Inspirational Words and Nectarine Tomato Basil Salad With A Little Kick

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**PLEASE NOTICE THAT THE DEALINE FOR THE COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE 27TH OF JULY. GET THE REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE HERE, COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY**

I'm sure many, if not all, of you know who Penny de los Santos is. She is an award winning photographer, senior contributing photographer at Saveur Magazine and contributor to National Geographic. Penny is a truly talented photographer with a very kind aura. She recently teamed up with Creative Live to stream a live 3 day workshop on food photography. Did you guys catch that live? Sadly I didn't hear about it until about 1 week later. Thankfully Creative Live has the whole 3 day course available for download on their website incase you missed it, like me. No I'm not being paid to say this.

I'm telling you guys about it because I was so moved by Penny's lessons. After watching the videos I was left in awe of her talent, inspirational and motivational words. She comes off as a genuinely good person happy to help share her knowledge. After watching the videos I went back to her website and read many of her posts as well as admired her photography. I just had to send her a message saying know how much what she said meant to me. I know I'm sounding like a stalker, but I promise I'm not. You know what? She wrote back a sweet little note. With all of her success and busy schedule, she was still kind enough to respond to her fan mail. That says alot in my book.

One of the many posts that stood out the most to me was a recipe for "Tomato, Peach and Basil Salad" Looking or should I say drooling over her photos and recipe I knew I had to make that salad immediately. So I did and here it is for you today. I do have to tell you that I changed it a little bit from her recipe.

This is what I did different:
- She used peaches and I used nectarines.

- Penny's salad cuts the peaches into chucks, I decided to slice the nectarines into thick wedges.
- Penny used garden tomatoes and I changed it to small grape tomatoes.
- Another step I added was to grilled the nectarines.
- Since raw garlic does not agree with me I decided to cook it a little in the oil from the nectarines. But you can use the raw garlic if you like.
- I also sprinkled a little cayenne over the salad. This added another depth of flavors and it tasted great!

Nectarine Tomato Basil Salad With A Little Kick
Adapted from Penny de los Santos's "Tomato, Peach and Basil Salad"
Makes 1 large serving or 2 small side servings:

2 ripe but slightly firm nectarine, sliced into thick wedges
10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
large bunch fresh basil, finely chopped

Balsamic Dressing:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
large pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp water
large pinch ground cayenne pepper, optional

11/2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) *
2 whole garlic cloves*

* Hold off on adding these to the balsamic until step #2*

1. Thoroughly wash the fruits and basil. Heat the grill/griddle or frying pan over high heat. Drizzle the olive oil over the grill/griddle or frying pan. Place the nectarines with the flesh facing down on to the hot cooking surface. The point it to quickly sear the nectarines then flip onto the opposite side. Remove the nectarines and allow to cool on a plate, set aside. In the same grill/griddle or frying pan add the garlic cloves and fry for 2-3 minutes just until soft, or the garlic can also be left raw. Turn heat off and set aside.

2. In a screw top jar pour the oil used to cook the nectarines. Mince the garlic and add to the jar along with all of the balsamic ingredients. Shake well until all ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust if necessary.

3. In a large salad bowl gently toss the tomatoes, basil and nectarines. Pour the balsamic over the fruits again gently tossing. OR you can serve the balsamic on the side and serve as you like.

If you haven't already stopped by Penny's website do so, soon. Her poetic words, story telling, recipes and photography will warm your belly and soul. Have a beautiful day everyone and thank you for stopping by.

P.S. Who inspires you to be a better photographer or keep learning in the Kitchen?

*Update July 25* This post was featured on Women's Health Magazine! Check it out

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Food Photography: My Shooting Setup With Artificial Light

Today I'm going to be showing you my photography set up, how I set things up to shoot with my light stand. I've told you in previous posts that I am not a professional and much of what I know is from trial and error. In the beginning my setup was simple, I used sunlight, placed food or ingredients on table, adjusted the camera setting, shoot and done. I began blogging in July of 2009, being that it was in the summer there was plenty of light to shoot. But as the Autumn approached I needed to figure out a way to keep shooting and started learning about artificial light. (You can see my post about shooting when sunlight is not available here.) I kept practicing with the light, moving it around, up and down, until I felt that I was going in the right direction. There were plenty of errors and bad photos along the way, but now I am happy with my setup.

