Food and Photography

I'm a Foodie.

I guess.

I mean, I'm not really sure what a Foodie is, but I do love food. I love to shop for it, prepare it, cook it and eat it, so if those are the criteria, then a Foodie I shall be...

Being a great chef can, in many ways, relate to being a great photographer. One of my favorite episodes of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" was when he visited chefs in the Midwest who, despite the sinking economy, were opening new and unique eateries. The sentiment of these chefs was that if they were to be happy and take the risk of opening a new restaurant, it would have to be with a menu that defined what they were about and what they wanted to serve, no matter what the outcome.

I feel that exact sentiment when it comes to my photography.

I spent a good amount of time shooting weddings. Once the economy started to drop, brides wanted more for less and I truly felt that I would be selling out by offering bulk images versus quality images. Soon after, I made the decision to quit weddings and go back to shooting things I truly love, and that led me to, among other things, food.
 

Food photography is not as easy as it looks. Sure, I can set up artistic studio shots of fruits and vegetables, but when it comes to shooting prepared foods for menus or magazines, it's a completely different story. Professionals use food stylists. An actual job that involves preparing and arranging food for visual effect. Food must always look fresh, which could involve the use of lacquers or oils to keep things from looking wilted or dry. They are also responsible for visually projecting the "aromas" that one may get from the food itself. Not an easy task I'm sure. A stylist is a must-have for professional food photography.

Unfortunately, I do not have the budget for a food stylist, so I do the best I can with food I prepare and style myself.  Lately, due largely in part to my wife's conversion to Vegetarianism, it's been fresh and local food, which also happens to fit into the growing trend of being a "Locavore" (For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it's someone who eats only locally-grown food, supporting the community and bringing back the love for the almost forgotten small farmer, which I think is awesome). My goal now is to show the beauty of fresh, organic meats and produce (mostly produce, right honey?), which is great and easy when you really love what you're shooting. I photograph food in it's raw, natural state, and I use lighting to give it an almost romantic appeal. I mean, who doesn't love food right? And don't you want to see what fresh food really looks like, instead of that nasty, over-chilled supermarket crap?