A. My not-so-new laptop didn’t have my blog editor installed.
B. It took quite a few times for me to remember my user login
C. I couldn’t remember how to connect my blog editor to my blog.

Obviously, I figured it all out.

I hate that I’ve been gone from here for basically the past year, but that’s only because I love what I’ve been doing, and let me tell you, I’ve been doing a lot.

In case you are short on time, let me get to the point.

A year ago February, amidst a pretty full-time job of shooting photos for cookbooks and magazines, I decided to get back into the software game. Don’t get me wrong- I still love food photography and writing. But in the 8 years I had been away from the tech world, I found I really missed it. Yeah, I’m weird that way.

A couple of my buddies were starting a software company, Project 529 down in Portland, and I decided to join. We are all about software to for cyclists and helping people get outside and ride more. We’ve started by taking up a cause that effects over 250,000 people per year: bike theft. Did you know that every 30 seconds a bike is stolen? That’s just insane. I’m betting if you haven’t had a bike stolen, you probably know someone who has. And it probably really sucked.

We decided that instead of just complaining about it, we’d try to do something.
First up, we’re creating a movement to urge Craigslist and eBay to require serial numbers on all used bike sales. While this won’t stop all stolen bike trafficking, we see it as a huge first step in using technology to help bike owners rather than bike thieves.

I try not to ask for much on this site, but I will ask for this: Please take a few minutes to go and sign our petition, and tell your friends.

I’m also really excited to announced that a couple of weeks ago, we released a preview of the 529 Garage website and iPhone app. Either from the app or the website, you can quickly register all the critical details of your bike, like the serial number and the make and model, as well as capture a few good-to-have photos to help make identifying your bike easier. If your bike does go missing, it’s just a few clicks to print out custom poster and get it on our hot sheet which makes it easy for people to send tips if they think they’ve seen it. Both the website and app are free, so if you have a bike, be sure to register them!

The next phase of the app is even cooler. If your bike goes missing, you can send out a notification to everyone else in your area to be on the lookout for your bike and hopefully help you catch the thief. It’s making the most of the cycling community to fight a problem that effects all of us.

We just kicked off the app down in Monterey, CA at Sea Otter Classic, a huge cycling event that draws upwards of 65,000 visitors, and riders competing in just about any event that involves human power and two wheel – there were road races, a Gran Fondo, downhill mountain biking, dual slalom, pump tracks, cyclocross and more. It was really amazing hearing everyone’s stories about their bikes and seeing them get excited about the tools we are building.

Post Sea Otter, Cam and I took the slow route back up the coast in a camper van, stopping in a few spots to ride. It’s been months of few weekends that didn’t include 10 hour work days (except when we went to Antarctica – but that’s a whole other story!), so this was a welcome respite.

Being a startup, it’s not exactly a steady thing, so I’ve still been doing food photography as well.

Can I let you in on a little secret? I may dream of neatly folded linens and receipts scanned away rather than stuffed into a shoebox, but most months? I’m lucky if I get my invoicing done. All of my energy goes into my shoots and edits, and when the jobs come fast and furious like they have for the past couple of months, my studio ends up looking like a vintage shop exploded in it and moving from one side to the other is a little like playing one of those sliding piece puzzles.

The next two months are lining up to be two of my busiest months yet… in addition to shooting a cookbook (on craft beer… mmm) and a book on making your own soap, I’m shooting over 50 recipes for other clients, teaching online classes, and, oh yeah, I have a manuscript due on December 1st. And a book release late next month. I am over the moon with all this great stuff, but soon to be out of my skull if I don’t get some help.

So, I’m happy to announce that I’m looking for an intern. This will be a 2 month contract position starting October 1 (or as soon as possible), with the possibility of longer depending on my on going work and the fit.

This position will get you hands on styling and assisting on shoots, so you’ll need to have an eye for detail and seeing what needs to be done next. You don’t need professional or previous assisting experience, but you do need to be comfortable cooking all types of food, not be afraid to ask questions when you don’t know what to do, and willing to work it out when there aren’t necessarily obvious answers. And, to make up for my tendency to less than artfully make piles, you will hopefully love organizing props and linens, and be enthusiastic about cleaning. The best fit would be someone who is interested in professional food and prop styling long term… but if you are more interested in the photography side of things and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty in the kitchen, that’s cool too.

