Food Photography

While portrait photography is fascinating to me, and I definitely want to take better photos of my girls, a new photography passion I am discovering is food photography.  I eat with my eyes.  Whatever is pictured beautifully on the menu is what I order, hands down.  I love watching the Food Network and seeing the beautiful ingredients and combinations set forth by the chefs.  I recently revamped my personal cookbook and made a goal to photograph the food for the recipes that currently do not have pictures.  I want to learn how to light food correctly.  I want to learn how to compose a great food shot.  I want to learn how to be a food photographer.

I think it would be awesome to learn newborn and maternity portrait photography and volunteer for the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep network.  But the more I think about the sensitive nature of the network, the more I am unsure that I could handle the situations and do a good job of capturing the appropriate moments.  For now, my photography goals are going to be photographing my family's comings and goings for my family blog and to learn food photography for my cookbook.

As I am reading some beginner tips and tricks on food photography online, I am realizing how much I really don't know about lighting!  "Photo"-graphy is literally the capture of light.  I want to find a mentor and learn some great techniques.  I want to check out books from the library.  I want to read books on drawing objects to learn how to shade various shapes properly.  I want to learn to pay attention to light.  And what a great analogy for life: learn to see the light, recognize the necessary shadows, and replicate the beauty around you!