In a previous tutorial post I told you that I use a light stand like the one above, with a flourescent lightbulb and a white umbrella. The white umbrella is used to diffuse or soften the light. The umbrella helps spread the light in a more direct area. It creates a softer light that shooting without an umbrella wouldn't. The bare lightbulb will give you harsh light and can cause overexposure or blowouts in some areas of your photos.

This graphic above shows you how I set up a shot. I place the light stand off to one side, the light bulb faces the inside of the umbrella and the front or outside of the umbrella is what is pointed at the food. The subject or food is in the center and often times I use a reflector facing the light and on the side of the food. The reflector is used to bounce the light to the food in order to get rid of dark shadows. (see sample below) If you are shooting with sunlight coming in from a window you can emulate this set up as well. Sometimes if I want a different look with a darker or moodier light I won't use the reflector. It really depends on what kind of look you are going for.

To bounce light back to the subject I use a reflector kit, a 5 in 1 reflector kit.

It is a collapsable round reflector disk that has a reversible cloth and folds up into its own small pouch. It has 5 options, gold, white, silver, black and translucent to use as a diffuser. I prefer the gold, white and silver sides to bounce back light to the subject. Basically bouncing the light adds highlight to the food where the light from the light source would not fall. The black side can be used to absorb too much light, but I never use that side. The translucent layer can be placed in front of a light source (e.g. lightbulb or natural light), to prevent harsh lighting and shadows. I will teach you about the translucent side another time. Below are samples showing you the results with the different layers of the reflector I use. (Please notice that results would be different on a lighter background. The background and shooting surface below is black, and some of the light is observed by the black surface. Shooting on a white surface would result in brighter photos.)

Gold Reflector Samples:

Silver Reflector Samples:

White Reflector Samples:

This 5 in 1 kit is one of my favorite tools I own because of the photo results and for it's multipurpose. You can use any of the sides as a background, and I have. If you are thinking about buying one of these reflectors, here is a link to give you an idea of the price range. You can buy some fairly inexpensive ones but be warned that they may not last as long as their more expensive counterparts. If you are not in the market for a reflector you can also use a whiteboard or even a mirror to reflect light back to the food.

The other part of my tools or setup are my props. I keep a very small amount of props, all that you see in the photo fits into a small basket and that's all I use. From the beginning I knew that if I started thinking about needing to buy a bunch of props and dishware, I would be wasting energy that I needed to direct on learning my camera and lighting first. As time went buy, I began experimenting with a few props. I feel that it is the food that should be the center of attention and not the props, so I tend to not use many. What I do use are tablecloths, place mats/table mats, kitchen towels, small pieces of fabrics, flowers, plants, ribbons, and color paper. The color paper is a great and inexpensive way to change it up a bit. It's just construction paper/arts and crafts paper that you can buy virtually anywhere. But perhaps my favorite things to shoot on are my small brown table and the black wood square plank you see in these photos. As for my dishware, I own white dishes. In some ways white dishes are easier to use than colorful dishes. The white dish will reflect light around the food, so this can help to light the food better. I do like colorful dishes and still use some now and then. If you are using colorful dishware, I suggest you use ones that compliment the color of the food. This will help balance the photo better.

The most important thing is practice, practice, it doesn't matter if you own a humble point and shoot or a fancy DSLR. I know many of you say you don't have the time to spend shooting photos before you eat. But if you can find 10 or 15 minutes to play around with your camera you will greatly benefit from it. Experiment shooting things on different surfaces, plates, or in different stages of preparation. If you are using artificial light play around with it by moving it around the subject and seeing what has the best results. Practice using a whiteboard or reflector to see how this improves the image. Once you have some practice with setting up the light and plating the food, it will become both easier and faster for you to photograph food before sitting down to eat. The key to all of this is to just keep learning and be creative with what you have before worrying about moving forward.

