Matthew Hranek photographs the great outdoors for the November 2011 issue of GQ. “Urban Outsiders” encourages readers to make the most of the great outdoors before winter weather sets in. The two models wear clothing that can work both in the country and in the city. Brands such as Armani Jeans, J.Crew, Michael Kors, Band of Outsiders, Isabel Marant, and L.L. Bean are featured.

Hranek captured the scenes for the spread on his farm in upstate New York.  The Eddie Bauer airstream used on the set was shipped across country specifically for the shoot. Hranek says it was a great experience to shoot on his farm and that many of the crew stayed on the farm or in the nearby area.

The November issue of GQ is on newsstands now.

See more of Matthew Hranek’s photography here

Publication: GQ
Issue: November 2011
Story: “Urban Outsiders”
Photography: Matthew Hranek

Matthew Hranek photographs the cover and an inside spread for the September issue of Martha Stewart Living. Hranek captured the magazine’s new editor-in-chief, Pilar Guzmán, at home in the Brooklyn brownstone she shares with her husband, two sons, brother-and-sister-in-law and nephew. The two couples pooled their resources eight years ago to buy the brownstone, then in desperate need of repairs and renovation. Today the family-friendly home features Danish Modern furnishings and strategically added storage for the boys’ toys and crafts.

Hranek had been interested in photographing the brownstone for some time. The timing ended up being perfect when Guzmán was appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine earlier this year. Hranek says the house is the “perfect fit stylistically for the new more modern approach at the magazine.” He calls the house very inspiring and that “pictures come easy to a space like that.”

The September issue of Martha Stewart Living is on newsstands now.

See more of Matthew Hranek’s photography here.

Publication: Martha Stewart Living
Issue: September 2011
Photography: Matthew Hranek

Condé Nast Traveller’s October issue is dedicated to “The Best Travel Experiences in the World”. The 2010 Readers’ Travel Awards issue features what to do in India, the Alps, Sicily, Hong Kong, and Brazil. Matthew Hranek took the journey down the Atlantic seaboard of Bahia, Brazil – far from the usual tourist calls of São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.

The trip starts in Fazenda da Lagoa, a remote hotel that Patrick Marnham declares as “the ideal retreat for an antisocial writer.” In order to get to Fazenda da Lagoa, one must drive a few hours south of Piracanga. The roads are daunting, and the only direct access to the hotel is via a small wooden jetty. Once there, guests can stroll through the serene resort barefoot while enjoying the beach, forest, lagoon, or mangrove swamps.

For those who crave greater comfort, there is the Txai Itacaré Resort, where French President Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni have stayed. Also not to be missed is the Amado family house in Ilheus, a museum dedicated to the writer Jorge Amado. For all of the pleasantries at each location, it is Fazenda da Lagoa that rests in the writer’s mind at the end of the trip.

Barnham fondly recalls his time at Fazenda da Lagoa, “The rain had stopped, there was a gentle surf and a misty haze between blue sky and green water and… for as far as I could see, absolutely nobody at all. So here, at the centre of a district that contains more than a hint of insurrection, is the perfect refuge.”

To learn more about the Bahia, pick up a copy of Condé Nast Traveller UK on newsstands now.

Links:
Conde Nast Traveller UK
Matthew Hranek

Last Sunday afternoon, the William Brown Project set up shop at the Cynthia Rowley boutique in the West Village. Special offerings included homemade pork products such as rillettes, vinegars, savory jams, and bacon. William Brown came about from Matthew Hranek’s love of the outdoors and simple, pure, great-tasting food.

Eight years ago, Hranek and his wife purchased a 131-acre property in Mileses, New York. The pastoral land had a pond, plenty of trees, but no dwelling save for an old red barn. They set out building something modern and simple, and after much research decided on prefab housing by architect Oskar Leo Kaufmann’s company, OLK.

After settling into their new home, Hranek moved onto his next project. Wanting to have more control over the flavor of what he ate, Hranek began raising pigs with his neighbor. They started out smoking bacon, moved onto rillettes, and continually developed their arsenal of charcuterie.

Matthew and Yolanda Hranek’s prefab home in Sullivan County, NY

Over the years Hranek honed his craft, using his daughter as his number one taste-tester. “[She] is my best critic. If she likes it, I know everyone else will like it.” Hranek gave the pork products to friends as gifts until one person finally proclaimed, “We gotta sell this stuff!”.

William Brown foods are all developed deliberately and conscientiously, foregoing harmful preservatives. This is essential to the taste of Hranek’s most popular item, bacon. “Even vegetarians will start to waver around the bacon,” states Hranek. Made without nitrates, a preservative used in foods to help maintain color, the bacon is a William Brown top-seller.

Hranek, his wife, and daughter spend as much time as work will allow in their upstate escape from the city. For Hranek, who grew up in upstate New York and had an active childhood spent outdoors and hunting, it was important that his daughter have the chance to experience nature as he did.

Currently, William Brown farms products can be found at the Windy Hill Cheese Shop. As word of mouth spreads and momentum grows, the small business will surely take on new directions. “The William-brown Project is an ongoing experiment and we will see how far we can take it,” says Hranek. With his wife and child as his biggest supporters and fans that grow by the day, this is just the beginning of William Brown.

-Helen Shih

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Links:
More on Matthew Hranek’s pre-fab house in the New York Times
William Brown Farms gets a nod in T Magazine
View Matthew Hranek’s portfolio

When it comes to holiday entertaining, who better to consult than domestic maven Martha Stewart. Gracing the cover of the November Thanksgiving issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine is Matthew Hranek, who’s succulent turkey still-life is sure to inspire. Hranek and Martha Stewart Living have worked together on many issues, each as beautifully produced as the last. Hranek also shot the feature story, which is available for download at the Martha Stewart website. See more of his work here.

Martha Stewart Living November 2009 issue on sale at newsstands now.

Matthew Hranek was invited into the breezy Hollywood Hills home of Michael and Alexandra Misczynski in the latest issue of Town & Country. The decorating duo opened Atelier AM in 2002 and have since transformed the homes of high-caliber clients such as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Disney CEO Michael Eisner, and philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. Matthew’s love of people and architecture blends seamlessly with the shoot that captures the Misczynski family relaxing in their newly renovated home.

The October issue of Town & Country magazine is on sale at newsstands now.