Food Photography Motivates Me

Every now and again procrastination creeps in. I have an article due but just can't begin. This time my excuse was somewhat legit. I was waiting on my foraged food box from northern Saskatchewan. Then life gets in the way and it was down to the wire. I had one day to phtograph four or five recipes. Only daylight will suffice.

Cooking is the first step. Then comes plating and shot after shot until I am happy with an image.

Extra plates and bowls are helpful in carefully plating for the photo. A few extra slices of bread, just to be sure. Lots of dishes to do.

Playing with the right plate, the right background, the right light, the right props. All these dishes for a simple picture of bacon morel crostini.

All this just to get the right photo.

My Favourite Food Shot of Anything I Have Photographed

I think I want to be a photographer. Tonight was the Slow Food Saskatoon fundraiser dinner and I had the pleasure of taking the pictures. Here are some of my favourites of the evening. I see two themes. I love food and do my best work with food but I love the reaction of people to the food.

Not a stellar photograph but it captures the spirit of this volunteer.

Her Mom is a Local Food Hero but she stole the show.

'Picture a Day' Favourite

If I was participating in the "Picture a Day" group I think this would be my selection for my favourite picture of the year.  I do not even remember taking this shot and the play on light had me confused.  I didn't see the fence as a fence!  I like the weak little daisy flowers trying to grow in the shade.  I like the steely colour of the fence and the sunlight sneaking in at the bottom.  I would think this was a bright and hot summer day.

Off to the Rodeo

 

We have a great small city rodeo.  It was voted best Canadian rodeo of 2010.  It is professional rodeo with first class stock.  The pick up riders were the best, the announcer was a pro....all around a great rodeo!  And bonus... the weather cooperated and we had a great day in the sun.  Beyond the arena there were the green fields and blue skies.  Absolute heaven on earth.

Allamande left....allamande right....I'm off to the rodeo!

 This was not fun.  The horse almost fell and the rider was caught in the stirrup.  I hope she is okay.

Photography Assignment

 

My little photography club is such fun.  This month the challenge is to take pictures inside stores.  I asked permission from this small, but interesting, decorating shop.

I had no idea the challenges this assignment would produce.

I had expected challenges with lighting.  There is instore lighting and the large window with natural light.  So I set my camera on automatic white balance.  It worked well.

Lighting challenges again.  See how the front pillow looks all right but as you go back there is glare.  No flash.  Just existing lights.

This one was okay.  Lighting is not bad, composition is okay, colours are fine.  Somewhat interesting.

Then you find this.  These towels had interesting colours but when photographed, they just do not look plush enough.  I did not think to take my white board and was unable to remove those shadows on the top of the towels.

Now you can see all the clutter.  It might work in the store but it does not work in a photograph.

 Then you get rid of the clutter and the lighing is harsh!

It was a fun learning experience. 

Moving Right Along

My last renovation was the same as this one.  I could not sleep for 2 days after the cost became real to me.  All of my penny pinching with the work I was doing myself just goes right out the window.   Drywallers here for 4 days....  Electricians here for 3 days.......  Plumbers here for two days (plus one hour)..........And a partridge in a pear tree!

In my last post, these walls were just studs.  Voilà!  See the gas hook-up for my new stove?

 My ugly old stippled ceilings (that I was unsuccessfully scraping) have been re-drywalled.  Now they will be smooth.

In an attempt to distract myself, I am also taking an online photography class.  It is quite a basic class, thank heaven.  It is all I can handle right now.  This was my assignment using different focal lengths.  I used 28mm and 100mm.  I usually just guess at all of my settings and don't actually plan things.  This will be a good exercise.  See how that lamp post moves closer to the subject?  Neat!

On-Line Photography Classes

Heaven knows I can use all the help I can get.  My good friend Marlene at I Teach People (from whom I bought my camera second hand) is offering online lessons!  I signed up immediately.  They are free - so anyone can sign up for a few pointers.

In my first class, the assignment was to take 100 photographs with the specific settings she dictated.  The real challenge was to practice composition.  I won't bore you with a bunch of really bad pictures.  But I will bore you with these three!

As I drove in to town today, I was wishing I had my camera.  Spring is coming and I just love it.  The water is running, the birds are chirping and today, the wind was blowing really hard.   I love weather.