![](\"http:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SousWeedForMarleyNatural-1.jpg\")
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W<\/span>arning: The Sous Weed Instagram feed may induce the munchies.<\/p>\n Scrolling past succulent saut\u00e9ed shrimp, poached eggs oozing rich yolk over piles of shaved cheese and broccolini, raw juices garnished with a sliver of cannabis leaf and artfully drizzled honey on a stark white marble slab \u2014 it all looks delicious and elegant, mouthwatering and envy inspiring.<\/p>\n The photographer of these artful compositions, Monica Lo, is so adept at food photography that her minimalist designs originally earned her a gig as the creative director at Nomiku, a startup selling sous vide machines for the home cook.<\/p>\n \u201cNomiku found me on Instagram and hired me to style a video shoot,\u201d Lo says. \u201cAfter that, they hired me as a creative director.\u201d<\/p>\n Lo handled food styling and photography there for two years while branching out with her own cannabis-infused Instagram. During that time she also shot a cookbook called \u201cSous Vide at Home.\u201d<\/p>\n The sous vide<\/a> technique, long revered by chefs for evenly cooking meats, involves sealing the ingredient in a plastic bag and submerging it in precisely and consistently heated water. The technique was generally reserved for restaurant use because the immersion circulator machines traditionally used for sous vide were too bulky and expensive for a typical home kitchen. But as the method grew in popularity, smaller versions debuted for home cooks.<\/p>\n Living in a small, strictly \u201cno smoking\u201d apartment complex in San Francisco, Lo discovered that sous vide not only worked very well for making cannabis infusions, but proved to be very discreet \u2014 subduing the telltale smell of cooking with weed.<\/p>\n \u201cI turned to cannabis to alleviate some of the pain from a herniated disc,\u201d Lo says, adding that the edibles on the market in 2013 were mostly sweet desserts and dosed too intensely for her needs. \u201cI would have couchlock for hours. I was told that 25 milligrams was beginner dosage, and it knocked me out.\u201d<\/p>\n Seeking low-dose options that would allow her to be lucid and functional throughout the day, Lo experimented with making infusions at home using the Nomiku. With a maximum temperature of 203\u00baF, the immersion circulator allows for a low and slow infusion process.<\/p>\n \u201cAll you need to do is strain it,\u201d Lo says. \u201cJust drop your cannabis in your oil base, and it will decarb and infuse on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n Lo pioneered using this technology for cannabis infusions, and with her background in advertising and photography, she soon decided to make it appealing for the masses: she launched Sous Weed<\/a> as an Instagram<\/a> account and personal blog in 2015.<\/p>\n Monica Lo\/Photo Patrick Wong<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSometimes the perfect garnish in the dish or styling from a prop can make a huge impact in the final image,\u201d she said. \u201cI love to hone in on those little details.\u201d<\/p>\n Lo\u2019s styling promotes the idea of cannabis as an upscale lifestyle choice and wellness accessory, with all the slickness of a Williams Sonoma catalog \u2014 on weed<\/em>.<\/p>\n As the cannabis cuisine movement collectively moves the conversation way<\/em> beyond brownies<\/a>, the world is waking up to the idea of supplementing meals with very low doses of cannabinoids<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were contacting me who didn\u2019t realize that there were so many applications for cannabis,\u201d Lo says. \u201cYou can just put it in a salad dressing or whatever you\u2019re normally eating.\u201d<\/p>\n Lo also adds that her styling appeals to women, who represent a substantial portion of the cannabis community.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen account for 40 percent of cannabis users and we need to start appealing to them,\u201d Lo says.<\/p>\n Most commercial food stylists rely on tricks of the trade to make food look appetizing while it\u2019s being photographed \u2014\u00a0most of which render the food inedible. Glycerin is brushed on to make food shine, burgers are structurally engineered with toothpicks, a roasted turkey is often raw inside with just the skin burnished to signify golden brown doneness, and bowls of cereal frequently float in a sea of glue so flakes do not become too sodden or sink into actual milk.<\/p>\n \u201cFood dies fast on set,\u201d Lo says. \u201cIt might look delicious for the commercial but it\u2019s never edible.\u201d<\/p>\n Monica Lo styles a shoot\/Photo Patrick Wong<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Preferring to shoot real food that can actually be enjoyed afterwards, Lo must work quickly to capture her images. She says sketching out compositions ahead of time and prepping ingredients the day before helps shoots come together quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it\u2019s on the plate it\u2019s ready to go, and I usually shoot within 10 minutes,\u201d Lo says. \u201cSometimes it takes two or three platings to get it just right.