My photography is a study of natural light with a strong aversion to flash or artificial lighting.

special event, gallery opening, charity ball
object and detail focused pictures

A focus on seasonal, organic, and intelligent food

Long standing relationships with Southern California farms, purveyors, chefs, and restaurant groups..

(Pictures of the cuisine of Chef s Steve Samson and Chef Zack Pollack at Sotto, Chef Andrew Carmellini, Chef Yottam Ottolenghi, Fundamental LA, Big Mista BBQ, Lucques)

Some of the chef’s I have had the pleasure of working with

Bryce Whittlesey

Suzanne Goin

Zack Pollack & Steve Sampson

Ludovic Lefebvre

Joshua Drew & Jeff Cerciello

Elaine Von-Scotti

Sergio Perera 

Walter Manzke

A good cocktail, like a fine wine, should have an aromatic component, a body / mouth feel, and a finish. I strive to create drinks as fresh as possible, balancing acids with homemade sugars and salts. I utilize farmer’s market ingredients, focusing on seasonality and complementing cuisine.

wedding ceremony tables full of fruits and herbs, berries and crushed ice.

bridal shower’s with hazelnut dark chocolate, champagne, sparkling rose, and jasmine blossoms.

VIP birthday parties, bar mitzvah’s, and backyard barbecues.

onsite catering and craft services

mojitos, margaritas, and mimosas

redclay is a variety of endeavors driven by study, practice, and passion.

It is the umbrella for all of my activities in hospitality, and the capturing of those of experiences. I make quite a few cocktails these days, although the discipline I actively pursue is viticulture in working towards becoming a sommelier. I relish the times when I get to take pictures, even more so when I am hired to do so. I have the pleasure to work for/with and be inspired by several Chef’s on a random basis. After a decade of powerlifting, I have been known to take on personal training clients, but my methods can be extreme and not for the faint of mental strength. (CastIronPT)

Red Clay is a metaphor for me, an extremely malleable personality, eager to mold himself to a variety of tasks.

The name comes from a landmark jazz album and career defining moment of trumpet player and bandleader Freddie Hubbard. For me it was the gateway into Hard-Bop, my favorite style of jazz. I was introduced to music theory via my multi-instrumentalist sister at a young age. 

The name also comes from people in the south eating a specific kind of clay, and that my grandfather’s family would eat this clay, going out in the middle of the night to dig for it by torch light in rural Louisiana.

redclay is

Michael

Nemcik