|
Culinary Pictures – A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words
One of the best ways to document your work in the culinary arts is to take culinary pictures. Culinary pictures can provide you, and others, with a visual reference when it comes to preparing new dishes or learning new techniques.
Culinary pictures are fun to take as well. In addition to providing a visual reference, culinary pictures can also showcase some of your best work. Culinary pictures are a must when producing a cook book, as consumers prefer to have a visual reference when cooking.
When you are taking culinary pictures make sure you don’t just photograph the final result. While that is, for obvious reasons, one of the most important aspects, you will also want to provide culinary pictures of the process as well. Make sure to provide culinary pictures if you are introducing a technique that the basic, or beginner cook, may not be familiar with. Techniques such as “folding” shortening into flour, or creating a “well” in the flour to add liquid ingredients, may be new to the person creating your recipe for the first time. By providing culinary pictures in addition to written words, it becomes easier to understand the recipe.
When taking culinary pictures there are a few things that need to be kept in mind. The first is, when taking culinary pictures of ingredients or anything else that has a “brand name” on it, make sure that you do not include the brand name in the photo. Often times, companies require you to have written permission to include their names in anything whether it is written or photographed. When taking culinary pictures of ingredients, use colored duct tape to block out the name or turn the package.
Another thing to keep in mind when taking culinary pictures is lighting. As with anything photography related, lighting can make or break your photograph. Bad lighting can make even the best culinary pictures look horrible.
When taking culinary pictures keep overall presentation in mind. This simply means, make sure any countertops, stoves, or other surfaces that are included in your culinary pictures, is fairly clean. No one wants to look at dirty, grimy countertops. It will take away from your overall culinary picture. In addition to making sure that any surfaces that are included in your culinary pictures are clean; make sure that when you are photographing your end result, the food is presented in an appealing way. Your culinary pictures ultimately reflect on you as a cook, and you want to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward.
