Blog | Ryann Ford

Better Homes and Gardens!

2011-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to finally post the tearsheets from this story I did for Better Homes and Gardens of interior designer Kelly Moseley and her family's gorgeous, remodeled 1930s cottage. These images are really making me miss summer as I sit about 2 inches from my space heater, dreading going out in the 37 degree weather! Bring back the BBQs!

A Burton Baldridge Home for The New York Times

2011-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Take Monday Off...And Come to Austin!

2011-09-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this fun travel piece I did for the Wall Street Journal. It's so exciting to see Austin getting so much great press, but at the same time, I really want it to stay a secret so it never changes! This shoot was really tough - I had to go to a bunch of my favorite places, eat at some of my favorite restaurants, and explore new areas that I hadn't been to before; can you sense my sarcasm yet? :)

Elizabeth Stanley's Home!

2011-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to finally share these super fun photos of Elizabeth Stanley's home, one of my favorite interior designers here in Austin. Upon walking through the front door of her home, I immediately fell in love. It had been a while since I had seen a house as breathtaking as hers. Not only was it luxurious and gorgeous, but the best part was the playful, unexpected details scattered throughout the house - a zebra head smoking a cigarette, a bedroom fireplace filled with pennies instead of stones, the fun Ingo Maurer chandelier in the stairwell, even a clever (and naughty!) neon sign over the master bedroom's bed. To top it off, the house was designed by the amazingly talented Ryan Street, who also did Lance Armstrong's Austin home.

Reef and Chef Bryan Caswell for Cooking Light

2011-08-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since since I've done a post. It's been an exciting and crazy summer so far and I have lots of new work to post in the coming days. To start, here's a few of my favorite images from a shoot that I did for Cooking Light magazine featuring Chef Bryan Caswell, owner of Reef in Houston. Reef was recently voted the #1 best seafood restaurant in the country by Bon Appetit and man, did it live up to the hype.

Shawn Colvin's House!

2011-02-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't picked up your copy of the winter issue of Austin Monthly Home, there are still a few days left before the spring issue comes out! Yay spring! For the current issue, I shot the beautiful and bold home of singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin! She's been one of my favorite artists since I was in high school, so shooting her and her house was pretty unreal; I had to pinch myself a couple of times!

Richard Linklater's Bunkhouse for Tribeza

2011-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about this post! Check out the cover and feature I did for Tribeza magazine of director Richard Linklater's bunkhouse. The property, designed by architect Henry Panton sits in the middle of the woods, just outside of Austin. Stylist Adam Fortner and I had a blast shooting here all day and into the night. It's shoots like this that remind me why I love my job.

Gourdough's in American Way

2011-01-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

Check out my shot of Gourdough's "Baby Rattler" doughnut in American Airlines' in-flight magazine, American Way. If you haven't been to Gourdough's, your life is incomplete. It is my favorite food trailer in Austin and is unbelievable. The "Baby Rattler", below, is a gigantic doughnut, covered in fudge icing and Oreos, topped off with a gummy snake slithering across it. Enough said.

A Sneak Peak at "Designing and Printing Fabric"

2011-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, I have had the joy of working with UK book publisher RotoVision and textile designer Laurie Wisbrun of Scarlet Fig on her new book The Complete Guide to Designing and Printing Fabric. If you aren't familiar with Laurie's work, you must check it out now! Her fabrics are off-the-charts adorable and creative and we had a blast photographing them, and others, for the book. RotoVision is publishing the European edition and Chronicle Books (one of my favorite publishers!) is publishing the US edition. The other day Laurie tipped me off to a very sweet blog post from RotoVision about the book. Check it out, along with more images from the book, here.

A big thank you to my amazing stylist Robin Finlay for styling the entire book. I couldn't have done it without you!

BRC for Texas Monthly

2011-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I am really behind on my blogging. Again. Even though this ran a few months ago, I liked this restaurant (and the photos) so much that I didn't want to pass up blogging about it. Check out BRC (short for Big Red Cock; they have a giant red rooster in the parking lot). I loved the fun vibe of this place and they have curious things on their menu like "The Pickle Jar" which is a small glass jug filled with house-cured cucumbers and asparagus.

Snap Kitchen for Michael Hsu

2010-10-08T01:07:00.000-07:00

I just finished up a fun and colorful shoot for one of architect Michael Hsu's new projects, Snap Kitchen, a cool new restaurant/store that specializes in fresh and healthy take-away meals.

Shoot for Carole Willard Interiors

2010-10-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, I had the great pleasure of working with the super sweet and very talented Carole Willard, an interior designer based in Austin. Here's one of my favorites from the shoot. Styling by the super-awesome Robin Finlay.

