• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

  • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Category
    • Recipes by Tag
    • Recipe Box
  • About Me
    • Press
  • NewsBites
  • Shop!
  • Website

Odds and Ends

September 22, 2006 By Susan Voisin 10 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

[Note: Updated remarks about photography are at the end of this post.]

I don’t have a recipe to post today, but I did want to share a few things with you.

Squash in Love

First, it’s apparently already Fall here because yesterday our local farm stand was filled with rows and rows of different types of winter squash and pumpkins. It’s the first time I’ve ever witnessed anything really photo-worth there, and I wished I’d brought my camera. The range of different colors and varieties was impressive. I hadn’t been prepared to buy winter squash, but I couldn’t leave empty handed, so I picked out two of the smaller ones (and only found out after I’d bought them that the price was by the squash rather than by the pound, so I didn’t save money picking the small ones.)

The one on the left is a Blue Hubbard, which I have never cooked, so I’ll be looking for ways to prepare it. The one on the right is a cushaw, a squash that brings back childhood memories for me. It wasn’t something we ate in my home, but at every church potluck dinner, some Louisiana cook would prepare cushaw. It’s usually baked with loads of brown sugar and butter, so my challenge will be to find some way to make it taste great without those two ingredients.

Second, I get a lot of comments and emails asking for tips on taking food photos, and it’s very flattering. My photos really aren’t as good as I’d like them to be, though they have improved a lot since I started taking photos for my website a couple of years ago. Some of the first ones–like this and this–were truly awful.

I learned a lot through trial and error before doing some research into how to take better photos. I think the most important tips I learned were these:

  • Turn off your flash and get some good (preferably natural) light. The flash flattens things out and causes unflattering shadows, so do everything you can to shoot without it. If you have a sunny window, that’s terrific, but if you don’t, set up some lamps or buy or make a lightbox. Most of my favorite photos are taken during the day, back-lit by indirect light from my kitchen window. When I have to take photos at night, I use either the lightbox mentioned above or a photography light such as this one.
  • Use a tripod. I used to hate to get out the tripod and would try to hold the camera steady, but in low light situations or in macro mode, that’s almost impossible. Now my tripod is like a piece of the dining room furniture–it’s out all the time.
  • Use the macro mode. Most point-and-shoot cameras have a macro or even super macro mode that lets you get close to the food. It’s really useful for cutting out extraneous detail that might detract from your subject, and some dishes just look better up close than at a distance.
  • Use software to process your photos. Even the best photos need some sharpening or contrast adjustment. You don’t have to spend a fortune on Photoshop–a less expensive program like PaintShopPro will probably have everything you need. At the very least, use the program that came with your camera. If you have a digital SLR, consider shooting in RAW mode, which allows you to make corrections to a photo before it’s actually processed.

I don’t think it’s essential to have an expensive camera to take good photos of food. Several of my favorite photos were taken with the 4 megapixel Olympus Camedia 4000 I used up until I got a Canon Rebel XT last month. It actually took me a few weeks of practice to get the hang of using my new camera, but now I absolutely love it. Being able to change lenses depending on the shot I’m trying to get is the big advantage. The two lenses I use the most are a 100mm macro and a 50mm lens with a very wide aperture for shooting in low light situations.

Though I highly recommend the Rebel, unless you’re seriously interested in pursuing photography as a hobby (and plan to spend big bucks on lenses and equipment), you are probably better off with a good point-and-shoot that has some flexibility. Consult online reviews and find one that allows you to turn off the flash (some don’t!), use a macro or close-up mode, and specify the white balance (whether you’re shooting in natural or artificial light). You may find that you don’t really need a new camera–just a well-lit corner and something to prop the camera on.

For more in-depth information about food photography, check out these blogs:

Still Life With… (Food Styling and Photography): A whole blog dedicated to food photography tips.

Photography on Simply Recipes: Elise says it all so much better than I do.

Food Photography Blog

And for some really gorgeous photos, check out Ilva’s on Lucullian Delights.

Happy cooking and shooting!

Filed Under: Non-Recipe Tagged With: Life

Get NewsBites!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive new recipes & tips by email!

Privacy Policy
Previous Post: « Vidalia Onions Stuffed with Rice-Lentil Pilaf
Next Post: Surprise Gyoza »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    December 30, 2009 at 1:32 am

    I don’t usually reply to posts but I will in this case. I’ve been experiencing this very same problem with a new WordPress installation of mine. I’ve spent weeks calibrating and getting it ready when all of a sudden… I cannot delete any content. It’s a workaround that, although isn’t perfect, does the trick so thanks! I really hope this problem gets solved properly asap.

    Reply
  2. Sharmilee! :)

    January 22, 2010 at 2:21 am

    First time here totally luved ur space…will visit often for your awesome clicks!

    Reply
  3. Carmen Garcia

    January 26, 2010 at 1:29 am

    I just started food blogging and I am creating vegan recipes. I found this web site very well organized and informative with wonderful comments, recipes and photography. I look forward to the journey.

    Thank you!!!

    Feel free to visit and comment:

    http://carmengarcia.onsugar.com

    Reply
  4. Staci

    March 25, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this! I have started my own little blog and also a budding photography business. Since all my meals are prepared in the evening, I’ve had trouble getting good lighting. I appreciate this advice. I have the Rebel T1i with the 50mm. I haven’t used a tripod yet, but I’ll keep that in mind. Your food looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes. Thanks again!

    Reply
  5. Michelle

    April 27, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Hi Susan,
    I tried twice to subscribe to your blog and for some reason, I did not receive a confirmation in my email. I really love your blog and appreciate all the time and effort you have put into over the years. I would love to receive your weekly recipes.
    Thanks,
    Michelle Boccia

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      April 27, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      Michelle, I will check to see if I’ve received a subscription request from you. (It’s handled through a 3rd-party newsletter service, so I have to log in there to check.) in the meantime, please check your spam folder. I have a lot of people tell me they don’t get the newsletter because the confirmation (and sometimes the newsletters) go straight to spam.

      Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      April 27, 2016 at 5:02 pm

      I just found your subscription on the “unconfirmed” list and I manually confirmed you. But if you have a way to “whitelist” emails to tell your program that they are not spam, please add susan@fatfreevegan.com to your list so that your newsletters will come through. I don’t know why so many email programs think I am spam, but I promise, I send very few emails and they are all on the topic of FatFree Vegan. 😀

      Reply
      • Susan Voisin

        April 27, 2016 at 5:04 pm

        One more thing, if you are on the version of Gmail that sorts your mail into different categories, you may find my emails under the “promotions” tab.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Find It Fast

  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Ridiculously Easy Recipes
  • Weight Watchers Recipes
  • Recipes by Tag (ingredient, gluten-free, etc.)
  • Complete Recipe Index

Find a Recipe

Allergens

All of my recipes are vegan, dairy-free, and fish free. To find recipes free of other allergens, click on an icon below.

Gluten FreeNut FreeSugar FreeSoy Free

Footer

Fall Favorites

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

See More Fall Favorites

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Photos, original recipes, and text © Susan Voisin. All rights reserved. Do not republish content without permission.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers™️ and cannot guarantee accuracy of Points™️.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Voisin · Privacy Policy· Log in