Do you do any post editing to your photos? I've seen some people saying that they don't like it, don't agree with it and they think it's wrong to do it. I not only disagree but I also think it's a silly attitude to have. This is as much a part of digital photography as properly developing film in a dark room was to film photography. You can see the great results that can be achived with the most minimal of editing to your photos. This photo literally took me 1 minute to adjust. You be the judge, which do you think is better?

See how much punchier the image is? The haze that digital photos have straight out of the camera makes images look dull and soft, you don't want that because that's not what it looks like in real life. Something this simple can be the difference in getting your images accepted by sites like Foodgawker, Tastespotting, Tasteologie or any other food photography sites like them. Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments. More tutorials on the way...

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Food Photography:Understanding Camera Types

Welcome to another installment of Spicie Foodie's Photography Tips & Tricks tutorials. I want to thank you all for the great feedback you left on the first tutorial. It's so great to read all of your comments and really gives me the inspiration to keep these coming and sharing my knowledge with you. Before we move on to other step by step tutorials on how I shoot I wanted to share this tutorial about cameras. It was meant to be the first one, as understanding what camera you own is very important. This is a general guide with some good and bad points of each type of camera. To help give you ideas of price range and selections click on the photos for more information. Before we move on to it, there were some comments and emails I'd like to address.

The EGO Lights: It seems like they are getting mixed reviews, but the common comment was that they do work well enough. The bad thing about them was that you have to place them very close to the food and possibly buy 2 for better results. And others said that since they are table lamps they can limit you to where/how you use them. As opposed to the light stand that can be moved around, lowered or lifted up to the location you need.

On a lighter note there were comments about family expecting(demanding) to eat right away once dinner is done. Luckily I don't have this problem but I understand this can be an issue for some. The only thing I can suggest to tell them is, it will be ready when you say it's ready! No I'm just kidding :) Perhaps serve them first and save a plate for yourself to shoot after the family has been served, you can then take the time to shoot your photos. With practice you can set up and shoot a handful of photos all within 3 minutes. More on that another time...

Thoughts on Cameras:
There were some emails, comments and questions regarding cameras and what my opinion was on the type, brand you should buy. I don't believe in someone telling others "I do something this way and it's the only way of doing it or I use this product and it's the only option you have" There are many ways of doing things and many products to choose from, make educated decisions for yourself. Okay saying that I am a Pentax user, I've always found their products to be high quality, extraordinary and have always had great results. I suggest reading and looking online for reviews and photo quality comparisons before choosing a camera brand. Stop by a local photography shop and ask the staff for help, or to try out a camera.

Umm Mymoonah asked the following: "Does camera plays a major role in photography or the way we use it. Is it possible to get good pictures without any SLR ?" First part, yes and no. Yes because the camera you choose will effect what you want to use if for. For example you wouldn't use a Point and Shoot camera to do a professional shoot and sell your photography, you need a good DSLR for that. The second part of the question, yes! If you know how to use your camera, compose properly and have good light, you can shoot nice photographs. The only thing to think about then is does the camera have the quality that I need.

A common statement people say is "this camera takes good pictures" I'm not a fan of this statement because while the camera does its technical part, the operator plays the biggest role in the shot,(We compose it, we tell the camera what to do.) A person can have a $7,000 camera with all the bells and whistles, but if they don't know how to use it they might as well just take the money and throw it in the garbage. Moral of this story is learn your camera, learn to shoot in Manual mode, learn about aperture, learn composition, learn about white balance, learn about photo quality, read that owner's manual if you have to. So you can take good pictures. Now some information about camera types.



- Point and Shoot Cameras, P.&S. (also called consumer cameras): These cameras are fully automatic, perfect for everyday use and are a hassle free option. They are the most compact size and can easily be stored in a pocket, making them the perfect travel companion. P.& S. cameras are the easiest to use, you don not need any training. Just point, press down on the shutter and you've got your shot. The features and controls are very easy to understand. Depending on the camera you may have the option of shooting in different modes, adjusting focus, white balance, and ISO, of course all within very narrow limits . P.&S. are also the cheapest option, and no extra lenses are required. The bad sides are obviously you will be very limited on the control over your shooting. The image quality will not be as good as the other 2 options, but you can still get good results. A P.&S. camera is a good enough camera option if you are just looking for a good vacation, snapshot and camera to shoot small photos for your blog. With a little practice and manual reading you can learn enough before moving on to the next level.