\u201d<\/p>\n When choosing cannabis to accompany her dishes, Lo looks for fluffy fat buds, usually with a \u201chero bud\u201d that displays unique characteristics or an interesting shape. Distinctive leaves often appear as garnishes, with Lo favoring the undersides of large fan leaves for their textural contrast of light veins against a matte surface.<\/p>\n \u201cI like breaking leaves into singular petals to style with,\u201d Lo says.<\/p>\n These \u201cpetals\u201d usually make appearances on top of a raw juices or smoothies \u2014\u00a0a subtle accent to an otherwise straight-looking image.<\/p>\n When planning her compositions, she aims for a \u201clight airy and earthy aesthetic,\u201d choosing ceramic tableware to accompany her dishes and keeping props to a minimum. Lo says she also likes to play with interesting crops to highlight the focal point in her photographs.<\/p>\n Images are either restrained and elegant, or messy and dynamic. Take, for example, her recent styling for a medicated shrimp cocktail sauce. The photograph includes raw shrimp resting on a bed of ice, with cannabis buds tossed casually among them. A small bowl of sauce rests in the corner of the image, along with juicy lemon wedges ready to be squeezed.<\/p>\n And because it\u2019s one of Lo\u2019s photos, everything is 100 percent real.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can buy plastic fake ice that looks really real when dropped into a cocktail,\u201d Lo says. \u201cBut that\u2019s not what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n As an example of Lo\u2019s work, the shot encapsulates much of her method: a novel intent to her infusion, an emphasis on capturing the lifestyle of an upscale cannabis enthusiast and styling a challenging product to make it look effortless.<\/p>\n Advice from Sous Weed\u2019s Monica Lo on upping your social media game.<\/p>\n Be Original!<\/strong> Vary Your Compositions<\/strong> Keep the Image Positive<\/strong> Know Your Audience<\/strong> Be On Time<\/strong> Trend Watch<\/strong> Watch What Works<\/strong> Be Consistent<\/strong> Work with Pros<\/strong> Be Passionate!<\/strong> Originally published in\u00a0Issue 27<\/a>\u00a0of Cannabis Now.\u00a0<\/em>LEARN MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n TELL US<\/strong>, have you ever tried cooking with a sous vide machine?<\/p>\n The post Stylin\u2019 With Sous Weed<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Cannabis infused cuisine through the high art lens. Warning: The Sous Weed Instagram feed may induce the munchies. Scrolling past succulent saut\u00e9ed shrimp, poached eggs oozing rich yolk over piles of shaved cheese and broccolini, raw juices garnished with a sliver of cannabis leaf and artfully drizzled honey on aContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":23125,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[50,111,85,2022,3161,3162],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23124"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23124"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23126,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23124\/revisions\/23126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SousWeedForMarleyNatural.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Monica](\"http:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/MonicaLo.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Monica](\"http:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/MonicaLostyling.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/SousWeedMarleyNatural.jpg\")
<\/p>\n10 Tips for Better Instagram Shots<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nDon\u2019t repurpose other people\u2019s images without permission.<\/p>\n
\nShooting both horizontally and vertically allows for maximum versatility on different social media platforms.<\/p>\n
\nPortray cannabis in the best sense possible. Avoid stereotypical or sexist imagery.<\/p>\n
\nBe active in replying to comments and questions to cultivate the best relationship with followers.<\/p>\n
\nThe time you post is as important as your imagery. Experiment to see when your audience is watching.<\/p>\n
\nUse trending hashtags to meet new followers.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPeople really love steak\u201d Lo says, \u201cand yolk porn!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nPost at least once a day to watch your platform grow.<\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re building a brand, enlist a photographer or designer to help create the best content.<\/p>\n
\nShare what you love and people will notice!<\/p>\n
\n
\nRead More: Stylin\u2019 With Sous Weed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"