Responsibilities will vary widely but will include some of the following:

• Sourcing for shoots
• Styling Prep
• Assisting with Lighting
• Organizing/Cleaning
• Scanning receipts
• Scheduling shoots

This position is located in Portland, Oregon. Pay will be based on experience, but I can tell you that one perk will be access to the studio (and my selection of props, kitchen equipment and lighting gear) when it’s not in use for your own projects! There is also an option of room & board at the studio for those who are interested in the position but not living in Portland.

To apply, email lara@laraferroni.com with the subject line “Photo + Styling Intern” and include the following:

Update: Thanks everyone for your responses! This position is now filled.

• A resume
• A link to your work
• Why you are interested in the internship
• Why you would be a good fit
• Your availability
• Your rate

Looking forward to hearing from you!

I know I haven’t been around this blog that has brought me so much this year. All those wonderful projects that it has brought me have kept me immersed in what I love to do… but I do miss it here. Every week I tell myself, I need to figure out how to be here more. Because I have things to share. Because I want to create, just for this blog, just for myself. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.

Let me tell you how bad it is. I had a book come out in February and I still haven’t blogged about it since it’s release. Can you believe that! Let’s fix that right now.

Hey, everyone, I have a new book out! It’s called Food Photography: Pro Secrets for Styling, Lighting and Shooting.

Except, you probably knew that already, or at least I hope you did. But, what you might not know is that from July 10th (today!) to July 17th, Barnes & Noble is having a special… so if you were interested in purchasing it, it’s going to be 50% off.

Let me tell you a little more about the book. When I started food photography, there really wasn’t much on the subject at all. To learn, I flew out of state to buy coffee for photographers I loved, and I bid on charity auctions to have time with my photography hero. I read every little tip online I could find (that didn’t take long because there weren’t that many in 2005), but mostly, I tried things out with my camera and a window. Then, I tried things out with my camera and some lights. I spent a year buying food to shoot with no goal other than to just learn how to make photos like the ones that I was so drawn to. Then, I spent six years (so far) continuing to refine those photos to something that is my own voice. During that time, I met more food photographers and stylists, worked with editorial, commercial and stock clients, and actually made a profitable business doing this thing I love. This book, my book, is the book that I wish that I had had when I was getting started professionally.

It’s not a book about how to use your camera… there are hundreds upon hundreds of those books. It’s a book about the nuances of food photography from someone (me!) who has learned the ropes by slowly moving from a hobbyist to a professional. These are the things that I found were important. There are lighting tips for those with very limited budgets and guidance for what gear you may need in the future. There’s no crazy math around calculating lighting ratios… just simple, straightforward things that you need to know to shoot food, like what the best lighting and shooting angles are, and what gear you need when you find yourself shooting in the dark corner of a restaurant or in a bedroom of your house (I shot 4 different cookbooks in a bedroom in my house!)

There are styling tips helpful for food photographers who need to take on some styling themselves, but also thoughts on working with a team including food and prop stylists as well as art directors. This book also covers the business side of food photography, from licensing to copyrighting to release forms and what to expect from a professional shoot day. And, my favorite part, this book has photos, thoughts and stories, both inspirational and informative from food photographers that I greatly admire. I am still honored by their generosity of time and of their work.

These days there are a lot of books out there on food photography. I’ve written about some of them here. And, I’m super excited about two more that are entering the market this fall… one aimed at food bloggers from one of my favorite people, Matt Armendariz, and another about commercial food photography from a food photographer I’ve long admired from afar, Teri Campbell (I have serious studio envy of Teri’s space). I like to think my book fills the gap in between these two.

By the way, if you have the book, loved it, and are looking for more of this type of things, I’ve started a new series of online classes with PPSOP. This course is a series of 2 week classes aimed at those interested in getting started in professional food photography. Ron Goldman and I are there to answer questions and critique your work each week, along side detailed written instruction. Each 2 week class is focused on some aspect of professional food photography, starting with an intro to the business side of the profession. Further classes will include a professional food photography lighting bootcamp, food and prop styling for photographers, post production for food photography as well as deep dives into editorial, commercial and stock food photography.

