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Resources

The pictures below were taken by me and are not from the blogs or websites suggested below.  They are there simply for decoration; not as an example of great photography.  LOL!

farm eggs101 Cookbooks: Food Photography Tips

It’s not a long article, but it has some lovely tips for an aspiring food photographer/blogger.  If you’re a dSLR user, I especially love the comment that she uses fixed length lenses only and no zooms.  Not long after I first purchased my Nikon D80, I purchased a fixed focal length macro lens.  I had really wanted to shoot my food photos with a macro lens.  I like to get up close and personal.  I don’t do alot of styling to my photographs.  I put that lens on, and 3 years later, I can count on one hand how many times it has come off my camera.   It’s easy enough to walk back and forth myself to expand what is included in the shot rather than deal with a zoom.  And I like the pictures that lens takes.

farm peachesFood & Wine: Shoot First, Eat Later

There’s nothing quite a quick list of 10 or less tips on food photography.  Food & Wine doesn’t disappoint with this list of general, quick tips for the aspiring food photographer. From   One of the best tips?  “Wipe glasses and plate edges.”  For the bento photography, that translates to wipe around the edge of your bento box before taking your picture.  I’m really bad at remembering to do this.  I have one too many bento box pictures with sauce on the edge.  It doesn’t make for the most lovely of photographs.   Another great tip?  “Shoot a lot.”  You don’t have to pay to develop those prints.  So, press that shutter release as much as you want until you get the shot…or before your food gets (too) cold.

eggplants 01Simply Recipes: Photography on Simply Recipes

By now, you might think this list is reading like a who’s who of the food blogger scene.  And you would be right.  Because what makes these websites so amazing are the pictures as well as the writing.  Seriously, think about it.  I know I prefer a good cookbook with mouth-watering photos alot better than one without.  The reason?  I’m a visual learner.  I need that picture to help me understand what the final product ought to be like.  And these websites don’t disappoint.  Simply  Recipes has a nice, informative, and not too long article on food photography, including equipment she uses, software she likes, and other food photography sites she considers top-notch.  Definitely on the must read list.

blueberries 01Smitten Kitchen: Our Approach to Food Photos

I love SK’s photos.  Dear God, they almost make me want to try the complicated recipes that the owner, Deb, presents.  Sorry Ms. Deb, but I don’t think I’m jumping into that recipe boat.  I’m not that adventurous, or that good of a cook.  I think I’d ruin quite a few recipes.  I love her photos all the more for it.  Anyone that can create those dishes and produce such amazing photographs.  Well, I’m in awe. And for a blogger who says they don’t prop their photos, she doesn’t too much.  But that doesn’t mean she’s without some great styling.  Beautiful, crisp, clear photos.  That’s her style, it seems.  Her page on photography reads more of her philosophy behind why she does what she does.  And it’s a good thing for any beginning food photographer to read.  It helps one understand what they like, or don’t like, about another, admired food photographers photos.  And it helps one grow from there.  I know reading such on several different blogs has certainly helped me to get to the slightly better than beginner stage I’ve attained.

mixed nutsVegan Yum Yum: Food Photography for Bloggers

I’ll never be vegan, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy great photography by one of the best vegan food bloggers on the Internet.  Vegan Yum Yum has some of the best food photographs for me.  I don’t know how to explain it, but I always eagerly await her latest recipe.  Not to try, but to look at the photographs and try to figure out how she took them.  Now, I don’t have to wonder so much as she has shared some great tips and information on photographing food for one’s blog.  It’s a resource I’ve gone to time and again.  And don’t think that if you don’t have a dSLR that you can’t use her tips.  She addresses that too.

cherries 01White on Rice Couple: Photography

Another top-notch food blog.  And one with one of the best resources on food photography.  She has amazing in-depth articles on photography basics like shutter speed, aperture, white balance, and more.  And if that weren’t enough, there are some amazing step-by-step tutorials on how they took certain shots, video tutorials on different topics, and more.  This is hands down one of the absolute best resources out there on photography for a food blogger.  Or so I think.  And alot of the information is good basic camera knowledge that is helpful to the dSLR user as well as the point-and-shoot.

And the ultimate in food photography help is:

garlic 01Still Life With…

There is no link to a single page here.  This is a link to a whole blog on food photography.  Tips on cheap lighting, staging ideas, background ideas and more.  If you’re into food photography, this is mecca.  If you just want to learn more, it’s a good blog to start following.  Read what’s there and take from it what applies to your situation.  And when you have a wee bit of spare time, look through some of her Inspiration links.  Egads!  Amazing stuff indeed.