Resume. Resume. Resume.

Today's discussion is the much dredded, hated, scary thought of the Resume. My friend Aaron who I used to work at Calumet with, asked me to send him my resume, so he could compare his to it. Aaron is also a freelance assistant in Chicago, and he and I have been stumbling through this industry together, attempting to figure it out. Aaron and I had a very in depth discussion about our resumes, which essentially revolved around the age old question "Do I have a strong resume?"

With the country on it's knees right now, in a financial mess, it is incredibly hard to land a job. The photography industry is really struggling right now, and being a freelance assistant, my jobs have slowed down. To get jobs, I typically call photographers, and email them attempting to woo them in one way or another, to get them to hire me. Many photographers don't want to see my resume, they want to see my portfolio. Yet many people say, to have a resume. I know that it is smart to always have an updated resume, but how do you know if you have a strong resume?

Well here is my resume....I am putting it all out there. You tell me.

Tiffany O’Neill
tiffany@tiffanyoneillphotography.com
440-897-xxxx
xxxx N. Marshfield Av Apt 1S
Chicago Il, xxxxx

Education
Bachelor of Science from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication
Graduate June 2007

Skills:

Photography
• Efficient using Speeddotron, Profoto, Dyna-Lite, Bron Color Professional lighting systems.
• Proficiency in use of Mamiya, Hasselblad, Nikon, and Canon Professional cameras
• Photographed fashion, food, products, and portraits
• Participated in two-women photography exhibit
• Created marketing campaign for photography exhibit
• Assisted with set design, set-up and lighting for professional photography jobs.
• Many years experience in dark room, developing, printing, and matting negative, and images.
• Very comfortable with Adobe Photoshop CS2, Light Room, Capture One, and Leaf Capture.
• Very Proficient in Microsoct Office, Excel, Word, and Power Point

Culinary
• Progressed from prep chef, pastry chef to Prep Manager for large restaurant (serving up to 500)
• Organized large parties for groups of up to50
• Styled fruit and cheese platters for large parties
• Certified in ‘Serve Safe’ and ‘Sanitation’
• Served as cook for large bar/restaurant

Management
• Managed staff of ten
• Oversaw daily operations of full-service bar, daily sales up to $10,000
• Opened and closed cash drawer for business
• Provided staff training in Cashier, Bartender, Door staff, and Cook

Work History
• Pettersen Associates, Chicago IL
• Janice Hosick, Photography, Chicago IL
• Callie Lipkin Photography, Chicago IL
• Calumet Photographic, Chicago IL Aug 2007-May 2008
• The Pigskin Sports Bar and Grill, Athens, OH, Jan 2004 - 2007

References
Available Upon Request

I personally don't care too much for or about my resume. I have also learned that the photography industry is very hard, sexist, and about WHO you know, not WHAT you know. But, I guess it is smart to have a strong resume in my back pocket.
My friend once said to me...

"I am only one resume away from my next job"

Holiday Happiness.

Some of my first and happiest memories of my childhood are cooking in the kitchen with my mom. My mother is the one that I attribute my love and passion of food and cooking to. My mother loved cooking elaborate dinners for the family on Christmas. She would wake up before the sun came up to start on the brunch for the family, before she even started cooking the dinner. Although, before the actual day of Christmas came, it was clearly Christmas eve. Todays post is dedicated to the many years that my mother would make Christmas cookies cookies with me the night before Christmas. I was the youngest out of the three siblings, and I was always in charge of leaving the cookies for Santa. Thinking about it today, it really makes me laugh. Santa would always eat every last cookie too! I love the holidays, and the fun silly traditions. So while I was thinking of my happy memories from my childhood, I took some photos to honor them. My santa's cookie stack. So cute.

Fashion Photography?

I am constantly researching all different forms of photography, in attempts to stay fresh, and keep aware of what is going on in the photography industry, and I am noticing things about the fashion industry that are silly.

I have noticed that photographers are more times than not showing their set in the image. When I say showing their set, I mean showing their lights, and stands, and the edges of the sweep. It bothers me. I imagine it bothers me because all throughout my training, I was drilled to be clean, crisp, and professional. I understand that "everybody is a photographer" today, now that the digital is getting more available to the public, and it is hard to get your images noticed....but come on!

