during blue hour but nevertheless I think this photo turned out great and does a good job of showcasing the full restaurant.

After stepping inside, I knew that I needed a photo which highlighted these beautiful lights which lead to the main entrance. I can't say that I've ever seen lights like these and I loved the look of them.

It's hard to choose a favorite photo from this photoshoot but I think it would have to be this overview photo of the interior. This is the view immediately when you enter the restaurant.

Next we have this private area in the back with the booths. I love the contrast between the cherry red booths, the yellow lights and the brick wall in the back.

One of the big highlights of this restaurant would have to be the bar, which acts as an incredible centerpiece. The bar features a great assortment of liquor and craft beers on tap.

In the back they also have a separate private room that can be booked for parties up to 20 people. My favorite thing about this particular room were the excellent decor choices, specifically the chandelier and the Hookah in the back.

Showshaa also features a beautiful outdoor patio complete with a fire pit. Along with the private room, the patio can also be booked for private functions. 

Not only is this restaurant very beautiful, the menu is certainly very unique, with some new and interesting takes on some popular Indian dishes. I haven't had the chance eat here yet but I've heard nothing but great things about the food, and the reviews do speak for themselves. After discussing the background of the restaurant with the owner's, it was interesting learning about their thought process for the menu and why they chose certain items. This restaurant is certainly one of a kind and if you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend checking out Showshaa!

The Cascade Room - A Vancouver Bar

I recently had the chance to photograph the Cascade Room which is a unique bar/restaurant located in Vancouver. The Cascade Room offers a great selection of beers and cocktails with a British Pub inspired menu and is a part of the Cascade Company which owns two other restaurants, The Union and El Camino's, each of which offers something different.

When I first saw photos of the Cascade Room I absolutely loved the unique look of it. What especially loved was the great atmosphere it provided. This bar looks even better in person! It is evident that a lot of thought was put into the interior design, with some excellent choices in décor.

My two favourite things would definitely have to be the bar and the lounge area. The bar is definitely the centrepiece of the place and features a variety of a different drinks. I especially liked how the menu and their offerings were written in chalk above the bar which adds to the authentic look.

Next, I absolutely loved the lounge area in the back, which has a very nice ambiance to it. Everything from the beautiful red wallpaper to the unique pieces of art all tied together quite nicely. After seeing this lounge area, I knew that it would translate very nicely in the picture.

This was the first time that I had the chance to photograph a restaurant and I'm very pleased with how the final photos turned out. Normally when I photograph something new for the first time, it's a great learning experience as I learn a lot through the mistakes I make. Surprisingly for this photoshoot, there aren't too many things that I would do differently apart from some very minor tweaks to the photos. For the past couple months I've been researching restaurant photography and I think all this research definitely paid off. That combined with the Cascade Room already being photogenic definitely helped as well.

Taking photos of the Cascade Room was an awesome experience and I look forward to delving more into restaurant photography. If you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend checking it out!

Vancouver Home Built by Precise Homes

Last Summer I had the chance to photograph this beautiful Vancouver Home built by Precise Homes. Precise Home's 40 years of experience in construction and project management definitely shows as the team did a marvelous job with this home. This beautiful architecture has English Tudor, Craftsman, and Georgian influences and it is evident that plenty of thought was put into even the smallest of details. From the detailed white moulding to the excellent choice of marble flooring, everything fit together quite nicely. 

For most of these photos, I decided to have the lights turned off and manually light certain parts of each scene. I feel this better suited the airy ambiance of the house. The all white ceiling and walls helped greatly for bouncing light and made for some excellent shots. With the exception of three photos (the photos of the washroom, wine rack, and theater), all were lit by a single speedlight that was bounced onto the ceiling and I used multiple flash and ambient exposures. Luckily the house was fully staged with furniture and decorations which made for better photos.  

View fullsize

View fullsize

One thing I found really striking in this area were the beautiful chandeliers over the dining table. 

View fullsize

I really liked the design in this office - the choice of wood was an excellent touch.  

View fullsize

This was the last photo I took that day and my camera ended up dying before I could light this scene with my flash (I've since bought a few extra batteries). Luckily, the natural lighting in this washroom was perfect with the window acting as a large softbox, and this scene didn't require any additional lighting. 

View fullsize

Like everything in this house, the kitchen was designed incredibly well, and for this shot I opted for a one point perspective which worked great.

View fullsize

I especially loved the staging in this particular room. I feel like the choice of furniture and decor was a perfect fit. I could definitely see this photo being in a magazine (maybe one day haha). 

View fullsize

View fullsize

For most of this shots I tried to use a longer focal length, but for this shot it was a bit difficult and had make do with a slightly wider focal length. 

View fullsize

One of my favourite things about this house would have to be the wine rack, it was designed incredible well and looked great.  

View fullsize

I would have liked to photographed this theatre a bit differently. Unfortunately, there wasn't any furniture in the room so I had to change the composition slightly. I could definitely imagine myself watching movies here, I think the Man from U.N.C.L.E. would probably be the first movie I would watch! What would be the first movie you would watch here? 

This was my first time photographing an interior like this (lit by strobes), and it was a great learning experience. Looking back there are a few things that I would have liked to do different, and for each of these photos there's something that I could nitpick, but overall I'm very happy with the final results! It was a pleasure photographing this home and working with Precise Homes. Let me know what you think of the photos, I'm always open to hearing constructive criticism!