Shot with a Pentax Optio WPi (point&shoot), on a very overcast day. Only minimal levels adjustments to bring out the clouds, and slight tone change. (Photo from my archive)

- Prosumer Cameras: This type of camera is between a point and shoot and an DSLR. The term is a cross between professional and consumer. Prosumers are the medium sized cameras but still easy to carry around. They have more features and controls than a point and shoot but are more limiting than a DSLR. A good camera for enthusiasts or someone looking to learn more about photography but not quite ready for the big boy DSLR with all it's features and controls. The price range will be in the middle of the 2 other options, or sometimes comparable to DSLRs. They have better lenses than a point and shoot, but not as good as a DSLR. The lens is attached and you cannot change lenses like you could on a DSLR. (* Though there are special attachment available to adjust lens range for some models.) The image quality will be better than a point and shoot and you will have more controls over your photography. I use to own a Fuji Finepix that had Manual controls, Aperture and Shutter priority, white balance, ISO and I was very happy with the results.

Shot with Fuji FinePix S7000, a prosumer camera and my first camera! I used natural or window light and only slight levels adjustments in Photoshop. (Another photo from my archives.)

-DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex): This is the camera for those looking to have full control over their photographs. These are the bigger of the options listed here, and are also heavier. The lenses are interchangeable, you also have the option of buying different lenses for your specific needs. (* If you have old film Pentax camera lenses you can use them on the new DSLs. I don't know if you can do this with Cannon and Nikon.) You can shoot in RAW format, which gives you larger and better quality photos. The digital noise is virtually non-existant and the image detail is much better than the two other options. There are a range of DSLR level cameras, from entry level to serious professional level cameras. DSLR are obviously the more expensive and best suited for serious enthusiast and professionals. I would recommend to those looking to learn on a DSLR to buy an entry level until you get comfortable with the camera and learn all of the settings before moving on to a more expensive higher level DSLR.

Shot on a Pentax K10D DSLR, with continues fluorescent light off to the side. The background was darkened, contrast and levels were adjusted in Photoshop.

If you are in the market for a new camera I recommend this great site, Digital Photography Review or dpreview.com. They have sections for all of the different camera manufacturers with reviews of the cameras and image samples. There are forums to ask for advice as well as learning sections.

Which of these camera types do you own? Do you know if your camera has a white balance option? Do you know how to adjust the image size and quality on your camera? I highly recommend that you look at your manual or sit and learn the camera's features. In the coming lessons we will be discussing them.

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Food Photography: What Lights To Use When Sunlight Is Not Available

It is said that food is the hardest subject to photograph. Why? Because after a few minutes the food will change colors from oxidation, cool down or warm up and melt, the moisture and water droplets will begin to dry out or run down the subject, etc. Let's face it if you leave food to sit out you know how ugly it can look after a while. So when it comes to food photography it is important to plan ahead.

Before I begin with the inaugural photography tutorial I would like to take a minute. I decided to start sharing some photography tutorials (tips) because of you guys. Some of the most common questions or comments I get are regarding my photography. I am not a professional but rather someone who has a love of all things photography. I started with a basic or point and shoot type camera than gradually worked my way up to a DSLR camera. What I have learned has been by practice and picking up a few tips here and there. I want to make it clear that my tutorials and tips are just that, tips. I am not saying my way is the only or best way of doing things, it's my opinion and my choice. If along the way you guys learn or pickup somethings, than mission accomplished. Thank you and now on to the tutorial.