I don't understand it, and I don't know if I will ever understand it. Oh well. Any opinions? Anyone out there?

You could be an American Express commercial.

"Congratulations Tiffany, small business owner, you could be an American Express Commercial"

It is official. I am a commercial. Let me rewind. About six months ago, I was miserable with my life, I hated my job, I hated the people I worked with, I hated my living situation, I hated everything. And then one day, I made the decision that I was going to pursue my happiness. I was not going to sacrifice my happiness for money, and all that nonsense that comes along with it. So I quit my job, and started to freelance as an assistant here in Chicago. I figured I had made enough connections, that it would work. Well, it did, kinda...and now we are here.

I have been successfully working in the photography industry as a self employed freelance assistant, and enjoying every minute of it. I have never been more happy in my life in YEARS. I work when I want to work, I don't work when I don't want to. I meet fabulous people that have the same interests, motivation, passion, and love for the industry every day. All the while learning new things about the industry and growing as an individual. I am able to pay my bills, and still live the same lifestyle that I am acustome to. Tiffany is a happy camper.

So the other day, I realized that I hit the 6 month trial period marker. I secretly told myself that if I can make it 6 months, you succeeded. I made it. So now what?

I had to think long and hard to myself, what my next move was going to be. I weighed my options...

1. The Ringling Bros. are hiring a Chef.........run away with the circus.
2. My friend is going to teach English in Korea.......run away to Korea.
3. Ask the bank for money......DIVE into DEBT.......run away with your career...and happiness.


So I chose the bank. I figured that if I can make it 6 months in the worst economy since the GREAT DEPRESSION, I can make it another 6. I decided that I am going to get a small business loan from the bank and get some new equipment, and expand my commercial one picture at a time.

The reason why I am a commercial, is because I have spent ALL day working on my business proposal to present to the bank, in the attempt to get the loan. And 15 pages later, Tiffany O'Neill Photography is an American Express commercial.

And if this doesn't work....the circus is still an option.

My Fav. Beef Stew.

While the weather is getting colder....my kitchen is getting warmer. I am a big fan of making comfort food, and I just recently made Beef Stew, and I was very pleased with it, so I wanted to share it.

Beef Stew

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2lbs. Beef
Salt
Pepper
4 cloves of Garlic (chopped)
2 Tbs. Flour
1 Lg. Sweet Onion (chopped)
1 Tbs. Steak Seasoning (your preference)
1 Tbs. Oregano
2 Bay leaves.
1 tsp. Thyme.
1/2 bottle RED wine. (if you drink it, use it)
4 cups. beef broth.
3 carrots
4 Lg. Potatoes.
1 bag of peas.
1 bag of egg noodles.

1. Liberally salt and pepper your beef. Line your heavy duty pot/dutch oven with olive oil, and sear your beef in the bottom of the pan on all sides. Make sure you don't touch it too much, because you want the carmelized beefy bits on the bottom of the pot. After all your beef is browned, remove and set on a plate.

2. Add your garlic and onions and seasonings (steak, oregano,thyme, bay) and saute, while scraping up all your beef bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. After your onions are a little translucent add the flour and wine, and the beef, and bring to a simmer.

3. Once the wine has simmered for about ten minutes and thickened a bit, add the beef stock. Bring it all up to a boil, and then cover, reduce to a simmer, and WALK AWAY! Let the stew simmer for at LEAST two hours.

4. After your favorite movie, return to your stew.

5. Add the carrots and potatoes, in bite size pieces. Let those cook in the simmering liquid for at least 30 minutes.

6. When the carrots are tender, not mushy, add the noodles and the peas. Wait ten minutes. and Serve with your favorite chunky bread.




This stew is one of my favorites. The real key is to let it cook at a simmer for a while, the beef will be really tender. If you try to rush it, don't. Your beef will be tough and chewy if you rush it, don't. But do try the stew. It is warm and yummy, and brings a smile to everyone's face. :)


ENJOY!

