The garden is finally giving back. After months of watering and waiting, there are new and delicious fruits and veggies to be picked daily. The colors and textures of the backyard harvest can’t help but inspire a shot or two.
The fresh flavors are so true, so intensely good that they need little enhancement, just something snipped from the herb garden. Slice, chop, mix, done. Simple, cool eating in the hot summer: Cantaloupe and watermelon tossed with mint, vibrant tomatoes with basil, cilantro for a crisp cucumber salad.
Having a garden is also great incentive to experiment with new dishes. We have so many pumpkin blossoms that I think I'll try this recipe for Mexican Pumpkin Flower Soup.
When the pumpkins fully ripen in weeks to come, I have plans to make pumpkin butter. I was generously gifted with a copy of The Preservation Kitchen from Chicago photographer Jeff Kauck, the amazing talent behind the images in the book. Chef Paul Virant’s recipes for preserving are wonderful to start, then he guides you through using them as a basis for other recipes and seasonal menus. I am a less than accomplished cook myself, but there are many recipes within the book I know I can handle. The Pumpkin Butter (using roasted pumpkin) is definitely on my make list, along with the Fried Green Tomatoes with Basil Mayonnaise and the Tomato Jam to make use of the bumper crop I see coming. But today, a few of these gorgeous cantaloupes are destined for the Vanilla Melon Jam recipe
Can there be a better way to make the summer last?
Paula
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Hi there, I have been following your blog for sometime and was wondering what tips you had for food photographers trying to style that gorgeous messy look with food. I feel this is something that I am drawn to, but somehow cannot quite manage to pull off most of the time. I'm bored with all those perfectly styled food pics that just look so styled. I love the last picture above for example. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi, Edwina, your question seems simple, but actually it is a little hard to answer. As a photo stylist working in a large market, my work involves styling the props & set while an expert food stylist handles the food. I am comfortable with ingredient and recipe "prep" type shots, or still life compositions with food, but don't tackle styling any prepared recipes at work or for my blog. Basically I handle food elements as prop elements, using them for color, texture, weight within the shot, and to tell a story. My best advice to get a natural look would be to build the recipe as if it was for your family and not a photo. Focus on the details that give food life: browning, bubbling, drips, crumbs! Observe what happens in the kitchen as you cook. The melon in the last photo was so juicy, I just let all that juice puddle around the fruit. The diced fruit is randomly scattered, some pieces line up and some stray from the pile, that's just the way they fall naturally. Lastly, know when to stop. I thought about breaking open the vanilla bean and dripping the honey, but felt that it would complicate and not enhance the story of the garden melons. Less is more, I very often find.
ReplyDeleteI hope this helps, and if anyone has something to share on this topic, please jump in!
Paula, you have such a vast collection of wooden backgrounds!! I must make at least ONE to use in my photos.
ReplyDeleteLovely choice of an un-ironed towel in the first picture. It adds both casulness and depth.
I'm still trying to work on folding fabric so it doesn't look like a square, or unnecessarily styled.
Your blog is an inspiration, and I hope to see more!!!
Ciao,
L
Hi, Laura!
ReplyDeleteI must admit that wrangling fabric/napkins is one of my favorite parts of styling food sets. I've switched modes from soft draping and curls to wrinkled and tucked. I styled 50 shots for a celebrity cookbook last week and didn't iron a single fabric!
Time put into making a wooden surface is well worth it. When you tire of the look, you can always paint or stain it into a new background.
Thanks for writing,
Paula
Hi Paula,
ReplyDeleteI recently checked your blog and saw the above post. So nice as always. I love your answer to Edwina's post. You have such a great way to explain what we do. You are so right about stopping before you go to far with the messy or natural look. In some ways on set when they say make it messy it can easily get to the point of looking contrived and fake.
When I am shooting lifestyle I do what you suggested I prepare the food and I see what it does naturally. The browning, the juices, crumbs, etc. And that is how I style the shot. When a shot looks like you just prepared it at home it has the most connection and makes you want to eat it. Thanks for your great post.
Me encanta esta receta de verano luce muy bonita y exquisita...hoy con 36 grados y ya tenemos melones también ,abrazos desde el sur de Chile.
ReplyDelete