The 4 days we packed full of some geeky techy camera talk (I was involved, after all!) and lots of hands on styling and shooting. Most of the week, my own camera was laid aside so I could help with one camera question or another… so I was surprised when I got home and found I still managed to capture over 1000 shots.

We started by simply showing how we shoot and talking about light, and the difference diffusion makes. I think everyone was amazed at how simple our setups actually tend to be and, when you are using a tripod, how little light you really need to make a beautifully bright shot. These were taken on a very rainy, dark day!

Such a beautiful place.

I am so honored that these lovely students chose to share the week with us. It was such a joy to see their work, and their “ah-ha” moments. And of course, I couldn’t have had a better person to teach the course with the Béa! It felt like we just fit together.

You can see more about this trip on our student’s blogs here:

http://www.confiture-de-vivre.de/2012/05/foodstyling-und-foodphotographie-workshop-mit-beatrice-peltre-und-lara-ferroni-eine-collage-und-ein-tolles-giveaway/

http://www.naturelita.com/2012/06/food-styling-and-photography-workshop-in-france/

http://www.foundnowhome.blogspot.com/2012/05/photography-workshop-update.html

It’s hard to believe that it’s the last week of the online food photography and styling for bloggers workshop that started in early January! It’s been a great experience. Most of the photography classes I’ve taught have been one or two days events. While the face to face work is great… having 4 weeks to work with someone and see how they take your feedback and apply it to their work has been really amazing. I love to see those “a-ha” moments!

It’s also been great to work with photographers from around the world, and learn about some beautiful new food blogs, like The Winter Guest and AgoisFoto, both Spanish blogs by workshop students.

Here’s how the classes work. Ron Goldman & I craft 4 different lessons about various aspects of food photography, from the lighting, shooting angle and camera aperture to how to pick props and make the food look the freshest. We also cover some basics of how to prep your photos for the web so they look the best online. The lessons are packed with sample photos and setup shots (with natural light as well as with artificial light of various types).

Each week, students download the written lesson (in PDF form), and have the week to study it and practice shooting on their own schedule. Each lesson includes an assignment that introduces new skills to practice (as well as continuing to work on the skills from the previous weeks). Ron and I (and often, other students!) are available to answer questions on a Q&A forum, whether they are questions on the assignment or other aspects of food photography. In January’s class, this message board was very active with questions from everything from how to deal with reflections on silverware to what the best way to manage long term image storage to how to setup a blog.

If you wanted to attend the workshop that Béa & I were teaching in France but weren’t quite able to make the timing or the finances work, these online classes might be a great option for you! Sure, it’s not France, but you’ll have lots to learn from!

The class starts again this Friday, February 3rd, 2012 and again on March 2nd if you’d like to attend.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your interest in our Food Photography & Styling Workshop! We are opening up official registration today, as of now.

Here’s a little more about the workshop:

Student rate: $2250 US
Non-student rate: $1650 US (includes accommodation, same meals and drinks only as those offered in the workshop). There are limited spots.

Beside soaking in the French culture (hello farmerâ€s market and village life!), and a lot of hands-on exercices to teach you food styling and photography (weâ€ll cover from camera basics, use of Lightroom and Photoshop, to lighting), included in the workshop are:

– 5 night accommodation (May 19th to 23d) Note that rooms are shared
– 5 breakfasts
– 4 lunches
– 3 dinners
– Food/drinks we will shoot with the workshop
– Soda, coffee and tea all day
– Wine during critique hour
– Bikes which will be available for your use at no charge Saturday through Tuesday
– Transportation to and from group activities
РA goodie bag from B̩a & Lara

We strongly recommend that students who want to attend the workshop own an SLR camera, if their main interest for attending the workshop is food photography.

Update: The workshop is now full, but we are taking names for the wait list if you are still interested.