*Shot with indirect sunlight.*

Us food bloggers want to shot nice photos of our food and want them to represent the plate of food we are about to eat in the best light possible. I think we can all agree that it's disappointing and even frustrating after cooking and plating our food and not being able to snap a decent photo. I'll admit to those horrible shots (and have the proof on the blog archives) But, hey we only learn from our mistakes right? The cliche saying practice makes perfect, well it's said for a reason. Even the great masters Ansel Adams, Richard Avendon, Herb Ritts David LaChapelle, Dorethea Lange, Annie Leibovitz, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson and any of your favorite photographers-they all started from the beginning and by practicing. That being said the first lesson or tutorial I am going to share with you is a bit of a strange place to start because it's jumping a step. While I had my first basic tutorial ready, I felt it would be best to address the common problem and most asked question I am seeing and getting about photography right now. Lighting. When shooting food or really any type of photographs natural/sun light is the best option. The light is nice and even, soft and makes for a prettier more natural photo. In the northern hemisphere we have just started our winter, this means shorter days and the sun has set by 4 or earlier. So obviously natural light is out of the question. A (unrealistic) way to fix this issues is if you can get all the cooking and photos shot before the sunsets.

These are the lighting options when sunlight is not available and can apply to any type of photography.

1. First before you go any further turn off or disable your camera's flash. (Now please don't be insulted if you use the on camera flash.) The on camera flash will not help in shooting appetizing photos of food. It creates harsh lighting which flattens the food and there is no dimension in the photo. Learning to use your camera without the on camera flash is a great thing that will help improve all types of photography. You can see the difference in samples below.

Artificial light options .

*Click image for more Flash Gun options*

2A- Flash Guns: Some cameras have the option of attaching a flash gun. I personally didn't like it, it turned me off and I gave up on learning to use it properly. Sorry no tips on flash guns from me. If anyone has any tips let me know and I can host your tutorial. Below is a sample of how to use a flash gun.

2B-You could use the light from the lamps or ceiling light fixtures in your kitchen or house.The bad side to those is that the light output can be low.

A way around this it to use multiple lamps to provide enough light or use fluorescent bulbs which have a higher light output. You may also need to steady the camera with a tripod or by setting it down to prevent blurry images, and/or shoot at a higher ISO - which can result in lower quality images. Another important thing is that you will need to learn about white balance, learn how to change the white balance accordingly. White balance is what helps your images have the correct tone/color when shot with different light sources. (In the future I will be doing a tutorial on white balance to further explain.By the way most cameras have the option to change the white balance.)

This photo above was shot using a regular house lamp with a 45w bulb, at ISO 1600, Aperture F3.5 at 1/125 sec. You can see that there is a decent amount of light shot as is, but still a bit too dark. The image is out of the camera without any editing.

With a small adjustment I can brighten it up a bit more. But what you won't see on a small size photo like this is the digital/image noise that appears when shooting with a small amount of light at ISO 1600, and brightening it up using photo editing software. So this is not the best choice, but if you can get enough small lamps to shoot and lower the ISO you could improve the image quality.


2C- The following option I will be taking about is the option I use when sunlight is not available. I use a fluorescent light clamped to a light stand and diffused with a white umbrella. Very similar to the image below.

* To see other light kits like this click here.*

This is an inexpensive setup that is easy to disassemble and set aside when not in use. (**UPDATE: The same kit I use like in the photo above, can be purchased at Amazon for $29.99. This price includes the stand, umbrella and lightbulb- a great price!**) Again I need to recommend that you learn how to change the white balance on your camera otherwise you will end up with images that have the wrong color cast. (You could also adjust the white balance in photo editing software but that adds another step and more work for you.) The image below is how I set up this shot, In another tutorial I will go into further details on the exact setup of how I shoot a photo for Spice Foodie.

The photo below is straight out of the camera, shot with a fluorescent clamp light diffused through a white umbrella and a small reflector to the side. At ISO 200, Aperture F5 at 1/200 sec.

This is the same photo after a slight contrast adjustment, simple and clean.

There are other types of studio lights available that are more expensive and have more controls, like flash, but I think this set up/kit is a great way to start, learn and see immediate results.

2D- There is one other option I have heard about, the Lowel EGO lights. These lights are tabletop lamps that are easy to move. I've never used them but I first heard about them on Steamy Kitchen and Jaden gives them a good review. Chef Dennis also recently spoke about them and gave a few links for more information. You can purchase them from Amazon for about $90 each. Do any of you use these and do you like them?

