on assignment

Article about Purity vodka in Somm Journal

Saying Skål in Sweden

I once had a dream I woke up in Copenhagen, took a train to Sweden and was whisked away to a 13th Century castle where I learned about vodka distilling. Oh, wait, that actually happened.

Known for popular brands like Absolut and Svedka, Sweden is also home to Purity, a small-batch organic distillery located at Ellinge Castle, near Malmo, Sweden. Along with journalist Marguerite Richards,I journeyed there on assignment for The Somm Journal magazine for their August/September 2014 issue (see the PDF here).

Ellinge Castle is a 13th Century castle located near Malmo, Sweden.

Purity Vodka is distilled in Ellinge Castle, a picturesque estate still surrounded by a moat.

We delved into the distillation process (Purity undergoes thirty-four rounds) while hearing from master blender Thomas Kuuttanen about his obsession with Purity. Then we wandered the verdant grounds of Ellinge Castle, imagining the fairytale setting for a wedding that was busily being prepared for the next day, and pondering older times when estate workers were actually paid in vodka. And, of course, we tasted.

If it takes thirty-four rounds of distillation to achieve the results that reached my lips, I’ll happily wait patiently.

I don’t know if it is Sweden talking, but I just might have fallen in love with vodka. I’ll cheers, or as the Swedes say, skål to that.

The copper still at Ellinge Castle and the pure gold spigot for Purity Vodka.

The copper still at Ellinge Castle (left) and the pure gold spigot (right) for the final product.

Interior of Ellinge Castle and vodka tasting.

The inside of Ellinge Castle is filled with old paintings and furniture (left). We compared Purity to its rivals in a vodka tasting (right).

Woodstock on the Rise

Dramatic view from the top of the Old Biscuit Mill of the surrounding neighborhood of Woodstock and the mountains of Cape Town at sunset.

Dramatic view from the top of the Old Biscuit Mill of the surrounding neighborhood of Woodstock and the mountains of Cape Town at sunset.

One of the perks of working on assignment for a travel magazine is getting to explore such wonderful places. I recently had two of my images published in the latest National Geographic Traveler magazine for a small article about the Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town, but there were many other images made that have yet to see the light of day. Take a peek at the gallery of outtakes below from my time exploring this neighborhood home to artists and innovators, great food, and fabulous design.

And if you’ve missed my ravings about how wonderful Cape Town is, check out my travel blog entries including a photo gallery here, more delicious food here, my obsession with the Cape Floral Kingdom, and the funky neighborhood that I briefly called home.

I popped to the top of the Old Biscuit Mill building to visit Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ Pot Luck Club restaurant (left). Orders for small plates like tomato and sushimi salad (left) are scribbled on tickets and taken to the open kitchen for preparation. Even if the food weren’t delicious and innovative (which it is!), going here just for the view would be worth it.
The parking garage at the Old Biscuit Mill overflows with food and craft vendors every Saturday during Neighbourgoods Market (left). Head to the food area to sample anything from kudu burgers to Dutch bitterballen (right).
The Old Biscuit Mill is vibrant during the Neighbourgoods Market (left). Come for the food and people watching. Leave with a bouquet of banksia (right) and a hip new outfit.
The home-dried tomato starter at Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ Test Kitchen at the Old Biscuit Mill (left). Perfectly poured flat whites at the Espresso Lab next door (right).
The Woodstock Exchange is home to cafes, shops, and businesses like Grandt Mason Originals, footwear that is constructed on premises in a studio behind the storefront (right).
The Superette cafe serves lunch and dinner in a bright atmosphere at the Woodstock Exchange, a vibrant work and retail space in the Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town.
A scene of typical Victorian houses along Roodebloem Road in Woodstock (right). Colorful artwork covers one of the walls of Side Street Studios, a network of art and design studios that also houses cafes and shops (right).
I stumbled into Nix Davies, a conceptual artist whose Let There Be Light Studios is housed at the Side Street Studios. She invited me to her conceptual dinner party that night that was based around the concept of wholeness. It was lovely to photograph the activities, help make paella, and meet some of Cape Town’s creatives.
Lanterns on display at Ashanti Designs (left) and the minimalist storefront for Haldane Martin designs (right).
Ashanti Designs sells woven goods such as beanbag covers, computer bags, and lampshades on Sir Lowry Road in the Cape Town’s Woodstock neighborhood.
Delos is the most fabulous melange of chandeliers, nautical items, and taxidermy. Wandering through this wonderland is like walking through a dream.
Karen Dudley’s Kitchen is a cozy lunch spot with friendly staff (left) and amazing sandwiches like the “Love” sandwich (right).
Breakfast of champions at Karen Dudley’s casual restaurant, the Kitchen, located in the Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town.
Dramatic view from the top of the Old Biscuit Mill of the surrounding neighborhood of Woodstock and the mountains of Cape Town at sunset.

