The Gastronomic Evolution of Mille Vini.

I was recently commissioned by Mille Vini for a food photography shoot to showcase their new Winter Menu. What I discovered is that it is a foodies delight! So delicious.

Mille Vini received a warm welcome back from the locals of Surry Hills when new owners Rhaad Fogarty and Aaron Le Saux took over in 2015. Having recently appointed a rising star on the Sydney food scene, chef Dan Rocha has taken the heritage of this traditional Italian wine bar and given it a modern European twist.

Mille Vini's update to their a-la-carte Winter 2016 menu is a foodies delight!

Rhaad Fogarty explains: "Mille Vini has been a favourite of Sydney siders for years so we really wanted to keep with the traditional Italian feeling that it has always offered. For me, I wanted to expand on that and take our guests on a journey that provides a culinary experience from all of Europe. Emphasising the social aspect you get with food and wine from that corner of the world, we encourage tables to share in the discovery of these new flavours and interact with each other through the whole experience.”

Chef Dan Rocha adds: "A change in direction from traditional Italian cuisine to a menu that compliments our Italian wines has allowed me to explore the diverse tastes of modern Europe, yet present it with a modern Australian flair."

The new a-la-carte Winter menu is quite simply tantalising. A symphony of flavours awaits in the entrée of beef carpaccio ravioli, filled with truffled mushrooms and served with parmesan, aged balsamic and seeded mustard. Deciding on the confit duck paired with black berry compote, cavolo nero, eshallots and orange for the main course, takes a traditionally heavy meal into a delightfully refreshing and satisfying direction. Together they set a new standard of gastronomic delight for this trendy Surry Hills restaurant, indicative of Rocha’s creativity.

Owner Rhaad Fogarty has created an approachable Italian wine list, featuring varieties that complement the seasonal menu and is happy to make recommendations based on individual palettes. 

For those who simply want to drop in at 5pm for drinks and nibbles from the Salumi Bar or sample from their famous wine list along with their signature Formaggi Platter, Mille Vini still offers a stylish yet casually social space to whet your appetite with friends and loved ones. 

Mille Vini is located at 397 Crown Street Surry Hills and is open for lunch Thursday through Sunday from 12pm to 3pm and for dinner seven days a week from 5pm. View their full menu selection at www.millevini.com.au.

Sydney Commercial Photography - Superannuation and Investments

Sometimes marketing isn't always about creating viral social media campaigns. Formulating strategy, creating content and advertising campaigns is part of my role as a marketing manager but the truly creative element of my career lies in being a Sydney commercial photographer - photography and visual storytelling being a huge passion of mine.

"Living Life to the Full" by Sydney commercial photographer Markham Lane

It's a great pleasure to be asked to perform the commercial photography side of a campaign's production schedule, as well as being the marketing guy helping those brands develop strategies for their campaign. The benefit to me is that I get to travel, be creative and see the project through from beginning to end. The benefit to the client is a reduced cost for campaign development and comfort in knowing the project has less hand-off points - reducing turnaround times and the associated costs, including loss of revenues that come with that.

Here's a brief case study of a typical process. An investment and insurance company with a number of managed funds services, including superannuation and annuities are looking to attract younger investors who might be thinking about their retirement years in a brochure to be sent out to some of their customer base. I was asked to come for a preliminary meeting to discuss concepts.

The subsequent brief that came after that meeting required a retired couple had to be seen "living life to the full" and a connection had to be made at the experiential level to illicit an emotional response in the eyes of the audience. We decided that a photo shoot of a retired couple experiencing the V8 Fastway Track at the Eastern Creek Raceway was a thrilling, adrenalin pumping experience that could be easily shot.

And let me tell you, when those engines started to roar, the expressions on the faces of this retired couple really said it all.

Copyrighting was done with the key messages being signed-off by the client before the subsequent brochure was designed, with another sign-off by the client prior to printing. The whole process was managed in-house, with boxes of brochures and envelopes being delivered to the client, so that they could manage the postal process themselves.

The response in the first week generated hundreds of calls and I'm told that the client is very happy with the end results.

If you're thinking about your next marketing campaign, hiring a Sydney commercial photographer who knows how to capture the emotion of the moment while also assisting with brainstorming your advertising concept, the why not contact Markham Lane at MarkhamImages.com for an initial consultation? Call him on +61414446660 or email m@markhamimages.com.

All images Copyright 2013 Markham Lane / Quaetapo Media Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Fashion photography theme: Blue Mermaid

The final product has arrived, for the "Blue Mermaid" themed fashion photography collaboration, conducted here at my Sydney Eastern Suburbs studio yesterday.

Model: Blue MC - singer from the band "The Potbelleez".
Dress designer: Rosalynn Win Couture, Fashion Designer.
Hair and Make-up: Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner.
Set designer, art direction and photographer: Markham Lane

"Blue Mermaid uses Bubbles from the Sea to find the wayward sailor"

The theme originated from Blue's spiritual fantasy of the mythical mermaid. Her love of this sea creature is permanently tattooed on her back and just looking at it, we were all inspired to take that energy and give it new life. This image is a homage to that Art Neuveau skin decoration.