****pictures coming soon*****

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

As I sit in my father's living room next to my sister sleeping, after a long night of movie watching, I think I have never wanted to go back to Chicago more in my life. I have spent an entire week in my cute, quite, quaint, small home town of Chagrin Falls Ohio, and noticed things that I have never really seen until now.

I grew up in this town, and it will always forever hold a place in my heart, and for all I know, I will move back here, pop out a few kids, and gossip at the wine bar with my girls in the future.

I recently came home to Chagrin for the election week, because my father was running for Congress. My father has always run for office which requires me to come home every few years to play the "daughter" role. I am forever supportive, but have finally realized, I am forever tired.

I know I mentioned things I noticed. So, lets compare Chicago to Chagrin.

1. In Chagrin Falls my family leaves our cars in the driveway unlocked, with the KEYS in the ignition...In Chicago you pray your car wasn't broken into over night.

2. In Chagrin Falls "Lucky" my father's pure breed Cocker Spanial runs rampent all over the neighborhood playing with the children of the neighborhood....In Chicago, if you don't "curb yor dog" you are an asshole.

3. In Chagrin Falls (Wickliffe) when ordering Crab Legs for a catered event, you revieve a plate of sticks of imitation crab meat!!!...If that happened in Chicago that restaurant would be plastered all over metromix, yelp, The Reader, and not exist as a restaurant in one week.

4. In Chagrin Falls, you walk down the street and everybody knows your name because you went to school with their child, who went to school with your parents, who went to school with thir grandparents...and so on. That just doesn't happen in Chicago.

5. And FINALLY! In Chagrin, you can walk into the local hardware store, and the owner Mr. Shutts still thinks you are going to marry his son Jared, because you were his first "LOVE" at the ripe age of 5. In Chicago, I can barely figure out how to get to the hardware store.

I love Chagrin....but I love Chicago more right now. So I am going home to my lovely crowded, loud, impersonal,modern, busy windy city.

See you in six hours!

Longest day of my life.

A majority of my freelance time as of late has been at a catalog studio.  This catalog studio has been in the West Loop of Chicago for 25 years, and is predominately run by a group of incredibly fashionable, style savvy, cultured gay men.  The combination of people they have working there is incredible, and I love working with everyone.  The catalogs the studio works on are JcPenney, Ulta, Sur La Table, and Carson's Prairie Scott, to name a few.  

I work with one photographer, who has been there for 18 years.  For 18 years this man has been taking pictures of beds, lamps, towels, year in and year out, without much change.  Come on, we all grew up standing on the Penney's catalog to reach the candy on the counter, you know it doesn't change much.  This photographer is an incredible photographer, the way he looks at the set, and the way he lights everything is insane.  There are times where he will be looking at a set, and will not say a word to me for an hour, and create some of the most beautiful lighting I have ever seen.  But today was a bit different.  

Today we had a challenge.  Today, we LITERALLY spent 8 hours working on one image.  ONE image. Don't get me wrong, I have worked a long time on an image in my work, but I think the longest I lasted was 4 hours.  Today, we reached 8.  I am writing about this, because I want to let you all in on the secrets of the catalogs that we stand on.  I watched an incredibly talented photographer struggle with the lighting of a set for 8 hours, for the simple thought that the art director was going to most likely hate it.  By the end of the day, the photographer was exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally, just to find out the next day, the art director hated it, and wanted a completely different set.   

So the next time you take a look at a catalog, remember the small people that take your pictures.  

Goodbye Summer....Hello...My Birthday... Chunky Sweaters...Pumpkins...Haunted Houses...Crunchy Leaves...and Fall.

Monday was officially the first day of fall, and personally, I was having mixed emotions.  I had one of the most enjoyable summers I have had in a long time, and I knew I was going to miss it, but deep down in my heart I was excited. 

My excitement came from the thoughts of going to a pumpkin patch, wearing my favorite sweater to wrap myself up in, to pick out all the pumpkins that I will carve with my friends, and the pumpkins that can be baked into a pie, used for a sauce, made into a container to hold my warm soup, and all the  other endless possibilities.  

