Future Boy Productions designs the cover for Westchester Magazine's "Best of Westchester 2014"

Every year, Westchester Magazine honors the best that Westchester County offers the New York Tri-State Area. This includes food, home services, sports, parks, and just about everything else one can imagine. It's a big, popular issue in the region, and it catches everyone's attention each summer. 

This year, Future Boy Productions was honored to design the cover for the magazine. We went with a retro vibe using greens and oranges, laid over a reflective foil background. The icons were kept simple, as we chose to hold ourselves to only three colors under our ongoing philosophy that indeed less is more. We are proud and humbled to say that it all came together successfully. 

We were further honored to receive a wonderful feature by Editor-in-Chief Robert Schork, detailing a bit about our history and design philosophy as stated by Future Boy Productions Founder Justin Negard. 

We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone at Westchester Magazine for this honor. It was a pleasure to work alongside the entire staff, particularly Creative Director Aiko Masazumi and Editor-in-Chief Robert Schork. We are very grateful and flattered by the entire process. Thanks, Westchester Mag! 

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Never Chase Money

We at Future Boy Productions truly like our clients. I can say that with complete sincerity. That's because the relationships we foster are rarely accidental. We have always been attracted to good people who are open-minded and eager to build their business. They are not always the biggest and wealthiest, but they are usually some of the most creative and passionate in their industry. We actively choose people like that, and always try to have the clarity of sight to repel those who are not. In fact, it's one of our mantras here: "Surround yourself with good people." It rarely fails.

But let's be honest. We have been in the opposite position many times before. I personally have been left with the question, "do I push through this project for the paycheck, even though it goes against what my business represents?" In hindsight, it's an easy answer. But in the moment, it is anything but. At the time, things get blurry. Your conscience can betray you and little compromises can add up. Before long, the image of your business is far from where it began.

Dramatic, I know. But it is a topic deserving of theatrics. As important as money is in all our lives, it isn't everything. Building a business that you are proud of is far more valuable, both monetarily and symbolically.

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. We all have to make the best decisions we can with the information we have. But never underestimate the value of good projects and good people. And if something doesn't feel right, there may be a reason for it. Bad people create bad projects which create bad energy and bad results.

Keep your momentum, work with good people, and those results will be infinitely more valuable in the long run. Just a thought.

- Future Boy Productions

Food Photography Thoughts

Well our pasta shoots continue this week. Some thoughts.

You can be an amazing photographer in a variety of different styles but food photography is an art all its own, and it's one of the reasons even experienced photographers avoid it. It's completely hit or miss. Shoot the dish incorrectly and risk having even the most delicious dinner look downright unappealing.

So when attempting this yourself, consider the following aspects...

- Sizes. The size of the food serving in relation to the plate. Keep in mind how much empty space you may or may not want for the overall composition of the image. Also, how much of one ingredient do you want to dominate over another? Maybe an ice cream sundae will look even better with a little more whipped cream?

- Colors. One of the biggest factors to consider. Think about how the color of one sauce matches over another. Should it be pesto green or marinara red or gravy brown? And of course you'll always want to have splashes of color around as well, such as a little basil, cheese, or a cherry on top.

- Shapes. Get creative here. Maybe you want to arrange your meal in the traditional style but consider other ways as well. Square salads, tower ingredients, soup in a rectangular bowl. Think about how different shapes will interact with each other in the final image.

- Plates. Often an aspect that is overlooked but equally as important as the food itself. Size, color, and shape all apply here. Mix and match. A white dish will give that minimalistic effect, while a colorful plate can serve as the final touch to an otherwise monotone meal.

- Composition. Far away, close up, profile. Consider the shape of the meal and how it might best catch the eye.

Those are just a few tips to consider but we admittedly are still learning a great deal on this subject ourselves. If you have any pics you're proud of, let us know on Twitter (@FutureBoyPro) or Facebook.com/FutureBoyProductions.

Food Photography and Ad Work

We have a special passion for food photography. It's always a challenge to present something delicious in a new, interesting way. It's especially fascinating in that it combines multiple levels of creativity through the art of food preparation, photography, and ad design. Here are some recent concepts we brewed up for Giovanni Rana Pasta.