On Newsstands: Cape Town in National Geographic Traveler

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Artists Dani Le Roy (left) and Laura Summs (right) work on one of their signature crochet rugs in the studio of Moonbasket. They create pendant lights, stiffened bowls, jewelry, and motif carpets using crochet and they hire and empower women from the Khayalitsha township to produce the bulk of their materials.

Last November while I was visiting Cape Town, I was given a short assignment by my friend and former colleague Carol Enquist to photograph the Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town for National Geographic Traveler magazine. With Cape Town being named World Design Capital for 2014, it was the perfect time to explore Woodstock, a neighborhood filled with designers, artists, and innovation tucked at the foot of Devils Peak. I roamed the colorful streets and popped into old warehouses turned new, looking for subjects for my lens, falling more in love with this South African city by the minute. Along the way I was also lucky enough to get to meet up with the writer of the piece, the talented Sarah Khan who is now living in Cape Town.

Go grab the April 2014 issue of National Geographic Traveler off of newsstands and stay tuned here for a blog post of some outtakes from the shoot. Then be prepared to want to book a one-way ticket to the Mother City.

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The article on Woodstock ran in National Geographic Traveler‘s Best of the World section and a photo from the artist DALeast‘s studio at Side Street Studios ran on the contents pages of the April 2014 issue.

On Newsstands: San Francisco Feature

In September of last year I was given the opportunity to photograph a feature story for National Geographic Traveler magazine.  I was thrilled to get out from behind the photo editing desk and head back to my native West Coast to explore San Francisco with camera in hand.  Half a year later, the results of that assignment are hitting newsstands today.

For about a week, I chased sunshine and learned to embrace fog. I drank so much good coffee. I ogled farm-fresh produce and delectable dishes….and sometimes got to eat too! I started (and ended) days in a fleece and stocking cap and was basking in the sun by mid-day. I slept in a live-work warehouse, a cozy inn tucked into the Presidio, and a funky downtown hotel. I photographed in parks, parklets, and on top of gigantic living rooftops. I rode cable cars and rubbed elbows with tourists on Lombard Street, all of us clicking away with our cameras. And on my last night in the City by the Bay, I sat in Corona Heights Park and watched the fog roll over downtown, the sky turn pink, and the city’s lights come on and sparkle.

But what I enjoyed the most during this assignment was the people that I met along the way; like Daniel Scott, the yogi-acrobat-chocolatier I stumbled upon at an Off the Grid food truck round-up (and who ended up full page on the opener of the story), and Chan Quach, a local elementary school teacher who flies his two pet macaws around Mission Dolores Park on occasional evenings.  I talked with crab fishermen while patiently waiting for the tip of the Golden Gate Bridge to emerge from the fog, met a former ballerina stretching in Alamo Square Park, photographed a man taking his grandson on his first cable car ride, learned all about coffee roasting from the master roaster at Sightglass Coffee, and met so many others that I’m grateful to for taking the time to tell me their stories.

San Francisco Feature Spread 2 San Francisco Feature Spread 3 San Francisco Feature Spread 4 San Francisco Feature Spread 5

To read Andrew Nelson’s wanderlust-inspiring story and see these photographs in print, head to newsstands today to pick up the April 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler. The issue is also available on the iPad and to get my behind-the-lens perspective visit Traveler‘s website to click through an extra photo gallery.

Thanks to Andrew Nelson for taking us all to San Francisco through his words (and for his great taste in cities), to George Stone for his edgy editing, to Dan Westergren for sending me to California, to Leigh Borghesani for yet another beautifully designed feature, and biggest thanks to Carol Enquist for her expert photo editing.  Now, how do I get back to San Francisco?