My latest installment on Diner’s Journal is about how to shoot food that would scare the dog off a meat wagon…just plain U-G-L-Y. Come over for a visit and check it out.
How to Shoot Ugly Food: On DJ
Filed under NYT Diner's Journal, Photography
Andrew Scrivani
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My worst cases are brats in a beer bath. The long brown lumpy tubes in yellow liquid look like, well, you know.
The other one that kills me is eggplant parm. Not very interesting in casserole, but really ugly on the serving spoon or plate.
I completely understand. Brats in beer bath sounds horrifying to shoot. I would probably get some kitchen tools involved…piece one on a fork above the pot…lift one out with a tongs, etc. Or…show the pot, a bottle of beer in the background and the finished brats on a plate on front…let the viewer put it all together.
Here was my most recent attempt at Eggplant…took this one before the oven….had more color and texture. http://makingsundaysauce.com/2010/07/29/a-new-hybrid-eggplant-parmatini/
GREAT advice on the brats. As to the eggplant, well that’s a nice shot, and it looks similar to my recipe, and I’ve shot it similarly, but you just don’t see the eggplant and the gooey fresh mozz, and that’s what I’m trying, and failing, to get. Oh wlell, at least I love the dish. My motto: Shoot fast, eat the model.
You might find this interesting, love to hear some suggestions if you have any to share. http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/food_photography.html
I am doing historical recipes this week with brown brown brown everywhere… trying to make it look good without adding garnishes that wouldn’t have been there is tough. Thanks for the advice!
One of the things I have a really hard time with is meat, cooked or uncooked. I’ve put them on a plate with colorful vegetables but I was a vegetarian for a number of years and I have trouble finding beauty in it sometimes. Luckily, I work with chefs that plate things incredibly beautifully so it helps out so much!