To register, please send an email to lara AT laraferroni DOT com, that includes:
– Your name (and name of your traveling companion, if applicable. Non-student companion prices are listed above.)
– Your mailing address
– Your blog address, if applicable

(If you are concerned about potential email server delays, you can leave a comment here first, followed up by your email with your details.)

Registrants will then receive an email (and contract to be signed and returned), and details on how to submit a $300 non-refundable deposit to confirm their registration. In case the list is filled, they will be placed on a waiting list.

Confirmed attendees will then receive a detailed (but tentative) itinerary, and more details about how to complete the full registration.

We hope to see you there! We are excited to make this happen with you all.

Béa & Lara

Let us know whether you are interested so that we can confirm this time slot! We’ve had a lot of interest, so we’ll be opening up the official registration soon! Look for an announcement, and don’t delay signing up, as the class will likely sell out quickly.

We cannot wait to meet you there.

I hope you all had a very merry holiday and a great week leading up to the New Year! Just stopping in briefly to announce the winner of the giveaway of our Food Photography & Styling for Bloggers class. Via random number generator, our winner is Stacy Ernst!

Stacy – I don’t have your email, so please email me for further info.

Happy Holidays everyone!

I’m also happy to announce that we are giving away a free spot to one lucky participant! To enter (see fine print below), all you need to do is add a comment below this post, that contains the text “I want to take your class“. Only one of these comments per person gets you an entry. Additional comments won’t get you more chances to win. Make sure that the email address you leave with the comment is valid so we can contact you if you win!

You can also qualify for a second entry by letting others know about it. Simply post about this give away… on your blog with a link back to this page, on your Facebook page, pin this page on Pinterest, or simply Tweet about it with the hashtag #FoodPhotosForBloggers with a link back to this page. Then, come back here and leave a second comment here letting us know where you posted (with a link please!).

This giveaway runs this week only, from December 18, 2011 until 11:59pm (pst) December 23, 2011. All entries posted later than that will not be counted.

I’ll announce the winner here on December 26th. Wouldn’t this be a great way to ring in 2012?

Good luck everyone!

The inevitable fine print:

Want to know how we pick the winner? All entries will be assigned a number based on the order they are received. The first valid comment will be entry 1, the second entry 2, etc. At the end of the week, all entries will be added up and that number will be placed into a random number generator to select the winning entry.

The giveaway is limited to 2 entries per person.

This giveaway is void where prohibited by law. Winners will be responsible for any applicable taxes and/or fees associated with the receipt of this prize.

If you do not agree with or cannot follow these rules, please do not enter.

A few Wednesdays ago found me somewhere particularly unexpected: on the rooftop of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel with about a million bees. The bees are the project of Chef Gavin Stephenson, who was accidentally inspired after a chance meeting with Corky Luster, Bee Ambassador. I’ve heard that happens. What makes this particularly interesting though is that Stephenson, who shoulders the title beekeeper as well as chef, is allergic to bees, so epi-pens are always close at hand (luckily, he hasn’t had need of them yet).

The bees, I learned, all feast fairly close by, on the maples that are scattered around downtown. The bees all orient themselves by flying straight from the hive in a single direction. So, the best place to get stung is to stand right there. If you stand off to the side, they pretty much ignore you.

They are housing two types of bees at the Fairmont, although for the life of me I couldn’t tell you what kind they were. I was snapping, not taking down notes. The bees naturally segregate themselves into their own hives, and produce very different looking and tasting honey. One type is clear and golden, with citrus notes while the other has a greenish tint and I swear has a hint of freshly mowed sweet grass. Both are delicious.

I’ve been feeling a bit bee-like myself for the past few months. Flitting from project to project, and making the honey. It’s been chaotic and busy and pretty much wonderful. And, now, I finally have some great news to share from a couple of those projects!

