I love creating new recipes, trying them out (on family members first). When my husband came to Sydney and I with the idea of a food blog and website I thought it was a grand concept. I still do, but I must admit I went into this internet “thing” blind. I am not the most computer savvy user (that is an understatement), in fact when my husband and I ventured on The Culinary Calculator, our Iphone application, we both were ready to throw pie at each other. He is culinary challenged (expect for eating) and as I explained am computer challenged.

It is a pretty neat application
Sorry I think I have gone off center, back to the blog at hand. As I was saying I just jumped out of the plane without a parachute. It didn't occur to me I would have to learn digital photography in order to have pictures of my goodies displayed on the blog. I arrogantly believed because I knew how to take portraits of my daughter and landscaping with a medium format camera (in which I let Colorado Camera develop my FLIM)  I would be fine. WRONG, I learned fast, I definitely have heightened respect for the digital photographer. Besides learning the digital camera I needed a clear understanding of photoshop and aperture.
Using a point and shoot

This was the first picture with my new camera!

I very quickly learned the photos I shot outside in the daylight were better than the ones I tried in my home at night or during the day.
Macaron Cerise Vanille Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
In my kitchen at night In my kitchen during daytime

I began to read all the materials I could find and get my “hot little hands on.” Each time I figured one problem a new would rear up. I would change my depth of field, but then the light source became an issue.

Photographed at 10:00 pm in my kitchen
I actually really like this photo, but the colors are a little dark and I needed to use aperture to erase the shadows, believe me it was a long night.
Framboises à la Vanille
Photographed after the Macarons above
The color is true, but the shadows are a problem visually, it takes away from the presentation. I almost put all the wonderful camera equipment, my husband purchased for me, on E-bay. Reality, as always, poked it's ugly annoying head in.
In my most frustrated moment I remembered one of my favorite books A Road Less Traveled and began to re read it. I became energized and more determine to figure out my photography dilemma. If I wanted to have a blog that was visual stimulating and interesting I needed to be able to take better photos.  

This photo was taken inside during the early afternoon

I actually began thinking I might be making progress, not enough to celebrate over, but enough to want to take more risks. I started having fun using different tabletop set-ups. I have always been a perfectionist; I suppose I could be viewed as a conundrum. I continually preach to Sydney mistakes are critical (it is how one learns), but I don't allow myself to have mistakes. Writing an entire blog about my mistakes and showing these mistakes is excruciating, nevertheless it is essential.

Photo taken outside, but with higher ISO and depth of field

Still I was inconsistent, some of my photos were exactly as I pictured they would be, yet some were not. The LCD monitor is not an accurate view of the photo, it is not until I remove the SIM card from the camera, place it in the SIM card reader of the computer, and bring the photos into photoshop and aperture can I see the true picture. Now I realize I cannot expect that every photograph I shoot will be awesome, but since photography is a skill I should know how to achieve a finer end result!
The more knowledge I obtain the more I find I enjoy learning and trying different techniques. I am grateful to Lou Manna'a blog and book Digital Food Photography, both have plethora of valuable information.
Both of these photographs were take in my home during the later half of evening, the sun had set, I created a tabletop set with natural daytime lights surrounding the tabletop. I did need to set the macarons in the perfect position prior to turning on all the lights or my macarons would began sliding due to the heat.
I knew earlier that day I would not be able to work with my camera till the evening, so I put about 15  Macarons à la Vanille Fig in the freezer, which gave some extra time before the macarons became unmanageable.  I realize many food stylists alter the food for a photo (especially if the the photo shoot is going to be long), but I am not able to do that at this time, in which case I use food in its normal state.
As I write this blog I need to change the layout of some pictures and the words under each picture are playing on my nerves; I quickly change from compose to the dreaded HTML after spending all of my valuable time removing right lem; left lem; I find I need to put a “table” in the code…THIS IS WHEN I RAISE MY VOICE AND YELL FOR MY HUSBAND. I am lucky enough to be married to a computer guru! He is also a workaholic so I try to write the code myself. “Try” being the key word, I don't pester him until I am beyond sanity!
Fig Macarons à la Vanille avec une Crème au Beurre Crème Anglaise ares, a favorite of mine. Both flavors, vanilla and fig are compatible and compliment one another yet subtle, from your first bite your palate awakens and becomes happy.

I have made great strides in my photography, but

still have much to learn!

This picture a preview to the next blog to come!
error: Content is protected !!