Swabreen Bakr

Chef Marcie Turney and Valarie Safran, the entrepreneurial duo...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:35:00 -0500

Chef Marcie Turney and Valarie Safran, the entrepreneurial duo who have been transforming 13th street over the past few years into the nationally recognized Midtown Village with their acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant Barbuzzo, along with Mexican BYOB Lolita, gourmet food market Grocery, and two lifestyle boutiques Verde and Open House, have done it again with their new restaurant Jamonera.

Read more …

Philadelphia Coffee Culture Vol 2: Bodhi Hand poured coffee...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:11:00 -0500

Philadelphia Coffee Culture Vol 2: Bodhi

Hand poured coffee demo.

Previously: Philly Coffee Culture Vol 1: Elixr

Portrait shots from the Fourth Annual Philadelphia Tweed...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:16:42 -0500

Portrait shots from the Fourth Annual Philadelphia Tweed Ride

Philadelphia Coffee Culture Vol 1: Elixr Chemex Demo A short I...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:02:00 -0500

Philadelphia Coffee Culture Vol 1: Elixr

Chemex Demo

A short I shot and edited featuring Elixr coffee shop in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Creatives-At Work- @NoseGo I got the chance to...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:50:32 -0500

Philadelphia Creatives-At Work- @NoseGo

I got the chance to shoot NoseGo while he was revamping his mural on 5th & Bainbridge. He added some new flavor to the piece with his new arsenal of characters. His style of work has a very West Coast kind of vibe in the painterly aspect, super bright colors and (often times) very cute characters. On his work he says,

I’m actually highly inspired by many West Coast works, but I’ve found my style after going through traditional training and then later merging it with a more contemporary style. There are many artist I find inspirational, to name a few Sean G, Scotty Albrecht, Ishknits, Royce Bannon, Chris RWK, and Hilary White.

There’s a nice bit of joy and whimsy in the piece, and I think it reflects his personality quite well. He’s one of the sweetest people that I’ve ever met. To his fellow creatives he says,

Stay true to yourself, and never try to be what you think is expected of you. If you want to do something, visualize it, plan it, and follow through. If things don’t go according to plan just learn from your mistakes, and try again.

I’ve started shooting and editing video! I’m very...

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:34:00 -0500

I’ve started shooting and editing video! I’m very excited about this new creative venture and am preparing quite a few more to come.

Betty Lertdarapong Weaving Demonstration

Art in the Age Fabric of Philadelphia Exhibition

Shot and edited by Swabreen Bakr.

Follow me on vimeo http://vimeo.com/iphotophilly/

Coffee Lovers Holiday Gift Guide designed for...

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:06:00 -0500

Coffee Lovers Holiday Gift Guide designed for Phrequency.com

Surely by now if you’ve visited your favorite coffee shop often enough you’ve seen most of these items, so this guide will help teach you what they’re used for and how they can make a difference when you decide to brew your coffee at home. You’ll also get some insight into exactly what your barista is doing when he or she is prepping something you ordered.

Read more…

An informative gift guide for home brewers!

A piece I shot, designed and wrote about my current obsession,...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:18:00 -0500

A piece I shot, designed and wrote about my current obsession, coffee!

We’re in the middle of a great coffee revolution here in Philadelphia, in the past two years a slew of new coffee shops have setup shop on our streets, we’ve even got a new mobile coffee truck serving artisanal coffee courtesy of Rival Bros. Coffee. These shops have slowly started to change our drinking habits and enlighten us to the Third Wave coffee movement which focuses on ethical sourcing from small farms, sustainability, roasting in small batches and appreciating coffee as culinary product like wine, wherein we pay attention to the complexities and variations in flavor.

Everything you always wanted to know about espresso but were too afraid to ask

Design Consumption Vol 7: Percy Street BBQ It’s no secret that...

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:07:45 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 7: Percy Street BBQ

It’s no secret that our city has lot to offer in terms of dining, hell even New York based publications like GQ and Details are coming down to visit us and praising our food scene. A lot of the current and upcoming restaurants feature concepts we’re familiar with, so that’s why having an authentic Texas-style BBQ joint in our midst is even more special. Before it opened last year on South St. the crew (Mike Solomonov, Steve Cook and chef Erin O’Shea along with the management staff and family) traveled to the Lone Star state in order to taste authentic Texas-style bbq and get a sense of the feel and atmosphere of bbq joints. They sampled some of the best the region had to offer and brought back what they learned to Philadelphia.

Design Consumption Vol 6: Cook Spearheaded by Audrey Claire...

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:01:00 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 6: Cook

Spearheaded by Audrey Claire Taichman of Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning Grill restaurants and presented by Philadelphia Magazine, “COOK is a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped, sixteen-seat kitchen-classroom to discover, prepare and enjoy meals made from local and seasonal ingredients.” The space, “provides a platform for classes, conversation, demonstrations, experimentation, and private dining events focused on celebrating the craft of cooking, drinking and gathering at the table.”

Talk about a beautiful kitchen! The concept of this space is very unique in the area and it’s great to get the opportunity to connect with chefs on an individualized level. You can book a class with one of the many acclaimed chefs on their site.