First off, the food photography & styling book I began last year is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

I couldn’t be more excited about this book. While there are some great books out there on food photography now, I think this book is a bit different. Sure, there are lots of tips and techniques outlined by me on lighting and exposure as well as food styling basics that don’t require toxic chemicals, but what really makes me excited about this book are the case studies about some of my favorite food photographers and stylists currently working in the field. I had amazing contributions from Colin Cooke, Iain Bagwell, Lara Hata, Sara Remington, Lisa Golden Schroeder, Dennis Becker, Charlotte Tolhurst, David Land, Francine Zaslow, David Clancy, Valery Rizzo, Johan Vanbecelaere, Keiko Oikawa, Diane Cu & Todd Porter, each sharing their personal stories, tips and beautiful work. I know I learned a thing or two from them and I hope that you get as much from their insights as I did!

Right now, I’m just putting the finishing touches on the manuscript of my next cookbook! I’ve kept kind of quiet on this one, mostly because the publishing process is so long and I know that tempting you with something you can’t get for over a year is kind of crazy. But, the time has come to share a little and ask for some help. You might ask yourself what cookbook could possibly follow up one on Doughnuts. More doughnuts? Nope. But, definitely snack food!

But not just any snack food. After doughnuts, I started playing around with more whole grains and better sugars, and my next book is all about that: Real Snacks: Sweet & Salty Treats Made WIthout All the Junk. Think Twinkies, made with whole grains and no high fructose corn syrup. Or Doritos, with no MSG or Red #5. These are snacks that taste great, have the flavors we all crave, but made from real food so you don’t have to worry about consuming all those “ates” and “ites.” For those of you (or those with kids) with allergies, there are all sorts of suggestions for how to make version that are safe to eat, including nut free, gluten free and vegan options. There’s also a whole appendix on DIY pantry staples like powdered sugar, yogurt coating (for pretzels and the like), garlic & onion powder, vanilla extract, evaporated milk and chocolate syrup!

The book isn’t out until next fall (see, publishing takes a long time!), but I am looking for a few recipe testers to help me put the finishing touches on the recipes. If you are interested, send me mail with your favorite junk food and any dietary restrictions and I’ll send you a recipe or two to try.

There’s much more to come, including a little tour of my new food photo studio down here in Portland, and several other great cookbooks I’ve shot over the last couple of months, but now I have to fly!

What a difference a few years makes. These days, pro food photographers and stylists share all sorts of fantastic tips and behind the scenes on their blogs. There are two food styling books by folks by long time industry pros (both of which comprehensively cover both commercial and editorial work). There conferences, and more conferences. There is, right at the moment I’m typing this, a freaking amazing 3-day class with Penny de los Santos, going on. Not to mention, classes and multi-day workshops in amazing locations coming up later this year.

There is also a new book out on the subject, Plate to Pixel, by my friend, and very talented food blogger/stylist/photographer, Helene Dujardin.

“Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling” (Helene Dujardin)

Helene is a gal with style. Her French accent is peppered with a twangy Southern drawl, which is so charming it’ll make you feel like she just gave you a hug. And her book is kind of like that too. Filled with photos with her signature light and clean styling, she invites you in and tells stories about her work, sharing her working style and philosophy, and inspiring you to go out and find your own photographic style.

Plate to Pixel does a lovely job walking through the basics of using natural light, composition and food styling. It’s a book you’ll need to spend some time with, but Helene’s conversational tone makes that easy and entertaining to do. I think the thing I appreciate the most from this book (beyond the fact that it is really the first food photography to really cover natural lighting and styling techniques) is that Helene doesn’t preach or assume that there is a right or wrong way to make photos. She shows you her way in this book, but really pushes the reader to experiment, work and play with their photography; to drop any fear and dive in; that it is ok to make mistakes (if you aren’t, you aren’t trying hard enough!) and that from trial and error you’ll find the picture that really tells the story.

If you are really interested in technical studio lighting for commercial food photography, Plate to Pixel might not be quite the right book for you. Helene covers working with off camera strobe and small studio lights some, but really her preference is natural light, and that’s where the book’s strength lies. Given there are countless books on studio lighting, that is really not an issue; simply pair Helene’s tips for natural light with any lighting book (I’d suggest anything by the one-light master), and you’ll make yourself some gorgeous photos.

Food Photography & Styling Resources

Here’s a list of food photography resources that covers what I know about, but is probably woefully incomplete… if you have suggestions for the list, please add them in the comments!

