Food Photography

Guest Artist: Carrie Minns

Carrie Minns

Blogger, writer, and photographer Carrie Minns recently visited our class and talked about her work for the Oregon magazine, 1859. During Carrie's visit I learned about how to stage both the food and the setting for a great "food photo." Carrie talked about how to use light and props to make the food look especially appetizing. Because she works for a magazine, I learned her goal is to focus not so much on how one may actually serve the food, but on creating beautiful photographs that highlight the dish, encouraging readers to make the dish themselves.


Editorial vs. Fine Art

Found on Pinterest

        Here are three editorial food photos (top) and three fine art food photos (bottom) that I responded to. I chose these three editorial photos because I like the colors and I like how the text is used. I chose these three fine art photos because I love the simplistic rustic touches in each. 

        Editorial photography is used to tell the viewer something about the image. It will appear in magazines, cook books, and articles, usually accompanied by a recipe. The photographer also must leave space for any text or the recipe when taking photographs. Unlike editorial photography, fine art photography is focused on showing the beauty of the food and not necessarily the recipe. Fine art photography allows the photographer to be more creative without limitations.  

Found on Pinterest

17 Years in the Making

       As part of our self portrait unit, we were tasked to create "star books." After a little Pinterest research, I was inspired and excited to make these DIY photo books. The assignment was to create a book filled with photos that represent you... I had a great time looking through old photos and re-living the memories. This was a meaningful project for senior year because it forced a lot of us to stop and take a moment to look back on some of our passed adventures as we are about to embark on new ones. 
       When everyone finished their books, I was inspired by all of the different ways people approached the project. Some made books with hard covers (like mine), some made the body of their book and then wrapped it in decorative paper, and some made the true "star book" (can be found on Pinterest and earlier blog post). I enjoyed the process of crafting my book so much that I decided to start making similar books and gift them to close friends and family for the holidays. 

Treasure Trees

       
       Driving from Portland to Spokane this past weekend was gorgeous. The sunset through the gorge was breathtaking. Just when the sun was dropping below the horizon, we sped passed a massive grouping of trees planted in perfect rows. As the setting sun hit the colorful fall leaves, we gazed out the window in awe, wishing to pull over and enjoy the sight a little longer. Unfortunately we had a few more hours of travel ahead of us and needed to press on...

       On the way home however, we impulsively decided to pull off the freeway and explore the massive tree farm. We ended up spending almost two hours walking through the endless rows, stopping to take photos every chance we got. 

       I am grateful for this experience because it taught me to live in the moment. During this adventure, I wasn't worried about the homework I hadn't yet completed or caught up with anything on my phone. I was present and I enjoyed every minuet we spent trekking through the endless rows of trees.