El Arbol for Texas Monthly

2010-08-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus from blogging due to a ridiculous (in a good way!) amount of work, I am back! Lots of blog posts and new work to come! In the meantime, check out what I shot for Texas Monthly's dining spotlight, Pat's Pick. El Arbol is a super-cool, new Argentinian restaurant here in Austin, housed in a restored mid-century modern building. The different floors have completely different vibes - the downstairs is white, bright and airy whereas the upstairs is dark and evokes the glamour of a 1960's cocktail lounge. I can't wait to eat here!

Where the Homeless Sleep

2010-04-27T11:56:00.001-07:00

I recently had the honor of working on a project that was quite a detour from shooting the bedrooms of the rich and famous. Instead, I spent two days shooting the "bedrooms" of the homeless. Back in February, I was asked to shoot a feature for Mobile Loaves and Fishes' magazine Twelve Baskets. Alan Graham, President/CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Robin Finlay, Matt Rainwaters and myself ventured deep into the woods, climbed under freeway overpasses, and visited ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless) to document the sleeping arrangements of Austin's homeless population.

More importantly, today (April 27) Mobile Loaves and Fishes launch their new campaign, I AM HERE, to raise visibility of our homeless brothers and sisters. Coinciding with the release of the magazine, the organization has also rented a billboard on which Danny, the homeless man featured on the cover, will be living for the next two days. Only 1200 $10 donations will get Danny down off the billboard and into a permanent home with his wife, Maggie. So please, donate $10 by texting "Danny" to 20222.

This issue also features breathtaking portraits by my fiancé, Matt Rainwaters, as well as amazing work by my dear friends, photographer Adam Voorhes and art director, Robin Finlay, who also designed the magazine.

Here's a few of my favorite images from the shoot. Be sure to the check out the magazine to see more - and please, donate if you can.

Austin's Rainey Street

2010-04-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Check out this fun project that I did for the April issue of Austin Monthly on Rainey Street, a hip, up-and-coming neighborhood downtown. The article features two new bars, Lustre Pearl and Clive Bar, as well as The Austin Bike Zoo, a non-profit focused on inspiring the community with bicycles and other alternative forms of transportation by creating unique, human-powered vehicles, bicycle-based theatrical performances and educational programs for youth. As you can see in the last two photos, these are not just regular bikes! The bikes come in all shapes and sizes, including an 80-foot rattlesnake bike that can ridden by dozens of people! Austin is so cool.

Spring is Almost Here!

2010-03-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

Only 15 more days until spring is officially here! I cannot wait for the warm weather and longer days. Speaking of spring, make sure to pick up a copy of the spring issue of Austin Monthly Home. I shot the cover and two of the gorgeous homes featured inside.

If you recognize the kitchen below, that's because I've shot this award-winning kitchen once before. This time around, I had the pleasure of shooting the entire home. Here are a few of my favorite images from the shoot.

Michael Hsu for Texas Monthly

2010-02-22T14:41:00.001-08:00

Every month I shoot a feature for Texas Monthly called Object Lesson. Each month the feature profiles a different well-known Texan and gives readers a peek into their personal life. This month is one of my favorite architects, Austin-based Michael Hsu.

Perla's is Famous! (And Making Me Famous!)

2010-02-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

One of Austin's newest restaurants, Perla's, is on fire lately! About a week ago I told you about how they were featured last fall in Esquire, and now Texas Monthly just named them one of the ten best new places to eat in Texas for 2010! Check out my shot, below.

Get it Before it's Gone!

2010-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

There are just a few more days to pick up the winter issue of Austin Monthly Home. I shot the cover and two features inside. Here's a peak...

The Salton Sea's North Shore Yacht Club is Saved!

2010-02-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I spent a few years working on a project documenting California's Salton Sea. I first discovered the Salton Sea about 10 years ago while on a road trip with my mom; it has held a special place in my heart ever since. One of the Salton Sea's most iconic buildings is the North Shore Yacht Club. It was built in 1958 by one of my favorite architects, Albert Frey. For decades the structure sat abandoned, eventually gutted and severely vandalized. I figured it was just a matter of time before it was demolished. This past week I came upon an article revealing the news. The yacht club restoration project has been approved and construction has begun! Click here to read the article. Below is the front and back of a vintage postcard, advertising the club.

Here are a few images from my Salton Sea project. The rest can be seen on my website by clicking on Exhibited, on the home page.

Perla's for Esquire

2010-02-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

This is sort of old news, but since I didn't have a blog in November when it came out, I'm posting it now. Last fall I was hired to shoot this great shot of Perla's patio for Esquire's Best New Restaurants feature. It was pretty funny getting this photo; I had to stand on the sidewalk, outside the restaurant, and poke my lens through the plants. The poor diners must have thought I was the paparazzi.

On a completely different note, check out the cool new magnetic, chalkboard wall in the office. I've always wanted an "inspiration board" and now I have an entire wall! I'm still a little scared to add the chalk because it looks so good clean!

I have a blog!

2010-02-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce that I finally have a blog! Make sure to check back often to see what I've been up to...