Photos: Feastival: A feast for the senses Had a great time...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:08:00 -0400

Artists were live painting a billboard

Chefs and acrobats come together

Art of Bread tart display

Gorgeous tablescape

Hanging ice sculpture and acrobat

Mixologists and acrobats

Champagne served upside down!

Race St. Pier and Pier 9

Photos: Feastival: A feast for the senses

Had a great time photographing Feastival. It was a fundraising event for the live arts in Philadelphia. 60+ of the city’s best restaurants and bars were there serving some really spectacular drinks and food. Read the write-up and get more details on the delicious food and drinks that were served by Philly’s finest at the link.

Design Consumption Vol 5: Elixr Coffee In the heart of Center...

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:38:00 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 5: Elixr Coffee

In the heart of Center City, stands a coffee shop inspired by Indonesia and Seattle. Evan Inatome opened Elixr earlier in the year and already it’s a neighborhood favorite and national success, receiving attention from The New York Times along with beloved coffee shops like Shot Tower, Spruce St. Espresso, Bodhi and Ultimo. Even though it seemed like last fall and winter there was a new coffee shop opening up every month, Elixr brought something new to the game. Here you can learn how to enjoy coffee extracted from brewing methods we haven’t really been exposed to in Philly until now; it’s a unique experience even for this foodie town.

One of my favorite pieces that I’ve written so far. I learned a lot about coffee while interviewing Evan, he inspired me to continue my research into specialty coffee and expand my palette. My usual is a cappuccino or macchiato but there’s a world of hand poured coffee that is amazing!

Design Consumption Vol 4: OCF Coffee House In a city that has...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:14:00 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 4: OCF Coffee House

In a city that has no shortage of coffee shops, the midcentury modern inspired OCF is a standout. Earlier this year OCF Coffee House (an offshoot of OCF Reality) joined the Graduate Hospital neighborhood, already home to LaVa and Beauty Shop coffee shops and, upped the ante in terms of design.

See more pics at the link.

Design Consumption Vol 3: Shot Tower Coffee If you’re following...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:16:00 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 3: Shot Tower Coffee

If you’re following the coffee shop explosion that has been happening in the city since last fall, you might have noticed the design influence Shot Tower has had across the city. Beaming with natural light, white oak hardwood floors, reclaimed white pine on the side of the bar, chestnut counter-tops, up-cycled blue glass, 1920’s subway tile and custom lighting designs, the vintage industrial interior design makes it one of the most beautiful coffee shops in the city.

One of my favorite coffee shops in Philly, it really was pioneering design-wise. It moved away from that dark and dingy coffee shop look we’d gotten used to and left behind the very corporate looking furniture of the likes of Starbucks to make something more organic. I love all the plants it has too, it’s not something you really see in coffee shops.

Closet Stocker: Briar Vintage Briar Vintage is a full service...

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:05:00 -0400

Closet Stocker: Briar Vintage

Briar Vintage is a full service vintage menswear shop in Old City, Philadelphia. It’s on a mission to bring back individualized customer service in a world filled with ready-to-wear and one size fits all fashion. Briar focuses exclusively on menswear, encouraging men to be more of a made-to-measure type when it comes to personal style. If you’re looking to tap into your inner sartorial for the upcoming fall/winter season then this is the place to get started.

A new feature I photographed for Phrequency.com I came across this place like a day after it opened and was super impressed with the interior decor and selection of men’s accessories. Highly recommend checking it out! Click the link to see the full set of photos.

Design Consumption Vol 2: Philly Chocolate Lounge The second in...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:28:00 -0400

Design Consumption Vol 2: Philly Chocolate Lounge

The second in my interior design photoseries is up now over at Phrequency.com The Philly Chocolate Lounge is a wonderful place that makes you feel like a kid again once you step inside.

Feastival is a benefit event for the Philly Live Arts and Fringe...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:42:00 -0400

Feastival is a benefit event for the Philly Live Arts and Fringe festival. On Monday August 8th a preview party was held at Percy Street BBQ for honoree former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell. I photographed and wrote about the event for Phrequency.com

Check out the pictures: Feastival hits Percy St. BBQ

I am currently a contributing photographer and blogger to the...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:07:00 -0400

I am currently a contributing photographer and blogger to the local Philadelphia music, art and lifestyle site Phrequency.com. Design Consumption is a photo feature I created for them that focuses on great interior design in the culinary scene here in Philly. I also developed this type treatment slash unofficial logo for the promo banners that will be used on the Phrequency.com.

The first feature that I shot and wrote for them went up this week.

Check out Vol 1: Revolution House

The decor of Revolution House was inspired by Ben Franklin and his Junto Society, there are so many fantastic details in this place, it was a real pleasure shooting it.

This will be a weekly feature on the website!

World War I war masks collage. A really fun photoshop project...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:23:41 -0400

World War I war masks collage. A really fun photoshop project combining three different vintage images. The planes, tank and people were all separate images that needed to be processed to look the same in terms of lighting, texture, noise, scale, etc.

Drinking soda never looked so classy. 1920s fictional soda...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:13:00 -0400

Drinking soda never looked so classy. 1920s fictional soda company ad, super fun project I did for work. It has a small collage element, the soda bottle was put in, in the original she’s just holding the flowers.