It doesn't end at Pumpkins.  What about the entire Thanksgiving meal that is my favorite day in the kitchen.  I have a family filled with hungry hungry boys.  I have to hide the food I prep the days before from my brothers so they don't eat it all before the big day.  And if I screw up the potatoes....I don't think my Irish dad will forgive me.  I can't wait!

So, in honor of my upcoming fun filled fall, I made pork chops, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, with a ginger apple cider sauce.  And to say goodbye to summer my roommate Adam and I made a white wine vegetable pasta.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo has a warm place in my heart. 

There was a fabulous restaurant in my home town in Ohio called Rosey's Place.  When you walked into Rosey's you were greeted by two things, the warm aroma of roasted garlic, and Rosey. 

 Rosey was an incredibly small robust Italian woman.  She would greet us at the door, give my parents a hug, and usher my older brother and sister and I to our table.  She had the incredibly strong heavy Italian accent, and me being 5 yrs old, could never figure out what she was saying.I was incredibly frightened by her, but my parents loved her. 

The restaurant was blanketed in red and white checkered table cloths, with dimly lit candles on every table.  You could smell the garlic in the air, and hear every clank, and clatter coming from kitchen, which added to the charm.  There was a small patio on the side, and on the weekends there was a piano man, belting out Italian music.  My sister would always go up to the piano man asking him to play the "Katie" song.  Which I didn't think such a thing existed, but every time, some sort of a song with the word Katie was played.  

But the real reason we went there was for the Fettuccine Alfredo.  Moms favorite. My mother could sit there, with my brother and sister fighting, me wandering away from the table, and not notice a thing. If the Fettuccine was at the table not one thing could bother her.  Rosie would bring my mother a plate that could feed a family of 8, piled high with the warm long flat noodles, swimming in the pool of creamy cheezy Alfredo sauce.  The look on my mother's face when it arrived was priceless.  

And to this day, Rosie's Fettuccine Alfredo holds a beautiful place in my heart. 

****Fettuccine Alfedo********

80z Fettuccine Noodles

1 head of garlic

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 lemon (juice)

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

salt

pepper

***Serves two*** 

1. Chop off a the top part of the head of garlic to expose the tips of the garlic cloves.  Wrap the entire head of garlic in Aluminum foil and throw in your oven @ 350 degrees and roast for about 45 mins, until your house is filled with the aroma, and the garlic is golden brown.  

2. Once garlic is roasted, squeeze garlic into a pot with the chicken stock.  Whisk it all together and bring to a simmer, and allow the two to get together.  

3. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper...whisk all together, bring to a little bubble and let reduce by half, keep eye on, and stir randomly.  *****keep heat med/low***** Don't burn your cream. 

4. After milk has reduced stir in the cheese.  Add more as desired.

4. Boil water...cook noodles and mix it all together and ENJOY! 

Fresh Start.

Well, I guess this is my new blog.  I don't consider myself a writer, but I do like to talk.  So I guess this is a test to see if anyone will find what I find interesting...interesting. 

My friend Mary suggested I start this to display my photos in a different way, and to explore my experiences in the kitchen, and with my photography.  

I love food.  I love to cook.  I love Photography. I love to take pictures of food.  I am an aspiring food photographer, that reads cook books on my free time.  So I am going to share my food/cooking/photography life with you.  

I plan on posting recipes, thoughts, pictures, and whatever my little mind can come up with.  

Feel free to chime in with your thought too! 

Ok...well one thing I actually would like to start off with is discussing Stanley's market.  

Stanley's market is my favorite place to buy produce in Chicago.  I had a really great experience there last week which involved me getting two free watermelons, for the simple fact that I returned my cart to the store.  The place is great. It has organic and non organic produce.  Their prices are great and I love it.  I went there yesterday with my roommate Adam, and he looked like a little boy in a candy store for the first time.  It really made me feel great when I saw the smile on his face, so I wanted to tell everyone about it, so that you can smile too.  

I mean COME ON!! Fresh corn at 10 for $1.  Can't beat that!  I am having corn for dinner tonight.