Tabasco

One of my long-standing clients has been McIlhenny Company, makers of Tabasco Sauce. The following photos simultaneously evoke contemporary and traditional feelings. These photos, and hundreds of others I have shot for this company, have been featured in recipe cards, newspapers, and magazines across the country for more than a decade.

For one assignment, I produced photographs illustrating several recipes using Tabasco Sauce that were distributed to newspaper and magazine food editors. The pictures were also used by Family Features, a media company that widely distributes photographs and articles written by public relations agencies to local newspapers. Newspapers receive the material free of charge, and use it as filler between their own editorial content and paid advertisements. It is a win-win situation for everyone. Tabasco does not pay the price for an advertisement, and the paper receives a high-quality article that is ready for publication.

Advertising, packaging, media, and public relations are similar in that they all seek the consumer's attention. Whether you are flipping through the pages of a magazine or newspaper, passing by a billboard, or surfing the Web, compelling visuals are what attract your attention, whet your appetite, and pull you into the subject.