Now I have some questions for you. What type of light source do you use when sunlight is not available? Of the options I listed above which would you be most likely to use? And last question what tutorial do you want to see next, cameras explained, my light set up when I shot a photo for my blog or do you have something else you'd like to see?

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YBR Badge Tutorial (how to insert your photo)

As promised here is the tutorial on how to insert your photo into the YBR badge. The announcement for you to sign up will be posted tomorrow. I have also uploaded a PDF copy to my Google Docs, http://tinyurl.com/ybrtut But the quality was really lost after uploading it, so if you would like a better copy please email (spiciefoodie (@) gmail.com) a request and I'd be happy to send it to you.

1. Open the YBR badge to insert your YBR photo submission into. It will look something like this (I am using Photoshop CS4 and it may look a bit different on your screen,depending on the software.)


2. Next we need to open the photo we will be inserting into the YBR badge. Go to the menu bar- FILE OPEN and open the image you are inserting.


3. The image you just choose will need to be sized down to the appropriate image size. Go to the menu bar IMAGE - IMAGE SIZE.


4. Input the correct image size. First Make sure that the RESOLUTION IS 72 PIXELS. For a landscape format (horizontal) image it will be 300 pixels wide(width) For a portrait format (vertical) the max is 220 pixels high (height). Don’t worry about the corresponding height/width it will auto resize.


Now that your image is properly sized, we need to insert it in to the YBR badge. But first you need to make sure the TOOLS and LAYERS Windows are visible. If the are not open them by going to the Menu bar WINDOW- TOOLS click and they should appear. Go back to the menu bar WINDOW- LAYERS click on the LAYERS and the Layers window will appear.


I will be showing you two very easy methods for inserting the image, choose what works best for you and the photo editing software you own.

(Method #1)
5. From the tools bar select the Move tool which looks like an arrow and a cross on the left side of my image below. Hover over the photo you will be inserting into the badge. Click on it and hold down your mouse, then drag the photo onto the YBR badge.


6. After you drag your photo onto the YBR badge you will see a new layer appear under the LAYERS window, the bottom red arrow. With the MOVE TOOL still selected, move the photo around until centered in the blank space on the YBR badge. In your HISTORY window you will see what has been changed and and you can always refer back to it to see the progress. I have pointed this out with the top red arrow.


7.(Method #1 continued) The next step is to flatten and save the image. In the Menu bar go to LAYERS - FLATTEN IMAGE.


8. You can see that there is only one LAYER left, the background. Now you can save a new copy of the new YBR badge using the SAVE AS option. If you need a walk through on that refer to #12 on this tutorial.



(Method #2)
9. Open and size your image as instructed in #1-4. Also make sure the TOOLS and LAYERS windows are visible, as instructed above in the red text. Make sure you are on the photo image to be inserted, then go to the menu bar SELECT -ALL .


The photo will look like this.

Go back to the menu bar EDIT- COPY.


10.(Method #2 continued) Now click on the YBR badge. Go to the menu bar EDIT-PASTE. The YBR badge will now have the photo we will be inserting into it and you will also see that a new layer was created with the photo. Position the photo into the blank area on the YBR badge.


11. Once the photo is aligned properly into the blank area we will flatten the image. Go to the menu bar, LAYERS-FLATTEN IMAGE.


**The last step in both methods is to save the new YBR badge with the inserted photo. You can either just save the badge under the same name or create a copy and save under a new image. This last method is best so that you can always have a blank badge saved on your computer to insert your new monthly image. **

12. Go to the menu bar FILE-SAVE AS . The SAVE AS window will pop up and simple save the new YBR badge where you would like on your computer.


I name my new badges to correspond to the YBR event month, for example this is the November event so ybr_November.jpg is my file name.


You will also be asked for the JPEG OPTIONS to choose the image compression, the lower the number the lower the image quality and vice versa, anywhere from 8-10 will be plenty.


That’s it! You can now close out the YBR badge and the photo you choose to insert onto the YBR badge. When you are closing the photo it will ask you if you want to save changes to it, choose DO NOT SAVE and it will close. Both of these methods apply to any two images you would like to insert into each other. OR you could also use it to insert graphics or text into an image. I will show you how to adjust and play around with layer in another tutorial.

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