Websites

Learn Food Photography

WrightFood

Penny de los Santos’s blog

Lara Hata’s blog

What Katie Ate

Charlotte Tolhurst’s Shoots, Eats and Leaves

Paula Walters’ Still Life Style blog

Jennifer Davik’s Dish on Photography blog

Steven Hamilton’s Restaurant Project

Food Blog Forum Food Photography and Styling

Nicolesy

Plate to Page

Culinographie (en Français)

Great Food Photos

Released (or soon to be) Books

“Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling” (Helene Dujardin)

WrightFood Food Photography Manual (all proceeds benefit Japan Earthquake Relief)

“Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots” (Nicole S. Young) (pre-order)

“Food Stylist’s Handbook, The” (Denise Vivaldo)

“Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera” (Delores Custer)

“Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art” (Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee)

“Digital Food Photography” (Lou Manna)

Workshops

Food and Light

Lighting Techniques for Food & Still Life

Digital Media Playground

Penny de los Santos workshops (on location)

Travel and Food Photography Workshop with Ignacio Urquiza

Culinary Entrepreneurship (Denise Vivaldo’s classes)

Cook, Shoot & Eat Gascony

Food Photography & Styling (Ireland)

Travel, Food & Photography

Natural Light Food Photography

Natural Light Natural Food

Fresh from the Garden to the Studio

Plate to Page Workshops

Conferences

BlogHer Food

IACP

International Conference on Food Styling & Photography

International Food Blogger Conference

Let’s start with the basic gear: body & lenses. I’m still using and loving my Canon 5D MII. There are some rumors out there that a 5D Mark III may be coming later this year (typically 6 months after the 1Ds replacement comes out, which folks are hoping to hear about in April).

I commented the other day on Twitter that you can make a great photo with any lens, but it might not be the photo you wanted to make. Lenses do make a difference; you aren’t going to get the same shot with a 50mm lens as a 100mm lens, and images with a 5.6 aperture aren’t the same as those with a 2.8. When you make a big investment in camera gear, it really should be in the lenses before the body. Save up, and get the best lenses you can for the type of work you want to do.

Taken with the Canon 100mm 2.8 macro with natural light via northern window

I’ve had the same 100mm 2.8 macro for over 6 or 7 years, and while the new “L” version is definitely tempting (shiny new lens!), I’m just not convinced that the difference is worth the $1700 when I still love the quality of images with the original. I use this lens on over 1/2 of the photos I take. When I do get around to a new lens purchase, however, it will probably be this upgrade.

Taken with the Canon 90mm 2.8 t/s with natural light via southwest window

The next lens I use often is the 90mm 2.8 tilt-shift. Again, this is a lens I’ve had for quite sometime. There was a period when I used it for almost every tabletop shot I took, but I’ve backed off from that some this year. The tilt-shift effect for food photography (not the Photoshop tilt-shift “miniturizing” effect you see all over the web) is incredibly useful for changing the plane of focus, so, for example, you can get the whole surface of the soup in focus while still keeping the image soft. This lens is a really huge investment though, and unless you are shooting for a lot of commercial applications, is beyond the needs of most photographers. Still, there are shots that you simply cannot capture without the tilt…

The newest lens I’ve gotten, and one that quickly made its way into my regular rotation, is the 24-70mm 2.8. I love this lens. I’ve had the 24-105 4.0 L for years, but that hasn’t really seen the light of day since I picked up the 24-70. It’s a great lens to take to the market or to use in the studio. The short minimal focal distance let’s you get right into the shot when you need a tight one, while it’s a fantastic wide angle for full tabletop shots. Did I mention I love this lens? I got the Sigma brand of this lens (all my other lenses are Canon). The Canon version is great, and maybe a touch sharper, but I’ve had no problem with the Sigma and the price difference is significant.

I still have a few other lenses that I use on the rare occasion. The 50mm 1.4 and the 80mm 1.8 still make it into my bag. And on a rare occasion, I pull out my 45mm 2.8 tilt-shift. But it’s really unusual when those get used these days.

Oh, and speaking of bags, I have a broad selection of bags to choose from, but I almost always grab my emera bag. Love this bag. Mine is in grey.

