Food: A new-old love

I've had the opportunity to photograph some food over the past year or so and I've really enjoyed it. My client, Citrus Diner, started me off with a few dishes for their website and marketing efforts and I truly enjoyed the process. It was a new challenge for me and finding ways to make the food look interesting was - and is - very fun. 

Since then I have been developing the food-photography-muscles in my brain and trying my best to create a story. I want my images to offer the viewer more than just "oh that's a nice shot of tomatoes", I have been really trying to think about the back story and why a picture was even taken in the first place. 

I started taking photos of random objects in my refrigerator paired with items from around my house. My dinning room table is the backdrop and my large sliding glass door, to the back of the house, provides the light. When I take a step back from food photography - I realize that what it really is, is a still-life. A composed shot that one can mold and shape to their liking. I began looking at things differently, objects became elements, food became shape and color. Group all of that with some natural light and a wide open lens and great things begin to happen. 

It is fun to play with textures and details. The way the crumbs fall, the way things lay or the layers the different elements make. All interesting stuff to me. I recently cleaned out my garage and had this old table that I painted and used for family photos. It was just collecting dust, so I decided to take it apart and keep the top. The next photo was shot on this table top. One side is blue and the other is brown wood. It was a lot of fun to be able to move the surface around. Being mobile with my set-up was something new and different areas of my house offered a different look to the food. The end shot, was this one below.

As I experiment with different food, set-ups and props I'm still trying to find my voice. I have always been torn with creating my own style verses being open to providing what the client needs and wants. Since I am my own client at the moment, I guess the sky's the limit.