Food photography is hard. Really hard. It may only endure my blogging nemesis. My blogging archenemy, hence to speak.
I've debated together with debated amongst myself virtually whether or non to real write those words inwards a post. But I've real flora comfort inwards reading other bloggers' posts virtually their challenges ... knowing others experience similar difficulties together with frustrations makes one, good ... experience a fleck better. So I decided to percentage my photography challenges amongst you. Just inwards illustration it makes mortal else experience fifty-fifty only a tiny fleck better. Or, to at to the lowest degree give you lot all a petty laugh. My behind-the-scenes secrets are virtually to endure revealed!
I've discovered through my spider web log photography adventures that the natural calorie-free inwards my identify stinks. Not only my kitchen, but pretty much my entire house! I didn't know I had this employment until I started . There is absolutely nowhere inwards my kitchen I tin give the axe accept a photograph without using a flash. So, all my in-process cooking shots direct hold flash. I know ... key sin of nutrient photography. But sometimes, nosotros only don't direct hold a choice. Well, at to the lowest degree I don't direct hold a choice. Not if I desire to share photos of grooming steps. Which I do.
So I've gotten creative together with tried about unlike spots for staging my photos.
Many of my photos are taken exterior on my dorsum deck. The calorie-free is decent ... non peachy ... but decent. Depending on the fourth dimension of day. This, however, does acquaint another challenges of it's own. Like wind. And carting my dishes together with other props outside. And, even outside, calorie-free is a huge challenge! Just banking concern stand upwards for out the shade vs. vivid sunlight areas of my deck.
Take a photograph inwards forthwith sunlight? Too bright. Harsh lighting. Shadows. Reflection spots. Like this ...
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| Post: The BEST Vanilla Cupcake + the BEST Coffee Buttercream |
Move to the shade? Not vivid enough. Washed out. Like this ...
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| Post: 1st Bloggiversary! ... & Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes to Celebrate |
Super hot summertime day? Frosting droops, salads wilt, H2O ice melts, imbibe spectacles sweat. Like this ...
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| Post: Refreshing Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea |
And what to practise in 1 lawsuit mutual coldness conditions comes and, oh the horror --- daylight savings fourth dimension when you lot direct hold a full-time chore together with can't arrive abode earlier dusk?? Well, hence the exterior photograph options are completely gone.
So, I got creative inside. I scoured my identify for places, any places, that had decent natural light. I flora two. Are you lot ready for them? You're going to laugh. Or at to the lowest degree grin a teeny bit.
1. Our stairs inwards the foyer. With a make-shift tabular array ready on a v gallon bucket.
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| Post: Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter - 1st grade's been cookin' again! |
Do you lot know how hard it is to brand certain the banister, or carpet, or vestibule wall isn't inwards the photo? On the summation side, the stairs made it slow to instruct unlike angles together with advantage points from which to accept the photos!
2. Our bathtub. Yup, the garden-style bathtub inwards our main bath. Again, amongst my make-shift tabular array ready on a v gallon bucket. Classy, huh?
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| Post: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Squares |
(Now you're wondering ... wondering which photos on my site were taken inwards the bathroom, aren't you? hee, hee)
On days the Sun streaming through the big window over the tub wasn't enough, I resorted to augmenting the calorie-free amongst an onetime lamp.
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| Post: Chocolate-Almond Flourless Cake |
Probably needless to say, neither of these spots were ideal, to tell the least. Pain-in-the-you-know-what to cart all my food, dishes, props, etc. upstairs to the bathroom. Frustrated married adult man when I blocked the stairs for staging. At the mercy of the literally one-hour-per-day that each of these spots had the natural calorie-free I needed streaming inwards through the nearby windows. Which pretty much relegated my photo-taking to Sabbatum or Dominicus afternoons, which is prime number spend-time-with-my-husband time. And I real don't similar giving that up.
So, I decided to explore purchasing particular lighting. Now, I beloved blogging - don't instruct me wrong. But it is a hobby, non a profession for me. So, I do ask to proceed that inwards perspective. The toll of particular photography lighting? Quite a bit. More than I wanted to spend, anyway. But I didn't give up promise ...
I flora this tutorial to Baby Shower White Chocolate Popcorn
I tin give the axe shoot *pretty much* whatever fourth dimension I want. I'm soundless subject on having at to the lowest degree a petty fleck of daylight coming inwards through the dining room window. I intend I would ask virtually 3 to a greater extent than of these calorie-free contraptions to endure real independent from natural lighting. So, at times, it looks virtually similar a identify of cards amongst white poster boards bouncing the light, or creating a variety of make-shift lightbox.
Even amongst this 'studio' dining room set-up, I'm soundless cramped inwards price of space. My HUGE, most-frustrating challenge!! Since my calorie-free is express inwards it's reach, I'm real express inwards the bridge of the shots I tin give the axe take. Which is why most of my photos are close-ups. I don't direct hold the chance to accept shots amongst broad spans, gorgeous back-drops together with backgrounds, or fully-set tables together with identify settings.
Oh well.
I'll keep working on my photography. While I am showing improvement (I think), I soundless direct hold a long agency to go. Hopefully ... possibly someday ... I tin give the axe examine a worthy adversary for this matter called nutrient photography.
Header Photo Collage Posts:
Gingerbread Cookies (taken on the stairs)
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies (taken inwards the bath tub)
Pizza Spaghetti Bake (taken inwards the dining room 'studio' amongst my hubby's DIY lighting)
Granola {Oven & Microwave Methods} (taken exterior on the dorsum deck)
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