What has changed a lot is the lighting gear I’m using. Several years ago, I moved from the Tota lights to a set of speed lights (small, portable strobes). These little strobes are easy to throw into a bag, along with a stand and umbrella, and give you great, soft light that is easy to set up and bring with you on any shoot. And they don’t require a power source, something that can definitely pose a challenge on location.

Shot with two speedlights with umbrellas

Of course, shortly after I got rid of my continuous Tota lights, I started shooting some short videos with my dSLR, and once again needed continuous lights. Since these just live in the studio, I went for a pair of large continuous light soft boxes, which work great.

Most recently, I picked up a pair of Alien Bees SB800s for a bit of flash in the studio, when the day calls for it. These are fantastic studio strobes; not crazy expensive but plenty of power for any tabletop shot. Typically, when I use strobe, I use a single strobe diffused with a large softbox. The Alien Bees softboxes are super easy to setup (much quicker than the softboxes that are on the continuous lights I have) as they have a frame that collapses and opens sort of like an umbrella. No crazy straining to stick rod A into slot B. But, at least with the gigantic soft box, it is very easy to knock over (or fall over on of its own accord) even if you have the whole shebang on one of the heavy duty light stands. So, most of the time, I’m finding myself doing a simpler diffusion technique of just bouncing the light off the wall, shooting it through a muslin drape or even taping on a sheet of vellum over the front surface.

Shot with 1 diffused Alien Bees SB800s

While I do love using natural light, and still use it most of the time due to cable aversion, there is definitely something to be said for being able get just the right light just where you want it. Don’t trust anyone who says natural light is the only way.

For accessories, I’m still using the same old Manfrotto legs and Really Right Stuff ball head. These will last for years and years. I really can’t imagine getting another tripod; if I ever find I need more than this one, I’ll be stepping up to a studio camera stand (ooo…shiny studio camera stand!)

In the studio, I have 2 large C stands to hold up whatever needs holding. Some days, it’s curtains (or more likely a tablecloth hung up as a curtain) for a soft backdrop; some days it’s a large piece of foamboard bouncing light or blocking it off. Somedays it is football cards meticulously glue-gunned to crepe paper that sadly just never really made sense in the shot.

Software-wise, since making the switch to Lightroom a few years back, I couldn’t be happier. The latest version is even better, allowing you to make some quick and dirty pixel edits (like crumb removal) before exporting those raw files. I still do a round of deeper edits in Photoshop, but luckily, each image only takes about 5 or 10 minutes of fine detailed editing now. I’m using Photoshop CS4, but I’ve really stopped recommending full on Photoshop for editing unless you do a lot of serious graphic design. Lightroom + Photoshop Elements is all you really need and will save you a bundle.

By the way, Lightroom added the ability to shoot tethered directly, but they are still missing a critical piece for me… the ability to change the camera settings on the fly. So, I’m still using the Canon software to do the actual tethered shooting with the auto-import hack in Lightroom to import the images. It’s a little annoying to have to switch back and forth, but until Lightroom gets a real tethered shooting UI, it’s a better option.

Oh – while I’m thinking of it, I also picked up both of the new food styling books from the last year. If food styling is your thing, it’s worth grabbing both of them. My friends Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannagan wrote The Food Stylists Handbook which is packed with beautiful photos and practical tips whether you are starting a food styling business or just want to know more about the world of food styling. You’ll definitely pick up a few useful tips.

Delores Custer’s Food Styling is really the bible of food styling. While most of it covers very commercial techniques, there is plenty of useful information for those who don’t want to use shortening and powdered sugar in place of ice cream. The cover price is pretty hefty though, so it’s a better fit for those who really want to make food styling their career… in which case, I’d say it is a must have. If nothing else, you’ll learn a neat way to cut citrus fruits!

And, have I mentioned that I have a book coming out later this year? Oh yeah, I don’t think I have. Well, I do. And it’s on food photography and styling. I can’t share too many details yet, but the manuscript draft is in, photos are being uploaded as I type, and I’m sure I’ll be able to tell you more about it soon!