Location: Fort Collins, CO
Position: Travel & Food Writer/Photographer
Years in the Business: 17
Ron Stern has shot images in 16 countries for magazines, newspapers, and websites that tell a story of the place, the person and the food. With hundreds of articles to his credit, Ron has worked as a food and travel contributor for The Daily Meal in New York, a travel columnist at San Diego Community News Network, and as the international travel editor for Hospitality 21 in New Jersey.
What was your first job in culinary writing?
I have always included food as part of my travel features since I started this career path over 17 years ago. Giving readers a sense of a place would not be nearly as interesting without including the culinary opportunities that they might otherwise miss. Good visuals as well as tantalizing text helps readers to—forgive me—get the “flavor” of the destination, restaurant or resort.
How did you get started in the industry?
I started the traditional way by sending out queries to magazines and newspapers. After some initial success, I became a regular contributor to some regional publications and later to various online sites. Learning photography, from film to digital, was also very helpful in enabling me to present chefs and their cuisine in the most appealing manner. Over the years many of my readers have told me that my text and photos made their mouths water and motivated them to pay a visit to that particular location – something a writer always likes to hear!
What advice can you give an amateur culinary writer/photographer who needs guidance on where to start?
I think it is actually easier to get started today than at any other time. Rather than sending out queries, waiting for a response, completing the assignment and then repeating the process, you can create an online presence with a website or blog, as well as social media accounts. This new form of digital exposure is how many are getting noticed in a short period of time. The secret is to create a distinctive and professional identity and brand. This may take some time but will pay dividends in the long-term. They should create a graphically pleasing website that is clean and easy to navigate.
Next create some compelling copy and photography and promote yourself through social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and others. Like any skill, photography — particularly food photography — is a must. If they are using a DSLR, learning things like depth-of-field, lighting and exposure, and the ideal camera angles for each shot takes some time but is well worth the effort. Having said that, many of the newer generation of smartphones will take rather nice photos, even in low light. In addition to taking pictures of the food on offer, environmental shots with the chef and/or staff can also create nice visuals. But first it’s necessary to learn the basics and then practice at every opportunity.
You write for The Daily Meal, that’s an opportunity many hope for! How did the chance come about?
Being a foodie, I was familiar with The Daily Meal, of course, and knew that it was an extremely successful site which would only grow in popularity. The latest figures, in fact, show 15.3 million unique views per month across their 10 channels. I had a friend invite me to submit some stories to the food editor. It turned out that she loved my copy and photos. In her words, “In addition to being an exemplary journalist, he is an excellent documentarian with his camera as well, and his dynamic images further enrich the viewers’ experience.” After contributing several articles over the succeeding months, I was promoted to be the City Guide Editor for Denver, covering the restaurant scene in and around the Mile-High City. This, however, doesn’t limit me geographically and I work on all sorts of food and travel stories both domestic and international. One of my food stories about Manhattan, Kansas, for example, attracted more than 10,500 page views within 3 months of publication.
What is your favorite type of cuisine?
Well, unfortunately for my waistline, I do love all types of cuisine. This would include simple dishes such as Tuscan beans with rosemary and tomatoes to sophisticated multi-course fine dining experiences. I appreciate artistry in presentation and enjoy trying to capture these moments visually and create interesting copy to match. If I was forced to confess my favorite food it would be ice cream! I once wrote a story about the five best ice cream shops in the world. It was a pure delight doing the research, of course, which involved a repeat visit to one location on Belize four times. One of these for which I am partial, is Graeter’s Black Cherry Chocolate Chip with huge chunks of chocolate and sweet cherries, both of which are blended superbly.
What are some of your favorite travel spots for good cultural food?
There are so many so I will just mention a couple.
Olo is a one-starred Michelin restaurant that overlooks Helsinki, Finland’s South Harbor. Chef Pekka Teräväis is a pioneer in Nordic cuisine and designs his dishes for maximum taste by using a combination of fresh local ingredients and precision in terms of cooking times and temperatures. The resulting dish — coupled with a beautiful presentation, wine pairing and a team approach to service — is an unforgettable Finnish experience. What enhances this even more is that diners can enjoy the food and at the same time soak up the maritime scenery.
France is a long way from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but if you walk into CH Patisserie you may well be able to imagine that you had popped into a little pastry shop on the streets of Paris. Rows of delectable eclairs, tarts, and neon-colored macaroons beckon from behind the glass. These confections are created by Chris Hemmer, a Top Chef Just Desserts season two winner, who set up his pastry shop on Phillips Avenue in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls a couple of years ago. It’s easy to understand why people come from all around the city to stock up! I loved his Chocolate Dream; a shiny little dome of decadent chocolate deliciousness.
What magazines have you shot for? Any cool stories about any of them in particular?
My photos have appeared in hundreds of publications such as Visit Los Cabos, La Jolla Today, Cruise, Key Biscayne, Destinations West, Voyaging, and many others. I’ve also contributed work to PBS, various tourism boards, public relations agencies and many newspapers. I recently did a story for The Daily Meal, featuring some of Bravo TV’s Top Chefs from current and past seasons. This involved visiting many of the same venues that were shown in season 13 as well meeting some of the chefs at their restaurants in Southern California. This included up-and-comers Dakota Weiss, Shirley Chung, Amar Santana, Giselle Wellman, and Chad White. Meeting Chef Phillip Franklin Lee at his Gaderene Swine in Studio City, CA was a great experience. I was able to try one of his signature vegan dishes (blackened cauliflower) and write about his incredible rise to culinary stardom at such a young age.
Where do you see yourself traveling next?
I have trips scheduled for Rapid City, SD (more food discoveries there), Reykjavik, Iceland and a luxury barging cruise through Holland. The latter is aboard what I would describe as a retrofitted floating, luxury hotel along the canals in Amsterdam. This will be my fourth canal cruise and they are fabulous. The onboard chef creates culinary sensations with wine pairing with lunch and dinner. I work off the calories on these trips (at least theoretically) by walking alongside the tow-path since these barges only travel at 4 mph.
What are the most unexpected aspects of covering food or chefs that you have found?
When I write an article of take photographs of food and chefs, I have found that many have a good sense of humor and a playful side that isn’t always readily apparent. Consequently, I try to capture their real personality in the kitchen, by showcasing them engrossed in their cooking, or even jumping in their vegetable patch!
What are your resolutions for 2016?
To eat less ice cream.
Learn more about culinary writer Ron Stern on his Chef’s Roll Industry Profile.
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